What Does 2 Samuel 12:31 Mean in the King James?
And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The verse ends with a return to a place whose name carries wholeness, while leaving the violence before it unresolved.
THE MEANING
The verse places the Ammonites’ violent treatment beside a homecoming: they are put under saws, iron harrows, and iron axes, and made to pass through the brickkiln; David and his people then return to Jerusalem. The destination is named, but the harm is not described as repaired.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
Returning to a place associated with wholeness does not make the harm done along the way whole.
THE ROOT
יְרוּשָׁלַיִם
Yerushalayim
GROWS FROM
שׁלם
sh-l-m
Whole, complete, sound.
“Jerusalem” in this verse is Yerushalayim. Yerushalayim carries the resonance of shalom, wholeness, with its -ayim ending. The name sharpens the ending: David reaches the place of wholeness, but the violence named just before it remains visible.
ALSO GROWS
shalom: Wholeness, completeness.
שָׁלוֹם
This branch gives the place name its resonance and exposes the gap between arriving there and repairing harm.
shalem: Whole, intact.
שָׁלֵם
The people’s return to Jerusalem does not say that those subjected to violence are made whole.
וַיָּשָׁב
vayyashav from shuv
GROWS FROM
שׁוב
sh-w-b
Turn back, return.
“returned” in this verse is vayyashav from shuv. The Hebrew verb names a direction of movement, while its destination tells what kind of return is taking place. Here the destination is Jerusalem; the verb itself does not say that the preceding violence is undone.
ALSO GROWS
shuv: Turn back, return.
שׁוּב
This is the root behind David and the people’s return to Jerusalem.
teshuvah: Return, turning back.
תְּשׁוּבָה
This related word makes clear that “return” can name a change of direction, not merely arrival at a place.
דָּוִד
Dāvid
GROWS FROM
דוד
d-w-d
Beloved; one held dear.
The name’s sense of “beloved” appears in the same verse as the violence David inflicts. The name does not soften the action; it holds the identity and the act together in one sentence.
ALSO GROWS
dod: Beloved; loved one.
דּוֹד
This branch makes the name’s meaning audible beside the account of David’s actions.
dodim: Loves; expressions of love.
דּוֹדִים
The related word echoes the meaning of beloved without changing what the verse says David does.
THE PATTERN
Return language takes its force from the destination: it can name a return to the ground, a homeland, or a turning toward God.
In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Beth-lehem in the beginning of barley harvest.And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.THE THREAD
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.Both verses use שׁוב (shuv, turn or return). Here David and the people return to a city; Isaiah directs the return to the LORD and pairs it with pardon, showing that the destination matters.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us