2 Samuel 19:11
in 2 Samuel 19Then 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.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 19
Commentary
5 notes on this verseSpeak 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
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 & Brown1802–1910
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.
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].
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 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהַמֶּ֣לֶךְ | vehamelekh | and the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| דָּוִ֗ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| שָׁ֠לַח | shalach | he sent | H7971 → | 845 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| צָד֨וֹק | tzadok | Zadok | H6659 → | 53 times |
| וְאֶל־ | veel- | and to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֶבְיָתָ֥ר | ʾevyatar | Abiathar | H54 → | 30 times |
| הַכֹּהֲנִים֮ | hakohanim | the priests | H3548 → | 750 times |
| לֵאמֹר֒ | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| דַּבְּר֞וּ | daberu | speak | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| זִקְנֵ֤י | ziknei | [the] elders of | H2205 → | 178 times |
| יְהוּדָה֙ | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| לֵאמֹ֔ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לָ֤מָּה | lamah | <to> why? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| תִֽהְיוּ֙ | tihyu | will you be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| אַֽחֲרֹנִ֔ים | ʾacharonim | [the] last [people] | H314 → | 51 times |
| לְהָשִׁ֥יב | lehashiv | to bring back | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בֵּית֑וֹ | beito | house his | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| וּדְבַר֙ | udevar | and [the] word of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| בָּ֥א | ba' | it had come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בֵּיתֽוֹ׃ | beito | house his | H1004 → | 2046 times |
וְהַמֶּ֣לֶךְand the king
vehamelekhH4428 →2525 times
דָּוִ֗דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
שָׁ֠לַחhe sent
shalachH7971 →845 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
צָד֨וֹקZadok
tzadokH6659 →53 times
וְאֶל־and to
veel-H413 →5510 times
אֶבְיָתָ֥רAbiathar
ʾevyatarH54 →30 times
הַכֹּהֲנִים֮the priests
hakohanimH3548 →750 times
לֵאמֹר֒<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
דַּבְּר֞וּspeak
daberuH1696 →1141 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
זִקְנֵ֤י[the] elders of
zikneiH2205 →178 times
יְהוּדָה֙Judah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
לָ֤מָּה<to> why?
lamahH4100 →752 times
תִֽהְיוּ֙will you be
tihyuH1961 →3559 times
אַֽחֲרֹנִ֔ים[the] last [people]
ʾacharonimH314 →51 times
לְהָשִׁ֥יבto bring back
lehashivH7725 →1056 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
בֵּית֑וֹhouse his
beitoH1004 →2046 times
וּדְבַר֙and [the] word of
udevarH1697 →1440 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
בָּ֥אit had come
ba'H935 →2568 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
בֵּיתֽוֹ׃house his
beitoH1004 →2046 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
Matthew 5:16In 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
- 1 Peter 2:12
Through
2 Thessalonians 3:9Not that we lack this right, but we wanted to offer ourselves as an example for you to imitate.
it leads to
- 2 Thessalonians 3:7
For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not undisciplined among you,
- 1 Corinthians 9:4–14
Have we no right to food and to drink?
- 2 Thessalonians 3:7
Through
1 Kings 2:35And 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.
- 1 Kings 2:27
About 2 Samuel

Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
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.
