2 Samuel 15:8
WEB
For your servant vowed a vow while I stayed at Geshur in Syria, saying, ‘If Yahweh shall indeed bring me again to Jerusalem, then I will serve Yahweh.’”
BSB
For your servant made a vow while dwelling in Geshur of Aram, saying: ‘If indeed the LORD brings me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the LORD in Hebron.’”
KJV
For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, If the LORD shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.
Matthew Henry
Hebrew interlinear
H3588
conj — relative conjunction
Derivation: a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent;
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
KJV: and, (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), but, certainly, doubtless, else, even, except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, (al-) though, till, truly, until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.
conj — that
כִּי conj. that, for, when
1. that
2.
a. Of time, when, of the past
b. elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם
c. when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though
3. Because, since
relative conjunction
כִּי אם־
1. each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:
a. that if
b. for if
2. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—
a. limiting the prec. clause, except
b. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but
c. after an oath, surely
forasmuch as
כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
H5088
n-m — promise, thing promised
Derivation: or נֵדֶר; from 5087;
a promise (to God); also (concretely) a thing promised
KJV: vow(-ed).
n.m — vow
נֶ֫דֶר, נֵ֫דֶר n.m. vow
H5087
v — promise
Derivation: a primitive root;
to promise (pos., to do or give something to God)
KJV: (make a) vow.
vb — vow
נָדַר vb. vow
H5650
n-m — servant
Derivation: from 5647;
a servant
KJV: × bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant.
n.m — slave
עֶ֫בֶד 799 n.m. slave, servant
1. slave, servant of household
2. Subjects, of chief
3. Servants, worshippers of God
4. Servant of י׳, in a special sense
5. Israel as a people is servant of י׳
6. In polite address of equals or superiors the Hebrews used עַבְדְּךָ thy servant = 1 pers. sing., I
7. Phrases
H3427
v — sit, dwell, remain, settle, marry
Derivation: a primitive root;
properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
KJV: (make to) abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease self, endure, establish, × fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, × marry(-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(-tle), (down-) sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate), take, tarry.
vb — sit
יָשַׁב 1090 vb. sit, remain, dwell
Qal
1.
a. sit
b. sit, sit down
c. sit down
d. sit = be set (as a jewel)
2.
a. remain, stay, tarry
b. with special emphasis of qualifying phr.
3. dwell, have one’s abode
4. of a land or city, sit, abide, seated in its place, fig. for be inhabited
Niph. be inhabited, of land
Pi. and they shall set their encampments in thee
Hiph.
1. cause to sit
2. cause to abide
3.
a. cause to dwell
b. cause cities to be inhabited
4. marry (prop. give a dwelling to)
Hoph. and ye be made to dwell alone in the midst of the land
H1650
n-pr-m — Geshur
Derivation: from an unused root (meaning to join); bridge;
Geshur, a district of Syria
KJV: Geshur, Geshurite.
n.pr.m — Geshur
גְּשׁוּר n.pr.m. (bridge? or land of bridges?).
1. of people
2. of land
H758
n-pr-m n-m — Aram, Syria
Derivation: from the same as 759; the highland;
Aram or Syria, and its inhabitants; also the name of the son of Shem, a grandson of Nahor, and of an Israelite
KJV: Aram, Mesopotamia, Syria, Syrians.
n.pr.m — Aram
אֲרָם n.pr.m. Aram
1. 5th son of Shem
2. grandson of Nahor
3.
4. a descendant of Asher
—Elsewhere only of Aramæan people & land (= 1 supr.)
a. people, sg. coll. = the Aramæans, a leading branch of the Shemitic stock inhabiting Mesopotamia & northern Syria, in many tribes & settlements
b. less often clearly of land; also of particular divisions of territory א׳ נַהֲרַיִם ‘Mesopotamia,’ i.e. prob. land between Euphrates & Chaboras; cf. פַּדַּן א׳ Paddan-Aram
c. often indeterminate
H559
v — say
Derivation: a primitive root;
to say (used with great latitude)
KJV: answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, × desire, determine, × expressly, × indeed, × intend, name, × plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), × still, × suppose, talk, tell, term, × that is, × think, use (speech), utter, × verily, × yet.
vb — utter
אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say
Qal
1. Say
2. Say in the heart (= think)
3. Promise
4. Command (esp. late)
Niph. be said, told
Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)
Hithp. act proudly, boast
H518
prt — lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not
Derivation: a primitive particle;
used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not
KJV: (and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), + but, either, + except, + more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, + save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, + surely (no more, none, not), though, + of a truth, + unless, + verily, when, whereas, whether, while, + yet.
conj — if
אִם conj.
1. hypoth. part. if
2. Interrog. part.
relative conjunction
כִּי אם־
1. each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:
a. that if
b. for if
2. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—
a. limiting the prec. clause, except
b. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but
c. after an oath, surely
H7725
v — turn, return, retreat, again
Derivation: a primitive root;
to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again
KJV: ((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) × again, (cause to) answer ( again), × in any case (wise), × at all, averse, bring (again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back), cease, × certainly, come again (back), × consider, continually, convert, deliver (again), deny, draw back, fetch home again, × fro, get (oneself) (back) again, × give (again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see) more, × needs, be past, × pay, pervert, pull in again, put (again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh, relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve, (cause to, make to) return, reverse, reward, say nay, send back, set again, slide back, still, × surely, take back (off), (cause to, make to) turn (again, self again, away, back, back again, backward, from, off), withdraw.
vb — turn back
שׁוּב 1056 vb. turn back, return
Qal 683;—turn back, return:
1. turn back
2. return, come or go back
3. esp. return unto
4.
a. of dying
b. of revival from death
5. fig. of human relations:
a. return to leader, king
b. = change so as to appoach (in purpose, desire)
c. turn, i.e. resort to
d. return to a physical condition
e. abs. = change course of action
6. fig., specif. of spiritual relations:
a. turn back from God = apostatize
b. of י׳, turn away
c. turn back to God (= seek penitently)
d. abs. repent
e. turn back from evil
f. of י׳
g. of י׳, return (to shew favour)
7. of inanimate things (sts. personified, or treated as things of life):
8. denoting repetition, etc.
9. trans.
Pō‛l.
1. bring back
2.
a. fig. restore, refresh
b. restore, repair
3. lead away (enticingly)
4. shew turning = apostatize
Hiph. 353 cause to return, bring back
1.
a. bring back into bondage
b. put back
c. = draw back
d. = give back, restore
e. = relinguish
f. = give in payment, requital
g. bring one back (from dead)
2.
a. bring back heart
b. = refresh
3. bring back words of people
4.
a. bring back (in retribution) upon
b. pay as recompense
5. turn back, backward = repel, defeat
6.
a. turn away face
b. late, turn toward, acc. face
7. turn against
8. bring back to mind, take into consideration
9.
10. = shew a turning away from your idols (i.e. turn away)
11. reverse, revoke = repel, defeat
Hoph. my money has been returned
H3068
n-pr — Existent, Jeho-vah
Derivation: from 1961;
(the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God
KJV: Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.
n.pr.dei — God
יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)
I. יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb
II.
1. יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D
2. the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy
3. יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh
H3389
n-pr-loc — Jerushalaim, Jerushalem
Derivation: rarely יְרוּשָׁלַיִם; a dual (in allusion to its two main hills (the true pointing, at least of the former reading, seems to be that of 3390)); probably from (the passive participle of) 3384 and 7999; founded peaceful;
Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of Palestine
KJV: Jerusalem.
n.pr.loc — Jerusalem
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫͏ם, יְרוּשָׁלַ֫יִם 644 n.pr.loc. Jerusalem
H5647
v — work, serve, till, enslave
Derivation: a primitive root;
to work (in any sense); by implication, to serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc.
KJV: × be, keep in bondage, be bondmen, bond-service, compel, do, dress, ear, execute, husbandman, keep, labour(-ing man, bring to pass, (cause to, make to) serve(-ing, self), (be, become) servant(-s), do (use) service, till(-er), transgress (from margin), (set a) work, be wrought, worshipper,
vb — work
עָבַד 290 vb. work, serve
Qal
1. labour, work, do work
2. work for another, serve him by labour
3. serve as subjects
4. serve God
5. serve י׳ with Levitical service
Niph.
1. be tilled, of land
2. dub. cultivated field
Pu. worked
Hiph.
1. compel to labour as slaves
2. make to serve as subjects
3. cause to serve God
Hoph. be led or enticed to serve
H853
prt — self, even, namely
Derivation: apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity;
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
KJV: [as such unrepresented in English].
mark of the accusative
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
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Verses 7–12
2 Samuel 15:7–12
We have here the breaking out of Absalom's rebellion, which he had long been contriving. It is said to be after forty years, Sa2 15:7. But whence it is to be dated we are not told; not from David's beginning his reign, for then it would fall in the last year of his life, which is not probable; but either from his first anointing by Samuel seven years before, or rather (I think) from the people's desiring a king, and the first change of the government into a monarchy, which might be about ten years before David began to reign; it is fitly dated thence, to show that the same restless spirit was still working, and still they were given to change: as fond now of a new man as then of a new model. So it fell about the thirtieth year of David's reign. Absalom's plot being now ripe for execution,
I. The place he chose for the rendezvous of his party was Hebron, the place where he was born and where his father began his reign and continued it several years, which would give some advantage to his pretensions. Every one knew Hebron to be a royal city; and it lay in the heart of Judah's lot, in which tribe, probably, he thought his interest strong.
II. The pretence he had both to go thither and to invite his friends to him there was to offer a sacrifice to God, in performance of a vow he had made during his banishment, Sa2 15:7, Sa2 15:8. We have cause enough to suspect that he had not made any such vow; it does not appear that he was so religiously inclined. But he that stuck not at murder and treason would not make conscience of a lie to serve his purpose. If he said he had made such a vow, nobody could disprove him. Under this pretence, 1. He got leave of his father to go to Hebron. David would be well pleased to hear that his son, in his exile, was so desirous to return to Jerusalem, not only his father's city, but the city of the living God, - that he looked up to God, to bring him back, - that he had vowed, if he were brought back, to serve the Lord, whose service he had hitherto neglected, - and that now, being brought back, he remembered his vow, and resolved to perform it. If he think fit to do it in Hebron, rather than in Sion or Gibeon, the good king is so well pleased with the thing itself that he will not object against his choice of the place. See how willing tender parents are to believe the best concerning their children, and, upon the least indication of good, to hope, even concerning those that have been untoward, that they will repent and reform. But how easy is it for children to take advantage of their good parents' credulity, and to impose upon them with the show of religion, while still they are what they were! David was overjoyed to hear that Absalom inclined to serve the Lord, and therefore readily gave him leave to go to Hebron, and to go thither with solemnity. 2. He got a good number of sober substantial citizens to go along with him, Sa2 15:11. There went 200 men, probably of the principal men of Jerusalem, whom he invited to join with him in his feast upon his sacrifice; and they went in their simplicity, not in the least suspecting that Absalom had any bad design in this journey. He knew that it was to no purpose to tempt them into his plot: they were inviolably firm to David. But he drew them in to accompany him, that the common people might think that they were in his interest, and that David was deserted by some of his best friends. Note, It is no new thing for very good men, and very good things, to be made use of by designing men to put a colour upon bad practices. When religion is made a stalking-horse, and sacrifice a shoeing-horn, to sedition and usurpation it is not to be wondered at if some that were well affected to religion, as these followers of Absalom here, are imposed upon by the fallacy, and drawn in to give countenance to that, with their names, which in their heart they abhor, not having known the depths of Satan.
III. The project he laid was to get himself proclaimed king throughout all the tribes of Israel upon a signal given, Sa2 15:10. Spies were sent abroad, to be ready in every country to receive the notice with satisfaction and acclamations of joy, and to make the people believe that the news was both very true and very good, and that they were all concerned to take up arms for their new king. Upon the sudden spreading of this proclamation, "Absalom reigns in Hebron," some would conclude that David was dead, others that he had resigned: and thus those that were in the secret would draw in many to appear for Absalom, and to come into his assistance, who, if they had rightly understood the matter, would have abhorred the thought of it, but, being drawn in, would adhere to him. See what artifices ambitious men use for the compassing of their ends; and in matters of state, as well as in matters of religion, let us not be forward to believe every spirit, but try the spirits.
IV. The person he especially courted and relied upon in this affair was Ahithophel, a politic thinking man, and one that had a clear head and a great compass of thought, that had been David's counsellor, his guide and his acquaintance (Psa 55:13), his familiar friend, in whom he trusted, who did eat of his bread, Psa 41:9. But, upon some disgust of David's against him, or his against David, he was banished, or retired from public business, and lived privately in the country. How should a man of such good principles as David, and a man of such corrupt principles as Ahithophel, long agree? A fitter tool Absalom could not find in all the kingdom than one that was so great a statesman, and yet was disaffected to the present ministry. While Absalom was offering his sacrifices, in performance of his pretended vow, he sent for this man. So much was his heart on the projects of his ambition that he could not stay to make an end of his devotion, which showed what his eye was upon in all, and that it was but for a pretence that he made long offerings.
V. The party that joined with him proved at last very considerable. The people increased continually with Absalom, which made the conspiracy strong and formidable. Every one whom he had complimented and caressed (pronouncing his matters right and good, especially if afterwards the cause went against him) not only came himself, but made all the interest he could for him, so that he wanted not for numbers. The majority is no certain rule to judge of equity by. All the world wondered after the beast. Whether Absalom formed this design merely in the height of his ambition and fondness to rule, or whether there was not in it also malice against his father and revenge for his banishment and confinement, though this punishment was so much less than he deserved, does not appear. But, generally, that which aims at the crown aims at the head that wears it.
Cross-references: 2Sam 15:7 · 2Sam 15:8 · 2Sam 15:11 · 2Sam 15:10 · Ps 55:13 · Ps 41:9