2 Samuel 14:24
And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house, and saw not the king’s face. And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house, and saw not the king’s face.
Absalom was allowed to return to Jerusalem to dwell in his own house, but he was forbidden to see the king's face. He was not restored to his father's presence nor to a place at court, so what took place was only a limited reconciliation and not a full one. This reconciliation had been twice secured for him by Joab, whose trust in the matter was betrayed. The barring from the king's presence was intended to teach both Absalom himself and the people to abhor his crime.