Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Samuel 18:25
And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he [be] alone, [there is] tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.
25. If he be alone, &c.] If the army had been routed, a number of fugitives would have been seen coming together.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 25. If he be alone, there is tidings] That is, good tidings. For if the battle had been lost men would have been running in different directions through the country.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
There is tidings in his mouth; he is sent with some special message; which was a very probable conjecture; for if he had run or fled from the enemy, many others would have followed him.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And the watchman cried and told the king,…. Called with a loud voice from the roof of the watchtower to the king, sitting between the gates, and informed him what he saw:
and the king said, if he [be] alone [there is] tidings in his mouth; for if the army was routed and fled, and were pursued, there would be more in company, or several running one after another; but being but one, it was highly improbable that he was sent express:
and he came apace, and drew near; which was another sign of his being a messenger, the haste he made towards the city.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
When he announced this to the king, he said, “If he (is or comes) alone, there is good news in his mouth,” namely, because several runners would have shown themselves if it had been a flight. As the first messenger came nearer and nearer, the watchman saw another man running, and shouted this into the gate ( is wrongly pointed for , according to the lxx, Syr., and Vulgate); whereupon the king replied, “This is also a good messenger.”
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
25. Amasa A nephew of David and cousin of Joab, but of foreign paternity, which fact, perhaps, had led David to honour the sons of Zeruiah more than him.
An Israelite Rather, an Ishmaelite, as the text of 1Ch 2:17, has it; for there was no reason to state his nationality if he were an Israelite.
Nahash Supposed by some to be the name of Jesse’s wife, but by Stanley to be the king of the Ammonites, and father of Abigail and Zeruiah by a woman who afterwards became the wife of Jesse and mother of David. But the more common and satisfactory opinion is the unbroken tradition of the Jews, that Nahash and Jesse were different names of the same person.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
25. If he be alone, there is tidings For if many had been running together it would have indicated a flight.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Sa 18:25 And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he [be] alone, [there is] tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.
Ver. 25. If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. ] Tidings of victory likely; for if an army be beaten they flee by troops; and it is seldom seen that the newsbearer hath cause to say, “I only am escaped alone to tell thee,” as Job 1:15-16 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
If he be alone. Otherwise it would be flight.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
2Sa 18:25. If he be alone, there are tidings in his mouth He is sent with some special message, which was a very probable conjecture, and that he brought good news; for if he had run, or fled from the enemy, many others would have followed him.