2 Samuel 14:11

9 But the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord the king, may any blame be on me and on my father’s house, and may the king and his throne be guiltless.”

10 “If anyone speaks to you,” said the king, “bring him to me, and he will not trouble you again!”

“Please,” she replied, “may the king invoke the LORD your God to prevent the avenger of blood from increasing the devastation, so that my son may not be destroyed!” “As surely as the LORD lives,” he vowed, “not a hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground.”

12 Then the woman said, “Please, may your servant speak a word to my lord the king?” “Speak,” he replied.

13 The woman asked, “Why have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself, since he has not brought back his own banished son?

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
“Please,” she replied, “may the king invoke the LORD your God to prevent the avenger of blood from increasing the devastation, so that my son may not be destroyed!” “As surely as the LORD lives,” he vowed, “not a hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground.”
KJV
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.
WEB
Then she said, “Please let the king remember the LORD your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son.” He said, “As the LORD lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the earth.”
ASV
Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember Jehovah thy God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As Jehovah liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.
DARBY
Then she said, I pray thee, let the king remember Jehovah thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they cut off my son. And he said, [As] Jehovah liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.
BLB
And she said, “Please let the king remember YHWH your God, and do not let add the avenger of blood to destroy. And they do not destroy my son.” And he said, “[As] YHWH lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”
ÅB
Da sa hun: Kongen komme Herren sin Gud i hu, så ikke blodhevneren skal volde enda mere ulykke, og de ikke får ryddet min sønn av veien. Han svarte: Så sant Herren lever: Det skal ikke falle et hår av din sønns hode til jorden.
OTB
Da sa hun, “Vær så snill, la kongen huske Herren din Gud, at blodhevneren ikke må ødelegge mer, slik at de ikke eliminerer min sønn.” Og han sa, “Så sant Herren lever, ikke et hår av din sønn skal falle til jorden.”
B1930
Da sa hun: Kongen komme Herren sin Gud i hu, så ikke blodhevneren skal volde ennu mere ulykke, og de ikke får ryddet min sønn av veien. Han svarte: Så sant Herren lever: Det skal ikke falle et hår av din sønns hode til jorden.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • 1 Samuel 14:45

    But the people said to Saul, “Must Jonathan die—he who accomplished such a great deliverance for Israel? Never! As surely as the LORD lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for with God’s help he has accomplished this today.” So the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not die.

    Read in context
  • Matthew 10:30

    And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

    Read in context
  • Numbers 35:19

    The avenger of blood is to put the murderer to death; when he finds him, he is to kill him.

    Read in context
  • Acts 27:34

    So for your own preservation, I urge you to eat something, because not a single hair of your head will be lost.”

    Read in context
  • 1 Kings 1:52

    And Solomon replied, “If he is a man of character, not a single hair of his will fall to the ground. But if evil is found in him, he will die.”

    Read in context
  • Numbers 35:21

    or if in hostility he strikes him with his hand and he dies, the one who struck him must surely be put to death; he is a murderer. When the avenger of blood finds the murderer, he is to kill him.

    Read in context
  • Deuteronomy 19:4–10

    Now this is the situation regarding the manslayer who flees to one of these cities to save his life, having killed his neighbor accidentally, without intending to harm him:

    Read in context
  • 1 Samuel 20:42

    And Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for the two of us have sworn in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘May the LORD be a witness between you and me, and between your descendants and mine forever.’” Then David got up and departed, and Jonathan went back into the city.

    Read in context