2 Samuel 14:9 kjv
And the woman of Tekoah said unto the king, My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father's house: and the king and his throne be guiltless.
2 Samuel 14:9 nkjv
And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, "My lord, O king, let the iniquity be on me and on my father's house, and the king and his throne be guiltless."
2 Samuel 14:9 niv
But the woman from Tekoa said to him, "Let my lord the king pardon me and my family, and let the king and his throne be without guilt."
2 Samuel 14:9 esv
And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, "On me be the guilt, my lord the king, and on my father's house; let the king and his throne be guiltless."
2 Samuel 14:9 nlt
"Oh, thank you, my lord the king," the woman from Tekoa replied. "If you are criticized for helping me, let the blame fall on me and on my father's house, and let the king and his throne be innocent."
2 Samuel 14 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 24:15 | 'And whoever curses his God shall bear his sin.' | Principle of bearing one's own sin/guilt. |
| Num 18:1 | '...You, your sons, and your father’s house with you shall bear the iniquity related to the sanctuary...' | Priestly family bears responsibility/iniquity for sacred things; directly references "father's house". |
| Jer 2:35 | "Yet you say, ‘I am innocent; surely His anger turned from me.’" | Contrasts with bearing iniquity, claiming innocence. |
| Ezek 18:20 | "The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father..." | Emphasizes individual responsibility, making the woman's voluntary assumption of collective guilt extraordinary. |
| Matt 27:24-25 | "...Pilate... washed his hands... saying, ‘I am innocent...’ And all the people answered, ‘His blood be on us and on our children!’" | A clear New Testament parallel to people accepting responsibility/guilt for a decision. |
| Gal 3:13 | "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us..." | The ultimate fulfillment of one bearing the "curse" or "iniquity" for others. |
| Isa 53:4-6 | "Surely He has borne our griefs... He was wounded for our transgressions... the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." | Prophecy of the Suffering Servant (Christ) bearing the collective iniquity of humanity. |
| Isa 53:11 | "...by His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities." | Reinforces Christ's role in bearing sin for justification. |
| John 1:29 | "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" | Christ taking away or bearing the sin. |
| 2 Cor 5:21 | "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." | Christ, sinless, bore our sin for our righteousness. |
| Prov 16:12 | "It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness, for a throne is established by righteousness." | The king's righteous actions uphold his throne, making "guiltless" vital. |
| Prov 25:5 | "Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness." | Wise counsel leading to a secure and righteous kingship. |
| Deut 17:18-20 | Laws for the king, emphasizing his need to follow God's commands to ensure a long reign for himself and his children. | The king's conduct directly impacts the security of his "throne". |
| 1 Sam 12:3-5 | Samuel's farewell speech, declaring his own blamelessness before the people and the Lord. | Example of a leader seeking to be found "guiltless". |
| Ps 89:29, 36 | "His seed also I will make to endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven... His throne shall be as the sun before Me." | Davidic Covenant affirming the permanence and divine security of David's throne. |
| Rom 13:1-7 | On governmental authority; rulers are God's servants, executing justice. | A righteous ruler is "guiltless" in carrying out their divine mandate. |
| Acts 18:6 | Paul shaking out his garments: "Your blood be on your own heads; I am clean." | Apostle declaring himself "guiltless" of others' consequences. |
| Exod 32:32 | Moses' intercession: "yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book..." | Willingness to bear dire consequences for others' sin. |
| 2 Sam 20:16-22 | The wise woman of Abel-Beth-Maachah, also showing sagacity and strategic negotiation to save her city. | Parallels the Tekoite woman's wisdom and cunning. |
| Prov 1:5 | "A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel..." | General wisdom applied in the woman's cunning plan. |
2 Samuel 14 verses
2 Samuel 14 9 Meaning
2 Samuel 14:9 records the astute response of the wise woman of Tekoa to King David during her strategic petition for Absalom's return. She declares a willingness to bear any future guilt or divine punishment for the decision to bring Absalom back, asserting that this moral responsibility would rest solely upon her and her entire household. Her purpose is to alleviate any concern David might have regarding divine retribution or the blame of the people, thereby freeing him to act with a clear conscience, assuring the sanctity and stability of his kingship and dynastic succession ("the king and his throne shall be guiltless"). This statement serves as a powerful pledge of loyalty and an attempt to remove any obstacle from the king's path toward reconciliation.
2 Samuel 14 9 Context
2 Samuel chapter 14 describes Joab's clever scheme to bring Absalom, who had fled after murdering his brother Amnon, back to Jerusalem. Knowing David's heart yearned for Absalom but he felt restrained by his role as judge, Joab dispatches a "wise woman from Tekoa" (2 Sam 14:2) to appeal to the king through a veiled parable. The woman presents a scenario about her two sons, one having killed the other, and the family demanding justice for the remaining son, which would leave her barren. This parable mirrors David's own dilemma regarding Absalom. Verse 9 occurs during her skillful interaction, after David offers her assurance regarding her legal predicament. She then artfully escalates her plea, making this strong declaration of responsibility ("iniquity be on me...") to disarm any lingering apprehension the king might have, pivoting from the parable's implied request to an overt one for Absalom's return without fear of future consequence or divine judgment falling upon the king's household or throne. This verse is pivotal as it allows the woman to ensure David feels no personal guilt for any deviation from strict justice, paving the way for Absalom's pardon.
2 Samuel 14 9 Word analysis
- And the king's handmaid said unto the king: Introduces the speaker, identifying her as a humble servant to the powerful king. This underscores the daring nature of her statement and her respectful, yet bold, approach.
- My lord, O king: A customary and deferential address, establishing a tone of humility while setting the stage for an important petition. It signifies the hierarchical power dynamic.
- the iniquity: Hebrew: עָוֹן (`awon`). This term signifies moral evil, sin, guilt, or the punishment for sin. It's more than a mere mistake; it carries implications of moral offense and culpability before God, deserving of consequences. Its presence here highlights the gravity of what the woman is discussing: not just legal but spiritual responsibility.
- be on me: Hebrew: עָלַי (`alai`), meaning "upon me" or "over me." This signifies a conscious, volitional assumption of burden, guilt, or consequence. It's a solemn vow, not merely a statement of fact. It’s an active declaration of taking responsibility for potential divine judgment or human criticism.
- and on my father's house: Hebrew: בֵּית אָב (`beit 'av`). This expands the scope of responsibility beyond the individual to the entire family unit. In ancient Israel, the "father's house" represented the extended family, including generations. This collectivization of guilt or responsibility emphasizes the seriousness of her oath, showing her absolute commitment and faith in the righteousness of her cause (Joab’s agenda for Absalom). This reflects a communal understanding of accountability where family lines could be affected by one member's actions or oaths.
- and the king: Refers to David. His moral purity and political standing are her primary concern.
- and his throne: Hebrew: כִּסֵּא (`kisse`). This denotes the king's authority, reign, dynasty, and lineage. It signifies not just the individual but the enduring institution of kingship and the future of Israel's royal line.
- shall be guiltless: Hebrew: נָקִי (`naqi`). Meaning "clean," "innocent," "unpunished," "blameless." It conveys the state of being free from sin, fault, or legal culpability. This is the crucial assurance she offers, guaranteeing David freedom from all negative consequences for restoring Absalom.
- "the iniquity be on me, and on my father's house": This phrase functions as a solemn, quasi-legal, and spiritual vow. It is an act of taking the ultimate risk for the king, diverting any divine displeasure or human accusation from David to her own family. It taps into the ancient Israelite understanding of corporate solidarity and shared family accountability (though Deut 24:16 emphasizes individual punishment, the concept of familial impact remained in oaths or the consequence of sin affecting the household, e.g., Achan in Josh 7). This declaration echoes the profound act of someone bearing another's burden, often seen in a negative light (e.g., parents' sins on children, Lam 5:7) but here employed sacrificially to clear the path for the king.
- "the king and his throne shall be guiltless": This phrase encapsulates the central objective of the woman's pledge. It highlights the strategic importance of safeguarding David’s reputation, authority, and dynastic stability. By making David and his lineage `naqi` (guiltless), she clears any spiritual or political obstacle to his desired action (the return of Absalom), emphasizing that no divine wrath or public outcry would imperil the divinely appointed Davidic line because of this decision.
2 Samuel 14 9 Bonus section
The concept of one bearing the "iniquity" of another, as seen in this verse, while here offered strategically by the woman, finds its ultimate and truly redemptive fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ. He genuinely bore the awon – the sin, guilt, and punishment – of humanity, making His people "guiltless" (Rom 8:1; Col 1:22). Unlike the woman of Tekoa whose declaration was part of a deceptive political scheme, Christ's bearing of iniquity was a pure act of self-sacrifice driven by divine love and justice. This biblical theme highlights the profound nature of accountability and responsibility, sometimes undertaken vicariously, which is central to the Abrahamic understanding of covenant and salvation.
2 Samuel 14 9 Commentary
2 Samuel 14:9 stands as a pivotal moment in the wise woman of Tekoa's carefully orchestrated plea, where she moves from parable to direct application by taking ultimate personal responsibility for David's potential decision. Her declaration, "the iniquity be on me, and on my father's house," is a dramatic act of proxy atonement, an ancient and powerful form of oath that aimed to remove the king's potential qualms about divine judgment or public disapproval. The term awon for iniquity signifies the deep moral and religious weight of the potential consequences, not merely a political misstep. By offering herself and her entire lineage to bear this awon, she offers David a "get-out-of-guilt-free" card, allowing him to bypass the strict legal judgment he might otherwise feel bound to inflict upon Absalom for Amnon's murder. This statement serves to safeguard the king's sacred position ("his throne shall be guiltless"), acknowledging the belief that God holds monarchs accountable, and that royal unrighteousness could jeopardize the stability of the kingdom and the divine covenant with the Davidic line. Ultimately, this manipulative yet shrewd rhetorical move successfully removed the primary moral barrier preventing David from restoring Absalom.