so Joab sent to Tekoa and brought from there a woman who was wise.awise I.e., in this context, quick-witted and resourceful. He said to her, “Pretend you are in mourning; put on mourning clothes and don’t anoint yourself with oil; and act like a woman who has grieved a long time over a departed one.
Word-by-Word Analysis
וישלח
354
יואב
19
תקועה
581
ויקח
124
משם
380
אשה
306
חכמה
73
ויאמר
257
אליה
46
התאבלינא
499
ולבשינא
399
בגדיאבל
52
ואלתסוכי
533
שמן
390
והיית
431
כאשה
326
זה
12
ימים
100
רבים
252
מתאבלת
873
עלמת
540
II Samuel 14:3
Gematria: 2571
ובאתאלהמלךודברתאליוכדברהזהוישםיואבאתהדבריםבפיה
Go to the king and say to him thus and thus.” And Joab told her what to say.btold her what to say Lit. “put words into her mouth.”
The Tekoite woman cameccame So many mss. and printed editions. Most mss. and printed editions read “said.” to the king, flung herself face down to the ground, and prostrated herself. She cried out, “Help, O king!”
Word-by-Word Analysis
ותאמר
647
האשה
311
התקעית
985
אלהמלך
126
ותפל
516
עלאפיה
196
ארצה
296
ותשתחו
1120
ותאמר
647
הושעה
386
המלךס
155
II Samuel 14:5
Gematria: 2432
ויאמרלההמלךמהלךותאמראבלאשהאלמנהאניוימתאישי
The king asked her, “What troubles you?” And she answered, “Alas, I am a widow, my husband is dead.
Your maidservant had two sons. The two of them came to blows out in the fields where there was no one to stop them, and one of them struck the other and killed him.
Then the whole clan confronted your maidservant and said, ‘Hand over the one who killed his brother, that we may put him to death for the slaying of his brother, even though we wipe out the heir.’deven though we wipe out the heir Emendation yields “Thus they would destroy the [last] heir and…” Thus they would quench the last ember remaining to me, and leave my husband without name or remnant upon the earth.”
Word-by-Word Analysis
והנה
66
קמה
145
כלהמשפחה
488
עלשפחתך
908
ויאמרו
263
תני
460
אתמכה
466
אחיו
25
ונמתהו
507
בנפש
432
אחיו
25
אשר
501
הרג
208
ונשמידה
415
גם
43
אתהיורש
922
וכבו
34
אתגחלתי
852
אשר
501
נשארה
556
לבלתי
472
שום
346
שיםלאישי
701
שם
340
ושארית
917
עלפני
240
האדמהפ
135
II Samuel 14:8
Gematria: 1515
ויאמרהמלךאלהאשהלכילביתךואניאצוהעליך
The king said to the woman, “Go home. I will issue an order in your behalf.”
She replied, “Let Your Majesty be mindful of the ETERNAL your God and restrain the blood avenger bent on destruction, so that my son may not be killed.” And he said, “As GOD lives, not a hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”
Word-by-Word Analysis
ותאמר
647
יזכרנא
288
המלך
95
אתיהוה
427
אלהיך
66
מהרבית
657
מהרבת
647
גאל
34
הדם
49
לשחת
738
ולא
37
ישמידו
370
אתבני
463
ויאמר
257
חייהוה
44
אםיפל
161
משערת
1010
בנך
72
ארצה
296
II Samuel 14:12
Gematria: 3353
ותאמרהאשהתדברנאשפחתךאלאדניהמלךדברויאמרדבריס
Then the woman said, “Please let your maidservant say another word to my lord the king.” “Speak on,” said the king.
And the woman said, “Why then have you planned the like against God’s people? In making this pronouncement, Your Majesty condemns himself in that Your Majesty does not bring back his own banished one.
We must all die; we are like water that is poured out on the ground and cannot be gathered up. God will not take away the life of one who makes plans so that no one may be kept banished.eGod will not … banished Meaning of Heb. uncertain. The apparent sense is: God will not punish you for bringing back the banished Absalom.
And the reason I have come to say these things to the king, my lord, is that the people have frightened me. Your maidservant thought I would speak to Your Majesty; perhaps Your Majesty would act on his handmaid’s plea.
For Your Majesty would surely agree to deliver his handmaid from the hands of anyone [who would seek to]fthe hands of anyone [who would seek to] Or “the man’s clutches—which would,” namely the blood avenger of v. 11. cut off both me and my son from the heritagegheritage I.e., people. of God.
Your maidservant thought, ‘Let the word of my lord the king provide comfort; for my lord the king is like an angel of God, understanding everything, good and bad.’ May the ETERNAL your God be with you.”
The king asked, “Is Joab in league with you in all this?” The woman replied, “As you live, my lord the king, it is just as my lord the king says.hit is just as my lord the king says Lit. “there is no turning to the right or to the left of what my lord the king says.” Yes, your servant Joab was the one who instructed me, and it was he who told your maidservant everything she was to say.itold your maidservant everything she was to say See note at v. 3.
It was to conceal the real purpose of the matter that your servant Joab did this thing. My lord is as wise as an angel of God, and he knows all that goes on in the land.”
Joab flung himself face down on the ground and prostrated himself. Joab blessed the king and said, “Today your servant knows that he has found favor with you, my lord king, for Your Majesty has granted his servant’s request.”
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויפל
126
יואב
19
אלפניו
177
ארצה
296
וישתחו
730
ויברך
238
אתהמלך
496
ויאמר
257
יואב
19
היום
61
ידע
84
עבדך
96
כימצאתי
571
חן
58
בעיניך
162
אדני
65
המלך
95
אשרעשה
876
המלך
95
אתדבר
607
עבדו
82
עבדך
96
II Samuel 14:23
Gematria: 2200
ויקםיואבוילךגשורהויבאאתאבשלוםירושלםס
And Joab went at once to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
But the king said, “Let him go directly to his house and not present himself to me.” So Absalom went directly to his house and did not present himself to the king.
When he cut his hair—he had to have it cut every year, for it grew too heavy for him—the hair of his head weighed two hundred shekels by the royal weight.
So [Absalom] said to his servants, “Look, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” And Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.
Absalom replied to Joab, “I sent for you to come here; I wanted to send you to the king to say [on my behalf]: ‘Why did I leave Geshur? I would be better off if I were still there. Now let me appear before the king; and if I am guilty of anything, let him put me to death!’”
Joab went to the king and reported to him; whereupon he summoned Absalom. He came to the king and flung himself face down to the ground before the king. And the king kissed Absalom.