2 Samuel 20:5

2 Samuel 20:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him.
• New International Version (NIV)But when Amasa went to summon Judah, he took longer than the time the king had set for him.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he delayed beyond the set time that had been appointed him.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah. But he delayed longer than the set time which David had appointed him.

Context of 2 Samuel 20:5

3Then David came to his house (palace) at Jerusalem, and the king took the ten women, his concubines whom he had left to take care of the house, and placed them under guard and provided for them, but did not go in to them. So they were confined, and lived as widows until the day of their death. 4Now the king said to Amasa [the commander of his army], “Summon the [fighting] men of Judah to me within three days, and be present here yourself.” So Amasa went to summon [the fighting men of] Judah, but he delayed longer than the time which David had set for him. 6And David said to Abishai [his nephew], “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, so that he does not find fortified cities for himself and escape from our sight.” 7So Joab’s men went after him, along with [David’s bodyguards] the Cherethites and Pelethites and all the warriors; they went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.

2 Samuel 20:5 word by word

וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ עֲמָשָׂ֖א לְהַזְעִ֣יק אֶת־יְהוּדָ֑ה וַיּ֕וֹחֶר מִן־הַמּוֹעֵ֖ד אֲשֶׁ֥ר יְעָדֽוֹ׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• So Amasaעֲמָשָׂא‛ămâώâ' · AmasaH6021
• wentיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• to assembleזָעַקzâ‛aq · to cry outH2199
• Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
• but he tarried longerיָחַרyâchar · to delayH3186
• but he tarried longerאָחַר'âchar · to delayH309
• than the set timeמוֹעֵדmô‛êd mô‛êd mô‛âdâh · meeting: time appointedH4150
• which he had appointedיָעַדyâ‛ad · to appointH3259

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 20:5

• 2 Samuel 19:13Say to Amasa [the commander of Absalom’s troops], ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? May God do so to me, and more also, if you will not be commander of my army from now on in place of Joab.’ ”
• 1 Samuel 13:8Now Saul waited seven days, according to the appointed time which Samuel had set, but Samuel had not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering away from Saul.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 20:5

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5He tarried - The cause of Amasa‘s delay is not stated. It may have been the unwillingness of the men of Judah to place themselves under his orders, or it may have been caused by a wavering or hesitation in loyalty. This last is evidently insinuated in 2 Samuel 20:11, and no doubt this was the pretext, whether grounded in fact or not, by which Joab justified the murder of Amasa before David.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-13Verses 4-13 Joab barbarously murdered Amasa. The more plot there is in a sin, the worse it is. Joab contentedly sacrificed the interest both of the king and the kingdom to his personal revenge. But one would wonder with what face a murderer could pursue a traitor; and how, under such a load of guilt, he had courage to enter upon danger: his conscience was seared.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-5The king made Amasa the new commander of the armies, replacing Joab (2 Samuel 19:13–14). David expected Amasa to be as efficient and effective as Joab.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-92Sa 20:1-9. Sheba Makes a Party in Israel. 1. Sheba ... a Benjamite--Though nothing is known of this man, he must have been a person of considerable power and influence, before he could have raised so sudden and extensive a sedition. He belonged to the tribe of Benjamin, where the adherents of Saul's dynasty were still numerous; and perceiving the strong disgust of the other tribes with the part assumed by Judah in the restoration, his ill-designing heart…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 20:5

• Abishai
• David

In the dictionaries

• Judah
• Judah, kingdom of Judah
• Judea, Judah
• Amasa
• Gibeon
• Heed
• Joab
• Sheba
• Wont
• Bible, the

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary