Joab Asks a Woman to Go to King David & Pretend She Was Mourning |
2 Samuel 14:1-33 The Book of 2 Samuel [in Smaller Chunks] |
Now, Joab, [Zeruiah’s] son, [realized] that [king David’s] heart was [concerned about] Absalom. And Joab sent to Tekoah to [bring from there] a wise woman & [he] said to her, I pray [that] you [pretend you are] a mourner & put on [mourner’s clothing] now. |
[Don't] anoint yourself with oil, but be [like] a woman who has mourned a long time for the dead & come to the king & speak to him [about this.] Joab [told her what to say.] |
And when the woman [from] Tekoah [spoke] to the king, she fell & [bowed facing] the ground & said, Help [me,] O king. And King [David] said, What [troubles] you? She answered, I am indeed a widow & [my] husband is dead. |
And [I,] your handmaid, had 2 sons & they [fought] together in a field & there was [no one] to [pull] them [apart,] but one [struck & killed] the other. [See,] the whole family [has] risen against [me,] your handmaid. |
They said, Deliver [the one who killed] his brother, [so] we may [put him to death] for [taking] his [brother’s] life & we will destroy the heir. |
So, they [will put out] my [remaining] coal [that] is left & leave my husband [without someone to carry on his] name nor [descendants of his] upon the earth. |
King [David] said to the woman, Go to your house & I will give [a ruling about] you. The woman said to king [David,] My lord, O king, the [guilt should] be on me & my father’s house & the king & his throne [will] be [free of guilt.] |
The king said, Bring to me [whoever] says [anything against] you & he [won’t bother] you anymore. Then, she said, I pray [that] you, let the king remember the Lord your God, [so] you [don’t allow those who avenge the] blood [of those murdered] to destroy anymore, lest they destroy my son. |
[King David] said, As the Lord lives, not 1 hair of your son shall fall to the [ground.] Then, the woman said, I pray [that] you let [me,] your handmaid, speak [a] word to my lord, the king. [David] said, [Continue] on. |
[She] said, [Why] have you thought such a thing against the people of God? For you said this thing, [like someone who is guilty, since you haven’t brought back home his banished [son] again. |
For we must die & are [like] spilt water on the ground that [can’t] be [picked up] again. [But] God [doesn’t favor] any person, [but plans a way so the person] banished, isn’t [separated from God.] |
[That’s why] I [have] come to speak [about] this to my lord, the king, because the people have made me afraid. [So, I,] your handmaid said, I will go now & speak to the king. |
It may be that [he might do] his handmaid’s request. For the king will [listen] & deliver [me,] his handmaid & my son [from] the hand of the man [who] would destroy [both] me & my son [from] the inheritance of God. |
Then, [I,] your handmaid said, The king is like an angel of God, to [decide between] good & bad & [maybe] the word of, my lord, the king, [might be agreeable.] Therefore, the Lord your God will be with you. |
The king answered the women & said, I pray [that] you [don’t] hide from me the thing I shall ask you. The woman said, Let my lord, the king, now speak. And King [David] said, Isn’t the hand of Joab with you in all [of] this? |
[She] answered, As your soul lives, my lord, the king, [no one] can turn to the right hand or the left from [what] you [have said] for your servant, Joab [begged] me & put all these words into your handmaid’s mouth, to [bring] about this [conversation.] [That’s why] Joab, your servant, has done this. |
My lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that [that happen on] the earth. And King [David] said to Joab, I have now done this, therefore go & bring the young man, Absalom, again. |
And Joab fell & bowed [facing] the ground & thanked the king. And Joab said, Today, [I,] your servant knows that I have found grace in your sight, my lord, O king, in that you have fulfilled [your servant’s] request. |
So, Joab arose & went to Geshur & brought Absalom [back] to Jerusalem. And King [David] said, Let him [return] to his own house & not see my face. So, Absalom returned to his own house & [didn’t] see the king’s face. |
There wasn’t [anyone] in all [of] Israel [who was as] praised for his beauty as Absalom. There was no blemish in him from the sole of his foot to the [top] of his head. |
When [they cut Absalom’s hair] (for it was [cut] at every year’s end, because [his] hair was so heavy [for] him) & [his] hair weighed 200 shekels, [according] to the king’s weight. |
And Absalom had 3 sons & a daughter born to him & [he named her] Tamar & she was [beautiful.] So, Absalom [lived] 2 full years in Jerusalem [without seeing] the king’s face. |
Therefore, Absalom sent for Joab [in order to send] him to the king, but [Joab] wouldn’t come to him. When [Absalom] sent for [Joab] a 2nd time, he wouldn’t come. |
Therefore, [Absalom] said to his servants, See, Joab’s field is near mine & he has barley there. Go & set it on fire & [they did so.] Then, Joab arose & went to Absalom’s house & said to him, [Why did] your servants set my field on fire? |
Absalom answered Joab, [Look,] I sent to you, saying, Come [here,] so I [can] send you to the king, to say, [Why have] I come from Geshur? It would’ve been [better] for me to be there still. |
Therefore, let me now see the king’s face & if there’s any [guilt] in me, let him kill me. So, Joab [went] to the king & told him & when he called for Absalom, he came & bowed [facing] the ground [in front of] the king & the king kissed Absalom. |