וַתֹּאמֶר הָאִשָּׁה הַתְּקֹעִית אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ וַתִּפֹּל עַל אַפֶּיהָ אַרְצָה וַתִּשְׁתָּחוּ וַתֹּאמֶר הוֹשִׁעָה הַמֶּלֶךְ: וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ הַמֶּלֶךְ מַה לָּךְ וַתֹּאמֶר אֲבָל אִשָּׁה אַלְמָנָה אָנִי וַיָּמָת אִישִׁי: וּלְשִׁפְחָתְךָ שְׁנֵי בָנִים וַיִּנָּצוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם בַּשָּׂדֶה וְאֵין מַצִּיל בֵּינֵיהֶם וַיַּכּוֹ הָאֶחָד אֶת הָאֶחָד וַיָּמֶת אֹתוֹ: וְהִנֵּה קָמָה כָל הַמִּשְׁפָּחָה עַל שִׁפְחָתֶךָ וַיֹּאמְרוּ תְּנִי אֶת מַכֵּה אָחִיו וּנְמִתֵהוּ בְּנֶפֶשׁ אָחִיו אֲשֶׁר הָרָג וְנַשְׁמִידָה גַּם אֶת הַיּוֹרֵשׁ וְכִבּוּ אֶת גַּחַלְתִּי אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁאָרָה לְבִלְתִּי שום שִׂים לְאִישִׁי שֵׁם וּשְׁאֵרִית עַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה:
The woman of Tekoa came to the king, flung herself face down to the ground, and prostrated herself. She cried out, "Help, O king!" The king asked her, "What troubles you?" And she answered, "Alas, I am a widow, my husband is dead. Your maidservant had two sons. The two of them came to blows out in the fields where there was no one to stop them, and one of them struck the other and killed him. Then the whole clan confronted your maidservant and said, 'Hand over the one who killed his brother, that we may put him to death for the slaying of his brother, even though we wipe out the heir.' Thus they would quench the last ember remaining to me, and leave my husband without name or remnant upon the earth."
[JPS translation]
Suggested Discussion Questions:
1. Why did the woman of Tekoa come to the king? What was her concern?
2. What does this text teach us about women's roles in biblical times? How are they different today? How are they similar?
Time Period: Biblical (early ancestors to 165 BCE)