2 Samuel 14:1
New International Version
Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart longed for Absalom.

New Living Translation
Joab realized how much the king longed to see Absalom.

English Standard Version
Now Joab the son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart went out to Absalom.

Berean Standard Bible
Now Joab son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart longed for Absalom.

King James Bible
Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom.

New King James Version
So Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was concerned about Absalom.

New American Standard Bible
Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was drawn toward Absalom.

NASB 1995
Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was inclined toward Absalom.

NASB 1977
Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was inclined toward Absalom.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now Joab the son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart was inclined toward Absalom.

Amplified Bible
Now Joab the son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart longed for Absalom.

Christian Standard Bible
Joab son of Zeruiah realized that the king’s mind was on Absalom.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Joab son of Zeruiah observed that the king’s mind was on Absalom.

American Standard Version
Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Yuab son of Tsuriya knew that the heart of David the King was reconciled to Abishlum

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Joab the son of Saruia knew that the heart of the king was toward Abessalom.

Contemporary English Version
Joab knew that David couldn't stop thinking about Absalom,

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Joab the son of Sarvia, understanding that the king's heart was turned to Absalom,

English Revised Version
Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Joab, Zeruiah's son, knew the king was still thinking about Absalom.

Good News Translation
Joab knew that King David missed Absalom very much,

International Standard Version
Meanwhile, Zeruiah's son Joab knew that the king's attention was focused on Absalom,

JPS Tanakh 1917
Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom.

Literal Standard Version
And Joab son of Zeruial knows that the heart of the king [is] on Absalom,

Majority Standard Bible
Now Joab son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart longed for Absalom.

New American Bible
Now Joab, son of Zeruiah, knew how the king felt toward Absalom.

NET Bible
Now Joab son of Zeruiah realized that the king longed to see Absalom.

New Revised Standard Version
Now Joab son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s mind was on Absalom.

New Heart English Bible
Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom.

Webster's Bible Translation
Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was towards Absalom.

World English Bible
Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was toward Absalom.

Young's Literal Translation
And Joab son of Zeruial knoweth that the heart of the king is on Absalom,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Absalom's Return to Jerusalem
1Now Joab son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart longed for Absalom. 2So Joab sent to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. He told her, “Please pretend to be a mourner; put on clothes for mourning and do not anoint yourself with oil. Act like a woman who has mourned for the dead a long time.…

Cross References
2 Samuel 13:39
And King David longed to go to Absalom, for he had been consoled over Amnon's death.

2 Samuel 14:2
So Joab sent to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. He told her, "Please pretend to be a mourner; put on clothes for mourning and do not anoint yourself with oil. Act like a woman who has mourned for the dead a long time.


Treasury of Scripture

Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom.

A.

2 Samuel 2:18
And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.

1 Chronicles 2:16
Whose sisters were Zeruiah, and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah; Abishai, and Joab, and Asahel, three.

toward Absalom

2 Samuel 13:39
And the soul of king David longed to go forth unto Absalom: for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.

2 Samuel 18:33
And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!

2 Samuel 19:2,4
And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people: for the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son…

Jump to Previous
Absalom Ab'salom Clear Heart Inclined Joab Jo'ab King's Longed Perceived Towards Turning Zeruiah Zeru'iah
Jump to Next
Absalom Ab'salom Clear Heart Inclined Joab Jo'ab King's Longed Perceived Towards Turning Zeruiah Zeru'iah
2 Samuel 14
1. Joab, suborning a widow of Tekoah to incline the king's heart to fetch Absalom,
21. brings him home to Jerusalem
25. Absalom's beauty, hair, and children
28. After two years, Absalom is brought into the king's presence by Joab














XIV.

(1) Was toward Absalom.--This, like the last verse of the previous chapter, may be understood in either of two opposite senses: either David's heart yearned for Absalom (as the Authorised Version, Vulg., LXX., Syr.), or it was hostile to him. The Hebrew preposition is used in both senses, though more frequently in the latter, and unquestionably expresses hostility in the only other place (Daniel 11:28) in which this form of the phrase occurs. The verse would then be translated, "And Joab the son of Zeruiah knew that the king's heart was against Absalom." Hence his stratagem to obtain his recall, which would otherwise have been quite unnecessary.

Verse 1. - The king's heart was toward Absalom. Again there is a diversity of view as to the right rendering. The preposition does not usually mean "toward," but "against," and is so rendered in ver. 13. The whole phrase occurs again only in Daniel 11:28, and certainly there implies enmity. The whole attitude of David towards Absalom is one of persistent hostility, and, even when Joab had obtained his recall, for two full years he would not admit him into his presence. What has led most commentators to force the meaning here and in 2 Samuel 13:39 is the passionate burst of grief when news was brought of Absalom's death following upon the anxious orders given to the generals to be careful of the young man's life. But David was a man of very warm affections, and while this would make him feel intense sorrow for the death of a son by his brother's hand, and stern indignation towards the murderer, there would still lie deep in the father's heart true love towards his sinning child, and Absalom's fall was sad enough to cause a strong revulsion of feeling. David's grief would be not merely for the death of his son, but that he should have died so miserably, and in an attempt so shameful. Was not, too, the natural grief of a father made the more deep by the feeling that this was the third stage of the penalty denounced on his own sin, and that the son's death was the result of the father's crime?

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Now Joab
יוֹאָ֣ב (yō·w·’āḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3097: Joab -- 'the LORD is father', three Israelites

son
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Zeruiah
צְרֻיָ֑ה (ṣə·ru·yāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6870: Zeruiah -- an Israelite woman

perceived
וַיֵּ֖דַע (way·yê·ḏa‘)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3045: To know

that
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the king’s
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

heart
לֵ֥ב (lêḇ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre

longed for
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

Absalom.
אַבְשָׁלֽוֹם׃ (’aḇ·šā·lō·wm)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 53: Absalom -- 'my father is peace', two Israelites


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OT History: 2 Samuel 14:1 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
2 Samuel 13:39
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