2 Samuel 16:19

2 Samuel 16:19 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And again, whom should I serve? should I not serve in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father’s presence, so will I be in thy presence.
• New International Version (NIV)Furthermore, whom should I serve? Should I not serve the son? Just as I served your father, so I will serve you.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And again, whom should I serve? Should it not be his son? As I have served your father, so I will serve you."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Furthermore, whom should I serve? Should I not serve in the presence of his son? As I have served in your father’s presence, so will I be in your presence.”

Context of 2 Samuel 16:19

17Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?” 18Hushai said to Absalom, “No! For whomever the Lord and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen [as king], I will be his, and I will remain with him. Besides, whom should I serve? Should I not serve in the presence of David’s son? As I have served in your father’s presence, so I shall serve in your presence.” 20Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give me your advice. What should we do?” 21Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in to your father’s concubines, whom he has left behind to take care of the house; then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself odious to your father. Then the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened [by your boldness and audacity].”

2 Samuel 16:19 word by word

וְהַשֵּׁנִ֗ית לְמִי֙ אֲנִ֣י אֶֽעֱבֹ֔ד הֲל֖וֹא לִפְנֵ֣י בְנ֑וֹ כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר עָבַ֙דְתִּי֙ לִפְנֵ֣י אָבִ֔יךָ כֵּ֖ן אֶהְיֶ֥ה לְפָנֶֽיךָ׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And againשֵׁנִיshênîy · secondH8145
• whom should I serveעָבַד‛âbad · to serve: ministerH5647
• in the presenceפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• of his sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• in thy father’sאָב'âb · fatherH1
• so will I be in thy presenceפָּנֶהpânîym · face ofH6440

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 16:19

• 2 Samuel 15:34But if you return to the city, and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father’s servant in the past, so I will be your servant now;’ then you can thwart (make useless) the advice of Ahithophel for me.
• 1 Samuel 28:2David said to Achish, “All right, you shall know what your servant can do.” So Achish said to David, “Therefore I will make you my bodyguard for life.”
• 1 Samuel 29:8David said to Achish, “But what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day when I [first] came before you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”
• Psalms 55:21The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, But his heart was hostile; His words were softer than oil, Yet they were drawn swords.
• Galatians 2:13The rest of the Jews joined him in this hypocrisy [ignoring their knowledge that Jewish and Gentile Christians were united, under the new covenant, into one faith], with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 16:19

• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-23Verses 15-23 The wisest counsellors of that age were Ahithophel and Hushai: Absalom thinks himself sure of success, when he has both; on them he relies, and consults not the ark, though he had that with him. But miserable counsellors were they both. Hushai would never counsel him to do wisely. Ahithophel counselled him to do wickedly; and so did as effectually betray him, as he did, who was designedly false to him: for they that advise men to sin…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19whom should I serve: (literally and second, to whom will I do service? Not before his son?): The unclear language continues. Hushai expressed his loyalty as a question, not a promise. He intended to serve David while tricking Absalom into believing he had switched sides. Similarly, As I served in your father’s presence, so also I will serve in yours literally means, as I served before your father, so I will [serve your father] before you.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-1915-19. Hushai said unto Absalom, God save the king--Hushai's devotion to David was so well-known, that his presence in the camp of the conspirators excited great surprise. Professing, however, with great address, to consider it his duty to support the cause which the course of Providence and the national will had seemingly decreed should triumph, and urging his friendship for the father as a ground of confidence in his fidelity to the son, he persuaded…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 16:19

• Deception
• Diplomacy
• Falsehood
• Hushai

In the dictionaries

• Bible, the
• David
• Horse
• Hushai
• Israel, History of
• Samuel, Books of
• Solomon

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings