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:
And the king said, 'Isn't Joab behind all this?' And the woman answered, 'As surely as you live, my lord the king, no one can deny anything you have said. Yes, your servant Joab told me to do this, and he gave me all these words to say.'
King David sees through the woman's story and realizes that Joab orchestrated this whole elaborate plan to convince him to bring his son Absalom back home.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during the complex family drama following Absalom's murder of his brother Amnon and subsequent exile. Joab, David's military commander, hired a wise woman from Tekoa to tell David a fictional story about her own family situation that mirrors David's predicament with Absalom. David's sharp political instincts allow him to see through the ruse and recognize Joab's involvement.
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