Bible Strands
2 Samuel 17:29
honey, curds, sheep, and cheese from the herd for David and his people to eat. For they said, “The people have become hungry, exhausted, and thirsty in the wilderness.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Anonymous donors deliver provisions to David and his followers while they flee through the wilderness. The text explicitly states the delivery addresses the people’s hunger, exhaustion, and thirst.
The words — The Hebrew הִגִּ֧ישׁוּ (hi.Gi.shu) means “they brought,” marking the physical act of transport. וּ/שְׁפ֣וֹת (u./she.Fot) translates literally as “cheese of,” specifying a dairy product drawn from the herd.
The thread — The delivery mirrors Ziba’s earlier provisions for David’s household in 2 Samuel 16:2 and aligns with the king’s own arrival in 2 Samuel 16:14. The necessity of feeding refugees in hostile terrain echoes the command in Isaiah 21:14.
Why it lands — The text requires acknowledging that physical sustenance is a prerequisite for survival during flight. It demands recognition that community endurance depends on concrete provision rather than abstract resolve.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David, and for the people that were with him, to eat: for they said, The people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness.
Cross-references
- 2 Samuel 16:2 “Why do you have these?” asked the king. Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride, the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat, and the wine is to refresh those who become exhausted in the wilderness.”
- 2 Samuel 16:14 Finally, the king and all the people with him arrived, exhausted. And there he refreshed himself.
- Isaiah 21:14 Bring water for the thirsty, O dwellers of Tema; meet the refugees with food.
- Judges 8:4 Then Gideon and his three hundred men came to the Jordan and crossed it, exhausted yet still in pursuit.
- 1 Samuel 17:18 Take also these ten portions of cheese to the commander of their unit. Check on the welfare of your brothers and bring back an assurance from them.
- 2 Samuel 17:2 I will attack him while he is weak and weary; I will throw him into a panic, and all the people with him will flee; I will strike down only the king
- Psalms 34:8 Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
- Psalms 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and a shield; the LORD gives grace and glory; He withholds no good thing from those who walk with integrity.
- Ecclesiastes 11:1 Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again.
- Isaiah 58:7 Isn’t it to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your home, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?