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Saturday, August 23rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible

New King James Version

2 Samuel 18:25

Then the watchman cried out and told the king. And the king said, "If he is alone, there is news in his mouth." And he came rapidly and drew near.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ahimaaz;   Cushi;   Readings, Select;   Watchman;   Thompson Chain Reference - Watchmen;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ahimaaz;   Posts;   Watchmen;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Gospel;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Watches;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ahimaaz;   Cushite;   David;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Abishai;   Ahimaaz;   David;   Gospel;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ahimaaz ;   Cushi ;   Zadok ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Absalom;   Ahimaaz;   David;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Ahim'a-Az;   Cu'shi;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Apace;   Cushi;   Cushite;   Watchman;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Ahimaaz;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He called out and told the king.
Hebrew Names Version
The watchman cried, and told the king. The king said, If he be alone, there is news in his mouth. He came apace, and drew near.
King James Version
And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.
Lexham English Bible
The sentry called and told the king, and the king said, "If he is alone, good news is in his mouth." He kept coming closer.
English Standard Version
The watchman called out and told the king. And the king said, "If he is alone, there is news in his mouth." And he drew nearer and nearer.
New Century Version
He shouted the news to the king. The king said, "If he is alone, he is bringing good news!" The man came nearer and nearer to the city.
New English Translation
So the watchman called out and informed the king. The king said, "If he is by himself, he brings good news." The runner came ever closer.
Amplified Bible
The lookout called down and told the king. The king said, "If he is alone, he has good news to tell." And he came nearer and nearer.
New American Standard Bible
So the watchman called out and told the king. And the king said, "If he is by himself there is good news in his mouth." And he came nearer and nearer.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the watchman cryed, & tolde ye king. And the King said, If he be alone, he bringeth tidings. And he came apace, and drew neere.
Legacy Standard Bible
And the watchman called and told the king. And the king said, "If he is by himself there is good news in his mouth." And he came nearer and nearer.
Contemporary English Version
and shouted down to tell David. David answered, "If he's alone, he must have some news." The runner was getting closer,
Complete Jewish Bible
The watchman cried out and told the king. The king said, "If he's alone, he has good news to tell." As he ran along and came close,
Darby Translation
And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is news in his mouth. And he came on and drew near.
Easy-to-Read Version
The watchman shouted to tell King David. King David said, "If the man is alone, he is bringing news." The man came closer and closer to the city.
George Lamsa Translation
And the watchman called out and told the king. And the king said, if he is alone, there are tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.
Good News Translation
He called down and told the king, and the king said, "If he is alone, he is bringing good news." The runner kept coming closer.
Literal Translation
And the watchman called and told the king. And the king said, If he is by himself, tidings are in his mouth. And he came, coming on, and drawing near.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and cryed, and tolde the kinge. The kynge sayde: Yf he be alone, then is there good tydinges in his mouth. And as the same wente and came forth,
American Standard Version
And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.
Bible in Basic English
And the watchman gave news of it to the king. And the king said, If he is coming by himself, then he has news. And the man was travelling quickly, and came near.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
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.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said: 'If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth.' And he came apace, and drew near.
King James Version (1611)
And the watchman cried, and told the King. And the king said, If he bee alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew neere.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the watchman cried out, and reported to the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there are good tidings in his mouth. And the man came and drew near.
English Revised Version
And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.
Berean Standard Bible
So he called out and told the king. "If he is alone," the king replied, "he bears good news." As the first runner drew near,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and the spiere criede, and schewide to the kyng. And the kyng seide to hym, If he is aloone, good message is in his mouth.
Young's Literal Translation
And the watchman calleth, and declareth to the king, and the king saith, `If by himself, tidings [are] in his mouth;' and he cometh, coming on and drawing near.
Update Bible Version
And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he is alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the watchman called, and told the king. And the king said, If he [is] alone [there is] tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.
World English Bible
The watchman cried, and told the king. The king said, If he be alone, there is news in his mouth. He came apace, and drew near.
New Living Translation
He shouted the news down to David, and the king replied, "If he is alone, he has news." As the messenger came closer,
New Life Bible
The man who kept watch called and told the king. The king said, "If he is by himself, he has good news." And he came nearer and nearer.
New Revised Standard
The sentinel shouted and told the king. The king said, "If he is alone, there are tidings in his mouth." He kept coming, and drew near.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So the watchman called out, and told the king. And the king said, If he is alone, there are tidings in his mouth. And he came on nearer and nearer.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And crying out he told the king: and the king said: If he be alone, there are good tidings in his mouth. And as he was coming apace, and drawing nearer,
Revised Standard Version
And the watchman called out and told the king. And the king said, "If he is alone, there are tidings in his mouth." And he came apace, and drew near.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The watchman called and told the king. And the king said, "If he is by himself there is good news in his mouth." And he came nearer and nearer.

Contextual Overview

19 Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, "Let me run now and take the news to the king, how the LORD has avenged him of his enemies." 20 And Joab said to him, "You shall not take the news this day, for you shall take the news another day. But today you shall take no news, because the king's son is dead." 21 Then Joab said to the Cushite, "Go, tell the king what you have seen." So the Cushite bowed himself to Joab and ran. 22 And Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said again to Joab, "But whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite." So Joab said, "Why will you run, my son, since you have no news ready?" 23 "But whatever happens," he said, "let me run." So he said to him, "Run." Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain, and outran the Cushite. 24 Now David was sitting between the two gates. And the watchman went up to the roof over the gate, to the wall, lifted his eyes and looked, and there was a man, running alone. 25 Then the watchman cried out and told the king. And the king said, "If he is alone, there is news in his mouth." And he came rapidly and drew near. 26 Then the watchman saw another man running, and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, "There is another man, running alone!" And the king said, "He also brings news." 27 So the watchman said, "I think the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok." And the king said, "He is a good man, and comes with good news." 28 So Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, "All is well!" Then he bowed down with his face to the earth before the king, and said, "Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord the king!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Cross-References

Genesis 18:1
Then the Lord appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, [fn] as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day.
Genesis 18:2
So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground,
Genesis 18:5
And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant." They said, "Do as you have said."
Genesis 18:6
So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, "Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes."
Genesis 18:7
And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it.
Genesis 18:10
And He said, "I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son." (Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.)
Genesis 18:11
Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. [fn]
Genesis 18:12
Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, "After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?"
Genesis 18:13
And the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, "Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?'
Genesis 18:17
And the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the watchman cried and told the king,.... Called with a loud voice from the roof of the watchtower to the king, sitting between the gates, and informed him what he saw:

and the king said, if he [be] alone [there is] tidings in his mouth; for if the army was routed and fled, and were pursued, there would be more in company, or several running one after another; but being but one, it was highly improbable that he was sent express:

and he came apace, and drew near; which was another sign of his being a messenger, the haste he made towards the city.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 18:25. If he be alone, there is tidings — That is, good tidings. For if the battle had been lost men would have been running in different directions through the country.


 
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