The Meaning of 2 Samuel 17:21 Explained

2 Samuel 17:21

KJV: And it came to pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David, and said unto David, Arise, and pass quickly over the water: for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you.

YLT: And it cometh to pass, after their going on, that they come up out of the well, and go and declare to king David, and say unto David, 'Rise ye, and pass over hastily the waters, for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you.'

Darby: And it came to pass after they had departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David; and they said to David, Arise and pass quickly over the water; for thus has Ahithophel counselled against you.

ASV: And it came to pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David; and they said unto David, Arise ye, and pass quickly over the water; for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it came to pass, after  they were departed,  that they came up  out of the well,  and went  and told  king  David,  and said  unto David,  Arise,  and pass quickly  over  the water:  for thus hath Ahithophel  counselled  against you. 

What does 2 Samuel 17:21 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 17:21 mean?

And it came to pass after they had departed that they came up out of the well and went and told King David and said to David Arise and cross over quickly - the water for thus has advised against you Ahithophel
וַיְהִ֣י ׀ אַחֲרֵ֣י לֶכְתָּ֗ם וַֽיַּעֲלוּ֙ מֵֽהַבְּאֵ֔ר וַיֵּ֣לְכ֔וּ וַיַּגִּ֖דוּ לַמֶּ֣לֶךְ דָּוִ֑ד וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֶל־ דָּוִ֗ד ק֣וּמוּ וְעִבְר֤וּ מְהֵרָה֙ אֶת־ הַמַּ֔יִם כִּי־ כָ֛כָה יָעַ֥ץ עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם אֲחִיתֹֽפֶל

וַיְהִ֣י ׀  And  it  came  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
אַחֲרֵ֣י  after 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
לֶכְתָּ֗ם  they  had  departed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וַֽיַּעֲלוּ֙  that  they  came  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
מֵֽהַבְּאֵ֔ר  out  of  the  well 
Parse: Preposition-m, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּאֵר  
Sense: well, pit, spring.
וַיֵּ֣לְכ֔וּ  and  went 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וַיַּגִּ֖דוּ  and  told 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
לַמֶּ֣לֶךְ  King 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
דָּוִ֑ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
דָּוִ֗ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
ק֣וּמוּ  Arise 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
וְעִבְר֤וּ  and  cross  over 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
מְהֵרָה֙  quickly 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מְהֵרָה  
Sense: haste, speed.
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.
הַמַּ֔יִם  the  water 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
כָ֛כָה  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כָּכָה  
Sense: like this, thus.
יָעַ֥ץ  has  advised 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄועֵץ 
Sense: to advise, consult, give counsel, counsel, purpose, devise, plan.
עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם  against  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine 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.
אֲחִיתֹֽפֶל  Ahithophel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲחִיתֹפֶל  
Sense: a counsellor of David, grandfather of Bathsheba (cf 2Sa :3,.

What are the major concepts related to 2 Samuel 17:21?

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