2 Samuel 19:32
New International Version
Now Barzillai was very old, eighty years of age. He had provided for the king during his stay in Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man.

New Living Translation
He was very old—eighty years of age—and very wealthy. He was the one who had provided food for the king during his stay in Mahanaim.

English Standard Version
Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. He had provided the king with food while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man.

Berean Standard Bible
Barzillai was quite old, eighty years of age, and since he was a very wealthy man, he had provided for the king while he stayed in Mahanaim.

King James Bible
Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old: and he had provided the king of sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a very great man.

New King James Version
Now Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. And he had provided the king with supplies while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very rich man.

New American Standard Bible
Barzillai was very old: eighty years old; and he had provided the king food while he stayed in Mahanaim, for he was a very great man.

NASB 1995
Now Barzillai was very old, being eighty years old; and he had sustained the king while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very great man.

NASB 1977
Now Barzillai was very old, being eighty years old; and he had sustained the king while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very great man.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now Barzillai was very old, being eighty years old; and he had sustained the king while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very great man.

Amplified Bible
Barzillai was a very old man, eighty years old; and he had provided the king with food while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very great and wealthy man.

Christian Standard Bible
Barzillai was a very old man—eighty years old—and since he was a very wealthy man, he had provided for the needs of the king while he stayed in Mahanaim.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Barzillai was a very old man—80 years old—and since he was a very wealthy man, he had provided for the needs of the king while he stayed in Mahanaim.

American Standard Version
Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old: and he had provided the king with sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a very great man.

Contemporary English Version
Barzillai was 80 years old. He was very rich and had sent food to David in Mahanaim.

English Revised Version
Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old: and he had provided the king with sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a very great man.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Barzillai was an elderly man, 80 years old. Because he was a very rich man, he had provided the king with food while he was staying at Mahanaim.

Good News Translation
Barzillai was a very old man, eighty years old. He was very rich and had supplied the king with food while he was staying at Mahanaim.

International Standard Version
Now Barzillai was a very old man at the age of 80 years. A very wealthy man, Barzillai had provided for king David during his sojourn in Mahanaim.

Majority Standard Bible
Barzillai was quite old, eighty years of age, and since he was a very wealthy man, he had provided for the king while he stayed in Mahanaim.

NET Bible
But Barzillai was very old--eighty years old, in fact--and he had taken care of the king when he stayed in Mahanaim, for he was a very rich man.

New Heart English Bible
Now Barzillai was a very old man, eighty years old; and he had provided for the king while he was staying at Mahanaim, for he was a very rich man.

Webster's Bible Translation
Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even eighty years old: and he had provided the king with sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim: for he was a very great man.

World English Bible
Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even eighty years old. He had provided the king with sustenance while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very great man.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and Barzillai [is] very aged, a son of eighty years, and he has sustained the king in his abiding in Mahanaim, for he [is] a very great man;

Young's Literal Translation
and Barzillai is very aged, a son of eighty years, and he hath sustained the king in his abiding in Mahanaim, for he is a very great man;

Smith's Literal Translation
And Barzillai a very old man, the son of eighty years: and he nourished the king in his dwelling in the two camps, for he was an exceeding great man.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Now Berzellai the Galaadite was of a great age, that is to say, fourscore years old, and he provided the king with sustenance when he abode in the camp: for he was a man exceeding rich.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Now Barzillai the Gileadite was very old, that is, eighty years old. And he provided the king with sustenance when he was staying at the encampment. For indeed, he was an exceedingly rich man.

New American Bible
It was Barzillai, a very old man of eighty, who had provided for the king during his stay in Mahanaim; he was a very great man.

New Revised Standard Version
Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. He had provided the king with food while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Now Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old; and he had provided the king with food while he remained at Mahanaim; for he was a very wealthy man.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Barzali was very old and was a son of eighty years, and he had sustained the King when he had dwelt in Makhnim because he was a great man
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old; and he had provided the king with sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a very great man.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Berzelli was a very old man, eighty years old; and he had maintained the king when he dwelt in Manaim; for he was a very great man.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
David's Kindness to Barzillai
31Now Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim to cross the Jordan with the king and send him on his way from there. 32Barzillai was quite old, eighty years of age, and since he was a very wealthy man, he had provided for the king while he stayed in Mahanaim. 33The king said to Barzillai, “Cross over with me, and I will provide for you at my side in Jerusalem.”…

Cross References
2 Samuel 17:27-29
When David came to Mahanaim, he was met by Shobi son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, Machir son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim. / They brought beds, basins, and earthen vessels, as well as wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, / honey, curds, sheep, and cheese from the herd for David and his people to eat. For they said, “The people have become hungry, exhausted, and thirsty in the wilderness.”

1 Kings 2:7
But show loving devotion to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, because they stood by me when I fled from your brother Absalom.

Genesis 18:11
And Abraham and Sarah were already old and well along in years; Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.

Genesis 24:1
By now Abraham was old and well along in years, and the LORD had blessed him in every way.

Genesis 25:8
And at a ripe old age he breathed his last and died, old and contented, and was gathered to his people.

Genesis 35:29
Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Genesis 47:9
“My travels have lasted 130 years,” Jacob replied. “My years have been few and hard, and they have not matched the years of the travels of my fathers.”

Joshua 14:10-11
Now behold, as the LORD promised, He has kept me alive these forty-five years since He spoke this word to Moses, while Israel wandered in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old, / still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out. As my strength was then, so it is now for war, for going out, and for coming in.

1 Samuel 25:6
and say to him, ‘Long life to you, and peace to you and to your house and to all that belongs to you.

1 Chronicles 29:28
He died at a ripe old age, full of years, riches, and honor, and his son Solomon reigned in his place.

Job 42:17
And so Job died, old and full of years.

Psalm 92:14
In old age they will still bear fruit; healthy and green they will remain,

Proverbs 16:31
Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is attained along the path of righteousness.

Isaiah 46:4
Even to your old age, I will be the same, and I will bear you up when you turn gray. I have made you, and I will carry you; I will sustain you and deliver you.

Luke 2:36-37
There was also a prophetess named Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, who was well along in years. She had been married for seven years, / and then was a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.


Treasury of Scripture

Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old: and he had provided the king of sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a very great man.

fourscore

Genesis 5:27
And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died.

Genesis 9:29
And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died.

Genesis 25:7
And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years.

provided

2 Samuel 17:27
And it came to pass, when David was come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim,

for he was

1 Samuel 25:2
And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

Job 1:3
His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.

Jump to Previous
Abiding Abode Age Aged Barzillai Barzil'lai Eighty Food Fourscore Great Lay Mahanaim Mahana'im Maintained Provided Sustained Sustenance
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Abiding Abode Age Aged Barzillai Barzil'lai Eighty Food Fourscore Great Lay Mahanaim Mahana'im Maintained Provided Sustained Sustenance
2 Samuel 19
1. Joab causes the king to cease his mourning
9. The Israelites are earnest to bring the king back
11. David sends to the priest to incite them of Judah
18. Shimei is pardoned
24. Mephibosheth excused
32. Barzillai dismissed, and Chimham his son taken into the king's family
41. The Israelites expostulate with Judah for bringing home the king without them














Barzillai
The name "Barzillai" is of Hebrew origin, meaning "iron-hearted" or "man of iron." This name reflects the character and strength of Barzillai, who is depicted as a loyal and generous supporter of King David. In the context of ancient Israel, names often carried significant meaning, reflecting the individual's character or destiny. Barzillai's steadfastness and loyalty to David during a time of political upheaval demonstrate the strength implied by his name.

was a very old man, eighty years of age
In ancient times, reaching the age of eighty was considered a sign of divine blessing and wisdom. The Bible often associates old age with honor and respect, as seen in Proverbs 16:31, "Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is attained along the path of righteousness." Barzillai's age signifies not only his wisdom and experience but also the respect he commanded in his community. His advanced age also highlights his long-standing faithfulness and the depth of his relationship with God and King David.

and he had provided for the king during his stay in Mahanaim
The phrase "provided for the king" indicates Barzillai's role as a benefactor and supporter of David during a critical period. Mahanaim was a city of refuge for David during Absalom's rebellion, and Barzillai's support was crucial for the king's survival and eventual return to power. This act of provision reflects the biblical principle of hospitality and generosity, as seen in Hebrews 13:2, "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." Barzillai's actions exemplify the selfless support that believers are called to offer one another.

for he was a very wealthy man
Barzillai's wealth is mentioned not to glorify material riches but to highlight his stewardship and willingness to use his resources for God's purposes. In the biblical context, wealth is seen as a tool for service and blessing others, as instructed in 1 Timothy 6:17-19, where the wealthy are urged to be generous and ready to share. Barzillai's use of his wealth to support David underscores the biblical teaching that true riches are found in serving God and others, rather than in accumulating material possessions.

(32) Provided the king of sustenance.--An old use of the preposition "of," meaning with. The word is the same here as that translated in the next verse "feed thee," and there is an especial fitness in the use of the same word in both cases which is lost in the English Version. It is translated "nourish" in Genesis 45:11; Genesis 47:12; Genesis 1:21, &c., and "sustain" in 1Kings 17:9, Nehemiah 9:21, &c. The king proposes to return Barzillai's service in kind, but multiplied manifold.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Barzillai
וּבַרְזִלַּי֙ (ū·ḇar·zil·lay)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1271: Barzillai -- 'man of iron', three Israelites

was quite
מְאֹ֔ד (mə·’ōḏ)
Adverb
Strong's 3966: Vehemence, vehemently, wholly, speedily

old,
זָקֵ֣ן (zā·qên)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2204: To be or become old

eighty
שְׁמֹנִ֖ים (šə·mō·nîm)
Number - common plural
Strong's 8084: Eighty, eightieth

years
שָׁנָ֑ה (šā·nāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8141: A year

of age,
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

and since
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

he was a very
מְאֹֽד׃ (mə·’ōḏ)
Adverb
Strong's 3966: Vehemence, vehemently, wholly, speedily

wealthy
גָּד֥וֹל (gā·ḏō·wl)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent

man,
אִ֛ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

he
וְהֽוּא־ (wə·hū-)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

had provided
כִלְכַּ֤ל (ḵil·kal)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3557: To keep in, to measure, to maintain

for the king
הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ (ham·me·leḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

while he stayed
בְּשִׁיבָת֣וֹ (ḇə·šî·ḇā·ṯōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7871: Residence

in Mahanaim.
בְמַחֲנַ֔יִם (ḇə·ma·ḥă·na·yim)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4266: Mahanaim -- 'two camps', a place East of the Jordan


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OT History: 2 Samuel 19:32 Now Barzillai was a very aged man (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
2 Samuel 19:31
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