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Sunday, August 17th, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible

World English Bible

2 Samuel 15:13

There came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Absalom;   Ambition;   Citizens;   Conspiracy;   Cowardice;   David;   Popularity;   Thompson Chain Reference - Absalom;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Absalom;   Easton Bible Dictionary - David;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ahithophel ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Absalom;   David;   Jerusalem;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ephraim (1);   Ittai;   Philistines;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then an informer came to David and reported, “The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.”
Hebrew Names Version
There came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Yisra'el are after Avshalom.
King James Version
And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.
Lexham English Bible
Then the messenger came to David, saying, "The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom."
English Standard Version
And a messenger came to David, saying, "The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom."
New Century Version
A messenger came to David, saying, "The Israelites are giving their loyalty to Absalom."
New English Translation
Then a messenger came to David and reported, "The men of Israel are loyal to Absalom!"
Amplified Bible
Then a messenger came to David, saying, "The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom."
New American Standard Bible
Then a messenger came to David, saying, "The hearts of the people of Israel are with Absalom."
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then came a messenger to Dauid, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are turned after Absalom.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then an informant came to David, saying, "The hearts of the men of Israel have followed Absalom."
Contemporary English Version
A messenger came and told David, "Everyone in Israel is on Absalom's side!"
Complete Jewish Bible
A messenger came to David saying, "The men of Isra'el have aligned themselves with Avshalom."
Darby Translation
And there came one to David who reported saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.
Easy-to-Read Version
A man came in to tell the news to David. The man said, "The people of Israel are beginning to follow Absalom."
George Lamsa Translation
And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.
Good News Translation
A messenger reported to David, "The Israelites are pledging their loyalty to Absalom."
Literal Translation
And a messenger came to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then came one which tolde Dauid, and sayde, that the hert of euery man in Israel folowed Absalom.
American Standard Version
And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.
Bible in Basic English
And one came to David and said, The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And ther came a messenger to Dauid, and sayde: The heartes of the men of Israel are turned after Absalom.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And there came a messenger to David, saying: 'The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.'
King James Version (1611)
And there came a messenger to Dauid, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And there came a messenger to David, saying, the heart of the men of Israel is gone after Abessalom.
English Revised Version
And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.
Berean Standard Bible
Then a messenger came to David and reported, "The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor a messanger cam to Dauid, and seide, With al herte al Israel sueth Absolon.
Young's Literal Translation
And he who is declaring tidings cometh in unto David, saying, `The heart of the men of Israel hath been after Absalom.'
Update Bible Version
And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.
Webster's Bible Translation
And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.
New King James Version
Now a messenger came to David, saying, "The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom."
New Living Translation
A messenger soon arrived in Jerusalem to tell David, "All Israel has joined Absalom in a conspiracy against you!"
New Life Bible
Then a man came to David with news, saying, "The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom."
New Revised Standard
A messenger came to David, saying, "The hearts of the Israelites have gone after Absalom."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then came one bearing tidings unto David, saying, - It hath come about, that the heart of the men of Israel goeth after Absolom.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And there came a messenger to David, saying: All Israel with their whole heart followeth Absalom.
Revised Standard Version
And a messenger came to David, saying, "The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Ab'salom."
THE MESSAGE
Someone came to David with the report, "The whole country has taken up with Absalom!"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then a messenger came to David, saying, "The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom."

Contextual Overview

13 There came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom. 14 David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for else none of us shall escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us quickly, and bring down evil on us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword. 15 The king's servants said to the king, Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king shall choose. 16 The king went forth, and all his household after him. The king left ten women, who were concubines, to keep the house. 17 The king went forth, and all the people after him; and they stayed in Beth-merhak. 18 All his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who came after him from Gath, passed on before the king. 19 Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite, Why go you also with us? return, and abide with the king: for you are a foreigner, and also an exile; [return] to your own place. 20 Whereas you came but yesterday, should I this day make you go up and down with us, seeing I go where I may? return you, and take back your brothers; mercy and truth be with you. 21 Ittai answered the king, and said, As Yahweh lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, even there also will your servant be. 22 David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones who were with him.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

The hearts: 2 Samuel 15:6, 2 Samuel 3:36, Judges 9:3, Psalms 62:9, Matthew 21:9, Matthew 27:22

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 19:10 - whom 1 Kings 2:7 - when I fled 1 Kings 2:15 - Thou knowest 1 Kings 12:16 - So Israel 2 Chronicles 10:16 - So all Israel Job 1:14 - messenger Proverbs 24:21 - meddle Ecclesiastes 4:16 - no end

Cross-References

Genesis 15:1
After these things the word of Yahweh came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Don't be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward."
Genesis 15:2
Abram said, "Lord Yahweh, what will you give me, seeing I go childless, and he who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?"
Genesis 15:6
He believed in Yahweh; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness.
Genesis 15:7
He said to him, "I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it."
Genesis 15:8
He said, "Lord Yahweh, whereby will I know that I will inherit it?"
Genesis 15:11
The birds of prey came down on the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.
Genesis 15:12
When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. Now terror and great darkness fell on him.
Genesis 15:13
He said to Abram, "Know for sure that your seed will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them. They will afflict them four hundred years.
Genesis 17:8
I will give to you, and to your seed after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God."
Exodus 1:11
Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. They built storage cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Raamses.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And there came a messenger to David,.... Perhaps one of the two hundred that went with Absalom, ignorant of his design; which, when discovered, he disapproved of, and got away from him, and came to David, and informed him how things were:

saying, the hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom; to make him king.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 15:13. The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom. — It is very difficult to account for this general defection of the people. Several reasons are given:

1. David was old or afflicted, and could not well attend to the administration of justice in the land.

2. It does appear that the king did not attend to the affairs of state, and that there were no properly appointed judges in the land; see 2 Samuel 15:3.

3. Joab's power was overgrown; he was wicked and insolent, oppressive to the people, and David was afraid to execute the laws against him.

4. There were still some partisans of the house of Saul, who thought the crown not fairly obtained by David.

5. David was under the displeasure of the Almighty, for his adultery with Bath-sheba, and his murder of Uriah; and God let his enemies loose against him.

6. There are always troublesome and disaffected men in every state, and under every government; who can never rest, and are ever hoping for something from a change.

7. Absalom appeared to be the real and was the undisputed heir to the throne; David could not, in the course of nature, live very long; and most people are more disposed to hail the beams of the rising, than exult in those of the setting, sun. No doubt some of these causes operated, and perhaps most of them exerted less or more influence in this most scandalous business.


 
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