Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, November 23rd, 2025
the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

2 Samuel 17:3

Then I will bring all the people back to you. If David is dead, all the people will come back in peace."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ahithophel;   Citizens;   Council;   Diplomacy;   Friendship;   Malice;   Spies;   War;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ahithophel;   Amasa;   Hushai;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Absalom;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Elder;   Family Life and Relations;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ahithophel;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Judas Iscariot;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ahithophel;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ahithophel ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Absalom;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Ahith'ophel;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Text of the Old Testament;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
and bring all the people back to you. When everyone returns except the man you’re looking for, all the people will be at peace.”
Hebrew Names Version
and I will bring back all the people to you: the man whom you seek is as if all returned: [so] all the people shall be in shalom.
King James Version
And I will bring back all the people unto thee: the man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: so all the people shall be in peace.
Lexham English Bible
Then I will return all the people to you; when all have returned, the man whom you are seeking will be dead, but all the people will be safe."
English Standard Version
and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride comes home to her husband. You seek the life of only one man, and all the people will be at peace."
New Century Version
Then I'll bring everyone back to you. If the man you are looking for is dead, everyone else will return safely."
New English Translation
and will bring the entire army back to you. In exchange for the life of the man you are seeking, you will get back everyone. The entire army will return unharmed."
Amplified Bible
and I will bring all the people [who follow David] back to you. The return of everyone depends on the [death of the] man you are seeking; then all the people will be at peace [and accept you as king]."
New American Standard Bible
and I will bring all the people back to you. The return of everyone depends on the man whom you are seeking; then all the people will be at peace."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And I will bring againe all the people vnto thee, and when all shal returne, ( the man whome thou seekest being slaine) all the people shalbe in peace.
Legacy Standard Bible
and I will cause all the people to return to you. The return of everyone depends on the man you seek; then all the people will be at peace."
Contemporary English Version
since he's the one you want to get rid of. Then I'll bring the whole nation back to you like a bride coming home to her husband. This way there won't be a civil war.
Complete Jewish Bible
Then I will bring back to you all the people; and when they have all returned, except the one you are seeking, all the people will be at peace."
Darby Translation
and I will bring back all the people to thee. The man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: all the people shall be in peace.
George Lamsa Translation
And I will bring back all the people to you, just as those whom you sought have come back; so all the people shall be in peace.
Good News Translation
and then bring back all his men to you, like a bride returning to her husband. You want to kill only one man; the rest of the people will be safe."
Literal Translation
And I shall bring all the people back to you when all return, except the man whom you are seeking. All the people shall be in peace.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and brynge all the people vnto the agayne. So whan euery man is brought vnto the as thou desyrest, then shal all the people be in peace.
American Standard Version
and I will bring back all the people unto thee: the man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: so all the people shall be in peace.
Bible in Basic English
And I will make all the people come back to you as a bride comes back to her husband: it is the life of only one man you are going after; so all the people will be at peace.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And wil bring againe all the people vnto thee: and when al shall returne, the man whom thou sekest [beyng slayne] all the people shalbe in peace.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
and I will bring back all the people unto thee; when all shall have returned, [save] the man whom thou seekest, all the people will be in peace.'
King James Version (1611)
And I wil bring backe all the people vnto thee: the man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: so all the people shall be in peace.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And I will bring back all the people to thee, as a bride returns to her husband: only thou seekest the life of one man, and all the people shall have peace.
English Revised Version
and I will bring back all the people unto thee: the man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: [so] all the people shall be in peace.
Berean Standard Bible
and bring all the people back to you. When everyone returns except the man you seek, all the people will be at peace."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Y schal lede ayen al the puple, as o man is wont to turne ayen; for thou sekist o man, and al the puple schal be in pees.
Young's Literal Translation
and I bring back all the people unto thee -- as the turning back of the whole [is] the man whom thou art seeking -- all the people are peace.
Update Bible Version
and I will bring back all the people to you: all the people will return [if] the man you are seeking [is smitten]: all the people shall be in peace.
Webster's Bible Translation
And I will bring back all the people to thee: the man whom thou seekest [is] as if all returned: [so] all the people shall be in peace.
World English Bible
and I will bring back all the people to you: the man whom you seek is as if all returned: [so] all the people shall be in peace.
New King James Version
Then I will bring back all the people to you. When all return except the man whom you seek, all the people will be at peace."
New Living Translation
and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride returns to her husband. After all, it is only one man's life that you seek. Then you will be at peace with all the people."
New Life Bible
and return all the people to you. All will return if the man you want to kill is dead. Then all the people will be at peace."
New Revised Standard
and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride comes home to her husband. You seek the life of only one man, and all the people will be at peace."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
that I may bring back all the people unto thee, - when all return - save the man whom thou art seeking, all the people, will be at peace.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And I will bring back all the people, as if they were but one man: for thou seekest but one man: and all the people shall be in peace.
Revised Standard Version
and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride comes home to her husband. You seek the life of only one man, and all the people will be at peace."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
and I will bring back all the people to you. The return of everyone depends on the man you seek; then all the people will be at peace."

Contextual Overview

1 Ahithophel also said to Absalom, "Now, let me choose 12,000 men to chase David tonight. 2 I will catch him while he is tired and weak. I will frighten him, and all his people will run away. But I will kill only King David. 3 Then I will bring all the people back to you. If David is dead, all the people will come back in peace." 4 This plan seemed good to Absalom and all the leaders of Israel. 5 But Absalom said, "Now call Hushai the Arkite. I also want to hear what he says." 6 Hushai came to Absalom. Absalom said to Hushai, "This is the plan Ahithophel gave. Should we follow it? If not, tell us." 7 Hushai said to Absalom, "Ahithophel's advice is not good this time." 8 Hushai added, "You know that your father and his men are strong men. They are as dangerous as a wild bear when something has taken its cubs. Your father is a skilled fighter. He will not stay all night with the people. 9 He is probably already hiding in a cave or some other place. If your father attacks your men first, people will hear the news and think, ‘Absalom's followers are losing!' 10 Then even your bravest men will be frightened, because all the Israelites know that your father is a powerful soldier and that his men are very brave.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I will bring: 2 Samuel 3:21

shall be: Isaiah 48:22, Isaiah 57:21, 1 Thessalonians 5:3

Reciprocal: Judges 4:22 - and I will 2 Samuel 20:21 - his head

Cross-References

Genesis 17:17
Abraham bowed his face to the ground to show he respected God. But he laughed and said to himself, "I am 100 years old. I cannot have a son, and Sarah is 90 years old. She cannot have a child."
Genesis 17:18
Then Abraham said to God, "I hope Ishmael will live and serve you."
Genesis 17:23
Then Abraham gathered together Ishmael and all the slaves born in his house. He also gathered all the slaves he had bought. Every man and boy in Abraham's house was gathered together, and they were all circumcised. Abraham circumcised them that day, just as God had told him to do.
Genesis 17:24
Abraham was 99 years old when he was circumcised.
Exodus 3:6
I am the God of your ancestors. I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Moses covered his face because he was afraid to look at God.
Numbers 14:5
Moses and Aaron bowed low to the ground in front of all the people gathered there.
Numbers 16:22
But Moses and Aaron bowed to the ground and cried out, "God, you know what people are thinking. Please don't be angry with all these people. Only one man really sinned."
Numbers 16:45
"Move away from these people so that I can destroy them now." So Moses and Aaron bowed with their faces to the ground.
Joshua 5:14
The man answered, "I am not an enemy. I am the commander of the Lord 's army. I have just now come to you." Then Joshua bowed his face to the ground to show respect and said, "I am your servant. Does my master have a command for me?"
Judges 13:20
Manoah and his wife were watching what happened. As the flames went up to the sky from the altar, the angel of the Lord went up to heaven in the fire. When Manoah and his wife saw that, they bowed down with their faces to the ground.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And I will bring back all the people unto thee,.... Meaning not the people only that were with David, that he would make them prisoners, and bring them with him; for he before proposed to let them make their escape; but to reduce all Israel to the obedience of Absalom at once, by executing this scheme which he had formed:

the man whom thou seekest [is] as if all returned; meaning David, whom he speaks of contemptibly, and whose life it seems Absalom sought, as well as his crown; and he being dead, it would be all over at once with the people; they would immediately return to their own habitations, and yield obedience to Absalom as the rightful heir and successor; all depended on his death, he intimates: from whence it appears that Abarbinel is wrong in suggesting that Absalom did not design to take away the life of his father, only to secure the kingdom to himself in his father's lifetime, who he understood had disposed of it by his will to Solomon; but here Ahithophel plainly declares the intention of Absalom, nor would he have proposed in plain terms to take away the king's life, had Absalom been averse to it; and it is plain by what follows that the thing was pleasing to him:

[so] all the people shall be in peace; both parties coalesce under the government of Absalom, and live peaceably under it, and so an entire end of the war.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The man whom thou seekest - namely, David. Ahithophel means to say: “If I can only smite David, there will be no civil war, all the people will peaceably submit.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 17:3. The man whom thou seekest is as if all returned — Only secure David, and all Israel will be on thy side. He is the soul of the whole; destroy him, and all the rest will submit.


 
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