2 Samuel 14:2-20

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 14:11

Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the Lord thy God ,.... Who is a God gracious and merciful, and imitate him in showing mercy to the distressed; pitying their case, having compassion upon them, and relieving them, as she hoped he would commiserate her case, and provide for the safety of her son. Some think she desires not only to give his word, but his oath, for her son's safety: "remember the Lord thy God"; i.e. make mention of him, as men do when they swear by him; swear to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 14:12

Then the woman said, let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my Lord the king ,.... Having gained her point, and gotten a decree from him confirmed by an oath, that her son though he had killed his brother should not die; she proceeds to accommodate the parable, and apply it to the case of Absalom, and improve it in his favour: and he said, say on ; gave her leave to say what she had further to observe to him; see Luke 7:40 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 14:13

Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God ?.... That they would be so wicked as to slay my son, or that they are the people of God that would slay Absalom; people so cruel could not be reckoned such, as the king's sons; so Abarbinel; who gives it as the sense of Ephodaeus, that by the people of God are meant Absalom, and his men; or Absalom only, one man being sometimes called people, Exodus 21:8 ; and she expostulates with the king how he could entertain such... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 14:14

For we must needs die ,.... As all must, herself, the king, and his sons, and indeed all men; this is the common case and lot of men; particularly she insinuates that David must die, and that there must be a successor named, and perhaps a dispute would arise about one; which might be fatal, if Absalom was not recalled in his lifetime; and that Amnon must have died in a little time if he had not been killed by his brother; and Absalom, he must die also quickly, and therefore what signifies... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 14:15

Now therefore that I am come to speak of this thing unto my lord the king ,.... Of the case of Absalom, under a feigned one of hers: it is because the people have made me afraid ; having heard of their whisperings, murmurings, and uneasiness among them, because Absalom was not sent for home, fearing there would be an insurrection in the nation, or an invasion of it by Absalom at the request of his friends; in which he might be supported by the king of Geshur; or however that disputes... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 14:16

For the king will hear ,.... She was fully persuaded of it, as now he had heard her: to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God ; he had given his word and his oath that he would deliver her son from the avenger of blood, that neither he nor any other should destroy him; which would have been the destruction of her and her whole family out of the land of Israel, the land which God had chosen for his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 14:17

Then thine handmaid said, the word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable ,.... Or, "for rest" F17 למנחה "ad requiem", Pagninus, Montanus; "ad tranquillitatem", Tigurine version; "ad quietem", Vatablus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. ; what will give ease and satisfaction not only to her, but to all the people of Israel, when they shall hear of the king's intention and resolution to bring back Absalom: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king ; as they are very... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 14:18

Then the king answered and said unto the woman ,.... Understanding plainly what she meant by all this, that the case she brought was a feigned one, and that the intention of it was to let him know the sense of the people with respect to Absalom, and the recall of him: hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee ; he suspected that this was not a scheme of her own, but some considerable person had formed it, and made use of her to execute it, which was what he desired... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 14:19

And the king said, is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this ?.... That is, is not this done by the advice, assistance, and direction of Joab? did not he form this scheme for thee, and direct thee to this method, and put thee upon prosecuting it? and the woman answered and said, as thy soul liveth, my lord the king ; what I am about to say is as sure as thou art alive; though this may be only a wish that he might long live and be happy; nothing is more desirable than thy valuable... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 14:20

To fetch about this form of speech hath thy servant Joab done this thing ,.... Feigned a story in such form and manner as had been delivered to the king, that it might be accommodated and applied to the case of Absalom, and to transfer it in a figure to the king, to use the apostle's phrase, 1 Corinthians 4:8 , and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God ; as not only to understand the design of this fable or parable, but of such sagacity and penetration as to... read more

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