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2 Samuel 19:14

in 2 Samuel 19

So he swayed the hearts of all the men of Judah as though they were one man, and they sent word to the king: “Return, you and all your servants.”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man; so that they sent unto the king, saying, Return thou, and all thy servants.

KJV

And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man; so that they sent this word unto the king, Return thou, and all thy servants.

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This verse in 2 Samuel 19

Commentary

4 notes on this verse

This site's exposition

bowed the heart of all the men of Judah

The text credits David himself with bending the tribe's heart as one man, language usually kept for what only God does within a man. Judah answers within the same verse, sending back the word David wanted: return thou, and all thy servants. Clarke notes the strategy behind it, trusting men he had reason to distrust so that offered trust might draw trust back in return.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man,....

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah--that is, Amasa, who had been won over, used his great influence in re-attaching the whole tribe of Judah to the interest of David.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah - The measures that he pursued were the best calculated that could be to accomplish this salutary end. Appear to distrust those whom you have some reason to suspect, and you increase their caution and distrust. Put as much confidence in them as you safely can, and this will not fail to excite their confidence towards you.

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

To Amosoh. Who is [Avsholom's] commanding officer you should say, 'You are my own sister's son.' 6 The son of Avigail. See:25.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on II Samuel 19:14:1, 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

15 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.

  • וַיַּ֛טand he turned

    vaiyatH5186 →214 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • לְבַ֥ב[the] heart of

    levavH3824 →

  • כָּל־every

    kol-H3605 →5413 times

  • אִישׁ־<the> man of

    ʾish-H376 →1663 times

  • יְהוּדָ֖הJudah

    yehudahH3063 →819 times

  • כְּאִ֣ישׁlike a man

    keishH376 →1663 times

  • אֶחָ֑דone

    ʾechadH259 →971 times

  • וַֽיִּשְׁלְחוּ֙and they sent

    vaiyishlechuH7971 →845 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • הַמֶּ֔לֶךְthe king

    hamelekhH4428 →2525 times

  • שׁ֥וּבreturn

    shuvH7725 →1056 times

  • אַתָּ֖הyou

    ʾatahH859 →1094 times

  • וְכָל־and all

    vekholH3605 →5413 times

  • עֲבָדֶֽיךָ׃servants your

    ʾavadeikhaH5650 →799 times

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

Related verses

6 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.

Judges 20:1Then all the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba and from the land of Gilead came out, and the congregation assembled as one man before the LORD at Mizpah.5 worksActs 4:32The multitude of believers was one in heart and soul. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they owned.3 works2 Samuel 22:44You have delivered me from the strife of my people; You have preserved me as the head of nations; a people I had not known shall serve me.3 worksPsalms 110:2–3The LORD extends Your mighty scepter from Zion: “Rule in the midst of Your enemies.”2 works2 Samuel 19:43“We have ten shares in the king,” answered the men of Israel, “so we have more claim to David than you. Why then do you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of restoring our king?” But the men of Judah pressed even harder than the men of Israel.2 works2 Samuel 3:12Then Abner sent messengers in his place to say to David, “To whom does the land belong? Make your covenant with me, and surely my hand will be with you to bring all Israel over to you.”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

    Acts 4:32

    The multitude of believers was one in heart and soul. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they owned.

    it leads to

    • 1 Corinthians 1:10

      I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be united…

    • Ephesians 4:2–6

      with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

    • 1 Peter 3:8

      Finally, all of you, be like-minded and sympathetic, love as brothers, be tenderhearted and humble.

    • John 17:21–23

      that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

    • Philippians 2:1–2

      Therefore if you have any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,

  • Through

    Judges 20:1

    Then all the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba and from the land of Gilead came out, and the congregation assembled as one man before the LORD at Mizpah.

    it leads to

    • Judges 11:11

      So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him their leader and commander. And Jephthah repeated all his terms in the presence of the LORD at Mizpah.

    • Joshua 22:12

      And when they heard this, the whole congregation of Israel assembled at Shiloh to go to war against them.

    • 1 Samuel 3:20

      So all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the LORD.

About 2 Samuel

David Mourns the Death of Absalom — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
David Mourns the Death of Absalom — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
2 Samuel: the study guide →Read 2 Samuel 19 →

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 and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).

Read on in 2 Samuel 19 →