Skip to content
mannafest.faith
Read

2 Samuel 17:16

in 2 Samuel 17

Now send quickly and tell David, ‘Do not spend the night at the fords of the wilderness, but be sure to cross over. Otherwise the king and all the people with him will be swallowed up.’”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him.

KJV

Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him.

⋯

This verse in 2 Samuel 17

Commentary

5 notes on this verse

A commentator

Basil of Caesarea

HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 7.1 · Written before 379.

For in the history, Hushai is mentioned as the chief companion of David and the son of Arachi, but in the psalm, Hushai is the son of Jemini. Neither he nor any other of those appearing in the history was the son of Jemini. Perhaps he was called the son of Jemini for this reason, because he displayed great valor and strength through a mere pretense of friendship, going over, as he pretended, to Absalom, but in reality thwarting the plans of Ahithophel, a very skilled man, well trained in military affairs, who was giving his counsel.

This site's exposition

Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel

on 2 Samuel 17:15-16

Hushai reports both counsels to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, still stationed in Jerusalem watching the city for David, and sends them running with the one order that matters, do not lodge in the plains of the wilderness tonight. The urgency is deliberate: Hushai has bought time with his speech, but he does not trust Absalom to stay talked out of Ahithophel's plan for long. The priests become the relay in a chain that already includes their own sons waiting outside the city walls.

This site's exposition

fords of the wilderness

The fords were where David had promised at 15:28 to wait for word from the priests, so the message finds him where the plan had left him. Hushai tells him to cross anyway. Basil of Caesarea takes the son of Jemini in the title of Psalm 7 to be Hushai, honored for valor shown under a pretended friendship.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

Now therefore send quickly and tell David,....

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Hushai, like a wise and prudent man, knowing, too, Absalom’s weak and fickle character, would not depend upon the resolution, taken at his instigation, not to pursue the king, but took instant measures to advertise David of his danger.

The words behind it

21 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וְעַתָּ֡הand therefore

    veatahH6258 →433 times

  • שִׁלְח֣וּsend

    shilchuH7971 →845 times

  • מְהֵרָה֩quickly

    meherahH4120 →20 times

  • וְהַגִּ֨ידוּand tell

    vehagiduH5046 →370 times

  • לְדָוִ֜דto David

    ledavidH1732 →999 times

  • לֵאמֹ֗ר<to> saying

    lemorH559 →5305 times

  • אַל־may not

    ʾal-H408 →724 times

  • תָּ֤לֶןyou pass [the] night

    talenH3885 →84 times

  • הַלַּ֙יְלָה֙this night

    halaylahH3915 →233 times

  • בְּעַֽרְב֣וֹתat [the] desert plains of

    bearvotH6160 →61 times

  • הַמִּדְבָּ֔רthe wilderness

    hamidbarH4057 →270 times

  • וְגַ֖םand also

    vegamH1571 →769 times

  • עָב֣וֹרcertainly <to pass over>

    avorH5674 →556 times

  • תַּעֲב֑וֹרyou will pass over

    taavorH5674 →556 times

  • פֶּ֚ןlest

    penH6435 →133 times

  • יְבֻלַּ֣עit should be swallowed up

    yevula'H1104 →49 times

  • לַמֶּ֔לֶךְto the king

    lamelekhH4428 →2525 times

  • וּלְכָל־and to all

    ulekhol-H3605 →5413 times

  • הָעָ֖םthe people

    haamH5971 →1873 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • אִתּֽוֹ׃[is] with him

    ʾitoH854 →929 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

15 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

2 Samuel 15:28See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”7 works2 Corinthians 5:4So while we are in this tent, we groan under our burdens, because we do not wish to be unclothed but clothed, so that our mortality may be swallowed up by life.3 works1 Corinthians 15:54When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come to pass: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”3 works2 Samuel 20:19I am among the peaceable and faithful in Israel, but you are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the LORD’s inheritance?”3 worksProverbs 6:4–5Allow no sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids.2 works2 Samuel 15:14And David said to all the servants with him in Jerusalem, “Arise and let us flee, or we will not escape from Absalom! We must leave quickly, or he will soon overtake us, heap disaster on us, and put the city to the sword.”2 works
The other 9 cross-references, with their words ▾
Psalms 35:25Let them not say in their hearts, “Aha, just what we wanted!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up!”2 worksPsalms 56:2My enemies pursue me all day long, for many proudly assail me.2 worksPsalms 55:8I would hurry to my shelter, far from this raging tempest.”2 worksMatthew 24:16–18then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.2 works1 Samuel 20:38Then Jonathan cried out, “Hurry! Make haste! Do not delay!” So the boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master.2 worksPsalms 57:3He reaches down from heaven and saves me; He rebukes those who trample me. Selah God sends forth His loving devotion and His truth.2 works2 Samuel 17:21–22After the men had gone, Ahimaaz and Jonathan climbed up out of the well and went to inform King David, saying, “Get up and cross over the river at once, for Ahithophel has given this advice against you.”2 worksPsalms 119:150Those who follow after wickedness draw near; they are far from Your law.2 worksPsalms 119:87They almost wiped me from the earth, but I have not forsaken Your precepts.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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 Corinthians 15:54

    When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come to pass: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

    it leads to

    • Isaiah 25:8

      He will swallow up death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from every face and remove the disgrace of His people from the whole earth. For the LORD has spoken.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Hebrews 2:14–15

      Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil,

    • Revelation 21:4

      ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”

    • Revelation 20:14

      Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire.

    • Luke 20:36

      In fact, they can no longer die, because they are like the angels. And since they are sons of the resurrection, they are sons of God.

  • Through

    2 Corinthians 5:4

    So while we are in this tent, we groan under our burdens, because we do not wish to be unclothed but clothed, so that our mortality may be swallowed up by life.

    it leads to

    • 1 Corinthians 15:53–54

      For the perishable must be clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.

    • 2 Corinthians 5:2

      For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling,

    • 2 Peter 1:13

      I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of my body,

About 2 Samuel

David Mourns the Death of Absalom, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
David Mourns the Death of Absalom, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
2 Samuel: the study guide →Read 2 Samuel 17 →

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Basil of Caesarea, HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 7.1; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).

Read on in 2 Samuel 17 →