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.
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.
- BSB 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.
- 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 6:12And Mordecai came again to the king’s gate. But Haman hasted to his house mourning, and having his head covered.
- 2 Sam 19:4But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!
- Luke 19:41And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
- Luke 19:37And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;
- Jer 14:3–4And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads.
- Luke 22:39And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him.
- Ezek 24:17Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men.
- Luke 21:37And in the day time he was teaching in the temple; and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives.
- Luke 19:29And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,
- Zech 14:4And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
- Ezek 24:23And your tires shall be upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet: ye shall not mourn nor weep; but ye shall pine away for your iniquities, and mourn one toward another.
- Acts 1:12Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey.
- Isa 20:2–4At the same time spake the LORD by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.
- Ps 42:3My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
- Ps 43:5Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
- 1 Cor 12:26And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
- Matt 5:4Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
- Rom 12:15Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
- Ps 126:5–6They that sow in tears shall reap in 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
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.