2 Samuel 17:16

2 Samuel 17:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him.
• New International Version (NIV)Now send a message at once and tell David, ‘Do not spend the night at the fords in the wilderness; cross over without fail, or the king and all the people with him will be swallowed up.’ ”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now therefore send quickly and tell David, 'Do not stay tonight at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over, lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up.'"
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now therefore, send quickly and tell David, saying, ‘Do not spend this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily cross over, lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up.’ ”

Context of 2 Samuel 17:16

14Absalom and all Israel's leaders said, ‘Hushai's idea is better than Ahithophel's idea.’ This happened because the Lord did not let the people accept Ahithophel's advice. His idea was a good one, but the Lord had decided to cause trouble for Absalom. 15Then Hushai went to the priests Zadok and Abiathar. He said to them, ‘This was Ahithophel's advice to Absalom and Israel's leaders. But this was my advice. So now quickly send a report to David. Warn him that he must not stay tonight at the place in the desert where the road crosses the river. Instead, he must cross the Jordan River immediately, together with all the people who are with him. If not, Absalom and his army may catch them all and destroy them.’ 17Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En Rogel. They did not go into the city because they did not want anyone to see them there. So a female servant would take messages to them. Then they would take the messages to King David. 18But this time a young man did see them. He told Absalom where they were. So they quickly left En Rogel and they went to a man's house in Bahurim. He had a well in his yard and they climbed down into it.

2 Samuel 17:16 word by word

וְעַתָּ֡ה שִׁלְח֣וּ מְהֵרָה֩ וְהַגִּ֨ידוּ לְדָוִ֜ד לֵאמֹ֗ר אַל־תָּ֤לֶן הַלַּ֙יְלָה֙ בְּעַֽרְב֣וֹת הַמִּדְבָּ֔ר וְגַ֖ם עָב֣וֹר תַּעֲב֑וֹר פֶּ֚ן יְבֻלַּ֣ע לַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וּלְכָל־הָעָ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִתּֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Now therefore sendשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• quicklyמְהֵרָהmehêrâh · hasteH4120
• and tellנָגַדnâgad · to tellH5046
• Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Lodgeלוּןlûn lîyn · to lodgeH3885
• not this nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
• in the plainsעֲבָרָה‛ăbârâh · fordH5679
• in the plainsעֲרָבָה‛ărâbâh · plainH6160
• of the wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
• but speedilyעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
• lest the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• be swallowed upבָּלַעbâla‛ · to swallow upH1104
• and all the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 17:16

• 2 Samuel 15:28I will wait at the place in the desert where we go across the river. I will wait there until I receive a message from you.’
• 2 Samuel 17:21After the men had gone, Ahimaaz and Jonathan climbed out of the well. Then they took the message to David. They said to him, ‘You must go across the river immediately. Ahithophel has told Absalom how he can catch you here.’
• 2 Samuel 15:14So David said to the officers who were with him in Jerusalem, ‘We must go! We must run away! If we do not do that, no one will escape from Absalom. Hurry, or he will quickly catch us here. Then he will destroy us and our whole city!’
• 1 Samuel 20:38Then he shouted, ‘Hurry now! Go quickly. Do not wait.’ The boy picked up the arrow and he brought it back to Jonathan.
• Psalms 55:8I would go quickly to a safe place. The strong winds and storms of my enemies would not reach me there!’
• Proverbs 6:4Do not let yourself sleep or even stop to rest until you have met with him.
• Matthew 24:16At that time, people in Judea must run away to the hills to hide.
• 2 Samuel 20:19The people of this city like to live in peace. We are faithful to our nation, Israel. Have you decided to destroy such an important city in Israel? Why do you want to destroy a city that belongs to the Lord?’
• Psalms 35:25Do not let them say, ‘Aha! This is what we wanted.’ Do not let them say, ‘We have eaten him alive!’
• Psalms 56:2They chase me all the time! Those proud people want to catch me, and there are many of them!
• Psalms 57:3He will send help from heaven and he will save me. He will punish the people who attack me. Selah. God will show me his faithful love, and he will do what he has promised.
• 1 Corinthians 15:54God will give us new bodies like that. When that happens, what is written in the Bible will become true. It says: ‘God has won against death. He has destroyed it completely!’
• 2 Corinthians 5:4While we still live in our bodies here on earth, we cry inside ourselves. Many difficult things happen to us. We do not really want to take off our old body. But we do want to put on our new body, like new clothes. When that happens, we will no longer need our old body which had to die. Instead we will have a new body that will live for ever.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 17:16

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Hushai, like a wise and prudent man, knowing, too, Absalom‘s weak and fickle character, would not depend upon the resolution, taken at his instigation, not to pursue the king, but took instant measures to advertise David of his danger.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. send quickly, and tell David--Apparently doubting that his advice would be followed, Hushai ordered secret intelligence to be conveyed to David of all that transpired, with an urgent recommendation to cross the Jordan without a moment's delay, lest Ahithophel's address and influence might produce a change on the prince's mind, and an immediate pursuit be determined on.Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 17:16

• Abiathar
• Ahithophel
• Citizens
• Falsehood
• Friendship
• Gilead
• Loyalty
• Spies

In the dictionaries

• David
• Ahimaaz
• Ahithophel
• Desert
• Instead
• Prayer
• Bible, the
• Ford
• Israel, History of
• Joab

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 17

• 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