2 Samuel 15 23

2 Samuel 15:23 kjv

And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way of the wilderness.

2 Samuel 15:23 nkjv

And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people crossed over. The king himself also crossed over the Brook Kidron, and all the people crossed over toward the way of the wilderness.

2 Samuel 15:23 niv

The whole countryside wept aloud as all the people passed by. The king also crossed the Kidron Valley, and all the people moved on toward the wilderness.

2 Samuel 15:23 esv

And all the land wept aloud as all the people passed by, and the king crossed the brook Kidron, and all the people passed on toward the wilderness.

2 Samuel 15:23 nlt

Everyone cried loudly as the king and his followers passed by. They crossed the Kidron Valley and then went out toward the wilderness.

2 Samuel 15 verses

2 Samuel 15 23 Meaning

This verse paints a vivid scene of profound national sorrow and displacement as King David, forced to flee Jerusalem due to Absalom's rebellion, departs the city. It describes the collective weeping of the entire populace witnessing this event, the crossing of the loyalists (including the king himself) over the significant Kidron Valley, and their subsequent journey into the desolate yet divinely symbolic wilderness, marking a moment of deep distress and vulnerability for God's anointed king.

2 Samuel 15 23 Context

2 Samuel 15:23 marks a poignant moment in King David's reign. The immediate context is Absalom's calculated and swift rebellion, which had gained significant support throughout Israel (2 Sam 15:10-13), forcing David to make the agonizing decision to flee Jerusalem to avoid civil war and bloodshed in the holy city. The preceding verses (15:16-22) describe David's loyal court and household preparing to depart with him, including the loyal Ittai the Gittite, highlighting the dilemma of commitment in times of crisis. This verse specifically narrates the exodus from the city itself.

The broader biblical and historical context involves the consequences of David's sin concerning Bathsheba and Uriah, for which the prophet Nathan pronounced that "the sword shall never depart from your house" (2 Sam 12:10). Absalom's rebellion, fueled by personal grievances and ambitious intrigue, is seen as a fulfillment of this judgment. The event underscores the fragility of kingship even for God's anointed and reveals David's humility and reliance on divine Providence despite his earthly authority. The departure from Jerusalem signifies a painful separation from the symbolic center of God's presence among His people, making the journey into the wilderness an act of both necessity and faith.

2 Samuel 15 23 Word analysis

• And (וְ - ve): Connects this scene directly to the preparations for flight previously described, showing continuity in the narrative of David's exile.
• all the country (כָּל־הָאָרֶץ - kol-ha'arets): Literally "all the land." Here, it signifies "all the people of the land" or "the entire population [of Jerusalem and its environs]" who were witnessing this monumental, tragic exodus. It emphasizes the widespread nature of the sorrow and the public spectacle of the king's departure.
• wept (בֹּכִים - bokhim): A participle indicating ongoing, active weeping, suggesting intense and continuous grief. This was not quiet tears but audible wailing.
• with a loud voice (קוֹל גָּדוֹל - qol gadol): Lit. "a great sound/voice." This highlights the profound, collective agony of the people. It was a lament, echoing across the Kidron Valley as the king left.
• and all the people (וְכָל־הָעָם - vekol-ha'am): A slight repetition and intensification of "all the country," referring specifically to the crowds witnessing and participating in the departure, further emphasizing the unanimous grief and involvement.
• passed over (עֹבְרִים - overim): Participle indicating a continuous crossing, moving across. It describes the flow of people like an exodus.
• the king also himself (וְהַמֶּלֶךְ גַּם־הוּא - vehammelekh gam-hu): Emphasizes David's personal participation and vulnerability. He wasn't directing from a distance but was an active participant in the suffering and departure, showing his leadership in humility.
• passed over (עָבָר - avar): Perfect tense verb, indicating a completed action, suggesting David's crossing was decisive and foundational to the group's movement.
• the brook Kidron (נַּחַל קִדְרוֹן - nachal qidron): A specific geographical landmark, a wadi or dry stream bed east of Jerusalem, separating the city from the Mount of Olives. Kidron means "dark" or "turbid," possibly alluding to its murky water during rain or the dark refuse that was often disposed of there from the city/temple. Historically, it was a place where idolatrous Asherah poles and cultic objects were burned, symbolizing impurity or departure from God. Crossing it for David meant leaving the city of God and its temple presence, stepping into an unknown and potentially unclean path. This act foreshadows Jesus' own crossing of the Kidron Valley before His betrayal and arrest (Jn 18:1), adding profound typological significance.
• and all the people passed over (וְכָל־הָעָם עָבָר - vekol-ha'am avar): A second, emphatic repetition, reiterating the collective movement and their unity in exile with the king. This collective departure reinforces the loyalty of David's followers.
• toward the way of the wilderness (עַל־דֶּרֶךְ הַמִּדְבָּר - al-derekh hammidbar): "The way of the desert/wilderness." The destination for their initial escape. The wilderness is a recurring motif in the Bible: a place of testing, desolation, exile, but also divine provision, spiritual formation (e.g., Israel's Exodus), and refuge. For David, it represented immediate safety but also a period of vulnerability and reliance solely on God.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "And all the country wept with a loud voice": This phrase encapsulates the widespread, public, and intense grief experienced by the populace of Jerusalem. It was a shared communal trauma, expressing loyalty to David or dismay at the state of the kingdom.
• "and all the people passed over; the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron": This phrase highlights the organized, collective movement led by David. The explicit mention of the king personally crossing the Kidron emphasizes his leadership in adversity and his personal submission to this painful exile, leading his loyal subjects.
• "and all the people passed over, toward the way of the wilderness": This final segment reaffirms the collective exodus and specifies their direction and ultimate temporary destination. The choice of "the wilderness" indicates a strategic move for survival, but also a metaphorical descent into a state of uncertainty and complete reliance on God's grace.

2 Samuel 15 23 Bonus section

• Typological Significance: David's sorrowful departure from Jerusalem, his weeping ascent of the Mount of Olives (2 Sam 15:30), and his crossing of the Kidron Valley into uncertainty serve as a powerful historical type or foreshadowing of Jesus Christ's ultimate suffering and redemptive journey. Just as David, the king of Israel, crossed the Kidron in humility and distress, Jesus also crossed the Kidron Valley on the night of His betrayal, heading towards the Garden of Gethsemane (Jn 18:1) for agonizing prayer before His arrest and crucifixion. Both kings were rejected by segments of their people, entered into suffering outside the city walls, and endured a form of exile for a greater redemptive purpose. David's flight ultimately led to his restoration, prefiguring Christ's victory over death and His triumphant return.
• The Brook Kidron as a Threshold: The Kidron Valley functioned not merely as a physical boundary but as a spiritual threshold. For David, it was the line between the city of God and the desolate wild. In subsequent history, it was a place of purging idolatry (Asa, Hezekiah, Josiah), and prophetic judgment. For David, crossing it symbolized his submission to God's disciplinary hand and the separation from his kingdom and sanctuary.
• David's Humility: Unlike many ancient Near Eastern kings who would fight to the death to retain their thrones, David chose flight to protect his people and the city from further destruction. This humble acceptance of temporary exile, despite being the Lord's anointed, showcases his trust in God's ultimate plan rather than his own military might within Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 15 23 Commentary

2 Samuel 15:23 encapsulates a moment of deep pathos and symbolic weight. It is the poignant climax of David's enforced departure from Jerusalem. The widespread public weeping underscores the magnitude of the crisis, not merely a political maneuver but a wrenching separation for many who held allegiance to the king. David, often depicted in strength, is here seen as a humbled leader, leading his loyalists into a desperate retreat. His personal act of crossing the Kidron, a liminal space often associated with defilement and judgment in Israelite thought, signifies his surrender of the sacred city to the chaos of rebellion and his willingness to embrace exile for the sake of avoiding further bloodshed. The journey "toward the way of the wilderness" immediately transforms the narrative into a familiar biblical trope: a journey of testing, hardship, and ultimately, reliance on divine sustenance. This act of flight reveals David's character—his deep sorrow, his reliance on God's will rather than physical resistance within the holy city, and his compassionate leadership even in his personal agony. This scene resonates deeply through biblical history, foreshadowing other significant crossings and periods of wilderness testing for God's anointed.