2 Samuel 2:26

Then 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?

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
Abner	אַבְנֵ֜ר 'av.Ner	H74	Abner · proper noun, a man's name
called	וַיִּקְרָ֨א vai.yik.Ra'	H7121	to call out to (i.e. properly · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
Joab	יוֹאָ֗ב yo.'Av	H3097	Joab · proper noun, a man's name
said	וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ vai.Yo.mer	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
sword	חֶ֔רֶב Che.rev	H2719	drought · noun, common feminine singular absolute
devour	תֹּ֣אכַל To.khal	H398	to eat (literally or figuratively) · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person feminine singular
ever	הֲלָנֶ֙צַח֙ ha.la.Ne.tzach	H5331	properly · interrogative particle + preposition + noun, common masculine singular absolute
knowest	יָדַ֔עְתָּה ya.Da'.tah	H3045	to know (properly · verb, qal perfect, 2nd person masculine singular + interrogative particle
bitterness	מָרָ֥ה ma.Rah	H4751	bitter (literally or figuratively) · adjective, feminine singular absolute
end	בָּאַחֲרוֹנָ֑ה ba.'a.cha.ro.Nah	H314	hinder · preposition with the article + adjective, feminine singular absolute
bid	תֹאמַ֣ר to.Mar	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · verb, qal imperfect, 2nd person masculine singular
people	לָעָ֔ם la.'Am	H5971	a people (as a congregated unit) · preposition with the article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
return	לָשׁ֖וּב la.Shuv	H7725	to turn back (hence · preposition + verb, qal infinitive construct
following	מֵאַחֲרֵ֥י me.'a.cha.Rei	H310	properly · preposition + cardinal number, masculine plural construct
brethren	אֲחֵיהֶֽם 'a.chei.Hem	H251	a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relation… · noun, common masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine plural

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Jeremiah 46:14 Declare ye in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, and publish in Noph and in Tahpanhes: say ye, Stand fast, and prepare thee; for the sword shall…
Jeremiah 46:10 For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and…
Acts 7:26 And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye…
2 Samuel 2:14 And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.
2 Samuel 2:16 And 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 plac…
2 Samuel 11:25 Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as…
Job 18:2 How long will it be ere ye make an end of words? mark, and afterwards we will speak.
Job 19:2 How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Samuel 2:25–end

Here, I. Abner, being conquered, meanly begs for a cessation of arms. He rallied the remains of his forces on the top of a hill (Sa2 2:25), as if he would have made head again, but becomes a humble supplicant to Joab for a little breathing-time, Sa2 2:26. He that was most forward to fight was the first that had enough of it. He that made a jest of bloodshed (Let the young men arise and play before us, Sa2 2:14) is now shocked at it, when he finds himself on the losing side, and the sword he made so light of drawing threatening to touch himself. Observe how his note is changed. Then it was but playing with the sword; now, Shall the sword devour for ever? It had devoured but one day, yet to hi…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Samuel 2:19

ASAHEL SLAIN. (Sa2 2:19-32) Asahel pursued after Abner--To gain the general's armor was deemed the grandest trophy. Asahel, ambitious of securing Abner's, had outstripped all other pursuers, and was fast gaining on the retreating commander. Abner, conscious of possessing more physical power, and unwilling that there should be "blood" between himself and Joab, Asahel's brother, twice urged him to desist. The impetuous young soldier being deaf to the generous remonstrance, the veteran raised the pointed butt of his lance, as the modern Arabs do when pursued, and, with a sudden back thrust, transfixed him on the spot, so that he fell, and lay weltering in his blood. But Joab and Abishai contin…

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Adam Clarke on 2 Samuel 2:21

Take thee his armor - It seems Asahel wished to get the armor of Abner as a trophy; this also was greatly coveted by ancient heroes. Abner wished to spare him, for fear of exciting Joab's enmity; but as Asahel was obstinate in the pursuit, and was swifter of foot than Abner, the latter saw that he must either kill or be killed, and therefore he turned his spear and ran it through the body of Asahel. This turning about that he might pierce him is what we translate "the hinder end of his spear." This slaying of Asahel cost Abner his life, as we shall find in the next chapter.

Dictionary and topics

Abner — Father of light; i.e., “enlightening”, the son of Ner and uncle of Saul. He was commander-in-chief of Saul’s army (1 Sam. 14:50; 17:55; 20:25). He first introduced David to the court of Saul after…
Cord — Frequently used in its proper sense, for fastening a tent (Ex. 35:18; 39:40), yoking animals to a cart (Isa. 5:18), binding prisoners (Judg. 15:13; Ps. 2:3; 129:4), and measuring ground (2 Sam. 8;2;…
Ish-bosheth — Man of shame or humiliation, the youngest of Saul’s four sons, and the only one who survived him (2 Sam. 2-4). His name was originally Eshbaal (1 Chr. 8:33; 9:39). He was about forty years of age…
Joab — Jehovah is his father. (1.) One of the three sons of Zeruiah, David’s sister, and “captain of the host” during the whole of David’s reign (2 Sam. 2:13; 10:7; 11:1; 1 Kings 11:15). His father’s name…
Abner · Loyalty of, to the house of Saul — Loyalty of, to the house of Saul
Joab · . — .
Truce · In battle — In battle
War · Civil — Civil

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

2 Samuel 2:26

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Samuel 2:25–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Samuel 2:19

Adam Clarke on 2 Samuel 2:21

Dictionary and topics

2 Samuel 2:26

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Samuel 2:25–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Samuel 2:19

Adam Clarke on 2 Samuel 2:21

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on 2 Samuel 2:26

Keil & Delitzsch on 2 Samuel 2:25-26

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 2 Samuel 2:26

Rashi on 2 Samuel 2:23