Bible Strands
2 Samuel 19:38
The king replied, “Chimham will cross over with me, and I will do for him what is good in your sight, and I will do for you whatever you desire of me.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — David addresses Barzillai at the Jordan crossing immediately after the man’s request to return home. The king accepts Barzillai’s offer to substitute his servant Chimham and pledges reciprocal favor to both men.
The words — The object marker אֶת־ (ʾet-) directly precedes the verb אֶעֱשֶׂה (ʾeʿśeh), literally “I will do.” This grammatical pairing anchors the king’s promise of concrete action toward Chimham.
The thread — The text itself frames this exchange within the broader narrative of David’s return across the Jordan in 2 Samuel 19:37–39, where royal patronage and substitutionary service are explicitly negotiated.
Why it lands — The verse demands recognition that political loyalty is sealed through tangible provision rather than abstract devotion. A reader must acknowledge that covenantal relationships in the text are maintained through reciprocal, actionable commitments.
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 king answered, Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which shall seem good unto thee: and whatsoever thou shalt require of me, that will I do for thee.