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2 Samuel 18:25

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does 2 Samuel 18:25 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.
2 Samuel 18:25 — American Standard Version

Context — 2 Samuel 18

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
22Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But come what may, let me, I pray thee, also run after the Cushite. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou wilt have no reward for the tidings?
23But come what may, [said he], I will run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Plain, and outran the Cushite.
24Now David was sitting between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, a man running alone.
25And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.
26And 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.
27And the watchman said, I think the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings.
28And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, All is well. And he bowed himself before the king with his face to the earth, and said, Blessed be Jehovah thy God, who hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And the watchman cried and told the king, etc.] Called with a loud voice from the roof of the watchtower to the king, sitting between the gates, and informed him what he saw: and the king said, if he [be] alone [there is] tidings in his mouth; for if the army was routed and fled, and were pursued, there would be more in company, or several running one after another; but being but one, it was highly improbable that he was sent express: and he came apace, and drew near; which was another sign of his being a messenger, the haste he made towards the city.”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“18:25 If he is alone, he has news: A solitary runner was usually a courier.”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · 19th-century historical commentary
“When he announced this to the king, he said, "If he (is or comes) alone, there is good news in his mouth," namely, because several runners would have shown themselves if it had been a flight. As the first messenger came nearer and nearer, the watchman saw another man running, and shouted this into the gate (השּׁער is wrongly pointed for השּׁער, according to the lxx, Syr., and Vulgate); whereupon the king replied, "This is also a good messenger." 2 Kings (2 Samuel) 18:27”
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Related study paths

Read 2 Samuel 18 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification