2 Samuel 18:18

2 Samuel 18:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king’s dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom’s place.
• New International Version (NIV)During his lifetime Absalom had taken a pillar and erected it in the King’s Valley as a monument to himself, for he thought, “I have no son to carry on the memory of my name.” He named the pillar after himself, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself the pillar that is in the King's Valley, for he said, "I have no son to keep my name in remembrance." He called the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absalom's monument to this day.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up a pillar for himself, which is in the King’s Valley. For he said, “I have no son to keep my name in remembrance.” He called the pillar after his own name. And to this day it is called Absalom’s Monument.

Context of 2 Samuel 18:18

16Then Joab blew the trumpet [to signal the end of the combat], and the men returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab held them back. 17They took [down the body of] Absalom and threw him into a deep pit in the forest and set up a huge mound of stones over him. Then all Israel fled, everyone to his own tent. Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself a memorial pillar which is in the King’s Valley, for he said, “I have no son to keep my name in remembrance.” He named the memorial pillar after himself, and to this day it is called Absalom’s Monument. 19Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, said, “Let me run and bring the king news that the Lord has vindicated him by rescuing him from [the power of] his enemies.” 20But Joab told him, “You are not the man to carry news [to King David] today, but you shall carry news another day. On this day you shall carry no news, because the king’s son is dead.”

2 Samuel 18:18 word by word

וְאַבְשָׁלֹ֣ם לָקַ֗ח וַיַּצֶּב־ל֤וֹ בְחַיָּיו֙ אֶת־מַצֶּ֙בֶת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּעֵֽמֶק־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ כִּ֤י אָמַר֙ אֵֽין־לִ֣י בֵ֔ן בַּעֲב֖וּר הַזְכִּ֣יר שְׁמִ֑י וַיִּקְרָ֤א לַמַּצֶּ֙בֶת֙ עַל־שְׁמ֔וֹ וַיִּקָּ֤רֵא לָהּ֙ יַ֣ד אַבְשָׁלֹ֔ם עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Now Absalomאֲבִישָׁלוֹם'ăbîyshâlôm 'abshâlôm · AbsalomH53
• in his lifetimeחַיִּיםchay · lifeH2416
• had takenלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• and reared upנָצַבnâtsab · to standH5324
• for himself a pillarמַצֶּבֶתmatstsebeth · pillarH4678
• in the king’sמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · King'sH4428
• daleעֵ֫מֶק‛êmeq · Valley (of Kings)H6010
• for he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• I have no sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• to keep my nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
• in remembranceזָכַרzâkar · to rememberH2142
• and he calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call byH7121
• unto this dayיוֹםyôm · day: todayH3117
• placeיָדyâd · hand: themselvesH3027

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 18:18

• 1 Samuel 15:12When Samuel got up early in the morning to meet Saul, he was told, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up for himself a monument [commemorating his victory], then he turned and went on and went down to Gilgal.”
• Genesis 14:17Then after Abram’s return from the defeat (slaughter) of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).
• 2 Samuel 14:27To Absalom were born three sons and one daughter whose name was Tamar; she was a beautiful woman.
• Job 18:16The roots [of the wicked] are dried up below, And above, his branch is cut off and withers.
• Psalms 109:13Let his descendants be cut off, And in the following generation let their name be blotted out.
• Jeremiah 22:30Thus says the Lord, ‘Write this man [Coniah] down as childless, A man who will not prosper (succeed) in his lifetime; For not one of his descendants will succeed In sitting on the throne of David Or ruling again in Judah.’ ”
• Genesis 11:4They said, “Come, let us build a city for ourselves, and a tower whose top will reach into the heavens, and let us make a [famous] name for ourselves, so that we will not be scattered [into separate groups] and be dispersed over the surface of the entire earth [as the Lord instructed].”
• Psalms 49:11Their inward thought is that their houses will continue forever, And their dwelling places to all generations; They have named their lands after their own names [ignoring God].
• Daniel 4:30The king said thoughtfully, ‘Is not this the great Babylon which I myself have built as the royal residence and seat of government by the might of my power and for the honor and glory of my majesty?’
• Genesis 11:9Therefore the name of the city was Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the entire earth; and from that place the Lord scattered and dispersed them over the surface of all the earth.
• Acts 1:18(Now Judas Iscariot acquired a piece of land [indirectly] with the [money paid him as a] reward for his treachery, and falling headlong, his body burst open in the middle and all his intestines poured out.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 18:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18Reared up for himself a pillar - There was a marble pillar in the time of Josephus called Absalom's pillar: and there is one shown to the present day under this name; but it is comparatively a modern structure. Absalom's place - Literally Absalom's Hand. See the note on 1 Samuel 15:12.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18The king‘s dale - Anciently the “valley” of “Shaveh” (marginal reference), and apparently in the near neighborhood of Sodom; but the exact site is not known. It quite agrees with Absalom‘s preference for Hebron 2 Samuel 15:7, that his monument should be reared by him in the south. If Absalom‘s monument be placed in the ravine of the Kedron, the “king‘s dale” here is a different place from the “dale of Shaveh.” Absalom‘s place - literally, “Absalom‘s…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-18Verses 9-18 Let young people look upon Absalom, hanging on a tree, accursed, forsaken of heaven and earth; there let them read the Lord's abhorrence of rebellion against parents. Nothing can preserve men from misery and contempt, but heavenly wisdom and the grace of God.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18I have no son: See study note on 2 Samuel 14:27. Because Absalom had no heir to continue his family line, he hoped a monument would keep his name and memory alive. to this day: The narrator was probably writing during the reign of Solomon. The location of the monument is now unknown.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. Absalom in his lifetime had reared up for himself a pillar--literally, "hand." In the valley of Jehoshaphat, on the east of Jerusalem, is a tomb or cenotaph, said to be this "pillar" or monument: it is twenty-four feet square, dome-topped, and reaches forty feet in height. This may occupy the spot, but cannot itself be the work of Absalom, as it evidently bears the style of a later architecture.Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 18:18

• Absalom
• Ambition
• Pillar
• Shaveh

In the dictionaries

• Absalom
• King's Dale
• Burial
• Charge
• Lift
• Pillar
• Rise
• Thrust
• Abijah
• Bible, the

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 18

• 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
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings