2 Samuel 15:27
in 2 Samuel 15The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a seer? Return to the city in peace—you with your son Ahimaaz, and Abiathar with his son Jonathan.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
The king said also unto Zadok the priest, Art thou not a seer? return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.
KJV
The king said also unto Zadok the priest, Art not thou a seer? return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 15
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Art not those a seer? - If the text be correct, the sense would be, “Art thou not a seer? therefore go back to the city, and observe, and certify me of what thou seest” 2Sa 15:28. Others, by a slight alteration of the original text, read “Art not thou a chief” (priest), etc.
This site's exposition
Art not thou a seer
on 2 Samuel 15:27-29
David turns Zadok and Abiathar into an intelligence line rather than fellow exiles. Barnes notes the Hebrew behind seer at verse 27 is difficult enough that some read chief in its place, though the sense David intends is plain either way. The two priests' sons, Ahimaaz and Jonathan, become the couriers running news out of the city at verse 28, a plan David sets running before he has even reached the wilderness.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
A seer - A seeing, discerning, or observing man: for so the Hebrew verb raah is often used. And this suits well with David's mind: Thou art a wise man, and therefore fit to manage this great business, which requires prudence and secrecy.
), that is, a wise man, a man that can see into business and discern time and judgment: "Thou hast thy eyes in thy head ( Eccl. ii. 14 ), and therefore art capable of doing me service, especially by sending me intelligence of the enemy's motions and resolutions." One friend that is a seer, in such an exigency as this, was worth twenty that were not so quick-sighted.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And the king said unto Zadok the priest, art not thou a seer?....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Art not thou a seer? return into the city in peace - That is, As thou art the only organ of the public worship, that worship cannot be carried on without thee; and as thou art the priest of God, thou hast no cause to fear for thy personal safety: the nation has not abandoned their God, though they have abandoned their king. It appears also, that he wished these priests, by means of their sons, Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar, to send him frequent intelligence of the motions and operations of the enemy.
The words behind it
18 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 |
| צָד֣וֹק | tzadok | Zadok | H6659 → | 53 times |
| הַכֹּהֵ֔ן | hakohen | the priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| הֲרוֹאֶ֣ה | haroeh | ¿ a seer | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אַתָּ֔ה | ʾatah | [are] you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| שֻׁ֥בָה | shuvah | return ! | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| הָעִ֖יר | hair | the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| בְּשָׁל֑וֹם | beshalom | in peace | H7965 → | 236 times |
| וַאֲחִימַ֨עַץ | vaachimaatz | and Ahimaaz | H290 → | 15 times |
| בִּנְךָ֜ | binkha | son your | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| וִיהוֹנָתָ֧ן | vihonatan | and Jonathan | H3083 → | 81 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אֶבְיָתָ֛ר | ʾevyatar | Abiathar | H54 → | 30 times |
| שְׁנֵ֥י | shenei | [the] two | H8147 → | 768 times |
| בְנֵיכֶ֖ם | veneikhem | sons your | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אִתְּכֶֽם׃ | ʾitekhem | with you | H854 → | 929 times |
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙the king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
צָד֣וֹקZadok
tzadokH6659 →53 times
הַכֹּהֵ֔ןthe priest
hakohenH3548 →750 times
הֲרוֹאֶ֣ה¿ a seer
haroehH7200 →1300 times
אַתָּ֔ה[are] you
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
שֻׁ֥בָהreturn !
shuvahH7725 →1056 times
הָעִ֖ירthe city
hairH5892 →1090 times
בְּשָׁל֑וֹםin peace
beshalomH7965 →236 times
וַאֲחִימַ֨עַץand Ahimaaz
vaachimaatzH290 →15 times
בִּנְךָ֜son your
binkhaH1121 →4930 times
וִיהוֹנָתָ֧ןand Jonathan
vihonatanH3083 →81 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
אֶבְיָתָ֛רAbiathar
ʾevyatarH54 →30 times
שְׁנֵ֥י[the] two
sheneiH8147 →768 times
בְנֵיכֶ֖םsons your
veneikhemH1121 →4930 times
אִתְּכֶֽם׃with you
ʾitekhemH854 →929 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
1 Samuel 9:9(Formerly in Israel, a man on his way to inquire of God would say, “Come, let us go to the seer.” For the prophet of today was formerly called the seer.)
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 29:29
Now the acts of King David, from first to last, are indeed written in the Chronicles of Samuel the Seer, the Chronicles of Nathan the Prophet, and the Chronicles of Gad the Seer,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 30:10
They say to the seers, “Stop seeing visions!” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us the truth! Speak to us pleasant words; prophesy illusions.
- Amos 7:12
And Amaziah said to Amos, “Go away, you seer! Flee to the land of Judah; earn your bread there and do your prophesying there.
- 2 Kings 17:13
Yet through all His prophets and seers, the LORD warned Israel and Judah, saying, “Turn from your wicked ways and keep My commandments and statutes, according to the entire Law that I commanded your…
- 1 Chronicles 26:28
Everything that had been dedicated by Samuel the seer, Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah, along with everything else that was dedicated, was under the care of…
- 1 Chronicles 29:29
Through
2 Samuel 24:11When David got up in the morning, a revelation from the LORD had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer:
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 9:9
(Formerly in Israel, a man on his way to inquire of God would say, “Come, let us go to the seer.” For the prophet of today was formerly called the seer.)
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Samuel 9:9
Through
2 Samuel 17:17Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel, where a servant girl would come and pass along information to them. They in turn would go and inform King David, for they dared not be…
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 15:36
Indeed, their two sons, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with everything you hear.”
- Joshua 15:7
Then the border went up to Debir from the Valley of Achor, turning north to Gilgal, which faces the Ascent of Adummim south of the ravine. It continued along the waters of En-shemesh and…
- 2 Samuel 15:36
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Samuel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.