The Meaning of 2 Samuel 17:29 Explained

2 Samuel 17:29

KJV: And honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David, and for the people that were with him, to eat: for they said, The people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness.

YLT: and honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, have brought nigh for David, and for the people who are with him to eat, for they said, 'Thy people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness.'

Darby: and honey, and cream, and sheep, and cheese of kine to David, and to the people that were with him, to eat; for they said, The people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty in the wilderness.

ASV: and honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of the herd, for David, and for the people that were with him, to eat: for they said, The people are hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And honey,  and butter,  and sheep,  and cheese  of kine,  for David,  and for the people  that [were] with him, to eat:  for they said,  The people  [is] hungry,  and weary,  and thirsty,  in the wilderness. 

What does 2 Samuel 17:29 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 17:15-29 - The Helpers Of The King
The two young men were narrowly watched, and had it not been for the deception practiced on Absalom's servants by the mistress of the house at Bahurim, they would probably not have reached David in time to put him on his guard. That her device secured his safety does not extenuate nor justify her falsehood. God could have found some other method of delivering his servant. Let us remember the warning voices that speak to us, bidding us beware of temptation. There is a river that we also may put between us and our pursuers. It is the Jordan of Calvary-the Cross of our Savior. Reckon yourselves dead unto sin!
As Ahithophel foreshadowed Judas in his treachery, so did he in his end. See Psalms 41:9; Matthew 27:5. He was not only mortified by the refusal of his advice, but clearly saw therein the inevitable triumph of David's cause and the punishment that would follow. On the farther bank friends awaited the fugitives. For Shobi, see 2 Samuel 10:1-2; Machir, 2 Samuel 9:4. But Psalms 42:1-11; Psalms 43:1-5 reflect David's feelings at this sad hour. Even in the night God's song was with him. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 17

1  Ahithophel's counsel is overthrown by Hushai's
15  Secret intelligence is sent unto David
23  Ahithophel hangs himself
25  Amasa is made captain
27  David at Mahanaim is furnished with provisions

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 17:29 mean?

And honey and curds and sheep and cheese of the herd approach for David and the people who [were] with him to eat for they said the people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness
וּדְבַ֣שׁ וְחֶמְאָ֗ה וְצֹאן֙ וּשְׁפ֣וֹת בָּקָ֔ר הִגִּ֧ישׁוּ לְדָוִ֛ד וְלָעָ֥ם אֲשֶׁר־ אִתּ֖וֹ לֶאֱכ֑וֹל כִּ֣י אָמְר֔וּ הָעָ֗ם רָעֵ֛ב וְעָיֵ֥ף וְצָמֵ֖א בַּמִּדְבָּֽר

וּדְבַ֣שׁ  And  honey 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דְּבַשׁ  
Sense: honey.
וְחֶמְאָ֗ה  and  curds 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶמְאָה  
Sense: curd, butter.
וְצֹאן֙  and  sheep 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, common singular
Root: צֹאן  
Sense: small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks.
וּשְׁפ֣וֹת  and  cheese 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: שְׁפֹות  
Sense: cream, cheese.
בָּקָ֔ר  of  the  herd 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּקָר  
Sense: cattle, herd, oxen, ox.
הִגִּ֧ישׁוּ  approach 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: נָגַשׁ  
Sense: to draw near, approach.
לְדָוִ֛ד  for  David 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
וְלָעָ֥ם  and  the  people 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
אֲשֶׁר־  who  [were] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
אִתּ֖וֹ  with  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.
לֶאֱכ֑וֹל  to  eat 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
אָמְר֔וּ  they  said 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הָעָ֗ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
רָעֵ֛ב  are  hungry 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רָעָב  
Sense: hungry.
וְעָיֵ֥ף  and  weary 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: עָיֵף  
Sense: faint, exhausted, weary.
וְצָמֵ֖א  and  thirsty 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: צָמֵא  
Sense: thirsty.
בַּמִּדְבָּֽר  in  the  wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.