2 Samuel 14:11

11 The woman said, "Please promise in the name of the Lord your God. Then my relative who has the duty of punishing a murderer won't add to the destruction by killing my son." David said, "As surely as the Lord lives, no one will hurt your son. Not one hair from his head will fall to the ground."

2 Samuel 14:11 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 14:11

Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the Lord thy
God
Who is a God gracious and merciful, and imitate him in showing mercy to the distressed; pitying their case, having compassion upon them, and relieving them, as she hoped he would commiserate her case, and provide for the safety of her son. Some think she desires not only to give his word, but his oath, for her son's safety: "remember the Lord thy God"; i.e. make mention of him, as men do when they swear by him; swear to me by the Lord thy God:

that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any
more, lest they destroy my son,
or, "from multiplying the avenger of blood" F15; that there might not rise one after another to destroy her son: her meaning is, that the king would swear to her, and give out a general prohibition, an universal edict, that no one should slay her son; otherwise if only the avenger of blood that was next of kin was forbidden, others would rise up one after another, so that he would never be in safety:

and he said, [as] the Lord liveth;
if she desired an oath, he granted her request, and swore by the living God:

there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth;
so far shall his life be from being touched, or taken away, that the least hurt shall not be done him, as this proverbial expression signifies.


FOOTNOTES:

F15 (Mdh lag twbrhm) "a multiplicando redemptorem sanguinis", Montanus; so the Tigurine version.

2 Samuel 14:11 In-Context

9 The woman of Tekoa said to him, "Let the blame be on me and my father's family. My master and king, you and your throne are innocent."
10 King David said, "Bring me anyone who says anything bad to you. Then he won't bother you again."
11 The woman said, "Please promise in the name of the Lord your God. Then my relative who has the duty of punishing a murderer won't add to the destruction by killing my son." David said, "As surely as the Lord lives, no one will hurt your son. Not one hair from his head will fall to the ground."
12 The woman said, "Let me say something to you, my master and king." The king said, "Speak."
13 Then the woman said, "Why have you decided this way against the people of God? When you judge this way, you show that you are guilty for not bringing back your son who was forced to leave home.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.