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KING JAMES BIBLE · PCE

2 Samuel 16:20–23

TEXT EDITION
Pure Cambridge Edition selected
¶ Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do.
And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father’s concubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong.
So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.
And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had inquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.
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PASSAGE SELECTION

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Choose up to 10 verses in this chapter. The study tools update with the selected passage.

SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE

Cross References

20 Essential passages are open for comparison.

Reference depth

From verse 20

  1. Acts 4:23–28Rank 1 from verse 20
    Open

    23¶ And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.

    24And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:

    25Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?

    26The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.

    27For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,

    28For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

  2. Exodus 1:10Rank 2 from verse 20
    Open

    10Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.

  3. Isaiah 29:15Rank 3 from verse 20
    Open

    15Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?

  4. Isaiah 8:10Rank 4 from verse 20
    Open

    10Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.

  5. Matthew 27:1Rank 5 from verse 20
    Open

    1WHEN the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:

From verse 21

  1. 2 Samuel 20:3Rank 1 from verse 21
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    3¶ And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward, and fed them, but went not in unto them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood.

  2. 2 Samuel 15:16Rank 2 from verse 21
    Open

    16And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, which were concubines, to keep the house.

  3. 2 Samuel 2:7Rank 3 from verse 21
    Open

    7Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant: for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.

  4. Leviticus 18:8Rank 4 from verse 21
    Open

    8The nakedness of thy father’s wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father’s nakedness.

  5. Zechariah 8:13Rank 5 from verse 21
    Open

    13And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong.

From verse 22

  1. 2 Samuel 12:11–12Rank 1 from verse 22
    Open

    11Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.

    12For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.

  2. 2 Samuel 15:16Rank 2 from verse 22
    Open

    16And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, which were concubines, to keep the house.

  3. 2 Samuel 20:3Rank 3 from verse 22
    Open

    3¶ And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward, and fed them, but went not in unto them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood.

  4. 2 Samuel 11:2Rank 4 from verse 22
    Open

    2¶ And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

  5. Ezekiel 24:7Rank 5 from verse 22
    Open

    7For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it upon the top of a rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with dust;

From verse 23

  1. 2 Samuel 15:12Rank 1 from verse 23
    Open

    12And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counseller, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom.

  2. 2 Samuel 17:14Rank 2 from verse 23
    Open

    14And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the Lord had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring evil upon Absalom.

  3. 2 Samuel 17:23Rank 3 from verse 23
    Open

    23¶ And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.

  4. 1 Corinthians 3:19–20Rank 4 from verse 23
    Open

    19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

    20And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

  5. 1 Peter 4:11Rank 5 from verse 23
    Open

    11If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

WORDS IN THIS PASSAGE

Definitions

Open a word for its full definition and concordance.

DEFINED WORDS

2 Samuel 16:20

COMBINED MEANING

counsel

↗

1. A purpose, plan, design, or settled decision. 2. Advice, guidance, or direction. 3. Wisdom, judgment, or understanding for determining a course. 4. As a verb, to advise, direct, or recommend a course.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

you

↗

The second-person plural pronoun referring to those being addressed.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

shall

↗

An auxiliary verb expressing future action, intention, promise, command, requirement, or determination.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

DEFINED WORDS

2 Samuel 16:21

COMBINED MEANING

in

↗

1. A preposition marking position, presence, state, circumstance, manner, means, sphere, reference, relation, association, or participation. 2. As an adverb, inward, inside, or into the place or position referred to.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

father

↗

Sense 1: A male parent or begetter. Sense 2: An ancestor, forefather, founder, source, originator, chief, elder, or one bearing paternal authority and care. Sense 3: God as Father, including the Father of Jesus Christ and of those described as his children.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

concubines

↗

Women held in a recognized secondary marital or household relation to a man, distinct from wives of primary rank.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

which

↗

1. An interrogative or relative pronoun identifying one or more persons or things from a stated or implied set. 2. That which; what.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

left

↗

Sense 1: Past tense and past participle of leave: departed, abandoned, allowed to remain, or caused to remain. Sense 2: The direction or side opposite the right.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

keep

↗

To guard, watch, protect, preserve, secure, retain, possess, hold, maintain, support, tend, manage, observe, obey, fulfil, celebrate, continue in, refrain from, or remain faithful to a person, place, trust, command, promise, way, time, or thing.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

house

↗

Sense 1: A building or dwelling. Sense 2: The people of a household or family. Sense 3: A lineage or family line. Sense 4: As a verb, to shelter, lodge, or provide a dwelling for.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

Israel

↗

The name given to Jacob and, by extension, his descendants, their nation, or the people so called.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

shall

↗

An auxiliary verb expressing future action, intention, promise, command, requirement, or determination.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

hear

↗

Sense 1: To perceive sound or spoken words. Sense 2: To receive or learn by report. Sense 3: To listen to, regard, or heed. Sense 4: To attend favourably to a request.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

thou

↗

The singular second-person subject pronoun, meaning you when directly addressing one person, being, or individually treated addressee.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

art

↗

1. The second-person singular present form of be: are, when one person is addressed. 2. Skill, craft, or skilled workmanship used to make or prepare something.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

hands

↗

Sense 1: The end parts of the arms used for holding and working. Sense 2: Figures of power, possession, agency, or aid.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

strong

↗

Having great power, might, firmness, courage, capacity, influence, defence, health, intensity, or ability to act, endure, resist, overcome, or support.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

DEFINED WORDS

2 Samuel 16:22

COMBINED MEANING

tent

↗

A movable shelter or dwelling made of curtains, skins, or fabric supported by cords, poles, and stakes; by extension, a temporary habitation.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

upon

↗

1. Marks the person, place, thing, or basis to which something is related: on or onto; above or over; toward or against as the target of action, speech, thought, attention, or force; resting on, assigned to, or affecting as a state, gift, burden, duty, guilt, or judgment; supported by or based on; or one placed, added, or repeated on or after another. 2. With a stated time or occasion, or a preceding event, at that time or point, or at or after that event: on, at, when, then, or following it.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

house

↗

Sense 1: A building or dwelling. Sense 2: The people of a household or family. Sense 3: A lineage or family line. Sense 4: As a verb, to shelter, lodge, or provide a dwelling for.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

in

↗

1. A preposition marking position, presence, state, circumstance, manner, means, sphere, reference, relation, association, or participation. 2. As an adverb, inward, inside, or into the place or position referred to.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

concubines

↗

Women held in a recognized secondary marital or household relation to a man, distinct from wives of primary rank.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

sight

↗

1. The act or power of seeing. 2. A thing seen, view, or appearance. 3. Presence or observation.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

Israel

↗

The name given to Jacob and, by extension, his descendants, their nation, or the people so called.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

DEFINED WORDS

2 Samuel 16:23

COMBINED MEANING

counsel

↗

1. A purpose, plan, design, or settled decision. 2. Advice, guidance, or direction. 3. Wisdom, judgment, or understanding for determining a course. 4. As a verb, to advise, direct, or recommend a course.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

which

↗

1. An interrogative or relative pronoun identifying one or more persons or things from a stated or implied set. 2. That which; what.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

in

↗

1. A preposition marking position, presence, state, circumstance, manner, means, sphere, reference, relation, association, or participation. 2. As an adverb, inward, inside, or into the place or position referred to.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

man

↗

1. A human being or person. 2. Mankind collectively. 3. A male person.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

inquired

↗

Asked, sought information, investigated, examined, searched after, or requested an answer or action from a person or from the Lord.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

oracle

↗

Sense 1: The most holy inner place of the temple or house of God, where the ark of the covenant was set. Sense 2: An answer or counsel regarded as coming from God.

Meaning drawn from: Direct Scripture definition · KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

READ BEFORE AND AFTER

Surrounding Verses

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19And again, whom should I serve? should I not serve in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father’s presence, so will I be in thy presence.

20¶ Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do.

Selected passage

21And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father’s concubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong.

Selected passage

22So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.

Selected passage

23And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had inquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.

Selected passage

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