2 Samuel 19:38

38 The king said, "Okay. Chimham will cross over with me, and I will treat him as I think best. And I will do for you anything you desire from me."

2 Samuel 19:38 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 19:38

And the king answered, Chimham shall go over with me
He admitted of him instead of his father:

and I will do unto him that which shall seem good unto thee;
he puts it to Barzillai, and leaves it with him to ask what he would for his son, and he would grant it. We nowhere read what it was that Barzillai asked, or whether he asked anything; only this we read, that some hundreds of years afterward there was a place called the habitation of Chimham near Bethlehem, ( Jeremiah 41:17 ) ; which makes it probable that David gave him a paternal estate of his there, since Bethlehem was his city; and the Targum on that place is expressly for it; (See Gill on Jeremiah 41:17):

and whatsoever thou shalt require of me, [that] will I do for thee;
whatever suit he should make to him, or whatever favour he should ask of him hereafter, when returned to his own city, he would grant it to him, if it could be possibly done; such a sense should he always retain of his kindness to him.

2 Samuel 19:38 In-Context

36 Your servant will cross a short way over the Jordan with the king, but why should the king give me such a reward?
37 Let your servant return so I may die in my own town near the grave of my parents. But here is your servant Chimham. Let him cross over with my master and king, and treat him as you think best."
38 The king said, "Okay. Chimham will cross over with me, and I will treat him as I think best. And I will do for you anything you desire from me."
39 So all the people crossed over the Jordan River, and the king stayed behind. The king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and then Barzillai went back to his home.
40 When the king crossed over to Gilgal, Chimham went with him. All the troops of Judah and half the troops of Israel escorted the king across.

Footnotes 1

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