2 Samuel
Chapter 14
Joab, son of Zeruiah, saw that the king was yearning for Absalom.
So he sent a messenger to Tekoa to fetch a wise woman and told her: “Please pretend to be a mourner. Put on mourning garments and do not perfume yourself with oil so that you may look like a woman who has been mourning for several days for the dead
and go to the king with this message.” And Joab told her what to say.
When the woman of Tekoa appeared before the king, she fell on her face in homage and said: “Help me, O king!”
The king asked her: “What is wrong?” She answered: “Alas, I am a widow; my husband is dead.
I, your handmaid, had two sons who quarreled with one another in the field. Since there was no one to part them, one struck the other and killed him.
Now, the entire family demands that I give up the one who struck his brother. And they say: ‘We will kill him and avenge his brother’s death.’ So they want to quench my remaining hope; with this, they will leave my husband without name or posterity on the earth.”
The king told the woman: “Go home, and I will give orders on your behalf.”
But the woman of Tekoa said to the king: “Let me and my family be blamed, my lord the king, and let the king and his throne not be criticized for this.”
The king said: “If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall never bother you again.”
Then she said: “Please let the king swear by the Lord, his God, that the avenger of blood may not deepen my disgrace by killing my son.” The king replied: “As the Lord lives, not one hair of your son shall perish.”
Then the woman said: “Please allow me to say something to my lord the king.” The king told her: “Speak.”
She went on: “Why do you act against the people of God? In making this decision, the king condemns himself for not bringing his banished son back home.
We are all mortals, and as water spilled on the ground cannot be gathered up again, God does not make the soul return. So, let the king find a way to bring back his banished son.
Now, if I have come to talk about this to my lord the king, it is because the people scared me, and I thought, ‘I will speak to the king; perhaps he will listen to me.
If he agrees to help me when I tell him about the man who seeks to cut off both me and my son from the inheritance God gave us,
he will surely give the decision which will bring us peace. My lord, the king, is like an angel of God in understanding everything. The Lord your God be with you!”
The king told the woman: “Do not hide anything from me when I question you.” The woman replied: “Let my lord the king speak.”
The king asked: “Is Joab behind you in all this?” The woman answered:“As you surely live, my lord the king, all is as my lord the king says. Your servant Joab ordered me and taught me everything I had to say.
Joab did this to disguise the purpose. But my lord is as wise as an angel of God, knowing all things that happen on earth.”
Then the king told Joab: “Well, I shall do it. Go, fetch the young man Absalom.”
Joab fell on his face to the ground in homage and blessed the king, saying: “Today I know that you look kindly on me, my lord the king, because you have granted this my request.”
Joab went to Geshur to fetch Absalom and bring him to Jerusalem.
The king told him: “Let him stay in his own house, for I shall not receive him.” So Absalom stayed in his own house and was not received by the king.
In all Israel, no one was as praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom; from the sole of his feet to the crown of his head, he was without defect.
When he cut his hair (every year, he cut his hair when it became too heavy for him), he weighed it, and it weighed two hundred shekels by the king’s weight.
There were born to Absalom three sons and a daughter named Tamar, a beautiful woman.
Absalom stayed in Jerusalem for two years, but the king did not receive him.
Absalom called for Joab to send him to the king, but Joab refused to see him. He called for him a second time, but Joab would not come.
So Absalom said to his servants:“You know Joab’s field, next to mine, planted with barley. Go set it on fire.” And so they did. Then, the servants of Joab came to him to tell him, “The servants of Absalom set your field on fire.”
Then Joab went to Absalom’s house and asked him:“Why have your servants set my field on fire?”
Absalom replied: “Come over, for I want to send you to the king with this message, ‘Why did you let me return from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there yet.’ Now, I want to be received by the king. If I am guilty, let him send me to death!”
Joab went to the king and brought him the message. So the king called for Absalom, who appeared before the king, bowing low with his face to the ground. And the king embraced Absalom.
Commentaries
Murder of Amnon.
Absalom’s revenge unfolds through the preparations and consequences, while the central act—the murder—is implied rather than explicitly described. Notable family members and guests observe the revenge in a festive setting. Remember that this family is the House of David, which is part of the royal promise made to them. Because of this, the author presents the court’s point of view, focusing on the aftermath rather than the act itself. The event happens in three parts, each with its meaning: first, false news is announced; then, a group of horsemen rushes in; and finally, the king’s sons arrive. The false alarm hints at something serious: if all of David’s sons are dead and only the murderer remains, who will inherit the throne? What will happen to the promise to establish a dynasty? Will David have to execute his murderous son?
Once again, Joab demonstrates his sharp perception and quick decision-making. If he assists Absalom, he can count on his favor and maintain his position as second-in-command in the kingdom. However, he prefers not to face the situation directly, so he crafts a clever plan: a woman from Tekoa, skilled in deception and imitation, will prepare the way and test the king. If the outcome is favorable, Joab will step forward. The core of the scene centers on a moral dilemma in which two principles of justice clash: the duty to avenge murder and the duty to protect the family’s reputation. In ancient Israel, there was a tradition called “goelato,” rooted in family or clan loyalty: when property is being transferred or about to be transferred, a family or clan member must buy or redeem it to keep it within the family; when someone is enslaved, they must be ransomed under similar conditions; if a family member is murdered, justice demands the killer be punished. But what if the murderer is a relative? Should justice be served at the expense of more lives? The situation becomes especially complicated when a family includes only two brothers: avenging one’s death would mean erasing the family name. Conversely, protecting the family name could mean failing to avenge one of them. This is often the case with David’s sons, though not literally, since he has other sons. Still, the extreme example highlights the dilemma.