2 Samuel 20:4

2 Samuel 20:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be thou here present.
• New International Version (NIV)Then the king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then the king said to Amasa, "Call the men of Judah together to me within three days, and be here yourself."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the king said to Amasa, “Assemble the men of Judah for me within three days, and be present here yourself.”

Context of 2 Samuel 20:4

2So all the men of Israel withdrew from following David and followed Sheba the son of Bichri; but the men of Judah remained steadfast to their king, from the Jordan even to Jerusalem. 3Then David came to his house at Jerusalem, and the king took the ten women, the concubines whom he had left to keep the house, and placed them under guard and provided them with sustenance, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up until the day of their death, living as widows. Then the king said to Amasa, “Call out the men of Judah for me within three days, and be present here yourself.” 5So Amasa went to call out the men of Judah, but he delayed longer than the set time which he had appointed him. 6And David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom; take your lord’s servants and pursue him, so that he does not find for himself fortified cities and escape from our sight.”

2 Samuel 20:4 word by word

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ אֶל־עֲמָשָׂ֔א הַזְעֶק־לִ֥י אֶת־אִישׁ־יְהוּדָ֖ה שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֑ים וְאַתָּ֖ה פֹּ֥ה עֲמֹֽד׃Read the interlinear

• Then the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Amasaעֲמָשָׂא‛ămâώâ' · AmasaH6021
• Callזָעַקzâ‛aq · to cry outH2199
• out the menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• of Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
• for me within threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
• daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• and be presentעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
• hereפֹּהpôh pô' pô · hereH6311
• yourselfאַתָּ֫ה'attâh 'attâ 'ath 'attîy 'attem 'atten 'attênâh 'attênnâh · you(m.s.)H859

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 20:4

• 2 Samuel 17:25Absalom set Amasa over the army in place of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Ithra the Israelite, who went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother.
• 2 Samuel 19:13Say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? May God do so to me, and more also, if you will not be commander of the army before me continually in place of Joab.’”
• 1 Chronicles 2:17Abigail bore Amasa, and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmaelite.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 20:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Then said the king to Amasa - Thus he invests him with the command of the army, and sends him to collect the men of Judah, and to come back to receive his orders in relation to Sheba, in three days. It appears that Amasa found more difficulty in collecting his country-men than was at first supposed; and this detaining him beyond the three days, David, fearing that Sheba's rebellion would get head, sent Abishai, who it appears was accompanied by Joab, to…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4To Amasa … - Evidently feeling his way toward fulfilling the promise to Amasa (marginal reference).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. 44. Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days--Amasa is now installed in the command which David had promised him. The revolt of the ten tribes, probably, hastened the public declaration of this appointment, which he hoped would be popular with them, and Amasa was ordered within three days to levy a force from Judah sufficient to put down the insurrection. The appointment was a blunder, and the king soon perceived his…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 20:4

• Abishai
• David
• Muster

In the dictionaries

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

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