2 Samuel 14 11

2 Samuel 14:11 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.

2 Samuel 14:11 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."

2 Samuel 14:11 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."

2 Samuel 14:11 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."

2 Samuel 14:11 nlt

Then she said, "Please swear to me by the LORD your God that you won't let anyone take vengeance against my son. I want no more bloodshed." "As surely as the LORD lives," he replied, "not a hair on your son's head will be disturbed!"

2 Samuel 14 verses

2 Samuel 14 11 Meaning

In 2 Samuel 14:11, the woman of Tekoa appeals to King David, asking him to intervene to protect her "surviving" son from the "avenger of blood." She asks David to "remember the Lord your God," implying that David should act with divine wisdom and compassion to prevent further loss of life and injustice. David responds with a solemn oath, "As the Lord lives," assuring her with the strongest possible pledge that "not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground," guaranteeing his absolute safety and preservation. This exchange is part of a parable crafted by Joab to subtly influence David to bring his exiled son, Absalom, back to Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 14 11 Context

This verse is part of a dramatic narrative where Joab, David's military commander, orchestrates a plan to bring David's exiled son, Absalom, back to Jerusalem. Absalom had murdered his half-brother Amnon two years prior for raping his sister Tamar and then fled to Geshur. David was grieved but took no action to reconcile with Absalom or bring him home. Recognizing David's unspoken longing for Absalom, Joab employs a "wise woman" from Tekoa to present a fabricated story to David. The woman's tale involves her two sons, one of whom killed the other, and now the family wants to put the remaining son to death as the "avenger of blood." Her plea in 2 Samuel 14:11 for David to intervene and protect her sole surviving son serves as a parabolic representation of Absalom's situation. David's sympathetic response to the woman's plea is precisely what Joab intended, laying the groundwork for David to extend similar mercy to Absalom.

2 Samuel 14 11 Word analysis

• Then she said, "Please let the king remember the Lord your God":

  • "remember": (Hebrew: yehzkor, יזכר) More than just recall facts; it implies acting in accordance with what is remembered. The woman appeals to David to not just acknowledge but to act on God's character, His covenant, and His divine principles of justice and mercy, as God Himself "remembers" (e.g., Gen 8:1; Exod 2:24) leading to action.
  • "the Lord your God": (Hebrew: YHWH Eloheykha, יהוה אלהיך) Highlights David's unique relationship with the covenant God. The woman's phrasing reminds David of his divine appointment as king and his responsibility to administer justice and uphold life under God's supreme authority, subtly pressuring him to seek God's guidance.

• "that the avenger of blood may not add destruction":

  • "avenger of blood": (Hebrew: go'el haddam, גאל הדם) Literally "redeemer of blood." This specific Mosaic legal figure (Num 35:19-21) was the nearest male relative of a murdered person who had the right and obligation to put the killer to death. While intended for justice, it could perpetuate vendettas. The woman highlights the immediate, imminent threat of an authorized kinsman-redeemer.
  • "may not add destruction": (Hebrew: lo' yosiph lehashchit, לא יסף השחית) Means "may not add to destroy" or "continue to destroy." It refers to the addition of more bloodshed and sorrow to the existing tragedy. The woman is pleading against a second, unnecessary death.

• "and that they may not destroy my son":

  • "they may not destroy": Reinforces the primary fear: the physical extermination of her remaining son. The repetition emphasizes the grave danger and the mother's urgent plea for intervention to preserve life.

• "And he said, 'As the Lord lives,'":

  • "As the Lord lives": (Hebrew: Chai YHWH, חי יהוה) A solemn, irrevocable oath (e.g., 1 Sam 14:39, 45). David invokes the living God's very being as the guarantee for his promise. This signifies the utter certainty and unbreakable nature of his word. Such an oath was binding and could not be retracted. It reflects his understanding of God's sovereign control over life and death.

• "not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.":

  • (Hebrew idiom: lo' tippol misse'arat benekh 'artza, לא תפל משערת בנך ארצה) A proverbial expression meaning absolute and complete preservation. It implies not merely safety from violent death, but meticulous divine care over even the smallest detail of a person's existence. Nothing will be harmed or lost. This hyperbolic promise underscores David's comprehensive commitment to protecting the son.

2 Samuel 14 11 Bonus section

The institution of the "avenger of blood" (go'el haddam) highlights a complex aspect of Israelite law: balancing punitive justice for murder with safeguards for accidental killing through cities of refuge. By requesting protection from the "avenger of blood," the woman cleverly invokes a highly emotive and serious aspect of Hebrew law, pushing David into the position of ultimate arbiter, above the existing legal mechanisms, by asking for his divine-backed promise. David's solemn oath, invoking God's life, echoes the seriousness with which God regards covenants and promises throughout Scripture. This oath places his royal word under divine guarantee, raising it beyond mere human commitment. The entire episode serves as a legal-theological play to encourage David's decision, showcasing Joab's cleverness and the persuasive power of a well-crafted argument that taps into deeply held biblical values of life, mercy, and divine remembrance.

2 Samuel 14 11 Commentary

2 Samuel 14:11 is the climax of the Tekoite woman's feigned distress, successfully eliciting a powerful, sworn pledge from King David. Her strategic appeal to David to "remember the Lord your God" cleverly aligns her request for human justice with divine principles, reminding him of his role as God's anointed leader and the steward of life. David's response, commencing with the most solemn oath "As the Lord lives," signals his profound empathy and unwavering commitment to the preservation of life, a virtue highly valued in biblical jurisprudence. His subsequent promise that "not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground" is an idiom of total and infallible protection, commonly used to denote divine providence (e.g., 1 Sam 14:45, Lk 21:18). This royal assurance, secured under divine oath, sets an unassailable precedent that David cannot easily revoke. The stage is thus perfectly set for the woman to transition from her parable to the direct application concerning Absalom, whose banishment is essentially a slow "destruction" in a different form.