שמואל ב, פרק י״ד, פסוק י״ז

II Samuel 14:17Sefaria

וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ שִׁפְחָ֣תְךָ֔ יִֽהְיֶה־נָּ֛א דְּבַר־אֲדֹנִ֥י הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ לִמְנֻחָ֑ה כִּ֣י ׀ כְּמַלְאַ֣ךְ הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים כֵּ֣ן אֲדֹנִ֤י הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ לִשְׁמֹ֙עַ֙ הַטּ֣וֹב וְהָרָ֔ע וַיהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ יְהִ֥י עִמָּֽךְ׃ {פ}

The wise woman from Tekoa reaches the climax of her rhetorical maneuver before King David. Having successfully drawn out a promise of protection for her own son through a carefully crafted parable, she now turns that very promise toward the king's actual reality. Her speech weaves together reconciliation, praise, and a blessing, all designed to ensure that the merciful judgment he just pronounced remains firm.

At the heart of her appeal is a request that the king's words bring a sense of rest and resolution. This idea is understood in two distinct ways. On one level, she is speaking about herself and her son. The king's guarantee grants her relief from her worry and sadness [רד״ק, רלב״ג], assuring her that her son will be safe because the king will not retract his promise [רש״י]. On a deeper level, her words are a direct hint at the king's own life and his exiled son, Absalom. Just as the king ruled to save her son in the story, he and his own son should also find rest and relief from their ongoing anger and sadness [מלבי״ם, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. By creating the parable, she established a standard of peace that obligates the king to act mercifully toward his own flesh and blood. If he could show compassion for a son who struck his brother in a fictional tale, he must certainly extend that same compassion to Absalom [אלשיך].

To reinforce his ruling, the woman compares the king to an angel of God. Commentators agree that this image highlights his pure intellect and emotional stability. Just as an angel remains unchanging, the king will not allow feelings of anger or hatred to make him reverse his good and just decision [רש״י, מצודת דוד]. With his flawless wisdom, he can identify absolute truth and judge with ultimate fairness and compassion [מלבי״ם, רלב״ג]. This angelic quality is shown in his ability to deeply understand reality and determine the exact truth based on the facts presented to him [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The woman clarifies that she is merely offering her own perspective, ultimately leaving the final decision in the king's hands to determine whether bringing back his exiled son is truly the right or wrong course of action [אלשיך].

She concludes her appeal with a blessing that God should be with him. While some view this simply as a customary parting wish from someone who has finished speaking and is preparing to leave [מצודת דוד], others see an additional layer that completes the angelic comparison. She is blessing the king with divine assistance, acknowledging that even a ruler as wise as an angel cannot fully grasp absolute truth without God's guidance to help him reach the most just and correct verdict [מלבי״ם, אלשיך].

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עזרו לנו להגדיל תורה ולהאדירה. תחזוקת האתר והשבחת התוכן כרוכות בהוצאות מרובות. תרומה קטנה שלכם תסייע לנו להחזיק את הפלטפורמה ותהפוך אתכם לשותפים מלאים בהנגשת חוכמת המקרא.

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