2 Samuel 15 · Verse 30

2 Samuel 15:30

And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.
2 Samuel 15:30, King James Version

2 Samuel 15:30 in other translations

BSBBut David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went up. His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. And all the people with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went.
WEBDavid went up by the ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went up; and he had his head covered and went barefoot. All the people who were with him each covered his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.
ASVAnd David went up by the ascent of the mount of Olives, and wept as he went up; and he had his head covered, and went barefoot: and all the people that were with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.
YLTAnd David is going up in the ascent of the olives, going up and weeping, and he hath the head covered, and he is going barefooted, and all the people who are with him have covered each his head, and have gone up, going up and weeping;
DARBYBut David went up by the ascent of the Olives, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot; and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.
BBEAnd David went up the slopes of the Mount of Olives weeping all the way, with his head covered and no shoes on his feet: and all the people who were with him, covering their heads, went up weeping.
WebsterAnd David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that were with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went.

What does 2 Samuel 15:30 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
30. David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet--The same pathway over that mount has been followed ever since that memorable day. had his head covered--with a mourning wrapper. The humility and resignation of David marked strongly his sanctified spirit, induced by contrition for his transgressions. He had fallen, but it was the fall of the upright; and he rose again, submitting himself meekly in the meantime to the will of God [Chalmers].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 30 Had his head covered - This was not only the attitude of a mourner, but even of a culprit; they usually had their heads covered when condemned. See the case of Haman. When the king had pronounced his condemnation, they immediately covered his face, and led him out to punishment; Est 7:8 (note). See also Quintus Curtius, De Philota, cap. vi.: I, Lictor; caput obnubito.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Samuel 15:24-30

David is very careful for the safety of the ark. It is right to be more concerned for the church's prosperity than our own; to prefer the success of the gospel above our own wealth, credit, ease, and safety. Observe with what satisfaction and submission David speaks of the Divine disposal. It is our interest, as well as our duty, cheerfully to acquiesce in the will of God, whatever befalls us. Let us see God's hand…

Read the full comment on 2 Samuel 15:24-30 →

2 Samuel 15:30 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְדָוִ֡דve.da.Vidand DavidH1732
עֹלֶה֩'o.Leh[was] going upH5927
בְמַעֲלֵ֨הve.ma.'a.Lehon [the] ascent ofH4608
הַזֵּיתִ֜יםha.zei.Timthe olive treesH2132
עֹלֶ֣ה\׀'o.Lehgoing upH5927
וּבוֹכֶ֗הu.vo.Khehand weepingH1058
וְרֹ֥אשׁve.Roshand headH7218
לוֹ֙loof him
חָפ֔וּיcha.Fui[was] coveredH2645
וְה֖וּאve.Hu'and heH1931
הֹלֵ֣ךְho.Lekh[was] walkingH1980
יָחֵ֑ףya.ChefbarefootH3182
וְכָל\־ve.kholand allH3605
הָעָ֣םha.'Amthe peopleH5971
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-whichH834
אִתּ֗וֹ'i.To[was] with himH854
חָפוּ֙cha.Futhey coveredH2645
אִ֣ישׁ'isheachH376
רֹאשׁ֔וֹro.Shohead hisH7218
וְעָל֥וּve.'a.Luand they went upH5927
עָלֹ֖ה'a.Lohcontinuously <to go>H5927
וּבָכֹֽה\׃u.va.Khohand weptH1058

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Samuel 15:30

  • Esther 6:12

    And Mordecai came again to the king’s gate. But Haman hasted to his house mourning, and having his head covered.

  • 2 Samuel 19:4

    But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!

  • Luke 19:41

    And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,

  • Ezekiel 24:23

    And your tires shall be upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet: ye shall not mourn nor weep; but ye shall pine away for your iniquities, and mourn one toward another.

  • Luke 19:37

    And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;

  • Jeremiah 14:3-4

    And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads. Because the ground is chapt, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads.

  • Luke 19:29

    And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,

  • Acts 1:12

    Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey.

  • Isaiah 20:2-4

    At the same time spake the Lord by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot. And the Lord said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia; So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.

  • Ezekiel 24:17

    Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men.

  • Luke 21:37

    And in the day time he was teaching in the temple; and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives.

  • Zechariah 14:4

    And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the ascent.
Zec 14:4; Lu 19:29,37; 21:37; 22:39; Ac 1:12
mount Olivet.Mount Olivet, so called from its abounding with olive trees, is situated east of Jerusalem, being separated from it only by the valley of Jehoshaphat and the brook Kidron. Josephus says it is five stadia, i.e., 625 geometrical paces from Jerusalem; and St. Luke (Ac 1:12) says it is a Sabbath day's journey, or about eight stadia distant, i.e., to the summit. It forms part of a ridge of limestone hills, extending from north to south for about a mile; and it is described as having three, or, according to others, four summits; the central and highest of which overlooks the whole of the city, over whose streets and walls the eye roves as if in the survey of a model.
and wept as he went up. Heb. going up and weeping.
Ps 42:3-11; 43:1,2,5; Lu 19:41
his head covered.This custom was only practised by persons in great distress, or when convicted of great crimes. Thus Darius, when informed by Tyriotes, the eunuch, that his queen was dead, and that she had suffered no violence from Alexander, covered his head, and wept a long time; then throwing off the garment that covered him, he thanked the gods for Alexander's moderation and justice.
19:4; Es 6:12; Jer 14:3,4
barefoot.
Isa 20:2,4; Eze 24:17,23
weeping.
Ps 126:5,6; Mt 5:4; Ro 12:15; 1Co 12:26

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Samuel 15:29

    Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem: and they tarried there.

  • 2 Samuel 15:30

    And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.

  • 2 Samuel 15:31

    And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O Lord, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.

Read all of 2 Samuel 15

2 Samuel 15:30 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y David subió la cuesta de las olivas; y subió la llorando, llevando la cabeza cubierta, y los pies descalzos. También todo el pueblo que tenía consigo cubrió cada uno su cabeza, y subieron llorando así como subían.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et David monta par la montée des Oliviers, montant et pleurant; et il avait la tête couverte et marchait nu-pieds, et tout le peuple qui était avec lui montait, chacun ayant sa tête couverte, et en montant ils pleuraient.
German
Elberfelder 1871		David aber ging die Anhöhe der Olivenbäume hinauf und weinte, während er hinaufging; und sein Haupt war verhüllt, und er ging barfuß; und alles Volk, das bei ihm war, hatte ein jeder sein Haupt verhüllt und ging unter Weinen hinauf.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Porro David ascendebat clivum Olivarum, scandens et flens, nudis pedibus incedens, et operto capite: sed et omnis populus qui erat cum eo, operto capite ascendebat plorans.