BibleWord.ai› Bible› 2 Samuel› Chapter 14› Verse 12

2 Samuel 14:12

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does 2 Samuel 14:12 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Then the woman said, Let thy handmaid, I pray thee, speak a word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Then the woman said, Let thy handmaid, I pray thee, speak a word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.
2 Samuel 14:12 — American Standard Version

Context — 2 Samuel 14

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
9And the woman of Tekoa said unto the king, My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father`s house; and the king and his throne be guiltless.
10And the king said, Whosoever saith aught unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.
11Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember Jehovah thy God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As Jehovah liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.
12Then the woman said, Let thy handmaid, I pray thee, speak a word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.
13And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou devised such a thing against the people of God? for in speaking this word the king is as one that is guilty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished one.
14For we must needs die, and are as water split on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God take away life, but deviseth means, that he that is banished be not an outcast from him.
15Now therefore seeing that I am come to speak this word unto my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid: and thy handmaid said, I will now speak unto the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant.
← 2 Samuel 14:112 Samuel 14:13 →
← Full Chapter 14 2 Samuel Overview

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Then the woman said, let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak [one] word unto my Lord the king, etc.] Having gained her point, and gotten a decree from him confirmed by an oath, that her son though he had killed his brother should not die; she proceeds to accommodate the parable, and apply it to the case of Absalom, and improve it in his favour: and he said, say on; gave her leave to say what she had further to observe to him; (see <420740>Luke 7:40).”
Read attributed excerpt →
Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Having at last obtained what she wanted, the king’s oath that her son should not die, she proceeds to the case of Absalom. The meaning of 2 Samuel 14:13 may be paraphrased thus: “If you have done right as regards my son, how is it that you harbor such a purpose of vengeance against Absalom as to keep him, one of God’s people, an outcast in a pagan country, far from the worship of the God of Israel? Upon your own showing you are guilty of a great fault in not allowing Absalom to return.” The king doth speak ... - literally, “And from the king speaking this word (this sentence of absolution to my son) he is as one guilty; i. e. the sentence you have pronounced in favor of my son condemns your…”
Read attributed excerpt →
Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“Let thine: Sa1 25:24 speak one word: Gen 18:27, Gen 18:32, Gen 44:18; Jer 12:1 Say on: Act 26:1 2 Kings (2 Samuel) 14:13”
Read attributed excerpt →

Related study paths

Read 2 Samuel 14 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification