Bible Strands
2 Samuel 19:36
Your servant will go with the king only a short distance past the Jordan; why should the king repay me with such a reward?
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The speaker addresses the king as he prepares to cross the Jordan following a period of political upheaval. The moment captures the transition from flight to restoration, occurring just before the king resumes his throne.
The words — מְעַט (m.'At) means "a little" or "a short distance," and לָמָּה (la./mah) translates to "why?" or "to what purpose?" These terms frame the speaker's refusal of royal reward as a matter of practical limitation rather than ingratitude.
The thread — The motif of crossing the Jordan marks a transition in leadership and covenant fulfillment, appearing in Joshua 3-4 and echoed in the disciples' movements in Matthew 4:15. The principle of reciprocal giving and receiving underlies Luke 6:38.
Why it lands — The text demands an honest assessment of one's capacity before accepting obligations or honors. It requires the reader to distinguish between genuine service and the unsustainable pursuit of status.
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
Thy servant will go a little way over Jordan with the king: and why should the king recompense it me with such a reward?
Cross-references
- Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”