2 Samuel 3:12

2 Samuel 3:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, Whose is the land? saying also, Make thy league with me, and, behold, my hand shall be with thee, to bring about all Israel unto thee.
• New International Version (NIV)Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to say to David, “Whose land is it? Make an agreement with me, and I will help you bring all Israel over to you.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, "To whom does the land belong? Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring over all Israel to you."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to David, saying, “Whose is the land?” saying also, “Make your covenant with me, and indeed my hand shall be with you to bring all Israel to you.”

Context of 2 Samuel 3:12

10to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish the throne of David over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beer-sheba.” 11Ish-bosheth did not dare respond to Abner because he was afraid of him. Abner sent messengers as his representatives to say to David, “Whose land is it? Make your covenant with me, and you can be certain I am on your side to turn all Israel over to you.” 13David replied, “Good, I will make a covenant with you. However, there’s one thing I require of you: You will not see my face unless you first bring Saul’s daughter Michal when you come to see me.” 14Then David sent messengers to say to Ish-bosheth son of Saul, “Give me back my wife Michal. I was engaged to her for the price of a hundred Philistine foreskins.”

2 Samuel 3:12 word by word

וַיִּשְׁלַח֩ אַבְנֵ֨ר מַלְאָכִ֧ים׀ אֶל־דָּוִ֛ד תַּחְתָּ֥יו לֵאמֹ֖ר לְמִי־אָ֑רֶץ לֵאמֹ֗ר כָּרְתָ֤ה בְרִֽיתְךָ֙ אִתִּ֔י וְהִנֵּה֙ יָדִ֣י עִמָּ֔ךְ לְהָסֵ֥ב אֵלֶ֖יךָ אֶת־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Abnerאֲבִינֵר'abnêr 'ăbîynêr · AbnerH74
• sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• messengersמַלְאָךְmal'âk · messengerH4397
• to Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• on his behalf, sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• Makeכָּרַתkârath · to cut: make(covenant)H3772
• thy leagueבְּרִיתberîyth · covenantH1285
• with me, and, behold, my handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• with thee, to bring aboutסָבַבsâbab · to turn: turnH5437
• all Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 3:12

• 2 Samuel 19:6by loving your enemies and hating those who love you! Today you have made it clear that the commanders and soldiers mean nothing to you. In fact, today I know that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead, it would be fine with you!
• 2 Samuel 20:1Now a wicked man, a Benjaminite named Sheba son of Bichri, happened to be there. He blew the ram’s horn and shouted: We have no portion in David, no inheritance in Jesse’s son. Each man to his tent, Israel!
• Psalms 62:9Common people are only a vapor; important people, an illusion. Together on a scale, they weigh less than a vapor.
• Luke 16:5“So he summoned each one of his master’s debtors. ‘How much do you owe my master? ’ he asked the first one.
• 2 Samuel 3:21Abner said to David, “Let me now go and I will gather all Israel to my lord the king. They will make a covenant with you, and you will reign over all you desire.” So David dismissed Abner, and he went in peace.
• 2 Samuel 5:1All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood.
• 2 Samuel 19:14So he won over all the men of Judah, and they unanimously sent word to the king: “Come back, you and all your servants.”
• 1 Chronicles 11:1All Israel came together to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood.
• Matthew 21:8A very large crowd spread their clothes on the road; others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 3:12

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Whose is the land? - Meaning, Is not the land thine by God‘s promise?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. 12In the proposed solemn pact (or covenant), Abner acknowledged that David would become king. Abner may have hoped to serve as David’s chief leader under him (that is, second in authority).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 12-1312-13. Abner sent messengers to David--Though his language implied a secret conviction, that in supporting Ish-bosheth he had been laboring to frustrate the divine purpose of conferring the sovereignty of the kingdom on David, this acknowledgment was no justification either of the measure he was now adopting, or of the motives that prompted it. Nor does it seem possible to uphold the full integrity and honor of David's conduct in entertaining his secret…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 3:12

• Abner
• Conspiracy
• Ish-Bosheth
• Treason

In the dictionaries

• Abner
• David
• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Communication
• Ishbosheth
• Sackcloth
• Translate
• Covenant, in the Old Testament

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