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2 Samuel 18:20

in 2 Samuel 18

But Joab replied, “You are not the man to take good news today. You may do it another day, but you must not do so today, because the king’s son is dead.”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not be the bearer of tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day; but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king’s son is dead.

KJV

And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day: but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king’s son is dead.

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This verse in 2 Samuel 18

Commentary

4 notes on this verse

This site's exposition

the LORD has avenged him of his enemies

on 2 Samuel 18:19-23

Ahimaaz asks to tell the king “the good news that the LORD has avenged him of his enemies”, but Joab refuses and sends a Cushite. Ahimaaz presses a second time, is allowed to run, and outruns the Cushite. Albert Barnes takes the Cushite to be a foreign slave.

This site's exposition

because the king’s son is dead

Joab knows how David treats bearers of such news, having seen him execute the Amalekite who reported Saul's death at 1:15. Matthew Henry judges tidings of this kind fitter for a footman than a priest. Joab protects Zadok's son.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

); they are fitter to be brought by a footman than by a priest. However, when Cushi was gone, Ahimaaz begged hard for leave to run after him, and with great importunity obtained it,

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens

And Joab said unto him, thou shall not bear tidings this day,....

The words behind it

21 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וַיֹּ֧אמֶרand he said

    vaiyomerH559 →5305 times

  • ל֣וֹto <the> him

    lo

  • יוֹאָ֗בJoab

    yoavH3097 →144 times

  • לֹא֩not

    lo'H3808 →5168 times

  • אִ֨ישׁ[are] a man of

    ʾishH376 →1663 times

  • בְּשֹׂרָ֤הnews

    besorahH1309 →6 times

  • אַתָּה֙you

    ʾatahH859 →1094 times

  • הַיּ֣וֹם<the> day

    haiyomH3117 →2304 times

  • הַזֶּ֔ה<the> this

    hazehH2088 →1180 times

  • וּבִשַּׂרְתָּ֖and you will bear news

    uvisartaH1319 →24 times

  • בְּי֣וֹםon a day

    beyomH3117 →2304 times

  • אַחֵ֑רanother

    ʾacherH312 →166 times

  • וְהַיּ֤וֹםand <the> day

    vehaiyomH3117 →2304 times

  • הַזֶּה֙<the> this

    hazehH2088 →1180 times

  • לֹ֣אnot

    lo'H3808 →5168 times

  • תְבַשֵּׂ֔רyou will bear [the] news

    tevaserH1319 →24 times

  • כִּֽי־for

    ki-H3588 →4482 times

  • עַל־כֵּ֥ןsince-<thus>

    al-kenH5921 →H3651 →771 times

  • בֶּן־[the] son of

    ben-H1121 →4930 times

  • הַמֶּ֖לֶךְthe king

    hamelekhH4428 →2525 times

  • מֵֽת׃he has died

    metH4191 →839 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

6 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

2 Samuel 17:16–21Now 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.’”2 works2 Samuel 18:33The king was shaken and went up to the gate chamber and wept. And as he walked, he cried out, “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”2 works2 Samuel 18:27The watchman said, “The first man appears to me to be running like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.” “This is a good man,” said the king. “He comes with good news.”2 works2 Samuel 18:5Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake.” And all the people heard the king’s orders to each of the commanders regarding Absalom.2 works2 Samuel 18:29The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom all right?” And Ahimaaz replied, “When Joab sent the king’s servant and your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I do not know what it was.”2 works2 Samuel 19:1Then it was reported to Joab, “The king is weeping and mourning over Absalom.”2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    2 Samuel 18:33

    The king was shaken and went up to the gate chamber and wept. And as he walked, he cried out, “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died…

    it leads to

    • Psalms 103:13

      As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • 2 Samuel 19:4

      But the king covered his face and cried out at the top of his voice, “O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!”

    • Proverbs 10:1

      The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.

    • Proverbs 17:25

      A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.

    • 2 Samuel 12:10–23

      Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’

  • Through

    2 Samuel 18:27

    The watchman said, “The first man appears to me to be running like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.” “This is a good man,” said the king. “He comes with good news.”

    it leads to

    • 2 Kings 9:20

      Again the watchman reported, “He reached them, but he is not coming back. And the charioteer is driving like Jehu son of Nimshi—he is driving like a madman!”

    • 1 Kings 1:42

      As he was speaking, suddenly Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest arrived. “Come in,” said Adonijah, “for you are a man of valor. You must be bringing good news.”

  • Through

    2 Samuel 18:5

    Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake.” And all the people heard the king’s orders to each of the commanders regarding Absalom.

    it leads to

    • Deuteronomy 21:18–21

      If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and does not listen to them when disciplined,

Where this verse is studied

On this page

Studies2

About 2 Samuel

The Death of Absalom — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
The Death of Absalom — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
2 Samuel: the study guide →Read 2 Samuel 18 →

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in 2 Samuel 18 →