Chapter Fourteen
Joab Arranges for Absalom to Return to Jerusalem
14:1 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart went out to Absalom.
Apparently David was in a bind, perhaps even sullen, since he wanted to reach out to Absalom, who he loved very much, but was concerned over public opinion regarding him recalling and pardoning of his son, so he did nothing. His struggle between parental affection and royal duty weighed on him in ways only people who were close to him could perceive. Joab, the commander of his army, was one such person (he was also David’s nephew), so he devised a plan to help David see through his dilemma and come up with a solution to relieve him of this ongoing struggle. The plan would involve a good actress, one who could think quickly on her feet as the role would require some ad-lib repartee.
14:2 And Joab sent to Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman and said to her, “Pretend to be a mourner and put on mourning garments. 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 put the words in her mouth.
Joab sent someone to Tekoa to bring back a wise woman to play the role of a mourning widow. She was to dress like a woman grieving with no oil applied to her skin, and to act like she had been mourning for many days. She was to approach the king and say as Joab instructed her to say. Likely Tekoa, being twelve miles south of Jerusalem, was considered because Joab did not want anyone local to recognize her.
14:4 When the woman of Tekoa came to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and paid homage and said, “Save me, O king.” 5 And the king said to her, “What is your trouble?” She answered, “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 destroy the heir also. Thus they would quench my coal that is left and leave to my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth.”
The woman does as Joab requested, she comes before David and pretends to be a widow who had two sons that had an argument in a field which got heated enough for one son to kill the other, leaving her with only one son to continue their family name. But now her family wants to put to death the only living son to pay for his crime as the law allows. She comes to the king to put a stop to the family’s efforts to kill her only remnant on the face of the earth. The phrase “quench my coal” (Hebrew gǎ·ḥǎlt, live coal, burning coal) is equivalent to quenching the light (see 2 Samuel 21:17), referring to the glowing coal being her hope for the family name to continue, as she would be too old to have any more sons.
The plot line of Joab’s made-up fable should sound familiar as it is very similar to the first murder reported in the Bible, that of Cain murdering his brother Abel. The parallels are too close to think that this fabrication was not inspired by these first brothers, and the same hoped-for leniency that God granted Cain (see Genesis 4:1-15).
| Comparison of Accounts [1] | ||
| Similarity | Cain and Abel | Joab’s Fable |
| Two brothers | Genesis 4:1 | 2 Samuel 14:6 |
| Together in a field alone | Genesis 4:8 | 2 Samuel 14:6 |
| One killed the other | Genesis 4:8 | 2 Samuel 14:6 |
| Concern that the murderer will be killed by others | Genesis 4:14 | 2 Samuel 14:7 |
| An authority figure intervened to save murderer’s life | Genesis 4:15 | 2 Samuel 14:8 |
| Threat of retaliation for anyone contravening authority’s decision | Genesis 4:15 | 2 Samuel 14:10 |
By using the account from Genesis as a moral guideline, Joab likely was counting on David's knowledge of the Torah to recall this early Biblical narrative and how God granted Cain mercy.
14:8 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, “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 the avenger of blood kill no more, and my son be not destroyed.” He said, “As the LORD lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”
David tells the woman that he will issue orders for her concerning her situation. She responds by saying that the guilt be on her and her father’s house, that that he, the king, remain guiltless. She understood that David’s decision to spare the remaining son’s life was contrary to God’s law (see Genesis 9:6; Exodus 21:12; Leviticus 24:17) and that even though his decision may have been based on mirroring the same type of merciful intervention by God many years earlier for Cain, some may not agree. David then tells her that if anyone says anything to her, or has a problem with his decision, to have them come and talk to him, and they will never bother her again.
The woman then asks David to invoke (Hebrew yiz·kār, to mention, to proclaim, to make known) YHWH, and say that the avenger of blood (click here to read more about the role of an avenger of blood, also known as a kinsman redeemer) will not kill, that her son will not be killed. And David responded, “As the LORD lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.” David swore to her in the name of YHWH that her son will not be killed.
14:12 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 the people of God? For in giving this decision the king convicts himself, inasmuch as the king does not bring his banished one home again. 14 We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God will not take away life, and he devises means so that the banished one will not remain an outcast.
At that time the woman asked David if she could say one more thing, and he gave her permission to proceed. She asked him, “Why hasn’t he done as much for the people of God?” She explains that through this decision he made for her now, he essentially convicted himself since he had refused to bring home his own son that was banished. Her reference to him doing something against the interests of the “people of God” points to the fact that with Absalom, being the heir-apparent to the throne now exiled, could impede, if not fully disrupt, the future leadership of Israel (which may be the primary reason why Joab was motivated to seek reconciliation between David and Absalom).
The woman notes that all will die (see Genesis 2:17; Romans 6:23; James 1:15) and uses the analogy that once water is spilled, the water cannot be gathered up again, referring to the fact that once a person dies, they can not come back. The second half of verse fourteen is somewhat awkward in the Hebrew, the New Living Translation clarifies by rendering that segment as, “But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him.” (2 Samuel 14:14b, NLT)
The implication is that Amnon is dead, but Absalom still lives; therefore, Absalom’s life should be protected, just as David had guaranteed the safety of her own guilty son. She then argued that God is merciful and finds ways to restore those who have been estranged from himself.[2]
14:15 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 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 like the angel of God to discern good and evil. The LORD your God be with you!”
Perhaps to throw off any suspicions, the woman returns to her fictitious story and complements David on his ability to discern right from wrong, “like the angel of God.” She closes with a blessing that YHWH be with him.
14:18 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, “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. 20 In order to change the course of things your servant Joab did this. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God to know all things that are on the earth.”
David recognized after seeing that he fell for the trap, that there was no dead husband, that the brothers in the story were actually Amnon and Absalom, and that he had been goaded into rendering a judgment, under oath, that absolved Absalom from punishment for murder. He now sees that the woman is not who she claimed to be, that she was just an actress that was hired, and suspected that Joab, arranged the whole ruse. She acknowledged that Joab was indeed behind this in the hope that David would view the situation with his son differently and change his mind regarding Absalom. She notes that he saw through the fable, as his wisdom is like that of an angel of God and knows what is going on (in other words, nobody can hide anything from him).
David Allows Absalom to Return to Jerusalem
14:21 Then the king said to Joab, “Behold now, I grant this; go, bring back the young man Absalom.”
David heard enough, he was persuaded to allow his son Absalom return to Israel. He turns to Joab and tells him to go and bring back Absalom.
14:22 And Joab fell on his face to the ground and paid homage 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.”
Joab reverently responded to David’s request, the king could have been furious for him creating such a charade, but instead he saw that it was the best course of action. Joab fell prostrate to the floor before David and blessed him. Joab also responded by saying, that he knows that he has found favor in the king’s sight by granting him this request.
14:23 So Joab arose and went to 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.
Joab went to Geshur and brought back Absalom who was allowed to dwell apart from the king in his own house. David made it clear that he was to never come again into his presence.
Since David had previously relied on the Cain narrative to guide his judgment in this matter (cf. comments on vv. 5–11), it was consistent for him to bar Absalom from his face as well.
The practical effect of David’s action was highly negative for Absalom. His expulsion from the royal court undoubtedly meant that he—notwithstanding his position as the heir-apparent—had lost any claim to Israel’s throne. By murdering his brother, Absalom had effectively removed himself from the chain of royal succession, even as Cain had removed himself from the line of blessing through a similar act.[3]
14:25 Now in all Israel there was no one so much to be praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. 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 cut it), he weighed the hair of his head, two hundred shekels by the king’s weight. 27 There were born to Absalom three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar. She was a beautiful woman.
We are told that Absalom became somewhat of a celebrity as he was considered very handsome and was without a single blemish from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head. Much like how the people of Israel were attracted to King Saul because he was a good-looking man (see 1 Samuel 9:2), the people at this time saw Absalom the same way and undoubtedly became very popular. He let his hair grow and would only cut it once a year when it got too heavy for him. When his hair was cut the weight of his hair weighed two hundred shekels (approximately five pounds) helping us see that he was a prideful man.
The extravagant description conveys the impression that this man was totally taken up with his appearance, especially with his hair.[4]
We are also told that Absalom had three sons and one daughter by the name of Tamar, probably named in honor of Absalom’s sister, both of which are described in the Bible as being beautiful women (see 2 Samuel 13:1).
Reference here to Absalom’s three sons has caused problems for some commentators, who see a contradiction in 2 Sam 18:18, where Absalom is said to have erected a stele in his honor in the King’s Valley because “I have no son to carry on the memory of my name.” It is unlikely that he would have thought this before he had the three unnamed sons in 2 Sam 14:27, since he was still a relatively young man and knew he could still have sons. If it was after their births, then the possibility exists that they had died by the time of Absalom’s own final days. If so, this might explain why they are not given names in this verse and the only details are given about the daughter.[5]
14:28 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.
Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years without seeing his father, after that time he desired to see David, so he sent a message to Joab with that request, but Joab did not respond. He tried a second time, but received the same lack of response.
14:30 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. 31 Then Joab arose and went to Absalom at his house and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?”
So Absalom instructs his servants to set Joab’s field of barley on fire, which they did. That got Joab’s attention and he went to see Absalom to ask him why he had his servants burn his field.
14:32 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 Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still.” Now therefore let me go into the presence of the king, and if there is guilt in me, let him put me to death.’ ”
Absalom told Joab that he tried to get him to respond by sending him a message, but Joab never did, so he resorted to setting his field on fire. Absalom then asked Joab why was he brought out of Geshur, that it would have better for him to stay there. So he wanted Joab to set up a meeting between him and his father, the king, and if there is any guilt found in him, then he should put him to death. Absalom essentially is saying, “if my offense is still unpardoned, I would rather be dead.”[6]
14:33 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.
Joab did as Absalom requested, and arranged for him to come before the king. When Absalom arrived he bowed before David, followed by the king kissing Absalom. David seemingly offered Absalom forgiveness without any repentance of doing wrong.
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[1] Adapted from Bergen, R. D. (1996). 1, 2 Samuel (Vol. 7, p. 390). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[2] Vannoy, J. R. (2009). Cornerstone Biblical Commentarya: 1-2 Samuel (Vol. 4, p. 351). Tyndale House Publishers.
[3] Bergen, R. D. (1996). 1, 2 Samuel (Vol. 7, p. 393). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[4] Baldwin, J. G. (1988). 1 and 2 Samuel: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 8, p. 273). InterVarsity Press.
[5] Hoffner, H. A., Jr. (2015). 1 & 2 Samuel (Vol. 2, p. 552). Lexham Press.
[6] Smith, J. E. (2000). 1 & 2 Samuel (p. 449). College Press Pub. Co.