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 the people of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai from Archi’s family is better than Ahithophel’s advice.” (The Lord had commanded Ahithophel’s good advice to be defeated in order to ruin Absalom.) 15Then Hushai told the priests Zadok and Abiathar, “Ahithophel advised Absalom and the leaders of Israel to do one thing, but I advised them to do something else. Now send messengers quickly to tell David, ‘Don’t rest tonight in the river crossings in the desert, but make sure you cross ⌞the river⌟, or Your Majesty and all the troops with him will be wiped out.’ ” 17Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at En Rogel. They could not risk being seen coming into the city, so a servant girl was to go and tell them, and they were to go and tell King David. 18But a young man saw Jonathan and Ahimaaz and told Absalom. So both of them left quickly and came to the home of a man in Bahurim who had a cistern in his courtyard, and they went 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’ll wait at the river crossings in the desert until I receive a message from you.”
• 2 Samuel 17:21After Absalom’s servants left, both men came out of the cistern and went and told King David. “Leave right away,” they told David. “Cross the river quickly because this is what Ahithophel has advised against you. …”
• 2 Samuel 15:14David told all his men who were with him in Jerusalem, “Let’s flee immediately, or none of us will escape from Absalom. Let’s leave right away, or he’ll catch up to us and bring disaster on us when he massacres the city.”
• 1 Samuel 20:38Jonathan added, “Quick! Hurry up! Don’t stand there!” Jonathan’s young servant gathered the arrows and came to his master.
• Psalms 55:8I would hurry to find shelter from the raging wind and storm.”
• Proverbs 6:4Don’t let your eyes rest or your eyelids close.
• Matthew 24:16those of you in Judea should flee to the mountains.
• 2 Samuel 20:19We are peaceful and faithful Israelites. Are you trying to destroy a mother city in Israel? Why should you swallow up what belongs to the Lord?”
• Psalms 35:25or think, “Aha, just what we wanted!” Do not let them say, “We have swallowed him up.”
• Psalms 56:2All day long my enemies spy on me. They harass me. There are so many fighting against me.
• Psalms 57:3He sends his help from heaven and saves me. He disgraces the one who is harassing me. Selah God sends his mercy and his truth!
• 1 Corinthians 15:54When this body that decays is changed into a body that cannot decay, and this mortal body is changed into a body that will live forever, then the teaching of Scripture will come true: “Death is turned into victory!
• 2 Corinthians 5:4While we are in this tent, we sigh. We feel distressed because we don’t want to take off the tent, but we do want to put on the eternal house. Then ⌞eternal⌟ life will put an end to our mortal existence.

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