שמואל ב, פרק י״ד, פסוק כ׳

A carefully constructed ruse reaches its climax as the woman from Tekoa confesses the true mastermind behind her fabricated story, explaining the necessity of her indirect approach and praising the king's sharp insight in uncovering the deception. The entire plot was designed to steer the conversation in a roundabout way in order to bring the sensitive matter of the king's son out into the open [רש״י, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The strategy was essentially a trap: by having the king issue a firm ruling on a fictional dispute, the mastermind ensured that the king would be bound by his own logic to rule the exact same way regarding his own son, Absalom [מלבי״ם].

The focus of this scheme is understood in different ways. Some view it as representing the very beginning of the thought process that sparked the plan [מצודת ציון], while others see it as a reference to the ultimate, proper goal that Joab was aiming to achieve [רלב״ג]. Joab deliberately chose to operate through a messenger rather than approaching the king himself. Out of deep respect for the monarchy, he felt he could not speak directly or explicitly about such a delicate family issue. At the same time, if Joab had presented the fictional parable himself, his true intentions would have been immediately obvious. Therefore, he employed a woman who could cleverly maneuver the situation to bring about the desired outcome [מצודת דוד, חומת אנך].

In the aftermath of her confession, the woman expresses deep admiration for the king. She marvels at his ability to realize that Joab was the one who sent her and placed the words in her mouth [רש״י, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. She notes that his wisdom extends far beyond this single incident, encompassing all earthly matters [רד״ק]. Possessing an extraordinary intellect that is compared to the wisdom of an angel of God, the king's insight is so profound that it is entirely impossible to deceive him or deviate from his words [מצודת דוד].