Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But howsoever, let me, I pray thee, also run after Cushi. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready?

2 SAMUEL 18:22KJV
Know the Bible

2 Samuel 18:22 (KJV)

What does 2 Samuel 18:22 mean?

2 Samuel 18:22 shows Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, asking Joab for permission to run after Cushi to deliver news, even though Joab tells him he has no news to report. Joab questions why Ahimaaz wants to go, since there is nothing for him to share.

In this verse, Ahimaaz is eager to run and bring a message, even though another messenger, Cushi, has already been sent. Joab, the military commander, addresses Ahimaaz as "my son," showing a personal or caring tone, and points out that Ahimaaz has no message ("tidings") ready. The verse highlights Ahimaaz’s persistence and Joab’s concern or confusion about his motivation.

The Hebrew behind 2 Samuel 18:22

  • "tidings" (בְּשֹׂרָה, bĕsorah): This word means "news" or "good news." Joab’s use of it shows he is focused on the importance of having a real message to deliver, not just running for the sake of it.
  • "run" (רוץ, ruts): This verb is used twice, emphasizing Ahimaaz’s eagerness to act quickly and physically run with the news, even if he does not have a message.
  • "howsoever" (מָה, mah): This word is often used for "what" or "how," and here it shows Ahimaaz’s insistence—he wants to go regardless of the reason.

Why 2 Samuel 18:22 matters

  • The verse highlights the difference between being eager to serve and actually having something meaningful to contribute, as Ahimaaz wants to run even without news.
  • Joab’s response draws attention to the importance of purpose and message, not just action, in delivering news—especially in a tense situation after a battle.
  • This exchange sets up the following verses, where the outcome of the battle and the fate of Absalom are about to be reported, showing the tension and care around who brings the news to David.

Where else these words appear

“tidings” Hebrew H1309 · used in 6 verses

  • 2 Samuel 4:10 When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings:
  • 2 Samuel 18:20 And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day: but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead.
  • 2 Samuel 18:27 And the watchman said, Me thinketh 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.

“Ahimaaz” Hebrew H290 · used in 15 verses

  • 1 Samuel 14:50 And the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz: and the name of the captain of his host was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul's uncle.
  • 2 Samuel 17:20 And when Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house, they said, Where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said unto them, They be gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.
  • 2 Samuel 18:29 And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.

“Cushi” Hebrew H3569 · used in 19 verses

  • 2 Samuel 18:21 Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran.
  • 2 Chronicles 14:12 So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.
  • Jeremiah 38:10 Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.

“howsoever” Hebrew H4100 · used in 27 verses

  • Genesis 4:10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.
  • Numbers 23:8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied?
  • Psalms 78:40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!