Then the king arose, and tare his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes rent.
Parallel translations
- WEB Then the king arose, and tore his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn.
- BSB Then the king stood up, tore his clothes, and lay down on the ground; and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn.
- NKJV So the king arose and tore his garments and lay on the ground, and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn.
- NASB Then the king stood up, tore his clothes, and lay on the ground; and all his servants were standing by with clothes torn.
- NLT The king got up, tore his robe, and threw himself on the ground. His advisers also tore their clothes in horror and sorrow.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David tears his clothes and lies on the ground in mourning, and his servants join him with torn garments. The king reacts with overwhelming grief to the supposed loss of all his sons.
Overview
David's actions express the deepest lament, fearing he has lost his entire line of sons. The shared mourning of his servants underscores the magnitude of the perceived calamity. The scene captures the crushing weight of grief that sin had brought upon David's house, even before the truth is known.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- 2 Sam 1:11Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him:
- 2 Sam 12:16David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
- 2 Sam 3:31And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David himself followed the bier.
- Josh 7:6And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.
- Job 1:20Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
- Gen 37:34And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
- Gen 37:29And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
God's covenant with David — a son whose throne and kingdom would last forever (7:12–16) — finds its yes in Jesus, the Son of David who reigns without end.
How 2 Samuel 13:31 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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