“Move aside,” said the king, “and stand here.” So he stepped aside.
Parallel translations
- WEB The king said, “Turn aside, and stand here.” He turned aside, and stood still.
- KJV And the king said unto him, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still.
- NKJV And the king said, “Turn aside and stand here.” So he turned aside and stood still.
- NASB Then the king said, “Turn aside and stand here.” So he turned aside and stood still.
- NLT “Wait here,” the king told him. So Ahimaaz stepped aside.
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 tells Ahimaaz to step aside and wait. The king awaits fuller word from the second runner.
Overview
David has Ahimaaz move aside, sensing that complete news is still to come. The brief command sustains the suspense as the Cushite approaches. The scene keeps David, and the reader, suspended between victory and the dreaded report about Absalom.
Cross-references & the web
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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 18:30 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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