CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
2 Samuel 14
Chapter 14 of 24
Chapter Overview
What happens in 2 Samuel 14
Joab sends a wise woman from Tekoa to convince David to bring Absalom home from exile. David allows Absalom to return to Jerusalem but refuses to see him for two more years. Eventually, Absalom forces a meeting and is reconciled with the king.
Scripture
2 Samuel 14
The Wise Woman of Tekoa
Study note
Joab noticed that David wanted to see Absalom but could not bring himself to act. Joab hired a wise woman from the town of Tekoa to tell David a fictional story about a widow whose one son killed his brother, and now the family wants to execute the surviving son. David promised to protect her son. The woman then cleverly turned the conversation to David's own situation with Absalom, pointing out that David was doing the same thing he just ruled against. She argued that even God makes a way for the banished to come back.
1 Joab son of Zeruiah could see that the king's heart ached for Absalom. Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom.
2 So Joab sent for a wise woman from the town of Tekoa. He coached her: "Dress as if you are in mourning. Put on mourning clothes, skip the lotion, and act like someone who has been grieving for a long time." And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:
3 "Then go to the king and say exactly what I tell you." Joab gave her the precise words to use. And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.
4 The woman from Tekoa went before the king, bowed with her face to the ground, and pleaded, "Please help me, O king!" And when the woman of Tekoah spake to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king.
5 "What is troubling you?" the king asked. She replied, "I am a widow. My husband is dead." And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.
6 "I had two sons. They got into a fight in the field with nobody around to break it up, and one killed the other." And thy 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 "Now the rest of the family is demanding, 'Hand over the killer so we can execute him for his brother's murder.' They want to wipe out the one son I have left. If they do, my husband's name and family line will be completely extinguished." And, behold, the whole family 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; 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.
8 The king told her, "Go home. I will take care of this for you." And the king said unto the woman, Go to thine house, and I will give charge concerning thee.
9 The woman from Tekoa said, "My lord the king, let any blame fall on me and my family. The king and his throne should be free from any guilt." And the woman of Tekoah said unto 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 The king said, "If anyone gives you any trouble about this, bring them to me. They will never bother you again." And the king said, Whosoever saith ought unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.
11 She pressed further, "Please swear by the Lord your God that you will stop the cycle of revenge, so my remaining son will not be killed." The king swore, "I promise by the living Lord, not a single hair on your son's head will be harmed." Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.
12 The woman said, "May I say one more thing to the king?" He answered, "Go ahead." Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.
13 She said, "Then why have you done the same kind of thing to God's people? By making this ruling, you have convicted yourself. You will not bring home your own banished son." And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished.
14 "Death comes for all of us. We are like water splashed on the ground that cannot be scooped back up. But God does not snatch away life. Instead, he makes plans to bring the outcasts home." For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.
15 "The reason I came to speak to you, my lord the king, is that some people had frightened me. I thought, 'I will go talk to the king. Maybe he will grant my request.'" 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: and thy handmaid said, I will now speak unto the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his handmaid.
16 "I believed the king would listen and save me and my son. Those people want to destroy us and remove us from the land God gave us." 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 "I also thought, 'The king's word will put my mind at ease, because my lord the king can tell right from wrong like an angel of God.' May the Lord your God be with you." Then thine 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 thy God will be with thee.
David Sees Through the Plan
Study note
David suspected that Joab was behind the woman's visit and asked directly. The woman admitted that Joab had planned the whole thing. David then told Joab to go and bring Absalom back to Jerusalem. However, David added a condition: Absalom must go to his own house and not come into the king's presence. So Absalom returned to Jerusalem but lived in a kind of house arrest, unable to see his father.
18 The king cut in and said, "I need to ask you something, and please be completely honest." She said, "Ask, my lord." Then the king answered and said unto the woman, 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.
19 "Did Joab put you up to this?" the king asked. She admitted, "On your life, my lord the king, there is no dodging your question. Yes, it was Joab who arranged everything and told me exactly what to say." And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, As thy soul liveth, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from ought that my lord the king hath spoken: for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid:
20 "He did this to present the situation in a different light. But you, my lord, are as wise as an angel of God and understand everything that is going on." To fetch about this form of speech hath thy 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.
21 The king turned to Joab and said, "All right, I have decided. Go and bring the young man Absalom home." And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again.
22 Joab dropped to the ground, bowed low, and blessed the king. He said, "Today I know I have found favor with you, my lord, because you have granted my request." And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himself, and thanked the king: and Joab said, To day 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.
23 Joab traveled to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
24 But the king added a condition: "Absalom must live in his own house. He is not allowed to come into my presence." So Absalom went to his own home and did not see the king. 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.
Absalom's Appearance and Frustration
Study note
Absalom was famous throughout Israel for his stunning good looks. He had no blemish from head to toe. His hair was so thick and heavy that when he cut it once a year, it weighed about five pounds. He had three sons and a beautiful daughter whom he named Tamar, after his sister.
25 In all of Israel, no one was admired for his good looks as much as Absalom. From head to toe, he was flawless. 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.
26 Once a year Absalom would cut his hair because it became too heavy. When weighed, it came to about five pounds by the royal standard. 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.
27 Absalom had three sons and a daughter. His daughter was named Tamar, and she grew up to be a very beautiful woman. And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.
Absalom Forces a Meeting with David
Study note
After two full years of living in Jerusalem without seeing the king, Absalom grew impatient. He sent for Joab twice, but Joab refused to come. So Absalom had his servants set fire to Joab's barley field to get his attention. When an angry Joab came to him, Absalom demanded that Joab arrange a meeting with the king. When Absalom finally came before David, he bowed down, and the king kissed him. But this reconciliation was only on the surface.
28 Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two full years. During that time he was never allowed to see the king. So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and saw not the king's face.
29 He sent a request for Joab to come see him so he could send a message to the king through Joab, but Joab would not come. He sent a second time, and still Joab refused. 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.
30 Absalom told his servants, "Joab's barley field is right next to mine. Go set it on fire." So they did. Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab's field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set the field on fire.
31 That brought Joab running to Absalom's house. "Why did your servants burn my field?" he demanded. Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him, Wherefore have thy servants set my field on fire?
32 Absalom replied, "I called for you twice so you could deliver a message to the king for me, and you ignored me. I want to ask the king: 'What was the point of bringing me back from Geshur? I would have been better off staying there.' Let me come before the king. If I deserve to die for what I did, let him kill me." 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: now therefore let me see the king's face; and if there be any iniquity in me, let him kill me.
33 Joab went to the king and relayed Absalom's words. The king summoned Absalom. When Absalom came in, he bowed all the way down with his face to the floor. And the king kissed him. 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.
Key Themes
Themes in 2 Samuel 14
The complexity of forgiveness and reconciliationHalf-hearted restoration and unresolved conflictThe danger of superficial reconciliation without real healingGod's desire to restore the banished
Apply This Today
Living 2 Samuel 14
David allowed Absalom to return but refused to see him for two years, creating a half-hearted reconciliation that satisfied no one. True restoration requires full engagement, honest conversation, and genuine forgiveness. Partial reconciliation can be worse than none at all.
Go Deeper
Study 2 Samuel in Covenant Path
Read every chapter with study aids, bookmarks, and daily reading plans — free in the app.