The Meaning of 2 Samuel 15:23 Explained

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.

YLT: And all the land are weeping -- a great voice, and all the people are passing over; and the king is passing over through the brook Kidron, and all the people are passing over on the front of the way of the wilderness;

Darby: And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over; the king also himself passed over the torrent Kidron, and all the people passed over, towards the way of the wilderness.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 2 Samuel 15:23 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 15:13-23 - The Loyal Stranger
David was conscious of ill desert; hence his resolve to flee. How different his bearing now from that great hour when Goliath fell before him! Ah, conscience doth make cowards of us all! And yet there was a beautiful spirit of resignation welling up amid the salt waves of his bitter sorrow. When we are called to pass through dark hours, we cannot do better than repeat the words of this royal penitent: "Behold, here am I let him do to me as seemeth good to him." What thoughtfulness of Ittai! What pathos in the king's words to Zadok! What humility as he climbed Olivet! What trust still in God to turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness! It is an impressive picture of the resignation of a broken and a contrite heart.
They were noble words that Ittai uttered! His name associates him with David's residence in Gath, among the Philistines. He was a stranger and an exile in Israel, but the king's friendship had made a home for him. In these days of our Lord's humiliation, let us address Him in the chivalrous and noble words of 2 Samuel 15:21. See John 12:26; 1 Thessalonians 5:10. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 15

1  Absalom, by fair speeches and courtesies, steals the hearts of Israel
7  By pretense of a vow, he obtains leave to go to Hebron
10  He makes there a great conspiracy
13  David upon the news flees from Jerusalem
19  Ittai will leave him
24  Zadok and Abiathar are sent back with the ark
30  David and his company go up mount Olivet weeping,
31  He curses Ahithophel's counsel
32  Hushai is sent back with instructions

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 15:23 mean?

And all the country wept with a voice loud the people crossed over and the king [himself] also crossed over the Valley Kidron the people crossed over toward toward the way of the wilderness
וְכָל־ הָאָ֗רֶץ בּוֹכִים֙ ק֣וֹל גָּד֔וֹל הָעָ֖ם עֹֽבְרִ֑ים וְהַמֶּ֗לֶךְ עֹבֵר֙ בְּנַ֣חַל קִדְר֔וֹן הָעָם֙ עֹבְרִ֔ים עַל־ פְּנֵי־ דֶ֖רֶךְ אֶת־ הַמִּדְבָּֽר

וְכָל־  And  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָאָ֗רֶץ  the  country 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
בּוֹכִים֙  wept 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: בָּכָה  
Sense: to weep, bewail, cry, shed tears.
ק֣וֹל  with  a  voice 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
גָּד֔וֹל  loud 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
הָעָ֖ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
עֹֽבְרִ֑ים  crossed  over 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
וְהַמֶּ֗לֶךְ  and  the  king  [himself] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
עֹבֵר֙  also  crossed  over 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
בְּנַ֣חַל  the  Valley 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נַחַל 
Sense: torrent, valley, wadi, torrent-valley.
קִדְר֔וֹן  Kidron 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: קִדְרֹון  
Sense: a stream east of Jerusalem.
הָעָם֙  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
עֹבְרִ֔ים  crossed  over 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
עַל־  toward 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
פְּנֵי־  toward 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
דֶ֖רֶךְ  the  way 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
הַמִּדְבָּֽר  the  wilderness 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.