2 Samuel 14:3

3 Go to the king and speak to him as follows." And Joab put the words into her mouth.

2 Samuel 14:3 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 14:3

And come to the king
At his palace, in the above condition and circumstances:

and speak on this manner unto him;
something to the following purpose he dictated to her:

so Joab put the words in her mouth;
the substance of what she should say; the fable she was to deliver as her own case might be framed by Joab, and which she delivered word for word exactly as he put it, and the application of it; but as he knew not what questions the king would ask her, so he could not dictate to her what to reply, unless he supposed this and the other, and so formed answers; but this he left to her prudence, and for the sake of which he chose a wise woman to manage this affair.

2 Samuel 14:3 In-Context

1 Now Joab son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's mind was on Absalom.

2 Joab sent to Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman. He said to her, "Pretend to be a mourner; put on mourning garments, do not anoint yourself with oil, but behave like a woman who has been mourning many days for the dead.

3 Go to the king and speak to him as follows." And Joab put the words into her mouth.

4 When the woman of Tekoa came to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and did obeisance, and said, "Help, O king!"

5 The king asked her, "What is your trouble?" She answered, "Alas, I am a widow; my husband is dead.