And the king said to her, “What is troubling you?” And she answered, “Truly I am a widow, for my husband is dead.
Parallel translations
- WEB The king said to her, “What ails you?” She answered, “Truly I am a widow, and my husband is dead.
- KJV And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.
- BSB “What troubles you?” the king asked her. “Indeed,” she said, “I am a widow, for my husband is dead.
- NKJV Then the king said to her, “What troubles you?” And she answered, “Indeed I am a widow, my husband is dead.
- NLT “What’s the trouble?” the king asked. “Alas, I am a widow!” she replied. “My husband is dead.
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
Asked what troubles her, the woman claims to be a widow whose husband has died. She presents herself as a vulnerable woman in need of royal protection.
Overview
The woman's account of widowhood establishes her as defenseless, heightening David's sympathy. Her fabricated plight is the first stage of the story Joab designed to mirror Absalom's case. By posing as one bereft, she draws the king toward a ruling that will favor sparing a guilty son.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- Judg 9:8–15The trees set out to anoint a king over themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’
- 2 Sam 12:1–3Yahweh sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, “There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.
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 14:5 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.