God’s Word Translation
2 Samuel 14:13
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!
2 Samuel 14:13 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished.
- New International Version (NIV)The woman said, “Why then have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself, for the king has not brought back his banished son?
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So the woman said: “Why then have you schemed such a thing against the people of God? For the king speaks this thing as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring his banished one home again.
Context of 2 Samuel 14:13
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.” 12The woman said, “Please let me say something else to you.” “Speak,” he said. “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! 14We are all going to die; we are all like water that is poured on the ground and can’t be gathered up. But doesn’t God forgive a person? He never plans to keep a banished person in exile. 15“I’ve come to say this to you because the people have frightened me. So I thought, ‘I will speak to the king about this. Maybe the king will do something for me, his subject.
Read all of 2 Samuel 142 Samuel 14:13 word by word
וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה וְלָ֧מָּה חָשַׁ֛בְתָּה כָּזֹ֖את עַל־עַ֣ם אֱלֹהִ֑ים וּמִדַּבֵּ֨ר הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ הַדָּבָ֤ר הַזֶּה֙ כְּאָשֵׁ֔ם לְבִלְתִּ֛י הָשִׁ֥יב הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֶֽת־נִדְּחֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Wherefore then hast thou thoughtחָשַׁבchâshab · to devise: deviseH2803
- such a thing against the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- for the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- doth speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: promiseH1696
- this thingדָּבָרdâbâr · word: promisedH1697
- as one which is faultyאָשֵׁם'âshêm · guiltyH818
- doth not fetch home againשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- his banishedנָדַחnâdach · to banishH5080
Cross-references for 2 Samuel 14:13
- 2 Samuel 12:7“You are the man!” Nathan told David. “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: I anointed you king over Israel and rescued you from Saul.
- 1 Kings 20:40But while I was busy doing other things, he got away.” The king of Israel told him, “That’s your own penalty. You have determined it yourself.”
- Luke 7:42When they couldn’t pay it back, he was kind enough to cancel their debts. Now, who do you think will love him the most?”
- 2 Samuel 7:8“Now this is what you will say to my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: I took you from the pasture where you followed sheep so that you could be the leader of my people Israel.
- Judges 20:2The leaders of all Israel’s tribes took their places in the congregation of God’s people. There were 400,000 foot soldiers with swords.
- 2 Samuel 13:37Absalom, however, fled to Geshur’s King Talmai, Ammihud’s son. But the king mourned for his son Amnon every day.
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 14:13
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing - The woman, having now got the king's promise confirmed by all oath, that her son should not suffer for the murder of his brother, comes immediately to her conclusion: Is not the king to blame? Does he now act a consistent part? He is willing to pardon the meanest of his subjects the murder of a brother at the instance of a poor widow, and he is not willing to pardon his son Absalom, whose restoration to…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13against the people of God: The woman argued that David was harming the entire kingdom by keeping Absalom in exile. She suggested that conflict in the royal family would spread to the wider society, or that David’s focus on Absalom would distract him from ruling well (2 Samuel 14:16).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 14:13
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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