2 Samuel 13:34
in 2 Samuel 13Meanwhile, Absalom had fled. When the young man standing watch looked up, he saw many people coming down the road west of him, along the side of the hill. And the watchman went and reported to the king, “I see men coming from the direction of Horonaim, along the side of the hill.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But Absalom fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came much people by the way of the hill-side behind him.
KJV
But Absalom fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came much people by the way of the hill side behind him.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 13
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Absalom fled - This is the sequel to 2Sa 13:29. The king’s sons rose from table and fled, and Absalom taking advantage of the confusion, also escaped and fled. This information is inserted here to account for the king’s sons returning unmolested.
This site's exposition
kept the watch lifted up his eyes
on 2 Samuel 13:34-36
A watchman posted to look down the road, the same kind of office that will one day spot Absalom's own end at chapter 18, sees the king's sons coming while Jonadab is still speaking. The false report of verse 30 dissolves the moment the company comes into view, and grief turns from all the sons to the one who will not walk through the gate again. David and his servants weep sore, not from the worst they feared, but from a lesser and still real loss.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Though David had let Amnon's incest go unpunished, Absalom could not promise himself his pardon for this murder; so express was the law in this case, and so well known David's justice, and his dread of blood-guiltiness. He therefore made the best of his way to his mother's relations, and was entertained by his grandfather Talmai, king of Geshur (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
But Absalom fled,....
Amnon's character, we have reason to think, was bad in other things; if he had not forsaken God, he would never have been given up to these vile affections. Godly parents have often been afflicted with wicked children; grace does not run in the blood, but corruption does.
The grief David had been in for that which was not made him the better able to bear that which was, by giving him a sensible occasion, when he was undeceived, to thank God that all his sons were not dead: yet that Amnon was dead, and slain by his own brother is such a treacherous barbarous manner, was enough to put the king and court, the king and kingdom, into real mourning.
The words behind it
27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּבְרַ֖ח | vaiyivrach | and he fled | H1272 → | 63 times |
| אַבְשָׁל֑וֹם | ʾavshalom | Absalom | H53 → | 110 times |
| וַיִּשָּׂ֞א | vaiyisa' | and he lifted up | H5375 → | 656 times |
| הַנַּ֤עַר | hanaar | the servant | H5288 → | 239 times |
| הַצֹּפֶה֙ | hatzopeh | who kept watch | H6822 → | 36 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֵינָ֔יו | eino | eyes his | H5869 → | 887 times |
| וַיַּ֗רְא | vaiyar' | and he saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| וְהִנֵּ֨ה | vehineh | and there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| עַם־ | ʾam- | a people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| רַ֜ב | rav | numerous | H7227 → | 454 times |
| הֹלְכִ֥ים | holekhim | [was] coming | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| מִדֶּ֛רֶךְ | miderekh | from [the] road | H1870 → | 707 times |
| אַחֲרָ֖יו | ʾacharav | behind him | H310 → | 715 times |
| מִצַּ֥ד | mitzad | from [the] side of | H6654 → | |
| הָהָֽר׃ | hahar | the mountain | H2022 → | 546 times |
| בַּמּוֹרָ֑ד | bamorad | at the descent | H4174 → | |
| וַיָּבֹ֥א | vaiyavo' | and he went | H935 → | 2568 times |
| הַצֹּפֶ֜ה | hatzopeh | the watchman | H6822 → | 36 times |
| וַיַּגֵּ֖ד | vaiyaged | and he told | H5046 → | 370 times |
| לַמֶּ֔לֶךְ | lamelekh | to the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וַיֹּאמַ֑ר | vaiyomar | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲנָשִׁים֙ | ʾanashim | men | H582 → | 566 times |
| רָאִ֣יתִי | raiti | I saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| יֹרְדִ֗ים | yoredim | [were] going down | H3381 → | 381 times |
| מִדֶּ֣רֶךְ | miderekh | from direction of | H1870 → | 707 times |
| חֹרֹנַיִם | choronayim | Horonaim | H2773 → |
וַיִּבְרַ֖חand he fled
vaiyivrachH1272 →63 times
אַבְשָׁל֑וֹםAbsalom
ʾavshalomH53 →110 times
וַיִּשָּׂ֞אand he lifted up
vaiyisa'H5375 →656 times
הַנַּ֤עַרthe servant
hanaarH5288 →239 times
הַצֹּפֶה֙who kept watch
hatzopehH6822 →36 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עֵינָ֔יוeyes his
einoH5869 →887 times
וַיַּ֗רְאand he saw
vaiyar'H7200 →1300 times
וְהִנֵּ֨הand there!
vehinehH2009 →843 times
עַם־a people
ʾam-H5971 →1873 times
רַ֜בnumerous
ravH7227 →454 times
הֹלְכִ֥ים[was] coming
holekhimH1980 →1546 times
מִדֶּ֛רֶךְfrom [the] road
miderekhH1870 →707 times
אַחֲרָ֖יוbehind him
ʾacharavH310 →715 times
מִצַּ֥דfrom [the] side of
mitzadH6654 →
הָהָֽר׃the mountain
haharH2022 →546 times
בַּמּוֹרָ֑דat the descent
bamoradH4174 →
וַיָּבֹ֥אand he went
vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times
הַצֹּפֶ֜הthe watchman
hatzopehH6822 →36 times
וַיַּגֵּ֖דand he told
vaiyagedH5046 →370 times
לַמֶּ֔לֶךְto the king
lamelekhH4428 →2525 times
וַיֹּאמַ֑רand he said
vaiyomarH559 →5305 times
אֲנָשִׁים֙men
ʾanashimH582 →566 times
רָאִ֣יתִיI saw
raitiH7200 →1300 times
יֹרְדִ֗ים[were] going down
yoredimH3381 →381 times
מִדֶּ֣רֶךְfrom direction of
miderekhH1870 →707 times
חֹרֹנַיִםHoronaim
choronayimH2773 →
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 28:17A man burdened by bloodguilt will flee into the Pit; let no one support him.
it leads to
- Genesis 9:6
Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind.
- Exodus 21:14
But if a man schemes and acts willfully against his neighbor to kill him, you must take him away from My altar to be put to death.
- 1 Kings 21:19
Tell him that this is what the LORD says: ‘Have you not murdered a man and seized his land?’ Then tell him that this is also what the LORD says: ‘In the place where…
- Matthew 27:4–5
“I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,” he said. “What is that to us?” they replied. “You bear the responsibility.”
- 2 Chronicles 24:21–25
But they conspired against Zechariah, and by order of the king, they stoned him in the courtyard of the house of the LORD.
- Genesis 9:6
Through
Amos 5:19It will be like a man who flees from a lion, only to encounter a bear, or who enters his house and rests his hand against the wall, only to be bitten by a…
it leads to
- Isaiah 24:17–18
Terror and pit and snare await you, O dweller of the earth.
- Jeremiah 15:2–3
If they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you are to tell them that this is what the LORD says: ‘Those destined for death, to death; those destined for the sword, to the sword;…
- Jeremiah 48:43–44
Terror and pit and snare await you, O dweller of Moab,” declares the LORD.
- Isaiah 24:17–18
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Samuel
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson Fausset and 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.