And the woman of Tekoah 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.
The woman from Tekoah said to the king, 'My lord, O king, let any guilt or wrongdoing fall on me and my family. Don't let any blame come on you or your throne.'
The woman is telling King David that she'll take full responsibility for any consequences of her request, protecting him from any blame.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative of 2 Samuel, King David was grappling with the fallout from his son Absalom's exile after Absalom killed his brother Amnon in revenge for the rape of their sister Tamar. Joab, David's military commander, devised a plan to send the wise woman of Tekoa to the king with a fabricated story about her own family troubles, using it as a parable to urge David to show mercy and reconcile with Absalom. In this verse, the woman cleverly shifts potential blame onto herself and her family to ensure the king could act without fear of guilt, highlighting the cultural practice of using indirect speech to influence leaders in ancient Israel.
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