2 Samuel 14 13

2 Samuel 14:13 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.

2 Samuel 14:13 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.

2 Samuel 14:13 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?

2 Samuel 14:13 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.

2 Samuel 14:13 nlt

She replied, "Why don't you do as much for the people of God as you have promised to do for me? You have convicted yourself in making this decision, because you have refused to bring home your own banished son.

2 Samuel 14 verses

2 Samuel 14 13 Meaning

This verse marks a pivotal moment in the dramatic interaction between King David and the wise woman of Tekoa. She directly confronts David, skillfully turning his judgment of her feigned scenario back on him. She asserts that by refusing to bring his exiled son, Absalom, back to Jerusalem, David is planning something detrimental to "the people of God." Furthermore, she declares that David, by not reversing this banishment, is as one who is "guilty," implying a moral and potentially spiritual transgression. The woman, speaking with persuasive logic, argues for reconciliation and restoration, highlighting the king's responsibility to both justice and the well-being of his kingdom, which is implicitly intertwined with God's will.

2 Samuel 14 13 Context

The events of 2 Samuel chapter 14 are set in the aftermath of Amnon's murder by Absalom, David's son (2 Sam 13:28-29), and Absalom's subsequent three-year exile in Geshur with his grandfather, King Talmai (2 Sam 13:37-38). King David deeply mourned Amnon but also grieved for Absalom and desired his return. Joab, David's commander, sensing the king's heart but knowing David was hesitant to act directly, orchestrated a scheme to bring Absalom back. He enlisted a "wise woman from Tekoa" to approach David with a contrived parable. The woman, pretending to be a widow whose son had killed his brother, sought David's justice to prevent her remaining son from being executed by the family avenger, thus preserving her "coal" (posterity). David, upon hearing her plea, swore to protect her son. This verse, 2 Samuel 14:13, marks the pivotal point where the woman drops the pretense of her parable and directly applies its lesson to David's personal situation concerning Absalom, highlighting his inconsistency and failure as king and father.

2 Samuel 14 13 Word Analysis

• Then the woman said: The speaker is the wise woman of Tekoa (אִשָּׁה חֲכָמָה - ishshah chachamah). Her wisdom is central to her ability to engage the king effectively. She's not just a messenger, but a skilled rhetorician chosen for her sharp mind and ability to manipulate David's emotions and principles.
• "Why then have you planned such a thing against the people of God?"
  • Planned: חָשַׁבְתָּ (chashavta) - A strong verb meaning "to think, plan, devise." It implies deliberate intention and purpose. The woman doesn't accuse David of a mere oversight, but of an active decision, an intentional neglect or opposition.
  • Such a thing: זֹאת (zot) - Refers to David's current policy of banishing Absalom. She equates David's personal grievance and refusal to bring Absalom home with a "thing" (an act or policy) that has significant, negative implications.
  • Against the people of God: עַל עַם אֱלֹהִים (alam Elohim) - This is a powerful accusation. It elevates Absalom's personal banishment from a family matter to an issue of state, affecting God's chosen nation. David, as king, represents God to the people, and his actions concerning his own household have direct repercussions on the divine order and the well-being of the nation under God's covenant. This implies that David's inaction might even displease God and harm the stability of His people.
• "For in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty,"
  • Guilty: כְּאָשֵׁם (k'ashem) - This Hebrew term often carries the sense of culpable, at fault, or even in need of expiation or making amends. It suggests not merely a mistake but a wrongdoing that incurs spiritual or legal liability. David, the very dispenser of justice, is now indicted by the woman for being "guilty" through his own inaction regarding Absalom, the banished one. This guilt extends beyond a personal fault, reflecting a failure in his divine mandate as king to unite and restore.
• "in that the king does not bring his banished one home again."
  • Does not bring… home again: לְבִלְתִּי הָשִׁיב (l'vilti hashiv) - "For not returning" or "so as not to return." This phrase clearly points to David's active refusal or omission to act. It's not a passive situation but a deliberate lack of an action that should be taken.
  • His banished one: אֶת־נִדְּחוֹ (et-nidd'cho) - Lit. "his driven one" or "his outcast." This refers specifically to Absalom. The term niddach (from נדח nadach meaning "to thrust away, drive out") conveys the state of being cast out, expelled, or exiled. The woman uses this to highlight Absbalom's precarious status as David's own son who has been driven away, paralleling it with God's desire not to keep His own banished ones away forever (as she hints in 2 Sam 14:14). The term evokes vulnerability and separation.

2 Samuel 14 13 Bonus Section

• The term "people of God" (עַם אֱלֹהִים - am Elohim) is critically important here. It transforms a domestic tragedy into a matter of national, theological import, suggesting that the king's actions impact God's covenant relationship with Israel. A failure in royal duty is a failure towards God's chosen people.
• The woman's argumentation prefigures broader biblical themes of God's desire for the "outcast" or "banished one" to be returned (Deut 30:3, Neh 1:9), reflecting His character of long-suffering and reconciliation, a concept she directly references in the very next verse (2 Sam 14:14). She subtly hints that David, as a king, should reflect the compassionate nature of God in dealing with those who are exiled or estranged.
• The concept of ashem (guilty) in Hebrew thought could also refer to one needing to bring an asham (guilt offering). While not explicit here, the term implies a breach of communal or divine order that requires restitution or rectification. David's inaction has created such a breach within the fabric of his family and kingdom.

2 Samuel 14 13 Commentary

The woman of Tekoa's statement in 2 Samuel 14:13 is a masterful and brave indictment of King David. By skillfully shifting the context from her fabricated parable to David's real-life dilemma, she exposes the inconsistency in his own principles of justice and mercy. Her first charge, that David's banishment of Absalom constitutes "planning such a thing against the people of God," is a powerful challenge. It implies that David's personal grievance or fear, which keeps Absalom exiled, threatens the unity and future stability of the nation, a nation established under God's covenant and David's reign. A kingdom divided, especially with an alienated heir, risks turmoil.

Her second accusation, that David is "guilty" for not bringing Absalom home, directly attacks his kingly and moral standing. David, the appointed judge of Israel, is himself acting culpably by failing to extend compassion and restore one who belongs to the family and the kingdom. This "guilt" is not merely personal; it's a transgression against the expectation that a righteous king dispenses justice tempered with mercy, particularly concerning a royal heir whose prolonged absence creates a vacuum and discontent among the populace. The woman effectively challenges David's perception of his kingly duties, subtly prompting him to reconcile his personal feelings with his public responsibilities under God.