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2 Samuel 19:11

in 2 Samuel 19

Then King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests: “Say to the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you be the last to restore the king to his palace, since the talk of all Israel has reached the king at his quarters?

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV

ASV

And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house? seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, to bring him to his house.

KJV

And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house? seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, even to his house.

This verse in 2 Samuel 19

Commentary

5 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Speak unto the elders of Judah - David was afraid to fall out with this tribe: they were in possession of Jerusalem, and this was a city of great importance to him. They had joined Absalom in his rebellion; and doubtless were now ashamed of their conduct. David appears to take no notice of their infidelity, but rather to place confidence in them, that their confidence in him might be naturally excited: and, to oblige them yet farther, purposes to make Amasa captain of the host in the place of Joab.

This site's exposition

Speak unto the elders of Judah

on 2 Samuel 19:11-12

David works through Zadok and Abiathar rather than approaching Judah directly, sending word that ties the elders' silence to shame, since Judah had joined the rebellion and now hesitates to be first in welcoming him back. He calls them my brethren, my bones and my flesh, the same kinship language he extends to Amasa in the next verse, offering forgiveness before anyone asks for it. Clarke reads the approach as calculated rather than naive, since David needed Jerusalem's own tribe secured before anything else could hold.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

Where is now the celebrated bravery of that royal tribe? Where is its loyalty?" Note, We should be stirred up to that which is great and good by the examples both of our ancestors and of our neighbours, and by the consideration of our rank.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes

And King David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests,....

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

It was the act of a skilful politician. Hebron having been the seat of the rebellion, it was graceful on his part to encourage their return to allegiance and duty; it was an appeal to their honor not to be the last of the tribes.

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

On the verses either side of this one

The people were reproaching each other. Reproaching each other.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on II Samuel 19:10:1, via Sefaria, The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
While the messages of all Yisroel are coming to the king. All this was part of the message he was charged to bring [to the elders].
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on II Samuel 19:12:1, via Sefaria, The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

30 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.

  • וְהַמֶּ֣לֶךְand the king

    vehamelekhH44282525 times

  • דָּוִ֗דDavid

    davidH1732999 times

  • שָׁ֠לַחhe sent

    shalachH7971845 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H4135510 times

  • צָד֨וֹקZadok

    tzadokH665953 times

  • וְאֶל־and to

    veel-H4135510 times

  • אֶבְיָתָ֥רAbiathar

    ʾevyatarH5430 times

  • הַכֹּהֲנִים֮the priests

    hakohanimH3548750 times

  • לֵאמֹר֒<to> saying

    lemorH5595305 times

  • דַּבְּר֞וּspeak

    daberuH16961141 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H4135510 times

  • זִקְנֵ֤י[the] elders of

    zikneiH2205178 times

  • יְהוּדָה֙Judah

    yehudahH3063819 times

  • לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying

    lemorH5595305 times

  • לָ֤מָּה<to> why?

    lamahH4100752 times

  • תִֽהְיוּ֙will you be

    tihyuH19613559 times

  • אַֽחֲרֹנִ֔ים[the] last [people]

    ʾacharonimH31451 times

  • לְהָשִׁ֥יבto bring back

    lehashivH77251056 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H85310935 times

  • הַמֶּ֖לֶךְthe king

    hamelekhH44282525 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H4135510 times

  • בֵּית֑וֹhouse his

    beitoH10042046 times

  • וּדְבַר֙and [the] word of

    udevarH16971440 times

  • כָּל־all

    kol-H36055413 times

  • יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael

    yisraelH34782507 times

  • בָּ֥אit had come

    ba'H9352568 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H4135510 times

  • הַמֶּ֖לֶךְthe king

    hamelekhH44282525 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H4135510 times

  • בֵּיתֽוֹ׃house his

    beitoH10042046 times

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

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

    Matthew 5:16

    In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

    it leads to

    • 1 Peter 2:12

      Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.

    • Titus 2:7

      In everything, show yourself to be an example by doing good works. In your teaching show integrity, dignity,

    • John 15:8

      This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, proving yourselves to be My disciples.

    • 1 John 1:5–7

      And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.

    • Philippians 2:15–16

      so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world

  • Through

    2 Thessalonians 3:9

    Not that we lack this right, but we wanted to offer ourselves as an example for you to imitate.

    it leads to

  • Through

    1 Kings 2:35

    And the king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada in Joab’s place over the army, and he appointed Zadok the priest in Abiathar’s place.

    it leads to

    • 1 Kings 2:27

      So Solomon banished Abiathar from the priesthood of the LORD and thus fulfilled the word that the LORD had spoken at Shiloh against the house of Eli.

About 2 Samuel

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.