2 Samuel 14 · Verse 13

2 Samuel 14:13

And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished.
2 Samuel 14:13, King James Version

2 Samuel 14:13 in other translations

BSBThe woman asked, “Why have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself, since he has not brought back his own banished son?
WEBThe woman said, “Why then have you devised such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring home again his banished one.
ASVAnd the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou devised such a thing against the people of God? for in speaking this word the king is as one that is guilty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished one.
YLTAnd the woman saith, ‘And why hast thou thought thus concerning the people of God? yea, the king is speaking this thing as a guilty one, in that the king hath not brought back his outcast;
DARBYAnd the woman said, Why then hast thou thought such a thing against God's people? and the king in saying this thing, is as one guilty, in that the king does not bring back his banished one.
BBEAnd the woman said, Why have you had such a thought about the people of God? (for in saying these very words the king has put himself in the wrong because he has not taken back the one whom he sent far away.)
WebsterAnd the woman said, Why then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one who is faulty, in that the king doth not bring home again his banished.

What does 2 Samuel 14:13 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 13 Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing - The woman, having now got the king's promise confirmed by all oath, that her son should not suffer for the murder of his brother, comes immediately to her conclusion: Is not the king to blame? Does he now act a consistent part? He is willing to pardon the meanest of his subjects the murder of a brother at the instance of a poor widow, and he is not willing to pardon his son Absalom, whose restoration to favor is the desire of the whole nation. Is that clemency to be refused to the king's son, the hope of the nation and heir to the throne, which is shown to a private individual, whose death or life can only be of consequence to one family? Why, therefore, dost thou not bring back thy banished child?

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 14:13 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.

וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙va.To.merand she saidH559
הָֽאִשָּׁ֔הha.'i.Shahthe womanH802
וְלָ֧מָּהve.La.mahand <to> why?H4100
חָשַׁ֛בְתָּהcha.Shav.tahhave you plannedH2803
כָּזֹ֖אתka.Zotlike thisH2063
עַל\־'al-onH5921
עַ֣ם'am[the] people ofH5971
אֱלֹהִ֑ים'E.lo.HimGodH430
וּמִדַּבֵּ֨רu.mid.da.Berand <from> because has spokenH1696
הַמֶּ֜לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
הַדָּבָ֤רha.da.Varthe wordH1697
הַזֶּה֙ha.Zeh<the> thisH2088
כְּאָשֵׁ֔םke.'a.Shemlike a guilty [person]H818
לְבִלְתִּ֛יle.vil.Tito notH1115
הָשִׁ֥יבha.Shivto bring backH7725
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
אֶֽת\־'et-<obj.>H853
נִדְּחֽוֹ\׃ni.de.Chobanished [son] hisH5080

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

Cross references for 2 Samuel 14:13

  • 2 Samuel 13:37-38

    But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day. So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years.

  • 2 Samuel 12:7

    And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;

  • 1 Kings 20:40-42

    And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it. And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face; and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets. And he said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people.

  • Judges 20:2

    And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.

  • 2 Samuel 7:8

    Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel:

  • Luke 7:42-44

    And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Wherefore.
12:7; 1Ki 20:40-42; Lu 7:42-44
people.
7:8; Jud 20:2
in that the king.
13:37,38

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

Context

  • 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.

  • 2 Samuel 14:13

    And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished.

  • 2 Samuel 14:14

    For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.

Read all of 2 Samuel 14

2 Samuel 14:13 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entonces la mujer dijo: ¿Por qué pues piensas tú otro tanto contra el pueblo de Dios? que hablando el rey esta palabra, es como culpado, por cuanto el rey no hace volver á su fugitivo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et la femme dit: Et pourquoi as-tu pensé ainsi contre le peuple de Dieu? et le roi dit cette parole comme un homme coupable, le roi ne faisant point revenir celui qu’il a chassé.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und er sprach: Rede! Da sprach das Weib: Und warum hast du dergleichen wider Gottes Volk im Sinne? denn da der König dieses Wort geredet hat, ist er wie schuldig, indem der König seinen Verstoßenen nicht zurückholen läßt.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dixitque mulier: Quare cogitasti hujuscemodi rem contra populum Dei, et locutus est rex verbum istud, ut peccet, et non reducat ejectum suum?