2 Samuel 14: The woman of Tekoa, and Absalom comes home
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What happens?
Joab sees that the king's heart is toward Absalom, so he sends for a wise woman from Tekoa and puts words in her mouth. Dressed as a mourner, she tells the king that one of her two sons has killed the other, and that the family wants the killer put to death, which would leave her husband no name; the king swears by Yahweh that not one hair of her son will fall. Then she asks why the king does not bring back his own banished son, and when the king asks whether Joab's hand is in it, she says it is; the king tells Joab to bring Absalom back, but Absalom may not see the king's face. Absalom, the most praised man in Israel for his good looks, lives two years in Jerusalem without seeing the king; when Joab will not come to him, he has Joab's barley field set on fire, and at last Absalom comes before the king, and the king kisses him.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. No verse is in gold: God speaks no words in this chapter. Joab tells the woman of Tekoa what to do in verses 2 and 3. The woman and the king speak together in verses 4 to 20; inside her words she gives what the family says in verse 7 and what she says she said in verses 15 and 17. The king swears by Yahweh in verse 11, and what the woman says about God in verses 13, 14, 16 and 17 is her own words. The king speaks to Joab in verse 21, Joab answers in verse 22, and the king gives his order about Absalom in verse 24. Absalom speaks to his servants in verse 30, Joab asks him why in verse 31, and Absalom answers in verse 32 with the words he wanted Joab to take to the king. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was toward Absalom.
In plain English: Joab the son of Zeruiah knew that the king's heart was toward (or: against; literally: on) Absalom.
The Hebrew word: "Toward" is al, which the dictionary gives as "above, over, upon, or against". Word for word, "the king's heart was on Absalom".
What changes: Read as "toward", the king's heart was turned to Absalom (compare ). Read as "against", the king's heart was set against Absalom. The text does not say more about the king's feelings here. In verse 24 the king will not let Absalom see his face, and in verse 33 he kisses him.
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2Joab sent to Tekoa and brought a wise woman from there, and said to her, “Please act like a mourner, and put on mourning clothing, please, and don’t anoint yourself with oil; but be as a woman who has mourned a long time for the dead.
In plain English: Joab sent to Tekoa and brought a wise woman from there. He said to her, "Please pretend to be a mourner. Put on mourning clothes, and do not put oil on yourself. Be like a woman who has been mourning for the dead for a long time.
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3Go in to the king and speak like this to him.” So Joab put the words in her mouth.
In plain English: Then go in to the king and speak to him like this." And Joab put the words in her mouth.
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4When the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, showed respect, and said, “Help, O king!”
In plain English: The woman of Tekoa spoke to the king. She fell on her face to the ground, bowed down (this Bible: showed respect), and said, "Help (literally: save), O king!"
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5The king said to her, “What ails you?” She answered, “Truly I am a widow, and my husband is dead.
In plain English: The king said to her, "What is wrong?" She answered, "Truly, I am a widow; my husband is dead.
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6Your servant had two sons; and they both fought together in the field, and there was no one to part them, but the one struck the other and killed him.
In plain English: Your servant had two sons. The two of them fought each other in the field, and there was no one to separate them. One struck the other and killed him.
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7Behold, the whole family has risen against your servant, and they say, ‘Deliver him who struck his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he killed, and so destroy the heir also.’ Thus they would quench my coal which is left, and would leave to my husband neither name nor remainder on the surface of the earth.”
In plain English: Now the whole family (literally: clan) has risen up against your servant. They say, 'Hand over the one who struck his brother, so that we may put him to death for the life of the brother he killed, and so destroy the heir too.' So they would put out my one burning coal that is left, and leave my husband neither name nor anyone left (this Bible: remainder) on the face of the earth."
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8The king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give a command concerning you.”
In plain English: The king said to the woman, "Go to your house, and I will give an order about you."
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9The woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord, O king, may the iniquity be on me, and on my father’s house; and may the king and his throne be guiltless.”
In plain English: The woman of Tekoa said to the king, "My lord the king, let the guilt (this Bible: iniquity) be on me and on my father's house, and let the king and his throne be free of guilt."
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10The king said, “Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he will not bother you any more.”
In plain English: The king said, "If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me, and he will not touch (this Bible: bother) you again."
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11Then she said, “Please let the king remember Yahweh your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son.” He said, “As Yahweh lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the earth.”
In plain English: Then she said, "Please let the king remember Yahweh your God, so that the avenger of blood does not go on destroying, and they do not destroy my son." He said, "As Yahweh lives, not one hair of your son will fall to the ground."
Good to know: "The avenger of blood" is go'el ha-dam. The dictionary gives ga'al as "to be the next of kin (and as such to buy back a relative's property, marry his widow, etc.)". The law speaks of him in : "The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death." The woman's story in verses 5 to 7 is one Joab gave her (verse 3), and in verses 13 and 14 she turns it to the king's own son.
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12Then the woman said, “Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.” He said, “Say on.”
In plain English: Then the woman said, "Please let your servant say a word to my lord the king." He said, "Speak."
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13The woman said, “Why then have you devised such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring home again his banished one.
In plain English: The woman said, "Why then have you planned such a thing against the people of God? By saying this, the king is like one who is guilty, because the king does not bring home his own banished one.
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14For we must die, and are like water spilled on the ground, which can’t be gathered up again; neither does God take away life, but devises means, that he who is banished not be an outcast from him.
In plain English: We must surely die. We are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. And God does not take away a life (literally: does not lift up a life), but he plans ways so that the banished one is not kept away from him.
The Hebrew words: "God does not take away life" is word for word "God does not lift up a life". "Take away" is nasa, which the dictionary gives as "to lift, in a great variety of applications". "The banished one" is from nadach, "to push off" (also "to expel"), the same word as "his banished one" in verse 13.
What changes: Read the way this Bible has it, God does not take life away, but makes plans so that one who is banished is not shut out from him; so, she says, the king should bring his son back. The old Greek translation in this collection (Brenton) reads it the other way: "God shall take the life, even as he devises to thrust forth from him his outcast." These are the woman's words, which Joab put in her mouth (verse 19).
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15Now therefore, seeing that I have come to speak this word to my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid. Your servant said, ‘I will now speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant.’
In plain English: Now, I have come to say this word to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. Your servant said, 'Let me now speak to the king. Perhaps the king will do what his servant asks.'
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16For the king will hear, to deliver his servant out of the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.
In plain English: For the king will listen, and save his servant from the hand of the man who would destroy both me and my son from the inheritance of God.
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17Then your servant said, ‘Please let the word of my lord the king bring rest; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad. May Yahweh, your God, be with you.’”
In plain English: Then your servant said, 'Please let the word of my lord the king bring rest (or: comfort), for my lord the king is like an angel (or: messenger) of God to discern (literally: to hear) good and bad. May Yahweh your God be with you.'"
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18Then the king answered the woman, “Please don’t hide anything from me that I ask you.” The woman said, “Let my lord the king now speak.”
In plain English: Then the king answered the woman, "Please do not hide from me anything I ask you." The woman said, "Let my lord the king speak."
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19The king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” The woman answered, “As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken; for your servant Joab urged me, and he put all these words in the mouth of your servant.
In plain English: The king said, "Is Joab's hand with you in all this?" The woman answered, "As you live (literally: as your soul lives), my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything my lord the king has said. Yes, it was your servant Joab who commanded (this Bible: urged) me, and he put all these words in the mouth of your servant.
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20Your servant Joab has done this thing to change the face of the matter. My lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are on the earth.”
In plain English: Your servant Joab did this to change the way things look (literally: to turn around the face of the matter). But my lord is wise, with the wisdom of an angel (or: messenger) of God, to know all that is in the land (this Bible: on the earth)."
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21The king said to Joab, “Behold now, I have granted this thing. Go therefore, and bring the young man Absalom back.”
In plain English: The king said to Joab, "Look, I will do this thing (this Bible: I have granted this thing). Go, bring back the young man Absalom."
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22Joab fell to the ground on his face, showed respect, and blessed the king. Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant.”
In plain English: Joab fell to the ground on his face, bowed down (this Bible: showed respect), and blessed the king. Joab said, "Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your eyes, my lord the king, because the king has done what his servant asked."
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23So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
In plain English: So Joab got up, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
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24The king said, “Let him return to his own house, but let him not see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, and didn’t see the king’s face.
In plain English: The king said, "Let him go back to his own house, but he is not to see my face." So Absalom went back to his own house and did not see the king's face.
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25Now in all Israel there was no one 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 defect in him.
In plain English: In all Israel there was no man so much praised for his good looks (this Bible: beauty) as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no flaw in him.
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26When 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 plain English: When he cut (literally: shaved) the hair of his head, he weighed it: two hundred shekels by the king's weight (literally: the king's stone). He cut it at the end of every year (or: from time to time), because it grew heavy on him, so he cut it.
The Hebrew words: "At every year's end" is word for word "from the end of days to the days". The same first words, "from the end of days", are given as "as time passed" in and "after a while" in . "The king's weight" is literally "the king's stone". The old Greek translation in this collection (Brenton) has "at the beginning of every year" and "according to the royal shekel".
What changes: Read as "at every year's end", Absalom cut his hair once a year. Read as "from time to time", he cut it whenever it grew too heavy. Either way, the text gives the weight as two hundred shekels by the king's weight, and does not say how much that is in other measures.
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27Three sons were born to Absalom, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar. She was a woman with a beautiful face.
In plain English: Three sons were born to Absalom, and one daughter, named Tamar. She was a woman with a beautiful face.
Good to know: Here the text says Absalom had three sons, and does not name them. In Absalom says, "I have no son to keep my name in memory", and sets up a pillar in his own name. The text does not say how the two verses fit. His daughter has the same name as his sister Tamar (). The old Greek translation in this collection (Brenton) adds that this Tamar "becomes the wife of Roboam son of Solomon, and she bears to him Abia"; the Hebrew does not have these words.
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28Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, and he didn’t see the king’s face.
In plain English: Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem without seeing the king's face.
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29Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but he would not come to him. Then he sent again a second time, but he would not come.
In plain English: Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but Joab would not come to him. He sent again a second time, but Joab would not come.
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30Therefore he said to his servants, “Behold, Joab’s field is near mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.
In plain English: So he said to his servants, "Look, Joab's field (literally: portion) is next to mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire." So Absalom's servants set the field on fire.
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31Then Joab arose and came to Absalom to his house, and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?”
In plain English: Then Joab got up, came to Absalom at his house, and said to him, "Why have your servants set my field on fire?"
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32Absalom answered Joab, “Behold, I sent to you, saying, ‘Come here, that I may send you to the king, to say, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still. Now therefore, let me see the king’s face; and if there is iniquity in me, let him kill me.”’”
In plain English: Absalom answered Joab, "Look, I sent word to you: 'Come here, so that I can send you to the king to say, "Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to still be there. Now let me see the king's face, and if there is any guilt (this Bible: iniquity) in me, let him kill me."'"
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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.
In plain English: So Joab went to the king and told him. When he called for Absalom, Absalom came to the king and bowed down with his face to the ground before the king. And the king kissed Absalom.
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