Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.
Then she said, 'Please, let the king remember the LORD your God, so that you won't allow those seeking revenge for blood to destroy anyone else, or they will kill my son.' And he replied, 'As surely as the LORD lives, not one hair on your son's head will be harmed.'
The woman is asking King David to promise before God that he'll protect her son from those seeking revenge, and David swears by God's name that her son will be completely safe.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative of 2 Samuel, King David is dealing with the consequences of his son Absalom's exile after Absalom killed his brother Amnon in revenge. Joab, David's military commander, arranges for a wise woman from Tekoa to approach David with a fabricated story about her own son facing death from avengers of blood, a common practice in ancient Israelite society where family members could seek retribution for murder. This verse features her plea to David to swear an oath of protection, mirroring Joab's desire for David to show mercy and reconcile with Absalom.
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