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Read the Bible

Myles Coverdale Bible

2 Samuel 14:5

The kynge sayde vnto her: What ayleth the? She sayde: I am a wedowe, a woman that mourneth, and my hußbade is deed.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Absalom;   Avenger of Blood;   David;   Dishonesty;   Intercession;   Joab;   Kindness;   Obsequiousness;   Parables;   Tact;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Parables;   Widows;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Absalom;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Joab;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Allegory;   Mediator, Mediation;   Widow;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Court Systems;   Jonah;   King, Kingship;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - King;   Priests and Levites;   Samuel, Books of;   Wisdom;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Absalom;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Jo'ab;   Law of Moses;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ail;   Samuel, Books of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Absalom;   Poetry;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“What’s the matter?” the king asked her.
Hebrew Names Version
The king said to her, What ails you? She answered, Of a truth I am a widow, and my husband is dead.
King James Version
And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.
Lexham English Bible
Then the king asked her, "What do you want?" And she said, "Truly I am a widow, and my husband is dead.
English Standard Version
And the king said to her, "What is your trouble?" She answered, "Alas, I am a widow; my husband is dead.
New Century Version
King David asked her, "What is the matter?" The woman said, "I am a widow; my husband is dead.
New English Translation
The king replied to her, "What do you want?" She answered, "I am a widow; my husband is dead.
Amplified Bible
The king asked her, "What is the matter?" She said, "Truly I am a widow; my husband is dead.
New American Standard Bible
And the king said to her, "What is troubling you?" And she answered, "Truly I am a widow, for my husband is dead.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then the King sayd vnto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am in deede a widow, and mine husband is dead:
Legacy Standard Bible
And the king said to her, "What is your trouble?" And she answered, "Truly I am a widow; my husband has died.
Contemporary English Version
David asked, "What's the matter?" She replied: My husband is dead, and I'm a widow.
Complete Jewish Bible
The king said to her, "What's the trouble?" She answered, "I'm a widow. After my husband died,
Darby Translation
And the king said to her, What aileth thee? And she said, I am indeed a widow woman, and my husband is dead.
Easy-to-Read Version
King David said to her, "What's your problem?" The woman said, "I am a widow. My husband is dead.
George Lamsa Translation
And the king said to her, What ails you? And she answered, I am indeed a widow, my husband is dead.
Good News Translation
"What do you want?" he asked her. "I am a poor widow, sir," she answered. "My husband is dead.
Literal Translation
And the king said to her, What shall be to you? And she said, Truly I am a widow woman, and my husband died.
American Standard Version
And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, Of a truth I am a widow, and my husband is dead.
Bible in Basic English
And the king said to her, What is your trouble? And her answer was, Truly I am a widow, and my husband is dead.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The king said vnto her: What ayleth thee? She aunswered: I am in deede a wydow, and myne husband is dead.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the king said unto her: 'What aileth thee?' And she answered: 'Of a truth I am a widow, my husband being dead.
King James Version (1611)
And the king said vnto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the king said to her, What is the matter with thee?
English Revised Version
And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered; Of a truth I am a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.
Berean Standard Bible
"What troubles you?" the king asked her. "Indeed," she said, "I am a widow, for my husband is dead.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the kyng seide to hir, What hast thou of cause? And sche answeride, Alas! Y am a womman widewe, for myn hosebonde is deed;
Young's Literal Translation
And the king saith to her, `What -- to thee?' and she saith, `Truly a widow woman [am] I, and my husband dieth,
Update Bible Version
And the king said to her, What ails you? And she answered, Of a truth I am a widow, and my husband is dead.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the king said to her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I [am] indeed a widow woman, and my husband is dead.
World English Bible
The king said to her, What ails you? She answered, Of a truth I am a widow, and my husband is dead.
New King James Version
Then the king said to her, "What troubles you?" And she answered, "Indeed I am a widow, my husband is dead.
New Living Translation
"What's the trouble?" the king asked. "Alas, I am a widow!" she replied. "My husband is dead.
New Life Bible
The king said to her, "What is your trouble?" And she answered, "I am a woman whose husband has died.
New Revised Standard
The king asked her, "What is your trouble?" She answered, "Alas, I am a widow; my husband is dead.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the king said to her - What aileth thee? And she said - Of a truth, a widow woman, am I, for my husband is dead.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the king said to her: What is the matter with thee? She answered: Alas, I am a widow woman: for my husband is dead.
Revised Standard Version
And the king said to her, "What is your trouble?" She answered, "Alas, I am a widow; my husband is dead.
THE MESSAGE
He said, "How can I help?" "I'm a widow," she said. "My husband is dead. I had two sons. The two of them got into a fight out in the field and there was no one around to step between them. The one struck the other and killed him. Then the whole family ganged up against me and demanded, ‘Hand over this murderer so we can kill him for the life of the brother he murdered!' They want to wipe out the heir and snuff out the one spark of life left to me. And then there would be nothing left of my husband—not so much as a name—on the face of the earth. "So now I've dared come to the king, my master, about all this. They're making my life miserable, and I'm afraid. I said to myself, ‘I'll go to the king. Maybe he'll do something! When the king hears what's going on, he'll step in and rescue me from the abuse of the man who would get rid of me and my son and God's inheritance—the works!' As your handmaid, I decided ahead of time, ‘The word of my master, the king, will be the last word in this, for my master is like an angel of God in discerning good and evil.' God be with you!"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The king said to her, "What is your trouble?" And she answered, "Truly I am a widow, for my husband is dead.

Contextual Overview

1 Ioab the sonne of Ieru Ia perceaued yt the kynges hert was agaynst Absalom, 2 and sent vnto Thecoa, and caused to fetch from thence a prudent woman and saide vnto her: Make lametacion, and weere mournynge garmentes, & anoynte the not with oyle: but fayne thy selfe as a woman which hath mourned longe ouer a deed, 3 and thou shalt go in to the kynge, and speake for so vnto him. And Ioab tolde her what she shulde saye. 4 And whan the woman of Thecoa wolde speake with the kynge, she fell vpon hir face to the grounde, and worshipped, and sayde: Helpe me O kynge. 5 The kynge sayde vnto her: What ayleth the? She sayde: I am a wedowe, a woman that mourneth, and my hußbade is deed. 6 And thy handmayde had two sonnes, which stroue together in the felde: and whyle there was noman to parte the a sunder, the one smote the other, and slewe him. 7 And beholde, all the whole kynred ryseth vp agaynst thy handmayden, and saye: Delyuer him which hath smytten his brother, that we maye kyll him, for the soule of his brother whom he hath slayne, and that we maye destroye the heyre also. And thus are they mynded to put out my sparke, which yet is lefte, that there shulde no name ner eny thinge els remayne ouer vnto my hußbade vpon earth. 8 The kynge sayde vnto the woman: Go ye waye home, I wil geue a comaudemet for ye. 9 And the woman of Thecoa saide vnto ye kynge: The trespace be vpon me (my lorde ye kynge) and vpon my fathers house: but the kynge and his seate be vngiltye. 10 The kynge sayde: He that speaketh agaynst the, brynge him vnto me, so shall he touch the nomore.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I am indeed: It is very possible that the principal incidents mentioned here were real; and that Joab found out a person whose circumstances bore a near resemblance to that which he wished to represent. 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; and thus her circumstances, her mournful tale, her widow's dress, her aged person - for Josephus says she was advanced in years and her impressive manner, all combined to make one united irresistible impression on the heart of the aged monarch 2 Samuel 12:1-3, Judges 9:8-15

Reciprocal: Genesis 27:24 - I am Genesis 38:19 - laid by her veil Judges 18:23 - What aileth 1 Kings 20:39 - Thy servant 2 Kings 6:28 - What aileth thee Isaiah 22:1 - What Luke 18:3 - a widow

Cross-References

Genesis 14:10
And yt brode valley had many slyme pyttes. But the kynge of Sodoma and Gomorra were put to flight, & fell there, & the residue fled vnto ye mountaynes.
Genesis 14:11
Then toke they all the goodes at Sodoma and Gomorra, & all their vytales, & wente their waye.
Genesis 14:20
And praysed be God the Hyest, which hath delyuered thine enemies in to thy handes. And Abram gaue him tythes of all.
Genesis 14:23
that I wyll not take of all that is thyne, so moch as a threde or a shue lachet, lest thou shuldest saye: I haue made Abram ryche:
Genesis 15:20
the Hethites, the Pherezites, the Giauntes,
Deuteronomy 1:4
after he had smytten Sihon ye kynge of the Amorites which dwelt at Heßbon: and Og the kynge of Basan, that dwelt at Astaroth, and at Edrei.
Deuteronomy 3:11
For onely Og the kynge of Basan remayned ouer of the giauntes. Beholde, his yron bed is here at Rabath amonge the children of Ammon, nyne cubites longe, and foure cubites brode, after the cubite of a man.
Deuteronomy 3:20
vntyl the LORDE youre God haue broughte yor brethren to rest also as well as you, that they also maye take possession of the londe, which ye LORDE youre God shal geue the beyonde Iordane: and then shal ye turne agayne to youre awne possession, which I haue geuen you.
Deuteronomy 3:22
Feare them not, for the LORDE youre God shal fighte for you.
Joshua 12:4
And the border of Og the kynge of Basan, which remayned yet of Raphaim, and dwelt at Astaroth and Edrei,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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 widow, as the Targum; she was really one, a widow indeed, as in 1 Timothy 5:3; not one that was separated from her husband, he being alive, or divorced from him on any account; and therefore she adds,

and mine husband is dead; and has been a long time; this she said to move the pity and compassion of the king, who, as the supreme magistrate in God's stead, was a Father of the fatherless, and the judge of the widow.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 14:5. I am indeed a widow woman — It is very possible that the principal facts mentioned here were real, and that Joab found out a person whose circumstances bore a near resemblance to that which he wished to represent.


 
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