2 Samuel 14:5

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!"

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.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The kynge sayde vnto her: What ayleth the? She sayde: I am a wedowe, a woman that mourneth, and my hußbade is deed.

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.

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

¹Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king, deep down, still cared for Absalom. So he sent to Tekoa for a wise woman who lived there and instructed her, "Pretend you are in mourning. Dress in black and don't comb your hair, so you'll look like you've been grieving over a dead loved one for a long time. Then go to the king and tell him this..." Joab then told her exactly what to say. ⁴ The woman of Tekoa went to the king, bowed deeply before him in homage, and said, "O King, help!" ⁵He 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!" ⁸ The king said, "Go home, and I'll take care of this for you." ⁹ "I'll take all responsibility for what happens," the woman of Tekoa said. "I don't want to compromise the king and his reputation." ¹⁰ "Bring the man who has been harassing you," the king continued. "I'll see to it that he doesn't bother you anymore." ¹¹ "Let the king invoke the name of God ," said the woman, "so this self-styled vigilante won't ruin everything, to say nothing of killing my son." "As surely as God lives," he said, "not so much as a hair of your son's head will be lost." ¹² Then she asked, "May I say one more thing to my master, the king?" He said, "Go ahead." ¹³"Why, then," the woman said, "have you done this very thing against God's people? In his verdict, the king convicts himself by not bringing home his exiled son. We all die sometime. Water spilled on the ground can't be gathered up again. But God does not take away life. He works out ways to get the exile back." The king then said, "I'm going to ask you something. Answer me truthfully." "Certainly," she said. "Let my master, the king, speak." The king said, "Is the hand of Joab mixed up in this?" "On your life, my master king, a body can't veer an inch right or left and get by with it in the royal presence! Yes, it was your servant Joab who put me up to this, and put these very words in my mouth. It was because he wanted to turn things around that your servant Joab did this. But my master is as wise as God's angels in knowing how to handle things on this earth." The king spoke to Joab. "All right, I'll do it. Go and bring the young man Absalom back." Joab bowed deeply in reverence and blessed the king. "I'm reassured to know that I'm still in your good graces and have your confidence, since the king is taking the counsel of his servant." Joab got up, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. The king said, "He may return to his house, but he is not to see me face-to-face." So Absalom returned home, but was not permitted to see the king. This Absalom! There wasn't a man in all Israel talked about so much for his handsome good looks—and not a blemish on him from head to toe! When he cut his hair—he always cut it short in the spring because it had grown so heavy—the weight of the hair from his head was over two pounds! Three sons were born to Absalom, and one daughter. Her name was Tamar—and she was a beauty. Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years, and not once did he see the king face-to-face. He sent for Joab to get him in to see the king, but Joab still wouldn't budge. He tried a second time and Joab still wouldn't. So he told his servants, "Listen. Joab's field adjoins mine, and he has a crop of barley in it. Go set fire to it." So Absalom's servants set fire to the field. That got him moving—Joab came to Absalom at home and said, "Why did your servants set my field on fire?" Absalom answered him, "Listen, I sent for you saying, ‘Come, and soon. I want to send you to the king to ask, "What's the point of my coming back from Geshur? I'd be better off still there!" Let me see the king face-to-face. If he finds me guilty, then he can put me to death.'" Joab went to the king and told him what was going on. Absalom was then summoned—he came and bowed deeply in reverence before him. And the king kissed Absalom. ¹⁵"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!" The king said, "Go home, and I'll take care of this for you." "I'll take all responsibility for what happens," the woman of Tekoa said. "I don't want to compromise the king and his reputation." "Bring the man who has been harassing you," the king continued. "I'll see to it that he doesn't bother you anymore." "Let the king invoke the name of God ," said the woman, "so this self-styled vigilante won't ruin everything, to say nothing of killing my son." "As surely as God lives," he said, "not so much as a hair of your son's head will be lost." Then she asked, "May I say one more thing to my master, the king?" He said, "Go ahead." "Why, then," the woman said, "have you done this very thing against God's people? In his verdict, the king convicts himself by not bringing home his exiled son. We all die sometime. Water spilled on the ground can't be gathered up again. But God does not take away life. He works out ways to get the exile back."

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
The Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits. When the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into the tar pits, but the rest escaped into the mountains. The four kings captured all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, all their food and equipment, and went on their way. They captured Lot, Abram's nephew who was living in Sodom at the time, taking everything he owned with them.

Deuteronomy 3:11
Og king of Bashan was the last remaining Rephaite. His bed, made of iron, was over thirteen feet long and six wide. You can still see it on display in Rabbah of the People of Ammon.

Joshua 12:4
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2 Samuel 5:22
Later there was a repeat performance. The Philistines came up again and deployed their troops in the Rephaim Valley. David again prayed to God . This time God said, "Don't attack them head-on. Instead, circle around behind them and ambush them from the grove of sacred trees. When you hear the sound of shuffling in the trees, get ready to move out. It's a signal that God is going ahead of you to smash the Philistine camp." David did exactly what God told him. He routed the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

2 Samuel 23:13
One day during harvest, the Three parted from the Thirty and joined David at the Cave of Adullam. A squad of Philistines had set up camp in the Valley of Rephaim. While David was holed up in the Cave, the Philistines had their base camp in Bethlehem. David had a sudden craving and said, "Would I ever like a drink of water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem!" So the Three penetrated the Philistine lines, drew water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But David wouldn't drink it; he poured it out as an offering to God , saying, "There is no way, God , that I'll drink this! This isn't mere water, it's their life-blood—they risked their very lives to bring it!" So David refused to drink it. This is the sort of thing that the Three did.

1 Chronicles 11:15
The Big Three from the Thirty made a rocky descent to David at the Cave of Adullam while a company of Philistines was camped in the Valley of Rephaim. David was holed up in the Cave while the Philistines were prepared for battle at Bethlehem. David had a sudden craving: "What I wouldn't give for a drink of water from the well in Bethlehem, the one at the gate!" The Three penetrated the Philistine camp, drew water from the well at the Bethlehem gate, shouldered it, and brought it to David. And then David wouldn't drink it! He poured it out as a sacred offering to God , saying, "I'd rather be damned by God than drink this! It would be like drinking the lifeblood of these men—they risked their lives to bring it." So he refused to drink it. These are the kinds of things that the Big Three of the Mighty Men did.

Psalms 105:23
Then Israel entered Egypt, Jacob immigrated to the Land of Ham. God gave his people lots of babies; soon their numbers alarmed their foes. He turned the Egyptians against his people; they abused and cheated God's servants. Then he sent his servant Moses, and Aaron, whom he also chose. They worked marvels in that spiritual wasteland, miracles in the Land of Ham. He spoke, "Darkness!" and it turned dark— they couldn't see what they were doing. He turned all their water to blood so that all their fish died; He made frogs swarm through the land, even into the king's bedroom; He gave the word and flies swarmed, gnats filled the air. He substituted hail for rain, he stabbed their land with lightning; He wasted their vines and fig trees, smashed their groves of trees to splinters; With a word he brought in locusts, millions of locusts, armies of locusts; They consumed every blade of grass in the country and picked the ground clean of produce; He struck down every firstborn in the land, the first fruits of their virile powers. He led Israel out, their arms filled with loot, and not one among his tribes even stumbled. Egypt was glad to have them go— they were scared to death of them. God spread a cloud to keep them cool through the day and a fire to light their way through the night; They prayed and he brought quail, filled them with the bread of heaven; He opened the rock and water poured out; it flowed like a river through that desert— All because he remembered his Covenant, his promise to Abraham, his servant.

Jeremiah 48:1
The Message on Moab from God -of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel: "Doom to Nebo! Leveled to the ground! Kiriathaim demeaned and defeated, The mighty fortress reduced to a molehill, Moab's glory—dust and ashes. Conspirators plot Heshbon's doom: ‘Come, let's wipe Moab off the map.' Dungface Dimon will loudly lament, as killing follows killing. Listen! A cry out of Horonaim: ‘Disaster—doom and more doom!' Moab will be shattered. Her cries will be heard clear down in Zoar. Up the ascent of Luhith climbers weep, And down the descent from Horonaim, cries of loss and devastation. Oh, run for your lives! Get out while you can! Survive by your wits in the wild! You trusted in thick walls and big money, yes? But it won't help you now. Your big god Chemosh will be hauled off, his priests and managers with him. A wrecker will wreck every city. Not a city will survive. The valley fields will be ruined, the plateau pastures destroyed, just as I told you. Cover the land of Moab with salt. Make sure nothing ever grows here again. Her towns will all be ghost towns. Nobody will ever live here again. Sloppy work in God 's name is cursed, and cursed all halfhearted use of the sword.

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.