The Meaning of 2 Samuel 15:14 Explained

2 Samuel 15:14

KJV: And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.

YLT: And David saith to all his servants who are with him in Jerusalem, 'Rise, and we flee, for we have no escape from the face of Absalom; haste to go, lest he hasten, and have overtaken us, and forced on us evil, and smitten the city by the mouth of the sword.'

Darby: And David said to all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Rise up and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom. Be quick to depart, lest he overtake us quickly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.

ASV: And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for else none of us shall escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us quickly, and bring down evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And David  said  unto all his servants  that [were] with him at Jerusalem,  Arise,  and let us flee;  for we shall not [else] escape  from  Absalom:  make speed  to depart,  lest he overtake  us suddenly,  and bring  evil  upon us, and smite  the city  with the edge  of the sword. 

What does 2 Samuel 15:14 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 15:14 mean?

So said David to all his servants who [were] with him at Jerusalem Arise and let us flee or not shall we escape from Absalom Make haste to depart lest suddenly and he overtake us and bring upon us - disaster and strike the city with the edge of the sword
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר דָּ֠וִד לְכָל־ עֲבָדָ֨יו אֲשֶׁר־ אִתּ֤וֹ בִירוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ ק֣וּמוּ וְנִבְרָ֔חָה כִּ֛י לֹא־ תִֽהְיֶה־ לָּ֥נוּ פְלֵיטָ֖ה מִפְּנֵ֣י אַבְשָׁל֑וֹם מַהֲר֣וּ לָלֶ֗כֶת פֶּן־ יְמַהֵ֤ר וְהִשִּׂגָ֙נוּ֙ וְהִדִּ֤יחַ עָלֵ֙ינוּ֙ אֶת־ הָ֣רָעָ֔ה וְהִכָּ֥ה הָעִ֖יר לְפִי־ חָֽרֶב

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  So  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
דָּ֠וִד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
לְכָל־  to  all 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
עֲבָדָ֨יו  his  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
אֲשֶׁר־  who  [were] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
אִתּ֤וֹ  with  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.
בִירוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙  at  Jerusalem 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
ק֣וּמוּ  Arise 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
וְנִבְרָ֔חָה  and  let  us  flee 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common plural
Root: בָּרַח 
Sense: to go through, flee, run away, chase, drive away, put to flight, reach, shoot (extend), hurry away.
פְלֵיטָ֖ה  escape 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: פְּלֵיטָה  
Sense: escape, deliverance.
אַבְשָׁל֑וֹם  Absalom 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲבִישָׁלֹום 
Sense: father-in-law of Rehoboam.
מַהֲר֣וּ  Make  haste 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: מָהַר  
Sense: (Qal) to hasten.
לָלֶ֗כֶת  to  depart 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
פֶּן־  lest 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: פֶּן  
Sense: lest, not, beware lest adv.
יְמַהֵ֤ר  suddenly 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָהַר  
Sense: (Qal) to hasten.
וְהִשִּׂגָ֙נוּ֙  and  he  overtake  us 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular, first person common plural
Root: מַשֶּׂגֶת 
Sense: to reach, overtake, take hold upon.
וְהִדִּ֤יחַ  and  bring 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָדַח 
Sense: to impel, thrust, drive away, banish.
עָלֵ֙ינוּ֙  upon  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
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.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָ֣רָעָ֔ה  disaster 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
וְהִכָּ֥ה  and  strike 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
הָעִ֖יר  the  city 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
לְפִי־  with  the  edge 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
חָֽרֶב  of  the  sword 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.