But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went up. His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. And all the people with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went.
Parallel translations
- WEB David went up by the ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went up; and he had his head covered, and went barefoot: and all the people who were with him each covered his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.
- KJV And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.
- NKJV So David went up by the Ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went up; and he had his head covered and went barefoot. And all the people who were with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went up.
- NASB And David was going up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, and his head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. Then all the people who were with him each covered his own head, and they were going up, weeping as they went.
- NLT David walked up the road to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went. His head was covered and his feet were bare as a sign of mourning. And the people who were with him covered their heads and wept as they climbed the hill.
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 ascends the Mount of Olives weeping, barefoot and head covered in mourning. The image captures the depth of his sorrow and humiliation.
Overview
Climbing the Mount of Olives in the postures of grief, David leads a weeping people. His humbled bearing reflects both repentance and sorrow under God's chastening hand. Strikingly, the suffering king on the Mount of Olives prefigures Christ, who would there agonize in Gethsemane before his own betrayal and rejection.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 19
- Esth 6:12Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief.
- 2 Sam 19:4But the king covered his face and cried out at the top of his voice, “O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!”
- Luke 19:41As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it
- Luke 19:37And as He approached the descent from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of disciples began to praise God joyfully in a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen:
- Jer 14:3–4The nobles send their servants for water; they go to the cisterns, but find no water; their jars return empty. They are ashamed and humiliated; they cover their heads.
- Luke 22:39Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed Him.
- Ezek 24:17Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Put on your turban and strap your sandals on your feet; do not cover your lips or eat the bread of mourners.”
- Luke 21:37Every day Jesus taught at the temple, but every evening He went out to spend the night on the Mount of Olives.
- Luke 19:29As He approached Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, He sent out two of His disciples,
- Zech 14:4On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half the mountain moving to the north and half to the south.
- Ezek 24:23Your turbans will remain on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep, but you will waste away because of your sins, and you will groan among yourselves.
- Acts 1:12Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near the city, a Sabbath day’s journey away.
- Isa 20:2–4the LORD had already spoken through Isaiah son of Amoz, saying, “Go, remove the sackcloth from your waist and the sandals from your feet.” And Isaiah did so, walking around naked and barefoot.
- Ps 42:3My tears have been my food both day and night, while men ask me all day long, “Where is your God?”
- Ps 43:5Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.
- 1 Cor 12:26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
- Matt 5:4Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
- Rom 12:15Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.
- Ps 126:5–6Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy.
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 15:30 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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