New American Standard Bible 1995
2 Samuel 3:39
39I am 1weak today, though anointed king; and these men 2the sons of Zeruiah are too difficult for me. 3May 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 all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the will of the king to put Abner the son of Ner to death. 38Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? I am weak today, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too difficult 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
- weakרַךְrak · tenderH7390
- todayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- though anointedמָשַׁחmâshach · to anointH4886
- kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- and theseאֵ֫לֶּה'êlleh · theseH428
- menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- the sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of Zeruiahצְרוּיָהtserûyâh · ZeruiahH6870
- are tooמִן־min minnîy minnêy · fromH4480
- difficultקָשֶׁהqâsheh · severeH7186
- May the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- repayשָׁלֵםshâlam · to completeH7999
- the evildoerעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
Cross-references for 2 Samuel 3:39
- Exodus 21:12“He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death.
- 2 Chronicles 19:6He said to the judges, “Consider what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the Lord who is with you when you render judgment.
- Psalms 75:10And all the horns of the wicked He will cut off, But the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.
- Psalms 101:8Every morning I will destroy all the wicked of the land, So as to cut off from the city of the Lord all those who do iniquity.
- Proverbs 20:8A king who sits on the throne of justice Disperses all evil with his eyes.
- Proverbs 25:5Take away the wicked before the king, And his throne will be established in righteousness.
- 1 Chronicles 22:5David said, “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the Lord shall be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all lands. Therefore now I will make preparation for it.” So David made ample preparations before his death.
- Isaiah 7:4and say to him, ‘Take care and be calm, have no fear and do not be fainthearted because of these two stubs of smoldering firebrands, on account of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah.
- Romans 13:4for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.
- 1 Chronicles 2:15Ozem the sixth, David the seventh;
- 2 Samuel 19:6by loving those who hate you, and by hating those who love you. For you have shown today that princes and servants are nothing to you; for I know this day that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then you would be pleased.
- 1 Kings 2:5“Now you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner, and to Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed; he also shed the blood of war in peace. And he put the blood of war on his belt about his waist, and on his sandals on his feet.
- Psalms 7:16His mischief will return upon his own head, And his violence will descend upon his own pate.
- Psalms 28:4Requite them according to their work and according to the evil of their practices; Requite them according to the deeds of their hands; Repay them their recompense.
- Psalms 62:12And lovingkindness is Yours, O Lord, For You recompense a man according to his work.
- 2 Timothy 4:14Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm; 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
Notes
- 1. 2 Samuel 3:39 1 Chr 29:1; 2 Chr 13:7 ↩
- 2. 2 Samuel 3:39 2 Sam 19:5-7 ↩
- 3. 2 Samuel 3:39 1 Kin 2:32-34 ↩
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
New American Standard Bible 1995 — © 1960–1995 The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Commentaries