2 Samuel 14 · Verse 2

2 Samuel 14:2

And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:

2 Samuel 14:2, King James Version

2 Samuel 14:2 in other translations

BSB	So Joab sent to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. He told her, “Please pretend to be a mourner; put on clothes for mourning and do not anoint yourself with oil. Act like a woman who has mourned for the dead a long time.
WEB	Joab sent to Tekoa and brought a wise woman from there, and said to her, “Please act like a mourner, and put on mourning clothing, please, and don’t anoint yourself with oil; but be as a woman who has mourned a long time for the dead.
ASV	And Joab sent to Tekoa, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on mourning apparel, I pray thee, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that hath a long time mourned for the dead:
YLT	and Joab sendeth to Tekoah, and taketh thence a wise woman, and saith unto her, ‘Feign thyself a mourner, I pray thee, and put on, I pray thee, garments of mourning, and anoint not thyself with oil, and thou hast been as a woman these many days mourning for the dead,
DARBY	And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said to her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on mourning garments, I pray, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that hath a long time mourned for the dead;
BBE	And Joab sent to Tekoa and got from there a wise woman, and said to her, Now make yourself seem like one given up to grief, and put on the clothing of sorrow, not using any sweet oil for your body, but looking like one who for a long time has been weeping for the dead:
Webster	And Joab sent to Tekoah, and brought thence a wise woman, and said to her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:

What does 2 Samuel 14:2 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 about recalling or pardoning his guilty son; and Joab, whose discerning mind perceived this struggle between parental affection and royal duty, devised a plan for relieving the scruples, and, at the same time, gratifying the wishes, of his master. Having procured a countrywoman of superior intelligence and address, he directed her to seek an audience of the king, and by soliciting his royal interposition in the settlement of a domestic grievance, convinced him that the life of a murderer might in some cases be saved. Tekoah was about twelve miles south of Jerusalem, and six south of Beth-lehem; and the design of bringing a woman from such a distance was to prevent either the petitioner being known, or the truth of her story easily investigated. Her speech was in the form of a parable--the circumstances--the language--the manner--well suited to the occasion, represented a case as like David's as it was policy to make it, so as not to be prematurely discovered. Having got the king pledged, she avowed it to be her design to satisfy the royal conscience, that in pardoning Absalom he was doing nothing more than he would have done in the case of a stranger, where there could be no imputation of partiality. The device succeeded; David traced its origin to Joab; and, secretly pleased at obtaining the judgment of that rough, but generally sound-thinking soldier, he commissioned him to repair to Geshur and bring home his exiled son.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 2 Joab sent to Tekoah - Tekoah, according to St. Jerome, was a little city in the tribe of Judah, about twelve miles from Jerusalem. There are several circumstances relative to this woman and her case which deserve to be noticed: - 1. She was a widow, and therefore her condition of life was the better calculated to excite compassion. 2. She lived at some distance from Jerusalem, which rendered the case difficult to be readily inquired into; and consequently there was the less danger of detection. 3. She was advanced in years, as Josephus says, that her application might have the more weight. 4. She put on mourning, to heighten the idea of distress. 5. She framed a case similar to that in which David stood, in order to convince him of the reasonableness of sparing Absalom. 6. She did not make the similitude too plain and visible, lest the king should see her intention before she had obtained a grant of pardon. Thus her circumstances, her mournful tale, her widow's needs, her aged person, and her impressive manner, all combined to make one united impression on the king's heart. We need not wonder at her success. See Bishop Patrick.

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 14:2 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.

וַיִּשְׁלַ֤חvai.yish.Lachand he sentH7971

יוֹאָב֙yo.'AvJoabH3097

תְּק֔וֹעָהte.Ko.'ahTekoa towardsH8620

וַיִּקַּ֥חvai.yi.Kachand he tookH3947

מִשָּׁ֖םmi.Shamfrom thereH8033

אִשָּׁ֣ה'i.Shaha womanH802

חֲכָמָ֑הcha.kha.MahwiseH2450

וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559

אֵ֠לֶיהָ'E.lei.hato herH413

הִֽתְאַבְּלִי\־hit.'a.be.li-play [the] mournerH56

נָ֞אna'pleaseH4994

וְלִבְשִׁי\־ve.liv.shi-and put onH3847

נָ֣אna'pleaseH4994

בִגְדֵי\־vig.dei-garments ofH899

אֵ֗בֶל'E.velmourningH60

וְאַל\־ve.'al-and may notH408

תָּס֙וּכִי֙ta.Su.khiyou anoint yourselfH5480

שֶׁ֔מֶןShe.menoilH8081

וְהָיִ֕יתve.ha.Yitand you will beH1961

כְּאִשָּׁ֗הke.'i.Shahlike a womanH802

זֶ֚הzehthisH2088

יָמִ֣יםya.MimdaysH3117

רַבִּ֔יםra.BimmanyH7227

מִתְאַבֶּ֖לֶתmit.'a.Be.let[who has been] mourningH56

עַל\־'al-onH5921

מֵֽת\׃Meta dead [person]H4191

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

Cross references for 2 Samuel 14:2

2 Chronicles 11:6
He built even Beth–lehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,
Ruth 3:3
Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.
Amos 1:1
The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
2 Chronicles 20:20
And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
Jeremiah 6:1
O ye children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Beth–haccerem: for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction.
2 Samuel 12:20
Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the Lord, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.
Nehemiah 3:5
And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord.
Nehemiah 3:27
After them the Tekoites repaired another piece, over against the great tower that lieth out, even unto the wall of Ophel.
Ecclesiastes 9:8
Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.
Psalms 104:15
And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart.
Matthew 6:17
But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
2 Samuel 11:26
And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

to Tekoah.Tekoah was a city of Judah, situated, according to Eusebius and Jerome, twelve miles south of Jerusalem. Josephus says it was not far from the castle of Herodium; and Jerome (Prologue to Amos) says it stood on a hill six miles south from Bethlehem. Dr. Poccocke places it at the same distance; and says there are still considerable ruins on the top of a hill, which is about half a mile long and a furlong broad.
2Ch 11:6; 20:20; Ne 3:5,27; Jer 6:1; Am 1:1
Tekoa. mourning.
11:26; Ru 3:3; Ps 104:15; Ec 9:8; Mt 6:17

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

Context

2 Samuel 14:1
Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was toward Absalom.
2 Samuel 14:2
And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:
2 Samuel 14:3
And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.

Read all of 2 Samuel 14

2 Samuel 14:2 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Envió Joab á Tecoa, y tomó de allá una mujer astuta, y díjole: Yo te ruego que te enlutes, y te vistas de ropas de luto, y no te unjas con óleo, antes sé como mujer que ha mucho tiempo que trae luto por algún muerto;
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	et Joab envoya à Thekoa, et fit venir de là une femme habile, et il lui dit: Je te prie, fais semblant de mener deuil, et revêts-toi, je te prie, de vêtements de deuil, et ne t’oins pas d’huile, mais sois comme une femme qui mène deuil depuis longtemps pour un mort;
German Elberfelder 1871	Da sandte Joab nach Tekoa und ließ von dannen ein kluges Weib holen; und er sprach zu ihr: Stelle dich doch trauernd und ziehe Trauerkleider an und salbe dich nicht mit Öl, und sei wie ein Weib, das schon viele Tage über einen Toten trauert;
Latin Clementine Vulgate	misit Thecuam, et tulit inde mulierem sapientem: dixitque ad eam: Lugere te simula, et induere veste lugubri, et ne ungaris oleo, ut sis quasi mulier jam plurimo tempore lugens mortuum: