2 Samuel 20:7
in 2 Samuel 20So Joab’s men, along with the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the mighty men, marched out of Jerusalem in pursuit of Sheba son of Bichri.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And there went out after him Joab’s men, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men; and they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.
KJV
And there went out after him Joab’s men, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men: and they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 20
Commentary
3 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
do us more harm than did Absalom
on 2 Samuel 20:6-7
David measures Sheba's danger by Absalom's, and turns not to Joab but to Abishai, still trying to keep the command from the man who killed his son against orders. The force that marches out is Joab's men in every way that matters, the Cherethites and the Pelethites and all the mighty men, David's standing guard rather than a fresh levy. Naming Abishai changes nothing on the ground; Joab is already present with his brother and his own troops.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), for nothing could be of more dangerous consequence than to give him time. David gives these orders to Abishai, because he resolves to mortify Joab, and degrade him, not so much, I doubt, for the blood of Abner, which he had shed basely, as for the blood of Absalom, which he had shed justly and honourably. "Now (says bishop Hall) Joab smarteth for a loyal disobedience.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
And there went out after him Joab's men,....
The words behind it
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֵּצְא֤וּ | vaiyetzeu | and they went out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| אַֽחֲרָיו֙ | ʾacharav | after him | H310 → | 715 times |
| אַנְשֵׁ֣י | ʾanshei | [the] men of | H582 → | 566 times |
| יוֹאָ֔ב | yoav | Joab | H3097 → | 144 times |
| וְהַכְּרֵתִ֥י | vehakereti | and the Kerethite[s] | H3774 → | 10 times |
| וְהַפְּלֵתִ֖י | vehapeleti | and the Pelethite[s] | H6432 → | 7 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַגִּבֹּרִ֑ים | hagiborim | the warriors | H1368 → | 158 times |
| וַיֵּֽצְאוּ֙ | vaiyetzeu | and they went out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| מִיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם | mirushalim | from Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| לִרְדֹּ֕ף | lirdof | to pursue | H7291 → | 143 times |
| אַחֲרֵ֖י | ʾacharei | after | H310 → | 715 times |
| שֶׁ֥בַע | sheva' | Sheba | H7652 → | 10 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| בִּכְרִֽי׃ | bikhri | Bicri | H1075 → | 8 times |
וַיֵּצְא֤וּand they went out
vaiyetzeuH3318 →1067 times
אַֽחֲרָיו֙after him
ʾacharavH310 →715 times
אַנְשֵׁ֣י[the] men of
ʾansheiH582 →566 times
יוֹאָ֔בJoab
yoavH3097 →144 times
וְהַכְּרֵתִ֥יand the Kerethite[s]
vehakeretiH3774 →10 times
וְהַפְּלֵתִ֖יand the Pelethite[s]
vehapeletiH6432 →7 times
וְכָל־and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
הַגִּבֹּרִ֑יםthe warriors
hagiborimH1368 →158 times
וַיֵּֽצְאוּ֙and they went out
vaiyetzeuH3318 →1067 times
מִיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔םfrom Jerusalem
mirushalimH3389 →643 times
לִרְדֹּ֕ףto pursue
lirdofH7291 →143 times
אַחֲרֵ֖יafter
ʾachareiH310 →715 times
שֶׁ֥בַעSheba
sheva'H7652 →10 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
בִּכְרִֽי׃Bicri
bikhriH1075 →8 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 8:18Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were priestly leaders.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 30:14
We raided the Negev of the Cherethites, the territory of Judah, and the Negev of Caleb, and we burned down Ziklag.”
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- 2 Samuel 20:23
Now Joab was over the whole army of Israel; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites;
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Chronicles 18:17
Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief officials at the king’s side.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Kings 1:38
Then Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, along with the Cherethites and Pelethites, went down and set Solomon on King David’s mule, and they escorted him to Gihon.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Samuel 15:18
and all his servants marched past him—all the Cherethites and Pelethites, and six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath.
- 1 Samuel 30:14
Through
1 Kings 1:38Then Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, along with the Cherethites and Pelethites, went down and set Solomon on King David’s mule, and they escorted him to Gihon.
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 8:18
Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were priestly leaders.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Kings 1:8
But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s mighty men would not join Adonijah.
- 2 Samuel 8:18
Through
2 Samuel 20:23Now Joab was over the whole army of Israel; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites;
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 8:16–18
Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;
- 2 Samuel 8:16–18
About 2 Samuel

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; 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.
