The Meaning of 2 Samuel 14:22 Explained

2 Samuel 14:22

KJV: And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himself, and thanked the king: and Joab said, 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.

YLT: And Joab falleth on his face to the earth, and doth obeisance, and blesseth the king, and Joab saith, 'To-day hath thy servant known that I have found grace in thine eyes, my lord, O king, in that the king hath done the word of his servant.'

Darby: And Joab fell to the ground on his face and bowed himself, and blessed the king; and Joab said, To-day thy servant knows that I have found favour in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has fulfilled the request of his servant.

ASV: And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and did obeisance, and blessed the king: and Joab said, To-day thy servant knoweth that I have found favor in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king hath performed the request of his servant.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Joab  fell  to the ground  on his face,  and bowed  himself, and thanked  the king:  and Joab  said,  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. 

What does 2 Samuel 14:22 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 14:18-33 - Restored Though Unrepentant
Joab knew perfectly that David was well pleased to recall Absalom, in response, as it appeared, to the request of the most powerful of his subjects. But Joab was equally satisfied that Absalom was now in a position to execute plans for personal advancement. His refusal to meet Absalom was perhaps only a blind. David, at least, was bitterly to rue his weakness in restoring his wayward son without the latter's penitence.
Absalom's behavior was based in the extreme. Beauty of body and deformity of soul often coexist in the same individual. A flower-covered grave may hide gross corruption. See in his case an illustration of what would happen if sin could be forgiven apart from repentance and regeneration. Justification without sanctification would turn heaven into hell. There must be deep soul-work, if we are to come forth into the light of the love of God. The barley-field, set on fire to bring about this meeting between Absalom and Joab, suggests how often God has to fire our choice possessions, that, as the flame flares up to heaven, we may be induced to seek the presence of Him whom we have deeply wronged. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 14

1  Joab, suborning a widow of Tekoah to incline the king's heart to fetch Absalom,
21  brings him home to Jerusalem
25  Absalom's beauty, hair, and children
28  After two years, Absalom is brought into the king's presence by Joab

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 14:22 mean?

And fell Joab on his face to the ground and bowed himself and blessed - the king and said Today knows your servant that I have found favor in your sight my lord king in that has fulfilled the king the request of his servant
וַיִּפֹּל֩ יוֹאָ֨ב אֶל־ פָּנָ֥יו אַ֛רְצָה וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֶת־ הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר הַיּוֹם֩ יָדַ֨ע עַבְדְּךָ֜ כִּי־ מָצָ֨אתִי חֵ֤ן בְּעֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ אֲדֹנִ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֲשֶׁר־ עָשָׂ֥ה הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ דְּבַ֥ר [עבדו] (עַבְדֶּֽךָ)

וַיִּפֹּל֩  And  fell 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
יוֹאָ֨ב  Joab 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄואָב  
Sense: son of David’s sister Zeruiah and general of David’s army.
פָּנָ֥יו  his  face 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
אַ֛רְצָה  to  the  ground 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ  and  bowed  himself 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁחָה  
Sense: to bow down.
וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ  and  blessed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּרַךְ 
Sense: to bless, kneel.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הַיּוֹם֩  Today 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
יָדַ֨ע  knows 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
עַבְדְּךָ֜  your  servant 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
כִּי־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
מָצָ֨אתִי  I  have  found 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
חֵ֤ן  favor 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֵן  
Sense: favour, grace, charm.
בְּעֵינֶ֙יךָ֙  in  your  sight 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, cdc, second person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
אֲדֹנִ֣י  my  lord 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָדֹון  
Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אֲשֶׁר־  in  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
עָשָׂ֥ה  has  fulfilled 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
דְּבַ֥ר  the  request 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
(עַבְדֶּֽךָ)  his  servant 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.