New Living Translation
2 Samuel 14:14
14All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him.
2 Samuel 14:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.
- New International Version (NIV)Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But that is not what God desires; rather, he devises ways so that a banished person does not remain banished from him.
- English Standard Version (ESV)We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God will not take away life, and he devises means so that the banished one will not remain an outcast.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For we will surely die and become like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away a life; but He devises means, so that His banished ones are not expelled from Him.
Context of 2 Samuel 14:14
12“Please allow me to ask one more thing of my lord the king,” she said. “Go ahead and speak,” he responded. 13She replied, “Why don’t you do as much for the people of God as you have promised to do for me? You have convicted yourself in making this decision, because you have refused to bring home your own banished son. All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him. 15“I have come to plead with my lord the king because people have threatened me. I said to myself, ‘Perhaps the king will listen to me 16and rescue us from those who would cut us off from the inheritance God has given us.
Read all of 2 Samuel 142 Samuel 14:14 word by word
כִּי־מ֣וֹת נָמ֔וּת וְכַמַּ֙יִם֙ הַנִּגָּרִ֣ים אַ֔רְצָה אֲשֶׁ֖ר לֹ֣א יֵאָסֵ֑פוּ וְלֹֽא־יִשָּׂ֤א אֱלֹהִים֙ נֶ֔פֶשׁ וְחָשַׁב֙ מַֽחֲשָׁב֔וֹת לְבִלְתִּ֛י יִדַּ֥ח מִמֶּ֖נּוּ נִדָּֽח׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- For we must needsמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- as waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
- spiltנָגַרnâgar · to pourH5064
- on the groundאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: soilH776
- which cannot be gathered up againאָסַף'âsaph · to gatherH622
- neither doth Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- respectנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: bearH5375
- personנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
- yet doth he deviseחָשַׁבchâshab · to devise: designH2803
- meansמַחֲשָׁבָהmachăshâbâh machăshebeth · plotH4284
- that his banishedנָדַחnâdach · to banishH5080
Cross-references for 2 Samuel 14:14
- 2 Samuel 11:25“Well, tell Joab not to be discouraged,” David said. “The sword devours this one today and that one tomorrow! Fight harder next time, and conquer the city!”
- Job 30:23And I know you are sending me to my death— the destination of all who live.
- Job 34:15all life would cease, and humanity would turn again to dust.
- Psalms 90:3You turn people back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, you mortals!”
- Ecclesiastes 3:19For people and animals share the same fate—both breathe and both must die. So people have no real advantage over the animals. How meaningless!
- Ecclesiastes 9:5The living at least know they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, nor are they remembered.
- Hebrews 9:27And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment,
- Job 14:7“Even a tree has more hope! If it is cut down, it will sprout again and grow new branches.
- Psalms 22:14My life is poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, melting within me.
- Psalms 79:3Blood has flowed like water all around Jerusalem; no one is left to bury the dead.
- Deuteronomy 10:17“For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed.
- Job 34:19He doesn’t care how great a person may be, and he pays no more attention to the rich than to the poor. He made them all.
- Matthew 22:16They sent some of their disciples, along with the supporters of Herod, to meet with him. “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You teach the way of God truthfully. You are impartial and don’t play favorites.
- Acts 10:34Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism.
- Romans 2:11For God does not show favoritism.
- 1 Peter 1:17And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.”
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 14:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14For we must needs die - Whatever is done must be done quickly; all must die; God has not exempted any person from this common lot. Though Amnon be dead, yet the death of Absalom cannot bring him to life, nor repair this loss. Besides, for his crime, he justly deserved to die; and thou, in this case didst not administer justice. Horrible as this fratricide is, it is a pardonable case: the crime of Amnon was the most flagitious; and the offense to Absalom…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14His banished - The use of the word as applied to one of the people of God driven into a pagan land, is well illustrated by Deuteronomy 30:4-5; Jeremiah 40:12; Micah 4:6; Zephaniah 3:19. Neither doth God respect any person - Some prefer the margin: “And God does not take away life, in the case of every sin that deserves death, e. g. David‘s own case 2 Samuel 12:13, but devises devices that the wanderer may not be forever expelled from him, i. e., for the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14God … devises ways: The woman encouraged David to make peace with Absalom, just as God does with his people. God did not stay distant from David when he sinned. He forgave the king when he repented.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-212Sa 14:1-21. Joab Instructs a Woman of Tekoah. 2-21. And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman--The king was strongly attached to Absalom; and having now got over his sorrow for the violent death of Amnon, he was desirous of again enjoying the society of his favorite son, who had now been three long years absent. But a dread of public opinion and a regard to the public interests made him hesitate about recalling or pardoning his guilty son…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Samuel 14:14
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 14
- 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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