2 Samuel 18:26

And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold another man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
watchman	הַצֹּפֶה֮ ha.tzo.Peh	H6822	properly · definite article + verb, qal active participle, masculine singular absolute
saw	וַיַּ֣רְא vai.Yar'	H7200	to see · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
another	אַחֵ֣ר 'a.Cher	H312	properly · adjective, masculine singular absolute
man	אִישׁ 'ish-	H376	a man as an individual or a male person · noun, common masculine singular absolute
running	רָץ֒ ratz	H7323	to run (for whatever reason · verb, qal active participle, masculine singular absolute
watchman	הַצֹּפֶה֙ ha.tzo.Peh	H6822	properly · definite article + verb, qal active participle, masculine singular absolute
called	וַיִּקְרָ֤א vai.yik.Ra'	H7121	to call out to (i.e. properly · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
porter	הַשֹּׁעֵ֔ר ha.sho.'Er	H7778	a janitor · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
said	וַיֹּ֕אמֶר vai.Yo.mer	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
man	אִ֖ישׁ 'ish	H376	a man as an individual or a male person · noun, common masculine singular absolute
running	רָ֣ץ ratz	H7323	to run (for whatever reason · verb, qal active participle, masculine singular absolute
king	הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ ha.Me.lekh	H4428	a king · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
said	וַיֹּ֥אמֶר vai.Yo.mer	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
tidings	מְבַשֵּֽׂר me.va.Ser	H1319	properly · verb, piel active participle, masculine singular absolute

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Samuel 18:19–end

Absalom's business is done; and we are now told, I. How David was informed of it. He staid behind at the city of Mahanaim, some miles from the wood where the battle was, and in the utmost border of the land. Absalom's scattered forces all made homeward toward Jordan, which was the contrary way from Mahanaim, so that his watchmen could not perceive how the battle went, till an express came on purpose to bring advice of the issue, which the king sat in the gate expecting to hear, Sa2 18:24. 1. Cushi was the man Joab ordered to carry the tidings (Sa2 18:21), an Ethiopian, so his name signifies, and some think that he was so by birth, a black that waited on Joab, probably one of the ten that had…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Samuel 18:24

David sat between the two gates--that is, in the tower-house on the wall that overhung the gate of Mahanaim. Near it was a watchtower, on which a sentinel was posted, as in times of war, to notify every occurrence. The delicacy of Ahimaaz' communication was made up by the unmistakable plainness of Cushi's. The death of Absalom was a heavy trial, and it is impossible not to sympathize with the outburst of feeling by which David showed that all thoughts of the victory he had won as a king were completely sunk in the painful loss he had sustained as a father. The extraordinary ardor and strength of his affection for this worthless son break out in the redundancy and vehemence of his mournful ej…

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Adam Clarke on 2 Samuel 18:25

If he be alone, there is tidings - That is, good tidings. For if the battle had been lost men would have been running in different directions through the country.

John Gill on 2 Samuel 18:26

And the watchman saw another man running,.... At a further distance: and the watchman called unto the porter; that kept the gate, under which the watchtower was: and said, behold, another man runneth alone; as the other, and has the same appearance of a messenger: and the king said, he also bringeth tidings; it being usual then, as now, to dispatch one messenger after another, as fresh accounts coming in made it necessary.

Dictionary and topics

Ahimaaz — Brother of anger = irascible. (1.) The father Ahinoam, the wife of Saul (1 Sam. 14:50). (2.) The son and successor of Zadok in the office of high priest (1 Chr. 6:8, 53). On the occasion of the…
Porter — A gate-keeper (2 Sam. 18:26; 2 Kings 7:10; 1 Chr. 9:21; 2 Chr. 8:14). Of the Levites, 4,000 were appointed as porters by David (1 Chr. 23:5), who were arranged according to their families (26:1-19)…
Watches — The periods into which the time between sunset and sunrise was divided. They are so called because watchmen relieved each other at each of these periods. There are frequent references in Scripture to…
Cushi · 1. A messenger, who brought news to David — 1. A messenger, who brought news to David
Readings, Select · DAVID’ S LAMENT OVER ABSALOM — DAVID’ S LAMENT OVER ABSALOM
Watchmen · In time of danger: Reported the approach of all strangers — In time of danger: Reported the approach of all strangers

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

2 Samuel 18:26

Word by word — the Hebrew

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Samuel 18:19–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Samuel 18:24

Adam Clarke on 2 Samuel 18:25

John Gill on 2 Samuel 18:26

Dictionary and topics

2 Samuel 18:26

Word by word — the Hebrew

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Samuel 18:19–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Samuel 18:24

Adam Clarke on 2 Samuel 18:25

John Gill on 2 Samuel 18:26

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on 2 Samuel 18:25-26

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 2 Samuel 18:25

Rashi on 2 Samuel 18:23