2 Samuel 3:34
32 When they buried Abner in Hebron, the king wept aloud at Abner’s tomb, and all the people wept.
33 And the king sang this lament for Abner: “Should Abner die the death of a fool?
Your hands were not bound, your feet were not fettered. As a man falls before the wicked, so also you fell.” And all the people wept over him even more.
35 Then all the people came and urged David to eat something while it was still day, but David took an oath, saying, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets!”
36 All the people took note and were pleased. In fact, everything the king did pleased them.
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
- Your hands were not bound, your feet were not fettered. As a man falls before the wicked, so also you fell.” And all the people wept over him even more.
- KJV
- Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters: as a man falleth before wicked men, so fellest thou. And all the people wept again over him.
- WEB
- Your hands weren’t bound, and your feet weren’t put into fetters. As a man falls before the children of iniquity, so you fell.” All the people wept again over him.
- ASV
- Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters: As a man falleth before the children of iniquity, so didst thou fall. And all the people wept again over him.
- DARBY
- Thy hands were not bound, Nor thy feet put into fetters; As a man falleth before wicked men, Fellest thou! And all the people wept again over him.
- BLB
- Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put into fetters. As a man falls before the face of wicked men, you fell.” And all the people again wept over him.
- ÅB
- Dine hender var ikke bundet og dine føtter ikke lagt i lenker; som en faller for ugjerningsmenn, så falt du. - Og alt folket ble ved å gråte over ham.
- OTB
- Dine hender var ikke bundet,
Dine føtter ble ikke satt i bronse lenker;
Som en faller for de onde, har du falt."
Og hele folket gråt igjen over ham. - B1930
- Dine hender var ikke bundet og dine føtter ikke lagt i lenker; som en faller for ugjerningsmenn, så falt du. - Og alt folket blev ved å gråte over ham.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Judges 16:21
Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, where he was bound with bronze shackles and forced to grind grain in the prison.
Read in contextHosea 6:9
Like raiders who lie in ambush, so does a band of priests; they murder on the way to Shechem; surely they have committed atrocities.
Read in contextPsalms 107:10–11
Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and chains,
Read in contextJob 24:14
When daylight is gone, the murderer rises to kill the poor and needy; in the night he is like a thief.
Read in context2 Samuel 1:12
They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the people of the LORD and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
Read in context