שמואל ב, פרק י״ג, פסוק כ״ד

The sheep-shearing season was traditionally a time of great joy, marked by grand feasts and banquets [רלב״ג]. Absalom uses this festive occasion to approach King David with a humble invitation, referring to himself as the king's servant and asking his father to join the celebration [מצודת דוד]. However, this seemingly warm gesture is actually a calculated psychological maneuver designed to mask a dark plot for revenge.

The primary approach among commentators is that Absalom never genuinely wanted the king and his servants to attend. He knows well in advance that David will decline the invitation. The entire interaction is a carefully constructed trick meant to eliminate any suspicion from the king's mind and conceal the intense hatred Absalom feels toward Amnon over the incident with Tamar. Had Absalom simply requested the presence of his brothers from the very beginning, David's suspicions would have been immediately aroused [אברבנאל].

Absalom’s strategy relies on a staged approach. He fully anticipates his father's refusal and plans to use it as a natural pivot to his true objective. Once the king declines, Absalom can casually suggest that Amnon, as the eldest son and crown prince, should attend in the king's place to represent him. By steering the conversation in this indirect manner, Amnon's attendance appears to be a logical and harmless alternative. Through this deception, Absalom hopes to bring his brother to the feast without encountering any resistance from the king [רלב״ג, אלשיך].