2 Samuel 14:18

18 The king said to the woman, "Please don't refuse to answer the question I'm going to ask you." The woman responded, "Please speak, Your Majesty."

2 Samuel 14:18 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 14:18

Then the king answered and said unto the woman
Understanding plainly what she meant by all this, that the case she brought was a feigned one, and that the intention of it was to let him know the sense of the people with respect to Absalom, and the recall of him:

hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee;
he suspected that this was not a scheme of her own, but some considerable person had formed it, and made use of her to execute it, which was what he desired to know:

and the woman said, let my lord the king now speak;
ask what question he pleases, I am ready to answer.

2 Samuel 14:18 In-Context

16 Maybe the king will listen and rescue me, his subject, from the man who wants to cut off both me and my son from [our] God-given inheritance.'

17 I thought that you would reassure me. You are like God's Messenger, who is able to distinguish right from wrong. May the LORD your God be with you!"

18 The king said to the woman, "Please don't refuse to answer the question I'm going to ask you." The woman responded, "Please speak, Your Majesty."

19 "Did Joab put you up to this?" the king asked. The woman answered, "I solemnly swear on your life, Your Majesty, you are absolutely right. Yes, your servant Joab ordered me [to do this]. He told me to say exactly what I said.

20 Your servant Joab has done this to portray the matter in a different light. You are as wise as God's Messenger, who knows everything on earth."