The king got up, tore his robe, and threw himself on the ground. His advisers also tore their clothes in horror and sorrow.
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.
- KJV Then the king arose, and tare his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes rent.
- 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.
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 tore them; and all the men who were with him did likewise.
- 2 Sam 12:16David therefore begged God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night on the ground.
- 2 Sam 3:31David said to Joab, and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes, and clothe yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn in front of Abner.” King David followed the bier.
- Josh 7:6Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before Yahweh’s ark until the evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads.
- Job 1:20Then Job arose, and tore his robe, and shaved his head, and fell down on the ground, and worshiped.
- Gen 37:34Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
- Gen 37:29Reuben returned to the pit; and saw that Joseph wasn’t in the pit; and he tore his clothes.
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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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