And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again.
Parallel translations
- WEB The king said to Joab, “Behold now, I have done this thing. Go therefore, and bring the young man Absalom back.”
- BSB Then the king said to Joab, “I hereby grant this request. Go, bring back the young man Absalom.”
- NKJV And the king said to Joab, “All right, I have granted this thing. Go therefore, bring back the young man Absalom.”
- NASB Then the king said to Joab, “Behold now, I will certainly do this thing; go then, bring back the young man Absalom.”
- NLT So the king sent for Joab and told him, “All right, go and bring back the young man Absalom.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David grants Joab's request and orders Absalom brought back from exile. This decision sets in motion the events that will nearly cost David his throne.
Overview
Persuaded by the parable, David commissions Joab to return Absalom. The reconciliation, however, is partial and procedural rather than a true dealing with Absalom's murder of Amnon. By bringing Absalom back without genuine justice or repentance, David sows seeds of the rebellion to come, illustrating how unresolved sin festers when not rightly addressed.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- 2 Sam 14:11Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.
- Mark 6:26And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath’s sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her.
- 1 Sam 14:39For, as the LORD liveth, which saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
God's covenant with David — a son whose throne and kingdom would last forever (7:12–16) — finds its yes in Jesus, the Son of David who reigns without end.
How 2 Samuel 14:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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