2 Samuel 15:18
New International Version
All his men marched past him, along with all the Kerethites and Pelethites; and all the six hundred Gittites who had accompanied him from Gath marched before the king.

New Living Translation
to let all the king’s men move past to lead the way. There were 600 men from Gath who had come with David, along with the king’s bodyguard.

English Standard Version
And all his servants passed by him, and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath, passed on before the king.

Berean Standard Bible
and all his servants marched past him—all the Cherethites and Pelethites, and six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath.

King James Bible
And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men which came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.

New King James Version
Then all his servants passed before him; and all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who had followed him from Gath, passed before the king.

New American Standard Bible
Now all of his servants passed by beside him, and all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who had come with him from Gath, passed by before the king.

NASB 1995
Now all his servants passed on beside him, all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites and all the Gittites, six hundred men who had come with him from Gath, passed on before the king.

NASB 1977
Now all his servants passed on beside him, all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who had come with him from Gath, passed on before the king.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now all his servants passed on beside him, all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites and all the Gittites, six hundred men who had come with him from Gath, passed on before the king.

Amplified Bible
All of David’s servants passed on beside him, and all the Cherethites, Pelethites and the Gittites, six hundred men who had come with him from Gath, passed on before the king.

Christian Standard Bible
while all his servants marched past him. Then all the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and the people of Gath— six hundred men who came with him from there —marched past the king.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
while all his servants marched past him. Then all the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and the Gittites—600 men who came with him from Gath—marched past the king.

American Standard Version
And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men that came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.

Contemporary English Version
Then David stood there and watched while his regular troops and his bodyguards marched past. The last group was the 600 soldiers who had followed him from Gath. Their commander was Ittai.

English Revised Version
And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men which came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
All his mercenaries passed by him; all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, Ittai, and all 600 men who had followed him from Gath were marching past the king.

Good News Translation
All his officials stood next to him as the royal bodyguards passed by in front of him. The six hundred soldiers who had followed him from Gath also passed by,

International Standard Version
All of his staff were going on ahead of him—that is, all of the special forces and mercenaries, all of the Gittites, and 600 men who had come to serve him from Gath, went on ahead of the king.

Majority Standard Bible
and all his servants marched past him?all the Cherethites and Pelethites, and six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath.

NET Bible
All his servants were leaving with him, along with all the Kerethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites--some six hundred men who had come on foot from Gath. They were leaving with the king.

New Heart English Bible
And all the people passed on before him. And all those with him, all the officers and warriors, were six hundred men, and they passed on before him. And when all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites and all the Gittites who followed him from Gath passed on before the king.

Webster's Bible Translation
And all his servants passed on by his side; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.

World English Bible
All his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And all his servants are passing on at his side, and all the Cherethite, and all the Pelethite, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who came at his feet from Gath, are passing on at the front of the king.

Young's Literal Translation
And all his servants are passing on at his side, and all the Cherethite, and all the Pelethite, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who came at his feet from Gath, are passing on at the front of the king.

Smith's Literal Translation
And all his servants passing by upon his hand; and all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men which came at his foot from Gath, passing by at the face of the king.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And all his servants walked by him, and the bands of the Cerethi, and the Phelethi, and all the Gethites, valiant warriors, six hundred men who had followed him from Geth on foot, went before the king.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And all his servants were walking beside him. And the legions of the Cerethites and Phelethites, and all the Gittites, powerful fighters, six hundred men who had followed him from Gath on foot, were preceding the king.

New American Bible
while the whole army marched past him. As all the Cherethites and Pelethites, and the six hundred Gittites who had entered his service from that city, were passing in review before the king,

New Revised Standard Version
All his officials passed by him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath, passed on before the king.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And all his servants passed on beside him; and all his noblemen and all his army and all the Gittites who had followed him from Gath passed on before the king.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And all his Servants went away with him and all of his Nobles, and all his Soldiers, and all the Gittites who came at his feet from Gath, passing before the King
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men that came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And all his servants passed on by his side, and every Chelethite, and every Phelethite, and they stood by the olive tree in the wilderness: and all the people marched near him, and all his court, and all the men of might, and all the men of war, six hundred: and they were present at his side: and every Chelethite, and every Phelethite, and all the six hundred Gittites that came on foot out of Geth, and they went on before the king.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
David Flees Jerusalem
17So the king set out with all the people following him. He stopped at the last house, 18and all his servants marched past him— all the Cherethites and Pelethites, and six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath. 19Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you also go with us? Go back and stay with the new king, since you are both a foreigner and an exile from your homeland.…

Cross References
2 Samuel 8:18
Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were priestly leaders.

1 Chronicles 18:17
Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief officials at the king’s side.

1 Samuel 22:2
And all who were distressed or indebted or discontented rallied around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.

1 Samuel 23:13
Then David and his men, about six hundred strong, set out and departed from Keilah, moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he declined to go forth.

1 Kings 1:38
Then Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, along with the Cherethites and Pelethites, went down and set Solomon on King David’s mule, and they escorted him to Gihon.

1 Kings 1:44
And with Solomon, the king has sent Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, along with the Cherethites and Pelethites, and they have set him on the king’s mule.

1 Chronicles 12:1-2
Now these were the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was still banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish (they were among the mighty men who helped him in battle; / they were archers using both the right and left hands to sling stones and shoot arrows; and they were Saul’s kinsmen from Benjamin):

1 Chronicles 12:22
For at that time men came to David day after day to help him, until he had a great army, like the army of God.

2 Samuel 23:8-39
These are the names of David’s mighty men: Josheb-basshebeth the Tahchemonite was chief of the Three. He wielded his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed at one time. / Next in command was Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he went with David to taunt the Philistines who had gathered for battle at Pas-dammim. The men of Israel retreated, / but Eleazar stood his ground and struck the Philistines until his hand grew weary and stuck to his sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day. Then the troops returned to him, but only to plunder the dead. ...

2 Samuel 16:6
He threw stones at David and at all the servants of the king, though the troops and all the mighty men were on David’s right and left.

2 Samuel 20:7
So Joab’s men, along with the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the mighty men, marched out of Jerusalem in pursuit of Sheba son of Bichri.

2 Samuel 20:23
Now Joab was over the whole army of Israel; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites;

2 Samuel 23:13-17
At harvest time, three of the thirty chief men went down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a company of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. / At that time David was in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was at Bethlehem. / David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!” ...

1 Chronicles 11:10-25
Now these were the chiefs of David’s mighty men, who, together with all Israel, bolstered and strengthened his kingdom, according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel. / This is the list of David’s mighty men: Jashobeam son of Hachmoni was chief of the officers; he wielded his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed at one time. / Next in command was Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men. ...

1 Chronicles 11:26-47
Now these were the mighty men: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem, / Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite, / Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite, ...


Treasury of Scripture

And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men which came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.

Cherethites

2 Samuel 8:18
And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were chief rulers.

2 Samuel 20:7,23
And there went out after him Joab's men, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men: and they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri…

1 Samuel 30:14
We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.

gittites

2 Samuel 15:19-22
Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore goest thou also with us? return to thy place, and abide with the king: for thou art a stranger, and also an exile…

2 Samuel 6:10
So David would not remove the ark of the LORD unto him into the city of David: but David carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite.

2 Samuel 18:2
And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.

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Cherethite Cherethites Cher'ethites Feet Followed Gath Gittites Hundred Ittai Kerethites Marched Passed Passing Past Pelethite Pelethites Pel'ethites Servants Side Six
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Cherethite Cherethites Cher'ethites Feet Followed Gath Gittites Hundred Ittai Kerethites Marched Passed Passing Past Pelethite Pelethites Pel'ethites Servants Side Six
2 Samuel 15
1. Absalom, by fair speeches and courtesies, steals the hearts of Israel.
7. By pretense of a vow, he obtains leave to go to Hebron
10. He makes there a great conspiracy
13. David upon the news flees from Jerusalem
19. Ittai will leave him
24. Zadok and Abiathar are sent back with the ark
30. David and his company go up mount Olivet weeping,
31. He curses Ahithophel's counsel
32. Hushai is sent back with instructions














All his men marched past him
This phrase indicates the loyalty and dedication of David's followers. The Hebrew word for "men" here is "ʾanashim," which often denotes not just any group of men, but those who are valiant and capable. The act of marching past David signifies their readiness to follow him into any situation, reflecting the deep bond and trust between David and his men. Historically, this moment underscores the unity and strength of David's leadership, even in times of crisis.

along with all the Cherethites and Pelethites
The Cherethites and Pelethites were elite groups of warriors who served as David's personal bodyguards. The origin of these groups is somewhat debated, but they are often thought to be of Philistine origin, possibly from Crete, as suggested by the name "Cherethites." Their inclusion in David's retinue highlights his ability to unify diverse groups under his leadership, a testament to his diplomatic and military prowess. This also reflects the broader biblical theme of God using unexpected people and means to fulfill His purposes.

and all the six hundred Gittites
The Gittites were from Gath, a Philistine city, and their leader, Ittai, is mentioned later in the chapter. The number "six hundred" is significant, as it mirrors the number of men who initially joined David when he fled from Saul (1 Samuel 23:13). This continuity suggests a divine providence in David's life, where God consistently provides him with loyal followers. The presence of these Gittites, foreigners who chose to follow David, speaks to his charismatic leadership and the magnetic nature of his God-given mission.

who had followed him from Gath
This phrase emphasizes the commitment of the Gittites to David. The Hebrew root "halak," meaning "to walk" or "to follow," implies a continuous action, indicating that these men had been with David for some time, sharing in his trials and triumphs. Their journey from Gath to Jerusalem symbolizes a spiritual journey as well, from a place of paganism to the city of God, reflecting the transformative power of aligning with God's anointed.

marching before the king
The act of marching before David, the king, is a powerful image of allegiance and honor. In ancient Near Eastern culture, such a procession would signify respect and readiness to defend the king at all costs. This phrase not only highlights the loyalty of David's followers but also foreshadows the eventual establishment of his kingdom, ordained by God. It serves as a reminder of the divine order and the importance of righteous leadership under God's guidance.

(18) Cherethites . . . Pelethites.--See Note on 2Samuel 8:18.

Gittites.--This word in its form would naturally mean men of Gath, and it has therefore been understood by some commentators of a body of Philistines in David's service. But the term is distinctly explained here as meaning the "six hundred men which came after him from Gath," and called "Gittites" for that reason, a body of men with whom the previous history of David has made us very familiar. They had gathered to him during his outlawry (1Samuel 22:1-2), had been with him at Keilah (1Samuel 23:13), in the wilderness of Paran (1Samuel 25:13), and at Gath (1Samuel 27:3), "came after him from Gath" to Ziklag, and shared with him in his life and exploits there (1Samuel 27:8; 1Samuel 29:2; 1Samuel 30:1-9), and went up with him to Hebron (2 Samuel 23), and thence to Jerusalem (2Samuel 5:6). They are generally supposed to have afterwards constituted the body of "heroes" or "mighty men," to whom frequent reference is made (2Samuel 10:7; 2Samuel 16:6; 2Samuel 20:7; 1Kings 1:8). The Vatican LXX. here, as often, adds considerably to the text. . . .

Verse 18. - All the Gittites, air hundred men which came after him from Gath. The Septuagint reads "Gibborim," and without doubt these are the persons meant; but while they were styled Gibborim, the "mighties," for honour's sake, because of their prowess, they probably were popularly called David's Gittites, because they were the six hundred men who had formed his little army when he sought refuge with Achish, King of Gath (l 1 Samuel 27:2; 1 Samuel 30:9). They were not Philistines, but Israelites of desperate fortune (1 Samuel 22:2); and it is a proof of David's great ability, and of the moral influence of his character, that he was successful, not only in controlling them and maintaining discipline, but also in forming them into as noble a set of heroes as ever existed, and who were faithful to him in all his fortunes. To their number belonged the thirty-seven champions end-merated in ch. 23, and possibly the title "Gibborim" strictly belonged to them only. As they are still called "the six hundred," it is probable that the corps was maintained at this number by new appointments, and that they had special privileges which made their position very desirable. Certainly David would never forget men who had shared all his fortunes, and been so true and so useful to him; and it is evident, from Hushai's counsel (2 Samuel 17:8), that Absalom feared their resolute valour, and hesitated to attack without overwhelming numbers. Thenius compares these veterans to Napoleon's Old Guard.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
and all
וְכָל־ (wə·ḵāl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

his servants
עֲבָדָיו֙ (‘ă·ḇā·ḏāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

marched
עֹבְרִ֣ים (‘ō·ḇə·rîm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on

past
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

him—
יָד֔וֹ (yā·ḏōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

all
וְכָל־ (wə·ḵāl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the Cherethites
הַכְּרֵתִ֖י (hak·kə·rê·ṯî)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3774: Cherethites -- the foreign bodyguard of King David

and
וְכָל־ (wə·ḵāl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

Pelethites,
הַפְּלֵתִ֑י (hap·pə·lê·ṯî)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6432: A courier, official messenger

and
וְכָֽל־ (wə·ḵāl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

six
שֵׁשׁ־ (šêš-)
Number - feminine singular
Strong's 8337: Six (a cardinal number)

hundred
מֵא֣וֹת (mê·’ō·wṯ)
Number - feminine plural
Strong's 3967: A hundred

Gittites
הַגִּתִּ֞ים (hag·git·tîm)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 1663: Gittite -- an inhabitant of Gath

who
אֲשֶׁר־ (’ă·šer-)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

had followed
בָּ֤אוּ (bā·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

him
בְרַגְלוֹ֙ (ḇə·raḡ·lōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7272: A foot, a step, the pudenda

from Gath.
מִגַּ֔ת (mig·gaṯ)
Preposition-m | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1661: Gath -- 'wine press', a Philistine city


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OT History: 2 Samuel 15:18 All his servants passed on beside him (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
2 Samuel 15:17
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