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2 Samuel 14

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The Woman of Tekoa

1 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that 1the king's heart was inclined toward Absalom.
2 So Joab sent to 2Tekoa and brought a wise woman from there and said to her, "Please pretend to be a mourner, and put on mourning garments now, and do not 3anoint yourself with oil, but be like a woman who has been mourning for the dead many days;
3 then go to the king and speak to him in this manner." So Joab put 4the words in her mouth.
4 Now when the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and 5prostrated herself and said, "6Help, O king."
5 The king said to her, "What is your trouble?" And she answered, "Truly I am a widow, for my husband is dead.
6 "Your maidservant had two sons, but the two of them struggled together in the field, and there was no one to separate them, so one struck the other and killed him.
7 "Now behold, 7the whole family has risen against your maidservant, and they say, 'Hand over the one who struck his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed, 8and destroy the heir also.' Thus they will extinguish my coal which is left, so as to leave my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth."
8 Then the king said to the woman, "Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you."
9 The woman of Tekoa said to the king, "O my lord, the king, 9the iniquity is on me and my father's house, but 10the king and his throne are guiltless."
10 So the king said, "Whoever speaks to you, bring him to me, and he will not touch you anymore *."
11 Then she said, "Please let the king remember the LORD your God, 11so that the avenger of blood will not continue to destroy, otherwise they will destroy my son." And he said, "12As the LORD lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground."
12 Then the woman said, "Please let your maidservant speak a word to my lord the king." And he said, "Speak."
13 The woman said, "13Why then have you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring back 14his banished one.
14 "For 15we will surely die and are 16like water spilled on the ground which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away life, but plans ways so that 17the banished one will not be cast out from him.
15 "Now the reason I have come to speak this word to my lord the king is that the people have made me afraid; so your maidservant said, 'Let me now speak to the king, perhaps the king will perform the request of his maidservant.
16 'For the king will hear and deliver his maidservant from the hand of the man who would destroy both me and my son from 18the inheritance of God.'
17 "Then your maidservant said, 'Please let the word of my lord the king be comforting, for as 19the angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and evil. And may the LORD your God be with you.' "
18 Then the king answered and said to the woman, "Please do not hide anything from me that I am about to ask you." And the woman said, "Let my lord the king please speak."
19 So the king said, "Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?" And the woman replied, "As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken. Indeed, it was 20your servant Joab who commanded me, and it was he who put all these words in the mouth of your maidservant;
20 in order to change the appearance of things your servant Joab has done this thing. But my lord is wise, 21like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know all that is in the earth."

Absalom Is Recalled

21 Then the king said to Joab, "Behold now, 22I will surely do this thing; go therefore, bring back the young man Absalom."
22 Joab fell on his face to the ground, prostrated himself and blessed the king; then Joab said, "Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, O my lord, the king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant."
23 So Joab arose and went to 23Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
24 However the king said, "Let him turn to 24his own house, and let him not see my face." So Absalom turned to his own house and did not see the king's face.
25 Now in all Israel was no one as handsome as Absalom, so highly praised; 25from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no defect in him.
26 When he 26cut the hair of his head (and it was at the end of every year that he cut it, for it was heavy on him so he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head at 200 shekels by the king's weight.
27 27To Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter whose name was 28Tamar; she was a woman of beautiful appearance.
28 Now Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, 29and did not see the king's face.
29 Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but he would not come to him. So he sent again a second time, but he would not come.
30 Therefore he said to his servants, "See, 30Joab's field is next to mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire." So Absalom's servants set the field on fire.
31 Then Joab arose, came to Absalom at his house and said to him, "Why have your servants set my field on fire?"
32 Absalom answered Joab, "Behold, I sent for you, saying, 'Come here, that I may send you to the king, to say, "Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me still to be there."' Now therefore, let me see the king's face, 31and if there is iniquity in me, let him put me to death."
33 So when Joab came to the king and told him, he called for Absalom. Thus he came to the king and prostrated himself on his face to the ground before the king, and 32the king kissed Absalom.
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2 Samuel 14 Commentary

Chapter 14

Joab procures Absalom's recall. (1-20) Absalom recalled. (21-24) His personal beauty. (25-27) He is admitted to his father's presence. (28-33)

Verses 1-20 We may notice here, how this widow pleads God's mercy, and his clemency toward poor guilty sinners. The state of sinners is a state of banishment from God. God pardons none to the dishonour of his law and justice, nor any who are impenitent; nor to the encouragement of crimes, or the hurt of others.

Verses 21-24 David was inclined to favour Absalom, yet, for the honour of his justice, he could not do it but upon application made for him, which may show the methods of Divine grace. It is true that God has thoughts of compassion toward poor sinners, not willing that any should perish; yet he is only reconciled to them through a Mediator, who pleads on their behalf. God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, and Christ came to this land of our banishment, to bring us to God.

Verses 25-27 Nothing is said of Absalom's wisdom and piety. All here said of him is, that he was very handsome. A poor commendation for a man that had nothing else in him valuable. Many a polluted, deformed soul dwells in a fair and comely body. And we read that he had a very fine head of hair. It was a burden to him, but he would not cut it as long as he could bear the weight. That which feeds and gratifies pride, is not complained of, though uneasy. May the Lord grant us the beauty of holiness, and the adorning of a meek and quiet spirit! Only those who fear God are truly happy.

Verses 28-33 By his insolent carriage toward Joab, Absalom brought Joab to plead for him. By his insolent message to the king, he gained his wishes. When parents and rulers countenance such characters, they will soon suffer the most fatal effects. But did the compassion of a father prevail to reconcile him to an impenitent son, and shall penitent sinners question the compassion of Him who is the Father of mercies?

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)

Cross References 32

  • 1. 2 Samuel 13:39
  • 2. 2 Samuel 23:26; 2 Chronicles 11:6; Amos 1:1
  • 3. 2 Samuel 12:20
  • 4. 2 Samuel 14:19
  • 5. 1 Samuel 25:23
  • 6. 2 Kings 6:26-28
  • 7. Numbers 35:19; Deuteronomy 19:12, 13
  • 8. Matthew 21:38
  • 9. Genesis 43:9; 1 Samuel 25:24
  • 10. 1 Kings 2:33
  • 11. Numbers 35:19, 21; Deuteronomy 19:4-10
  • 12. 1 Samuel 14:45; 1 Kings 1:52; Matthew 10:30
  • 13. 2 Samuel 12:7; 1 Kings 20:40-42
  • 14. 2 Samuel 13:37, 38
  • 15. Job 30:23; Job 34:15; Hebrews 9:27
  • 16. Psalms 58:7
  • 17. Num 35:15, 25, 28
  • 18. Deuteronomy 32:9; 1 Samuel 26:19
  • 19. 1 Samuel 29:9; 2 Samuel 14:20; 2 Samuel 19:27
  • 20. 2 Samuel 14:3
  • 21. 2 Samuel 14:17; 2 Samuel 19:27
  • 22. 2 Samuel 14:11
  • 23. Deuteronomy 3:14; 2 Samuel 13:37, 38
  • 24. 2 Samuel 13:20
  • 25. Deuteronomy 28:35; Job 2:7; Isaiah 1:6
  • 26. Ezekiel 44:20
  • 27. 2 Samuel 18:18
  • 28. 2 Samuel 13:1
  • 29. 2 Samuel 14:24
  • 30. Judges 15:3-5
  • 31. 1 Samuel 20:8; Proverbs 28:13
  • 32. Genesis 33:4; Luke 15:20

Footnotes 17

Chapter Summary

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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

2 Samuel 14 Commentaries

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