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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

2 Samuel 19:4

This verse is not available in the MSG!

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

1Joab was told that David was weeping and lamenting over Absalom. The day's victory turned into a day of mourning as word passed through the army, "David is grieving over his son." The army straggled back to the city that day demoralized, dragging their tails. And the king held his face in his hands and lamented loudly, O my son Absalom, Absalom my dear, dear son! 5But in private Joab rebuked the king: "Now you've done it—knocked the wind out of your loyal servants who have just saved your life, to say nothing of the lives of your sons and daughters, wives and concubines. What is this—loving those who hate you and hating those who love you? Your actions give a clear message: officers and soldiers mean nothing to you. You know that if Absalom were alive right now, we'd all be dead—would that make you happy? Get hold of yourself; get out there and put some heart into your servants! I swear to God that if you don't go to them they'll desert; not a soldier will be left here by nightfall. And that will be the worst thing that has happened yet." 8 So the king came out and took his place at the city gate. Soon everyone knew: "Oh, look! The king has come out to receive us." And his whole army came and presented itself to the king. But the Israelites had fled the field of battle and gone 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
The people of Sodom were evil—flagrant sinners against God .
Genesis 18:20
God continued, "The cries of the victims in Sodom and Gomorrah are deafening; the sin of those cities is immense. I'm going down to see for myself, see if what they're doing is as bad as it sounds. Then I'll know."
Genesis 19:1
The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening. Lot was sitting at the city gate. He saw them and got up to welcome them, bowing before them and said, "Please, my friends, come to my house and stay the night. Wash up. You can rise early and be on your way refreshed." They said, "No, we'll sleep in the street."
Genesis 19:6
Lot went out, barring the door behind him, and said, "Brothers, please, don't be vile! Look, I have two daughters, virgins; let me bring them out; you can take your pleasure with them, but don't touch these men—they're my guests."
Proverbs 4:16
Evil people are restless unless they're making trouble; They can't get a good night's sleep unless they've made life miserable for somebody. Perversity is their food and drink, violence their drug of choice.

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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