Thematic Bible


Thematic Bible



Now Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king's heart was toward Absalom. And Joab sent to Tekoah and brought from there a wise woman and said to her, Pretend to be a mourner; put on mourning apparel, do not anoint yourself with oil, but act like a woman who has long been mourning for the dead. And go to the king and speak thus to him. And Joab told her what to say. read more.
When the woman of Tekoah spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king! The king asked her, What troubles you? She said, I am a widow; my husband is dead. And your handmaid had two sons, and they quarreled with one another in the field. There was no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him. And behold, our whole family has risen against your handmaid, and they say, Deliver him who slew his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he slew; and so they would destroy the heir also. And so quenching my coal which is left, they would leave to my husband neither name nor remnant upon the earth. David said to the woman, Go home, and I will give orders concerning you. And the woman of Tekoah said to the king, My lord, O king, let the guilt be on me and on my father's house; let the king and his throne be guiltless. The king said, If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall not touch you again. Then she said, I pray you, let the king remember the Lord your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son. And David said, As the Lord lives, there shall not one hair of your son fall to the earth. Then the woman said, Let your handmaid, I pray you, speak one word to my lord the king. He said, Say on. [She] said, Why then have you planned such a thing against God's people? For in speaking this word the king is like one who is guilty, in that [he] does not bring home his banished one. We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. And God does not take away life, but devises means so that he who is banished may not be an utter outcast from Him. And now I have come to speak of this thing to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. And I thought, I will speak to the king; it may be that he will perform the request of his servant. For the king will hear to deliver his handmaid from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from [Israel] the inheritance of God. And the woman said, The word of my lord the king will now give me rest and security, for as an angel of God is my lord the king to hear and discern good and evil. May the Lord your God be with you! Then the king said to the woman, Hide not from me anything I ask you. And the woman said, Let my lord the king speak. The king said, Is the hand of Joab with you in all this? And the woman answered, As your soul lives, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything my lord the king has said. It was your servant Joab who directed me; he put all these words in my mouth. In order to change the course of matters [between Absalom and his father] your servant Joab did this. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God -- "to know all things that are on the earth. Then the king said to Joab, Behold now, I grant this; go, bring back the young man Absalom. And Joab fell to the ground on his face and did obeisance and thanked the king. And Joab said, Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant. So Joab arose, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. And the king said, Let him go to his own house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the king's face.

Now Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king's heart was toward Absalom. And Joab sent to Tekoah and brought from there a wise woman and said to her, Pretend to be a mourner; put on mourning apparel, do not anoint yourself with oil, but act like a woman who has long been mourning for the dead. And go to the king and speak thus to him. And Joab told her what to say. read more.
When the woman of Tekoah spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king! The king asked her, What troubles you? She said, I am a widow; my husband is dead. And your handmaid had two sons, and they quarreled with one another in the field. There was no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him. And behold, our whole family has risen against your handmaid, and they say, Deliver him who slew his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he slew; and so they would destroy the heir also. And so quenching my coal which is left, they would leave to my husband neither name nor remnant upon the earth. David said to the woman, Go home, and I will give orders concerning you. And the woman of Tekoah said to the king, My lord, O king, let the guilt be on me and on my father's house; let the king and his throne be guiltless. The king said, If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall not touch you again. Then she said, I pray you, let the king remember the Lord your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son. And David said, As the Lord lives, there shall not one hair of your son fall to the earth. Then the woman said, Let your handmaid, I pray you, speak one word to my lord the king. He said, Say on. [She] said, Why then have you planned such a thing against God's people? For in speaking this word the king is like one who is guilty, in that [he] does not bring home his banished one. We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. And God does not take away life, but devises means so that he who is banished may not be an utter outcast from Him. And now I have come to speak of this thing to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. And I thought, I will speak to the king; it may be that he will perform the request of his servant. For the king will hear to deliver his handmaid from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from [Israel] the inheritance of God. And the woman said, The word of my lord the king will now give me rest and security, for as an angel of God is my lord the king to hear and discern good and evil. May the Lord your God be with you! Then the king said to the woman, Hide not from me anything I ask you. And the woman said, Let my lord the king speak. The king said, Is the hand of Joab with you in all this? And the woman answered, As your soul lives, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything my lord the king has said. It was your servant Joab who directed me; he put all these words in my mouth. In order to change the course of matters [between Absalom and his father] your servant Joab did this. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God -- "to know all things that are on the earth. Then the king said to Joab, Behold now, I grant this; go, bring back the young man Absalom. And Joab fell to the ground on his face and did obeisance and thanked the king. And Joab said, Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant. So Joab arose, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. And the king said, Let him go to his own house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the king's face.

Now Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king's heart was toward Absalom. And Joab sent to Tekoah and brought from there a wise woman and said to her, Pretend to be a mourner; put on mourning apparel, do not anoint yourself with oil, but act like a woman who has long been mourning for the dead. And go to the king and speak thus to him. And Joab told her what to say. read more.
When the woman of Tekoah spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king! The king asked her, What troubles you? She said, I am a widow; my husband is dead. And your handmaid had two sons, and they quarreled with one another in the field. There was no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him. And behold, our whole family has risen against your handmaid, and they say, Deliver him who slew his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he slew; and so they would destroy the heir also. And so quenching my coal which is left, they would leave to my husband neither name nor remnant upon the earth. David said to the woman, Go home, and I will give orders concerning you. And the woman of Tekoah said to the king, My lord, O king, let the guilt be on me and on my father's house; let the king and his throne be guiltless. The king said, If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall not touch you again. Then she said, I pray you, let the king remember the Lord your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son. And David said, As the Lord lives, there shall not one hair of your son fall to the earth. Then the woman said, Let your handmaid, I pray you, speak one word to my lord the king. He said, Say on. [She] said, Why then have you planned such a thing against God's people? For in speaking this word the king is like one who is guilty, in that [he] does not bring home his banished one. We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. And God does not take away life, but devises means so that he who is banished may not be an utter outcast from Him. And now I have come to speak of this thing to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. And I thought, I will speak to the king; it may be that he will perform the request of his servant. For the king will hear to deliver his handmaid from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from [Israel] the inheritance of God. And the woman said, The word of my lord the king will now give me rest and security, for as an angel of God is my lord the king to hear and discern good and evil. May the Lord your God be with you! Then the king said to the woman, Hide not from me anything I ask you. And the woman said, Let my lord the king speak. The king said, Is the hand of Joab with you in all this? And the woman answered, As your soul lives, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything my lord the king has said. It was your servant Joab who directed me; he put all these words in my mouth. In order to change the course of matters [between Absalom and his father] your servant Joab did this. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God -- "to know all things that are on the earth. Then the king said to Joab, Behold now, I grant this; go, bring back the young man Absalom. And Joab fell to the ground on his face and did obeisance and thanked the king. And Joab said, Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant. So Joab arose, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. And the king said, Let him go to his own house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the king's face.

Now Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king's heart was toward Absalom. And Joab sent to Tekoah and brought from there a wise woman and said to her, Pretend to be a mourner; put on mourning apparel, do not anoint yourself with oil, but act like a woman who has long been mourning for the dead. And go to the king and speak thus to him. And Joab told her what to say. read more.
When the woman of Tekoah spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king! The king asked her, What troubles you? She said, I am a widow; my husband is dead. And your handmaid had two sons, and they quarreled with one another in the field. There was no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him. And behold, our whole family has risen against your handmaid, and they say, Deliver him who slew his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he slew; and so they would destroy the heir also. And so quenching my coal which is left, they would leave to my husband neither name nor remnant upon the earth. David said to the woman, Go home, and I will give orders concerning you. And the woman of Tekoah said to the king, My lord, O king, let the guilt be on me and on my father's house; let the king and his throne be guiltless. The king said, If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall not touch you again. Then she said, I pray you, let the king remember the Lord your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son. And David said, As the Lord lives, there shall not one hair of your son fall to the earth. Then the woman said, Let your handmaid, I pray you, speak one word to my lord the king. He said, Say on. [She] said, Why then have you planned such a thing against God's people? For in speaking this word the king is like one who is guilty, in that [he] does not bring home his banished one. We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. And God does not take away life, but devises means so that he who is banished may not be an utter outcast from Him. And now I have come to speak of this thing to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. And I thought, I will speak to the king; it may be that he will perform the request of his servant. For the king will hear to deliver his handmaid from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from [Israel] the inheritance of God. And the woman said, The word of my lord the king will now give me rest and security, for as an angel of God is my lord the king to hear and discern good and evil. May the Lord your God be with you! Then the king said to the woman, Hide not from me anything I ask you. And the woman said, Let my lord the king speak. The king said, Is the hand of Joab with you in all this? And the woman answered, As your soul lives, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything my lord the king has said. It was your servant Joab who directed me; he put all these words in my mouth. In order to change the course of matters [between Absalom and his father] your servant Joab did this. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God -- "to know all things that are on the earth. Then the king said to Joab, Behold now, I grant this; go, bring back the young man Absalom. And Joab fell to the ground on his face and did obeisance and thanked the king. And Joab said, Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant. So Joab arose, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. And the king said, Let him go to his own house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the king's face.

Now Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king's heart was toward Absalom. And Joab sent to Tekoah and brought from there a wise woman and said to her, Pretend to be a mourner; put on mourning apparel, do not anoint yourself with oil, but act like a woman who has long been mourning for the dead. And go to the king and speak thus to him. And Joab told her what to say. read more.
When the woman of Tekoah spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king! The king asked her, What troubles you? She said, I am a widow; my husband is dead. And your handmaid had two sons, and they quarreled with one another in the field. There was no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him. And behold, our whole family has risen against your handmaid, and they say, Deliver him who slew his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he slew; and so they would destroy the heir also. And so quenching my coal which is left, they would leave to my husband neither name nor remnant upon the earth. David said to the woman, Go home, and I will give orders concerning you. And the woman of Tekoah said to the king, My lord, O king, let the guilt be on me and on my father's house; let the king and his throne be guiltless. The king said, If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall not touch you again. Then she said, I pray you, let the king remember the Lord your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son. And David said, As the Lord lives, there shall not one hair of your son fall to the earth. Then the woman said, Let your handmaid, I pray you, speak one word to my lord the king. He said, Say on. [She] said, Why then have you planned such a thing against God's people? For in speaking this word the king is like one who is guilty, in that [he] does not bring home his banished one. We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. And God does not take away life, but devises means so that he who is banished may not be an utter outcast from Him. And now I have come to speak of this thing to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. And I thought, I will speak to the king; it may be that he will perform the request of his servant. For the king will hear to deliver his handmaid from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from [Israel] the inheritance of God. And the woman said, The word of my lord the king will now give me rest and security, for as an angel of God is my lord the king to hear and discern good and evil. May the Lord your God be with you! Then the king said to the woman, Hide not from me anything I ask you. And the woman said, Let my lord the king speak. The king said, Is the hand of Joab with you in all this? And the woman answered, As your soul lives, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything my lord the king has said. It was your servant Joab who directed me; he put all these words in my mouth. In order to change the course of matters [between Absalom and his father] your servant Joab did this. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God -- "to know all things that are on the earth. Then the king said to Joab, Behold now, I grant this; go, bring back the young man Absalom. And Joab fell to the ground on his face and did obeisance and thanked the king. And Joab said, Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant. So Joab arose, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. And the king said, Let him go to his own house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the king's face.

The king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently with the young man Absalom for my sake.” And all the men heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders about Absalom. Verse ConceptsParental LoveSoft TreatmentThe King's Orders

The king was deeply moved and went to the upper room over the gate and wept [in sorrow]. And this is what he said as he walked: “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! How I wish that I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!” Verse ConceptsDavid, Character OfCryingChildren, needs ofDespondency, Causes OfBereavement, Experience OfIntimacyLonelinessMourningRegretStairwaysSuffering, Emotional Aspects OfWeepingChildren, Parents LoveDuplicating WordsDesire For DeathUpper RoomsMourning The Death Of OthersLove For Children

And on the seventh day the child died. David's servants feared to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, While the child was yet alive, we spoke to him and he would not listen to our voices; will he then harm himself if we tell him the child is dead? But when David saw that his servants whispered, he perceived that the child was dead. So he said to them, Is the child dead? And they said, He is. Then David arose from the floor, washed, anointed himself, changed his apparel, and went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he came to his own house, and when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate. read more.
Then his servants said to him, What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept while the child was alive, but when the child was dead, you arose and ate food. David said, While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me and let the child live? But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.

The man told Joab, Though I should receive 1,000 pieces of silver, yet I would not put forth my hand against the king's son. For in our hearing the king charged you, Abishai, and Ittai, Have a care, whoever you be, for the young man Absalom. Otherwise, if I had dealt falsely against his life -- "for nothing is hidden from the king -- "you yourself would have taken sides against me.

So Joab came to the king and told him. Then David called for Absalom, and he came to the king and bowed his face to the ground before the king; and the king kissed Absalom. Verse ConceptsPeople KissingKissingReinstatementKissesBowing Before DavidKings Summoning

So Absalom fled to Geshur and was there three years. And the spirit of King David longed to go forth to Absalom, for he was comforted about Amnon, seeing that he was dead.

Now Joab the son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart longed for Absalom. Verse ConceptsAffection, ExpressingHuman AffectionHeart, Human

It was told Joab, Behold, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom. So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people, for they heard it said, The king grieves for his son. The people slipped into the city stealthily that day as humiliated people steal away when they flee in battle. read more.
But the king covered his face and cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son! And Joab came into the house to the king and said, You have today covered the faces of all your servants with shame, who this day have saved your life and the lives of your sons and your daughters and the lives of your wives and concubines. For you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have declared today that princes and servants are nothing to you; for today I see that if Absalom had lived and all the rest of us had died, you would be well pleased.

Now Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king's heart was toward Absalom. And Joab sent to Tekoah and brought from there a wise woman and said to her, Pretend to be a mourner; put on mourning apparel, do not anoint yourself with oil, but act like a woman who has long been mourning for the dead. And go to the king and speak thus to him. And Joab told her what to say. read more.
When the woman of Tekoah spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king! The king asked her, What troubles you? She said, I am a widow; my husband is dead. And your handmaid had two sons, and they quarreled with one another in the field. There was no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him. And behold, our whole family has risen against your handmaid, and they say, Deliver him who slew his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he slew; and so they would destroy the heir also. And so quenching my coal which is left, they would leave to my husband neither name nor remnant upon the earth. David said to the woman, Go home, and I will give orders concerning you. And the woman of Tekoah said to the king, My lord, O king, let the guilt be on me and on my father's house; let the king and his throne be guiltless. The king said, If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall not touch you again. Then she said, I pray you, let the king remember the Lord your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son. And David said, As the Lord lives, there shall not one hair of your son fall to the earth. Then the woman said, Let your handmaid, I pray you, speak one word to my lord the king. He said, Say on. [She] said, Why then have you planned such a thing against God's people? For in speaking this word the king is like one who is guilty, in that [he] does not bring home his banished one. We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. And God does not take away life, but devises means so that he who is banished may not be an utter outcast from Him. And now I have come to speak of this thing to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. And I thought, I will speak to the king; it may be that he will perform the request of his servant. For the king will hear to deliver his handmaid from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from [Israel] the inheritance of God. And the woman said, The word of my lord the king will now give me rest and security, for as an angel of God is my lord the king to hear and discern good and evil. May the Lord your God be with you! Then the king said to the woman, Hide not from me anything I ask you. And the woman said, Let my lord the king speak. The king said, Is the hand of Joab with you in all this? And the woman answered, As your soul lives, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything my lord the king has said. It was your servant Joab who directed me; he put all these words in my mouth. In order to change the course of matters [between Absalom and his father] your servant Joab did this. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God -- "to know all things that are on the earth. Then the king said to Joab, Behold now, I grant this; go, bring back the young man Absalom. And Joab fell to the ground on his face and did obeisance and thanked the king. And Joab said, Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant.