2 Samuel 15:32
in 2 Samuel 15When David came to the summit, where he used to worship God, Hushai the Archite was there to meet him with his robe torn and dust on his head.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And it came to pass, that, when David was come to the top of the ascent, where God was worshipped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head.
KJV
And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the mount, where he worshipped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head:
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This verse in 2 Samuel 15
Commentary
7 notes on this verseWhere he worshipped God - Though in danger of his life, he stops on the top of Mount Olivet for prayer! How true is the adage, Prayer and provender never hinder any man’s journey! Reader, dost thou do likewise? Hushai the Archite - He was the particular friend of David, and was now greatly affected by his calamity.
This site's exposition
Hushai the Archite came to meet him
on 2 Samuel 15:32-34
Hushai meets David at the mountaintop where David worships, dressed for mourning, coat rent and earth on his head, ready to follow his king into exile. David sends him back instead, into the very court that has just cast David out, so Hushai's presence there can defeat Ahithophel's counsel from within rather than by force. The prayer of verse 31 gets its human means the moment after it is prayed.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Note, Weeping must not hinder worshipping, but quicken it rather. Now he penned the third Psalm , as appears by the title; and some think that his singing this was the worship he now paid to God.
2 And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the mount,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
when David was come to the top of the mount, where he worshipped--looking towards Jerusalem, where were the ark and tabernacle. Hushai the Archite--A native of Archi, on the frontiers of Benjamin and Ephraim (Jos 16:2).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Render ... “when David was come to the top of the mount where people worship God.” The top here, and in 2Sa 16:1, is used almost as a proper name. No doubt there was a high-place upon the top of the Mount of Olives.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֤י | vayhi | and he was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| דָוִד֙ | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| בָּ֣א | ba' | coming | H935 → | 2568 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | to | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| הָרֹ֔אשׁ | harosh | the top | H7218 → | 599 times |
| אֲשֶֽׁר־ | ʾasher- | where | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֥ה | yishtachaveh | he bowed down | H7812 → | 172 times |
| שָׁ֖ם | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| לֵאלֹהִ֑ים | lelohim | to God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וְהִנֵּ֤ה | vehineh | and there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| לִקְרָאתוֹ֙ | likrato | to meet him | H7122 → | 139 times |
| חוּשַׁ֣י | chushai | Hushai | H2365 → | 14 times |
| הָאַרְכִּ֔י | haarki | the Arkite | H757 → | 6 times |
| קָר֙וּעַ֙ | karua' | [was] torn | H7167 → | 63 times |
| כֻּתָּנְתּ֔וֹ | kutaneto | tunic his | H3801 → | 29 times |
| וַאֲדָמָ֖ה | vaadamah | and earth | H127 → | 225 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | [was] on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃ | rosho | head his | H7218 → | 599 times |
וַיְהִ֤יand he was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
דָוִד֙David
davidH1732 →999 times
בָּ֣אcoming
ba'H935 →2568 times
עַד־to
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
הָרֹ֔אשׁthe top
haroshH7218 →599 times
אֲשֶֽׁר־where
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
יִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֥הhe bowed down
yishtachavehH7812 →172 times
שָׁ֖םthere
shamH8033 →834 times
לֵאלֹהִ֑יםto God
lelohimH430 →2601 times
וְהִנֵּ֤הand there!
vehinehH2009 →843 times
לִקְרָאתוֹ֙to meet him
likratoH7122 →139 times
חוּשַׁ֣יHushai
chushaiH2365 →14 times
הָאַרְכִּ֔יthe Arkite
haarkiH757 →6 times
קָר֙וּעַ֙[was] torn
karua'H7167 →63 times
כֻּתָּנְתּ֔וֹtunic his
kutanetoH3801 →29 times
וַאֲדָמָ֖הand earth
vaadamahH127 →225 times
עַל־[was] on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃head his
roshoH7218 →599 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
2 Samuel 13:19And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her robe. And putting her hand on her head, she went away crying bitterly.
it leads to
- Joshua 7:6
Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown before the ark of the LORD until evening, as did the elders of Israel; and they all sprinkled dust on their heads.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Joshua 7:6
Through
2 Samuel 1:2On the third day a man with torn clothes and dust on his head arrived from Saul’s camp. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to pay him homage.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 4:12
That same day a Benjamite ran from the battle line all the way to Shiloh, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head.
- 2 Samuel 4:10
when someone told me, ‘Look, Saul is dead,’ and thought he was a bearer of good news, I seized him and put him to death at Ziklag. That was his reward for his news!
- 1 Samuel 4:12
Through
2 Samuel 15:30But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went up. His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. And all the people with him covered their heads and went up,…
it leads to
- Esther 6:12
Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief.
- Luke 19:41
As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it
- 2 Samuel 19:4
But the king covered his face and cried out at the top of his voice, “O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!”
- Esther 6:12
Through
Joshua 16:2It went on from Bethel (that is, Luz) and proceeded to the border of the Archites in Ataroth.
it leads to
- Joshua 18:13
From there the border crossed over to the southern slope of Luz (that is, Bethel) and went down to Ataroth-addar on the hill south of Lower Beth-horon.
- Genesis 28:19
and he called that place Bethel, though previously the city had been named Luz.
- Joshua 18:13
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); 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.