2 Samuel 18:29

Bishop's Bible

And the king sayd: Is the young man Absalom safe? Ahimaaz aunswered: When Ioab sent the kinges seruaunt, and me thy seruaunt, I sawe a great tumult, but I wote not what it was.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom all right?”

Hebrew Names Version
The king said, Is it well with the young man Avshalom? Achima`atz answered, When Yo'av sent the king's servant, even me your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I don't know what it was.

King James Version
And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.

Lexham English Bible
The king said, "Is it peace for the young man Absalom?" Ahimaaz said, "I saw the great commotion when Joab the servant of the king sent your servant, but I do not know what it was all about."

English Standard Version
And the king said, "Is it well with the young man Absalom?" Ahimaaz answered, "When Joab sent the king's servant, your servant, I saw a great commotion, but I do not know what it was."

New Century Version
The king asked, "Is young Absalom all right?" Ahimaaz answered, "When Joab sent me, I saw some great excitement, but I don't know what it was."

New English Translation
The king replied, "How is the young man Absalom?" Ahimaaz replied, "I saw a great deal of confusion when Joab was sending the king's servant and me, your servant, but I don't know what it was all about."

Amplified Bible
The king asked, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" Ahimaaz answered, "When Joab sent the king's servant, and your servant, I saw a great turmoil, but I do not know what it was about."

New American Standard Bible
But the king said, "Is it well with the young man Absalom?" And Ahimaaz answered, "When Joab sent the king's servant, and your servant, I saw a great commotion, but I did not know what it was."

Geneva Bible (1587)
And the King saide, Is the yong man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Ioab sent the Kings seruant, and me thy seruant, I sawe a great tumult, but I knewe not what.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then the king said, "Is there peace with the young man Absalom?" And Ahimaaz said, "When Joab sent the king's servant, and your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I did not know what it was."

Contemporary English Version
"Is my son Absalom all right?" David asked. Ahimaaz said, "When Joab sent your personal servant and me, I saw a noisy crowd. But I don't know what it was all about."

Complete Jewish Bible
The king asked, "Is everything all right with young Avshalom?" Achima‘atz answered, "When Yo'av sent the king's servant and me your servant, I saw a big commotion; but I didn't know what it was."

Darby Translation
And the king said, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And Ahimaaz said, I saw a great tumult when Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant; but I knew not what it was.

Easy-to-Read Version
The king asked, "Is young Absalom all right?" Ahimaaz answered, "When Joab sent me, I saw some great excitement, but I don't know what it was."

George Lamsa Translation
Then the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, I saw a great army arrayed against Joab the servant of my lord the king, but I your servant knew not what was the outcome.

Good News Translation
"Is the young man Absalom all right?" the king asked. Ahimaaz answered, "Sir, when your officer Joab sent me, I saw a great commotion, but I couldn't tell what it was."

Literal Translation
And the king said, Peace to the young man, to Absalom? And Ahimaaz said, I saw the great tumult, at the sending away of the servant of the king, even your servant sent by Joab, but I do not know what.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The kynge sayde: Goeth it well with the yonge man Absalom? Ahimaas sayde: I sawe a greate vproure, whan Ioab the kynges seruaunt sent me thy seruaunt, and I wote not what it was.

American Standard Version
And the king said, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, even me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.

Bible in Basic English
And the king said, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And Ahimaaz said in answer, When Joab sent me, your servant, I saw a great outcry going on, but I had no knowledge of what it was.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the king said: 'Is it well with the young man Absalom?' And Ahimaaz answered: 'When Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.'

King James Version (1611)
And the king said, Is the yong man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Ioab sent the kings seruant, and me thy seruant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the king said, Is the young man Abessalom safe? and Achimaas said, I saw a great multitude at the time of Joab’s sending the king’s servant and thy servant, and I knew not what was there.

English Revised Version
And the king said, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king’s servant, even me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.

Berean Standard Bible
The king asked, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" And Ahimaaz replied, "When Joab sent the king's servant and your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I do not know what it was."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the kyng seide, Whether pees is to the child Absolon? And Achymaas seide, Y siy, `that is, Y herde, a great noise, whanne Joab, thi seruaunt, thou kyng, sente me thi seruaunt; Y kan noon othir thing.

Young's Literal Translation
And the king saith, `Peace to the youth -- to Absalom?' And Ahimaaz saith, `I saw the great multitude, at the sending away of the servant of the king, even thy servant [by] Joab, and I have not known what [it is].'

Update Bible Version
And the king said, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's slave and your slave, I saw a great tumult, but I didn't know what it was.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, and [me] thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what [it was].

World English Bible
The king said, Is it well with the young man Absalom? Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, even me your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I don't know what it was.

New King James Version
The king said, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" Ahimaaz answered, "When Joab sent the king's servant and me your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I did not know what it was about."

New Living Translation
"What about young Absalom?" the king demanded. "Is he all right?" Ahimaaz replied, "When Joab told me to come, there was a lot of commotion. But I didn't know what was happening."

New Life Bible
The king said, "Is it well with the young man Absalom?" And Ahimaaz answered, "When Joab sent the king's servant, your servant, I heard noise and saw much fighting. But I did not know what it was."

New Revised Standard
The king said, "Is it well with the young man Absalom?" Ahimaaz answered, "When Joab sent your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I do not know what it was."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the king said, Is it, well, with the young man - Absolom? Then said Ahimaaz - I saw a great crowd, when Joab sent the king's servant and me thy servant, but I knew not what it meant .

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the king said: Is the young man Absalom safe? And Achimaas said: I saw a great tumult, O king, when thy servant Joab sent me thy servant: I know nothing else.

Revised Standard Version
And the king said, "Is it well with the young man Ab'salom?" Ahi'ma-az answered, "When Jo'ab sent your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I do not know what it was."

THE MESSAGE
The king asked, "But is the young man Absalom all right?" Ahimaaz said, "I saw a huge ruckus just as Joab was sending me off, but I don't know what it was about."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
The king said, "Is it well with the young man Absalom?" And Ahimaaz answered, "When Joab sent the king's servant, and your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I did not know what it was."

Contextual Overview

¹⁹ Then sayd Ahimaaz the sonne of Sadoc: Let me runne nowe and beare the king tydinges, how that the Lord hath iudged him quyte of the hande of his enemies. ²⁰ And Ioab sayd vnto him: Thou art no man to beare tidinges to day, thou shalt beare tydinges another time: but to day thou shalt beare none, because the kinges sonne is dead. ²¹ Then sayd Ioab to Chusi: Go and tell the kyng what thou hast seene. And Chusi bowed him selfe vnto Ioab, and ranne. ²² Then sayd Ahimaaz the sonne of Sadoc againe to Ioab: What I pray thee, if I also runne after Chusi? And Ioab sayde: Wherfore wilt thou runne my sonne, seyng that thou hast no tydinges to bring? ²³ Yet what if I runne? He said vnto him: Runne. Then Ahimaaz ranne by the way of the playne, & came before Chusi. ²⁴ And Dauid sate betweene the two gates: And the watchman went vp to the roofe ouer the gate vnto the wal, and lift vp his eyes and sawe, & beholde there came a man runnyng alone. ²⁵ And the watchman cryed, & tolde the king. And the king sayd: If he be alone, there is tydinges in his mouth. And he came a pace, and drewe neare. ²⁶ And the watchman sawe another man running, and the watchman called vnto the porter, and sayd: Behold, there commeth another man running alone. And the king sayd: He is also a tydinges bringer. ²⁷ And the watchman sayde: Me thinketh the running of the formost, is lyke the running of Ahimaaz the sonne of Sadoc. The king sayde: He is a good man, and commeth with good tidinges. ²⁸ And Ahimaaz called & said vnto ye king, peace be with thee: And he fell downe to the earth vpo his face before the king, and sayd: Blessed be the Lord thy God, which hath shut vp the me that lift vp their handes against my lorde the king.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Is the young man Absalom safe: Heb. is there peace to, etc. I saw a great. 2 Samuel 18:19, 2 Samuel 18:20, 2 Samuel 18:22

Cross-References

Ephesians 6:18
Praying alwayes in all prayer and supplication in the spirite, and watche thervnto with all instaunce and supplication, for all saintes,

Hebrews 4:16
Let vs therfore come boldly vnto the throne of grace, that we may obteyne mercie, and fynde grace to helpe in time of neede.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the king said, is the young man Absalom safe?.... Or, is there "peace" f to him? you say there is peace, and that prosperity and success have attended my army; but what peace has Absalom? is he well, and in safety? David seemed more concerned for him than for his army and the success of it; and even suggests as if it was nothing if Absalom was not safe, so great were his affections towards him:

and Ahimaaz answered, when Joab sent the king's servant; which was Cushi, the first messenger, whose office perhaps it was to be one of the king's messengers, and therefore called his servant:

and [me] thy servant: Ahimaaz himself who was sent after the other:

I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what [it was]; he perceived that the tidings of the death of Absalom would be disagreeable to the king, and therefore concealed it from him; and though a good man, he cannot be excused from lying, for certainly he knew that Absalom was dead, as appears from 2 Samuel 18:19; though indeed what he said might be true, that after Joab had sent him and Cushi, as the Targum paraphrases it, he saw a company of people gathered together in a tumultuous manner, the meaning of which he knew not; but then this was no other than an evasion.

f שלום לנער "estne pax puero?" V. L. "pax puero", Pagninus, Montanus.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 18:29. I saw a great tumult — It was very probable that Ahimaaz did not know of the death of Absalom; he had seen the rout of his army, but did not know of his death. Others think he knew all, and told this untruth that he might not be the messenger of bad news to David.