What Does 2 Samuel 13:36 Mean in the King James?
And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of speaking, that, behold, the king’s sons came, and lifted up their voice and wept: and the king also and all his servants wept very sore.
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 Hebrew repeats the root for weeping, “they wept a great weeping”, so grief becomes the sound shared by the whole household.
THE MEANING
When loss fills a household, grief moves from one voice into many. The sons lift their voices, and the king and all his servants weep too. Rank does not place anyone outside the shared ache.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
This undoes the belief that authority makes someone untouchable by grief: the king weeps with the rest.
THE ROOT
וַיִּבְכּוּ
vayivku
GROWS FROM
בכה
b-k-h
weep, lament by crying
The verse uses this root in the verb “they wept” and the noun “weeping” (בָּכוּ בְּכִי), then calls it a “great weeping.” The English carries the force with “very sore”; the Hebrew also lets the root repeat, making grief audible across the whole household.
ALSO GROWS
bekhi: weeping, a noun for the act of crying
בְּכִי
It follows the verb בָּכוּ in this verse, naming the weeping as well as showing it.
bokeh: one who is weeping
בֹּכֶה
This participle makes the root describe a person in the act of grief, echoing the sons, king, and servants gathered here.
וַיִּשְׂאוּ
vayis'u
GROWS FROM
נשא
n-s-ʾ
lift, carry, bear
“lifted up” in this verse is vayis'u. The sons “lift” their voice, using a root that also means to carry or bear. Their grief becomes something carried aloud, and the king and servants join in bearing it.
ALSO GROWS
massa: burden, something carried
מַשָּׂא
This branch lets “lifted” carry an added image of grief borne by the household.
nasi: prince or leader, one elevated to lead
נָשִׂיא
The king’s presence makes the contrast vivid: a person elevated to rule is still drawn into the household’s grief.
THE PATTERN
Grief is not contained within one person; it gathers companions and crosses every rank.
And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days.When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.THE THREAD
Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.Psalm 6:8 uses the same root, בכה (bakah), for “my weeping,” paired with קוֹל (qol), “voice.” Here the king’s household hears grief in one another; the psalm extends that same voiced sorrow into being heard by the LORD.
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