Limitless Word
honey, butter, sheep, and cheese of the herd, for David, and for the people who were with him, to eat; for they said, “The people are hungry, and weary, and thirsty in the wilderness.”
2 Samuel 17:29 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV And honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David, and for the people that were with him, to eat: for they said, The people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness.
  • BSB honey, curds, sheep, and cheese from the herd for David and his people to eat. For they said, “The people have become hungry, exhausted, and thirsty in the wilderness.”
  • NKJV honey and curds, sheep and cheese of the herd, for David and the people who were with him to eat. For they said, “The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.”
  • NASB honey, curds, sheep, and cheese of the herd, for David and the people who were with him, to eat. For they said, “The people are hungry and exhausted and thirsty in the wilderness.”
  • NLT honey, butter, sheep, goats, and cheese for David and those who were with him. For they said, “You must all be very hungry and tired and thirsty after your long march through the wilderness.”

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

They also supply honey, dairy, sheep, and cheese, knowing the people are hungry and weary. The gifts meet David's company in their wilderness exhaustion.

Overview

Recognizing the people's hunger, thirst, and fatigue, these friends provide rich nourishment in the wilderness. The provision echoes God's pattern of feeding His people in desolate places, as with manna in the wilderness. It displays the LORD's faithful care for His anointed and points to the God who supplies all our needs (Philippians 4:19).

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 13

  • 2 Sam 16:2The king said to Ziba, “What do you mean by these?” Ziba said, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that those who are faint in the wilderness may drink.”
  • Isa 21:14They brought water to him who was thirsty. The inhabitants of the land of Tema met the fugitives with their bread.
  • 2 Sam 16:14The king, and all the people who were with him, came weary; and he refreshed himself there.
  • Ps 34:8–10Oh taste and see that Yahweh is good. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
  • Phil 4:15–19You yourselves also know, you Philippians, that in the beginning of the Good News, when I departed from Macedonia, no assembly shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you only.
  • Judg 8:4–6Gideon came to the Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men who were with him, faint, yet pursuing.
  • 2 Sam 17:2I will come on him while he is weary and exhausted, and will make him afraid. All the people who are with him will flee. I will strike the king only,
  • Eccl 11:1–2Cast your bread on the waters; for you shall find it after many days.
  • 1 Sam 17:18and bring these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and see how your brothers are doing, and bring back news.”
  • Isa 58:7Isn’t it to distribute your bread to the hungry, and that you bring the poor who are cast out to your house? When you see the naked, that you cover him; and that you not hide yourself from your own flesh?
  • Luke 8:3and Joanna, the wife of Chuzas, Herod’s steward; Susanna; and many others; who served them from their possessions.
  • Rom 12:13contributing to the needs of the saints; given to hospitality.
  • Ps 84:11For Yahweh God is a sun and a shield. Yahweh will give grace and glory. He withholds no good thing from those who walk blamelessly.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (7)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — 2 Samuel videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on 2 Samuel 17:29YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on 2 SamuelMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    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 17:29 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.