2 Samuel 18:27
in 2 Samuel 18The 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.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the watchman said, I think the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings.
KJV
And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 18
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
David sat between the two gates--that is, in the tower-house on the wall that overhung the gate of Mahanaim. Near it was a watchtower, on which a sentinel was posted, as in times of war, to notify every occurrence.
This site's exposition
David was sitting between the two gates
on 2 Samuel 18:24-27
David sits between the two gates while a watchman sees a man running alone. The king takes a lone runner as good news, since a rout would scatter men. The watchman thinks the first man runs “like Ahimaaz son of Zadok”, and David answers, “This is a good man”.
This site's exposition
This is a good man
David trusts Ahimaaz son of Zadok, who had already risked his life carrying Hushai's warning at 17:21. Matthew Henry draws the wider rule that good tidings ought to come by good men. The news is good for the king, grievous for the father.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
It is pity but the good tidings of the gospel should always be brought by good men; and how welcome should the messengers be to us for their message sake! Ahimaaz is very forward to proclaim the victory (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And the watchman said, me thinketh,....
The words behind it
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הַצֹּפֶ֔ה | hatzopeh | the watchman | H6822 → | 36 times |
| אֲנִ֤י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| רֹאֶה֙ | roeh | [am] seeing | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מְרוּצַ֣ת | merutzat | [the] running of | H4794 → | |
| הָרִאשׁ֔וֹן | harishon | the first [one] | H7223 → | 182 times |
| כִּמְרֻצַ֖ת | kimrutzat | like [the] running of | H4794 → | |
| אֲחִימַ֣עַץ | ʾachimaatz | Ahimaaz | H290 → | 15 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| צָד֑וֹק | tzadok | Zadok | H6659 → | 53 times |
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אִֽישׁ־ | ʾish- | [is] a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| ט֣וֹב | tov | good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| זֶ֔ה | zeh | this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| וְאֶל־ | veel- | and with | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בְּשׂוֹרָ֥ה | besorah | news | H1309 → | 6 times |
| טוֹבָ֖ה | tovah | good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| יָבֽוֹא׃ | yavo' | he is coming | H935 → | 2568 times |
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙and he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הַצֹּפֶ֔הthe watchman
hatzopehH6822 →36 times
אֲנִ֤יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
רֹאֶה֙[am] seeing
roehH7200 →1300 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מְרוּצַ֣ת[the] running of
merutzatH4794 →
הָרִאשׁ֔וֹןthe first [one]
harishonH7223 →182 times
כִּמְרֻצַ֖תlike [the] running of
kimrutzatH4794 →
אֲחִימַ֣עַץAhimaaz
ʾachimaatzH290 →15 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
צָד֑וֹקZadok
tzadokH6659 →53 times
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙the king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אִֽישׁ־[is] a man
ʾish-H376 →1663 times
ט֣וֹבgood
tovH2896 →538 times
זֶ֔הthis
zehH2088 →1180 times
וְאֶל־and with
veel-H413 →5510 times
בְּשׂוֹרָ֥הnews
besorahH1309 →6 times
טוֹבָ֖הgood
tovahH2896 →538 times
יָבֽוֹא׃he is coming
yavo'H935 →2568 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
Romans 10:15And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
it leads to
- Isaiah 52:7
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
- Nahum 1:15
Look to the mountains—the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace! Celebrate your feasts, O Judah; fulfill your vows. For the wicked will never again march through you; they will be…
- Ephesians 2:17
He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.
- Matthew 28:18–20
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
- Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty…
- Isaiah 52:7
Through
Proverbs 25:25Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.
it leads to
- Proverbs 15:30
The light of the eyes cheers the heart, and good news nourishes the bones.
- Romans 10:15
And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
- Proverbs 15:30
Through
Proverbs 25:13Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the soul of his masters.
it leads to
- Proverbs 13:17
A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a faithful envoy brings healing.
- Proverbs 13:17
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
About 2 Samuel

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
