When the woman from Tekoa went to the king, she fell facedown in homage and said, “Help me, O king!”
Parallel translations
- WEB When the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, showed respect, and said, “Help, O king!”
- KJV And when the woman of Tekoah spake to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king.
- NKJV And when the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and prostrated herself, and said, “Help, O king!”
- NASB Now when the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and prostrated herself, and said, “Help, O king!”
- NLT When the woman from Tekoa approached the king, she bowed with her face to the ground in deep respect and cried out, “O king! Help me!”
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
The woman of Tekoa comes before David, bows to the ground, and cries, 'Help, O king!' She begins the staged plea for the king's intervention.
Overview
Approaching as a humble petitioner, the woman appeals to David's role as supreme judge in Israel. Her dramatic posture and cry are calculated to engage the king's compassion and sense of duty. The scene parallels Nathan's parable, drawing David into a case whose true application he does not yet perceive.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- 2 Sam 1:2On the third day a man with torn clothes and dust on his head arrived from Saul’s camp. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to pay him homage.
- 2 Kgs 6:26–28As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, “Help me, my lord the king!”
- 1 Sam 25:23When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off the donkey, fell facedown, and bowed before him.
- Luke 18:3–5And there was a widow in that town who kept appealing to him, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’
- 1 Sam 20:41When the young man had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone, fell facedown, and bowed three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and wept together—though David wept more.
- Job 29:12–14because I rescued the poor who cried out and the fatherless who had no helper.
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 14:4 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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