וַיֵּדַע יוֹאָב בֶּן צְרֻיָה כִּי לֵב הַמֶּלֶךְ עַל אַבְשָׁלוֹם

Yoav son of Tzeruya sensed that the king’s heart was toward Avshalom; that he yearned for his son. The relationship between Yoav and David was complex (see 3:24–39; 16:10; 19:23), however, it was close, and Yoav was concerned for David’s well-being. Whether David mentioned it explicitly or not, Yoav perceived that he missed his son. Yoav did not dare act on his own to bring back Avshalom, but employed a strategy to indirectly cause him to return.

וַיִּשְׁלַח יוֹאָב תְּקוֹעָה וַיִּקַּח מִשָּׁם אִשָּׁה חֲכָמָה וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלֶיהָ הִתְאַבְּלִי נָא וְלִבְשִׁי נָא בִגְדֵי אֵבֶל וְאַל תָּסוּכִי שֶׁמֶן וְהָיִית כְּאִשָּׁה זֶה יָמִים רַבִּים מִתְאַבֶּלֶת עַל מֵת

Yoav sent to the town of Tekoa, and he took from there a wise woman who would know how to play her unusual role convincingly. And he said to her: Please mourn, and please wear mourning garments, and do not anoint with oil, and through your attire and your lack of cosmetics, you shall be as a woman mourning for a dead person for these many days.

וּבָאת אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ וְדִבַּרְתְּ אֵלָיו כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה וַיָּשֶׂם יוֹאָב אֶת הַדְּבָרִים בְּפִיהָ

You shall come to the king and speak to him in this manner. Yoav placed the words in her mouth. Yoav did not tell her exactly what to say, but explained his goals: She was to put on a performance that would lead David to allow the return of his son Avshalom. Yoav expected that she would have the wisdom to successfully fulfill her mission.

וַתֹּאמֶר הָאִשָּׁה הַתְּקֹעִית אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ וַתִּפֹּל עַל אַפֶּיהָ אַרְצָה וַתִּשְׁתָּחוּ וַתֹּאמֶר הוֹשִׁעָה הַמֶּלֶךְ

The Tekoan woman said to the king, and she immediately fell on her face to the ground and prostrated herself, and she said: May the king provide salvation. I need your direct assistance.

וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ הַמֶּלֶךְ מַה לָּךְ וַתֹּאמֶר אֲבָל אִשָּׁה אַלְמָנָה אָנִי וַיָּמָת אִישִׁי

The king said to her: What is it with you? She said: Indeed, I am a widow, and my husband died.

וּלְשִׁפְחָתְךָ שְׁנֵי בָנִים וַיִּנָּצוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם בַּשָּׂדֶה וְאֵין מַצִּיל בֵּינֵיהֶם וַיַּכּוֹ הָאֶחָד אֶת הָאֶחָד וַיָּמֶת אֹתוֹ

Your maidservant has but two sons; as my husband died, they are all I had left, and the two of them fought in the field, and there was no rescuer to come between them. One smote the other and killed him.

וְהִנֵּה קָמָה כָל הַמִּשְׁפָּחָה עַל שִׁפְחָתֶךָ וַיֹּאמְרוּ תְּנִי אֶת מַכֵּה אָחִיו וּנְמִתֵהוּ בְּנֶפֶשׁ אָחִיו אֲשֶׁר הָרָג וְנַשְׁמִידָה גַּם אֶת הַיּוֹרֵשׁ וְכִבּוּ אֶת גַּחַלְתִּי אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁאָרָה לְבִלְתִּי שִׂים לְאִישִׁי שֵׁם וּשְׁאֵרִית עַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה

And as a result of this incident, behold, the entire family rose against your maidservant and said: Deliver the one who smote his brother, and we will put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed, in accordance with the law of a blood redeemer, and they are demanding: We will destroy the sole surviving heir as well. They will extinguish my ember that remains, so as not to leave my husband a name and a remnant on the face of the earth. I have lost my husband and one of my sons and now they want to kill my other son so that my husband and I will have no living descendants.

וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל הָאִשָּׁה לְכִי לְבֵיתֵךְ וַאֲנִי אֲצַוֶּה עָלָיִךְ

The king said to the woman: Go to your house, and I will issue a command concerning you. In your case they will not apply the law of the blood redeemer.

וַתֹּאמֶר הָאִשָּׁה הַתְּקוֹעִית אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ עָלַי אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ הֶעָוֹן וְעַל בֵּית אָבִי וְהַמֶּלֶךְ וְכִסְאוֹ נָקִי

David’s general promise to deal with the issue did not suffice for the woman; she wanted to extract a more decisive answer from the king. The Tekoan woman said to the king: My lord the king, if I have been imprecise with regard to the details, or if there has been some wrongdoing, the iniquity is upon me, and upon my father’s house, and the king and his throne are innocent.

וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ הַמְדַבֵּר אֵלַיִךְ וַהֲבֵאתוֹ אֵלַי ולֹא יֹסִיף עוֹד לָגַעַת בָּךְ

The king said in a more decisive and emotive manner: Anyone who speaks to you about turning in your son, bring him to me, or refer him to me, and he will not continue to disturb you.

וַתֹּאמֶר יִזְכָּר נָא הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ מֵהַרְבַּת גֹּאֵל הַדָּם לְשַׁחֵת ולֹא יַשְׁמִידוּ אֶת בְּנִי וַיֹּאמֶר חַי ה' אִם יִפֹּל מִשַּׂעֲרַת בְּנֵךְ אָרְצָה

She said: May the king please remember the Lord your God, so that the blood avenger will not destroy more, and they will not destroy my son. She requested in the name of God that her son not be harmed. Alternatively, she requested that the king affirm his guarantee with an oath. He said: As the Lord lives, not one hair of your son will fall to the ground. The king took an oath that he would ensure that her son would not be harmed.

וַתֹּאמֶר הָאִשָּׁה תְּדַבֶּר נָא שִׁפְחָתְךָ אֶל אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּבָר וַיֹּאמֶר דַּבֵּרִי

It can be assumed that the woman presented her case in a convincing manner, but, of course, the case was not entirely unfamiliar to the king, as a similar issue had arisen in his own family. The woman said: Please, may your maidservant speak a further matter to my lord the king. He said: Speak.

וַתֹּאמֶר הָאִשָּׁה וְלָמָּה חָשַׁבְתָּה כָּזֹאת עַל עַם אֱלֹהִים וּמִדַּבֵּר הַמֶּלֶךְ הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה כְּאָשֵׁם לְבִלְתִּי הָשִׁיב הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת נִדְּחוֹ

The woman said: You have come to my aid with your decision, but why did you think in this manner concerning the people of God? Look what you are doing to the nation of Israel. From the king’s speaking in this manner, it is as though he is guilty, in the king not returning his own banished one. You too have such a son. Despite your words, you are treating him as one found guilty and liable to be executed. Although Avshalom is culpable for his deeds, presumably, he would not have been sentenced to death, as he personally did not kill Amnon but rather commanded his servants to do so.

כִּי מוֹת נָמוּת וְכַמַּיִם הַנִּגָּרִים אַרְצָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא יֵאָסֵפוּ וְלֹא יִשָּׂא אֱלֹהִים נֶפֶשׁ וְחָשַׁב מַחֲשָׁבוֹת לְבִלְתִּי יִדַּח מִמֶּנּוּ נִדָּח

For despite the severity and repulsive nature of Avshalom’s crime, we will die sooner or later, and we are like water spilled on the ground that cannot be gathered up again, in that death is irreversible; God does not take a life without devising thoughts that no one is banished from Him. Since death is irreversible, unless there is no other choice, God does not kill a sinner, so that he will not be totally lost.

וְעַתָּה אֲשֶׁר בָּאתִי לְדַבֵּר אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲדֹנִי אֶת הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה כִּי יֵרְאֻנִי הָעָם וַתֹּאמֶר שִׁפְחָתְךָ אֲדַבְּרָה נָּא אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ אוּלַי יַעֲשֶׂה הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת דְּבַר אֲמָתוֹ

Now, the fact that I came to speak this matter, my story, or my allusion to Avshalom, to my lord the king, although the people frightened me and your maidservant said: I will speak now to the king; perhaps the king will act at the word of his maidservant. I have come to speak to the king despite the fact that the people have made me afraid and sought to compel me not to raise the issue. I know that this is a sensitive topic for the king, and the king has demonstrated through his actions that he does not forgive Avshalom.

כִּי יִשְׁמַע הַמֶּלֶךְ לְהַצִּיל אֶת אֲמָתוֹ מִכַּף הָאִישׁ לְהַשְׁמִיד אֹתִי וְאֶת בְּנִי יַחַד מִנַּחֲלַת אֱלֹהִים

For I hoped that nonetheless the king will listen, to deliver his maidservant from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from the inheritance of God, meaning life.

וַתֹּאמֶר שִׁפְחָתְךָ יִהְיֶה נָּא דְּבַר אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ לִמְנוּחָה כִּי כְּמַלְאַךְ הָאֱלֹהִים כֵּן אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ לִשְׁמֹעַ הַטּוֹב וְהָרָע וַה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ יְהִי עִמָּךְ

Your maidservant said: May the word of my lord the king be for my comfort and the comfort of my son; or for the comfort of the king and his son. Alternatively, the woman asked the king not to reject her suggestion outright but to consider it in a relaxed fashion. As just like an angel of God, so is my lord the king wise and fit to listen to the good and the bad. I am merely raising the topic; you issue the decision, and may the Lord your God be with you.

וַיַּעַן הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל הָאִשָּׁה אַל נָא תְכַחֲדִי מִמֶּנִּי דָּבָר אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי שֹׁאֵל אֹתָךְ וַתֹּאמֶר הָאִשָּׁה יְדַבֶּר נָא אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ

The king answered and said to the woman: Please do not conceal from me that which I ask of you. The woman said: Let my lord the king speak.

וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ הֲיַד יוֹאָב אִתָּךְ בְּכָל זֹאת וַתַּעַן הָאִשָּׁה וַתֹּאמֶר חֵי נַפְשְׁךָ אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ אִם אִשׁ לְהֵמִין וּלְהַשְׂמִיל מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ כִּי עַבְדְּךָ יוֹאָב הוּא צִוָּנִי וְהוּא שָׂם בְּפִי שִׁפְחָתְךָ אֵת כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה

The king said: Is the hand of Yoav with you in all this? Even if the woman’s story was true, she had not stopped at her own story, but had essentially said to the king: If you are concerned for the pain and distress of one woman, and agree that the victim is not helped by the death of his killer, why don’t you act accordingly? This elaboration would have been quite uncommon from a woman who had come to cry to the king about her personal difficulty; therefore, David suspected that there was additional background and motivation for her presentation. The woman answered and said: By your soul, my lord the king, no one can turn right or left from anything that my lord the king has spoken; you are absolutely correct, as your servant Yoav, it was he who commanded me to do this, and he placed all these words in the mouth of your maidservant.

לְבַעֲבוּר סַבֵּב אֶת פְּנֵי הַדָּבָר עָשָׂה עַבְדְּךָ יוֹאָב אֶת הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה ואדֹנִי חָכָם כְּחָכְמַת מַלְאַךְ הָאֱלֹהִים לָדַעַת אֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ

It was in order to turn the matter about that your servant Yoav did this thing; my lord is wise, with the wisdom of an angel of God, to know everything that is in the land, as evidenced by the fact that you realize that Yoav initiated my presentation.

וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל יוֹאָב הִנֵּה נָא עָשִׂיתִי אֶת הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וְלֵךְ הָשֵׁב אֶת הַנַּעַר אֶת אַבְשָׁלוֹם

After the details had been clarified and the woman from Tekoa had been sent home, the king said to Yoav: Behold now, I have done this matter that you suggested through the woman from Tekoa; since you initiated it, you go and bring back the lad Avshalom, and I will grant him clemency.

וַיִּפֹּל יוֹאָב אֶל פָּנָיו אַרְצָה וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ וַיְבָרֶךְ אֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹאָב הַיּוֹם יָדַע עַבְדְּךָ כִּי מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת דְּבַר עַבְדֶּךָ

Yoav fell on his face to the ground and prostrated himself, and he blessed the king. Yoav said: Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your eyes, my lord the king, in that the king has performed the request of your servant. David could have perceived Yoav’s actions as an unwelcome intrusion by a subordinate into his personal and familial affairs. Yoav therefore thanked the king for listening to his suggestion and even deciding to act upon it rather than rejecting it.

וַיָּקָם יוֹאָב וַיֵּלֶךְ גְּשׁוּרָה וַיָּבֵא אֶת אַבְשָׁלוֹם יְרוּשָׁלִָם

Yoav rose and went to Geshur and brought Avshalom to Jerusalem.

וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ יִסֹּב אֶל בֵּיתוֹ וּפָנַי לֹא יִרְאֶה וַיִּסֹּב אַבְשָׁלוֹם אֶל בֵּיתוֹ וּפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ לֹא רָאָה

The king said: Let him turn aside to his house, and he shall not see my face. I am not interested in seeing him. Avshalom turned aside to his own house, and he did not see the face of the king.

וּכְאַבְשָׁלוֹם לֹא הָיָה אִישׁ יָפֶה בְּכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהַלֵּל מְאֹד מִכַּף רַגְלוֹ וְעַד קָדְקֳדוֹ לֹא הָיָה בוֹ מוּם

The verse presents a detail relevant for upcoming events. There was no man in all of Israel so very remarkably beautiful as Avshalom; from his foot even to the top of his head there was no blemish upon him.

וּבְגַלְּחוֹ אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ וְהָיָה מִקֵּץ יָמִים לַיָּמִים אֲשֶׁר יְגַלֵּחַ כִּי כָבֵד עָלָיו וְגִלְּחוֹ וְשָׁקַל אֶת שְׂעַר רֹאשׁוֹ מָאתַיִם שְׁקָלִים בְּאֶבֶן הַמֶּלֶךְ

When he would cut the hair of his head, it was at the end of every year that he would cut his hair, for it weighed upon him and he would cut his hair; he would weigh the hair of his head; it was two hundred shekels, by the king’s weight. Avshalom’s hair was long and abundant. According to the accepted estimate that the ancient shekel weighed 11 g, two hundred shekels are equivalent to approximately 2 kg. He grew out his hair in fulfillment of a nazirite vow, or for aesthetic purposes. Avshalom looked impressive both because he was naturally good looking and because of his hair.

וַיִּוָּלְדוּ לְאַבְשָׁלוֹם שְׁלוֹשָׁה בָנִים וּבַת אַחַת וּשְׁמָהּ תָּמָר הִיא הָיְתָה אִשָּׁה יְפַת מַרְאֶה

Another point unrelated to the current story but that becomes relevant later: Three sons and one daughter were born to Avshalom, and her name was Tamar; she was a woman of fair appearance. It is not known what became of Avshalom’s sister, Tamar, but he apparently named his daughter after her, and there must have been a deep connection between them.

וַיֵּשֶׁב אַבְשָׁלוֹם בִּירוּשָׁלִַם שְׁנָתַיִם יָמִים וּפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ לֹא רָאָה

Avshalom lived for two full years in Jerusalem, and he did not see the king’s face. Despite the fact that the king returned Avshalom from his exile, he continued to refuse to speak to him.

וַיִּשְׁלַח אַבְשָׁלוֹם אֶל יוֹאָב לִשְׁלֹחַ אֹתוֹ אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ וְלֹא אָבָה לָבוֹא אֵלָיו וַיִּשְׁלַח עוֹד שֵׁנִית וְלֹא אָבָה לָבוֹא

Avshalom sent for Yoav, to send him to the king; Avshalom sent Yoav a message, requesting that since he had already helped him return to Jerusalem, could he please continue to help by arranging for him to be reunited with the king. But he, Yoav, was unwilling to come to him. He sent again, a second time, but he was still unwilling to come. It is possible that Yoav did not like Avshalom, and had instigated his return only because he thought it would calm David, but now that Avshalom was back he did not want to intercede further.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל עֲבָדָיו רְאוּ חֶלְקַת יוֹאָב אֶל יָדִי וְלוֹ שָׁם שְׂעֹרִים לְכוּ וְהַצִּיתוּהָ בָאֵשׁ וַיַּצִּתוּ עַבְדֵי אַבְשָׁלוֹם אֶת הַחֶלְקָה בָּאֵשׁ

When Avshalom saw that Yoav did not want to speak with him, he said to his servants: See, Yoav’s field is next to mine, or near my property, and he has barley growing there. Go and set it on fire. Avshalom’s servants, who had already demonstrated absolute obedience to whatever their master would command (see 13:29), set the field of Yoav, the army general, on fire.

וַיָּקָם יוֹאָב וַיָּבֹא אֶל אַבְשָׁלוֹם הַבָּיְתָה וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו לָמָּה הִצִּיתוּ עֲבָדֶיךָ אֶת הַחֶלְקָה אֲשֶׁר לִי בָּאֵשׁ

Yoav rose and he came to Avshalom, to his house, which he had not done till that point, and he said to him: Why did your servants set my field on fire?

וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְשָׁלוֹם אֶל יוֹאָב הִנֵּה שָׁלַחְתִּי אֵלֶיךָ לֵאמֹר בֹּא הֵנָּה וְאֶשְׁלְחָה אֹתְךָ אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ לֵאמֹר לָמָּה בָּאתִי מִגְּשׁוּר טוֹב לִי עֹד אֲנִי שָׁם וְעַתָּה אֶרְאֶה פְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וְאִם יֶשׁ בִּי עָוֹן וֶהֱמִתָנִי

Avshalom said to Yoav: Behold, I sent to you, saying: Come here, and I will send you to the king, saying in my name: Why did I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to still be there, living in tranquility; now I am near my father but cannot see him. Now let the king call me and allow me to see the king’s face, and if he decides that there is iniquity in me, let him put me to death. A life of exile in my own home, in which I am distanced from my father, the central figure of the nation, is more difficult for me than living in Geshur.

וַיָּבֹא יוֹאָב אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיַּגֶּד לוֹ וַיִּקְרָא אֶל אַבְשָׁלוֹם וַיָּבֹא אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ לוֹ עַל אַפָּיו אַרְצָה לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיִּשַּׁק הַמֶּלֶךְ לְאַבְשָׁלוֹם

Yoav came to the king and told him these words. It is possible that Yoav did not want to reunite Avshalom with David, but was not deeply opposed to doing so. Furthermore, he understood that Avshalom would spare no means of pressure to achieve his goal. He, David, summoned Avshalom, and he came to the king, and prostrated himself on his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Avshalom. It appears that the relationship between them was fully restored, at least on a superficial level.