The king's response to the grieving mother carries a clear promise of royal intervention, yet the exact nature of his guarantee remains a subject of debate. The primary approach among commentators is that the king offers immediate and absolute protection. According to this perspective, he intends to issue a direct order to the extended family and the blood avengers, strictly forbidding them from harming the son or seeking revenge [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Alternatively, this protection might involve sending royal ministers to negotiate with the avengers, aiming to balance justice with mercy [אברבנאל בשם האפוד].
Other commentators, however, read the royal response as a much more cautious and conditional promise. Grounded in the legal principle that a petitioner's claims cannot be accepted without verification, the king actually delays his final ruling. His promised intervention is not an immediate pardon, but rather an order for his officials to thoroughly investigate the case and confirm the truth of the woman's story [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל].
A third approach suggests a divided ruling, separating the protection of the mother from the fate of the son. By sending the woman home in peace, the king reassures her that she is safe from harassment. No one will be allowed to force her to surrender her son or seize her property, as she is legally protected in these matters. Yet, when it comes to the son who committed murder, the king withholds an immediate pardon. While the blood avengers are barred from touching him, the king retains the ultimate authority to execute murderers in order to preserve public order. Therefore, he plans to conduct a full investigation. The son will only be completely cleared of punishment if this inquiry determines that a royal execution is unnecessary [מלבי״ם, אלשיך].
It is precisely this intention to investigate the matter deeply that drives the woman's reaction as the conversation continues. Fearing that an official inquiry would quickly expose her entire story as a fictional parable, she attempts to take the blame upon herself and pushes the king for an immediate, final ruling [אברבנאל, אלשיך].