2 Samuel 13:34
New International Version
Meanwhile, Absalom had fled. Now the man standing watch looked up and saw many people on the road west of him, coming down the side of the hill. The watchman went and told the king, “I see men in the direction of Horonaim, on the side of the hill.”

New Living Translation
Meanwhile Absalom escaped. Then the watchman on the Jerusalem wall saw a great crowd coming down the hill on the road from the west. He ran to tell the king, “I see a crowd of people coming from the Horonaim road along the side of the hill.”

English Standard Version
But Absalom fled. And the young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him by the side of the mountain.

Berean Standard Bible
Meanwhile, Absalom had fled. When the young man standing watch looked up, he saw many people coming down the road west of him, along the side of the hill. And the watchman went and reported to the king, “I see men coming from the direction of Horonaim, along the side of the hill.”

King James Bible
But Absalom fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came much people by the way of the hill side behind him.

New King James Version
Then Absalom fled. And the young man who was keeping watch lifted his eyes and looked, and there, many people were coming from the road on the hillside behind him.

New American Standard Bible
Now Absalom had fled. And the young man who was the watchman raised his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him by the side of the mountain.

NASB 1995
Now Absalom had fled. And the young man who was the watchman raised his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him by the side of the mountain.

NASB 1977
Now Absalom had fled. And the young man who was the watchman raised his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him by the side of the mountain.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Absalom fled. And the young man who was the watchman raised his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him by the side of the mountain.

Amplified Bible
Now Absalom fled. And the young man who kept watch looked up, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him by the side of the mountain.

Christian Standard Bible
Meanwhile, Absalom had fled. When the young man who was standing watch looked up, there were many people coming from the road west of him from the side of the mountain.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Meanwhile, Absalom had fled. When the young man who was standing watch looked up, there were many people coming from the road west of him from the side of the mountain.

American Standard Version
But Absalom fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came much people by the way of the hill-side behind him.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Abishlum fled and the Watchman lifted up his eyes and saw many men who came on the road from the side of the mountain

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Abessalom escaped: and the young man the watchman, lifted up his eyes, and looked; and, behold, much people went in the way behind him from the side of the mountain in the descent: and the watchman came and told the king, and said, I have seen men by the way of Oronen, by the side of the mountain.

Contemporary English Version
and Absalom has run away." One of the guards noticed a lot of people coming along the hillside on the road to Horonaim. He went and told the king, "I saw some men coming along Horonaim Road."

Douay-Rheims Bible
But Absalom fled away: and the young man that kept the watch, lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold there came much people by a by-way on the side of the mountain.

English Revised Version
But Absalom fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came much people by the way of the hill side behind him.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Absalom has fled." When the servant who kept watch looked up, he saw many people coming down the road beside the mountain west of him.

Good News Translation
In the meantime Absalom had fled. Just then the soldier on sentry duty saw a large crowd coming down the hill on the road from Horonaim. He went to the king and reported what he had seen.

International Standard Version
Meanwhile, Absalom had run away. While the young man standing watch was looking around, all of a sudden he observed many people coming down the road behind and to the west of the mountain! So the watchman left his post and reported, "I have seen men coming from the direction of Horonaim."

JPS Tanakh 1917
But Absalom fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came much people in a roundabout way by the hill-side.

Literal Standard Version
And Absalom flees, and the young man who is watching lifts up his eyes and looks, and behold, many people are coming by the way behind him, on the side of the hill.

Majority Standard Bible
Meanwhile, Absalom had fled. When the young man standing watch looked up, he saw many people coming down the road west of him, along the side of the hill. And the watchman went and reported to the king, “I see men coming from the direction of Horonaim, along the side of the hill.”

New American Bible
Meanwhile, Absalom had taken flight. Then the servant on watch looked out and saw a large group coming down the slope from the direction of Bahurim. He came in and reported this to the king: “I saw some men coming down the mountainside from the direction of Bahurim.”

NET Bible
In the meantime Absalom fled. When the servant who was the watchman looked up, he saw many people coming from the west on a road beside the hill.

New Revised Standard Version
But Absalom fled. When the young man who kept watch looked up, he saw many people coming from the Horonaim road by the side of the mountain.

New Heart English Bible
But Absalom fled. And the young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and he saw many men coming on the road behind him from the side of the mountain in the descent. And the watchman came and told the king, and said, "I have seen many men coming from the Horonan road by the side of the mountain."

Webster's Bible Translation
But Absalom fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold, there came many people by the way of the hillside behind him.

World English Bible
But Absalom fled. The young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming by way of the hillside behind him.

Young's Literal Translation
And Absalom fleeth, and the young man who is watching lifteth up his eyes and looketh, and lo, much people are coming by the way behind him, on the side of the hill.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Absalom Flees to Geshur
34Meanwhile, Absalom had fled. When the young man standing watch looked up, he saw many people coming down the road west of him, along the side of the hill. And the watchman went and reported to the king, “I see men coming from the direction of Horonaim, along the side of the hill.” 35So Jonadab said to the king, “Look, the sons of the king have arrived! It is just as your servant said.”…

Cross References
2 Samuel 13:35
So Jonadab said to the king, "Look, the sons of the king have arrived! It is just as your servant said."

2 Samuel 13:37
Now Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. But David mourned for his son every day.

2 Samuel 13:38
After Absalom had fled and gone to Geshur, he stayed there three years.

2 Samuel 18:24
Now David was sitting between the two gates when the watchman went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall, looked out, and saw a man running alone.


Treasury of Scripture

But Absalom fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came much people by the way of the hill side behind him.

Absalom fled

2 Samuel 13:38
So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years.

Genesis 4:8-14
And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him…

Proverbs 28:17
A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him.

Jump to Previous
Absalom Direction Eyes Fled Flight Great Hill Hillside Hill-Side Horonaim Kept Lifted Mountain Raised Road Roundabout Side Slope Standing Watch Watchman Way West Young
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Absalom Direction Eyes Fled Flight Great Hill Hillside Hill-Side Horonaim Kept Lifted Mountain Raised Road Roundabout Side Slope Standing Watch Watchman Way West Young
2 Samuel 13
1. Amnon loving Tamar, by Jonadab's counsel feigning himself sick, ravishes her.
15. He hates her, and shamefully turns her away
19. Absalom entertains her, and conceals his purpose
23. At a sheep-shearing among all the king's sons, he kills Amnon
31. David grieving at the news, is comforted by Jonadab
37. Absalom flies to Talmai at Geshur














(34) Absalom fled.--This is connected on one side with 2Samuel 13:29, and on the other with 2Samuel 13:37. Several things were happening at once. When the king's sons fled to the palace, Absalom, taking advantage of the confusion, escaped another way. The reason for mentioning the fact just here is that otherwise he would seem to be included among "the king's sons" of the two following verses.

Behind him--i.e., from the west, the Oriental always being supposed to face the east in speaking of the points of the compass.

Verse 34. - But Absalom fled. These words break the form of the narrative, but complete the sense. They briefly state that Jonadab was right; for, so far from molesting any of the rest of the king's sons, Absalom had no other thought than for his own safety. He had avenged his sister, but had at present no other sinister design. It was David's method of treating him which drove this youth, with a nature fit for treachery, into schemes of rebellion. The way of the hillside behind him. This may mean "from the west," as, in taking the points of the compass, the Hebrews looked to the east, which would thus be "before them." Compare "the backside of the desert," that is, "the western side," in Exodus 3:1; and "the Syrians before and the Philistines behind," that is, on the east and west (Isaiah 9:12). But the versions differ so strangely in their renderings that they could scarcely have been made from our present text.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Meanwhile, Absalom
אַבְשָׁל֑וֹם (’aḇ·šā·lō·wm)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 53: Absalom -- 'my father is peace', two Israelites

had fled.
וַיִּבְרַ֖ח (way·yiḇ·raḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1272: To bolt, to flee suddenly

When the young man
הַנַּ֤עַר (han·na·‘ar)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5288: A boy, lad, youth, retainer

standing watch
הַצֹּפֶה֙ (haṣ·ṣō·p̄eh)
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 6822: To lean forward, to peer into the distance, to observe, await

looked up,
וַיִּשָּׂ֞א (way·yiś·śā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take

he saw
וַיַּ֗רְא (way·yar)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7200: To see

many
רַ֜ב (raḇ)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7227: Much, many, great

people
עַם־ (‘am-)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

coming
הֹלְכִ֥ים (hō·lə·ḵîm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

down the road
מִדֶּ֛רֶךְ (mid·de·reḵ)
Preposition-m | Noun - common singular
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action

west of him,
אַחֲרָ֖יו (’a·ḥă·rāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 310: The hind or following part

along the side
מִצַּ֥ד (miṣ·ṣaḏ)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6654: A side, an adversary

of the hill. (And the watchman went and reported to the king, “I see men coming from the direction of Horonaim, along the side of the hill.”)
הָהָֽר׃ (hā·hār)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2022: Mountain, hill, hill country


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OT History: 2 Samuel 13:34 But Absalom fled (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
2 Samuel 13:33
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