2 Samuel 2

2 Samuel · Chapter 2

2 Samuel 2:20

1And it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.2So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal’s wife the Carmelite.3And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.4And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men of Jabeshgilead were they that buried Saul.5And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabeshgilead, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of the LORD, that ye have shewed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him.6And now the LORD shew kindness and truth unto you: and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing.7Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant: for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.8But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;9And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.10Ishbosheth Saul’s son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.11And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.12And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.13And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met together by the pool of Gibeon: and they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool.14And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.15Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, which pertained to Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.16And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow’s side; so they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Helkathhazzurim, which is in Gibeon.17And there was a very sore battle that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David.18And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.19And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.20Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, I am.21And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armour. But Asahel would not turn aside from following of him.22And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me: wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?23Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him under the fifth rib, that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place: and it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.24Joab also and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah, that lieth before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.25And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one troop, and stood on the top of an hill.26Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren?27And Joab said, As God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother.28So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more.29And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain, and passed over Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim.30And Joab returned from following Abner: and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David’s servants nineteen men and Asahel.31But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and of Abner’s men, so that three hundred and threescore men died.32And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
20Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, I am.And Abner glanced back and said, “Is that you, Asahel?” “It is,” Asahel replied.Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Is it thou, Asahel? And he answered, It is I.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and he turnedוַיִּ֤פֶןvai-YI-fenH6437G
to turn

פָּנָה (pa.nah) 1) to turn 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to turn toward or from or away 1a2) to turn and do 1a3) to turn, decline (of day) 1a4) to turn toward, approach (of evening) 1a5) to turn and look, look, look back or at or after or for 1b) (Piel) to turn away, put out of the way, make clear, clear away 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to turn 1c2) to make a turn, show signs of turning, turn back 1d) (Hophal) to be turned back

Abnerאַבְנֵר֙'av-NERH0074
Abner

אֲבִינֵר (av.ner) A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.14.50; son of: Ner (H5369); father of: Jaasiel (H3300H) § Abner = "my father is a lamp" Saul's cousin and army captain, treacherously slain by Joab

behind himאַֽחֲרָ֔יו'a-cha-RAVH0310A
after

אַחַר (a.char) 1) after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time) 1a) as an adverb 1a1) behind (of place) 1a2) afterwards (of time) 1b) as a preposition 1b1) behind, after (of place) 1b2) after (of time) 1b3) besides 1c) as a conjunction 1c) after that 1d) as a substantive 1d1) hinder part 1e) with other prepositions 1e1) from behind 1e2) from following after

and he saidוַיֹּ֕אמֶרvai-YO-merH0559
to say

אָמַר (a.mar) 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

¿ youהַאַתָּ֥הha-'a-TAHH0859A
you

אַנְתָּה (an.tah) you, thou (second pers. sing.) Aramaic of at.tah (אַתָּ֫ה "you(m.s.)" H0859A)

[is] thisזֶ֖הzehH2088
that

דִּי (di) part of relation 1) who, which, that mark of genitive 2) that of, which belongs to, that conj 3) that, because

O Asahelעֲשָׂהאֵ֑ל'a-sa-h-'ELH6214G
Asahel

עֲשָׂהאֵל (a.sa.h.el) A man living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.2.18; his mother was Zeruiah (H6870); brother of: Abishai (H0052) and Joab (H3097); father of: Zebadiah (H2069K) § Asahel = "God-made" 1) nephew of David, son of David's sister Zeruiah, and brother of Joab and Abishai; swift of foot he was killed by Abner when he pursued him in battle and caught him 2) a Levite in the reign of king Jehoshaphat of Judah who went through the kingdom giving instruction in the law 3) a Levite in the reign of king Hezekiah of Judah in charge of the tithes and dedicated things in the temple …

and he saidוַיֹּ֖אמֶרvai-YO-merH0559
to say

אָמַר (a.mar) 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Iאָנֹֽכִי׃'a-NO-khiH0595
I

אָֽנֹכִ֫י (a.no.khi) I (first pers. sing.) Another spelling of a.ni (אֲנִי, אָֽנֹכִ֫י "I" H0589)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.