2 Samuel 20:17
New International Version
He went toward her, and she asked, “Are you Joab?” “I am,” he answered. She said, “Listen to what your servant has to say.” “I’m listening,” he said.

New Living Translation
As he approached, the woman asked, “Are you Joab?” “I am,” he replied. So she said, “Listen carefully to your servant.” “I’m listening,” he said.

English Standard Version
And he came near her, and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” He answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Listen to the words of your servant.” And he answered, “I am listening.”

Berean Standard Bible
When he had come near to her, the woman asked, “Are you Joab?” “I am,” he replied. “Listen to the words of your servant,” she said. “I am listening,” he answered.

King James Bible
And when he was come near unto her, the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am he. Then she said unto him, Hear the words of thine handmaid. And he answered, I do hear.

New King James Version
When he had come near to her, the woman said, “Are you Joab?” He answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Hear the words of your maidservant.” And he answered, “I am listening.”

New American Standard Bible
So he approached her, and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” And he answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Listen to the words of your slave.” And he said, “I am listening.”

NASB 1995
So he approached her, and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” And he answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Listen to the words of your maidservant.” And he answered, “I am listening.”

NASB 1977
So he approached her, and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” And he answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Listen to the words of your maidservant.” And he answered, “I am listening.”

Legacy Standard Bible
So he drew near to her, and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” And he answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Listen to the words of your maidservant.” And he answered, “I am listening.”

Amplified Bible
So when he approached her, the woman asked, “Are you Joab?” He answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Listen to the words of your maidservant.” He answered, “I am listening.”

Christian Standard Bible
When he had come near her, the woman asked, “Are you Joab? ” “I am,” he replied. “Listen to the words of your servant,” she said to him. He answered, “I’m listening.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When he had come near her, the woman asked, “Are you Joab?"” I am,” he replied.” Listen to the words of your servant,” she said to him. He answered, “I’m listening.”

American Standard Version
And he came near unto her; and the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am. Then she said unto him, Hear the words of thy handmaid. And he answered, I do hear.

Contemporary English Version
When he came, the woman said, "Are you Joab?" "Yes, I am," he answered. She said, "Please, listen to what I have to say." "All right," he said. "I'll listen."

English Revised Version
And he came near unto her, and the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am. Then she said unto him, Hear the words of thine handmaid. And he answered, I do hear.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He came near, and she asked, "Are you Joab?" "I am," he answered. "Listen to what I have to say," she told him. "I'm listening," he answered.

Good News Translation
Joab went, and she asked, "Are you Joab?" "Yes, I am," he answered. "Listen to me, sir," she said. "I'm listening," he answered.

International Standard Version
Joab came over and the woman asked him, "Are you Joab?" "I am," he answered. So she told him, "Listen to what your servant has to say!" "I'm listening," he replied.

Majority Standard Bible
When he had come near to her, the woman asked, ?Are you Joab?? ?I am,? he replied. ?Listen to the words of your servant,? she said. ?I am listening,? he answered.

NET Bible
When he approached her, the woman asked, "Are you Joab?" He replied, "I am." She said to him, "Listen to the words of your servant." He said, "Go ahead. I'm listening."

New Heart English Bible
So he approached her, and the woman said, "Are you Joab?" And he replied, "I am." Then she said, "Listen to the words of your servant." And he replied, "I?m listening."

Webster's Bible Translation
And when he was come near to her, the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am he. Then she said to him, Hear the words of thy handmaid. And he answered, I do hear.

World English Bible
He came near to her; and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” He answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Hear the words of your servant.” He answered, “I’m listening.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And he comes near to her, and the woman says, “Are you Joab?” And he says, “I [am].” And she says to him, “Hear the words of your handmaid”; and he says, “I am hearing.”

Young's Literal Translation
And he cometh near unto her, and the woman saith, 'Art thou Joab?' and he saith, 'I am.' And she saith to him, 'Hear the words of thy handmaid;' and he saith, 'I am hearing.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will draw near to her, and the woman will say, Art thou Joab? and he will say, I. And she will say to him, Hear the words of thy servant And he will say, I hear.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when he was come near to her, she said to him: Art thou Joab? And he answered: I am. And she spoke thus to him: Hear the words of thy handmaid. He answered: I do hear.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And when he had drawn near to her, she said to him, “Are you Joab?” And he responded, “I am.” And she spoke in this way to him, “Listen to the words of your handmaid.” He responded, “I am listening.”

New American Bible
When Joab had come near her, the woman said, “Are you Joab?” And he replied, “Yes.” She said to him, “Listen to what your servant has to say.” He replied, “I am listening.”

New Revised Standard Version
He came near her; and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” He answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Listen to the words of your servant.” He answered, “I am listening.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And when he was come near to her, she said to him, Are you Joab? And he answered, I am he. Then she said to him, Hear the words of your maidservant. And he answered, I do hear.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he came near to her, and she said to him: “Are you Yuab?” And he said to her: “I am he!” She said to him: “Hear the words of your Maid Servant!”And he said, “I am listening”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And he came near unto her; and the woman said: 'Art thou Joab?' And he answered: 'I am.' Then she said unto him: 'Hear the words of thy handmaid.' And he answered: 'I do hear.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he drew nigh to her, and the woman said to him, Art thou Joab? and he said, I am. And she said to him, Hear the words of thy handmaid; and Joab said, I do hear.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Sheba's Rebellion
16a wise woman called out from the city, “Listen! Listen! Please tell Joab to come here so that I may speak with him.” 17When he had come near to her, the woman asked, “Are you Joab?” “I am,” he replied. “Listen to the words of your servant,” she said. “I am listening,” he answered. 18Then the woman said, “Long ago they used to say, ‘Seek counsel at Abel,’ and that is how disputes were settled.…

Cross References
2 Samuel 14:2-3
So Joab sent to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. He told her, “Please pretend to be a mourner; put on clothes for mourning and do not anoint yourself with oil. Act like a woman who has mourned for the dead a long time. / Then go to the king and speak these words to him.” And Joab put the words in her mouth.

2 Samuel 3:19-21
Abner also spoke to the Benjamites. Then he went to Hebron to tell David all that seemed good to Israel and to the whole house of Benjamin. / When Abner and twenty of his men came to David at Hebron, David held a feast for them. / Then Abner said to David, “Let me go at once, and I will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires.” So David dismissed Abner, and he went in peace.

1 Kings 2:5-6
Moreover, you know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me—what he did to Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether, the two commanders of the armies of Israel. He killed them in peacetime to avenge the blood of war. He stained with the blood of war the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet. / So act according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace.

2 Samuel 19:13
And say to Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my flesh and blood? May God punish me, and ever so severely, if from now on you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!’”

2 Samuel 15:10-12
Then Absalom sent spies throughout the tribes of Israel with this message: “When you hear the sound of the horn, you are to say, ‘Absalom reigns in Hebron!’” / Two hundred men from Jerusalem accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and they went along innocently, for they knew nothing about the matter. / While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from his hometown of Giloh. So the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept increasing.

2 Samuel 16:21-22
Ahithophel replied, “Sleep with your father’s concubines, whom he has left to take care of the palace. When all Israel hears that you have become a stench to your father, then the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened.” / So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he slept with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.

1 Kings 1:11-14
Then Nathan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, “Have you not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith has become king, and our lord David does not know it? / Now please, come and let me advise you. Save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. / Go at once to King David and say, ‘My lord the king, did you not swear to your maidservant, “Surely your son Solomon will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ ...

2 Samuel 17:1-4
Furthermore, Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me choose twelve thousand men and set out tonight in pursuit of David. / I will attack him while he is weak and weary; I will throw him into a panic, and all the people with him will flee; I will strike down only the king / and bring all the people back to you as a bride returning to her husband. You seek the life of only one man; then all the people will be at peace.” ...

2 Samuel 18:5
Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake.” And all the people heard the king’s orders to each of the commanders regarding Absalom.

2 Samuel 19:5-7
Then Joab went into the house and said to the king, “Today you have disgraced all your servants who have saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters, of your wives, and of your concubines. / You love those who hate you and hate those who love you! For you have made it clear today that the commanders and soldiers mean nothing to you. I know today that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead, it would have pleased you! / Now therefore get up! Go out and speak comfort to your servants, for I swear by the LORD that if you do not go out, not a man will remain with you tonight. This will be worse for you than all the adversity that has befallen you from your youth until now!”

2 Samuel 3:27
When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab pulled him aside into the gateway, as if to speak to him privately, and there Joab stabbed him in the stomach. So Abner died on account of the blood of Joab’s brother Asahel.

2 Samuel 11:14-15
The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. / In the letter he wrote: “Put Uriah at the front of the fiercest battle; then withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and killed.”

2 Samuel 12:1-4
Then the LORD sent Nathan to David, and when he arrived, he said, “There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. / The rich man had a great number of sheep and cattle, / but the poor man had nothing except one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food and drank from his cup; it slept in his arms and was like a daughter to him. ...

2 Samuel 13:28-29
Now Absalom had ordered his young men, “Watch Amnon until his heart is merry with wine, and when I order you to strike Amnon down, you are to kill him. Do not be afraid. Have I not commanded you? Be courageous and valiant!” / So Absalom’s young men did to Amnon just as Absalom had ordered. Then all the other sons of the king got up, and each one fled on his mule.

2 Samuel 15:31-34
Now someone told David: “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David pleaded, “O LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!” / When David came to the summit, where he used to worship God, Hushai the Archite was there to meet him with his robe torn and dust on his head. / David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me. ...


Treasury of Scripture

And when he was come near to her, the woman said, Are you Joab? And he answered, I am he. Then she said to him, Hear the words of your handmaid. And he answered, I do hear.

Hear the words

2 Samuel 14:12
Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.

1 Samuel 25:24
And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid.

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2 Samuel 20
1. By occasion of the quarrel, Sheba rebels in Israel
3. David's ten concubines are put in confinement for life
4. Amasa, made captain over Judah, is slain by Joab
14. Joab pursues Sheba to Abel
16. A wise woman saves the city by Sheba's head
23. David's officers














When he had come near to her
This phrase sets the scene for a pivotal moment of communication and negotiation. The Hebrew root for "come near" is "qarab," which often implies not just physical proximity but also an approach with intention or purpose. In the context of ancient Israel, approaching someone, especially in a tense situation, required courage and often signified a readiness for dialogue or confrontation. This moment underscores the importance of direct communication in resolving conflicts, a principle that resonates throughout biblical teachings.

the woman asked
The woman in this passage is wise and courageous, representing the often-overlooked role of women in biblical narratives. Her inquiry is not just a question but a strategic move to ensure clarity and safety. In the Hebrew tradition, women like Deborah and Abigail are celebrated for their wisdom and leadership. This woman's role highlights the biblical theme that God can use anyone, regardless of gender, to fulfill His purposes.

Are you Joab?
This direct question is crucial for establishing identity and intent. Joab, a central figure in King David's military, is known for his complex character—loyal yet ruthless. The question reflects the need for discernment and understanding of who one is dealing with, a recurring theme in Scripture. Knowing Joab's identity is essential for the woman to proceed with her plan, illustrating the biblical principle of seeking truth and understanding in all interactions.

'I am,' he replied
Joab's response is straightforward and honest, reflecting a moment of transparency. The Hebrew word "ani" for "I am" is a simple yet profound affirmation of identity. In the biblical context, such affirmations are significant, as seen in God's declaration to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM" (Exodus 3:14). Joab's acknowledgment of his identity sets the stage for the ensuing negotiation, emphasizing the importance of honesty and integrity in leadership and communication.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
When he had come near
וַיִּקְרַ֣ב (way·yiq·raḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7126: To come near, approach

to her,
אֵלֶ֔יהָ (’ê·le·hā)
Preposition | third person feminine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the woman
הָאִשָּׁ֛ה (hā·’iš·šāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

asked,
וַתֹּ֧אמֶר (wat·tō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Are you
הַאַתָּ֥ה (ha·’at·tāh)
Article | Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

Joab?”
יוֹאָ֖ב (yō·w·’āḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3097: Joab -- 'the LORD is father', three Israelites

“I [am],”
אָ֑נִי (’ā·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

he replied.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Listen
שְׁמַע֙ (šə·ma‘)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

to the words
דִּבְרֵ֣י (diḇ·rê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

of your servant,”
אֲמָתֶ֔ךָ (’ă·mā·ṯe·ḵā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 519: A maidservant, female slave

she said.
וַתֹּ֣אמֶר (wat·tō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“I am
אָנֹֽכִי׃ (’ā·nō·ḵî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 595: I

listening,”
שֹׁמֵ֥עַ (šō·mê·a‘)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

he answered.
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say


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OT History: 2 Samuel 20:17 He came near to her (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
2 Samuel 20:16
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