New American Standard Bible 2020

2 Samuel 3:27-39

27So when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him privately, and there 1he struck him in the belly, so that he died on account of the blood of his brother Asahel. 28Afterward, when David heard about this, he said, “I and my kingdom are innocent before the Lord forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner. 29 2May it turn upon the head of Joab and on all his father’s house; and may there not be eliminated from the house of Joab 3someone who suffers a discharge, or has leprosy, or 4holds the spindle, or falls by the sword, or lacks bread.” 30So Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner 5because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon.

31Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “6Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner.” And King David walked behind the bier. 32And they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king raised his voice and wept at 7the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. 33And 8the king sang a song of mourning for Abner and said, “Should Abner die as a fool dies?34Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put in bronze shackles; As one falls before the 9wicked, you have fallen.” And all the people wept over him again. 35Then all the people came 10to provide 11food for David in his distress while it was still day; but David vowed, saying, “12May God do so to me, and more so, if I taste bread or anything else 13before the sun goes down.” 36Now all the people took note of David’s vow, and it 14pleased them, just as everything that the king did 15pleased all the people. 37So all the people and all Israel understood on that day that it had not been the desire 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 leader and a great man has fallen in Israel this day? 39And I am 16weak today, though anointed king; and these men, 17the sons of Zeruiah, are too difficult for me. 18May the Lord repay the evildoer in proportion to his evil.”

Read all of 2 Samuel 3

Notes

1. 2 Samuel 3:27 2 Sam 2:23; 20:9, 10; 1 Kin 2:5 ↩
2. 2 Samuel 3:29 Deut 21:6-9; 1 Kin 2:31-33 ↩
3. 2 Samuel 3:29 Lev 13:46 ↩
4. 2 Samuel 3:29 I.e., an effeminate man; LXX holds on to a staff (prob. a crutch) ↩
5. 2 Samuel 3:30 2 Sam 2:23 ↩
6. 2 Samuel 3:31 Gen 37:34; Judg 11:35 ↩
7. 2 Samuel 3:32 Job 31:28, 29; Prov 24:17 ↩
8. 2 Samuel 3:33 2 Sam 1:17; 2 Chr 35:25 ↩
9. 2 Samuel 3:34 Lit sons of wickedness ↩
10. 2 Samuel 3:35 2 Sam 12:17 ↩
11. 2 Samuel 3:35 Lit bread ↩
12. 2 Samuel 3:35 1 Sam 3:17 ↩
13. 2 Samuel 3:35 2 Sam 1:12 ↩
14. 2 Samuel 3:36 Lit was good in their eyes ↩
15. 2 Samuel 3:36 Lit was good in the eyes of all ↩
16. 2 Samuel 3:39 1 Chr 29:1; 2 Chr 13:7 ↩
17. 2 Samuel 3:39 2 Sam 19:5-7 ↩
18. 2 Samuel 3:39 1 Kin 2:32-34 ↩

Notes

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 3