2 Samuel 2:14
12 One day Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth son of Saul marched out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
13 So Joab son of Zeruiah, along with the servants of David, marched out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. And the two camps took up positions on opposite sides of the pool.
Then Abner said to Joab, “Let us have the young men get up and compete before us.” “Let them get up,” Joab replied.
15 So they got up and were counted off—twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve for David.
16 Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into his opponent’s side, and they all fell together. So this place, which is in Gibeon, is called Helkath-hazzurim.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Then Abner said to Joab, “Let us have the young men get up and compete before us.” “Let them get up,” Joab replied.
- KJV
- And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.
- WEB
- Abner said to Joab, “Please let the young men arise and compete before us!” Joab said, “Let them arise!”
- ASV
- And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men, I pray thee, arise and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.
- DARBY
- And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise and make sport before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.
- BLB
- And Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men arise now and compete before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.”
- ÅB
- Da sa Abner til Joab: La de unge menn trede fram og holde en krigslek for våre øyne! Joab svarte: Ja, la dem det!
- OTB
- Da sa Abner til Joab, "La nå de unge mennene reise seg og konkurrere foran oss." Og Joab sa, "La dem reise seg."
- B1930
- Da sa Abner til Joab: La de unge menn trede frem og holde en krigslek for våre øine! Joab svarte: Ja, la dem det!
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
2 Samuel 2:17
The battle that day was intense, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by the servants of David.
Read in contextProverbs 25:8
do not bring hastily to court. Otherwise, what will you do in the end when your neighbor puts you to shame?
Read in contextProverbs 17:14
To start a quarrel is to release a flood; so abandon the dispute before it breaks out.
Read in contextProverbs 10:23
The fool delights in shameful conduct, but a man of understanding has wisdom.
Read in contextProverbs 26:18–19
Like a madman shooting firebrands and deadly arrows,
Read in context2 Samuel 2:26–27
Then Abner called out to Joab: “Must the sword devour forever? Do you not realize that this will only end in bitterness? How long before you tell the troops to stop pursuing their brothers?”
Read in contextProverbs 20:18
Set plans by consultation, and wage war under sound guidance.
Read in context