And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way of the wilderness.

2 SAMUEL 15:23KJV
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2 Samuel 15:23 (KJV)

What does 2 Samuel 15:23 mean?

2 Samuel 15:23 describes a scene of widespread sorrow as David and all the people with him cross the brook Kidron, heading toward the wilderness. The verse shows that everyone in the area is loudly weeping as they pass over, emphasizing the gravity and sadness of the moment.

This verse takes place during Absalom’s rebellion, when King David is forced to flee Jerusalem to escape his son’s uprising. The people’s loud weeping and the mention of the brook Kidron highlight both the emotional pain and the seriousness of David’s departure. The verse captures a moment of national crisis, where the king and his followers are leaving their home in distress.

The Hebrew behind 2 Samuel 15:23

  • The word for "wept" (בָּכָה, bakhah) means to cry or mourn, and here it is paired with "with a loud voice" (קול גדול, qol gadol), which stresses the intensity and public nature of the grief.
  • "Brook" (נַחַל, nachal) refers to a seasonal stream or ravine, and "Kidron" (קִדְרוֹן, Qidron) is a specific valley east of Jerusalem. Crossing this brook marks a significant boundary, symbolizing David’s exit from the city.
  • "Wilderness" (מִדְבָּר, midbar) often refers to a desolate or uninhabited area, underlining the uncertainty and danger awaiting David and his followers as they leave the safety of Jerusalem.

Why 2 Samuel 15:23 matters

  • This verse clarifies the depth of the crisis by showing that not just David, but all the people, are emotionally affected by the situation; it is a communal sorrow, not just a personal one.
  • The mention of the brook Kidron connects this event to other key moments in biblical history, as this valley is crossed at times of crisis or significant change.
  • Understanding the emotional and physical journey in this verse helps the reader grasp the seriousness of Absalom’s rebellion and the vulnerability of David’s position at this point in the story.

Where else these words appear

“Kidron” Hebrew H6939 · used in 10 verses

  • 1 Kings 2:37 For it shall be, that on the day thou goest out, and passest over the brook Kidron, thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die: thy blood shall be upon thine own head.
  • 2 Kings 23:6 And he brought out the grove from the house of the LORD, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people.
  • 2 Chronicles 29:16 And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad into the brook Kidron.

“wept” Hebrew H1058 · used in 100 verses

  • Genesis 21:16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.
  • Judges 20:26 Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
  • Esther 8:3 And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews.

“brook” Hebrew H5158 · used in 123 verses

  • Genesis 26:17 And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.
  • Judges 4:13 And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon.
  • Job 28:4 The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men.