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2 Samuel 14:19

in 2 Samuel 14

So the king asked, “Is the hand of Joab behind all this?” The woman answered, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything that my lord the king says. Yes, your servant Joab is the one who gave me orders; he told your maidservant exactly what to say.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And the king said, Is the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, As thy soul liveth, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from aught that my lord the king hath spoken; for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thy handmaid;

KJV

And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, As thy soul liveth, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from ought that my lord the king hath spoken: for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid:

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This verse in 2 Samuel 14

Commentary

6 notes on this verse

This site's exposition

do not conceal it from me

on 2 Samuel 14:18-20

The king asks whether “the hand of Joab” is behind all this. The woman admits it: “your servant Joab is the one who gave me orders”. She closes by crediting the king with “wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God”, the praise of verse 17.

This site's exposition

the hand of Joab

Her oath, As surely as you live, answers the king's own oath in verse 11. John Wesley paraphrases her reply as a plain admission that the king has found out the truth. Flattery wraps the admission.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

21 And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again. 22 And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himself, and thanked the king: and Joab said, To day thy servant knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king hath fulfilled the request of his servant.

quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

proposed

Of Joab - Hast thou not said and done this by Joab's direction. Said - It is even so, thou hast discovered the truth. These words - As to the substance of them, but not as to all the expressions; for these were to be varied as the king's answer gave occasion.
And the king said, is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this?....

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman--The king was strongly attached to Absalom; and having now got over his sorrow for the violent death of Amnon, he was desirous of again enjoying the society of his favorite son, who had now been three long years absent.

The words behind it

36 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said

    vaiyomerH559 →5305 times

  • הַמֶּ֔לֶךְthe king

    hamelekhH4428 →2525 times

  • הֲיַ֥ד¿ [is] [the] hand of

    hayadH3027 →1618 times

  • יוֹאָ֛בJoab

    yoavH3097 →144 times

  • אִתָּ֖ךְwith you

    ʾitakhH854 →929 times

  • בְּכָל־in all

    bekholH3605 →5413 times

  • זֹ֑אתthis

    zotH2063 →603 times

  • וַתַּ֣עַןand she answered

    vataanH6030 →331 times

  • הָאִשָּׁ֣הthe woman

    haishahH802 →781 times

  • וַתֹּ֡אמֶרand she said

    vatomerH559 →5305 times

  • חֵֽי־[by] [the] life of

    chei-H2416 →498 times

  • נַפְשְׁךָ֩self your

    nafshekhaH5315 →754 times

  • אֲדֹנִ֨יO lord my

    ʾadoniH113 →333 times

  • הַמֶּ֜לֶךְthe king

    hamelekhH4428 →2525 times

  • אִם־if

    ʾim-H518 →1069 times

  • אִ֣שׁ׀there is

    ʾishH786 →

  • לְהֵמִ֣יןto go to [the] right

    leheminH3231 →

  • וּלְהַשְׂמִ֗ילand to go to [the] left

    ulehasmilH8041 →

  • מִכֹּ֤לfrom all

    mikolH3605 →5413 times

  • אֲשֶׁר־that

    ʾasher-H834 →5497 times

  • דִּבֶּר֙he has spoken

    diberH1696 →1141 times

  • אֲדֹנִ֣יlord my

    ʾadoniH113 →333 times

  • הַמֶּ֔לֶךְthe king

    hamelekhH4428 →2525 times

  • כִּֽי־for

    ki-H3588 →4482 times

  • עַבְדְּךָ֤servant your

    ʾavdekhaH5650 →799 times

  • יוֹאָב֙Joab

    yoavH3097 →144 times

  • ה֣וּאhe

    hu'H1931 →1879 times

  • צִוָּ֔נִיhe commanded me

    tzivaniH6680 →494 times

  • וְה֗וּאand he

    vehu'H1931 →1879 times

  • שָׂ֚םhe put

    samH7760 →584 times

  • בְּפִ֣יin [the] mouth of

    befiH6310 →498 times

  • שִׁפְחָֽתְךָ֔maidservant your

    shifchatekhaH8198 →63 times

  • אֵ֥ת<obj.>

    ʾetH853 →10935 times

  • כָּל־all

    kol-H3605 →5413 times

  • הַדְּבָרִ֖יםthe words

    hadevarimH1697 →1440 times

  • הָאֵֽלֶּה׃<the> these

    haelehH428 →746 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

18 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

2 Samuel 14:3Then go to the king and speak these words to him.” And Joab put the words in her mouth.5 works1 Samuel 1:26“Please, my lord,” said Hannah, “as surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD.3 worksLuke 21:15For I will give you speech and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.2 worksDeuteronomy 28:14Do not turn aside to the right or to the left from any of the words I command you today, and do not go after other gods to serve them.2 works2 Samuel 11:14–15The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.2 works1 Kings 2:5–6Moreover, you know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me—what he did to Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether, the two commanders of the armies of Israel. He killed them in peacetime to avenge the blood of war. He stained with the blood of war the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet.2 works
The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾
Exodus 4:15You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth. I will help both of you to speak, and I will teach you what to do.2 worksProverbs 4:27Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil.2 worksJoshua 1:7Above all, be strong and very courageous. Be careful to observe all the law that My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may prosper wherever you go.2 works2 Samuel 11:11Uriah answered, “The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my master Joab and his soldiers are camped in the open field. How can I go to my house to eat and drink and sleep with my wife? As surely as you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do such a thing!”2 works1 Samuel 20:3But David again vowed, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said, ‘Jonathan must not know of this, or he will be grieved.’ As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, there is but a step between me and death.”2 works2 Samuel 3:29May it whirl over the heads of Joab and the entire house of his father, and may the house of Joab never be without one having a discharge or skin disease, or one who leans on a staff or falls by the sword or lacks food.”2 works1 Samuel 25:26Now, my lord, as surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, the LORD has held you back from coming to bloodshed and avenging yourself with your own hand. May your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord be like Nabal.2 worksDeuteronomy 5:32So be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you are not to turn aside to the right or to the left.2 worksNumbers 20:17Please let us pass through your land. We will not cut through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will stay on the King’s Highway; we will not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory.”2 works2 Samuel 3:34Your hands were not bound, your feet were not fettered. As a man falls before the wicked, so also you fell.” And all the people wept over him even more.2 works2 Kings 2:2and Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me on to Bethel.” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.2 works1 Samuel 17:55As Saul had watched David going out to confront the Philistine, he said to Abner the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?” “As surely as you live, O king,” Abner replied, “I do not know.”2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Luke 21:15

    For I will give you speech and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.

    it leads to

    • Jeremiah 1:9

      Then the LORD reached out His hand, touched my mouth, and said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Ephesians 6:19

      Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel,

    • Luke 12:12

      For at that time the Holy Spirit will teach you what you should say.”

    • Acts 6:10

      but they could not stand up to his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.

    • Exodus 4:11–12

      And the LORD said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes the mute or the deaf, the sighted or the blind? Is it not I, the LORD?

  • Through

    Deuteronomy 28:14

    Do not turn aside to the right or to the left from any of the words I command you today, and do not go after other gods to serve them.

    it leads to

    • Isaiah 30:21

      And whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: “This is the way. Walk in it.”

    • Deuteronomy 5:32

      So be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you are not to turn aside to the right or to the left.

    • Deuteronomy 11:16

      But be careful that you are not enticed to turn aside to worship and bow down to other gods,

About 2 Samuel

David Mourns the Death of Absalom, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
David Mourns the Death of Absalom, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
2 Samuel: the study guide →Read 2 Samuel 14 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in 2 Samuel 14 →