“No,” he replied, “I am far too old to go with the king to Jerusalem.
Parallel translations
- WEB Barzillai said to the king, “How many are the days of the years of my life, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?
- KJV And Barzillai said unto the king, How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem?
- BSB But Barzillai replied, “How many years of my life remain, that I should go up to Jerusalem with the king?
- NKJV But Barzillai said to the king, “How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?
- NASB But Barzillai said to the king, “How long do I still have to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?
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
Barzillai asked how many years he had left that he should go up to Jerusalem with the king. It matters because his humble realism about old age shaped his gracious refusal.
Overview
Aware that his remaining days were few, Barzillai gently questioned whether court life suited a man so near the end. His response shows a sober, contented acceptance of life's limits. The verse models wisdom that values nearness to home and grave over worldly honor in one's final years.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Jas 4:14Whereas you don’t know what your life will be like tomorrow. For what is your life? For you are a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.
- 1 Cor 7:29But I say this, brothers: the time is short, that from now on, both those who have wives may be as though they had none;
- Ps 39:5–6Behold, you have made my days hand widths. My lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely every man stands as a breath.” Selah.
- Job 14:14If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my warfare would I wait, until my release should come.
- Gen 47:8–9Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many are the days of the years of your life?”
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 19:34 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.