17. A woman of wisdom from Tekoa ( 2Samuel 14:1 – 20)

Joab employed a parable to persuade David to bring Absalom back. This story gives insight into how to deal with the conflict between justice and compassion.

👉 Read 2Samuel 14:1 - 20

Q1. When David was hesitating, what was Joab’s trick to make David grant Absalom’s return? 

He hired a woman from Tekoa (a town near Jerusalem) and let her tell a figurative story to persuade David to bring Absalom. For greater goodness, David should forgive Absalom.

Joab needed to convince David indirectly to bring Absalom back from exile. But David was emotionally conflicted—he longed for Absalom (2 Sam 13:39), yet felt bound by justice after Amnon’s murder. Joab employed a parable (much like Nathan did in 2 Sam 12) to bypass David’s defenses. A woman presenting a fictional family tragedy could prompt David to judge the situation objectively, before realizing it mirrored his own.

In the same way, God often reveals truth to us through indirect means—parables, narratives, and symbols—because we are naturally inclined to defend ourselves and resist direct confrontation. The cross itself is one of those profound, indirect revelations of our sins.

Joab's Political Motivation: Joab likely supported Absalom as a strong future candidate for the throne. By reconciling David with Absalom, He maintained stability in the kingdom. He secured his own position in the next regime. Though in a later incident of Absalom’s rebellion, he showed royalty to David. However, Joab supported Adonijah in his attempt to take the throne during David’s old age.

Q2. In the woman’s story, two values come into conflict (7). One is justice. What is the other?

Compassion (or the preservation of life).

The elders demand justice through the punishment of the killer. However, doing so would extinguish the family line and leave her defenseless. The woman appeals to compassion to preserve life over strict retribution.

Q3. What two reasons does the woman give to persuade David to bring Absalom back? (vv. 13–14)

1. David had already judged in favor of compassion in her case and thus should apply the same principle to Absalom. Or, David makes himself guilty.

2. She appeals to God's character, saying that though all people deserve death, God "devises ways so that a banished person does not remain banished from him." God values life over retribution.

Q4. Coming to the king with such a bold parable could have put the woman in danger. What gave her the courage to speak this way? (vv . 17, 20)

Her confidence in the king’s godly judgment gave her boldness to speak. Knowing God’s heart for preserving life over strict justice, she believed David, “like the angel of God,” would discern rightly—even within the scenario she had designed.

Risking her life to reconcile a father and son foreshadowed the Cross: bearing the guilt of sinners and taking their punishment upon Himself. Only voluntary sacrifice reconciles compassion and justice.

What grace and comfort that the Lord placed compassion above justice—not by setting justice aside, but by fulfilling it. Will you do the same when justice and compassion seem to collide?