48443 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And come to the king,.... At his palace, in the above condition and circumstances: and speak on this manner unto him; something to the following purpose he dictated to her: so Joab put the words in her mouth; the substance of what she should say; the fable she was to deliver as her own case might be framed by Joab, and which she delivered word for...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And when the woman of Tekoah spake to the king,.... Or after she had spoken to him, being introduced by Joab, as is probable; when she had saluted him with God save the king, or May the king live, or some such like expressions: she fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance; to him as her king, in reverence of his majesty: and said, help, O...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the king said unto her, what aileth thee?.... Or what is thy case? What is the condition, and what the circumstances, that thou art in, which require help and assistance? intimating that he was ready to grant it on knowledge thereof; however, he was ready to hear what she had to say: and she answered, I [am] indeed a widow woman; of a truth a...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And thy handmaid had two sons,.... Two are observed, that her case might suit with Amnon and Absalom: and they two strove together in the field; they quarrelled, and fought in the field, where there were no witnesses of what they did to each other; whereby she would suggest that Ammon was killed in the field, of which there were no witnesses, and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And, behold, the whole family is risen against thine handmaid,.... Who had sheltered her son, that slew his brother, from the avenger of blood; and not only the next akin, the avenger of blood, but even all the kindred and relations of the deceased, those of her husband's family rose up as one man, demanding justice: and they said, deliver him...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the king said to the woman, go to thine house,.... Go home and make thyself easy: and I will give charge concerning thee; intimating that he would inquire into her case; and if it was as she had represented it, he would give orders that she should not be disturbed, or be obliged to deliver up her son, and that he should be safe from those that...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the woman of Tekoah said unto the king, my lord and king,.... With much vehemence, and yet with great respect, fearing an inquisition into her case; which it would not bear, being a fable, and being very desirous of having sentence on it immediately pronounced: the iniquity [be] on me and on my father's house; let the crime be imputed to me...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the king said, whoever saith [ought] unto thee,.... Demanding her to deliver up her son to justice, and reproaching her for not doing it: bring him to me; give him in charge to a proper officer to be brought before me, and I shall chastise him for it: and he shall not touch thee any more; give her any further trouble, by words or deeds.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then thine handmaid said, the word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable,.... Or, "for rest" (q); 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 wise,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the king said unto Joab,.... Who was present, or but at a little distance, waiting the issue of this affair: behold now I have done this thing; have agreed to recall Absalom, at the suit of this woman, which thou hast put her upon; or, according to the textual reading, "thou hast done this thing" (r); contrived this scheme, to let me know the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himself,.... Or bowed so low as to the ground, in reverence of the king: and thanked the king; for giving him leave to fetch Absalom home, as if it was a favour done to himself: or "blessed" (s) him; wished all happiness and prosperity might attend him, in consequence of this grant, which he knew...