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Monday, July 21st, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

2 Samuel 20:16

But a shrewd woman called out from the city, "Listen, everybody! Please tell Joab to come close so I can talk to him." When he had come, the woman said, "Are you Joab?" He said, "I am." "Then," she said, "listen to what I have to say." He said, "I'm listening."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Abel-Beth-Maachah;   Abishai;   Diplomacy;   Joab;   Politics;   Tact;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Abelbethmaachah;   Sheba;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Woman;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Sheba;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Maacah;   Sheba (1);   Holman Bible Dictionary - Abel (Place Name);   Abel-Beth-Maachah or Abel-Beth-Maacah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Abel (of) Beth-Maacah;   Joab;   Samuel, Books of;   Sheba;   Wisdom;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Bichri ;   Sheba ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - David;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Da'vid;   She'ba;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Proverbs, Book of;   Witch;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Wisdom;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
a wise woman called out from the city, “Listen! Listen! Please tell Joab to come here and let me speak with him.”
Hebrew Names Version
Then cried a wise woman out of the city, "Hear, hear! Please say to Yo'av, 'Come near here, that I may speak with you.'"
King James Version
Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee.
Lexham English Bible
Then a wise woman from the city called out, "Listen, listen! Please speak to Joab to come near here so that I may speak to you."
English Standard Version
Then a wise woman called from the city, "Listen! Listen! Tell Joab, ‘Come here, that I may speak to you.'"
New Century Version
But a wise woman shouted out from the city, "Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here. I want to talk to him!"
New English Translation
a wise woman called out from the city, "Listen up! Listen up! Tell Joab, ‘Come near so that I may speak to you.'"
Amplified Bible
Then a wise woman cried out from the city, "Hear, hear! Tell Joab, 'Come here so that I may speak to you.'"
New American Standard Bible
Then a wise woman called out from the city, "Listen, listen! Please tell Joab, 'Come here that I may speak with you.'"
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then cried a wise woman out of the citie, Heare, heare, I pray you, say vnto Ioab, Come thou hither, that I may speake with thee.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then a wise woman called from the city, "Hear, hear! Please tell Joab, ‘Draw near that I may speak with you.'"
Contemporary English Version
A wise woman shouted from the top of the wall, "Listen to me! Listen to me! I have to talk to Joab! Tell him to come here!"
Complete Jewish Bible
Then a wise woman in the city shouted, "Listen! Listen! Please tell Yo'av, ‘Come over here, so that I can speak with you.'"
Darby Translation
And a wise woman cried out of the city, Hear, hear: say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee.
Easy-to-Read Version
But there was a very wise woman in that city who shouted out to them and said, "Listen to me! Tell Joab to come here. I want to talk with him."
George Lamsa Translation
Then a wise woman cried out from the wall, saying, Hear, hear, and say to Joab, Come near, that I may speak to you.
Good News Translation
There was a wise woman in the city who shouted from the wall, "Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here; I want to speak with him."
Literal Translation
And a wise woman called out of the city, Hear! Hear! Please say to Joab, Come near here and I will speak to you.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then cried there a wyse woma out of ye cite: Heare, heare, saye vnto Ioab that he come hither, I wyl speake with him.
American Standard Version
Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee.
Bible in Basic English
Then a wise woman got up on the wall, and crying out from the town, said, Give ear, give ear; say now to Joab, Come near, so that I may have talk with you.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then cryed a wyse woman out of the citie, heare, heare, I pray you say vnto Ioab: Come hither that I may speake with thee.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then cried a wise woman out of the city: 'Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab: Come near hither, that I may speak with thee.'
King James Version (1611)
Then cried a wise woman out of the citie, Heare, heare; say, I pray you, vnto Ioab, Come neere hither, that I may speake with thee.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And a wise woman cried from the wall, and said, Hear, hear; say, I pray ye, to Joab, Draw near hither, and I will speak to him.
English Revised Version
Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee.
Berean Standard Bible
a wise woman called out from the city, "Listen! Listen! Please tell Joab to come here so that I may speak with him."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And a wijs womman of the citee criede an hiy, Here ye! here ye! seie ye to Joab, Neiye thou hidur, and Y schal speke with thee.
Young's Literal Translation
And a wise woman calleth out of the city, `Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, and I speak unto thee.'
Update Bible Version
Then a wise woman cried out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, to Joab, Come near here, that I may speak with you.
Webster's Bible Translation
Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, to Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee.
World English Bible
Then cried a wise woman out of the city, "Hear, hear! Please say to Joab, 'Come near here, that I may speak with you.'"
New King James Version
Then a wise woman cried out from the city, "Hear, hear! Please say to Joab, "Come nearby, that I may speak with you."'
New Living Translation
But a wise woman in the town called out to Joab, "Listen to me, Joab. Come over here so I can talk to you."
New Life Bible
Then a wise woman called from the city, "Listen! I beg you, tell Joab to come here that I may speak with him."
New Revised Standard
Then a wise woman called from the city, "Listen! Listen! Tell Joab, ‘Come here, I want to speak to you.'"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then cried a wise woman out of the city, - Hear ye! hear ye! I pray you, say unto Joab, Come near hither, and let me speak unto thee.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And a wise woman cried out from the city: Hear, hear, and say to Joab: Come near hither, and I will speak with thee.
Revised Standard Version
Then a wise woman called from the city, "Hear! Hear! Tell Jo'ab, 'Come here, that I may speak to you.'"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then a wise woman called from the city, "Hear, hear! Please tell Joab, 'Come here that I may speak with you.'"

Contextual Overview

15 Joab's army arrived and laid siege to Sheba in Abel Beth Maacah. They built a siege-ramp up against the city's fortification. The plan was to knock down the wall. 16But a shrewd woman called out from the city, "Listen, everybody! Please tell Joab to come close so I can talk to him." When he had come, the woman said, "Are you Joab?" He said, "I am." "Then," she said, "listen to what I have to say." He said, "I'm listening." 18"There's an old saying in these parts: ‘If it's answers you want, come to Abel and get it straight.' We're a peaceful people here, and reliable. And here you are, trying to tear down one of Israel's mother cities. Why would you want to mess with God 's legacy like that?" 20Joab protested, "Believe me, you've got me all wrong. I'm not here to hurt anyone or destroy anything—not on your life! But a man from the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba son of Bicri by name, revolted against King David; hand him over, him only, and we'll get out of here." The woman told Joab, "Sounds good. His head will be tossed to you from the wall." 22 The woman presented her strategy to the whole city and they did it: They cut off the head of Sheba son of Bicri and tossed it down to Joab. He then blew a blast on the ram's horn trumpet and the soldiers all went home. Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

2 Samuel 14:2, 1 Samuel 25:3, 1 Samuel 25:32, 1 Samuel 25:33, Ecclesiastes 9:14-18

Reciprocal: Proverbs 11:16 - gracious Proverbs 21:22 - General Proverbs 31:26 - openeth Ecclesiastes 7:19 - General Daniel 2:14 - with

Cross-References

Genesis 20:3
Abraham traveled from there south to the Negev and settled down between Kadesh and Shur. While he was camping in Gerar, Abraham said of his wife Sarah, "She's my sister." So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her. But God came to Abimelech in a dream that night and told him, "You're as good as dead—that woman you took, she's a married woman."
Genesis 20:6
God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know your intentions were pure, that's why I kept you from sinning against me; I was the one who kept you from going to bed with her. So now give the man's wife back to him. He's a prophet and will pray for you—pray for your life. If you don't give her back, know that it's certain death both for you and everyone in your family."
Genesis 20:8
Abimelech was up first thing in the morning. He called all his house servants together and told them the whole story. They were shocked. Then Abimelech called in Abraham and said, "What have you done to us? What have I ever done to you that you would bring on me and my kingdom this huge offense? What you've done to me ought never to have been done."
Genesis 26:11
Then Abimelech gave orders to his people: "Anyone who so much as lays a hand on this man or his wife dies."
Proverbs 12:1
If you love learning, you love the discipline that goes with it— how shortsighted to refuse correction!
Proverbs 27:5
A spoken reprimand is better than approval that's never expressed.
Revelation 3:19
"The people I love, I call to account—prod and correct and guide so that they'll live at their best. Up on your feet, then! About face! Run after God!

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then cried a wise woman out of the city,.... And such an one as the woman of Tekoah, supposed by some to be the governess of the city; but whoever she was, she well deserved the character of a wise woman; her conduct in this affair shows it: she cried with a loud voice, upon the wall of the city, to Joab's men, who were underneath battering it,

hear, hear; which she repeated to make them hear:

say, I pray you, unto Joab, come near hither, that I may speak with thee; tell your general I desire to speak with him; which was wisely done, to have nothing to say but to the general himself.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 20:16. A wise woman — She was probably governess.


 
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