2 Samuel 15:30

30 But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up.

2 Samuel 15:30 in Other Translations

30 And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.

30 But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, barefoot and with his head covered. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up, weeping as they went.

30 David walked up the road to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went. His head was covered and his feet were bare as a sign of mourning. And the people who were with him covered their heads and wept as they climbed the hill.

30 while David went up the Mount of Olives weeping, head covered but barefooted, and the whole army was with him, heads covered and weeping as they ascended.

30 David was climbing the slope of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he ascended. His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. Each of the people with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they ascended.

2 Samuel 15:30 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 15:30

And David went up by the ascent of [Mount] Olivet
So called from the olive trees that grew upon it, which is often mentioned in the New Testament, and where our Lord Jesus Christ, the antitype of David, often was, in his state of humiliation, ( Matthew 26:30 ) ( Mark 14:26 ) ( Luke 22:39 ) , and from whence he ascended to heaven after his resurrection, ( Acts 1:12 ) ; it was about a mile from Jerusalem, to the east of it:

and wept as he went up;
thinking perhaps of the wickedness and rebellion of his son, of his own hard case, to be obliged to quit his metropolis and palace, and make his flight afoot; and perhaps also of his own sins, which were the cause of his calamities:

and had his head covered;
with his mantle, with which he enwraped himself as a mourner, ( 2 Samuel 19:4 ) ; so the Egyptians used to cover their heads in mourning, and the Romans in later times ^F17; so Megara in sorrowful circumstances is represented as having her head covered with a garment ^F18:

and he went barefoot;
in token of mourning also, and like one forlorn, and going into captivity, see ( Isaiah 20:2 ) ( Micah 1:8 ) ;

and all the people that [was] with him covered every man his head;
as David did, and in imitation of him, and sympathizing with him; and which was sometimes done when men were ashamed and confounded, ( Jeremiah 14:3 Jeremiah 14:4 ) ;

and they went up, weeping as they went up;
the mount of Olivet, grieved for their king, and the distresses and calamities that were coming upon them.

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 Vid. Solerium de Pileo, sect. 2. p. 14, 19.
F18 Senec. Hercul. furens, act. 2.

2 Samuel 15:30 In-Context

28 I will wait at the fords in the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”

29 So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there.

30 But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up.

31 Now David had been told, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David prayed, “LORD, turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness.”

32 When David arrived at the summit, where people used to worship God, Hushai the Arkite was there to meet him, his robe torn and dust on his head.

Cross References

• 1. S Numbers 25:6; S Psalms 30:5; 2 Samuel 19:4; Psalms 126:6
• 2. Esther 6:12; Isaiah 20:2-4