The Meaning of 2 Samuel 15:18 Explained

2 Samuel 15:18

KJV: And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men which came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.

YLT: And all his servants are passing on at his side, and all the Cherethite, and all the Pelethite, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who came at his feet from Gath, are passing on at the front of the king.

Darby: And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men that came after him from Gath, passed over before the king.

ASV: And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men that came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And all his servants  passed on  beside  him; and all the Cherethites,  and all the Pelethites,  and all the Gittites,  six  hundred  men  which came  after  him from Gath,  passed on  before  the king. 

What does 2 Samuel 15:18 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 15:18 mean?

And all his servants passed before him the Cherethites the Pelethites and all the Gittites six hundred men who had followed him from Gath upon the face of the king
וְכָל־ עֲבָדָיו֙ עֹבְרִ֣ים עַל־ יָד֔וֹ הַכְּרֵתִ֖י הַפְּלֵתִ֑י וְכָֽל־ הַגִּתִּ֞ים שֵׁשׁ־ מֵא֣וֹת אִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־ בָּ֤אוּ בְרַגְלוֹ֙ מִגַּ֔ת עַל־ פְּנֵ֥י הַמֶּֽלֶךְ

וְכָל־  And  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
עֲבָדָיו֙  his  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
עֹבְרִ֣ים  passed 
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־  before 
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.
הַכְּרֵתִ֖י  the  Cherethites 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: כְּרֵתִי  
Sense: a group of foreign mercenary soldiers serving as a bodyguard for king David; also executioners.
הַפְּלֵתִ֑י  the  Pelethites 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: פְּלֵתִי  
Sense: a collective name for the guardsmen of David.
וְכָֽל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הַגִּתִּ֞ים  the  Gittites 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: גִּתִּי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Gath.
שֵׁשׁ־  six 
Parse: Number, feminine singular
Root: שֵׁשׁ  
Sense: six.
מֵא֣וֹת  hundred 
Parse: Number, feminine plural
Root: מֵאָה 
Sense: hundred.
אִ֗ישׁ  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
בָּ֤אוּ  had  followed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
מִגַּ֔ת  from  Gath 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: גַּת  
Sense: one of the five royal or chief cities of the Philistines and the native city of Goliath.
עַל־  upon 
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.
פְּנֵ֥י  the  face  of 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.