II Samuel 17:22 · Bible study
2 Samuel 17:22 Commentary: Not One Missing
Hebrew · 5 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why the narrative emphasizes that all of David's people survived the Jordan crossing, and what this reveals about God's faithful protection.
Research Summary
- Meaning: After a night crossing of the Jordan, every single person who fled with David arrived safely, a mark of divine preservation.
- Key words: “lacked not one” (נֶעְדָּר, ne'dar, missing, lacking) combined with a double negative: the emphasis is absolute completeness.
- Main debate: Minimal; commentators agree the verse highlights providential care, though some emphasize historical reporting while others see theological symbol.
- Theological theme: God’s protection of His anointed king and the people united with him, foreshadowing Christ’s care for His flock (John 18:9).
- Best use: A text for preaching on providence, faithful leadership, and the comfort that God does not lose what belongs to Him.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
So David and all the people with him got up and crossed the Jordan. By daybreak, there was no one left who had not crossed the Jordan.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Then David arose, and all the people who were with him, and they passed over the Jordan. By the morning light there lacked not one of them who had not gone over the Jordan.
KJV King James Version 1769
Then David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over Jordan: by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was not gone over Jordan.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Then David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over the Jordan: by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was not gone over the Jordan.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And David riseth, and all the people who are with him, and they pass over the Jordan, till the light of the morning, till one hath not been lacking who hath not passed over the Jordan.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Then David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over the Jordan; by the morning light there was not one of them missing that had not gone over the Jordan.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
So David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over the Jordan, until it grew light, and not one of them was left that was not gone ever the river.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Entonces David se levantó, y todo el pueblo que con él estaba, y pasaron el Jordán antes que amaneciese|strong="H0216, H1242"; ni siquiera faltó uno que no pasase el Jordán.
Então Davi se levantou, e todo aquele povo que com ele estava, e passaram o Jordão antes que amanhecesse; nem sequer faltou um que não passasse o Jordão.
David et tout le peuple qui était avec lui se levèrent et ils passèrent le Jourdain; à la lumière du matin, il n’ y en avait pas un qui fût resté à l’écart, pas un qui n’ eût passé le Jourdain.
Da machte sich David auf und alles Volk, das bei ihm war, und gingen über den Jordan, bis es lichter Morgen ward, und fehlte nicht an einem, der nicht über den Jordan gegangen wäre.
Toen maakte zich David op, en al het volk, dat met hem was; en zij gingen over de Jordaan. Aan het morgenlicht ontbrak er niet tot een toe, die niet over de Jordaan gegaan was.
Allora Davide si levò con tutta la gente ch’era con lui, e passò il Giordano. All’apparir del giorno, neppur uno era rimasto, che non avesse passato il Giordano.
Przetoż wstawszy Dawid, i wszystek lud, który był z nim, przeprawili się przez Jordan, pierwej niż się rozedniało, a nie został i jeden, któryby się nie przeprawił przez Jordan.
И встал Давид и все люди, бывшие с ним, и перешли Иордан; к рассвету не осталось ни одного, который не перешел бы Иордана.
於是大衛 和跟隨他 的 人 都 起來，過 約旦河。到了 天亮， 無 一人 不 過 約旦河的。
So David and all the people who were with him went up over Jordan: when dawn came, every one of them had gone over Jordan.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Samuel 17:22
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse records a complete deliverance. Gill's Exposition notes that they crossed the river by boat or ford, and “not one was lost in the passage, nor any deserted.” Matthew Henry adds that none stayed behind sick or weary, and none were lost. The Geneva Bible simply echoes the text, but Keil and Delitzsch draw attention to the Hebrew phrasing: עד אחד (“even to one”), the language of exhaustive preservation. Across these sources, the shared conviction is that the writer highlights a remarkable outcome: under cover of darkness, at a moment of extreme danger, David’s entire company reached safety intact. The point is not merely statistical; it is providential. God held them together.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The verse reports that every person who fled with David across the Jordan arrived safely by morning, and the writer considers this noteworthy.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Emphasis on 'not one missing' | All commentators see the detail as the verse's main point, it signals God's protection over David's company. | Some (Matthew Henry, Gill) treat it mainly as a literal historical report; others (Keil and Delitzsch) focus on the deliberate Hebrew phrasing that underscores completeness. The difference is one of emphasis, not substance. |
| Means of crossing | They crossed the Jordan by night. | Gill mentions both boats and fords as possibilities; Matthew Henry speculates about ferryboats. The text does not specify, so both are plausible. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse sits in the thick of Absalom’s rebellion. David has fled Jerusalem after Ahithophel counseled Absalom to pursue him that very night (2 Sam 17:1, 4). Hushai, David’s spy, frustrates that plan by advising a slower, larger campaign (v. 5, 14). The delay buys David time. In v. 15, 16, Hushai sends word through the priest’s sons: “Arise and pass quickly over the water.” That water is the Jordan River, the eastern border of the territory where David still had support.
The Jordan was more than a river. In Israel’s memory, crossing it first under Joshua had been a moment of national birth. For David now, crossing it eastward is a retreat, but it is also a strategic move toward safety in Gilead (v. 24). The journey had to be done by night, in haste, with a vulnerable group that included women, children, and exhausted soldiers. Ancient fords were narrow, and boat crossings were slow. Yet the narrator records that by daylight, not a single person was missing.
Gill suggests the crossing used boats or fords; Matthew Henry suspects ferryboats. Whatever the method, the logistics were dangerous. The fact that no one drowned, was captured, or deserted is striking. The narrative invites readers to see the hand of God working through prudent planning, loyal messengers, and the cover of night. It is a small-scale rescue that foreshadows the larger deliverance of the kingdom from Absalom’s coup.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is stable across witnesses, with the exception of minor orthographic differences.
Reception History
This verse has been read across Christian traditions as a quiet emblem of divine safeguarding. Reformers like Matthew Henry found in it a model of faithful leadership under pressure: David leads his people to safety, and God secures the outcome. Evangelical interpreters often connect it to the words of Jesus in John 18:9, “Of those whom you have given me, I have lost none,” seeing in David’s preserved company a type of Christ’s care for His disciples. The verse appears in devotional literature as a reminder that God counts and keeps His own, even through a dark night and a dangerous river.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God works through swift obedience. David did not delay. He arose and crossed immediately, acting on the intelligence he received (v. 21). Faith does not ignore wisdom.
- God preserves what belongs to Him. The phrase “not one was missing” echoes the language of divine care (Numbers 31:49; John 18:9). David’s company was not simply lucky; they were kept.
- Darkness does not defeat God’s purposes. The crossing happened at night, a time of vulnerability, but morning revealed complete safety. Our most fearful hours are still within His reach.
Five-point outline
- The threat: David’s life hangs on a narrow window of escape (v. 1, 4).
- The counsel: Hushai’s counter-strategy buys time (v. 5, 14).
- The warning: Faithful messengers risk their lives to deliver hope (v. 15, 21).
- The crossing: David’s people move as one, through danger, in the dark (v. 22a).
- The result: “By morning light there lacked not one” (v. 22b), a picture of God’s keeping power.
Illustration hooks
- A church evacuation during an flood warning: everyone makes it across a rising creek before the road washes out, relief that is not luck but timely providence.
- A family fleeing a domestic crisis in the middle of the night, arriving at a shelter with every member safe, and realizing only afterward how close they came to disaster.
Questions your congregation is asking
- When I make a hasty retreat from a difficult situation, how can I trust that God is still guiding me?
- What does it mean practically that “not one is missing” in our church community during times of trial?
Leading a Discussion
David’s escape from Absalom is a story of danger, loyal friendship, and a midnight river crossing. This verse captures the moment when relief arrives, not with fanfare, but with the quiet fact that everyone made it. As you discuss, pay attention to the small details the narrator includes: the darkness, the morning light, the census-like summary. What do these tell you about how God works?
Discussion questions
- What emotions do you imagine David and the people felt as they crossed the Jordan in the dark?
- Why do you think the writer includes the detail that “not one” was missing? Is this just a historical note, or something more?
- Read Numbers 31:49 and John 18:9. How do these verses echo the language of 2 Samuel 17:22? What does this repeating pattern suggest?
- How does Hushai’s counsel (v. 5, 14) and the priests’ warning (v. 15, 21) show God at work, even when God is not mentioned directly in those verses?
- In what situations in your own life have you seen a difficult or dangerous passage end with “not one missing”?
- What does this verse teach us about leadership during crisis? What does it say about the people who followed David?
- How can your small group become a place where people see God’s keeping power, especially when life forces a sudden crossing?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Numbers 31:49 | They said to Moses, “Your servants have taken the sum of the men of war who are under our command, and there lacks not one man of us. |
| II Samuel 17:24 | Then David came to Mahanaim. Absalom passed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. |
| Proverbs 27:12 | A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it. |
| Matthew 10:16 | “Behold, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. |
| John 18:9 | that the word might be fulfilled which he spoke, “Of those whom you have given me, I have lost none.” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
5 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Bible notes emphasize the complete safety of David’s entire company—not a single person was lost or left behind in the crossing. This detail underscores God’s faithful protection over every individual who followed David through the danger.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights the remarkable detail that every single person crossed safely, not one was lost or deserted. He sees this as a physical parallel to Christ's preserving work. Gill also suggests David may have written Psalms 42 and 43 during this tense night journey.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch draws attention to the precise Hebrew idiom behind the account: literally, "even to one there was not any one missed." This phrasing emphasizes that not a single person among David's company failed to cross the Jordan, underscoring the complete and urgent escape from Ahithophel's counsel.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads the narrative as a theological demonstration of how God lets evil consume itself. Absalom's rejection of Ahithophel's sound military advice for Hushai's flattering but disastrous counsel shows that pride and vanity blind the wicked to their own ruin. The Lord silently overrules human scheming to bring about His purposes, using sin's own momentum to destroy the sinner.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights the remarkable detail that in David's entire company crossing the Jordan, not a single person was lost or deserted him. None stayed behind sick or weary, and none perished during the night crossing. He sees this complete preservation as a special mark of divine care.