This verse highlights the tension of waiting for news of Absalom’s defeat or deliverance.
“Now David was sitting between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and raised his eyes and looked, and behold, a man running by himself.” (v. 24)
In this scene, King David, who reigned over Israel from around 1010 BC to 970 BC, is anxiously awaiting news of the battle against his son Absalom’s forces. David had taken refuge in Mahanaim, a fortified city with strong defensive walls. The phrase “between the two gates” suggests that David was seated in the space between an outer gate and an inner gate, a common design in ancient cities to reinforce security. A watchman would climb to the highest part of the gate structure, scanning the horizon for incoming messengers or threats, and here he sees one lone runner. This would have been a signal that news—either good or bad—was soon to arrive.
During this time, David’s kingdom was in turmoil due to Absalom’s rebellion. Earlier, the king urged his commanders to deal gently with Absalom, showing that David still cared deeply for his rebellious son (2 Samuel 18:5). The watchman’s task was crucial in such circumstances, because the life of the king and the stability of the region depended on swift and accurate information from the field. Watchmen were regularly positioned on city walls or gate towers to sound an alert at the first sign of a messenger or an advancing army. Their role invited great caution, because the sight of a solitary runner might portend either victory or calamity.
Spiritually speaking, this moment of waiting between the gates echoes David’s own transition as he endured the heartbreak of his son’s betrayal. The verse highlights how David, not out in the field, must rely on the watchman’s announcement and the report yet to come, underscoring the vulnerability David faced—both outwardly, in defending his kingdom, and inwardly, in the personal grief over his son’s mutiny.
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2 Samuel 18:24 meaning
“Now David was sitting between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and raised his eyes and looked, and behold, a man running by himself.” (v. 24)
In this scene, King David, who reigned over Israel from around 1010 BC to 970 BC, is anxiously awaiting news of the battle against his son Absalom’s forces. David had taken refuge in Mahanaim, a fortified city with strong defensive walls. The phrase “between the two gates” suggests that David was seated in the space between an outer gate and an inner gate, a common design in ancient cities to reinforce security. A watchman would climb to the highest part of the gate structure, scanning the horizon for incoming messengers or threats, and here he sees one lone runner. This would have been a signal that news—either good or bad—was soon to arrive.
During this time, David’s kingdom was in turmoil due to Absalom’s rebellion. Earlier, the king urged his commanders to deal gently with Absalom, showing that David still cared deeply for his rebellious son (2 Samuel 18:5). The watchman’s task was crucial in such circumstances, because the life of the king and the stability of the region depended on swift and accurate information from the field. Watchmen were regularly positioned on city walls or gate towers to sound an alert at the first sign of a messenger or an advancing army. Their role invited great caution, because the sight of a solitary runner might portend either victory or calamity.
Spiritually speaking, this moment of waiting between the gates echoes David’s own transition as he endured the heartbreak of his son’s betrayal. The verse highlights how David, not out in the field, must rely on the watchman’s announcement and the report yet to come, underscoring the vulnerability David faced—both outwardly, in defending his kingdom, and inwardly, in the personal grief over his son’s mutiny.