New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
2 Samuel 14
2
So Joab sent someone to Tekoa to have a wise woman brought back from there. Joab said to her, "Pretend you are filled with sadness. Put on black clothes. Don't use any makeup. Act like a woman who has spent many days sobbing over someone who has died.
Reference
📍 Tekoa
3
Then go to the king. Give him the message I'm about to give you." And Joab told her what to say.
Reference
4
The woman from Tekoa went to the king. She bowed down with her face toward the ground. She did it to show him respect. She said, "King David, please help me!"
Reference
📍 Tekoa
5
The king asked her, "What's bothering you?" She said, "I'm a widow. My husband is dead.
6
I had two sons. They got into a fight with each other in the field. No one was there to separate them. One of my sons struck the other one down and killed him.
7
"Now my whole family group has risen up against me. They say, 'Hand over the one who struck his brother down. Then we can put him to death for killing his brother. That will also get rid of the one who will receive the family property.' They want to kill the only living son I have left, just as someone would put out a burning coal. That would leave my husband without any son on the face of the earth to carry on his name."
Reference
8
The king said to the woman, "Go home. I'll give an order to make sure you are taken care of."
Reference
Parallel theme
Proverbs 18:13
9
But the woman from Tekoa said to him, "You are my king and master. No matter what you do, I and my family will take the blame for it. You and your royal family won't be guilty of doing anything wrong."
Reference
📍 Tekoa
10
The king replied, "If people give you any trouble, bring them to me. They won't bother you again."
11
She said, "Please pray to the Lord your God. Pray that he will keep our nearest male relative from killing my other son. Then my son won't be destroyed." "You can be sure that the Lord lives," the king said. "And you can be just as sure that not one hair of your son's head will fall to the ground."
Reference
Blood
Numbers 35:19
Numbers 35:21
Parallel theme
Matthew 10:30
1 Kings 1:52
Prayer
Acts 27:34
References God
1 Samuel 14:45
12
Then the woman said, "King David, please let me say something else to you." "Go ahead," he replied.
13
The woman said, "You are the king. So why have you done something that brings so much harm on God's people? When you do that, you hand down a sentence against yourself. You won't let the son you drove away come back.
Reference
14
All of us must die. We are like water that is spilled on the ground. It can't be put back into the jar. But God doesn't take life away. Instead, he finds a way to bring back anyone who was driven away from him.
Reference
15
"King David, I've come here to say this to you now. I've done it because people have made me afraid. I thought, 'I'll go and speak to the king. Perhaps he'll do what I'm asking.
16
Perhaps he'll agree to save me from the man who is trying to cut off me and my son from the property God gave us.'
Reference
Kingdom
1 Samuel 26:19
17
"So now I'm saying, 'May what you have told me bring me peace and rest. You are like an angel of God. You know what is good and what is evil. May the Lord your God be with you.' "
Reference
18
Then the king said to the woman, "I'm going to ask you a question. I want you to tell me the truth." "Please ask me anything you want to," the woman said.
19
The king asked, "Joab told you to say all of this, didn't he?" The woman answered, "What you have told me is exactly right. And that's just as sure as you are alive. It's true that Joab directed me to do this. He told me everything he wanted me to say.
Reference
20
He did it to change the way things now are. You are as wise as an angel of God. You know everything that happens in the land."
Reference
21
Later the king said to Joab, "All right. I'll do what you want. Go. Bring the young man Absalom back."
Reference
Kingdom
2 Samuel 14:11
22
Joab bowed down with his face toward the ground. He did it to honor the king. And he asked God to bless the king. He said, "You are my king and master. Today I know that you are pleased with me. You have given me what I asked for."
23
Then Joab went to Geshur. He brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.
24
But the king said, "He must go to his own house. I don't want him to come and see me." So Absalom went to his own house. He didn't go to see the king.
Reference
Parallel theme
Revelation 22:4
25
In the whole land of Israel there wasn't any man as handsome as Absalom was. That's why everyone praised him. From the top of his head to the bottom of his feet he didn't have any flaws.
Reference
Parallel theme
Isaiah 1:6
Job 2:7
Deuteronomy 28:35
Ephesians 5:27
1 Samuel 16:7
References Israel
1 Samuel 9:2
Resurrection
Proverbs 31:30
Matthew 23:27
26
He used to cut his hair when it became too heavy for him. Then he would weigh it. It weighed five pounds in keeping with the standard weights that were used in the palace.
Reference
27
Three sons and a daughter were born to Absalom. The daughter's name was Tamar. She became a beautiful woman.
Reference
People
28
Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years without going to see the king.
29
Then Absalom sent for Joab. He wanted to send him to the king. But Joab refused to come to Absalom. So Absalom sent for him a second time. But Joab still refused to come.
30
Then Absalom said to his servants, "Joab's field is next to mine. He has barley growing there. Go and set it on fire." So Absalom's servants set the field on fire.
31
Joab finally went to Absalom's house. He said to Absalom, "Why did your servants set my field on fire?"
32
Absalom said to Joab, "I sent a message to you. It said, 'Come here. I want to send you to the king. I want you to ask him for me, "Why did you bring me back from Geshur? I would be better off if I were still there!" ' Now then, I want to go and see the king. If I'm guilty of doing anything wrong, let him put me to death."
Reference
Summary of 2 Samuel 14
2 Samuel 14 contains a continuation of narrative dealing with the relationship between David and his son, Absalom. Having fled to Geshur after killing Amnon, Absalom remained in exile for some time. Despite his absence, David was overcome with grief and was unable to reconcile with his son. However, Joab understood David's feelings and took actions to try and convince him to accept his son's return.
Joab recognized that David's feelings for Absalom were far from being extinguished. In order to accomplish his goal, he employed the aid of a wise woman from Tekoa. She was ordered to come before the king and relate a parable about a family that had been torn apart by murder. Two sons had argued in the field and one had killed the other. As a result, the remaining family members wished to put the killer to death as well, reasoning that he had brought shame upon them. The widow, who had only one son left, besought the king's mercy when he refused to grant them permission to exact their revenge. It was not until after his wife pleaded with him that he asked why she had brought this matter to him. The woman finally revealed the real reason for her visit to the palace, saying she was trying to get his attention to the plight of her grandson.
The woman pointed out that Absalom deserved to be forgiven and recalled that death was something that all humans had in common and that, like water running off a rock, it could not be gathered again. Additionally, she pointed out that God did not take life but made plans to ensure that the one who had been banished was not kept from coming back to him. David then understood that Joab had been the instigator of the woman's plea and summoned him. He ordered Joab to escort Absalom back to Jerusalem.
Despite his orders, Joab went to Geshur and brought back Absalom to the capital. However, David was not able to extend his forgiveness at first. Although Absalom returned to Jerusalem, he resided in his own house for two years. During this period of self-imposed exile, Absalom expressed his concerns to Joab twice, but each time the captain of David's guard refused to agree to his request. In an attempt to get his attention, Joab caused his servants to burn down the barley field.
When Joab came to Absalom in response to the conflagration, he was met with a request to explain why he had done such a thing. Absalom told him the reason behind it and said that he had sent the servants in order to get his attention to discuss a matter with him. He asked Joab to bring him to David so he could understand why Joab had brought him back from Geshur if he would not be permitted even to speak with the king. Absalom was prepared to remain in Geshur if his father did not wish to see him again.
Joab responded by taking his message to David. The king agreed to see his son, and he greeted him. Absalom fell on his face before him, and David kissed him. The physical and emotional distance between father and son had come to an end.
The narrative then turns to a discussion of the beauty of Absalom, pointing out that there was nothing from the sole of his foot to the top of his head that was not handsome. In addition to his good looks, he had long hair that he cut every year because it became so heavy. According to the royal standard, it weighed about two hundred shekels. He had three children and a daughter named Tamar who was exceptionally beautiful. In addition to pointing out the physical attractiveness of Absalom, the narrator mentions the tragic incident involving his sister Tamar.
By restoring Absalom to his father's house, David allowed the banished son to remain in his former position. However, his reunion was not complete since the banished son was in no way reconciled. David had allowed him to return but the process had been slow and the two men remained somewhat estranged. Absalom's frustrations and ambitions would soon lead to events that could not be ignored.
As this chapter draws to a close, the reader sees Joab in the role of a shrewd political operator who is able to manipulate events in order to obtain the desired result. He understood David's feelings and used the woman from Tekoa to help him accomplish his objective. Joab was successful in convincing David that it was time for his son to return, but it was not achieved through direct discussion between father and son.
The parable told by the woman raises a number of important questions. Had her grandson not committed such a terrible deed, would David have been more receptive to the idea of reconciliation? Although David had brought Absalom back from Geshur, the chapter does not show him being punished for the killing of Amnon. The matter of Absalom's return remains a difficult issue for David, but it seems that the reconciliation will never be complete. It was not enough for him to bring his son back, but, instead, he needed to take more drastic measures.
This final episode shows the reader that despite the fact that David still loved his son, that love had not been enough to heal the wounds caused by Amnon's death. Absalom had returned to his father's city, but the chapter does not indicate there was even the possibility of a reconciliation. Instead, it gives the reader the impression of a man who was popular among his people and who took great pains to make his appearance presentable.
The scene in which David kisses Absalom and he falls on his face before him suggests that everything had ended well. The son had returned to his father and the two men had been reunited. However, the reader knows that serious problems were still in store for David's household. Absalom had spent years in exile and he had tried various tactics to get the king's attention. David, for his part, had failed to completely deal with the problem as it had existed before; that is, the murder of Amnon. The family had not been reunited and it had not dealt with the events that had brought about their separation.
2 Samuel 14 thus serves as a transition between the exile of Absalom and his rebellion against his father, the king. David has brought his son back to his house but the situation between them remains unresolved. The son is close enough to his father to live within the capital but neither has been able to reconcile. The anger and resentment in Absalom's heart will eventually have devastating consequences for David, the royal household and the kingdom itself.
Joab recognized that David's feelings for Absalom were far from being extinguished. In order to accomplish his goal, he employed the aid of a wise woman from Tekoa. She was ordered to come before the king and relate a parable about a family that had been torn apart by murder. Two sons had argued in the field and one had killed the other. As a result, the remaining family members wished to put the killer to death as well, reasoning that he had brought shame upon them. The widow, who had only one son left, besought the king's mercy when he refused to grant them permission to exact their revenge. It was not until after his wife pleaded with him that he asked why she had brought this matter to him. The woman finally revealed the real reason for her visit to the palace, saying she was trying to get his attention to the plight of her grandson.
The woman pointed out that Absalom deserved to be forgiven and recalled that death was something that all humans had in common and that, like water running off a rock, it could not be gathered again. Additionally, she pointed out that God did not take life but made plans to ensure that the one who had been banished was not kept from coming back to him. David then understood that Joab had been the instigator of the woman's plea and summoned him. He ordered Joab to escort Absalom back to Jerusalem.
Despite his orders, Joab went to Geshur and brought back Absalom to the capital. However, David was not able to extend his forgiveness at first. Although Absalom returned to Jerusalem, he resided in his own house for two years. During this period of self-imposed exile, Absalom expressed his concerns to Joab twice, but each time the captain of David's guard refused to agree to his request. In an attempt to get his attention, Joab caused his servants to burn down the barley field.
When Joab came to Absalom in response to the conflagration, he was met with a request to explain why he had done such a thing. Absalom told him the reason behind it and said that he had sent the servants in order to get his attention to discuss a matter with him. He asked Joab to bring him to David so he could understand why Joab had brought him back from Geshur if he would not be permitted even to speak with the king. Absalom was prepared to remain in Geshur if his father did not wish to see him again.
Joab responded by taking his message to David. The king agreed to see his son, and he greeted him. Absalom fell on his face before him, and David kissed him. The physical and emotional distance between father and son had come to an end.
The narrative then turns to a discussion of the beauty of Absalom, pointing out that there was nothing from the sole of his foot to the top of his head that was not handsome. In addition to his good looks, he had long hair that he cut every year because it became so heavy. According to the royal standard, it weighed about two hundred shekels. He had three children and a daughter named Tamar who was exceptionally beautiful. In addition to pointing out the physical attractiveness of Absalom, the narrator mentions the tragic incident involving his sister Tamar.
By restoring Absalom to his father's house, David allowed the banished son to remain in his former position. However, his reunion was not complete since the banished son was in no way reconciled. David had allowed him to return but the process had been slow and the two men remained somewhat estranged. Absalom's frustrations and ambitions would soon lead to events that could not be ignored.
As this chapter draws to a close, the reader sees Joab in the role of a shrewd political operator who is able to manipulate events in order to obtain the desired result. He understood David's feelings and used the woman from Tekoa to help him accomplish his objective. Joab was successful in convincing David that it was time for his son to return, but it was not achieved through direct discussion between father and son.
The parable told by the woman raises a number of important questions. Had her grandson not committed such a terrible deed, would David have been more receptive to the idea of reconciliation? Although David had brought Absalom back from Geshur, the chapter does not show him being punished for the killing of Amnon. The matter of Absalom's return remains a difficult issue for David, but it seems that the reconciliation will never be complete. It was not enough for him to bring his son back, but, instead, he needed to take more drastic measures.
This final episode shows the reader that despite the fact that David still loved his son, that love had not been enough to heal the wounds caused by Amnon's death. Absalom had returned to his father's city, but the chapter does not indicate there was even the possibility of a reconciliation. Instead, it gives the reader the impression of a man who was popular among his people and who took great pains to make his appearance presentable.
The scene in which David kisses Absalom and he falls on his face before him suggests that everything had ended well. The son had returned to his father and the two men had been reunited. However, the reader knows that serious problems were still in store for David's household. Absalom had spent years in exile and he had tried various tactics to get the king's attention. David, for his part, had failed to completely deal with the problem as it had existed before; that is, the murder of Amnon. The family had not been reunited and it had not dealt with the events that had brought about their separation.
2 Samuel 14 thus serves as a transition between the exile of Absalom and his rebellion against his father, the king. David has brought his son back to his house but the situation between them remains unresolved. The son is close enough to his father to live within the capital but neither has been able to reconcile. The anger and resentment in Absalom's heart will eventually have devastating consequences for David, the royal household and the kingdom itself.