II Samuel 14:28

Misinterpretations often portray this as Absalom living comfortably and fully restored in Jerusalem with mere administrative delay in seeing David, ignoring the deliberate emotional isolation as a sign of lingering paternal hurt over Absalom's crime; others wrongly depict David as vindictively withholding forgiveness indefinitely, overlooking the context of cautious royal mercy amid betrayal and the broader narrative of flawed human relationships in the Davidic family.

This verse captures the strained and incomplete reconciliation between King David and his son Absalom, who, after being permitted to return to Jerusalem following his exile for murdering his half-brother Amnon, endures two full years of isolation without gaining an audience with his father, highlighting deep-seated familial tension, unresolved grief, and emotional distance that fuel Absalom's growing resentment and set the stage for his later rebellion.