2 Samuel 17:13
in 2 Samuel 17If he retreats to a city, all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it down to the valley until not even a pebble can be found.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there be not one small stone found there.
KJV
Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there be not one small stone found there.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 17
Commentary
6 notes on this verseShall all Israel bring ropes to that city - The original word חבלים chabalim, which signifies ropes, and from which we have our word cable, may have some peculiarity of meaning here; for it is not likely that any city could be pulled down with ropes. The Chaldee, which should be best judge in this case, translates the original word by משרין mashreyan, towers: this gives an easy sense.
This site's exposition
is not good at this time
on 2 Samuel 17:7-13
Hushai concedes what everyone in the room already knows, that Ahithophel's counsel has generally been sound, and stakes his objection only on this time, which gives his dissent the appearance of fairness rather than rivalry. His argument is picture and flattery together: David and his mighty men are a bear robbed of her whelps, too dangerous to be caught by surprise, so let Absalom instead gather all Israel from Dan to Beersheba and lead the host himself, as the sand of the sea for multitude. Every word plays to the young man's vanity and buys David the one thing Ahithophel's plan would have denied him, time.
This site's exposition
all Israel will bring ropes
John Wesley calls the ropes a boast shaped to Absalom's vanity. No city is dragged down to the valley by hand, and Adam Clarke notes that the Chaldee renders the word for ropes as towers. Matthew Henry notes that Absalom and all the men of Israel agreed with this advice.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
As dew - That is, plenteously, suddenly, irresistibly, and on all sides; for so the dew falls. Bring ropes - It is an hyperbolical expression, suited to the vain-glorious temper of this insolent young man: implying, that they would do so if they could not destroy him another way: or, that they should be enough to do so, if there were occasion.
Moreover, if he be gotten into a city,....
(3.) By all these arts, Hushai gained not only Absalom's approbation of his advice, but the unanimous concurrence of this great counsel of war; they all agreed that the counsel of Hushai was better than the counsel of Ahithophel,
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאִם־ | veim- | and if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | into | H413 → | 5510 times |
| עִיר֙ | ʾir | a city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| יֵֽאָסֵ֔ף | yeasef | he will be gathered | H622 → | 200 times |
| וְהִשִּׂ֧יאוּ | vehisiu | and they will cause to bring | H5375 → | 656 times |
| כָֽל־ | khol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הָעִ֥יר | hair | the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| הַהִ֖יא | hahi' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| חֲבָלִ֑ים | chavalim | ropes | H2256 → | 62 times |
| וְסָחַ֤בְנוּ | vesachavnu | and we will drag | H5498 → | |
| אֹתוֹ֙ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | to | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| הַנַּ֔חַל | hanachal | the wadi | H5158 → | 141 times |
| עַ֛ד | ʾad | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| אֲשֶֽׁר־ | ʾasher- | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| נִמְצָ֥א | nimtza' | it has been found | H4672 → | 455 times |
| שָׁ֖ם | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| גַּם־ | gam- | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| צְרֽוֹר׃ פ | tzeror | a pebble | H6872 → |
וְאִם־and if
veim-H518 →1069 times
אֶל־into
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
עִיר֙a city
ʾirH5892 →1090 times
יֵֽאָסֵ֔ףhe will be gathered
yeasefH622 →200 times
וְהִשִּׂ֧יאוּand they will cause to bring
vehisiuH5375 →656 times
כָֽל־all
khol-H3605 →5413 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֛לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הָעִ֥ירthe city
hairH5892 →1090 times
הַהִ֖יא<the> that
hahi'H1931 →1879 times
חֲבָלִ֑יםropes
chavalimH2256 →62 times
וְסָחַ֤בְנוּand we will drag
vesachavnuH5498 →
אֹתוֹ֙<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
עַד־to
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
הַנַּ֔חַלthe wadi
hanachalH5158 →141 times
עַ֛דuntil
ʾadH5704 →1261 times
אֲשֶֽׁר־that
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
נִמְצָ֥אit has been found
nimtza'H4672 →455 times
שָׁ֖םthere
shamH8033 →834 times
גַּם־also
gam-H1571 →769 times
צְרֽוֹר׃ פa pebble
tzerorH6872 →
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
Matthew 24:2“Do you see all these things?” He replied. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
it leads to
- Micah 3:12
Therefore, because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, and the temple mount a wooded ridge.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 19:44
They will level you to the ground—you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.”
- Jeremiah 26:18
“Micah the Moreshite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah and told all the people of Judah that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Zion will be plowed like a…
- Ezekiel 7:20–22
His beautiful ornaments they transformed into pride and used them to fashion their vile images and detestable idols. Therefore I will make these into something unclean for them.
- 1 Kings 9:7–8
then I will cut off Israel from the land that I have given them, and I will banish from My presence this temple I have sanctified for My Name. Then Israel will become an…
- Micah 3:12
Through
Micah 1:6Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of rubble in the open field, a planting area for a vineyard. I will pour her stones into the valley and expose her foundations.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 13:14
I will tear down the wall you whitewashed and level it to the ground, so that its foundation is exposed. The city will fall, and you will be destroyed within it. Then you will…
- 2 Kings 19:25
Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it; in days of old I planned it. Now I have brought it to pass, that you should crush fortified cities into piles of rubble.
- Lamentations 4:1
How the gold has become tarnished, the pure gold has become dull! The gems of the temple lie scattered on every street corner.
- Ezekiel 13:14
About 2 Samuel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of 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.