2 Samuel 13:36It happened, as soon as he had finished speaking, that behold, the king's sons came, and lifted up their voice, and wept. The king also and all his servants wept bitterly.
The setting
Jerusalem, Israel, ~990 BC. The royal palace erupts in collective weeping as King David's sons return from a family meal that became a massacre...
The emotion here: recording unspeakable family horror with trembling hands
The original word
bakah (בָּכָה) — to weep audibly, not silent tears but wailing that can be heard
Why it matters
This was likely the first time all of David's sons wept together since childhood
Read with care
What most readers miss in 2 Samuel 13:36
The phrase 'lifted up their voice' means they wailed in unison — grief became their shared language
Common misconceptionPeople think this shows weakness in David's family, but ancient Near Eastern cultures expected public mourning. Not weeping would have been abnormal.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 2 Samuel 13:36
Bible Genome reading
2 Samuel 13:36 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
2 Samuel 13:36 comes from the book of 2 Samuel, written during the United Kingdom period. The setting is a royal palace. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 40% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include grief, family tragedy. Notable phrases: lifted up their voice and wept.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does 2 Samuel 13:36 mean to you, today?
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