2 Samuel 14 21

2 Samuel 14:21 kjv

And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again.

2 Samuel 14:21 nkjv

And the king said to Joab, "All right, I have granted this thing. Go therefore, bring back the young man Absalom."

2 Samuel 14:21 niv

The king said to Joab, "Very well, I will do it. Go, bring back the young man Absalom."

2 Samuel 14:21 esv

Then the king said to Joab, "Behold now, I grant this; go, bring back the young man Absalom."

2 Samuel 14:21 nlt

So the king sent for Joab and told him, "All right, go and bring back the young man Absalom."

2 Samuel 14 verses

2 Samuel 14 21 Meaning

2 Samuel 14:21 signifies King David's pivotal decision, swayed by Joab's orchestration through the woman of Tekoa's parable, to permit the return of his estranged and exiled son, Absalom. This verse marks a significant turning point from Absalom's three-year banishment following Amnon's murder, allowing him to leave Geshur and come back to Jerusalem. It expresses David's verbal command, granting a matter he had long resisted, indicating a complex mix of parental love, political calculation, and perhaps an incomplete reconciliation process.

2 Samuel 14 21 Context

This verse is positioned at a crucial juncture in King David's reign, immediately following a complex narrative orchestrated by Joab to influence David. After Absalom murdered his half-brother Amnon for defiling Tamar, he fled to Geshur and remained there for three years. David, deeply conflicted, mourned Amnon yet yearned for Absalom, but refrained from calling him back, possibly due to the gravity of Absalom's fratricide and the demands of justice. Joab, discerning David's unspoken desire and likely assessing the political implications of Absalom's prolonged absence, sent a wise woman from Tekoa to present a fabricated legal case (a parable) to David. This parable about an avenging family member and the last son of a widow mirroring Absalom's situation was designed to elicit a judgment from David that would, by principle, apply to Absalom's return. Upon realizing the true intent and Joab's involvement, David, softened and cornered, gives the command in verse 21. While it marks Absalom's initial return, it is crucial to note that this is not a full reconciliation; Absalom will remain in Jerusalem but forbidden from seeing David's face until much later (2 Sam 14:24, 32-33). The historical context reveals David's family as deeply dysfunctional, plagued by sin and its unresolved consequences, leading ultimately to Absalom's rebellion and tragedy.

2 Samuel 14 21 Word analysis

• Then the king said to Joab: This highlights David's formal position as king (מֶלֶךְ - melech), giving an authoritative directive. "Said" (וַיֹּאמֶר - vayyo'mer) is a common verb, but here it denotes the sovereign's decision. Joab, as the influential general and the orchestrator of the preceding events, is the direct recipient of this crucial command. Their relationship is one of both service and strategic manipulation.
• "Behold now," (הִנֵּה נָא - hinneh na): This phrase functions as an intensifier, drawing attention and emphasizing the solemnity and finality of David's impending statement. "Behold" alerts, "now" suggests immediacy and the conclusion of the internal struggle. It can also imply a slight yielding, a turning point after resistance.
• "I grant this thing;" (עָשִׂיתִי אֶת־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה - 'asithiy 'eth-haddavar hazzeh): "I grant" (literally "I have done/made") implies compliance or the fulfillment of a request. David has conceded or agreed to the matter (הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה - ha-davar hazzeh). This "thing" or "matter" refers to the core issue of Absalom's return, skillfully brought before David by the woman of Tekoa's plea. This demonstrates David's yielding to persuasion after long resistance.
• "go therefore," (לֵךְ אֵפוֹא - lekh 'epho'): A direct command. "Go" (לֵךְ - lekh) is an imperative, demanding immediate action. "Therefore" (אֵפוֹא - 'epho') logically connects this action to the previous decision: because I have granted it, therefore go.
• "bring back" (הָשֵׁב - hashev): This is a Hiphil imperative of the verb שׁוּב (shuv), meaning "to turn, return." The Hiphil conjugation here is causative, explicitly meaning "cause to return" or "bring him back." This confirms David's clear directive for Absalom's physical return to Jerusalem.
• "the young man Absalom." (אֶת־הַנַּעַר אַבְשָׁלֹום - 'eth-hanna'ar 'Avshalom): David identifies him as "the young man" (הַנַּעַר - hanna'ar), possibly softening his previous identity as a murderer, or simply a paternal, endearing term despite the circumstances. Absalom's name (אַבְשָׁלֹום - 'Avshalom), meaning "father is peace," ironically foreshadows the great conflict he would bring to David's household, despite his return supposedly bringing a degree of resolution.

Words-group analysis:

• "Then the king said to Joab, 'Behold now, I grant this thing;'": This sequence reveals the exercise of royal authority in response to skilled advocacy. David's choice of words indicates he has deliberated and now formally makes his decree. It is not an impulsive act but a considered, though likely pressured, decision.
• "'go therefore, bring back the young man Absalom.'": This direct command underscores Joab's success as an intermediary and marks the reversal of Absalom's exile. The emphasis on "young man" points to David's personal attachment and perhaps his hope for a family reunion, even while avoiding the deeper implications of Absalom's crimes.

2 Samuel 14 21 Bonus section

• The irony of Absalom's name ("Father is Peace") becomes particularly poignant given that his return eventually leads to an armed rebellion that shatters the peace of David's kingdom and almost costs David his life and throne.
• Joab's actions throughout this chapter reveal his pragmatic, sometimes ruthless, loyalty to David and the kingdom's stability. He acts as a key political figure, capable of both military command and shrewd counsel, often forcing David's hand when the king hesitates.
• David's consistent failure to administer justice or maintain order within his own household (exemplified previously by his passivity after Amnon's rape of Tamar, and now by his complex response to Amnon's murder by Absalom) ultimately leads to catastrophic consequences, highlighting how unchecked family dysfunction can destabilize an entire nation, even under a righteous king.

2 Samuel 14 21 Commentary

2 Samuel 14:21 represents David's reluctant acquiescence to Absalom's return, orchestrated by Joab. It marks a temporary resolution to the political and personal impasse created by Amnon's murder and Absalom's flight. David, having been persuaded by the "wise woman's" indirect plea for his exiled son's life, gives the formal command. This verse signifies the victory of Joab's calculated manipulation over David's unresolved grief and a wavering sense of justice.

The command to "bring back the young man Absalom" shows David's yearning for his son, perhaps a longing for family unity, but notably, it's not a full, immediate restoration to fellowship (Absalom remains under house arrest without seeing David's face for two years, per 2 Sam 14:24). This delayed and incomplete reconciliation highlights David's character flaws, his inability to fully exercise justice, and his parental weakness, setting the stage for the escalating tensions and tragic rebellion in Absalom's future. It demonstrates that while grace may extend to one deserving punishment, an incomplete reconciliation process can have severe, lasting consequences, leading to deeper family wounds and political instability rather than genuine peace.