2 Samuel 14

2 Samuel · Chapter 14

2 Samuel 14:13

1Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was toward Absalom.2And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:3And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.4And when the woman of Tekoah spake to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king.5And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.6And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and slew him.7And, behold, the whole family is risen against thine handmaid, and they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for the life of his brother whom he slew; and we will destroy the heir also: and so they shall quench my coal which is left, and shall not leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the earth.8And the king said unto the woman, Go to thine house, and I will give charge concerning thee.9And the woman of Tekoah said unto the king, My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father’s house: and the king and his throne be guiltless.10And the king said, Whosoever saith ought unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.11Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.12Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.13And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished.14For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.15Now therefore that I am come to speak of this thing unto my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid: and thy handmaid said, I will now speak unto the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his handmaid.16For the king will hear, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.17Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: therefore the LORD thy God will be with thee.18Then the king answered and said unto the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak.19And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, As thy soul liveth, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from ought that my lord the king hath spoken: for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid:20To fetch about this form of speech hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.21And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again.22And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himself, and thanked the king: and Joab said, To day thy servant knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king hath fulfilled the request of his servant.23So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.24And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house, and saw not the king’s face.25But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.26And when he polled his head, (for it was at every year’s end that he polled it: because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king’s weight.27And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.28So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and saw not the king’s face.29Therefore Absalom sent for Joab, to have sent him to the king; but he would not come to him: and when he sent again the second time, he would not come.30Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab’s field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.31Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him, Wherefore have thy servants set my field on fire?32And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent unto thee, saying, Come hither, that I may send thee to the king, to say, Wherefore am I come from Geshur? it had been good for me to have been there still: now therefore let me see the king’s face; and if there be any iniquity in me, let him kill me.33So Joab came to the king, and told him: and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king: and the king kissed Absalom.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
13And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished.The woman asked, “Why have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself, since he has not brought back his own banished son?And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou devised such a thing against the people of God? for in speaking this word the king is as one that is guilty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished one.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and she saidוַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙va-TO-merH0559
to say

אָמַר (a.mar) 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

the womanהָֽאִשָּׁ֔הha-'i-SHAHH0802G
woman

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) : woman 1) woman, wife, female 1a) woman (opposite of man) 1b) wife (woman married to a man) 1c) female (of animals) 1d) each, every (pronoun)

and to why?וְלָ֧מָּהve-LA-mahH4100
what

מָא (ma) 1) what, whatever 1a) what? 1b) whatever, what, whatsoever 1c) how?, why?, wherefore? (with prefixes)

have you plannedחָשַׁ֛בְתָּהcha-SHAV-tahH2803I
to devise: design

חָשַׁב (cha.shav) : design/skillful 1) to think, plan, esteem, calculate, invent, make a judgment, imagine, count 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to think, account 1a2) to plan, devise, mean 1a3) to charge, impute, reckon 1a4) to esteem, value, regard 1a5) to invent 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be accounted, be thought, be esteemed 1b2) to be computed, be reckoned 1b3) to be imputed 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to think upon, consider, be mindful of 1c2) to think to do, devise, plan 1c3) to count, reckon 1d) (Hithpael) to be considered

like thisכָּזֹ֖אתka-ZOTH2063
this

זֹאת (zot) 1) this, this one, here, which, this...that, the one...the other, such 1a) (alone) 1a1) this one 1a2) this...that, the one...the other, another 1b) (appos to subst) 1b1) this 1c) (as predicate) 1c1) this, such 1d) (enclitically) 1d1) then 1d2) who, whom 1d3) how now, what now 1d4) what now 1d5) wherefore now 1d6) behold here 1d7) just now 1d8) now, now already 1e) (poetry) 1e1) wherein, which, those who 1f) (with prefixes) 1f1) in this (place) here, then 1f2) on these conditions, herewith, thus provided, by, through this, for this cause, in this matter 1f3) thus and thus …

onעַל־'al-H5921A
upon

עַל (al) prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) …

[the] people ofעַ֣ם'amH5971A
people

עַם (am) : people/nation 1) nation, people 1a) people, nation 1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

Godאֱלֹהִ֑ים'E-lo-HIMH0430G
God

אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) This name means "gods" (plural intensive-singular meaning), "God" Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

and from because has spokenוּמִדַּבֵּ֨רu-mid-da-BERH1696I
to speak: speak

דָבַר (da.var) : speak/tell/command 1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing 1a) (Qal) to speak 1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to speak 1c2) to promise 1d) (Pual) to be spoken 1e) (Hithpael) to speak 1f) (Hiphil) to lead away, put to flight

the kingהַמֶּ֜לֶךְha-ME-lekhH4428G
king

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) 1) king Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430)

the wordהַדָּבָ֤רha-da-VARH1697J
word

דָּבָר (da.var) : word/speech/command 1) speech, word, speaking, thing 1a) speech 1b) saying, utterance 1c) word, words 1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)

the thisהַזֶּה֙ha-ZEHH2088
that

דִּי (di) part of relation 1) who, which, that mark of genitive 2) that of, which belongs to, that conj 3) that, because

like a guilty [person]כְּאָשֵׁ֔םke-'a-SHEMH0818
guilty

אָשֵׁם (a.shem) guilty, faulty (and obliged to offer a guilt-offering)

to notלְבִלְתִּ֛יle-vil-TIH1115
lest

בִּלְתִּי (bil.ti) subst 1) not, except adv 2) not 3) except (after preceding negation) conj 4) except (after an implied or expressed negation) with prep 5) so as not, in order not 6) an account of not, because...not 7) until not

to bring backהָשִׁ֥יבha-SHIVH7725G
to return: return

שׁוּב (shuv) : return 1) to return, turn back 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to turn back, return 1a1a) to turn back 1a1b) to return, come or go back 1a1c) to return unto, go back, come back 1a1d) of dying 1a1e) of human relations (fig) 1a1f) of spiritual relations (fig) 1a1f1) to turn back (from God), apostatise 1a1f2) to turn away (of God) 1a1f3) to turn back (to God), repent 1a1f4) turn back (from evil) 1a1g) of inanimate things 1a1h) in repetition 1b) (Polel) 1b1) to bring back 1b2) to restore, refresh, repair (fig) 1b3) to lead away (enticingly) 1b4) to show turning, apostatise 1c) (Pual) restored (participle) …

the kingהַמֶּ֖לֶךְha-ME-lekhH4428G
king

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) 1) king Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430)

banished [son] hisנִדְּחֽוֹ׃ni-de-CHOH5080
to banish

נָדַח (na.dach) 1) to impel, thrust, drive away, banish 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to impel 1a2) to thrust away, banish 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be impelled 1b2) to be thrust out, be banished 1b2a) banished, outcast (participle) 1b3) to be driven away 1b4) to be thrust away, thrust aside 1c) (Pual) to be thrust into 1c1) thrust (participle) 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to thrust, move, impel 1d2) to thrust out, banish 1d3) to thrust away, thrust aside 1e) (Hophal) to be chased, be hunted 1e1) chased, hunted (participle)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.