And the king said to her, What ails you? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and my husband is dead. Treasury of Scripture I am indeed It is very possible that the principal incidents mentioned here were real; and that Joab found out a person whose circumstances both had 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 take, 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 And the LORD sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and said to him, There were two men in one city; the one rich... Judges 9:8-15 The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive tree, Reign you over us...
Context Absalom's Return to Jerusalem
1Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom. 2And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched there a wise woman, and said to her, I pray you, feign yourself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not yourself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead: 3And come to the king, and speak on this manner to him. So Joab put the words in her mouth. 4And 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. 5And the king said to her, What ails you? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and my husband is dead. 6And your handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and slew him. 7And, behold, the whole family is risen against your handmaid, and they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for the life of his brother whom he slew; and we will destroy the heir also: and so they shall quench my coal which is left, and shall not leave to my husband neither name nor remainder on the earth. 8And the king said to the woman, Go to your house, and I will give charge concerning you. 9And the woman of Tekoah said to the king, My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father's house: and the king and his throne be guiltless. 10And the king said, Whoever said ought to you, bring him to me, and he shall not touch you any more. 11Then said she, I pray you, let the king remember the LORD your God, that you would not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As the LORD lives, there shall not one hair of your son fall to the earth. 12Then the woman said, Let your handmaid, I pray you, speak one word to my lord the king. And he said, Say on. 13And the woman said, Why then have you thought such a thing against the people of God? for the king does speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king does not fetch home again his banished. 14For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither does God respect any person: yet does he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him. 15Now therefore that I am come to speak of this thing to my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid: and your handmaid said, I will now speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his handmaid. 16For the king will hear, 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. 17Then your handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: therefore the LORD your God will be with you. 18Then the king answered and said to the woman, Hide not from me, I pray you, the thing that I shall ask you. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak. 19And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab with you in all this? And the woman answered and said, As your soul lives, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from ought that my lord the king has spoken: for your servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of your handmaid: 20To fetch about this form of speech has your servant Joab done this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth. 21And the king said to Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again. 22And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himself, and thanked the king: and Joab said, To day your servant knows that I have found grace in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has fulfilled the request of his servant. 23So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. 24And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house, and saw not the king's face. 25But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. 26And when he polled his head, (for it was at every year's end that he polled it: because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight. 27And to Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance. Parallel Verses 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.
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.
Darby Bible Translation
And the king said to her, What aileth thee? And she said, I am indeed a widow woman, and my husband is dead.
King James Bible
And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.
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,
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