Absalom Returns to Jerusalem

2 Samuel 14

1 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah knew u that the king's heart went out to Absalom. 2 And Joab sent to v Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman and said to her, "Pretend to be a mourner and put on mourning garments. w Do not anoint yourself with oil, but behave like a woman who has been mourning many days for the dead. 3 Go to the king and speak thus to him." So Joab x put the words in her mouth.

4 When the woman of Tekoa came to the king, y she fell on her face to the ground and paid homage and said, z "Save me, O king." 5 And the king said to her, "What is your trouble?" She answered, a "Alas, I am a widow; my husband is dead. 6 And your servant had two sons, and they quarreled with one another in the field. There was no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him. 7 And now the whole clan has risen against your servant, and they say, 'Give up the man who struck his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed.' And so they would b destroy the heir also. Thus they would quench my coal that is left and leave to my husband neither name nor c remnant on the face of the earth."

8 Then the king said to the woman, "Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you." 9 And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, d "On me be the guilt, my lord the king, and on my father's house; let the king and his throne be guiltless." 10 The king said, "If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall never touch you again." 11 Then she said, "Please let the king invoke the Lord your God, that e the avenger of blood kill no more, and my son be not destroyed." He said, f "As the Lord lives, g not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground."

12 Then the woman said, "Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king." He said, "Speak." 13 And the woman said, "Why then have you planned such a thing against h the people of God? For in giving this decision the king convicts himself, inasmuch as the king does not bring i his banished one home again. 14 We must all die; we are j like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God will not take away life, and he devises means k so that the banished one will not remain an outcast. 15 Now I have come to say this to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid, and your servant thought, 'I will speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant. 16 For the king will hear and deliver his servant from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from l the heritage of God.' 17 And your servant thought, 'The word of my lord the king will set me at rest,' for my lord the king is m like the angel of God to discern good and evil. The Lord your God be with you!"

18 Then the king answered the woman, "Do not hide from me anything I ask you." And the woman said, "Let my lord the king speak." 19 The king said, "Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?" The woman answered and said, n "As surely as you live, my lord the king, one cannot turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has said. It was your servant Joab who commanded me; o it was he who put all these words in the mouth of your servant. 20 In order to change the course of things your servant Joab did this. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of m the angel of God to know all things that are on the earth."

21 Then the king said to Joab, "Behold now, I grant this; go, bring back the young man Absalom." 22 And Joab fell on his face to the ground and paid homage p and blessed the king. And Joab said, "Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord the king, in that the king has granted the request of his servant." 23 So Joab arose and went to q Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. 24 And the king said, "Let him dwell apart in his own house; he is not to come into my presence." So Absalom lived apart in his own house and did not come into the king's presence.

25 Now in all Israel there was no one so much to be praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. r From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. 26 And when he cut the hair of his head (for at the end of every year he used to cut it; when it was heavy on him, he s cut it), he weighed the hair of his head, two hundred shekels 1 by the king's weight. 27 There were born t to Absalom three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar. She was a beautiful woman.

28 So Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, without coming into the king's presence. 29 Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but Joab would not come to him. And he sent a second time, but Joab would not come. 30 Then he said to his servants, "See, Joab's field is next to mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire." So Absalom's servants set the field on fire. 2 31 Then Joab arose and went to Absalom at his house and said to him, "Why have your servants set my field on fire?" 32 Absalom answered Joab, "Behold, I sent word to you, 'Come here, that I may send you to the king, to ask, "Why have I come from q Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still." Now therefore let me go into the presence of the king, u and if there is guilt in me, let him put me to death.'" 33 Then Joab went to the king and told him, and he summoned Absalom. So he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.

  1. Cross References
    2 Samuel 13:39
    And the spirit of the king longed to go out to Absalom, because he was comforted about Amnon, since he was dead.
  2. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 11:6
    He built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa.
    2 Chronicles 20:20
    And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.
    Amos 1:1
    The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
  3. Cross References
    2 Samuel 12:20
    Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. He then went to his own house. And when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate.
    Ruth 3:3
    Wash therefore and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.
  4. Cross References
    2 Samuel 14:19
    The king said, "Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?" The woman answered and said, "As surely as you live, my lord the king, one cannot turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has said. It was your servant Joab who commanded me; it was he who put all these words in the mouth of your servant.
    Exodus 4:15
    You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do.
  5. Cross References
    2 Samuel 1:2
    And on the third day, behold, a man came from Saul's camp, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. And when he came to David, he fell to the ground and paid homage.
  6. Cross References
    2 Kings 6:26
    Now as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, "Help, my lord, O king!
  7. Cross References
    2 Samuel 12:1
    And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, "There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor.
  8. Cross References
    Matthew 21:38
    But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.
    Mark 12:7
    But those tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.
    Luke 20:14
    But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.
  9. Cross References
    Genesis 45:7
    And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors.
  10. Cross References
    1 Samuel 25:24
    She fell at his feet and said, "On me alone, my lord, be the guilt. Please let your servant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your servant.
  11. Cross References
    Numbers 35:19
    The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death.
    Numbers 35:21
    Or in enmity struck him down with his hand, so that he died, then he who struck the blow shall be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.
    Deuteronomy 19:12
    Then the elders of his city shall send and take him from there, and hand him over to the avenger of blood, so that he may die.
  12. Cross References
    Ruth 3:13
    Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.
  13. Cross References
    1 Samuel 14:45
    Then the people said to Saul, "Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! As the Lord lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day." So the people ransomed Jonathan, so that he did not die.
    Acts 27:34
    Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it will give you strength, for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.
  14. Cross References
    Judges 20:2
    And the chiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 men on foot that drew the sword.
  15. Cross References
    2 Samuel 13:37 - 38
    But Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son day after day.
  16. Cross References
    1 Samuel 7:6
    So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there, "We have sinned against the Lord." And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah.
  17. Cross References
    Numbers 35:15
    These six cities shall be for refuge for the people of Israel, and for the stranger and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills any person without intent may flee there.
    Numbers 35:25
    And the congregation shall rescue the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he had fled, and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.
    Numbers 35:28
    For he must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest, but after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return to the land of his possession.
  18. Cross References
    1 Samuel 26:19
    Now therefore let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it is the Lord who has stirred you up against me, may he accept an offering, but if it is men, may they be cursed before the Lord, for they have driven me out this day that I should have no share in the heritage of the Lord, saying, 'Go, serve other gods.
  19. Cross References
    2 Samuel 19:27
    He has slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like the angel of God; do therefore what seems good to you.
    1 Samuel 29:9
    And Achish answered David and said, "I know that you are as blameless in my sight as an angel of God. Nevertheless, the commanders of the Philistines have said, 'He shall not go up with us to the battle.
  20. Cross References
    1 Samuel 1:26
    And she said, "Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord.
  21. Cross References
    2 Samuel 14:3
    Go to the king and speak thus to him." So Joab put the words in her mouth.
  22. Cross References
    2 Samuel 14:17
    And your servant thought, 'The word of my lord the king will set me at rest,' for my lord the king is like the angel of God to discern good and evil. The Lord your God be with you!
  23. Cross References
    1 Kings 8:66
    On the eighth day he sent the people away, and they blessed the king and went to their homes joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the Lord had shown to David his servant and to Israel his people.
  24. Cross References
    2 Samuel 13:38
    So Absalom fled and went to Geshur, and was there three years.
  25. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 28:35
    The Lord will strike you on the knees and on the legs with grievous boils of which you cannot be healed, from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head.
    Job 2:7
    So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.
    Isaiah 1:6
    From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but bruises and sores and raw wounds; they are not pressed out or bound up or softened with oil.
  26. Cross References
    Ezekiel 44:20
    They shall not shave their heads or let their locks grow long; they shall surely trim the hair of their heads.
  27. Cross References
    2 Samuel 18:18
    Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself the pillar that is in the King's Valley, for he said, "I have no son to keep my name in remembrance." He called the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absalom's monument to this day.
  28. Cross References
    2 Samuel 14:23
    So Joab arose and went to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
  29. Cross References
    1 Samuel 20:8
    Therefore deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the Lord with you. But if there is guilt in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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