4 And the woman of Tekoah speaketh unto the king, and falleth on her face to the earth, and doth obeisance, and saith, 'Save, O king.' 5 And the king saith to her, 'What—to thee?' and she saith, 'Truly a widow woman 'am' I, and my husband dieth, 6 and thy maid-servant hath two sons; and they strive both of them in a field, and there is no deliverer between them, and the one smiteth the other, and putteth him to death; 7 and lo, the whole family hath risen against thy maid-servant, and say, Give up him who smiteth his brother, and we put him to death for the life of his brother whom he hath slain, and we destroy also the heir; and they have quenched my coal which is left—so as not to set to my husband a name and remnant on the face of the ground.' 8 And the king saith unto the woman, 'Go to thine house, and I give charge concerning thee.' 9 And the woman of Tekoah saith unto the king, 'On me, my lord, O king, 'is' the iniquity, and on the house of my father; and the king and his throne 'are' innocent.' 10 And the king saith, 'He who speaketh 'aught' unto thee, and thou hast brought him unto me, then he doth not add any more to come against thee.' 11 And she saith, 'Let, I pray thee, the king remember by Jehovah thy God, that the redeemer of blood add not to destroy, and they destroy not my son;' and he saith, 'Jehovah liveth; if there doth fall of the hair of thy son to the earth.'

Matthew Henry's Commentary on 2 Samuel 14:4-11

Commentary on 2 Samuel 14:1-20

(Read 2 Samuel 14:1-20)

We may notice here, how this widow pleads God's mercy, and his clemency toward poor guilty sinners. The state of sinners is a state of banishment from God. God pardons none to the dishonour of his law and justice, nor any who are impenitent; nor to the encouragement of crimes, or the hurt of others.