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2 Samuel 18:27

in 2 Samuel 18

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.”

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.

This verse in 2 Samuel 18

Commentary

5 notes on this verse

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

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

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

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 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.

  • 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 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

    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!”

    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…

  • Through

    Proverbs 25:25

    Like 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!”

  • Through

    Proverbs 25:13

    Like 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.

Where this verse is studied

On this page

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

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.