2 Samuel 14

In 2 Samuel 13, Absalom killed Amnon, who had violated his sister Tamar, and fled to Geshur, where he remained for three years. This chapter recounts how Absalom later returned to Jerusalem, and it leads into the rebellion of 2 Samuel 15.

Outline

• Verses 1–3 Perceiving that the king's heart is toward Absalom, Joab has a wise woman of Tekoa put on mourning apparel and tells her what to say.
• Verses 4–11 Presenting herself as a widow, the woman pleads that one of her two sons has killed his brother and that her kinsmen now seek to kill the remaining son as well. The king swears that not one hair of her son shall fall to the earth.
• Verses 12–17 The woman points out that the king has not brought home his own banished one, comparing life to water spilt on the ground.
• Verses 18–20 When the king asks whether Joab is behind this, the woman admits that he is.
• Verses 21–24 With the king's permission, Joab brings Absalom back from Geshur, but the king has him turn aside to his own house and refuses to see his face.
• Verses 25–27 Absalom's flawless appearance is described. The hair he cut each year weighed two hundred shekels after the king's weight, and he had three sons and a daughter named Tamar.
• Verses 28–33 After two years without seeing the king, Absalom sets fire to Joab's barley field because Joab would not come when summoned twice. Joab then goes to the king, who calls for Absalom and kisses him.

Key Verses

• 2 Samuel 14:14 "Neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him." — This is the most frequently quoted verse in the chapter.
• 2 Samuel 14:33 "And the king kissed Absalom." — An outward reconciliation that stands in contrast to the rebellion that follows.

Characters and Places

• David: King of Israel.
• Joab: Son of Zeruiah and commander of David's army, who devises this plan.
• Absalom: A son of David.
• The woman of Tekoa: The wise woman whom Joab brings in.
• Tekoa: A town in the land of Judah, south of Jerusalem.
• Geshur: The land where Absalom took refuge, home of his mother's family.
• Jerusalem: David's royal city.

Points for Reflection

• Like Nathan's parable (2 Samuel 12), the woman's story leads the king to pass judgment on another person's case so that he will reflect on his own.
• The "avenger of blood" in verses 7 and 11 refers to the kinsman who exacts blood vengeance on a killer. This custom is related to the regulations concerning the cities of refuge.
• Some scholars read the Hebrew expression rendered "was toward" in verse 1 as "was against."
• Verse 27 states that Absalom had three sons, yet in 2 Samuel 18:18 Absalom says he has no son. A widely held interpretation is that the sons died young.
• Modern equivalents of two hundred shekels vary among scholars because the standard of "the king's weight" is uncertain.
• Many interpreters observe that a reconciliation reached without repentance ends in rebellion.

In the Korean Church

Verse 14 is used as a sermon text on the theme of God bringing home those who have been banished. The story of David and Absalom is also treated in sermons on parents and children, forgiveness, and reconciliation.