The Meaning of 2 Samuel 17:16 Explained

2 Samuel 17:16

KJV: Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him.

YLT: and now, send hastily, and declare to David, saying, Lodge not to-night in the plains of the wilderness, and also, certainly pass over, lest there be a swallowing up of the king and of all the people who are with him.'

Darby: And now send quickly, and tell David saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him.

ASV: Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Now therefore send  quickly,  and tell  David,  saying,  Lodge  not this night  in the plains  of the wilderness,  but speedily  pass over;  lest the king  be swallowed up,  and all the people  that [are] with him. 

What does 2 Samuel 17:16 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 17:16 mean?

Therefore now send quickly and tell David saying not do spend this night in the plains of the wilderness but speedily cross over lest be swallowed up the king and all the people who [are] with him
וְעַתָּ֡ה שִׁלְח֣וּ מְהֵרָה֩ וְהַגִּ֨ידוּ לְדָוִ֜ד לֵאמֹ֗ר אַל־ תָּ֤לֶן הַלַּ֙יְלָה֙ בְּעַֽרְב֣וֹת הַמִּדְבָּ֔ר וְגַ֖ם עָב֣וֹר תַּעֲב֑וֹר פֶּ֚ן יְבֻלַּ֣ע לַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וּלְכָל־ הָעָ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִתּֽוֹ

וְעַתָּ֡ה  Therefore  now 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
שִׁלְח֣וּ  send 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
מְהֵרָה֩  quickly 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מְהֵרָה  
Sense: haste, speed.
וְהַגִּ֨ידוּ  and  tell 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
לְדָוִ֜ד  David 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
לֵאמֹ֗ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
תָּ֤לֶן  do  spend 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Jussive, second person masculine singular
Root: לוּן 
Sense: to lodge, stop over, pass the night, abide.
הַלַּ֙יְלָה֙  this  night 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: לַיִל 
Sense: night.
בְּעַֽרְב֣וֹת  in  the  plains 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: עֲרָבָה  
Sense: desert plain, steppe, desert, wilderness.
הַמִּדְבָּ֔ר  of  the  wilderness 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
עָב֣וֹר  speedily 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
תַּעֲב֑וֹר  cross  over 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
פֶּ֚ן  lest 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: פֶּן  
Sense: lest, not, beware lest adv.
יְבֻלַּ֣ע  be  swallowed  up 
Parse: Verb, Pual, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּלַע 
Sense: to swallow down, swallow up, engulf, eat up.
לַמֶּ֔לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וּלְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָעָ֖ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  who  [are] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
אִתּֽוֹ  with  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.