And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.
Parallel translations
- WEB A messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.”
- BSB Then a messenger came to David and reported, “The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.”
- NKJV Now a messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.”
- NASB Then a messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the people of Israel are with Absalom.”
- NLT A messenger soon arrived in Jerusalem to tell David, “All Israel has joined Absalom in a conspiracy against you!”
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
A messenger warns David that Israel's loyalty has shifted to Absalom. The king learns the rebellion is widespread.
Overview
News reaches David that the nation's heart has turned to his son, confirming the success of Absalom's campaign. The report forces David into immediate, painful action. This dark hour, in which the anointed king is rejected by his own people, deepens the parallel between David's sufferings and the rejection of Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Judg 9:3And his mother’s brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother.
- Matt 27:22Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.
- 2 Sam 15:6And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment: so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
- 2 Sam 3:36And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them: as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people.
- Ps 62:9Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.
- Matt 21:9And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 15:13 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.