Berean Standard Bible
2 Samuel 3:39
39And I am weak this day, though anointed as king, and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too fierce for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer according to his evil!”
2 Samuel 3:39 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah be too hard for me: the Lord shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness.
- New International Version (NIV)And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah are too strong for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer according to his evil deeds!”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And I was gentle today, though anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are more severe than I. The Lord repay the evildoer according to his wickedness!"
- New King James Version (NKJV)And I am weak today, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too harsh for me. The Lord shall repay the evildoer according to his wickedness.”
Context of 2 Samuel 3:39
37So on that day all the troops and all Israel were convinced that the king had no part in the murder of Abner son of Ner. 38Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not realize that a great prince has fallen today in Israel? And I am weak this day, though anointed as king, and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too fierce for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer according to his evil!”
Read all of 2 Samuel 32 Samuel 3:39 word by word
וְאָנֹכִ֨י הַיּ֥וֹם רַךְ֙ וּמָשׁ֣וּחַ מֶ֔לֶךְ וְהָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים הָאֵ֛לֶּה בְּנֵ֥י צְרוּיָ֖ה קָשִׁ֣ים מִמֶּ֑נִּי יְשַׁלֵּ֧ם יְהוָ֛ה לְעֹשֵׂ֥ה הָרָעָ֖ה כְּרָעָתֽוֹ׃ פRead the interlinear
- And Iאָֽנֹכִ֫י'ânôkîy · IH595
- weakרַךְrak · tenderH7390
- this dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- though anointedמָשַׁחmâshach · to anointH4886
- as kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- and theseאֵ֫לֶּה'êlleh · theseH428
- menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- the sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of Zeruiahצְרוּיָהtserûyâh · ZeruiahH6870
- are too fierceקָשֶׁהqâsheh · severeH7186
- for meמִן־min minnîy minnêy · fromH4480
- May the LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- repayשָׁלֵםshâlam · to completeH7999
- the evildoerעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- the evildoerרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: evilH7451
Cross-references for 2 Samuel 3:39
- Exodus 21:12Whoever strikes and kills a man must surely be put to death.
- 2 Chronicles 19:6Then he said to the judges, “Consider carefully what you do, for you are not judging for man, but for the LORD, who is with you when you render judgment.
- Psalms 75:10“All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous will be exalted.”
- Psalms 101:8Every morning I will remove all the wicked of the land, that I may cut off every evildoer from the city of the LORD.
- Proverbs 20:8A king who sits on a throne to judge sifts out all evil with his eyes.
- Proverbs 25:5Remove the wicked from the king’s presence, and his throne will be established in righteousness.
- 1 Chronicles 22:5And David said, “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the LORD must be exceedingly magnificent—famous and glorious throughout all lands. Therefore I must make preparations for it.” So David made lavish preparations before his death.
- Isaiah 7:4and say to him: Calm down and be quiet. Do not be afraid or disheartened over these two smoldering stubs of firewood—over the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah.
- Romans 13:4For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer.
- 1 Chronicles 2:15Ozem sixth, and David seventh.
- 2 Samuel 19:6You love those who hate you and hate those who love you! For you have made it clear today that the commanders and soldiers mean nothing to you. I know today that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead, it would have pleased you!
- 1 Kings 2:5Moreover, you know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me—what he did to Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether, the two commanders of the armies of Israel. He killed them in peacetime to avenge the blood of war. He stained with the blood of war the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet.
- Psalms 7:16His trouble recoils on himself, and his violence falls on his own head.
- Psalms 28:4Repay them according to their deeds and for their works of evil. Repay them for what their hands have done; bring back on them what they deserve.
- Psalms 62:12and loving devotion to You, O Lord. For You will repay each man according to his deeds.
- 2 Timothy 4:14Alexander the coppersmith did great harm to me. The Lord will repay him according to his deeds.
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 3:39
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 39I am this day weak - Had Abner lived, all the tribes of Israel would have been brought under my government. Though anointed king - I have little else than the title: first, having only one tribe under my government; and secondly, the sons of Zeruiah, Joab and his brethren, having usurped all the power, and reduced me to the shadow of royalty. The Lord shall reward the doer of evil - That is, Joab, whom he appears afraid to name. We talk much of ancient…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-39Verses 22-39 Judgments are prepared for such scorners as Abner; but Joab, in what he did, acted wickedly. David laid Abner's murder deeply to heart, and in many ways expressed his detestation of it. The guilt of blood brings a curse upon families: if men do not avenge it, God will. It is a sad thing to die like a fool, as they do that any way shorten their own days, and those who make no provision for another world. Who would be fond of power, when a man…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 39too fierce for me: Just as Ish-bosheth could not control Abner, David could not control Joab. However, David had faith that the Lord would repay Joab for murdering Abner.Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Samuel 3:39
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
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