² Absalom would get up early and stand near the city gate [^Cthe hub of the town for judicial, business, and social interaction]. Anyone who had a ·problem [suit; petition; case] for the king to ·settle [judge] would come here. When someone came, Absalom would call out and say, “What city are you from?”

The person would answer, “·I’m [^LYour servant is] from one of the tribes of Israel.”