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.