2 Samuel 14 · Verse 11

2 Samuel 14:11

Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the Lord thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.
2 Samuel 14:11, King James Version

2 Samuel 14:11 in other translations

BSB“Please,” she replied, “may the king invoke the LORD your God to prevent the avenger of blood from increasing the devastation, so that my son may not be destroyed!” “As surely as the LORD lives,” he vowed, “not a hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground.”
WEBThen she said, “Please let the king remember the LORD your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son.” He said, “As the LORD lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the earth.”
ASVThen said she, I pray thee, let the king remember Jehovah thy God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As Jehovah liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.
YLTAnd she saith, ‘Let, I pray thee, the king remember by Jehovah thy God, that the redeemer of blood add not to destroy, and they destroy not my son;' and he saith, ‘Jehovah liveth; if there doth fall of the hair of thy son to the earth.'
DARBYThen she said, I pray thee, let the king remember Jehovah thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they cut off my son. And he said, As Jehovah liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.
BBEThen she said, Let the king keep in mind the Lord your God, so that he who gives punishment for blood may be kept back from further destruction and that no one may send death on my son. And he said, By the living Lord, not a hair of your son's head will come to the earth.
WebsterThen said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.

What does 2 Samuel 14:11 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Samuel 14:2-21

2Sa 14:1-21. Joab Instructs a Woman of Tekoah. 2-21. And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman--The king was strongly attached to Absalom; and having now got over his sorrow for the violent death of Amnon, he was desirous of again enjoying the society of his favorite son, who had now been three long years absent. But a dread of public opinion and a regard to the public interests made him hesitate…

Read the full comment on 2 Samuel 14:2-21 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 11 Let the king remember the Lord thy God - Consider that when God is earnestly requested to show mercy, he does it in the promptest manner; he does not wait till the case is hopeless: the danger to which my son is exposed is imminent; if the king do not decide the business instantly, it may be too late. And he said, As the Lord liveth - Thus he binds himself by a most solemn promise and oath; and this is what the woman wanted to extort.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Samuel 14:1-20

We may notice here, how this widow pleads God's mercy, and his clemency toward poor guilty sinners. The state of sinners is a state of banishment from God. God pardons none to the dishonour of his law and justice, nor any who are impenitent; nor to the encouragement of crimes, or the hurt of others.

Read the full comment on 2 Samuel 14:1-20 →

2 Samuel 14:11 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַתֹּאמֶר֩va.to.Merand she saidH559
יִזְכָּר\־yiz.kor-let him rememberH2142
נָ֨אna'pleaseH4994
הַמֶּ֜לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ'e.lo.Hei.khaGod yourH430
מֵהַרְבַּ֞תme.har.vitfrom increasingH7235
גֹּאֵ֤לgo.'El[the] avenger ofH1350
הַדָּם֙ha.Dam<the> bloodH1818
לְשַׁחֵ֔תle.sha.Chetto destroyH7843
וְלֹ֥אve.Lo'and notH3808
יַשְׁמִ֖ידוּyash.Mi.duthey will destroyH8045
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
בְּנִ֑יbe.Nison myH1121
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙vai.Yo.merand he saidH559
חַי\־chai-[by] [the] lifeH2416
יְהוָ֔הYah.wehof YahwehH3068
אִם\־'im-ifH518
יִפֹּ֛לyi.Polit will fallH5307
מִשַּׂעֲרַ֥תmi.sa.'a.Ratone of [the] hair[s] ofH8185
בְּנֵ֖ךְbe.Nekhson yourH1121
אָֽרְצָה\׃'A.re.tzah[the] ground towardsH776

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Samuel 14:11

  • 1 Samuel 14:45

    And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.

  • Matthew 10:30

    But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

  • Numbers 35:19

    The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.

  • Acts 27:34

    Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.

  • 1 Kings 1:52

    And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die.

  • Numbers 35:21

    Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him.

  • Deuteronomy 19:4-10

    And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past; As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live: Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past. Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thee. …

  • 1 Samuel 20:42

    And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.

  • Joshua 20:3-6

    That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them. And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime. And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.

  • Genesis 24:2-3

    And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: And I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:

  • Numbers 35:27

    And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood:

  • Genesis 14:22

    And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
let the king.
Ge 14:22; 24:2,3; 31:50; 1Sa 20:42
thou, etc. Heb. the revenger of blood do not multiply todestroy. the revengers.
Nu 35:19,27; De 19:4-10; Jos 20:3-6
As the Lord.
1Sa 14:45; 28:10; Jer 4:2
not one hair.
1Ki 1:52; Mt 10:30; Ac 27:34

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Samuel 14:10

    And the king said, Whosoever saith ought unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.

  • 2 Samuel 14:11

    Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the Lord thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.

  • 2 Samuel 14:12

    Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.

Read all of 2 Samuel 14

2 Samuel 14:11 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Dijo ella entonces: Ruégote, oh rey, que te acuerdes de Jehová tu Dios, que no dejes á los cercanos de la sangre aumentar el daño con destruir á mi hijo. Y él respondió: Vive Jehová, que no caerá ni un cabello de la cabeza de tu hijo en tierra.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et elle dit: Je te prie, que le roi se souvienne de l’ Éternel, ton Dieu, afin que le vengeur du sang ne multiplie pas la ruine, et qu’on ne détruise pas mon fils. Et il dit: L’ Éternel est vivant, s’il tombe à terre un des cheveux de ton fils!
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und sie sprach: Der König gedenke doch Jehovas, deines Gottes, damit der Bluträcher nicht noch mehr Verderben anrichte, und sie meinen Sohn nicht vertilgen! Und er sprach: So wahr Jehova lebt, wenn von den Haaren deines Sohnes eines auf die Erde fällt!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Quæ ait: Recordetur rex Domini Dei sui, ut non multiplicentur proximi sanguinis ad ulciscendum, et nequaquam interficiant filium meum. Qui ait: Vivit Dominus, quia non cadet de capillis filii tui super terram.