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 deserted David and followed Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stuck by their king all the way from the Jordan River to Jerusalem. 3Then David went to his palace in Jerusalem. The king took the ten concubines he had left to care for the palace and placed them under confinement. Though he provided for their needs, he did not have sexual relations with them. They remained in confinement until the day they died, living out the rest of their lives as widows. Then the king said to Amasa, “Call the men of Judah together for me in three days, and you be present here with them too.” 5So Amasa went out to call Judah together. But in doing so he took longer than the time that the king had allotted him. 6Then David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba son of Bicri will cause greater disaster for us than Absalom did! Take your lord’s servants and pursue him. Otherwise he will secure fortified cities for himself and get away from us.”

2 Samuel 20:4 word by word

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• to Amasaעֲמָשָׂא‛ămâώâ' · AmasaH6021
• Assembleזָעַקzâ‛aq · to cry outH2199
• me the menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• of Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
• within threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
• daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• and be thou here presentעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 20:4

• 2 Samuel 17:25Absalom had made Amasa general in command of the army in place of Joab. (Now Amasa was the son of an Israelite man named Jether, who had married Abigail the daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother.)
• 2 Samuel 19:13Say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my flesh and blood? God will punish me severely, if from this time on you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!’”
• 1 Chronicles 2:17Abigail bore Amasa, whose father 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