A delicate emotional crisis surrounds the king and his exiled son. Joab, the commander of the army, cares deeply for David's well-being and closely monitors his complex emotional state regarding Absalom. Recognizing the sensitivity of the situation, Joab realizes that resolving this family fracture requires a clever, indirect approach.
Commentators are sharply divided on the exact nature of the king's feelings toward his son. One approach suggests that David was filled with goodwill, deeply yearning and longing for Absalom [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Joab recognized this affection either because David spoke about it openly [רד״ק] or through his intimate understanding of the king's character [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Conversely, another perspective argues that David's heart was actually set firmly against Absalom, as he still harbored a deep grudge and a desire for revenge [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל].
Regardless of whether the king was driven by longing or lingering anger, the sheer intensity of his emotions made the situation highly volatile. Joab understood the reality perfectly but was afraid to openly ask for Absalom's return [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ, מלבי״ם]. He feared that David would instantly reject the plea or severely reprimand him for overstepping his boundaries and trying to dictate royal decisions [אלשיך].
To bypass this danger, Joab decided against a face-to-face conversation [אברבנאל]. Instead, he devised a scheme involving a wise woman from Tekoa, sending her to present a fabricated story to the king. The brilliance of using a woman for this task lay in the king's anticipated reaction. David would patiently allow her to finish speaking without interrupting her in a fit of rage, a courtesy he likely would not have extended to Joab. By having her present a fictional scenario that closely mirrored Absalom's circumstances, Joab hoped to guide David into passing judgment objectively. Unknowingly, the king's ruling on the fictional case would lay the groundwork for bringing back his own banished son [אלשיך].