The Meaning of 2 Samuel 18:31 Explained

2 Samuel 18:31

KJV: And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king: for the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee.

YLT: And lo, the Cushite hath come, and the Cushite saith, 'Let tidings be proclaimed, my lord, O king; for Jehovah hath delivered thee to-day out of the hand of all those rising up against thee.'

Darby: And behold, the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, Let my lord the king receive good tidings, for Jehovah has avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee.

ASV: And, behold, the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, Tidings for my lord the king; for Jehovah hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And, behold, Cushi  came;  and Cushi  said,  Tidings,  my lord  the king:  for the LORD  hath avenged  thee this day  of all them  that rose up  against thee. 

What does 2 Samuel 18:31 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 18:31-33 - Mourning Too Late
What an awful day that was for David, seated between the inner and outer gates, scanning the landscape, and speaking now and again to the sentry posted above him. Did not the Spirit work an even deeper repentance than ever before, recalling the self-indulgence, the failure to watch, the lapse of fellowship? But was it not also an hour when David put his finger on the Covenant and asked God, notwithstanding all, to do as he had said, 2 Samuel 7:15?
As David waited, his heart interceded for Absalom. How exactly his attitude is that of many who read these words, who are unable to join in the activities of life, and who spend days and nights in uttering one dear name before God! But he loves our Absaloms more than we do! David wished that he might have died for his son, and you have felt the same. But did not Jesus die for the ungodly? We must leave all with Him, the Judge of all the earth, but also its Redeemer and Savior. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 18

1  David viewing the armies in their march gives them charge of Absalom
6  The Israelites are sorely smitten in the wood of ephraim
9  Absalom, hanging in an oak is slain by Joab, and cast into a pit
18  Absalom's place
19  Ahimaaz and Cushi bring tidings to David
33  David mourns for Absalom

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 18:31 mean?

And just then the Cushite came and said the Cushite there is good news my lord the king for has avenged you Yahweh this day of all those who rose against you -
וְהִנֵּ֥ה הַכּוּשִׁ֖י בָּ֑א וַיֹּ֣אמֶר הַכּוּשִׁ֗י יִתְבַּשֵּׂר֙ אֲדֹנִ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ כִּֽי־ שְׁפָטְךָ֤ יְהוָה֙ הַיּ֔וֹם מִיַּ֖ד כָּל־ הַקָּמִ֥ים עָלֶֽיךָ ס

וְהִנֵּ֥ה  And  just  then 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
הַכּוּשִׁ֖י  the  Cushite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: כּוּשִׁי  
Sense: one of the descendants of Cush the grandson of Noah through Ham and a member of that nation or people.
בָּ֑א  came 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הַכּוּשִׁ֗י  the  Cushite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: כּוּשִׁי  
Sense: one of the descendants of Cush the grandson of Noah through Ham and a member of that nation or people.
יִתְבַּשֵּׂר֙  there  is  good  news 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּשַׂר  
Sense: to bear news, bear tidings, publish, preach, show forth.
אֲדֹנִ֣י  my  lord 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָדֹון  
Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
שְׁפָטְךָ֤  has  avenged  you 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׁפַט  
Sense: to judge, govern, vindicate, punish.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הַיּ֔וֹם  this  day 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַקָּמִ֥ים  those  who  rose 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
עָלֶֽיךָ  against  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
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.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation