Again, whom should I serve? Shouldn’t I serve in the presence of his son? As I have served in your father’s presence, so I will be in your presence.”
Parallel Translations
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Again, whom should I serve? Shouldn’t I serve in the presence of his son? As I have served in your father’s presence, so I will be in your presence.”
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And again, whom should I serve? should I not serve in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father’s presence, so will I be in thy presence.
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And again, whom should I serve? should I not serve in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father's presence, so will I be in thy presence.'
Cross-references (5)
Passages linked to 2 Samuel 16:19 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- 2 Samuel 15:34 but if you return to the city, and tell Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king. As I have been your father’s servant in time past, so I will now be your servant; then will you defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel.’
- Psalms 55:21 His mouth was smooth as butter, but his heart was war. His words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.
- 1 Samuel 28:2 David said to Achish, “Therefore you will know what your servant can do.” Achish said to David, “Therefore I will make you my bodyguard forever.”
- 1 Samuel 29:8 David said to Achish, “But what have I done? What have you found in your servant so long as I have been before you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”
- Galatians 2:13 And the rest of the Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (6 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Hebrew, the second time.
Hebrew, the second time.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 2Sa 16:19 And again, whom should I serve? [should…
2Sa 16:19 And again, whom should I serve? [should I] not [serve] in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father’s presence, so will I be in thy presence.
Ver. 19. Whom should I serve?] Here Hushai offereth Absalom his service, that he might dive into his secrets, and defeat his counsels.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Thou art his son, and heir, and successor, and…
Thou art his son, and heir, and successor, and now in his place and stead; whereby my friendship which was due to him is devolved upon thee by right of inheritance; and I reckon that my friendship is not wholly alienated from him, when it is transferred upon one that came out of his bowels.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And again, whom should I serve?.... Or "secondly" (e),…
And again, whom should I serve?.... Or "secondly" (e), a second reason is here given for serving Absalom: the first was the choice of God and the people, the second follows:
should I not serve in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father's presence, so will I be in thy presence: he signifies, that as the kingdom was not translated into another family, but continued in succession in David's house, the alteration made was of no great consequence; it was indifferent to him whom he served, the father or the son; and he could as freely, and would as faithfully serve the son as the father; nor did he think it any breach of friendship to David, nor would David resent it, that he should serve his son, and do the best offices, and give him the best counsel he could; and he seems to bespeak the office of a counsellor, in which he had been to David, that he might be admitted into the presence of Absalom, and be of his privy council, and have the opportunity of giving his best advice.
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(e) "secunda", Montanus, Munster, Vatablus; "secundo", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 what man should I serve? Should I not serve…
what man should I serve? Should I not serve in the presence of his son?
Hushai asks these rhetorical questions to emphasize that he wants to serve Absalom. They can be written as a statement. AT: "I should serve only David's son, so I will serve in his presence." or "I should serve you, for you are David's son." (See: Rhetorical Question)
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translationWords
servant
son
ancestor
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 16:19 why shouldn’t I serve you? (literally and second,…
16:19 why shouldn’t I serve you? (literally and second, to whom will I do service? Not before his son?): The ambiguous language continues. Hushai phrased his profession of loyalty as a question rather than as a commitment. His intent, lost on Absalom, was to serve David while fooling Absalom into thinking that he had changed sides. Similarly, just as I was your father’s adviser, now I will be your adviser! is literally, as I served before your father, so I will [serve your father] before you.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.