Now when the Philistines were at war with Israel again, David went down, and his servants with him; and when they fought against the Philistines, David became weary.
Parallel translations
- WEB The Philistines had war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines. David grew faint;
- KJV Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines: and David waxed faint.
- BSB Once again the Philistines waged war against Israel, and David and his servants went down and fought against the Philistines; but David became exhausted.
- NKJV When the Philistines were at war again with Israel, David and his servants with him went down and fought against the Philistines; and David grew faint.
- NLT Once again the Philistines were at war with Israel. And when David and his men were in the thick of battle, David became weak and exhausted.
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
War with the Philistines breaks out again, and the aging David grows weary in battle. His weakness sets the stage for God's deliverance through others.
Overview
The narrative shifts to renewed Philistine conflict, where David, once the giant-slayer, now becomes faint and vulnerable. His mortality reminds us that even the greatest king has limits and must be rescued. It quietly points beyond David to a greater King whose strength never fails.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Josh 14:10–11“Now, behold, Yahweh has kept me alive, as he spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that Yahweh spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. Now, behold, I am eighty-five years old, today.
- 2 Sam 5:22The Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.
- Ps 71:9Don’t reject me in my old age. Don’t forsake me when my strength fails.
- Eccl 12:3in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look out of the windows are darkened,
- 2 Sam 5:17When the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold.
- 2 Sam 5:25David did so, as Yahweh commanded him, and struck the Philistines all the way from Geba to Gezer.
- Jer 9:23–24Yahweh says, “Don’t let the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might. Don’t let the rich man glory in his riches.
- 1 Chr 20:4After this, war arose at Gezer with the Philistines. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai, of the sons of the giant; and they were subdued.
- 1 Pet 1:24–25For, “All flesh is like grass, and all of man’s glory like the flower in the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls;
- Isa 40:28–30Haven’t you known? Haven’t you heard? The everlasting God, Yahweh, The Creator of the ends of the earth, doesn’t faint. He isn’t weary. His understanding is unsearchable.
- Ps 73:26My flesh and my heart fails, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
- Ps 71:18Yes, even when I am old and gray-haired, God, don’t forsake me, until I have declared your strength to the next generation, your might to everyone who is to come.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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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 21:15 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.