2 Samuel 15:4

2 Samuel 15:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice!
• New International Version (NIV)And Absalom would add, “If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that they receive justice.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then Absalom would say, "Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Moreover Absalom would say, “Oh, that I were made judge in the land, and everyone who has any suit or cause would come to me; then I would give him justice.”

Context of 2 Samuel 15:4

2Every day, he got up early in the morning. Then he went to stand at the side of the road near the city's gate. He called out to anyone who was bringing a problem for the king to judge. He would ask them, ‘Which town have you come from?’ Then the man would tell Absalom which tribe of Israel he belonged to. 3Then Absalom would say, ‘I am sure that you are right. You deserve to receive justice. But the king has not given any of his officers authority to listen to you.’ Absalom would also say, ‘I think that I should have authority to be a judge in Israel. Then when people have a problem to take to court, they could come to me. I would make sure that they receive justice.’ 5When anyone bent his body down low to give honour to Absalom, Absalom would reach out and pull the man towards him. He would kiss the man. 6Absalom did this to all the Israelites who came to Jerusalem to ask the king for justice. In that way, Absalom turned the people of Israel so that they became faithful to him.

2 Samuel 15:4 word by word

וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אַבְשָׁל֔וֹם מִי־יְשִׂמֵ֥נִי שֹׁפֵ֖ט בָּאָ֑רֶץ וְעָלַ֗י יָב֥וֹא כָּל־אִ֛ישׁ אֲשֶֽׁר־יִהְיֶה־לּוֹ־רִ֥יב וּמִשְׁפָּ֖ט וְהִצְדַּקְתִּֽיו׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Absalomאֲבִישָׁלוֹם'ăbîyshâlôm 'abshâlôm · AbsalomH53
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• moreover, Oh that I were madeשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
• judgeשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
• in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• that every manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• which hath any suitרִיבrîyb rib · strifeH7379
• or causeמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justiceH4941
• might comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• unto me, and I would do him justiceצָדֵקtsâdaq · to justifyH6663

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 15:4

• Proverbs 25:6When you stand in front of the king, do not be proud. Do not stand where the important people stand.
• Luke 14:9Then the man that asked you to the meal might say to you, “Give the best place to this man.” Then you will feel ashamed that you sat there. You will have to move to the lowest place and sit there.
• Proverbs 27:2Let other people praise you. Do not boast about yourself.
• 2 Peter 2:19The false teachers tell these believers to do whatever they want to do. They promise that this will make them really free. But the false teachers themselves are not free. Instead, they are like slaves. They cannot stop doing the bad things that will destroy them. We know that if something has power over a person, then that person is its slave.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 15:4

• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-19Absalom revolted against David eleven years after Amnon violated Tamar (compare 2 Samuel 13:23, 38; 14:28; 15:7). This was around the twenty-fifth year of David's thirty-three-year rule in Jerusalem.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-62-6. Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate--Public business in the East is always transacted early in the morning--the kings sitting an hour or more to hear causes or receive petitions, in a court held anciently, and in many places still, in the open air at the city gateway; so that, as those whose circumstances led them to wait on King David required to be in attendance on his morning levees, Absalom had to rise up early and stand…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 15:4

• Absalom
• Ambition
• Candidate
• Demagogism
• Diplomacy
• Electioneering
• Flattery
• Politics
• Popularity
• Usurpation

In the dictionaries

• Absalom
• Appoint
• Barefoot
• Hear
• Prepare
• Steal
• Turn
• Bible, the
• David
• Decision

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 15

• 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