2 Samuel 19:18
in 2 Samuel 19and crossed at the ford to carry over the king’s household and to do what was good in his sight. When Shimei son of Gera crossed the Jordan, he fell down before the king
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And there went over a ferry-boat to bring over the king’s household, and to do what he thought good. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, when he was come over the Jordan.
KJV
And there went over a ferry boat to carry over the king’s household, and to do what he thought good. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was come over Jordan;
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This verse in 2 Samuel 19
Commentary
8 notes on this verseThere went over a ferry-boat - This is the first mention of any thing of the kind. Some think a bridge or raft is what is here intended.
This site's exposition
the men of Judah came to Gilgal to meet him
on 2 Samuel 19:15-18
The men of Judah come to Gilgal to escort the king across the Jordan. Shimei son of Gera hurries down with a thousand men of Benjamin, and Ziba comes with “his fifteen sons and twenty servants”. Matthew Henry sets the crossing beside Joshua's crossing of the same river.
This site's exposition
crossed at the ford
The Hebrew word has been read as a ford, a ferry boat, or with Matthew Henry, a fleet or bridge of boats. Albert Barnes renders the timing as the moment David was about to cross. Henry notes that a public offence called for public submission.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
): He fell down before the king, as a penitent, as a supplicant; and, that he might be thought sincere, he did it publicly before all David's servants, and his friends the men of Judah, yea, and before his own thousand. The offence was public, therefore the submission ought to be so. He owns his crime: Thy servant doth know that I have sinned.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And there went over a ferry boat to carry over the king's household,....
A fleet of boats, say some; a bridge of boats was made, say others; the best convenience they had to serve him with. Two remarkable persons met him on the banks of Jordan, both of whom had abused him wretchedly when he was in his flight.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Expressing the deepest regret for his former outrageous conduct, he was pardoned on the spot; and although the son of Zeruiah urged the expediency of making this chief a public example, his officiousness was repulsed by David with magnanimity, and with the greater confidence that he felt himself now re-established in the kingdom (see on 1Ki 2:8).
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
As he was come over Jordan - Render, “when he was crossing,” i. e., just embarking for the purpose of crossing. The scene still lies on the east bank. Shimei left nothing undone to soften, if possible, David’s resentment.
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעָבְרָ֣ה | veaverah | and it passed over | H5674 → | 556 times |
| הָעֲבָרָ֗ה | haavarah | the ford | H5679 → | |
| לַֽעֲבִיר֙ | laavir | to bring over | H5674 → | 556 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בֵּ֣ית | beit | [the] household of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וְלַעֲשׂ֥וֹת | velaasot | and to do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| הַטּ֖וֹב | hatov | the good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| בְּעֵינָ֑יו | beayno | in eyes his | H5869 → | 887 times |
| וְשִׁמְעִ֣י | veshimi | and Shimei | H8096 → | 43 times |
| בֶן־ | ven- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| גֵּרָ֗א | gera' | Gera | H1617 → | 9 times |
| נָפַל֙ | nafal | he fell | H5307 → | 435 times |
| לִפְנֵ֣י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| בְּעָבְר֖וֹ | beavero | when passed he | H5674 → | 556 times |
| בַּיַּרְדֵּֽן׃ | baiyarden | in the Jordan | H3383 → | 182 times |
וְעָבְרָ֣הand it passed over
veaverahH5674 →556 times
הָעֲבָרָ֗הthe ford
haavarahH5679 →
לַֽעֲבִיר֙to bring over
laavirH5674 →556 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בֵּ֣ית[the] household of
beitH1004 →2046 times
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
וְלַעֲשׂ֥וֹתand to do
velaasotH6213 →2628 times
הַטּ֖וֹבthe good
hatovH2896 →538 times
בְּעֵינָ֑יוin eyes his
beaynoH5869 →887 times
וְשִׁמְעִ֣יand Shimei
veshimiH8096 →43 times
בֶן־[the] son of
ven-H1121 →4930 times
גֵּרָ֗אGera
gera'H1617 →9 times
נָפַל֙he fell
nafalH5307 →435 times
לִפְנֵ֣י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
בְּעָבְר֖וֹwhen passed he
beaveroH5674 →556 times
בַּיַּרְדֵּֽן׃in the Jordan
baiyardenH3383 →182 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
Revelation 3:9Look at those who belong to the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews but are liars instead. I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and they will know…
it leads to
- Isaiah 60:14
The sons of your oppressors will come and bow down to you; all who reviled you will fall facedown at your feet and call you the City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy…
- Revelation 2:9
I know your affliction and your poverty—though you are rich! And I am aware of the slander of those who falsely claim to be Jews, but are in fact a synagogue of Satan.
- Isaiah 49:23
Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow to you facedown and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD;…
- Isaiah 45:14
This is what the LORD says: “The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, along with the Sabeans, men of stature, will come over to you and will be yours; they will trudge…
- Isaiah 43:4
Because you are precious and honored in My sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you and nations in place of your life.
- Isaiah 60:14
Through
Psalms 66:3Say to God, “How awesome are Your deeds! So great is Your power that Your enemies cower before You.
it leads to
- Psalms 18:44
When they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cower before me.
- Psalms 65:5
With awesome deeds of righteousness You answer us, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.
- Psalms 81:15
Those who hate the LORD would feign obedience, and their doom would last forever.
- Psalms 18:44
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 2 Samuel

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); 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.
