2 Samuel 19:39
in 2 Samuel 19So all the people crossed the Jordan, and then the king crossed over. The king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and Barzillai returned home.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And all the people went over the Jordan, and the king went over: and the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and he returned unto his own place.
KJV
And all the people went over Jordan. And when the king was come over, the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and he returned unto his own place.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 19
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The “people” is the term especially applied in this narrative to David’s followers 2Sa 15:17; 2Sa 16:14; 2Sa 17:2; 2Sa 18:1-2; 2Sa 19:2-3. They crossed by the ford, while David and his household, accompanied by Barzillai and Chimham, came over in the ferry.
This site's exposition
Chimham shall go over with me
on 2 Samuel 19:38-39
David grants Barzillai's request in full, taking Chimham in his father's place and promising to do for him whatever Barzillai asks. Barnes notes that Chimham's household is still remembered by name generations later at Jeremiah 41:17, settled near Bethlehem on land that may have come from David's own inheritance. The parting itself is warm rather than formal, a kiss and a blessing before Barzillai turns back toward Rogelim.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), signifying that in gratitude for his kindnesses he would love him and pray for him, and with a promise that whatever request he should at any time make to him he would be ready to oblige him (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
And all the people went over Jordan,.... That were with David: and when the king was come over; over Jordan, had got to the other side of it, whither Barzillai accompanied him: the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; took his leave of him with a kiss, as friends were wont to do at parting, thanked him for all his favours, wished him well, and prayed to God to bless him with all blessings temporal and spiritual: and he returned to his own place: his own city Rogelim, having crossed over again the river Jordan.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
His declining to go to court, his recommendation of his son, his convoy across the Jordan, and his parting scene with the king, are interesting incidents. What mark of royal favor was bestowed on Chimham has not been recorded; but it is probable that David gave a great part of his personal patrimony in Beth-lehem to Chimham and his heirs in perpetuity (Jer 41:17).
The king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him - The kiss was the token of friendship and farewell; the blessing was a prayer to God for his prosperity, probably a prophetical benediction.
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּעֲבֹ֧ר | vaiyaavor | and it passed over | H5674 → | 556 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָעָ֛ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ן | haiyarden | the Jordan | H3383 → | 182 times |
| וְהַמֶּ֣לֶךְ | vehamelekh | and the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| עָבָ֑ר | ʾavar | he passed over | H5674 → | 556 times |
| וַיִּשַּׁ֨ק | vaiyishak | and he kissed | H5401 → | 35 times |
| הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| לְבַרְזִלַּי֙ | levarzilai | <to> Barzillai | H1271 → | 12 times |
| וַיְבָ֣רֲכֵ֔הוּ | vayvarakhehu | and he blessed him | H1288 → | 330 times |
| וַיָּ֖שָׁב | vaiyashov | and he returned | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| לִמְקֹמֽוֹ׃ ס | limkomo | to own place his | H4725 → | 401 times |
וַיַּעֲבֹ֧רand it passed over
vaiyaavorH5674 →556 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הָעָ֛םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ןthe Jordan
haiyardenH3383 →182 times
וְהַמֶּ֣לֶךְand the king
vehamelekhH4428 →2525 times
עָבָ֑רhe passed over
ʾavarH5674 →556 times
וַיִּשַּׁ֨קand he kissed
vaiyishakH5401 →35 times
הַמֶּ֤לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
לְבַרְזִלַּי֙<to> Barzillai
levarzilaiH1271 →12 times
וַיְבָ֣רֲכֵ֔הוּand he blessed him
vayvarakhehuH1288 →330 times
וַיָּ֖שָׁבand he returned
vaiyashovH7725 →1056 times
לִמְקֹמֽוֹ׃ סto own place his
limkomoH4725 →401 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
Ruth 1:14Again they wept aloud, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.
it leads to
- Proverbs 18:24
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.
- Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.
- Matthew 10:37
Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me;
- Proverbs 18:24
Through
Genesis 31:55Early the next morning, Laban got up and kissed his grandchildren and daughters and blessed them. Then he left to return home.
it leads to
- Genesis 31:28
But you did not even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye. Now you have done a foolish thing.
- Genesis 30:25
Now after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so I can return to my homeland.
- Genesis 31:28
Through
Genesis 45:15Joseph kissed each of his brothers as he wept over them. And afterward his brothers talked with him.
it leads to
- Luke 15:20
So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and…
- Luke 15:20
Through
Genesis 47:7Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and presented him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
it leads to
- Genesis 47:10
Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and departed from his presence.
- 2 Samuel 14:22
Joab fell facedown in homage and blessed the king. “Today,” said Joab, “your servant knows that he has found favor with you, my lord the king, because the king has granted his request.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 47:10
About 2 Samuel

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; 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.
