2 Samuel 14:1-20
THE WISE WOMAN OF TEKOAH... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WISE WOMAN OF TEKOAH... [ Continue Reading ]
Now, Joab, the son of Zeruiah, perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom, or, more exactly, against Absalom; David continued in his aversion to the slayer of the crown prince.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Joab, either from genuine goodness of heart or with the shrewdness which sought to get into the good graces of Absalom and the people, SENT TO TEKOAH, some fire or six miles south of Bethlehem, AND FETCHED THENCE A WISE WOMAN, one known for the readiness of her speech, for her boldness and shrew... [ Continue Reading ]
and come to the king and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth, giving her exact and detailed instructions concerning her behavior and speech.... [ Continue Reading ]
And when the woman of Tekoah, in accordance with the instructions received, SPAKE TO THE KING, SHE FELL ON HER FACE TO THE GROUND AND DID OBEISANCE, her great humility serving to draw the king's attention to her, AND SAID, HELP, O KING!... [ Continue Reading ]
And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? Her feigned distress caused him deep concern. AND SHE ANSWERED, I AM INDEED A WIDOW WOMAN, AND MINE HUSBAND IS DEAD, the double statement being intended to arouse sympathy.... [ Continue Reading ]
And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, to act as arbitrator and deliverer between them, BUT THE ONE SMOTE THE OTHER AND SLEW HIM.... [ Continue Reading ]
And, behold, the whole family, the entire relationship, IS RISEN AGAINST THINE HANDMAID, AND THEY SAID, DELIVER HIM THAT SMOTE HIS BROTHER THAT WE MAY KILL HIM FOR THE LIFE OF HIS BROTHER WHOM HE SLEW, according to the law of blood-vengeance; AND WE WILL DESTROY THE HEIR ALSO, namely, the remaining... [ Continue Reading ]
And the king said unto the woman, in granting her request, GO TO THINE HOUSE, AND I WILL GIVE CHARGE CONCERNING THEE, to protect her son from the pursuing relatives.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the woman of Tekoah said unto the king, My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me and on my father's house, namely, in case some wrong should be connected with the fact that the unintentional murder was not avenged, AND THE KING AND HIS THRONE BE GUILTLESS, no blame should be attached to David's go... [ Continue Reading ]
And the king said, Whosoever saith aught unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more. The matter was to be adjusted so that no one would dare to annoy the woman any more.... [ Continue Reading ]
Then said she, pursuing the advantage she had gained till now, I PRAY THEE, LET THE KING REMEMBER THE LORD, THY GOD, she pleaded with the king for his interference to the point of assuring her son's safety by an oath, THAT THOU WOULDEST NOT SUFFER THE REVENGERS OF BLOOD TO DESTROY ANY MORE, LEST THE... [ Continue Reading ]
Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king. She acted as if she had another matter to present. AND HE SAID, SAY ON.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the woman said, Wherefore, then, after voicing such sentiments as she had just obtained from him, HAST THOU THOUGHT SUCH A THING AGAINST THE PEOPLE OF GOD? She has some difficulty in making the application to the king's own case, because she cannot speak openly, but may only, in passing, allude... [ Continue Reading ]
For we, men in general, and Absalom in particular, MUST NEEDS DIE AND ARE AS WATER SPILT ON THE GROUND, WHICH CANNOT BE GATHERED UP AGAIN, which fate may come upon Absalom before David is aware of the fact; NEITHER DOTH GOD RESPECT ANY PERSON, in calling him away by death at the time appointed by Hi... [ Continue Reading ]
Now, therefore, that I am come to speak of this thing unto my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid, namely, by their demand to deliver her son to the avenger of blood; AND THY HANDMAID SAID, I WILL NOW SPEAK UNTO THE KING; IT MAY BE THAT THE KING WILL PERFORM THE REQUEST OF HI... [ Continue Reading ]
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. This was the point which was so awful in her sight, that of being cut off from the people of the Lord.... [ Continue Reading ]
Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable, serve for her reassurance; FOR AS AN ANGEL OF GOD, the great Angel of the Covenant, SO IS MY LORD THE KING TO DISCERN GOOD AND BAD, to hear the crying of his oppressed subjects and to come to the assistance of those who... [ Continue Reading ]
Then the king answered and said unto the woman, since he had drawn his own conclusions from the skill with which she presented her matter, HIDE NOT FROM ME, I PRAY THEE, THE THING THAT I SHALL ASK THEE. AND THE WOMAN SAID, LET MY LORD THE KING NOW SPEAK.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this? The entire manner in which the case had been presented and handled reminded him of his general. AND THE WOMAN ANSWERED AND SAID, with a sincere acknowledgment of the king's sagacity, AS THY SOUL LIVETH, MY LORD THE KING, NONE CAN TURN... [ Continue Reading ]
To fetch about this form of speech, literally, "to turn about entirely the face of this matter," to change the relation then obtaining between David and Absalom, to bring about a reconciliation, HATH THY SERVANT JOAB DONE THIS THING; AND MY LORD IS WISE, ACCORDING TO THE WISDOM OF AN ANGEL OF GOD, T... [ Continue Reading ]
And the king said unto Joab, Behold, now, I have done this thing, in fulfilling the request preferred through the woman of Tekoah; GO, THEREFORE, BRING THE YOUNG MAN ABSALOM AGAIN.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE RECONCILIATION EFFECTED... [ Continue Reading ]
And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himself, and thanked the king; and Joab said, Today thy servant knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O King, in that the king hath fulfilled the request of his servant. His intercession had finally succeeded.... [ Continue Reading ]
So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the king, still unable to forget the crime which Absalom had committed, SAID, LET HIM TURN TO HIS OWN HOUSE, AND LET HIM NOT SEE MY FACE. David's forgiveness was not yet perfect, it lacked sincerity. SO ABSALOM RETURNED TO HIS OWN HOUSE, AND SAW NOT THE KING'S FACE; he was, to all intents and pu... [ Continue Reading ]
But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty, there was no other man physically so perfect as he; FROM THE SOLE OF HIS FOOT EVEN TO THE CROWN OF HIS HEAD THERE WAS NO BLEMISH IN HIM.... [ Continue Reading ]
And when he polled his head, when he had his hair cut, (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 (about six pounds).... [ Continue Reading ]
And unto Absalom there were born three sons and one daughter, whose name was Tamar bearing the same name as her father's sister; SHE WAS A WOMAN OF FAIR COUNTENANCE, very beautiful.... [ Continue Reading ]
So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and saw not the king's face. David persisted in punishing him by keeping him at a distance.... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore Absalom sent for Joab to have sent him to the king, to have this unbearable relation terminated; BUT HE WOULD NOT COME TO HIM, probably in order not to incur the king's displeasure: AND WHEN HE SENT AGAIN THE SECOND TIME, HE WOULD NOT COME.... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab's field is near mine, alongside of his own ground, a parcel of land which he cultivated near the city, AND HE HATH BARLEY THERE; GO AND SET IT ON FIRE. AND ABSALOM'S SERVANTS SET THE FIELD ON FIRE.... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Joab arose and came to Absalom unto his house, as the latter had foreseen, AND SAID UNTO HIM, WHEREFORE HAVE THY SERVANTS SET MY FIELD ON FIRE?... [ Continue Reading ]
And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent unto thee, saying, Come hither that I may send thee to the king to say, Wherefore am I come from Geshur? It had been good for me to have been there still, he would have fared far better if he had remained there, as circumstances were now. NOW, THEREFORE, LET... [ Continue Reading ]
So Joab came to the king and told him; and when he David, HAD CALLED FOR ABSALOM, HE CAME TO THE KING, AND BOWED HIMSELF ON HIS FACE TO THE GROUND BEFORE THE KING, as a token of the usual homage paid to the sovereign, but not as a mark of penitence; AND THE KING KISSED ABSALOM. So the matter was pat... [ Continue Reading ]