What Does 2 Samuel 14:22 Mean in the King James?
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.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The word translated “thanked” is the language of blessing, spoken after Joab’s body has already bent low.
THE MEANING
A request is fulfilled, and Joab recognizes the outcome as favor found in the king’s sight. He answers with his whole posture and with a blessing, making the received favor visible in both body and speech.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The verse undoes the idea that a fulfilled request is simply a debt collected: Joab names it as favor received from another.
THE ROOT
וַיְבָרֶךְ
vayevarekh
GROWS FROM
ברך
barak
To bless; the same consonants also name the knee.
The Hebrew word rendered “thanked” comes from the root used for blessing, and that root also names the knee, בֶּרֶךְ (berekh, knee). Joab has just fallen and bowed: his posture and his spoken blessing echo one another.
ALSO GROWS
berekh: Knee
בֶּרֶךְ
The shared consonants place the knee’s bending beside the act of blessing in this scene.
berakhah: Blessing
בְּרָכָה
Joab’s thanks is expressed through the language of blessing directed toward the king.
חֵן
chen
GROWS FROM
חנן
chanan
To show favor or be gracious.
The word translated “grace” is chen, favor: Joab describes it as something he has found in the king’s eyes. The related forms keep favor tied to the act of showing it, so the fulfilled request remains a personal exchange.
ALSO GROWS
chanan: Show favor, be gracious
חָנַן
This verb names the giving of favor that Joab recognizes in the king’s response.
channun: Gracious, one who shows favor
חַנּוּן
This related form describes the quality of the one whose favor Joab says he has found.
THE PATTERN
Favor is described as something found in another’s sight, making its reception relational.
And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me.Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.THE THREAD
And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter unto his son.The servant’s response follows the same movement as Joab’s: bowing, then blessing. The Hebrew roots שחה (shachah, bow down) and ברך (barak, bless) link the lowered posture with the spoken blessing in both scenes.
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