2 Samuel 15 17

2 Samuel 15:17 kjv

And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and tarried in a place that was far off.

2 Samuel 15:17 nkjv

And the king went out with all the people after him, and stopped at the outskirts.

2 Samuel 15:17 niv

So the king set out, with all the people following him, and they halted at the edge of the city.

2 Samuel 15:17 esv

And the king went out, and all the people after him. And they halted at the last house.

2 Samuel 15:17 nlt

The king and all his people set out on foot, pausing at the last house

2 Samuel 15 verses

2 Samuel 15 17 Meaning

This verse describes King David's physical departure from Jerusalem, driven by Absalom's rebellion. It marks the commencement of David's desperate flight, signifying the king's humility in the face of betrayal and his strategic move to avoid civil war within the capital. He is not alone; his loyal followers accompany him, and they pause at a distant place, taking stock of their dire situation before continuing their exile.

2 Samuel 15 17 Context

Second Samuel chapter 15 records the climax of Absalom's well-planned rebellion against his father, King David. Absalom had spent years cultivating popularity and secretly undermining his father's authority. This particular verse describes David's immediate response to the news that the conspiracy had grown strong and that Absalom was now declared king in Hebron. Faced with an impending attack on Jerusalem and wanting to avoid bloodshed within the holy city, David makes the agonizing decision to evacuate. He, along with his entire household and loyal servants, hastily leaves Jerusalem. Verse 17 depicts the crucial moment of this exodus, as they reach the very edge of the city before stopping, looking back at the capital they are abandoning.

2 Samuel 15 17 Word analysis

• וַיֵּצֵא הַמֶּלֶךְ (wayyēṣeʾ hamméleḵ): "So the king went out."

  • וַיֵּצֵא (wayyēṣeʾ - Waw consecutive + Qal imperfect of יָצָא yatsa): "and he went out." The Waw consecutive indicates a sequential action, immediate and definitive. The verb "to go out" here carries a heavy emotional and political weight, signifying expulsion, retreat, or exile, rather than a mere stroll. It emphasizes David's active, though reluctant, departure.
  • הַמֶּלֶךְ (hamméleḵ - definite article + מֶלֶךְ meleḵ): "the king." This retains David's title even in flight, highlighting the stark contrast between his regal status and his current humiliation. Despite Absalom's usurpation, David is still "the king" to the narrator and his loyal followers.

• וְכָל הָעָם רַגְלָיו (wəḵāl hāʿām raḡlāw): "and all the people on his feet" or "and all the people after him."

  • וְכָל (wəḵāl): "and all." Denotes the completeness and collective nature of the movement, indicating a significant exodus.
  • הָעָם (hāʿām - definite article + עָם am): "the people." Refers to David's household, servants, loyal troops, and perhaps others who chose to follow him rather than Absalom. It emphasizes their collective loyalty and shared fate.
  • רַגְלָיו (raḡlāw - רַגְלֵי raḡlay "feet" + third person masculine singular suffix): Literally, "his feet" or "at his feet." Idiomatic expression meaning "following him closely," "behind him," or "on foot" alongside him. It pictures the king leading a walking procession, humble and devoid of royal pomp, with his loyalists literally at his heels.

• וַיַּעַמְדוּ (wayyaʿamḏū): "and they stood."

  • וַיַּעַמְדוּ (wayyaʿamḏū - Waw consecutive + Qal imperfect of עָמַד amad): "and they stood." This indicates a decisive pause, not merely stopping but standing still, often to make an assessment or to rest before proceeding. It suggests a moment of regrouping, surveying their situation, and perhaps a final glance back at the lost city.

• בֵּית הַמֶּרְחָק (bêṯ hammeraḥāq): "at the place far off" or "at the Far House."

  • בֵּית (bêṯ - בַּיִת bayith): "house" or "place."
  • הַמֶּרְחָק (hammeraḥāq - definite article + מֶרְחָק merchaq): "the distance" or "the far place." Often translated as "a far house" or "a place far off," it describes a strategic location on the outskirts of Jerusalem, perhaps a known landmark where travelers paused before a journey, or simply a spot distant enough from the city gates to begin forming ranks and preparing for the flight proper. It marks the precise boundary between Jerusalem and the wilderness of Judah, symbolic of their departure from secure home to unknown peril.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "So the king went out, and all the people on his feet": This phrase paints a vivid picture of a king in exile. It emphasizes David's unexpected and humbling departure, leading a group of loyalists by foot. The collective nature ("all the people") underscores the widespread impact of Absalom's rebellion and the enduring loyalty to David despite his diminished circumstances. It signifies not just physical movement, but a transition from sovereignty in Jerusalem to vulnerable wandering.
• "And they stood at a place far off": This describes a critical moment of pause. It's not a mere physical stop, but a contemplative halt, signifying the end of one phase (the hasty exit) and the beginning of another (the flight into the wilderness). The "place far off" symbolically separates them from the city, emphasizing the distance, emotional and physical, between David and his throne. This pause allows for reflection on the suddenness of their crisis and preparation for the difficult journey ahead.

2 Samuel 15 17 Bonus section

The path David took, descending to the Kidron Valley and then crossing it, holds significant spiritual weight within the biblical narrative. The Kidron Valley was historically associated with burial grounds, purification rites, and even idolatrous ashes being dumped there (e.g., 1 Kgs 15:13, 2 Kgs 23:4, 6, 12). For David to descend into this valley from the City of David during his flight foreshadows a descent into humiliation and deep sorrow, much like a burial of his kingly aspirations. Furthermore, centuries later, Jesus would also cross the Kidron Valley on the night of His betrayal, going to Gethsemane (Jn 18:1), a journey of profound suffering leading to His arrest and crucifixion. This establishes a profound parallel between the suffering King David, driven from his throne by his own son, and the suffering King Jesus, led to His passion from the very same Kidron Valley, by betrayal and ultimately for the sins of humanity. David's path of sorrow, though initiated by human treachery, became a foreshadowing of the ultimate King's path of redemptive suffering.

2 Samuel 15 17 Commentary

2 Samuel 15:17 profoundly illustrates David's descent from kingly power into the vulnerability of exile, forced by the bitter betrayal of his own son. The king, not riding in state, but walking out of his capital with "all the people on his feet," signifies his deep humiliation and humility. His decision to leave Jerusalem was an act of profound wisdom, prioritizing the avoidance of civil war and bloodshed in the holy city. The pause at "a place far off" serves as a poignant moment of transition; they stand between the city they lost and the uncertain wilderness ahead. This exodus embodies human fragility and suffering in the face of treachery, yet also subtly highlights David's continued leadership and the loyalty of those who chose to suffer with him, reflecting God's preservation of the royal line even in dire straits.