2 Samuel 17:16
in 2 Samuel 17Now send quickly and tell David, ‘Do not spend the night at the fords of the wilderness, but be sure to cross over. Otherwise the king and all the people with him will be swallowed up.’”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him.
KJV
Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 17
Commentary
5 notes on this verseFor in the history, Hushai is mentioned as the chief companion of David and the son of Arachi, but in the psalm, Hushai is the son of Jemini. Neither he nor any other of those appearing in the history was the son of Jemini. Perhaps he was called the son of Jemini for this reason, because he displayed great valor and strength through a mere pretense of friendship, going over, as he pretended, to Absalom, but in reality thwarting the plans of Ahithophel, a very skilled man, well trained in military affairs, who was giving his counsel.
This site's exposition
This is what Ahithophel has advised Absalom
on 2 Samuel 17:15-16
Hushai tells Zadok and Abiathar the priests both counsels, Ahithophel's and his own. The message tells David not to spend the night at the fords of the wilderness but to cross over. The priests pass it on through their own sons, who wait outside the city at verse 17.
This site's exposition
fords of the wilderness
The fords were where David had promised at 15:28 to wait for word from the priests. Hushai tells him to cross anyway. Basil of Caesarea takes the son of Jemini in the title of Psalm 7 to be Hushai, honored for valor shown under a pretended friendship.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Now therefore send quickly and tell David,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Hushai, like a wise and prudent man, knowing, too, Absalom’s weak and fickle character, would not depend upon the resolution, taken at his instigation, not to pursue the king, but took instant measures to advertise David of his danger.
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעַתָּ֡ה | veatah | and therefore | H6258 → | 433 times |
| שִׁלְח֣וּ | shilchu | send | H7971 → | 845 times |
| מְהֵרָה֩ | meherah | quickly | H4120 → | 20 times |
| וְהַגִּ֨ידוּ | vehagidu | and tell | H5046 → | 370 times |
| לְדָוִ֜ד | ledavid | to David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| לֵאמֹ֗ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תָּ֤לֶן | talen | you pass [the] night | H3885 → | 84 times |
| הַלַּ֙יְלָה֙ | halaylah | this night | H3915 → | 233 times |
| בְּעַֽרְב֣וֹת | bearvot | at [the] desert plains of | H6160 → | 61 times |
| הַמִּדְבָּ֔ר | hamidbar | the wilderness | H4057 → | 270 times |
| וְגַ֖ם | vegam | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| עָב֣וֹר | avor | certainly <to pass over> | H5674 → | 556 times |
| תַּעֲב֑וֹר | taavor | you will pass over | H5674 → | 556 times |
| פֶּ֚ן | pen | lest | H6435 → | 133 times |
| יְבֻלַּ֣ע | yevula' | it should be swallowed up | H1104 → | 49 times |
| לַמֶּ֔לֶךְ | lamelekh | to the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וּלְכָל־ | ulekhol- | and to all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָעָ֖ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אִתּֽוֹ׃ | ʾito | [is] with him | H854 → | 929 times |
וְעַתָּ֡הand therefore
veatahH6258 →433 times
שִׁלְח֣וּsend
shilchuH7971 →845 times
מְהֵרָה֩quickly
meherahH4120 →20 times
וְהַגִּ֨ידוּand tell
vehagiduH5046 →370 times
לְדָוִ֜דto David
ledavidH1732 →999 times
לֵאמֹ֗ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תָּ֤לֶןyou pass [the] night
talenH3885 →84 times
הַלַּ֙יְלָה֙this night
halaylahH3915 →233 times
בְּעַֽרְב֣וֹתat [the] desert plains of
bearvotH6160 →61 times
הַמִּדְבָּ֔רthe wilderness
hamidbarH4057 →270 times
וְגַ֖םand also
vegamH1571 →769 times
עָב֣וֹרcertainly <to pass over>
avorH5674 →556 times
תַּעֲב֑וֹרyou will pass over
taavorH5674 →556 times
פֶּ֚ןlest
penH6435 →133 times
יְבֻלַּ֣עit should be swallowed up
yevula'H1104 →49 times
לַמֶּ֔לֶךְto the king
lamelekhH4428 →2525 times
וּלְכָל־and to all
ulekhol-H3605 →5413 times
הָעָ֖םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אִתּֽוֹ׃[is] with him
ʾitoH854 →929 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Corinthians 15:54When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come to pass: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 25:8
He will swallow up death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from every face and remove the disgrace of His people from the whole earth. For the LORD has spoken.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Hebrews 2:14–15
Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil,
- Revelation 21:4
‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”
- Revelation 20:14
Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire.
- Luke 20:36
In fact, they can no longer die, because they are like the angels. And since they are sons of the resurrection, they are sons of God.
- Isaiah 25:8
Through
2 Corinthians 5:4So while we are in this tent, we groan under our burdens, because we do not wish to be unclothed but clothed, so that our mortality may be swallowed up by life.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 15:53–54
For the perishable must be clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
- 2 Corinthians 5:2
For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling,
- 2 Peter 1:13
I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of my body,
- 1 Corinthians 15:53–54
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 2 Samuel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Basil of Caesarea, HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 7.1; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).