New King James Version
2 Samuel 15:8
8For 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.’ ”
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 Living Translation (NLT)For while your servant was at Geshur in Aram, I promised to sacrifice to the Lord in Hebron if he would bring me back to Jerusalem.”
Context of 2 Samuel 15:8
6In this manner Absalom acted toward all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. 7Now it came to pass after forty years that Absalom said to the king, “Please, let me go to Hebron and pay the vow which I made to the Lord. 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.’ ” 9And the king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron. 10Then Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, ‘Absalom reigns 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, saying, “If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on,
- 1 Samuel 1:11Then she made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.”
- 1 Samuel 16:2And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” But the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’
- Psalms 56:12Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God; I will render praises to You,
- Ecclesiastes 5:4When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; For He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed—
- 2 Samuel 13:37But Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day.
- 2 Samuel 14:23So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
- Joshua 24:15And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
- Isaiah 28:15Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, And with Sheol we are in agreement. When the overflowing scourge passes through, It will not come to us, For we have made lies our refuge, And under falsehood we have hidden ourselves.”
- Jeremiah 9:3“And like their bow they have bent their tongues for lies. They are not valiant for the truth on the earth. For they proceed from evil to evil, And they do not know Me,” says the Lord.
- Jeremiah 42:20For you were hypocrites in your hearts when you sent me to the Lord your God, saying, ‘Pray for us to the Lord our God, and according to all that the Lord your God says, so declare to us and we will 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries