2 Samuel 20:8

When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa went before them. And Joab’s garment that he had put on was girded unto him, and upon it a girdle with a sword fastened upon his loins in the sheath thereof; and as he went forth it fell out.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
great	הַגְּדוֹלָה֙ ha.ge.do.Lah	H1419	great (in any sense) · definite article + adjective, feminine singular absolute
stone	הָאֶ֤בֶן ha.'E.ven	H68	a stone · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
Gibeon	בְּגִבְע֔וֹן be.giv.'on	H1391	Gibon · preposition + proper noun, a place name
Amasa	וַעֲמָשָׂ֖א va.'a.ma.Sa'	H6021	Amasa · conjunction + proper noun, a man's name
went	בָּ֣א ba'	H935	to go or come (in a wide variety of applications) · verb, qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
before	לִפְנֵיהֶ֑ם lif.nei.Hem	H6440	the face (as the part that turns) · preposition + noun, common masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine plural
Joab’s	וְיוֹאָ֞ב ve.yo.'Av	H3097	Joab · conjunction + proper noun, a man's name
garment	מִדּ֣וֹ mi.Do	H4055	properly · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
on	לְבֻשׁ֗וּ le.vu.Shu	H3830	a garment (literally or figuratively) · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
girded	חָג֣וּר cha.Gur	H2296	to gird on (as a belt · verb, qal passive participle, masculine singular absolute
girdle	חָגוֹר châgôwr	H2289	belted
sword	חֶ֙רֶב֙ che.rev	H2719	drought · noun, common feminine singular absolute
fastened	מְצֻמֶּ֤דֶת me.tzu.Me.det	H6775	to link · verb, pual passive participle, feminine singular absolute
loins	מָתְנָיו֙ ma.te.Nav	H4975	properly · noun, common masculine dual construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
sheath	בְּתַעְרָ֔הּ be.ta'.Rah	H8593	a knife or razor (as making bare) · preposition + noun, common both genders singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person feminine singular
forth	יָצָ֖א ya.Tza'	H3318	to go (causatively · verb, qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
out	וַתִּפֹּֽל va.ti.Pol	H5307	to fall · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person feminine singular

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

2 Samuel 3:30 So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
2 Samuel 2:13 And 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…
2 Samuel 20:4-5 Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be thou here present.

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

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Samuel 20:4-13

We have here Amasa's fall just as he began to rise. He was nephew to David (Sa2 17:25), had been Absalom's general and commander-in-chief of his rebellious army, but, that being routed, he came over into David's interest, upon a promise that he should be general of his forces instead of Joab. Sheba's rebellion gives David an occasion to fulfil his promise sooner than he could wish, but Joab's envy and emulation rendered its fulfillment of ill consequence both to him and David. I. Amasa has a commission to raise forces for the suppressing of Sheba's rebellion, and is ordered to raise them with all possible expedition, Sa2 20:4. It seems, the men of Judah, though forward to attend the king's t…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Samuel 20:8

Amasa went before them--Having collected some forces, he by a rapid march overtook the expedition at Gibeon, and assumed the place of commander; in which capacity, he was saluted, among others, by Joab. Joab's garment, that he had put on was girded unto him--in the fashion of travellers and soldiers. a sword . . . and as he went forth it fell out--that is, out of the scabbard. According to JOSEPHUS, he let it drop on purpose as he was accosting Amasa, that stooping, as it were accidentally, to pick it up, he might salute the new general with the naked sword in his hand, without exciting any suspicion of his design. He went forth--in a ceremonious manner to meet Amasa, now commander-in-…

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Adam Clarke on 2 Samuel 20:8

Joab's garment - It appears that this was not a military garment; and that Joab had no arms but a short sword, which he had concealed in his girdle; and this sword, or knife, was so loose in its sheath that it could be easily drawn out. It is thought farther, that Joab, in passing to Amasa, stumbled, (for so some of the versions, and able critics, understand the words it fell out). and that the sword fell down when he stumbled; that he took it up with his left hand as if he had no bad intention; and then, taking Amasa by the beard with his right hand, pretending to kiss him, he, with his sword in his left hand, ripped up his bowels. This seems to be the meaning of this very obscure verse. It…

Dictionary and topics

Amasa — Burden. (1.) The son of Abigail, a sister of king David (1 Chr. 2:17; 2 Sam. 17:25). He was appointed by David to command the army in room of his cousin Joab (2 Sam. 19:13), who afterwards…
Armour — Is employed in the English Bible to denote military equipment, both offensive and defensive. (1.) The offensive weapons were different at different periods of history. The “rod of iron” (Ps. 2:9) is…
Arms, Armor — The subject naturally divides itself into— I. Offensive weapons: Arms. II. Defensive weapons: Armor. I. Offensive weapons.—
David — Beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother’s name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam.…
Gibeon — Hill-city, “one of the royal cities, greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty” (Josh. 10:2). Its inhabitants were Hivites (11:19). It lay within the territory of Benjamin, and became a…
Girdle — (1.) Heb. hagor, a girdle of any kind worn by soldiers (1 Sam. 18:4; 2 Sam. 20:8; 1 Kings 2:5; 2 Kings 3:21) or women (Isa. 3:24). (2.) Heb. ‘ezor, something “bound,” worn by prophets (2 Kings 1:8;…
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…
Sheba — An oath, seven. (1.) Heb. shebha, the son of Raamah (Gen. 10:7), whose descendants settled with those of Dedan on the Persian Gulf. (2.) Heb. id. A son of Joktan (Gen. 10:28), probably the founder of…
Abishai · Overthrows Sheba — Overthrows Sheba
Amasa · .Sam — .Sam
Girdle · Used to bear arms — Used to bear arms

2 Samuel 20:8

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Samuel 20:4-13

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Samuel 20:8

Adam Clarke on 2 Samuel 20:8

Dictionary and topics

2 Samuel 20:8

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Samuel 20:4-13

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Samuel 20:8

Adam Clarke on 2 Samuel 20:8

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on 2 Samuel 20:8

Keil & Delitzsch on 2 Samuel 20:1-22

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 2 Samuel 20:7

Rashi on 2 Samuel 20:8