2 Samuel 18:25 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: The watchman called out to the king and reported it. The king said, "If he is alone, he must have good news." And the runner came closer and closer.

NASB: 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.

CSB: He called out and told the king. The king said, "If he’s alone, he bears good news." As the first runner came closer,

NLT: He shouted the news down to David, and the king replied, 'If he is alone, he has news.' As the messenger came closer,

KJV: 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.

NKJV: 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.

David is waiting by the gates of Mahanaim, desperate for the messenger who will tell him if his son is alive or dead.

David has been here before. After his oldest son, Amnon, raped his daughter Tamar, Absalom, Tamar's full brother, schemed. Absalom convinced David to send all his brothers to his sheep-shearing feast. David was suspicious but agreed (2 Samuel 13:23–27). Before long, a messenger arrived, saying, "Absalom has struck down all the king's sons, and not one of them is left" (2 Samuel 13:30).

While David and his courtiers reeled from the news, his nephew Jonadab reassured him: only Amnon is dead (2 Samuel 13:32–33). Jonadab proved to be right (2 Samuel 13:35–36). Even so, waiting while knowing the upcoming news is bad but not its extent, is exhausting.

Nine years after Absalom killed his brother, he accumulated a following and went to war against his father. While Absalom's army battles against David's much smaller guard, David waits for word. As before, David's thoughts are with a violent son, not the innocent victims. He needs to know if Absalom is still alive (2 Samuel 18:5, 24).

A watchman has seen a lone runner. This is a good sign, because defeat would bring either straggles from battle or an invading enemy army. The watchman will soon see another and then identify the first as Ahimaaz, the son of the priest Zadok. David decides that because Ahimaaz is a good man, he must bring good news (2 Samuel 18:26–27). He seems to have forgotten it was Ahimaaz and his friend Jonathan who first told David that Absalom wanted him dead (2 Samuel 17:15–21).

Second Samuel 18:19–30 follows along as two men race to tell David that his son is dead. Joab killed Absalom after the battle (2 Samuel 18:14–15). Ahimaaz, son of the priest Zadok, wants to deliver the news. Joab seems wary of how David will respond and so sends a Cushite messenger. Joab eventually lets Ahimaaz go as well, and he and the Cushite race one another to tell David. The king will react with despair (2 Samuel 19:31–33) and earn a scolding from Joab (2 Samuel 19:1–8).

In 2 Samuel 18, the rebellion ends. Absalom has built a following and revolted against David (2 Samuel 15; 17). His army is no match for David's seasoned warriors or the dangerous terrain on which the battle is fought. Absalom is pursued and killed despite David's order that he be spared. When David hears of this, he falls into grief. Joab tells David to stop disrespecting his people's sacrifice (2 Samuel 19:1–8). David leads his people back to Jerusalem and starts to repair the broken kingdom (2 Samuel 19:9–43).

Second Samuel 18 marks the fulfillment of God's curses against David. The violence and betrayal God promised David (2 Samuel 12:10–12) because of his sin against Bathsheba and Uriah (2 Samuel 11) culminate in Absalom's attempt to kill his father and take the throne (2 Samuel 15—17). David's generals make quick work of Absalom's army. Joab kills Absalom against David's direct order. David will attempt to repair the fractured kingdom, starting with forgiving his enemies (2 Samuel 19:9–43). The rift never fully heals, however, and the nation splits permanently after Solomon dies (2 Chronicles 10).

Second Samuel continues the story of David, who will become king over Judah. The other tribes of Israel are resistant, eventually sparking a civil war. David wins and makes Jerusalem his capital. Early success is followed by moral failure and controversy in David's house. The book of 1 Kings will begin by detailing David's decline and death.