2 Samuel 14:1 Meaning and Explanation
“Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Joab discerns that David's heart longs for his banished son Absalom and resolves to act on it.
What Does 2 Samuel 14:1 Mean?
The chapter opens after Absalom has fled to Geshur for killing his brother Amnon. Joab, David's shrewd commander and nephew, reads the king's grief and silence and sees a father aching for a son he cannot bring himself to recall.
Scripture often shows that the heart's true inclination cannot be hidden for long. David yearns for the very one he dare not pardon, and that tension drives all that follows. It is a quiet picture of a Father whose heart reaches toward the one who has wandered far, never indifferent to the absent child.
2 Samuel 14:1 in the Original Language
leb (לֵב), 'heart' -- the inner self where thought, will, and longing meet.
Frequently Asked Questions About 2 Samuel 14:1
What does 2 Samuel 14:1 mean?
Joab discerns that David's heart longs for his banished son Absalom and resolves to act on it.