2 Samuel 19:43
in 2 Samuel 19“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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more right in David than ye: why then did ye despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.
KJV
And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more right in David than ye: why then did ye despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 19
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Judah grounded their right to take the lead, on the ground of their nearer relationship to the king. This was a claim dangerous to the house of David; and it shows the seeds were already sown for that tribal dissension which, before long, led to the dismemberment of the kingdom.
This site's exposition
Then the king went on to Gilgal
on 2 Samuel 19:40-43
Judah escorts David across on the strength of nearest kinship, but Israel arrives asking why their brethren stole the king away without them, claiming ten parts in the king by tribal count against Judah's one. Judah answers that they gained nothing personally by it, only loyalty, yet the men of Judah spoke fiercer words than Israel did in reply. Henry reads the quarrel as the seed of the division that breaks open in the next chapter, since a people already arguing over who loves the king more is a people not far from arguing over who follows him at all.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
More right - As in the general we have more right in the king and kingdom; so particularly, we have more right in David than you, because you were the first beginners, and the most zealous promoters of this rebellion; howsoever, as he is king, we justly claim a greater interest in him, than you; inasmuch as we are the far greatest part of his subjects.
They pleaded, " We have ten parts in the king " (Judah having Simeon only, whose lot lay within his, to join with him), "and therefore it is a slight upon us that our advice was not asked about bringing back the king. " See how uncertain the multitude is.
1 And it was told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom. 2 And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people: for the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
We have ten parts in the king, and - more right - We are ten tribes to one, or we are ten times so many as you; and consequently should have been consulted in this business. The words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel - They had more weight, for they had more reason on their side. It is pleasant when every province, canton, district, and county, vie with each other in personal attachment to the prince, and loyal attachment to his government.
The words behind it
32 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּ֣עַן | vaiyaan | and he answered | H6030 → | 331 times |
| אִֽישׁ־ | ʾish- | [the] man of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵל֩ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אִ֨ישׁ | ʾish | [the] man of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| יְהוּדָ֜ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| וַיֹּ֗אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| עֶֽשֶׂר־ | ʾeser- | ten | H6235 → | 176 times |
| יָד֨וֹת | yadot | hands | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| לִ֣י | li | [belong] to <the> me | ||
| בַמֶּלֶךְ֮ | vamelekh | in the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וְגַם־ | vegam- | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| בְּדָוִד֮ | bedavid | in David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| אֲנִ֣י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| מִמְּךָ֒ | mimekha | more than you | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| וּמַדּ֙וּעַ֙ | umadua' | and why? | H4069 → | 72 times |
| הֱקִלֹּתַ֔נִי | hekilotani | did you treat with contempt me | H7043 → | 82 times |
| וְלֹא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| הָיָ֨ה | hayah | was it | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| דְבָרִ֥י | devari | word my | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| רִאשׁ֛וֹן | rishon | first | H7223 → | 182 times |
| לִ֖י | li | of me | ||
| לְהָשִׁ֣יב | lehashiv | to bring back | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מַלְכִּ֑י | malki | king my | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וַיִּ֙קֶשׁ֙ | vaiyikesh | and it was hard | H7185 → | |
| דְּבַר־ | devar- | [the] word of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | [the] man of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| יְהוּדָ֔ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| מִדְּבַ֖ר | midevar | more than [the] word of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אִ֥ישׁ | ʾish | [the] man of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ ס | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
וַיַּ֣עַןand he answered
vaiyaanH6030 →331 times
אִֽישׁ־[the] man of
ʾish-H376 →1663 times
יִשְׂרָאֵל֩Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אִ֨ישׁ[the] man of
ʾishH376 →1663 times
יְהוּדָ֜הJudah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
וַיֹּ֗אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
עֶֽשֶׂר־ten
ʾeser-H6235 →176 times
יָד֨וֹתhands
yadotH3027 →1618 times
לִ֣י[belong] to <the> me
li
בַמֶּלֶךְ֮in the king
vamelekhH4428 →2525 times
וְגַם־and also
vegam-H1571 →769 times
בְּדָוִד֮in David
bedavidH1732 →999 times
אֲנִ֣יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
מִמְּךָ֒more than you
mimekhaH4480 →1188 times
וּמַדּ֙וּעַ֙and why?
umadua'H4069 →72 times
הֱקִלֹּתַ֔נִיdid you treat with contempt me
hekilotaniH7043 →82 times
וְלֹא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
הָיָ֨הwas it
hayahH1961 →3559 times
דְבָרִ֥יword my
devariH1697 →1440 times
רִאשׁ֛וֹןfirst
rishonH7223 →182 times
לִ֖יof me
li
לְהָשִׁ֣יבto bring back
lehashivH7725 →1056 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מַלְכִּ֑יking my
malkiH4428 →2525 times
וַיִּ֙קֶשׁ֙and it was hard
vaiyikeshH7185 →
דְּבַר־[the] word of
devar-H1697 →1440 times
אִ֣ישׁ[the] man of
ʾishH376 →1663 times
יְהוּדָ֔הJudah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
מִדְּבַ֖רmore than [the] word of
midevarH1697 →1440 times
אִ֥ישׁ[the] man of
ʾishH376 →1663 times
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ סIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 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
2 Samuel 5:1Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood.
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 11:1–3
Then all Israel came together to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood.
- Genesis 29:14
Then Laban declared, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” After Jacob had stayed with him a month,
- 2 Samuel 19:13
And say to Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my flesh and blood? May God punish me, and ever so severely, if from this time you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!’”
- 1 Chronicles 11:1–3
Through
Galatians 5:20idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions,
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 11:19
And indeed, there must be differences among you to show which of you are approved.
- Titus 3:10
Reject a divisive man after a first and second admonition,
- Revelation 21:8
But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This…
- 2 Corinthians 11:19
For you gladly tolerate fools, since you are so wise.
- Acts 8:9–11
Prior to that time, a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and astounded the people of Samaria. He claimed to be someone great,
- 1 Corinthians 11:19
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 (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
