2 Samuel 14

1 Now Joab [King David’s nephew] son of Zeruiah perceived [knew, was aware of] that the king’s [belonging to the monarch, royal] heart [the seat of emotions, will, and intellect] longed [yearned, was turning towards] for [toward, on behalf of] Absalom [King David’s son, a rebellious leader]. word study 2 So Joab [King David’s nephew and army general] sent to Tekoa [a town in the hill country of Judah] to bring a wise [intelligent, discerning] woman from there. He told her, “Please [I pray thee] pretend to be a mourner [one who laments, grieves]; put on clothes for mourning [garments of sorrow, apparel of bereavement] and do not anoint [smear with oil, consecrate] yourself with oil [olive oil, ointment]. Act like a woman [a female person, a wife] who has mourned [lamented, grieved] for the dead [those who have passed away, the deceased] a long time [many days, a prolonged period]. word study 3 Then go [come, approach] to the king [royal person, ruler] and speak [communicate, express] these words [things, matters] to him [toward, unto].” And Joab [Jehovah is father, King David’s nephew] put [set, placed] the words [things, Chronicles] in her mouth [lips, edge of speech]. word study 4 When the woman [from the town of Tekoa, a Tekoite] from Tekoa went to the king, she fell [on her face, prostrated herself] facedown [before him, in reverence] in homage [to show respect, worship] and said, “Help [save, deliver] me, O king [Your Majesty, the ruler]!” word study 5 “What troubles [aileth, is the matter with] you?” the king [royal person, ruler] asked her. “Indeed [truly, surely],” she said, “I am a widow [woman whose husband has died, left alone], for my husband [male person, spouse] is dead [has died, passed away]. word study 6 And your maidservant [female servant, handmaid] had two [a pair, dual] sons who were fighting [struggling, quarreling] in the field [open land, countryside] with no one [nothing, none] to separate [rescue, intervene] them, and one [a single, unique] struck [hit, smote] the other and killed [put to death, slew] him. word study 7 Now the whole clan [entire family, all relatives] has risen up [stood against, opposed] against your maidservant [female servant, slave] and said, ‘Hand over [deliver, give up] the one who struck down [smote, killed] his brother [male sibling, close relative], that we may put him to death [kill, slay] for the life [soul, living being] of the brother [male sibling, close relative] whom he killed [slew, murdered]. Then we will cut off [destroy, eliminate] the heir [one who inherits, successor] as well!’ So they would extinguish [quench, put out] my one remaining ember [burning coal, last spark] by not preserving [saving, keeping] my husband’s name [reputation, legacy] or posterity [descendants, offspring] on the earth [land, ground].” word study 8 “Go [to your house, back home] home,” the king [ruler, monarch] said to the woman [female, wife], “and I [myself, personally] will give orders [command, charge] on your behalf [concerning you, for your situation].” word study 9 But the woman [a female person, wife, or mother figure] of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord [master, ruler] the king, may any blame [iniquity, moral evil] be on me and on my father’s house [family, household], and may the king and his throne [seat of power, authority] be guiltless [innocent, free from blame].” word study 10 “If anyone [whoever, any person] speaks [says or utters words] to you,” said the king [the monarch, ruler], “bring him to me [come to my presence], and he will not [no longer, never again] trouble [bother, touch or harm] you again [still, anymore]!” word study 11 “Please [I pray thee],” she replied, “may the king [the ruler, monarch] invoke the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] to prevent the avenger of blood [the redeemer, kinsman] from increasing [multiplying, growing] the devastation [destruction, ruin], so that my son [child, descendant] may not be destroyed [annihilated, desolated]!” “As surely as the LORD [Yehovah, the living God] lives [is alive, has life],” he vowed, “not a hair [single strand] of your son’s head will fall [come down, descend] to the ground [earth, land].” word study 12 Then the woman [maidservant, female servant] said, “Please [I pray thee, if it pleases you], may your servant [handmaid, one who serves] speak [communicate, express] a word [message, matter] to my lord [master, ruler] the king [ruler, monarch]?” “Speak [say on, continue],” he replied. word study 13 The woman asked, “Why have you devised [plotted, schemed] a thing like this against the people [nation, community] of God [Elohim, the supreme Creator]? When the king says this, does he not convict [declare guilty, speak as one who is faulty] himself, since he has not brought back [returned, restored] his own banished [exiled, driven away] son? word study 14 For surely [certainly, without a doubt] we will die [perish, cease to exist] and be like water [liquid, a source of refreshment] poured out [spilled, flowed] on the ground [land, earth], which cannot [is not able to] be recovered [gathered up, restored]. Yet God [Elohim, the supreme God] does not take away [remove, lift] a life [soul, living being]; but He devises [thinks, plans] ways [means, plans] that the banished one [outcast, expelled person] may not [lest, so that not] be cast out [expelled, driven away] from Him [His presence, His sight]. word study 15 Now [at this present time, currently] therefore, I have come [approached, drawn near] to present [to speak, to explain] this matter [thing, affair] to my lord [master, ruler] the king [royal person, sovereign] because [for the reason that] the people [nation, crowd] have made me afraid [filled me with fear, intimidated me]. Your servant [maidservant, female slave] thought [reflected, considered], ‘I will speak [communicate, talk] to the king [ruler, monarch]. Perhaps [it may be, possibly] he will grant [perform, fulfill] the request [plea, petition] of his maidservant [female servant, handmaid]. word study 16 For the king [ruler, sovereign] will hear [listen, give attention] and deliver [rescue, save] his maidservant [female servant, handmaid] from the hand [palm, power] of the man [individual, person] who would cut off [destroy, eliminate] both me and my son [child, descendant] from God’s [Elohim, the supreme God] inheritance [heritage, possession].’ word study 17 And now your servant [maidservant, female slave] says, ‘May the word [message, command] of my lord [master, ruler] the king [royal person, sovereign] bring me rest [peace, comfort], for my lord the king is able to discern [distinguish, judge] good [pleasant, beneficial] and evil [bad, harmful], just like [similar to, as] the angel [messenger, representative] of God [Elohim, the supreme God]. May the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the one supreme God] be with [accompany, support] you.’” word study 18 Then the king [the ruler, monarch] said to the woman [female, wife], “I am going to ask [inquire, seek information] you something; do not [refuse to] conceal [hide, keep secret] it from me [from my presence, knowledge]!” “Let [please, I pray] my lord [master, sovereign] the king [ruler, monarch] speak [communicate, declare],” she replied. word study 19 So the king [ruler, sovereign] asked, “Is the hand [power, influence] of Joab [Jehovah is father, King David’s nephew] behind [guiding, directing] all this [everything, these events]?” The woman [female servant, maidservant] answered, “As surely as you live [as your soul lives, with the breath of life], my lord [master, ruler] the king [monarch, sovereign], no one can turn [deviate, stray] to the right [in a rightward direction, with the right hand] or to the left [in a leftward direction, with the left hand] from anything [all words, every command] that my lord [master, ruler] the king [monarch, sovereign] says [speaks, commands]. Yes, your servant [attendant, slave] Joab [Jehovah is father, King David’s nephew] is the one who gave me orders [commands, instructions]; he told [instructed, directed] your maidservant [female servant, slave] exactly what to say [speak, utter]. word study 20 Joab [a messenger] your servant has done this to bring about [to change, to turn] this change of affairs [the face of the matter, the situation], but my lord [the king, ruler] has wisdom [insight, discernment] like the wisdom [prudence, good judgment] of the angel [messenger] of God [Elohim, the supreme God], to know [to understand, to perceive] everything that happens [all things, every event] in the land [the earth, the territory].” word study 21 Then the king [ruler, monarch] said to Joab, “I hereby grant [allow, permit] this request [petition, plea]. Go [walk, proceed], bring back [return, restore] the young man [youth, son] Absalom [son of King David].” word study 22 Joab fell [prostrated himself, bowed down] facedown in homage [with his face to the ground, in respect] and blessed [praised, honored] the king [the monarch, ruler]. “Today [at this moment, now],” said Joab, “your servant [slave, attendant] knows [is aware, understands] that he has found [discovered, attained] favor [grace, kindness] with you, my lord [master, sovereign] the king [ruler, monarch], because the king [ruler, monarch] has granted [fulfilled, accomplished] his request [desire, petition].” word study 23 So Joab [arose, stood up] got up, went [traveled, journeyed] to Geshur [a district in Syria, a land in north Transjordania], and brought [led, escorted] Absalom [a son of King David, the father’s peace] to Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital of Palestine]. word study 24 But the king [the ruler, King David] added, “He may return [turn back, go back] to his house [dwelling place, home], but he must not see [look upon, gaze at] my face [presence, countenance].” So Absalom [son of King David] returned [turned back, went back] to his own house [home, dwelling place], but he did not see [look upon, gaze at] the king [ruler, monarch]. word study 25 Now there was not a man [any male person, individual] in all [every part of] Israel as handsome [beautiful, attractive] and highly praised [extremely admired, celebrated] as Absalom [son of King David]. From the sole [bottom] of his foot to the top [crown] of his head, he did not have a single flaw [blemish, imperfection]. word study 26 And when he cut [shaved, polled] the hair of his head [the chief or prince of his body]—he shaved [to lay waste or be bald] it every year [at the end of each year, annually] because his hair got so heavy [burdensome]—he would weigh [measure, compare] it out to be two hundred [a numerical value, a multitude] shekels [a unit of weight or money], according to the royal [king’s, sovereign] standard [weight, measure]. word study 27 Three [a quantity of three, thrice] sons were born [to beget, given birth] to Absalom [son of King David], and a daughter [female child, woman] named Tamar [palm tree], who was a [very, extremely] beautiful [fair, lovely, pleasant] woman [female person, wife]. word study 28 Now Absalom [a son of King David] lived [dwelt, remained] in Jerusalem [the city of peace, capital of Palestine] two years [a period of time, full years] without seeing [not having an audience with, not beholding] the face [presence, countenance] of the king [the monarch, ruler]. word study 29 Then he sent for Joab [Jehovah is father, a prominent Israelite] to send him to the king [the royal person, King David], but Joab refused [would not be willing, was unwilling] to come to him [toward Absalom]. So Absalom sent [to dispatch, to commission] a second time [again, once more], but Joab still [continuing, persisting] would not come [was not willing to approach, to draw near]. word study 30 Then Absalom [the son of King David] said to his servants [attendants, those who served him], “Look, Joab’s [Jehovah is father, the army general] field is next to mine [adjacent to my property], and he has barley [a type of grain, food] there [in that place]. Go [walk, move] and set it on fire [kindle, burn with flames]!” And Absalom’s servants [those who served Absalom] set the field [portion of land, plot] on fire [with burning flames]. word study 31 Then Joab [arose, stood up] came to Absalom’s house [dwelling place, home] and demanded [said unto him], “Why [what, for what reason] did your servants [slaves, attendants] set [kindled, burned] my field [portion, land] on fire [with flames, in flames]?” word study 32 “Look [behold, see],” said Absalom [Abi, my father is peace], “I sent for you and said, ‘Come here [to this place, hither]. I want to send you to the king [the ruler, monarch] to ask: Why have I come back [returned] from Geshur [a district in Syria]? It would be better [more pleasant, good] for me if I were still [remaining, yet] there.’ So now [at this time, therefore], let me see [look upon, behold] the king’s face [presence, countenance], and if there is [exists, is found] iniquity [moral evil, sin] in me, let him kill me [put me to death, slay me].” word study 33 So Joab [the king’s nephew and army general] went and told the king [David, the ruler of Israel], and David summoned Absalom [his son, who had been estranged], who came to him and bowed [in reverence and submission] facedown [with his face to the ground, in a posture of humility] before him [in the king’s presence]. Then the king [with affection and forgiveness] kissed Absalom [as a sign of reconciliation and restoration]. word study