Read 2 Samuel 14 here (text coming …) or at Bible Gateway.
The Hebrew paragraphs:
14:1-4 {s} Joab enlists a woman of Tekoa to go to the king to render a favorable judgment
14:5-7 {p} She relates her story of her only remaining son, who is under a death sentence
14:8-9 {s} David: I will render judgment/ Woman: Let your throne be guiltless concerning my son
14:10-12 {s} The king’s judgment: your remaining son shall be preserved
14:13-17 {p} Woman: Why then do you not also preserve your son who was banished
14:18-20 {s} David: Is Joab involved in this request concerning Absalom
14:21-23 {s} David to Joab: I have granted your request; go bring Absalom back to Jerusalem
14:24 {s} David: He shall return to his own house, but he shall not see my face
14:25-27 {p} Absalom’s beautiful appearance/ his three sons and beautiful daughter Tamar
14:28-30 {p} Absalom sent for Joab but he would not come, so set his field on fire
14:31-33 {s} David sent for Absalom, and he kissed him (forgave him)
The Strong Themes:
13:34-14:7 {s+s+p} Absalom banished to Geshur/ Joab contrives to see him returned
14:8-17 {s+s+p} David returns a favorable judgment concerning a son under a death sentence
14:18-27 {sx3+p} David brings Absalom home but refuses to see him
2 Samuel 14:1-33 Chiastic Structure:
The wise woman of Tekoa asserts that God does not respect any person. (2 Sam 14:14). The Hebrew is Strong’s H5375 נשא nasa, “to take up, to lift up, to pardon.” As per the Ancient Hebrew Lexicon, the shin was transposed from an original sin.
nun נ ן = seed, thus continue, heir, son
sin ס = thorn, thus grab, hate, protect
aleph א = ox head, thus strength, power, leader
The parable being told by the Hebrew Root Word is of persistently (continually, nun) grabbing hold (sin) with strength (aleph), thus labor, to take up or lift up a burden.
If we were being very literal, the passage would say, “God does not lift up a person,” that is, He does not exalt one person over another in judgment, so that He always renders His judgment according to His standard of right and wrong, applying equally to all, without deviating from it for any reasons of personal favoritism.
So then, what about passages like this one:
For you are a holy people to YHVH your God; YHVH your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. Deu 7:6
The two truths appear to contradict at first glance, but we know that if God is true, and His word is true, then they can not negate each other but complement each other. Consider that they are two sides of the same coin, which we might more broadly label Justice and Mercy. God’s impartiality in judgment reflects His justice, while His choice of Israel reflects His mercy and grace, considering that Israel’s election provided for an uncorrupted nation to bring forth the Messiah, whose sacrifice then opened the door for every nation, family, tribe, and tongue to enter into God’s family, fulfilling the promise to Abraham that in him all nations would be blessed (Gen 12:2-3).
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