2 Samuel 14

2 Samuel · Chapter 14

2 Samuel 14:26

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
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.And when he cut the hair of his head—he shaved it every year because his hair got so heavy—he would weigh it out to be two hundred shekels, according to the royal standard.And when he cut the hair of his head (now it was at every year’s end that he cut it; because it was heavy on him, therefore he cut it); he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels, after the king’s weight.

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 when shaved heוּֽבְגַלְּחוֹ֮u-ve-ga-le-CHOH1548
to shave

גָּלַח (ga.lach) 1) to poll, shave, shave off, be bald 1a) (Piel) 1a1) to shave 1a2) to shave off 1a3) (fig. of devastation) 1b)(Pual) to be shaven 1c) (Hithpael) to shave oneself

head hisרֹאשׁוֹ֒ro-SHOH7218A
head

רֵאשׁ (resh) 1) chief, head 1a) head (of man) 1b) head (as seat of visions) 1c) chief 1d) sum (essential content)

and it wasוְֽ֠הָיָהVE-ha-yahH1961
to be

הָיָה (ha.yah) 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) …

from [the] end ofמִקֵּ֨ץmi-KETZH7093
end

קֵץ (qets) 1) end 1a) end, at the end of (of time) 1b) end (of space)

daysיָמִ֤ים׀ya-MIMH3117I
day

יוֹם (yom) : day/when/time/period 1) day, time, year 1a) day (as opposed to night) 1b) day (24 hour period) 1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1 1b2) as a division of time 1b2a) a working day, a day's journey 1c) days, lifetime (pl.) 1d) time, period (general) 1e) year 1f) temporal references 1f1) today 1f2) yesterday 1f3) tomorrow

to the daysלַיָּמִים֙lai-ya-MIMH3117I
day

יוֹם (yom) : day/when/time/period 1) day, time, year 1a) day (as opposed to night) 1b) day (24 hour period) 1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1 1b2) as a division of time 1b2a) a working day, a day's journey 1c) days, lifetime (pl.) 1d) time, period (general) 1e) year 1f) temporal references 1f1) today 1f2) yesterday 1f3) tomorrow

whenאֲשֶׁ֣ר'a-SHERH0834A
which

אֲשֶׁר (a.sher) A: 1) (relative part.) 1a) which, who 1b) that which 2) (conj) 2a) that (in obj clause) 2b) when 2c) since 2d) as 2e) conditional if B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which 2) (adv) 2a) where 3) (conj) 3a) in that, inasmuch as 3b) on account of C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which 2) from (the place) where 3) from (the fact) that, since D: Kaph+ 1) (conj.), according as, as, when 1a) according to that which, according as, as 1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since 1c) with a temporal force: when

he shavedיְגַלֵּ֔חַye-ga-LE-achH1548
to shave

גָּלַח (ga.lach) 1) to poll, shave, shave off, be bald 1a) (Piel) 1a1) to shave 1a2) to shave off 1a3) (fig. of devastation) 1b)(Pual) to be shaven 1c) (Hithpael) to shave oneself

forכִּֽי־ki-H3588A
for

כִּי (ki) 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

[it was] heavyכָבֵ֥דkha-VEDH3515
heavy

כָּבֵד (ka.ved) 1) heavy, great 1a) heavy 1b) massive, abundant, numerous 1c) heavy, dull 1d) hard, difficult, burdensome 1e) very oppressive, numerous, rich

on himעָלָ֖יו'a-LAVH5921A
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) …

and he shaved itוְגִלְּח֑וֹve-gi-le-CHOH1548
to shave

גָּלַח (ga.lach) 1) to poll, shave, shave off, be bald 1a) (Piel) 1a1) to shave 1a2) to shave off 1a3) (fig. of devastation) 1b)(Pual) to be shaven 1c) (Hithpael) to shave oneself

and he weighedוְשָׁקַל֙ve-sha-KALH8254
to weigh

שָׁקַל (sha.qal) 1) to weigh, weigh out, pay out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to weigh 1a2) to weigh out (a price) 1a3) of grief (fig) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be weighed 1b2) to be weighed out Aramaic equivalent: te.qal (תְּקַל "to weigh" H8625A)

[the] hair ofשְׂעַ֣רse-'ARH8181
hair

שְׂעַר (se.ar) hair (of head) Aramaic of se.ar (שֵׂעָר "hair" H8181)

head hisרֹאשׁ֔וֹro-SHOH7218A
head

רֵאשׁ (resh) 1) chief, head 1a) head (of man) 1b) head (as seat of visions) 1c) chief 1d) sum (essential content)

two hundredמָאתַ֥יִםma-TA-yimH3967
hundred

מֵאָה (me.ah) 1) hundred 1a) as simple number 1b) as part of larger number 1c) as a fraction-one one-hundredth (1/100) Aramaic equivalent: me.ah (מְאָה "hundred" H3969)

shekelsשְׁקָלִ֖יםshe-ka-LIMH8255
shekel

שֶׁ֫קֶל (she.qel) 1) shekel 1a) the chief unit of weight or measure 1a1) gold-1/10000 of a talent and equal to 220 grains 1a2) silver-1/3000 of a talent and equal to 132 grains 1a3) copper-1/1500 of a talent and equal to 528 grains Aramaic equivalent: te.qel (תְּקֵל "shekel" H8625B)

by [the] weight ofבְּאֶ֥בֶןbe-'E-venH0068H
stone

אֶ֫בֶן (e.ven) : stone 1) stone (large or small) 1a) common stone (in natural state) 1b) stone, as material 1b1) of tablets 1b2) marble, hewn stones 1c) precious stones, stones of fire 1d) stones containing metal (ore), tool for work or weapon 1e) weight 1f) plummet (stones of destruction) also made of metal 1g) stonelike objects, eg hailstones, stony heart, ice 1h) sacred object, as memorial Samuel set up to mark where God helped Israel to defeat the Philistines 1i) (simile) 1i1) sinking in water, motionlessness 1i2) strength, firmness, solidity 1i3) commonness 1j) (metaph) 1j1) petrified with terror …

the kingהַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ha-ME-lekhH4428G
king

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

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