Original Word: בֵּית המֶּרְחָק
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Beyth ham-Merchaq
Pronunciation: bayth ham-mer-khak
Phonetic Spelling: (bayth ham-mer-khawk')
KJV: place that was far off
Word Origin: [from H1004 (בַּיִת - house) and H4801 (מֶרחָק - afar) with the article interposed]

1. house of the breadth
2. Beth-ham-Merchak, a place in Israel

Beth-ham-Merchak, a place in Palestine -- place that was far off

From bayith and merchaq with the article interposed; house of the breadth; Beth-ham-Merchak, a place in Palestine -- place that was far off.

see HEBREW bayith

see HEBREW merchaq

Word Origin
see bayith and merchaq.

בֵּית הַמֶּרְחָק possibly proper name, of a location house or settlement on bank of Kidron 2 Samuel 15:17 (RV Beth-merhak, compare MV RVm Far House; Ew The Ke Sta the last house of the city).

Meaning in Narrative Setting

בֵּית הַמֶּרְחָק (“house of distance” or “last house”) names the final dwelling on the outskirts of Jerusalem where King David paused while fleeing Absalom’s revolt. The term evokes both geographical removal and emotional distance, marking the boundary between the royal city and the wilderness exile that followed.

Biblical Usage

2 Samuel 15:17 records its single appearance: “So the king set out with all the people following him, and they stopped at the last house.” (Berean Standard Bible). Here the phrase identifies the decisive threshold beyond which David relinquished the trappings of established rule and entered a season of testing.

Historical Context

Absalom’s conspiracy forced David to evacuate Jerusalem quickly (2 Samuel 15:13-14). The king, his household, and loyalists—including priests bearing the ark—crossed the Kidron Valley toward the road of exile. בֵּית הַמֶּרְחָק lay at Jerusalem’s outer limit, probably near the ascent of the Mount of Olives. The halt there allowed the procession to regroup, receive counsel, and order the ark’s return to the city (2 Samuel 15:24-29), thus displaying David’s confidence in God’s sovereignty rather than in religious symbols for political security.

Theological Significance

1. Threshold of Testing: The “last house” portrays the point where covenant leaders must trust God beyond visible support. David’s faith under duress prefigures the Messiah’s willingness to leave Jerusalem, bearing reproach outside the gate (Hebrews 13:12-13).
2. Sovereign Preservation: Though David exits, the narrative soon affirms divine protection and ultimate restoration (2 Samuel 19:15). בֵּית הַמֶּרְחָק therefore signals not abandonment but a providential pause on the path to vindication.
3. Symbol of Separation from Worldly Security: As David refuses to manipulate the ark for advantage, the episode commends reliance on the Lord rather than on sacred objects, institutions, or geographic centers (Psalm 20:7).

Ministry Application

• Pastoral Care: Leaders may confront seasons when obedience requires stepping past familiar boundaries. The “last house” encourages calm deliberation and renewed devotion when ministry enters uncertain terrain.
• Discipleship: Believers crossing personal thresholds—career changes, relocation, persecution—can draw hope from David’s example that God’s presence travels with the obedient even when visible support systems remain behind.
• Worship and Liturgy: The incident invites congregations to examine attachments to external forms, reaffirming that genuine worship centers on trust and submission rather than on place or artifact.

Related Passages for Study

2 Samuel 15–19 (full Absalom narrative)

Psalm 3; Psalm 63 (traditionally linked to David’s exile)

Hebrews 13:12-15 (bearing reproach outside the camp)

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (strength perfected in weakness)

Summary

בֵּית הַמֶּרְחָק stands as a single-verse landmark that distills themes of exile, faith, and eventual triumph. Though almost unnoticed in the broader narrative, it marks the critical juncture where David entrusted his kingship and future to God alone—a pattern of sacrificial obedience that resonates throughout Scripture and practical ministry today.

הַמֶּרְחָֽק׃ המרחק׃ ham·mer·ḥāq hammerChak hammerḥāqInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts