2 Samuel 19:8

⁶ In that thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends. For thou hast declared this day, that thou regardest neither princes nor servants: for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well.

⁷ Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants: for I swear by the LORD, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night: and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now.

Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told unto all the people, saying, Behold, the king doth sit in the gate. And all the people came before the king: for Israel had fled every man to his tent.

⁹ And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king saved us out of the hand of our enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land for Absalom.

¹⁰ And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why speak ye not a word of bringing the king back?

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: So the king got up and sat in the gate, and all the people were told: “Behold, the king is sitting in the gate.” So they all came before the king. Meanwhile, the Israelites had fled, each man to his home.
KJV: Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told unto all the people, saying, Behold, the king doth sit in the gate. And all the people came before the king: for Israel had fled every man to his tent.
WEB: Then the king arose and sat in the gate. The people were all told, “Behold, the king is sitting in the gate.” All the people came before the king. Now Israel had fled every man to his tent.
ASV: Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told unto all the people, saying, Behold, the king is sitting in the gate: and all the people came before the king. Now Israel had fled every man to his tent.
DARBY: Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told all the people, saying, Behold, the king is sitting in the gate. And all the people came before the king. Now Israel had fled every man to his tent.
BLB: And the king arose and sat in the gate. And all the people declared, saying, “There is the king, sitting in the gate.” And all the people came before the face of the king. For Israel had fled, each man to his tent.

ÅB: Da sto kongen opp og satte seg i porten, og da alt folket fikk vite at kongen satt i porten, kom de alle og gikk fram for kongen. Men Israel hadde flyktet, hver mann til sitt hjem.
OTB: Så reiste kongen seg og satte seg i porten. Og da det ble fortalt til hele folket, og det ble sagt: "Se, kongen sitter i porten," da kom hele folket fram for kongen. Nå hadde Israel flyktet, hver til sitt telt.
B1930: Da stod kongen op og satte sig i porten, og da alt folket fikk vite at kongen satt i porten, kom de alle og gikk frem for kongen. Men Israel hadde flyktet, hver mann til sitt hjem.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

2 Samuel 18:24
And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone.
Read in context
2 Samuel 18:4
And the king said unto them, What seemeth you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.
Read in context
2 Kings 14:12
And Judah was put to the worse before Israel; and they fled every man to their tents.
Read in context
2 Samuel 18:6–8
So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim;
Read in context
2 Samuel 15:2
And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel.
Read in context
1 Kings 22:36
And there went a proclamation throughout the host about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his own country.
Read in context
2 Samuel 18:17
And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent.
Read in context
2 Samuel 19:3
And the people gat them by stealth that day into the city, as people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle.
Read in context