American Standard Version
2 Samuel 3:8
8Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ish-bosheth, and said, Am I a dog’s head that belongeth to Judah? This day do I show kindness unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David; and yet thou chargest me this day with a fault concerning this woman.
2 Samuel 3:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ish–bosheth, and said, Am I a dog’s head, which against Judah do shew kindness this day unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou chargest me to day with a fault concerning this woman?
- New International Version (NIV)Abner was very angry because of what Ish-Bosheth said. So he answered, “Am I a dog’s head—on Judah’s side? This very day I am loyal to the house of your father Saul and to his family and friends. I haven’t handed you over to David. Yet now you accuse me of an offense involving this woman!
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then Abner was very angry over the words of Ish-bosheth and said, "Am I a dog's head of Judah? To this day I keep showing steadfast love to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not given you into the hand of David. And yet you charge me today with a fault concerning a woman.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Abner became very angry at the words of Ishbosheth, and said, “Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show loyalty to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David; and you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman?
Context of 2 Samuel 3:8
6And it came to pass, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made himself strong in the house of Saul. 7Now Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: andIsh-boshethsaid to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my father’s concubine? Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ish-bosheth, and said, Am I a dog’s head that belongeth to Judah? This day do I show kindness unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David; and yet thou chargest me this day with a fault concerning this woman. 9God do so to Abner, and more also, if, as Jehovah hath sworn to David, I do not even so to him; 10to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beer-sheba.
Read all of 2 Samuel 32 Samuel 3:8 word by word
וַיִּחַר֩ לְאַבְנֵ֨ר מְאֹ֜ד עַל־דִּבְרֵ֣י אִֽישׁ־בֹּ֗שֶׁת וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הֲרֹ֨אשׁ כֶּ֥לֶב אָנֹ֘כִי֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לִֽיהוּדָה֒ הַיּ֨וֹם אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־חֶ֜סֶד עִם־בֵּ֣ית׀ שָׁא֣וּל אָבִ֗יךָ אֶל־אֶחָיו֙ וְאֶל־מֵ֣רֵעֵ֔הוּ וְלֹ֥א הִמְצִיתִ֖ךָ בְּיַד־דָּוִ֑ד וַתִּפְקֹ֥ד עָלַ֛י עֲוֹ֥ן הָאִשָּׁ֖ה הַיּֽוֹם׃Read the interlinear
- Abnerאֲבִינֵר'abnêr 'ăbîynêr · AbnerH74
- veryמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
- wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- Ish-boshethאִישׁ־בֹ֫שֶׁת'îysh-bôsheth · Ish-boshethH378
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- dog’sכֶּ֫לֶבkeleb · dogH3611
- headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
- Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
- dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
- Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
- fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
- friendsמֵרֵעַmêrêa‛ · companionH4828
- handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
- Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
- womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
Cross-references for 2 Samuel 3:8
- Psalms 76:10Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: The residue of wrath shalt thou gird upon thee.
- Mark 6:18For John said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.
- 2 Samuel 9:8And he did obeisance, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?
- 2 Samuel 16:9Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.
- Deuteronomy 23:18Thou shalt not bring the hire of a harlot, or the wages of a dog, into the house of Jehovah thy God for any vow: for even both these are an abomination unto Jehovah thy God.
- 1 Samuel 24:14After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
- 2 Kings 8:13And Hazael said, But what is thy servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, Jehovah hath showed me that thou shalt be king over Syria.
- 2 Samuel 2:9and he made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
- 2 Samuel 5:2In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was thou that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and Jehovah said to thee, Thou shalt be shepherd of my people Israel, and thou shalt be prince over Israel.
- 1 Samuel 15:23For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
- Psalms 2:1Why do the nations rage, And the peoples meditate a vain thing?
- Isaiah 37:23Whom hast thou defied and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel.
- Acts 9:4and he fell upon the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 3:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8Am I a dog's head - Dost thou treat a man with indignity who has been the only prop of thy tottering kingdom, and the only person who could make head against the house of David?Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8The words against Judah are very obscure. If the text be correct, the words would seem to be Ish-bosheth‘s, who in his anger had charged Abner with being a vile partisan of Judah: Abner retorts, “Am I (as you say) a dog‘s head which belongeth to Judah, or on Judah‘s side! This day I show you kindness, etc., and this day thou chargest me with a fault, etc.”Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-21Verses 7-21 Many, like Abner, are not above committing base crimes, who are too proud to bear reproof, or even the suspicion of being guilty. While men go on in sin, and apparently without concern, they are often conscious that they are fighting against God. Many mean to serve their own purposes; and will betray those who trust them, when they can get any advantage. Yet the Lord serves his own designs, even by those who are thus actuated by revenge…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8a dog that belongs to Judah: See 1 Samuel 17:43. have not delivered you into the hand of David: Abner had control over the life and death of Saul’s son.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 6-116-11. Abner made himself strong for the house of Saul--In the East, the wives and concubines of a king are the property of his successor to this extent, that for a private person to aspire to marry one of them would be considered a virtual advance of pretensions to the crown (see 1Ki 2:17). It is not clear whether the accusation against Abner was well or ill founded. But he resented the charge as an indignity, and, impelled by revenge, determined to…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Samuel 3:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 3
- 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
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries