2 Samuel 19:2
in 2 Samuel 19And that day’s victory was turned into mourning for all the people, because on that day they were told, “The king is grieving over his son.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people; for the people heard say that day, The king grieveth for his son.
KJV
And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people: for the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 19
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
The king is weeping and mourning over Absalom
on 2 Samuel 19:1-3
David's grief turns Israel's victory into mourning. The army that won the battle returns to the city by stealth, as men ashamed after a rout. Henry reads the moment as the greatest danger David faced to the loyalty of the men who had just saved his life.
This site's exposition
grieving over his son
Word of David's grief spread through the army the same day. Matthew Henry draws the lesson that the more eyes a man has on him, the more strictly he must govern his passions. Adam Clarke notes the people ended up mourning their own success.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), how the king was grieved for his son. The people will take particular notice what their princes say and do. The more eyes we have upon us, and the greater our influence is, the more need we have to speak and act wisely and to govern our passions strictly.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people,.... They also mourned too, instead of expressing joy upon the occasion: for the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son; this report was spread among them, which damped their joy, and hindered them from giving any tokens of it, as were usual at such times.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
The victory - was turned into mourning - Instead of rejoicing that a most unnatural and ruinous rebellion had been quashed, the people mourned over their own success, because they saw their king so immoderately afflicted for the loss of his worthless son.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
My son, my son. Eight times. 1 Dovid said the word בְּנִי eight times, five times in this verse and another three times later in verse. Our Rabbis said, 2 Sotah 10b.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
And the king was deeply shocked, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתְּהִ֨י | vatehi | and it became | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| הַתְּשֻׁעָ֜ה | hateshuah | the deliverance | H8668 → | 34 times |
| בַּיּ֥וֹם | baiyom | on the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַה֛וּא | hahu' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| לְאֵ֖בֶל | leevel | <into> mourning | H60 → | 24 times |
| לְכָל־ | lekhol | for all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָעָ֑ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| שָׁמַ֣ע | shama' | it heard | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| הָעָ֗ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| בַּיּ֤וֹם | baiyom | on the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַהוּא֙ | hahu' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| לֵאמֹ֔ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| נֶעֱצַ֥ב | neetzav | he is grieved | H6087 → | |
| הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| בְּנֽוֹ׃ | beno | son his | H1121 → | 4930 times |
וַתְּהִ֨יand it became
vatehiH1961 →3559 times
הַתְּשֻׁעָ֜הthe deliverance
hateshuahH8668 →34 times
בַּיּ֥וֹםon the day
baiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַה֛וּא<the> that
hahu'H1931 →1879 times
לְאֵ֖בֶל<into> mourning
leevelH60 →24 times
לְכָל־for all
lekholH3605 →5413 times
הָעָ֑םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
שָׁמַ֣עit heard
shama'H8085 →1159 times
הָעָ֗םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
בַּיּ֤וֹםon the day
baiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַהוּא֙<the> that
hahu'H1931 →1879 times
לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
נֶעֱצַ֥בhe is grieved
neetzavH6087 →
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
בְּנֽוֹ׃son his
benoH1121 →4930 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
Proverbs 16:15When a king’s face brightens, there is life; his favor is like a rain cloud in spring.
it leads to
- Psalms 72:6
May he be like rain that falls on freshly cut grass, like spring showers that water the earth.
- Job 29:23–24
They waited for me as for rain and drank in my words like spring showers.
- Hosea 6:3
So let us know—let us press on to know the LORD. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the rain, like the spring showers that water…
- Acts 2:28
You have made known to me the paths of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence.’
- Psalms 72:6
Through
Proverbs 19:12A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.
it leads to
- Hosea 14:5
I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like the lily and take root like the cedars of Lebanon.
- Proverbs 20:2
The terror of a king is like the roar of a lion; whoever provokes him forfeits his own life.
- Luke 12:4–5
I tell you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.
- Proverbs 16:14–15
The wrath of a king is a messenger of death, but a wise man will pacify it.
- Hosea 14:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 2 Samuel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.