2 Samuel 14:5

JPS Old Testament

And the king said unto her: 'What aileth thee?' And she answered: 'Of a truth I am a widow, my husband being dead.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“What’s the matter?” the king asked her.

Hebrew Names Version
The king said to her, What ails you? She answered, Of a truth I am a widow, and my husband is dead.

King James Version
And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.

Lexham English Bible
Then the king asked her, "What do you want?" And she said, "Truly I am a widow, and my husband is dead.

English Standard Version
And the king said to her, "What is your trouble?" She answered, "Alas, I am a widow; my husband is dead.

New Century Version
King David asked her, "What is the matter?" The woman said, "I am a widow; my husband is dead.

New English Translation
The king replied to her, "What do you want?" She answered, "I am a widow; my husband is dead.

Amplified Bible
The king asked her, "What is the matter?" She said, "Truly I am a widow; my husband is dead.

New American Standard Bible
And the king said to her, "What is troubling you?" And she answered, "Truly I am a widow, for my husband is dead.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then the King sayd vnto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am in deede a widow, and mine husband is dead:

Legacy Standard Bible
And the king said to her, "What is your trouble?" And she answered, "Truly I am a widow; my husband has died.

Contemporary English Version
David asked, "What's the matter?" She replied: My husband is dead, and I'm a widow.

Complete Jewish Bible
The king said to her, "What's the trouble?" She answered, "I'm a widow. After my husband died,

Darby Translation
And the king said to her, What aileth thee? And she said, I am indeed a widow woman, and my husband is dead.

Easy-to-Read Version
King David said to her, "What's your problem?" The woman said, "I am a widow. My husband is dead.

George Lamsa Translation
And the king said to her, What ails you? And she answered, I am indeed a widow, my husband is dead.

Good News Translation
"What do you want?" he asked her. "I am a poor widow, sir," she answered. "My husband is dead.

Literal Translation
And the king said to her, What shall be to you? And she said, Truly I am a widow woman, and my husband died.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The kynge sayde vnto her: What ayleth the? She sayde: I am a wedowe, a woman that mourneth, and my hußbade is deed.

American Standard Version
And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, Of a truth I am a widow, and my husband is dead.

Bible in Basic English
And the king said to her, What is your trouble? And her answer was, Truly I am a widow, and my husband is dead.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
The king said vnto her: What ayleth thee? She aunswered: I am in deede a wydow, and myne husband is dead.

King James Version (1611)
And the king said vnto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the king said to her, What is the matter with thee?

English Revised Version
And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered; Of a truth I am a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.

Berean Standard Bible
"What troubles you?" the king asked her. "Indeed," she said, "I am a widow, for my husband is dead.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the kyng seide to hir, What hast thou of cause? And sche answeride, Alas! Y am a womman widewe, for myn hosebonde is deed;

Young's Literal Translation
And the king saith to her, `What -- to thee?' and she saith, `Truly a widow woman [am] I, and my husband dieth,

Update Bible Version
And the king said to her, What ails you? And she answered, Of a truth I am a widow, and my husband is dead.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the king said to her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I [am] indeed a widow woman, and my husband is dead.

World English Bible
The king said to her, What ails you? She answered, Of a truth I am a widow, and my husband is dead.

New King James Version
Then the king said to her, "What troubles you?" And she answered, "Indeed I am a widow, my husband is dead.

New Living Translation
"What's the trouble?" the king asked. "Alas, I am a widow!" she replied. "My husband is dead.

New Life Bible
The king said to her, "What is your trouble?" And she answered, "I am a woman whose husband has died.

New Revised Standard
The king asked her, "What is your trouble?" She answered, "Alas, I am a widow; my husband is dead.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the king said to her - What aileth thee? And she said - Of a truth, a widow woman, am I, for my husband is dead.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the king said to her: What is the matter with thee? She answered: Alas, I am a widow woman: for my husband is dead.

Revised Standard Version
And the king said to her, "What is your trouble?" She answered, "Alas, I am a widow; my husband is dead.

THE MESSAGE
He said, "How can I help?" "I'm a widow," she said. "My husband is dead. I had two sons. The two of them got into a fight out in the field and there was no one around to step between them. The one struck the other and killed him. Then the whole family ganged up against me and demanded, ‘Hand over this murderer so we can kill him for the life of the brother he murdered!' They want to wipe out the heir and snuff out the one spark of life left to me. And then there would be nothing left of my husband—not so much as a name—on the face of the earth. "So now I've dared come to the king, my master, about all this. They're making my life miserable, and I'm afraid. I said to myself, ‘I'll go to the king. Maybe he'll do something! When the king hears what's going on, he'll step in and rescue me from the abuse of the man who would get rid of me and my son and God's inheritance—the works!' As your handmaid, I decided ahead of time, ‘The word of my master, the king, will be the last word in this, for my master is like an angel of God in discerning good and evil.' God be with you!"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
The king said to her, "What is your trouble?" And she answered, "Truly I am a widow, for my husband is dead.

Contextual Overview

¹ Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom. ² And Joab sent to Tekoa, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her: 'I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on mourning apparel, I pray thee, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead; ³ and go in to the king, and speak on this manner unto him.' So Joab put the words in her mouth. ⁴ And when the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and prostrated herself, and said: 'Help, O king.' ⁵ And the king said unto her: 'What aileth thee?' And she answered: 'Of a truth I am a widow, my husband being dead. ⁶ And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and killed him. ⁷ And, behold, the whole family is risen against thy handmaid, and they said: Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he slew, and so destroy the heir also. Thus will they quench my coal which is left, and will leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the face of the earth.' ⁸ And the king said unto the woman: 'Go to thy house, and I will give charge concerning thee.' ⁹ And the woman of Tekoa said unto the king: 'My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father's house; and the king and his throne be guiltless.' ¹⁰ And the king said: 'Whosoever saith aught unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.'

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I am indeed: It is very possible that the principal incidents mentioned here were real; and that Joab found out a person whose circumstances bore a near resemblance to that which he wished to represent. She did not make the similitude too plain and visible, lest the king should see her intention before she had obtained a grant of pardon; and thus her circumstances, her mournful tale, her widow's dress, her aged person - for Josephus says she was advanced in years and her impressive manner, all combined to make one united irresistible impression on the heart of the aged monarch 2 Samuel 12:1-3, Judges 9:8-15

Reciprocal: Genesis 27:24 - I am Genesis 38:19 - laid by her veil Judges 18:23 - What aileth 1 Kings 20:39 - Thy servant 2 Kings 6:28 - What aileth thee Isaiah 22:1 - What Luke 18:3 - a widow

Cross-References

Genesis 14:10
Now the vale of Siddim was full of slime pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell there, and they that remained fled to the mountain.

Genesis 14:11
And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way.

Genesis 14:20
and blessed be God the Most High, who hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand.' And he gave him a tenth of all.

Genesis 14:23
that I will not take a thread nor a shoe-latchet nor aught that is thine, lest thou shouldest say: I have made Abram rich;

Genesis 15:20
and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim,

Deuteronomy 1:4
after he had smitten Sihon the king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who dwelt in Ashtaroth, at Edrei;

Deuteronomy 3:11
For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the Rephaim; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbah of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man.--

Deuteronomy 3:20
until the LORD give rest unto your brethren, as unto you, and they also possess the land which the LORD your God giveth them beyond the Jordan; then shall ye return every man unto his possession, which I have given you.

Deuteronomy 3:22
Ye shall not fear them; for the LORD your God, He it is that fighteth for you.'

Joshua 12:4
and the border of Og king of Bashan, of the remnant of the Rephaim, who dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the king said unto her, what aileth thee?.... Or what is thy case? What is the condition, and what the circumstances, that thou art in, which require help and assistance? intimating that he was ready to grant it on knowledge thereof; however, he was ready to hear what she had to say:

and she answered, I [am] indeed a widow woman; of a truth a widow, as the Targum; she was really one, a widow indeed, as in 1 Timothy 5:3; not one that was separated from her husband, he being alive, or divorced from him on any account; and therefore she adds,

and mine husband is dead; and has been a long time; this she said to move the pity and compassion of the king, who, as the supreme magistrate in God's stead, was a Father of the fatherless, and the judge of the widow.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 14:5. I am indeed a widow woman — It is very possible that the principal facts mentioned here were real, and that Joab found out a person whose circumstances bore a near resemblance to that which he wished to represent.