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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

2 Samuel 19:4

David held his hands over his face and kept on crying loudly, "My son, Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Absalom;   Bereavement;   David;   Joab;   Mourning;   Parents;   Reproof;   Sorrow;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Dead, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Joab;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prophet;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Face;   Joab;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Face;   Samuel, Books of;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Mourning;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Cover;   Face;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Absalom;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
But the king covered his face and cried loudly, “My son Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!”
Hebrew Names Version
The king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, my son Avshalom, Avshalom, my son, my son!
King James Version
But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!
Lexham English Bible
and because the king had covered his face and cried with a loud voice, "My son, Absalom, Absalom, my son, my son."
English Standard Version
The king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, "O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!"
New Century Version
The king covered his face and cried loudly, "My son Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!"
New English Translation
The king covered his face and cried out loudly, "My son, Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!"
Amplified Bible
But the king covered his face and cried out with a loud voice, "O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!"
New American Standard Bible
And the king covered his face and cried out with a loud voice, "My son Absalom, Absalom, my son, my son!"
Geneva Bible (1587)
So the King hid his face, and the King cryed with a loude voyce, My sonne Absalom, Absalom my sonne, my sonne.
Legacy Standard Bible
But as for the king, he wrapped his face up. Then the king cried out with a loud voice, "O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!"
Complete Jewish Bible
so that the people entered the city furtively that day, the way that people who are ashamed creep away when fleeing a battlefield.
Darby Translation
And the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, My son Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!
Easy-to-Read Version
The king had covered his face and was crying loudly, "O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!"
George Lamsa Translation
But the king covered his face, and cried with a loud voice, saying, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!
Good News Translation
The king covered his face and cried loudly, "O my son! My son Absalom! Absalom, my son!"
Literal Translation
And the king had covered his face. Yea, the king cried with a loud voice, My son Absalom! Absalom my son, my son!
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
As for the kynge, he had couered his face, and cryed loude, and sayde: Oh my sonne Absalom, Absalom my sonne, my sonne.
American Standard Version
And the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!
Bible in Basic English
But the king, covering his face, gave a great cry, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But the king hyd his face, and cryed with a loude voyce: O my sonne Absalom, O Absalom my sonne, my sonne.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the people got them by stealth that day into the city, as people that are ashamed steal away when they flee in battle.
King James Version (1611)
But the king couered his face, and the king cried with a loud voyce, O my sonne Absalom, O Absalom my sonne, my sonne.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the king hid his face: and the king cried with a loud voice, My son Abessalom! Abessalom my son!
English Revised Version
And the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!
Berean Standard Bible
But the king covered his face and cried out at the top of his voice, "O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sotheli the kyng hilide his heed, and criede with greet vois, My sone, Absolon!
Young's Literal Translation
and the king hath covered his face, yea, the king crieth -- a loud voice -- `My son Absalom, Absalom, my son, my son.'
Update Bible Version
And the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!
Webster's Bible Translation
But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!
World English Bible
The king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, my son Absalom, Absalom, my son, my son!
New King James Version
But the king covered his face, and the king cried out with a loud voice, "O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!"
New Living Translation
The king covered his face with his hands and kept on crying, "O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!"
New Life Bible
The king covered his face and cried out with a loud voice, "O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!"
New Revised Standard
The king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, "O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, the king, muffled his face, and the king made outcry, with a loud voice, - O my son Absolom, O Absolom, my son, my son!
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the king covered his head, and cried with a loud voice: O my son Absalom, O Absalom my son, O my son.
Revised Standard Version
The king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, "O my son Ab'salom, O Ab'salom, my son, my son!"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The king covered his face and cried out with a loud voice, "O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!"

Contextual Overview

1 Someone told Joab, "The king is crying because Absalom is dead." 2 David's army found out he was crying because his son had died, and their day of victory suddenly turned into a day of sadness. 3 The troops were sneaking into Mahanaim, just as if they had run away from a battle and were ashamed. 4 David held his hands over his face and kept on crying loudly, "My son, Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!" 5 Joab went to the house where David was staying and told him: You've made your soldiers ashamed! Not only did they save your life, they saved your sons and daughters and wives as well. 6 You're more loyal to your enemies than to your friends. What you've done today has shown your officers and soldiers that they don't mean a thing to you. You would be happy if Absalom was still alive, even if the rest of us were dead. 7 Now get up! Go out there and thank them for what they did. If you don't, I swear by the Lord that you won't even have one man left on your side tomorrow morning. You may have had a lot of troubles in the past, but this will be the worst thing that has ever happened to you! 8 David got up and went to the town gate and sat down. When the people heard that he was sitting there, they came to see him. After Israel's soldiers had all returned home,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

covered: 2 Samuel 15:30

O my son: It is allowed by competent critics that the lamentation of David over his son, of which this forms a part, is exceedingly pathetic; and Calmet properly remarks, that the frequent repetition of the name of the deceased is common in the language of lamentation. 2 Samuel 18:33

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 14:1 - toward Absalom 1 Chronicles 3:2 - Absalom Job 9:24 - he covereth Jeremiah 14:3 - covered 1 Corinthians 11:4 - having

Cross-References

Genesis 13:13
where the people were evil and sinned terribly against the Lord .
Genesis 18:20
The Lord said, "Abraham, I have heard that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are doing all kinds of evil things.
Genesis 19:1
That evening the two angels arrived in Sodom, while Lot was sitting near the city gate. When Lot saw them, he got up, bowed down low,
Genesis 19:6
Lot went outside and shut the door behind him.
Genesis 19:20
There's a town near here. It's only a small place, but my family and I will be safe, if you let us go there."
Genesis 19:25
He destroyed those cities and everyone who lived in them, as well as their land and the trees and grass that grew there.
Exodus 16:2
There in the desert they started complaining to Moses and Aaron,
Exodus 23:2
Always tell the truth in court, even if everyone else is dishonest and stands in the way of justice.
Proverbs 4:16
They can't sleep or rest until they do wrong or harm some innocent victim.
Proverbs 6:18
those who make evil plans or are quick to do wrong,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But the king covered his face,.... And would not see his generals, and thank them for their services: but wrapped himself in his mantle, after the manner of mourners:

and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son! and this was some time, perhaps some days after he had received the news of his death, since Joab and the army were returned from the battle; had it been a sudden start of passion, upon first hearing thee news, and had continued a few hours, it would have been more excusable; but to continue some days, as it is very probable it did, was very unbecoming.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 19:4. The king covered his face — This was the custom of mourners.

O my son Absalom — Calmet has properly remarked that the frequent repetition of the name of the defunct, is common in the language of lamentation. Thus VIRGIL, act. v., ver. 51: -

_____ Daphnin que team tollemus ad astra;

Daphnin ad astra feremus: amavit nos quoque Daphnis.

"With yours, my song I cheerfully shall join,

To raise your Daphnis to the powers Divine.

Daphnis I'll raise unto the powers above,

For dear to me was Daphnis' well tried love."


See the notes on the preceding chapter (2 Samuel 18:0).


 
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