2 Samuel 15:13-23

David Flees from Jerusalem

13 Then the messenger came to David, saying, "The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom."

14 Then David said to all his servants who [were] with him in Jerusalem, "Get up and let us flee, for there will be no escape for us from Absalom! Hurry to go, otherwise he will come quickly and overtake us! And he will bring disaster on us and evil! He will attack the city with the edge of the sword!"

15 Then the servants of the king said to the king, "According to all that my lord the king chooses, {your servants are ready to act}!"

16 The king went out with all his household {following him}, but the king left behind ten concubines to look after the house.

17 So the king went out with all the people {following him}, and they stopped {at the last house}.

18 All his servants [were] passing {by him}: all of the Kerethites and all of the Pelethites and all of the Gittites--six hundred men {who had followed him} from Gath--passing {before the king}.

19 The king said to Ittai the Gittite, "Why [are] you also coming with us? Return and stay with the king, for you [are] a foreigner; moreover, you [are] an exile. {You [are] far from your place}.

20 Yesterday when you came and {today}, I have caused you to wander by going with us. Now I [am] going to where I [am] going; return and let your brothers return. [May] loyal love and faithfulness [be] with you."

21 But Ittai answered the king and said, "{As Yahweh lives} and {my lord the king lives}, surely in the place wherever my lord the king shall be, if for death or if for life, surely there your servant will be."

22 Then David said to Ittai, "Go and pass over." So Ittai the Gittite passed over and all his men and all of the little children who [were] with him.

23 All of the land [was] weeping [with] a loud voice as all the people [were] passing by and the king [was] crossing through the Wadi Kidron, and all the people [were] passing {on the road to the wilderness}.

2 Samuel 15:13-23 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 15

This chapter relates how that Absalom by various artful methods stole away the hearts of the people of Israel, 2Sa 15:1-6; that pretending a vow he had made, he got leave of the king to go to Hebron to perform it, 2Sa 15:7-9; where he formed a considerable conspiracy, 2Sa 15:10-12; of which David having information, thought it advisable to depart from Jerusalem, both for his own safety, and the good of the city, which he did with his family, and guards, and much people, 2Sa 15:13-18; though he would have persuaded Ittai the Gittite to have returned, but could not prevail upon him, 2Sa 15:19-23; however, he sent back the priests and the Levites with the ark, lest any harm should come to that, 2Sa 15:24-29; and as he and the people went up the mount of Olives weeping, it was told him that Ahithophel was among the conspirators, on which he put up a prayer that his counsel might be infatuated, 2Sa 15:30,31; and Hushai the Archite coming to him at that juncture, he sent him back to Jerusalem to defeat the counsel of Ahithophel, and to send him word by the priests what he should hear there from time to time, 2Sa 15:32-37.

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew "heart"
• [b]. Literally "here are your servants"
• [c]. Hebrew "and"
• [d]. Literally "at his feet"
• [e]. Hebrew "and"
• [f]. Literally "at his feet"
• [g]. Literally "[at] the house of the distance"
• [h]. Literally "on his hand"
• [i]. Literally "who had come at his feet"
• [j]. Literally "on the face of the king"
• [k]. Literally "You as far as your place"
• [l]. Literally "the day"
• [m]. Literally "The life of Yahweh"
• [n]. Literally "the life of my lord the king"
• [o]. Literally "on the face of the road with the wilderness"