2 Samuel 18:32
in 2 Samuel 18The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom all right?” And the Cushite replied, “May what has become of the young man happen to the enemies of my lord the king and to all who rise up against you to harm you.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the king said unto the Cushite, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And the Cushite answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise up against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.
KJV
And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 18
Commentary
6 notes on this verseAnd the king said unto Cushi, is the young man Absalom safe?.... The same question that was put to Ahimaaz, 2Sa 18:29; which shows what lay nearest his heart, and was uppermost in his mind: and Cushi answered, the enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is, which was tacitly saying he was dead, and so David understood it; and he expressed it in such a manner, that David could not be displeased with the messenger; though the message was grievous to him.
This site's exposition
So he stepped aside
on 2 Samuel 18:30-32
The Cushite announces that the LORD has avenged the king, and David asks him the same question about Absalom. He answers, “May what has become of the young man happen to the enemies of my lord the king”. The answer tells David of his son's death without naming it.
This site's exposition
happen to the enemies
Matthew Henry notes what the Cushite leaves out: the hanging, the darts and the heap of stones. Adam Clarke thinks David's question, asked twice with no word about the victory, earned the reproof Joab gives at 19:5. The same question had failed with Ahimaaz.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
He did not tell him plainly that Absalom was hanged, and run through and buried under a heap of stones; but only that his fate was what he desired might be the fate of all that were traitors against the king, his crown and dignity: " The enemies of my lord the king, whoever they are, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Is the young man Absalom safe? - This was the utmost of his solicitude, and it well merited the reproof which Joab gave him, 2Sa 19:5.
A 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.
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַכּוּשִׁ֔י | hakushi | the Cushite | H3569 → | 26 times |
| הֲשָׁל֥וֹם | hashalom | ¿ [does] peace | H7965 → | 236 times |
| לַנַּ֖עַר | lanaar | [belong] to the young man | H5288 → | 239 times |
| לְאַבְשָׁל֑וֹם | leavshalom | to Absalom | H53 → | 110 times |
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הַכּוּשִׁ֗י | hakushi | the Cushite | H3569 → | 26 times |
| יִהְי֤וּ | yihyu | let them be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| כַנַּ֙עַר֙ | khanaar | like the young man | H5288 → | 239 times |
| אֹֽיְבֵי֙ | ʾoyevei | [the] enemies of | H341 → | 282 times |
| אֲדֹנִ֣י | ʾadoni | lord my | H113 → | 333 times |
| הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וְכֹ֛ל | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | [those] who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| קָ֥מוּ | kamu | they have risen up | H6965 → | 628 times |
| עָלֶ֖יךָ | ʾaleikha | on you | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| לְרָעָֽה׃ ס | leraah | for harm | H7451 → | 662 times |
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙the king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַכּוּשִׁ֔יthe Cushite
hakushiH3569 →26 times
הֲשָׁל֥וֹם¿ [does] peace
hashalomH7965 →236 times
לַנַּ֖עַר[belong] to the young man
lanaarH5288 →239 times
לְאַבְשָׁל֑וֹםto Absalom
leavshalomH53 →110 times
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הַכּוּשִׁ֗יthe Cushite
hakushiH3569 →26 times
יִהְי֤וּlet them be
yihyuH1961 →3559 times
כַנַּ֙עַר֙like the young man
khanaarH5288 →239 times
אֹֽיְבֵי֙[the] enemies of
ʾoyeveiH341 →282 times
אֲדֹנִ֣יlord my
ʾadoniH113 →333 times
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
וְכֹ֛לand all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
אֲשֶׁר־[those] who
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
קָ֥מוּthey have risen up
kamuH6965 →628 times
עָלֶ֖יךָon you
ʾaleikhaH5921 →5755 times
לְרָעָֽה׃ סfor harm
leraahH7451 →662 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
Judges 5:31So may all Your enemies perish, O LORD! But may those who love You shine like the sun at its brightest.” And the land had rest for forty years.
it leads to
- Psalms 37:6
He will bring forth your righteousness like the dawn, your justice like the noonday sun.
- 2 Samuel 23:4
is like the light of the morning at sunrise of a cloudless dawn, the glistening after the rain on the sprouting grass of the earth.’
- James 1:12
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.
- 1 Peter 1:8
Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with an inexpressible and glorious joy,
- 1 Corinthians 8:3
But the one who loves God is known by God.
- Psalms 37:6
Through
1 Samuel 25:26Now, my lord, as surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, the LORD has held you back from coming to bloodshed and avenging yourself with your own hand. May your enemies and…
it leads to
- Romans 12:19–20
Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”
- Genesis 20:6
Then God said to Abimelech in the dream, “Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against Me. That is why I did…
- Romans 12:19–20
Through
Daniel 4:19For a time, Daniel, who was also known as Belteshazzar, was perplexed, and his thoughts alarmed him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation alarm you.” “My lord,”…
it leads to
- Daniel 7:28
Thus ends the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts troubled me greatly, and my face turned pale. But I kept the matter to myself.”
- Daniel 7:28
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
About 2 Samuel

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