2 Samuel 18:17

2 Samuel 18:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent.
• New International Version (NIV)They took Absalom, threw him into a big pit in the forest and piled up a large heap of rocks over him. Meanwhile, all the Israelites fled to their homes.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And they took Absalom and threw him into a great pit in the forest and raised over him a very great heap of stones. And all Israel fled every one to his own home.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And they took Absalom and cast him into a large pit in the woods, and laid a very large heap of stones over him. Then all Israel fled, everyone to his tent.

Context of 2 Samuel 18:17

15Then ten of Joab's own guards came around Absalom. They knocked him down and they killed him. 16Then Joab made a sound with his trumpet to stop the battle. So his soldiers stopped chasing after Israel's soldiers. They took Absalom's dead body and they threw it into a deep hole in the forest. They made a big heap of stones over the body. All the Israelite soldiers ran back to their homes. 18While Absalom was alive, he had built a tall pillar in the King's Valley. He built it so that people would remember him. He thought, ‘I have no son, so my family's name will not continue.’ He put his own name on the pillar, so people still call it Absalom's Pillar. 19Zadok's son Ahimaaz said to Joab, ‘Let me run to give the king the good news. I will tell him that the Lord has saved him from the power of his enemies.’

2 Samuel 18:17 word by word

וַיִּקְח֣וּ אֶת־אַבְשָׁל֗וֹם וַיַּשְׁלִ֨יכוּ אֹת֤וֹ בַיַּ֙עַר֙ אֶל־הַפַּ֣חַת הַגָּד֔וֹל וַיַּצִּ֧בוּ עָלָ֛יו גַּל־אֲבָנִ֖ים גָּד֣וֹל מְאֹ֑ד וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל נָ֖סוּ אִ֥ישׁ לְאֹהָלָֽיו׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And they tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• Absalomאֲבִישָׁלוֹם'ăbîyshâlôm 'abshâlôm · AbsalomH53
• and castשָׁלַךְshâlak · to throwH7993
• him into a greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• pitפַּ֫חַתpachath · pitH6354
• in the woodיַ֫עַרya‛ar · woodH3293
• and laidנָצַבnâtsab · to standH5324
• a veryמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
• heapגַּלgal · heapH1530
• of stonesאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68
• upon him: and all Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• fledנוּסnûs · to fleeH5127
• every oneאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• to his tentאֹ֫הֶל'ôhel · tent: homeH168

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 18:17

• Joshua 7:26They put a big heap of stones over him. They are still there today. That is why the place is still called ‘Trouble Valley’. Then the Lord was not angry with his people any more.
• Joshua 8:29He hanged the king of Ai on a tree. He left his body there until evening. At sunset, Joshua told his men to cut the body down. They threw it on the ground outside the city's gate. They covered it with a heap of stones. Those stones are still there today.
• Joshua 10:27At sunset, Joshua told his men to take the kings down from the trees. They threw them into the cave where they had been hiding. They put big stones over the front of the cave. The stones are still there today.
• Proverbs 10:7It is a pleasure to remember righteous people. But when wicked people die, people soon forget their name.
• Jeremiah 22:18So the Lord says this about Josiah's son, King Jehoiakim of Judah: ‘People will not weep when he dies. They will not say, “I am very sad, my brother. I am very sad, my sister.” They will not weep and say, “What a terrible thing has happened! Our great king has died!”

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 18:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17And laid a very great heap of stones - This was the method of burying heroes, and even traitors, the heap of stones being designed to perpetuate the memory of the event, whether good or bad. The ancient cairns or heaps of stones, in different parts of the world, are of this kind. The various tumuli or barrows in England are the same as the cairns in different parts of Ireland and Scotland. In the former, stones were not plenty; hence they heaped up great…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17A great heap of stones - See the marginal reference. This kind of monument is common to almost all early nations.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. 17all the Israelites fled, each to his home: Those who supported Absalom knew their lives were in danger (2 Samuel 17:11; compare 2 Samuel 19:8). They had supported a usurper (a person who tried to take the throne by force), and his attempt to seize the kingdom had failed.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit ... and laid a very great heap of stones upon him--The people of the East indicate their detestation of the memory of an infamous person by throwing stones at the place where he is buried. The heap is increased by the gradual accumulation of stones which passers-by add to it.Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 18:17

• Absalom
• Ephraim

In the dictionaries

• Absalom
• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Burial
• Charge
• Lift
• Pillar
• Rise
• Thrust

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