Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, August 5th, 2025
the Week of Proper 13 / Ordinary 18
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Read the Bible

New Century Version

2 Samuel 18:27

The watchman said, "I think the first man runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok." The king said, "Ahimaaz is a good man. He must be bringing good news!"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ahimaaz;   Cushi;   Readings, Select;   Thompson Chain Reference - Good;   Tidings, Good;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Watchmen;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ahimaaz;   Posts;   Watchmen;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Gospel;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Watches;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ahimaaz;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Cushite;   David;   Samuel, Books of;   Zadok;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Abishai;   Ahimaaz;   David;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ahimaaz ;   Cushi ;   Zadok ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Absalom;   Ahimaaz;   David;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Ahim'a-Az;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - War;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Cushi;   Cushite;   Games;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Ahimaaz;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The watchman said, “The way the first man runs looks to me like the way Ahimaaz son of Zadok runs.”
Hebrew Names Version
The watchman said, I think the running of the foremost is like the running of Achima`atz the son of Tzadok. The king said, He is a good man, and comes with good news.
King James Version
And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings.
Lexham English Bible
The sentinel said, "I am seeing that the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zakok." The king said, "He is a good man; he will come, for good news."
English Standard Version
The watchman said, "I think the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok." And the king said, "He is a good man and comes with good news."
New English Translation
The watchman said, "It appears to me that the first runner is Ahimaaz son of Zadok." The king said, "He is a good man, and he comes with good news."
Amplified Bible
The lookout said, "I think the man in front runs like Ahimaaz the son of Zadok." The king said, "He is a good man and is coming with good news."
New American Standard Bible
The watchman said, "I think the running form of the first one is like the running form of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok." And the king said, "This is a good man, and he is coming with good news."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the formost is like the running of Ahimaaz the sonne of Zadok. Then the King said, He is a good man, & commeth wt good tidings.
Legacy Standard Bible
And the watchman said, "I see that the running of the first one is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok." And the king said, "This is a good man and comes with good news."
Contemporary English Version
The soldier on the roof shouted, "The first one runs just like Ahimaaz the son of Zadok." This time David said, "He's a good man. He must have some good news."
Complete Jewish Bible
The watchman said, "The first one runs like Achima‘atz the son of Tzadok." The king said, "He's a good man, he comes with good news."
Darby Translation
And the watchman said, I see the running of the foremost like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man; and comes with good news.
Easy-to-Read Version
The watchman said, "I think the first man runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok." The king said, "Ahimaaz is a good man, he must be bringing good news."
George Lamsa Translation
Moreover the watchman said, I see the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said. He is a good man and comes with good tidings.
Good News Translation
The lookout said, "I can see that the first man runs like Ahimaaz." "He's a good man," the king said, "and he is bringing good news."
Literal Translation
And the watchman said, I see the running of the first as the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, This is a good man and he comes with good news.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The watchman sayde: I se the rennynge of the first as it were the rennynge of Ahimaas the sonne of Sadoc. And the kynge sayde: He is a good man, and bryngeth good tidinges.
American Standard Version
And the watchman said, I think the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings.
Bible in Basic English
And the watchman said, It seems to me that the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and his news will be good.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the watchman sayde: Me thinketh the running of the formost, is lyke the running of Ahimaaz the sonne of Sadoc. The king sayde: He is a good man, and commeth with good tidinges.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the watchman said: 'I think the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.' And the king said: 'He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings.'
King James Version (1611)
And the watchman said, Mee thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the sonne of Zadok. And the King said, Hee is a good man, and commeth with good tidings.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the watchman said, I see the running of the first as the running of Achimaas the son of Sadoc. And the king said, He is a good man, and will come to report glad tidings.
English Revised Version
And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings.
Berean Standard Bible
The watchman said, "The first man appears to me to be running like Ahimaaz son of Zadok." "This is a good man," said the king. "He comes with good news."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sotheli the spiere seide, Y biholde the rennyng of the formere, as the rennyng of Achymaas, sone of Sadoch. And the kyng seide, He is a good man, and he cometh bryngynge a good message.
Young's Literal Translation
And the watchman saith, `I see the running of the first as the running of Ahimaaz son of Zadok.' And the king saith, `This [is] a good man, and with good tidings he cometh.'
Update Bible Version
And the watchman said, I think the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and comes with good tidings.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the watchman said, I think the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He [is] a good man, and cometh with good news.
World English Bible
The watchman said, I think the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. The king said, He is a good man, and comes with good news.
New King James Version
So the watchman said, "I think the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok." And the king said, "He is a good man, and comes with good news."
New Living Translation
"The first man runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok," the watchman said. "He is a good man and comes with good news," the king replied.
New Life Bible
And the man who kept watch said, "I think the man in front runs like Ahimaaz the son of Zadok." The king said, "He is a good man, and comes with good news."
New Revised Standard
The sentinel said, "I think the running of the first one is like the running of Ahimaaz son of Zadok." The king said, "He is a good man, and comes with good tidings."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said the watchman, It seemeth, to me, that, the running of the foremost, is like the running of Ahimaaz son of Zadok. And the king said, A good man, is he, and, with good tidings, he cometh.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the watchman said: The running of the foremost seemeth to me like the running of Achimaas the son of Sadoc. And the king said: He is a good man: and cometh with good news.
Revised Standard Version
And the watchman said, "I think the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahi'ma-az the son of Zadok." And the king said, "He is a good man, and comes with good tidings."
THE MESSAGE
Then the sentry said, "I can see the first man now; he runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok." "He's a good man," said the king. "He's bringing good news for sure."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The watchman said, "I think the running of the first one is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok." And the king said, "This is a good man and comes with good news."

Contextual Overview

19 Ahimaaz son of Zadok said to Joab, "Let me run and take the news to King David. I'll tell him the Lord has saved him from his enemies." 20 Joab answered Ahimaaz, "No, you are not the one to take the news today. You may do it another time, but do not take it today, because the king's son is dead." 21 Then Joab said to a man from Cush, "Go, tell the king what you have seen." The Cushite bowed to Joab and ran to tell David. 22 But Ahimaaz son of Zadok begged Joab again, "No matter what happens, please let me go along with the Cushite!" Joab said, "Son, why do you want to carry the news? You won't get any reward." 23 Ahimaaz answered, "No matter what happens, I will run." So Joab said to Ahimaaz, "Run!" Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the Jordan Valley and passed the Cushite. 24 David was sitting between the inner and outer gates of the city. The watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the walls, and as he looked up, he saw a man running alone. 25 He shouted the news to the king. The king said, "If he is alone, he is bringing good news!" The man came nearer and nearer to the city. 26 Then the watchman saw another man running, and he called to the gatekeeper, "Look! Another man is running alone!" The king said, "He is also bringing good news!" 27 The watchman said, "I think the first man runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok." The king said, "Ahimaaz is a good man. He must be bringing good news!" 28 Then Ahimaaz called a greeting to the king. He bowed facedown on the ground before the king and said, "Praise the Lord your God! The Lord has defeated those who were against you, my king."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

thinketh: Heb. I see, 2 Kings 9:20

He is a good: 1 Kings 1:42, Proverbs 25:13, Proverbs 25:25, Isaiah 52:7, Romans 10:15

Reciprocal: Genesis 24:54 - Send me 2 Samuel 18:19 - Ahimaaz 2 Samuel 18:20 - because 1 Chronicles 6:8 - Ahimaaz Acts 11:24 - he was Romans 5:7 - a good

Cross-References

Genesis 2:7
Then the Lord God took dust from the ground and formed a man from it. He breathed the breath of life into the man's nose, and the man became a living person.
Genesis 3:19
You will sweat and work hard for your food. Later you will return to the ground, because you were taken from it. You are dust, and when you die, you will return to the dust."
Genesis 18:1
Later, the Lord again appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre. Abraham was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the hottest part of the day.
Genesis 18:2
He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When Abraham saw them, he ran from his tent to meet them. He bowed facedown on the ground before them
Genesis 18:6
Abraham hurried to the tent where Sarah was and said to her, "Hurry, prepare twenty quarts of fine flour, and make it into loaves of bread."
Genesis 18:8
Abraham gave the three men the calf that had been cooked and milk curds and milk. While they ate, he stood under the tree near them.
Genesis 18:30
Then Abraham said, "Lord, please don't be angry with me, but let me ask you this. If you find only thirty good people in the city, will you destroy it?" He said, "If I find thirty good people there, I will not destroy the city."
Genesis 18:32
Then Abraham said, "Lord, please don't be angry with me, but let me bother you this one last time. What if you find ten there?" He said, "If I find ten there, I will not destroy it."
Ezra 9:6
I prayed, "My God, I am too ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to you, my God, because our sins are so many. They are higher than our heads. Our guilt even reaches up to the sky.
Job 4:19
So he puts even more blame on people who live in clay houses, whose foundations are made of dust, who can be crushed like a moth.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the watchman said, me thinketh,.... Or, "I see" b; I perceive, so it appears to me:

that the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok; who it seems was well known, and famous for his manner of running and swiftness in it, having been employed in carrying expresses before from Jerusalem to David, and his army, wheresoever they were; and some of these persons thus employed were very swift; we read c of one that was a king's messenger, that went from Jerusalem to Tyre, on the first of Elul, or August, in a night and a day; which, according to Bunting d was an hundred miles: this watchman must be one of David's sentinels, who was well acquainted with the people about him:

and the king said, he [is] a good man, and cometh with good tidings; he knew he was a man of courage, and therefore was not one that fled, but must be a messenger; and that he was well affected to him, and would never be the messenger of evil tidings to him.

b אני ראה εγω ορω, Sept. "ego videns", Montanus; "video", Tigurine version. c T. Hieros. Taanioth, fol. 68. 3. d Travels, p. 200.


 
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