C² D 1. David's heart towards Absalom.
E 2,3. Joab's stratagem planned.
F 4-11. Parable. Put forth.
F 12-17. Parable. Applied.
E 18-20. Joab's stratagem discovered.
D 21-33. David's recall of Absalom.936 B.C.
2 Samuel 14)
1: Now Joab the son of Zeruiah (= balsam. David's sister) perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom.
2: And Joab sent to Tekoah (= a stockade. On the edge of the hill country of Judah, south-east of Beth-lehem, about 7 miles from Jerusalem [cp. Jer. 6:1]. Abounding in caverns. The abode of Amos), and fetched from that place a wise woman, and said to her, “I pray you, feign yourself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not yourself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead: (She was a good actress)
3: And come to the king, and speak on this manner to him.” So Joab put the words in her mouth.
F h¹ 4. Woman's importunity.
i¹ 5-. Kings response.
h² -5-7. Woman's grievance.
i² 8. King's assurance.
h³ 9. Woman's importunity.
i³ 10. King's assurance.
h4 11-. Woman's grievance.
i4 -11. King's assurance.4: And when the woman of Tekoah spoke to the king (many codices read "and came in to the king"), she fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, “Help, O king.”
5: And the king said to her, “What ails you?”
And she answered, “I am indeed a widow woman (one of 9 specially mentioned. See Gen.38:19), and my husband is dead.
6: And your 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.
7: And, behold, the whole family is risen against your handmaid, and they said, ‘Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for the soul 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.’ ” (This is what happened to Absalom and Amnon. His seed will die)
8: And the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give charge concerning you.” (He will pass judgment)
9: And the woman of Tekoah said to 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.”
10: And the king said, “Whosoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall not touch you any more.” (He will protect her. He won't be able to touch her.)
11: Then said she, “I pray you, let the king call to mind the Lord your God (i.e. take an oath), that you would not suffer the avengers of blood (or next of kin. See Ex.6:6, and cp. Num.35:19,21,24,25,27) to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son.”
And he said, “As the Lord lives, there shall not one hair of your son fall to the earth.”
12: Then the woman said, “Let your handmaid, I pray you, speak one word to my lord the king.” And he said, “Say on.”
13: And the woman said, “Why then have you thought such a thing against the People of God? for the king does speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king does not fetch home again his banished.
14: For we must needs die, and are as water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither does God respect any soul: yet does He devise means, that His banished be not expelled from Him.
15: Now therefore that I am come to speak of this thing to my lord the king, it is because the People have made me afraid: and your handmaid said, ‘I will now speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his handmaid. (They loved Absalom)
16: For 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.’
17: Then your 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 your God will be with you.’ ” (She's really pouring it on [i.e the acting])
18: Then the king answered and said to the woman, “Hide not from me, I pray you, the thing that I shall ask you.” (he kind of smells a rat, so to speak) And the woman said, “Let my lord the king now speak.”
19: And the king said, “Is not the work (or handwork. Fig., "hand" put for what is worked by it) of Joab with you in all this?” And the woman answered and said, “As your soul lives, my lord the king, no man can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken: for your servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of your handmaid: (she uses a little psychology here)
20: To bring about this turn of affairs has your 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.”
D G¹ 21. David's decision to receive Absalom.
H j 22. Joab's thanks.
k 23. Abalom in Jerusalem.
G² 24-27. David's direction and Absalom's person.
H k 28. Absalom in Jerusalem.
j 29-33-. Joab's appeal.
G³ -33. David's reception of Absalom.21: And the king said to Joab, “Behold now, I (some codices read "You") have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again.”
22: And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himself, and blessed the king: and Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found grace in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has fulfilled the request of his servant.” (David could have killed him for having the woman lie to him, for trying to box him in.)
23: So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
24: And 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. (height of insult. David only goes half-way in forgiveness)
25: But 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. (Cp. Ezek.28)
26: And 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. (aprox. 4 pounds That's a lot of hair!)
27: And to Absalom there were born three sons (they did not survive him. Cp. 18:18), and one daughter, whose name was Tamar (he named her after his sister): she was a woman of a fair countenance.
936 - 935 B.C.
28: So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and saw not the king's face.
29: Therefore 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. (Absalom not a man that stands idly by)
30: Therefore he said to his servants, “See, Joab's field is near mine, and he has barley there (poor man's bread); go and set it on fire.” And Absalom's servants set the field on fire. (He wanted to get his attention, but this was a sorry move)
31: Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom to his house, and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?”
32: And Absalom answered Joab, “Behold, I sent to you, saying, ‘Come to this place, that I may send you to the king, to say, ‘Why 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.’ ’ ” (He's saying, Let's get this over with. Forgive me or kill me)
33: So 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.