2 Samuel 18:18

2 Samuel 18:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king’s dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom’s place.
• New International Version (NIV)During his lifetime Absalom had taken a pillar and erected it in the King’s Valley as a monument to himself, for he thought, “I have no son to carry on the memory of my name.” He named the pillar after himself, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself the pillar that is in the King's Valley, for he said, "I have no son to keep my name in remembrance." He called the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absalom's monument to this day.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up a pillar for himself, which is in the King’s Valley. For he said, “I have no son to keep my name in remembrance.” He called the pillar after his own name. And to this day it is called Absalom’s Monument.

Context of 2 Samuel 18:18

16Joab blew the ram’s horn to stop their ⌞fighting⌟, and the troops returned from pursuing Israel. 17They took Absalom, threw him into a huge pit in the forest, and piled a large heap of stones over him. Meanwhile, all Israel fled and went back to their homes. (⌞While he was still living,⌟ Absalom had taken a rock and set it up for himself in the king’s valley. He said, “I have no son to keep the memory of my name alive.” He called the rock by his name, and it is still called Absalom’s Monument today.) 19Then Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son, said, “Let me run and bring the king the good news that the Lord has freed him from his enemies.” 20But Joab told him, “You won’t be the man carrying good news today. You can carry the news some other day. You must not deliver the news today because the king’s son is dead.”

2 Samuel 18:18 word by word

וְאַבְשָׁלֹ֣ם לָקַ֗ח וַיַּצֶּב־ל֤וֹ בְחַיָּיו֙ אֶת־מַצֶּ֙בֶת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּעֵֽמֶק־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ כִּ֤י אָמַר֙ אֵֽין־לִ֣י בֵ֔ן בַּעֲב֖וּר הַזְכִּ֣יר שְׁמִ֑י וַיִּקְרָ֤א לַמַּצֶּ֙בֶת֙ עַל־שְׁמ֔וֹ וַיִּקָּ֤רֵא לָהּ֙ יַ֣ד אַבְשָׁלֹ֔ם עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Now Absalomאֲבִישָׁלוֹם'ăbîyshâlôm 'abshâlôm · AbsalomH53
• in his lifetimeחַיִּיםchay · lifeH2416
• had takenלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• and reared upנָצַבnâtsab · to standH5324
• for himself a pillarמַצֶּבֶתmatstsebeth · pillarH4678
• in the king’sמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · King'sH4428
• daleעֵ֫מֶק‛êmeq · Valley (of Kings)H6010
• for he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• I have no sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• to keep my nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
• in remembranceזָכַרzâkar · to rememberH2142
• and he calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call byH7121
• unto this dayיוֹםyôm · day: todayH3117
• placeיָדyâd · hand: themselvesH3027

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 18:18

• 1 Samuel 15:12Early in the morning he got up to meet Saul. Samuel was told, “Saul went to Carmel to set up a monument in his honor. Then he left there and went to Gilgal.”
• Genesis 14:17After Abram came back from defeating Chedorlaomer and his allies, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Shaveh Valley (that is, the King’s Valley).
• 2 Samuel 14:27Absalom had three sons and one daughter. His daughter Tamar was a beautiful woman.
• Job 18:16His roots dry up under him. His branches wither over him.
• Psalms 109:13Let his descendants be cut off and their family name be wiped out by the next generation.
• Jeremiah 22:30This is what the Lord says: Write this about Jehoiakin: He will be childless. He won’t prosper in his lifetime. None of his descendants will succeed him as king. They won’t sit on David’s throne and rule Judah again.
• Genesis 11:4Then they said, “Let’s build a city for ourselves and a tower with its top in the sky. Let’s make a name for ourselves so that we won’t become scattered all over the face of the earth.”
• Psalms 49:11Although they named their lands after themselves, their graves have become their homes for ages to come, their dwelling places throughout every generation.
• Daniel 4:30The king thought, “Look how great Babylon is! I built the royal palace by my own impressive power and for my glorious honor.”
• Genesis 11:9This is why it was named Babel, because there the Lord turned the language of the whole earth into babble. From that place the Lord scattered them all over the face of the earth.
• Acts 1:18With the money he received from the wrong he had done, he bought a piece of land where he fell headfirst to his death. His body split open, and all his internal organs came out.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 18:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18Reared up for himself a pillar - There was a marble pillar in the time of Josephus called Absalom's pillar: and there is one shown to the present day under this name; but it is comparatively a modern structure. Absalom's place - Literally Absalom's Hand. See the note on 1 Samuel 15:12.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18The king‘s dale - Anciently the “valley” of “Shaveh” (marginal reference), and apparently in the near neighborhood of Sodom; but the exact site is not known. It quite agrees with Absalom‘s preference for Hebron 2 Samuel 15:7, that his monument should be reared by him in the south. If Absalom‘s monument be placed in the ravine of the Kedron, the “king‘s dale” here is a different place from the “dale of Shaveh.” Absalom‘s place - literally, “Absalom‘s…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. 18I have no son: See study note on 2 Samuel 14:27. Because Absalom had no heir to continue his family line, he hoped a monument would keep his name and memory alive. to this day: The narrator was probably writing during the reign of Solomon. The location of the monument is now unknown.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. Absalom in his lifetime had reared up for himself a pillar--literally, "hand." In the valley of Jehoshaphat, on the east of Jerusalem, is a tomb or cenotaph, said to be this "pillar" or monument: it is twenty-four feet square, dome-topped, and reaches forty feet in height. This may occupy the spot, but cannot itself be the work of Absalom, as it evidently bears the style of a later architecture.Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 18:18

• Absalom
• Ambition
• Pillar
• Shaveh

In the dictionaries

• Absalom
• King's Dale
• Burial
• Charge
• Lift
• Pillar
• Rise
• Thrust
• Abijah
• Bible, the

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