God’s Word Translation
2 Samuel 15:8
8I made a vow while I was living at Geshur in Aram. I said, ‘If the Lord will bring me back to Jerusalem, I will serve the Lord.’ ”
2 Samuel 15:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, If the Lord shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord.
- New International Version (NIV)While your servant was living at Geshur in Aram, I made this vow: ‘If the Lord takes me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the Lord in Hebron.’ ”
- English Standard Version (ESV)For your servant vowed a vow while I lived at Geshur in Aram, saying, 'If the Lord will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will offer worship to the Lord.'"
- New King James Version (NKJV)For your servant took a vow while I dwelt at Geshur in Syria, saying, ‘If the Lord indeed brings me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord.’ ”
Context of 2 Samuel 15:8
6This is what he did for all Israelites who came to the king to have him try their case. So Absalom stole the hearts of the people of Israel. 7Four years later Absalom said to the king, “Let me go to Hebron and keep the vow I made to the Lord. I made a vow while I was living at Geshur in Aram. I said, ‘If the Lord will bring me back to Jerusalem, I will serve the Lord.’ ” 9“Go in peace,” the king told him. So he went to Hebron. 10But Absalom sent his loyal supporters to all the tribes of Israel and said, “When you hear the sound of the ram’s horn, say, ‘Absalom has become king in Hebron.’ ”
Read all of 2 Samuel 152 Samuel 15:8 word by word
כִּי־נֵ֙דֶר֙ נָדַ֣ר עַבְדְּךָ֔ בְּשִׁבְתִּ֥י בִגְשׁ֛וּר בַּאֲרָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר אִם־יָשׁ֨וֹב יְשִׁיבֵ֤נִי יְהוָה֙ יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם וְעָבַדְתִּ֖י אֶת־יְהוָֽה בְּחֶבְרוֹן׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- For thy servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- vowedנָדַרnâdar · to vowH5087
- a vowנֶ֫דֶרneder nêder · vowH5088
- while I abodeיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- at Geshurגְּשׁוּרgeshûr · GeshurH1650
- in Syriaאֲרָם'ărâm · SyriaH758
- sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- If the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- shall bring me againשׁוּבshûb · to return: rescueH7725
- indeed to Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
- then I will serveעָבַד‛âbad · to serve: ministerH5647
Cross-references for 2 Samuel 15:8
- Genesis 28:20Then Jacob made a vow: “If God will be with me and will watch over me on my trip and give me food to eat and clothes to wear,
- 1 Samuel 1:11She made this vow, “Lord of Armies, if you will look at my misery, remember me, and give me a boy, then I will give him to you for as long as he lives. A razor will never be used on his head.”
- 1 Samuel 16:2“How can I go?” Samuel asked. “When Saul hears about it, he’ll kill me.” The Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I’ve come to sacrifice to the Lord.’
- Psalms 56:12I am bound by my vows to you, O God. I will keep my vows by offering songs of thanksgiving to you.
- Ecclesiastes 5:4When you make a promise to God, don’t be slow to keep it because God doesn’t like fools. Keep your promise.
- 2 Samuel 13:37Absalom, however, fled to Geshur’s King Talmai, Ammihud’s son. But the king mourned for his son Amnon every day.
- 2 Samuel 14:23So Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.
- Joshua 24:15But if you don’t want to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Even if you choose the gods your ancestors served on the other side of the Euphrates or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live, my family and I will still serve the Lord.”
- Isaiah 28:15You say, “We made a treaty with death and an agreement with the grave. When the overwhelming disaster passes by, it won’t matter to us, because we have taken refuge in our lies, and falsehood is our hiding place.”
- Jeremiah 9:3They use their tongues like bows that shoot arrows. Lies and dishonesty rule the land. They go from one evil thing to another, and they don’t know me,” declares the Lord.
- Jeremiah 42:20You only deceived yourselves when you sent me to the Lord your God and said, ‘Pray to the Lord our God for us, and tell us everything that the Lord our God says, and we’ll do it.’
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 15:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8While I abode at Geshur in Syria - Geshur, the country of Talmai, was certainly not in Syria, but lay on the south of Canaan, in or near Edom, as is evident from Judges 1:10; 1 Samuel 27:8; 2 Samuel 13:37. Hence it is probable that ארם Aram, Syria, is a mistake for אדם Edom; ד daleth and ר resh being easily interchangeable. Edom is the reading both of the Syriac and Arabic. I will serve the Lord - Here he pretended to be a strict follower of Jehovah, even…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-12Verses 7-12 See how willing tender parents are to believe the best concerning their children. But how easy and how wicked is it, for children to take advantage of good parents, and to deceive them with the show of religion! The principal men of Jerusalem joined Absalom's feast upon his sacrifice. Pious persons are glad to see others appear religious, and this gives occasion for deceptions. The policy of wicked men, and the subtlety of Satan, are exerted…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8Geshur of Aram: After killing Amnon, Absalom had sought refuge in the homeland of his mother (see study notes on 2 Samuel 13:34–39, 37). Hebron, David's first capital, was the ideal place for Absalom to turn his local popularity into a full revolt against David.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 7-97-9. after forty years--It is generally admitted that an error has here crept into the text, and that instead of "forty," we should read with the Syriac and Arabic versions, and Josephus, "four years"--that is, after Absalom's return to Jerusalem, and his beginning to practice the base arts of gaining popularity. my vow, which I have vowed unto the Lord--during his exile in Geshur. The purport of it was, that whenever God's providence should pave the way…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Samuel 15:8
In the dictionaries
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
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