the king saith,” i.e., the king always hits the right point in everything that he said. “Yea, thy servant Joab, he hath commanded me, and he hath put all these words into thy servant's mouth.” אשׁ is not a copyist's error, but a softer form of ישׁ, as in Mic 6:10 (vid., Ewald, §53c, and Olshausen, Gramm. p. 425).
Verse 20
2Sa 14:20“To turn the appearance of the king (i.e., to disguise the affair in the finest way) Joab hath done this; my lord (i.e., the king),however, is wise, like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know all that is (happens) upon earth.” She hoped by these flattering words to gain the king completely over.
Verse 21
David then promised Joab, that the request which he had presented through the medium of the woman of Tekoah should be fulfilled, and commanded him to fetch Absalom back. The Chethib עשׂתי (2Sa 14:21) is the correct reading, and the Keri עשׂית has arisen from a misunderstanding.
Verse 22
Joab thanked the king for this, and blessed him: “To-day thy servant knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king hath fulfilled the request of his servant.” It is pretty evident from this, that Joab had frequently applied to David for Absalom's return, without any attention being paid to his application. David therefore suspected that Joab had instructed the woman of Tekoah. The Chethib עבדּו is not to be exchanged for the Keri עבדּך.
Verse 23
Joab then went to Geshur (see 2Sa 13:37), and fetched Absalom back to Jerusalem.
Verse 24
But David could not forgive Absalom altogether. He said to Joab, “Let him turn to his own house, and my face he shall not see.” This half forgiveness was an imprudent measure, and bore very bitter fruit. The further account of Absalom is introduced in 2Sa 14:25-27 with a description of his personal appearance and family affairs.
Verse 25
There was no man in all Israel so handsome as Absalom. מאד להלּל, “to much praising,” i.e., so that he was greatly praised. from the sole of the foot even to the crown of his head, there was no fault (מוּם, bodily blemish) in him.
Verse 26
2Sa 14:26“When he polled his head, and it took place from year to year that he polled it; for it became heavy upon him (too heavy for him), and so he polled it: they weighed the hair of his head, two hundred shekels by the king's weight.” A strong growth of hair was a sign of great manly power, and so far a proof of
