God’s Word Translation
2 Samuel 14:11
11She said, “Your Majesty, please pray to the Lord your God in order to keep an avenger from doing more harm by destroying my son.” “I solemnly swear, as the Lord lives,” he said, “not a hair on your son’s head will fall to the ground.”
2 Samuel 14:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)She said, “Then let the king invoke the Lord his God to prevent the avenger of blood from adding to the destruction, so that my son will not be destroyed.” “As surely as the Lord lives,” he said, “not one hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)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."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then she said, “Please let the king remember the Lord your God, and do not permit the avenger of blood to destroy anymore, lest they destroy my son.” And he said, “As the Lord lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”
Context of 2 Samuel 14:11
9The woman from Tekoa said to the king, “Let me be held responsible for the sin, Your Majesty. Let my father’s family be held responsible. Your Majesty and your throne are innocent.” 10The king said, “If anyone says anything against you, bring him to me. He’ll never harm you again.” She said, “Your Majesty, please pray to the Lord your God in order to keep an avenger from doing more harm by destroying my son.” “I solemnly swear, as the Lord lives,” he said, “not a hair on your son’s head will fall to the ground.” 12The woman said, “Please let me say something else to you.” “Speak,” he said. 13“Why have you devised something like this against God’s people?” she said. “When you say this, you condemn yourself because you haven’t brought back the one you banished!
Read all of 2 Samuel 142 Samuel 14:11 word by word
וַתֹּאמֶר֩ יִזְכָּר־נָ֨א הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ מֵהַרְבַּ֞ת גֹּאֵ֤ל הַדָּם֙ לְשַׁחֵ֔ת וְלֹ֥א יַשְׁמִ֖ידוּ אֶת־בְּנִ֑י וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ חַי־יְהוָ֔ה אִם־יִפֹּ֛ל מִשַּׂעֲרַ֥ת בְּנֵ֖ךְ אָֽרְצָה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- she, I pray thee, let the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- rememberזָכַרzâkar · to rememberH2142
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- thy Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- that thou wouldest not suffer the revengersגָּאַלgâ'al · to redeem: avengeH1350
- of bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
- to destroyשָׁחַתshâchath · to ruinH7843
- any moreרָבָהrâbâh · to multiplyH7235
- lest they destroyשָׁמַדshâmad · to destroyH8045
- my sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- livethחַיchay · aliveH2416
- there shall not one hairשַׂעֲרָהώa‛ărâh · hairH8185
- fallנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307
- to the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: soilH776
Cross-references for 2 Samuel 14:11
- Genesis 14:22But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I now raise my hand and solemnly swear to the Lord God Most High, maker of heaven and earth,
- Genesis 24:2So Abraham said to the senior servant of his household who was in charge of all that he owned, “Take a solemn oath.
- Genesis 31:50If you mistreat my daughters or marry other women behind my back, remember that God stands as a witness between you and me.”
- 1 Samuel 20:42“Go in peace!” Jonathan told David. “We have both taken an oath in the Lord’s name, saying, ‘The Lord will be ⌞a witness⌟ between me and you and between my descendants and your descendants forever.’ ” So David left, and Jonathan went into the city.
- Numbers 35:19The relative who can avenge the death must make sure a murderer is put to death. When he catches up with the murderer, he must kill him.
- Deuteronomy 19:4A person who unintentionally kills someone he never hated in the past may run to one of these cities to save his life.
- Joshua 20:3Choose them so that anyone who unintentionally kills someone may run to them. They will be a place of refuge from any relative who can avenge the death.
- 1 Samuel 14:45The troops asked Saul, “Should Jonathan die after he has won this great victory in Israel? That would be unthinkable! We solemnly swear, as the Lord lives, not a single hair of his head will fall to the ground, because he has done this with God’s help today.” So the troops rescued Jonathan from death.
- 1 Samuel 28:10But Saul took an oath in the Lord’s name, “I solemnly swear, as the Lord lives, you will not be harmed if you do this.”
- Jeremiah 4:2if you take the oath, ‘As the Lord lives …’ in an honest, fair, and right way, then the nations will be blessed, and they will be honored by me.”
- 1 Kings 1:52Solomon said, “If he will behave like an honorable man, not one hair on his head will fall to the ground. But if he does ⌞anything⌟ wrong, he will die.”
- Matthew 10:30Every hair on your head has been counted.
- Acts 27:34So I’m encouraging you to eat something. Eating will help you survive, since not a hair from anyone’s head will be lost.”
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 14:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11Let the king remember the Lord thy God - Consider that when God is earnestly requested to show mercy, he does it in the promptest manner; he does not wait till the case is hopeless: the danger to which my son is exposed is imminent; if the king do not decide the business instantly, it may be too late. And he said, As the Lord liveth - Thus he binds himself by a most solemn promise and oath; and this is what the woman wanted to extort.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11As surely as the LORD lives: When the woman urged David to promise more protection, he responded with this solemn oath (see 2 Samuel 4:9; 12:5; 15:21; 1 Samuel 20:3; 28:10; 29:6).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-212Sa 14:1-21. Joab Instructs a Woman of Tekoah. 2-21. And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman--The king was strongly attached to Absalom; and having now got over his sorrow for the violent death of Amnon, he was desirous of again enjoying the society of his favorite son, who had now been three long years absent. But a dread of public opinion and a regard to the public interests made him hesitate about recalling or pardoning his guilty son…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Samuel 14:11
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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