· Translation: KJV

2 Samuel 14:9The woman of Tekoa said to 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 setting

Jerusalem palace, ~970 BC. A clever woman from Tekoa uses a fictional case to manipulate King David into showing mercy to his son Absalom who killed his brother Amnon...

The emotion here: terrified but determined to save a life

The original word

avon (עָוֹן) — guilt that demands punishment, not just moral wrongness

Why it matters

Tekoa was Amos the prophet's hometown, known for producing wise counselors

Read with care

What most readers miss in 2 Samuel 14:9

She's volunteering for a death sentence to save someone else's child

Common misconceptionPeople think this shows noble self-sacrifice, but she's actually manipulating David through a fake legal case. Her 'guilt' isn't real—it's a clever legal maneuver.

Bible Genome reading

2 Samuel 14:9 — Bible Genome reading

Speakerwoman of Tekoa
EraUnited Kingdom
Primary emotionanxious
Literary typedialogue

Emotional genome

Comfort power30%
Quotability40%
Memorability60%
Crisis relevance70%
Standalone50%
Themes:responsibilityprotection of authority

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open 2 Samuel 14

2 Samuel 14:9 comes from the book of 2 Samuel, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to woman of Tekoa. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is reverent. It belongs to the dialogue genre of biblical literature. Key themes include responsibility, protection of authority. Notable phrases: iniquity be on me; on my father's house.

Your reflection

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