Bible Strands
2 Samuel 19:42
And all the men of Judah replied to the men of Israel, “We did this because the king is our relative. Why does this anger you? Have we ever eaten at the king’s expense or received anything for ourselves?”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — All the men of Judah reply to the men of Israel regarding their secret transport of David across the Jordan. This exchange occurs immediately after the Israelites complain about Judah's actions and before Judah responds more fiercely to Israel's claim of greater kinship.
The words — The text highlights וַ/יַּעַן (va/i.ya.'An), meaning "and he answered," and כִּֽי (ki), meaning "for" or "because." These terms frame Judah's defense as a direct response grounded in the king's familial relationship to them.
The thread — The dispute over royal kinship echoes 2 Samuel 19:12, where David appeals to Judah as his brothers and flesh, and 2 Samuel 5:1, where all tribes acknowledge David as their own flesh and blood. The lineage of Judah is also noted in 1 Chronicles 2:3.
Why it lands — The passage forces a reader to weigh tribal loyalty against political fairness when leadership changes hands. It demands an examination of whether claims to authority rest on genuine kinship or unacknowledged self-interest.
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 all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king is near of kin to us: wherefore then be ye angry for this matter? have we eaten at all of the king’s cost? or hath he given us any gift?
Cross-references
- 2 Samuel 19:12 You are my brothers, my own flesh and blood. So why should you be the last to restore the king?’
- 2 Samuel 5:1 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood.
- 1 Chronicles 2:3 The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by Bath-shua the Canaanite. Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death.