2 Samuel

2 Samuel 17:1–4

1Furthermore, Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me choose twelve thousand men and set out tonight in pursuit of David. 2I will attack him while he is weak and weary; I will throw him into a panic, and all the people with him will flee; I will strike down only the king 3and bring all the people back to you as a bride returning to her husband. You seek the life of only one man;a then all the people will be at peace.”

4This proposal seemed good to Absalom and all the elders of Israel.

Footnotes

  • a 17:3 LXX; see also DSS; MT and bring all the people back to you. When everyone returns except the man you seek,

Read all of 2 Samuel 17

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

2 Samuel 17:1

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Furthermoreאֲחִיתֹ֖פֶל’ă·ḥî·ṯō·p̄elNoun - proper - masculine singularH302 Achithophel
Ahithophelאֲחִיתֹ֖פֶל’ă·ḥî·ṯō·p̄elNoun - proper - masculine singularH302 Achithophel
saidוַיֹּ֥אמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
toאֶל־’el-PrepositionH413 motion to
Absalomאַבְשָׁלֹ֑ם’aḇ·šā·lōmNoun - proper - masculine singularH53 Abshalom
Let me chooseאֶבְחֲרָ֣ה’eḇ·ḥă·rāhVerb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common singularH977 choose
twelveשְׁנֵים־šə·nêm-Number - mdH8147 two
thousandאֶ֙לֶף֙’e·lep̄Number - masculine singularH505 thousand
menאִ֔ישׁ’îšNoun - masculine singularH376 man
and set outוְאָק֛וּמָהwə·’ā·qū·māhConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singularH6965 arise, stand up, stand
tonightהַלָּֽיְלָה׃hal·lā·yə·lāhArticle; Noun - masculine singularH3915 twist, night, adversity
in pursuit ofוְאֶרְדְּפָ֥הwə·’er·də·p̄āhConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singularH7291 pursue, chase, persecute
Davidדָוִ֖דḏā·wiḏNoun - proper - masculine singularH1732 David

2 Samuel 17:2

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
I will attack himוְאָב֣וֹאwə·’ā·ḇō·wConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common singularH935 come in, come, go in, go
while heוְה֤וּאwə·hūConjunctive waw; Pronoun - third person masculine singularH1931 he, she
is weakוּרְפֵ֣הū·rə·p̄êhConjunctive waw; Adjective - masculine singular constructH7504 slack
and wearyיָגֵ֙עַ֙yā·ḡê·a‘Adjective - masculine singularH3023 weary, wearisome
I will throw him into a panicוְהַֽחֲרַדְתִּ֣יwə·ha·ḥă·raḏ·tîConjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singularH2729 tremble, be terrified
and allכָּל־kāl-Noun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
the peopleהָעָ֣םhā·‘āmArticle; Noun - masculine singularH5971 people
with himאִתּ֑וֹ’it·tōwPreposition; third person masculine singularH854 with
will fleeוְנָ֖סwə·nāsConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularH5127 flee, escape
I will strike downוְהִכֵּיתִ֥יwə·hik·kê·ṯîConjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singularH5221 smite
onlyלְבַדּֽוֹ׃lə·ḇad·dōwPreposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH905 separation
the kingהַמֶּ֖לֶךְham·me·leḵArticle; Noun - masculine singularH4428 king

2 Samuel 17:3

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
and bring allכָל־ḵālNoun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
the peopleהָעָ֖םhā·‘āmArticle; Noun - masculine singularH5971 people
backוְאָשִׁ֥יבָהwə·’ā·šî·ḇāhConjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singularH7725 turn back, return
to youאֵלֶ֑יךָ’ê·le·ḵāPreposition; second person masculine singularH413 motion to
as a brideהַכֹּ֔לhak·kōlArticle; Noun - masculine singularH3605 the whole, all
returning to her husbandכְּשׁ֣וּבkə·šūḇPreposition-k; Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructH7725 turn back, return
Youאַתָּ֣ה’at·tāhPronoun - second person masculine singularH859 thou
seek the lifeמְבַקֵּ֔שׁmə·ḇaq·qêšVerb - Piel - Participle - masculine singularH1245 seek
of only one manהָאִישׁ֙hā·’îšArticle; Noun - masculine singularH376 man
then allכָּל־kāl-Noun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
the peopleהָעָ֖םhā·‘āmArticle; Noun - masculine singularH5971 people
will beיִהְיֶ֥הyih·yehVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
at peaceשָׁלֽוֹם׃šā·lō·wmNoun - masculine singularH7965 completeness, soundness, welfare, peace

2 Samuel 17:4

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
This proposalהַדָּבָ֖רhad·dā·ḇārArticle; Noun - masculine singularH1697 speech, word
seemedבְּעֵינֵ֣יbə·‘ê·nêPreposition-b; Noun - cdcH5869 eye
goodוַיִּישַׁ֥רway·yî·šarConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH3474 be smooth, straight, right
to Absalomאַבְשָׁלֹ֑ם’aḇ·šā·lōmNoun - proper - masculine singularH53 Abshalom
and allכָּל־kāl-Noun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
the eldersזִקְנֵ֥יziq·nêAdjective - masculine plural constructH2205 old
of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃סyiś·rā·’êlNoun - proper - masculine singularH3478 Israel

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

2 Samuel 17:1 Isaiah 59:7–8 · Proverbs 4:16 · Psalm 4:8 · Psalm 3:3–5 · Psalm 109:2–4 · Proverbs 1:16

2 Samuel 17:2 1 Kings 22:31 · 2 Samuel 16:14 · Zechariah 13:7 · Matthew 26:31 · John 11:50 · Deuteronomy 25:18 · Matthew 21:38

2 Samuel 17:3 1 Thessalonians 5:3

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.