Bible Strands
2 Samuel 18:26
the watchman saw another man running, and he called out to the gatekeeper, “Look! Another man is running alone!” “This one also brings good news,” said the king.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The watchman on the hilltop sees a second runner approaching the city and shouts to the gatekeeper about the lone figure. The king, anticipating the first runner's message, immediately declares that this second solitary messenger also brings good news.
The words — The text highlights the watchman’s action with וַ/יִּקְרָא (va/i.yik.Ra'), meaning "and he called out," and אִישׁ אַחֵר (ish a.Cher), meaning "a man another" or "another man."
The thread — The motif of a lone runner delivering urgent news appears in 2 Samuel 18:25 and 2 Samuel 18:27, where the king’s repeated focus on solitary messengers establishes a pattern of urgent royal communication.
Why it lands — The passage requires the reader to recognize how anticipation shapes perception, as the king interprets the approaching runner through his prior expectation rather than visual confirmation.
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 the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold another man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings.