2 Samuel 14:1-6

Absalom Restored to David

1 Joab son of Zeruiah observed that the king's mind was on Absalom.
2 So Joab sent someone to Tekoa to bring a clever woman from there. He told her, "Pretend to be in mourning: dress in mourning clothes and don't put on any oil.[a] Act like a woman who has been mourning for the dead for a long time.
3 Go to the king and speak these words to him." Then Joab told her exactly what to say.
4 When the woman from Tekoa came[b] to the king, she fell with her face to the ground in homage and said, "Help me, my king!"
5 "What's the matter?" the king asked her. "To tell the truth, I am a widow; my husband died," she said.
6 "Your servant had two sons. They were fighting in the field with no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him.

2 Samuel 14:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 14

This chapter relates that Joab, perceiving David's inclination to bring back Absalom, employed a wise woman of Tekoah to lay before him a feigned case of hers, drawn up by Joab, whereby this point was gained from the king, that murder might be dispensed with in her case, 2Sa 14:1-20; which being applied to the case of Absalom, and the king finding out that the hand of Joab was in this, sent for him, and ordered him to bring Absalom again, though as yet he would not see his face, 2Sa 14:21-24; and after some notice being taken of the beauty of Absalom's person, particularly of his head of hair, and of the number of his children, 2Sa 14:25-27; it is related, that after two full years Absalom was uneasy that he might not see the king's face, and sent for Joab, who refused to come to him, till he found means to oblige him to it, who, with the king's leave, introduced him to him, 2Sa 14:28-33.

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. 2 Sm 12:20; Dn 10:2-3
  • [b]. Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Tg, Vg; other Hb mss read spoke
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