English Standard Version
1 Kings 2:32
32The Lord will bring back his bloody deeds on his own head, because, without the knowledge of my father David, he attacked and killed with the sword two men more righteous and better than himself, Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah.
1 Kings 2:32 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the Lord shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah.
- New International Version (NIV)The Lord will repay him for the blood he shed, because without my father David knowing it he attacked two men and killed them with the sword. Both of them—Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army—were better men and more upright than he.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So the Lord will return his blood on his head, because he struck down two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword—Abner the son of Ner, the commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, the commander of the army of Judah—though my father David did not know it.
- New Living Translation (NLT)The Lord will repay him for the murders of two men who were more righteous and better than he. For my father knew nothing about the deaths of Abner son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and of Amasa son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah.
Context of 1 Kings 2:32
30So Benaiah came to the tent of the Lord and said to him, "The king commands, 'Come out.'" But he said, "No, I will die here." Then Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, "Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me." 31The king replied to him, "Do as he has said, strike him down and bury him, and thus take away from me and from my father's house the guilt for the blood that Joab shed without cause. The Lord will bring back his bloody deeds on his own head, because, without the knowledge of my father David, he attacked and killed with the sword two men more righteous and better than himself, Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah. 33So shall their blood come back on the head of Joab and on the head of his descendants forever. But for David and for his descendants and for his house and for his throne there shall be peace from the Lord forevermore." 34Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and struck him down and put him to death. And he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.
Read all of 1 Kings 21 Kings 2:32 word by word
וְהֵשִׁיב֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֶת־דָּמ֜וֹ עַל־רֹאשׁ֗וֹ אֲשֶׁ֣ר פָּגַ֣ע בִּשְׁנֵֽי־אֲ֠נָשִׁים צַדִּקִ֨ים וְטֹבִ֤ים מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙ וַיַּהַרְגֵ֣ם בַּחֶ֔רֶב וְאָבִ֥י דָוִ֖ד לֹ֣א יָדָ֑ע אֶת־אַבְנֵ֤ר בֶּן־נֵר֙ שַׂר־צְבָ֣א יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאֶת־עֲמָשָׂ֥א בֶן־יֶ֖תֶר שַׂר־צְבָ֥א יְהוּדָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- shall returnשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- his bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
- upon his own headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
- who fellפָּגַעpâga‛ · to fall onH6293
- upon twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
- menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- more righteousצַדִּיקtsaddîyq · righteousH6662
- and betterטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
- than he, and slewהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
- them with the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
- my fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
- Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
- not knowingיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- Abnerאֲבִינֵר'abnêr 'ăbîynêr · AbnerH74
- the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of Nerנֵרnêr · NerH5369
- captainשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
- of the hostצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · armyH6635
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- and Amasaעֲמָשָׂא‛ămâώâ' · AmasaH6021
- of Jetherיֶ֫תֶרyether · JetherH3500
- of Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
Cross-references for 1 Kings 2:32
- 1 Kings 2:44The king also said to Shimei, "You know in your own heart all the harm that you did to David my father. So the Lord will bring back your harm on your own head.
- Genesis 4:11And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.
- Judges 9:24that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers.
- Psalms 7:16His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends.
- 2 Samuel 3:27And when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him privately, and there he struck him in the stomach, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.
- 2 Samuel 20:10But Amasa did not observe the sword that was in Joab's hand. So Joab struck him with it in the stomach and spilled his entrails to the ground without striking a second blow, and he died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri.
- 1 Samuel 15:28And Samuel said to him, "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.
- 2 Samuel 4:11How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now require his blood at your hand and destroy you from the earth?"
- 2 Chronicles 21:13but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel and have enticed Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem into whoredom, as the house of Ahab led Israel into whoredom, and also you have killed your brothers, of your father's house, who were better than you,
- Esther 1:19If it please the king, let a royal order go out from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes so that it may not be repealed, that Vashti is never again to come before King Ahasuerus. And let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she.
- 2 Samuel 3:26When Joab came out from David's presence, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern of Sirah. But David did not know about it.
- 1 Kings 2:5"Moreover, you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel, Abner the son of Ner, and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed, avenging in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war, and putting the blood of war on the belt around his waist and on the sandals on his feet.
- 2 Samuel 17:25Now Absalom had set Amasa over the army instead of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra the Ishmaelite, who had married Abigal the daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab's mother.
Commentaries on 1 Kings 2:32
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 32Shalt return his blood - i. e. “his shedding of blood.”Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 26-34Verses 26-34 Solomon's words to Abiathar, and his silence, imply that some recent conspiracies had been entered into. Those that show kindness to God's people shall have it remembered to their advantage. For this reason Solomon spares Abiathar's life, but dismisses him from his offices. In case of such sins as the blood of beasts would atone for, the altar was a refuge, but not in Joab's case. Solomon looks upward to God as the Author of peace, and…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 26-35Solomon believed that Adonijah's main supporters, Abiathar and Joab, were still part of Adonijah's plans, so he took action against them too.Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Kings 2:32
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Kings 2
- 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
- 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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