· Translation: KJV

2 Samuel 14:26When he cut the hair of his head (now it was at every year's end that he cut it; because it was heavy on him, therefore he cut it); he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels, after the king's weight.

The setting

Jerusalem, Israel, ~980 BC. The narrator records Absalom's annual hair-cutting ceremony that became a public spectacle...

The emotion here: documenting absurd vanity with growing alarm

The original word

shekel (שֶׁקֶל) — weight measure, about 11.4 grams, 200 shekels = 5 pounds

Why it matters

Five pounds of hair would require shoulder-length hair on a tall man - extraordinary by ancient standards

Read with care

What most readers miss in 2 Samuel 14:26

He WEIGHED his hair - this was narcissism so extreme it became a public event

Common misconceptionPeople think this shows Absalom had amazing hair, but it reveals dangerous self-obsession that valued image over substance.

Bible Genome reading

2 Samuel 14:26 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerNarrator
EraUnited Kingdom
Primary emotionresting
Literary typenarrative

Emotional genome

Comfort power10%
Quotability40%
Memorability50%
Crisis relevance20%
Standalone30%
Themes:vanityexcesspride

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open 2 Samuel 14

2 Samuel 14:26 comes from the book of 2 Samuel, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is resting, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is conversational. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include vanity, excess, pride. Notable phrases: weighed the hair; heavy on him.

Your reflection

What does 2 Samuel 14:26 mean to you, today?

A short note. A question. A prayer. Saved privately to your Soul Garden, dated, and tied to this verse forever.

Speak your heart →

Get 3 verses for "resting"

Delivered to your inbox right now. Free.