New English Translation
2 Samuel 3:27
27When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside at the gate as if to speak privately with him. Joab then stabbed him in the abdomen and killed him, avenging the shed blood of his brother Asahel.
2 Samuel 3:27 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there under the fifth rib, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.
- New International Version (NIV)Now when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into an inner chamber, as if to speak with him privately. And there, to avenge the blood of his brother Asahel, Joab stabbed him in the stomach, and he died.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And 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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now when Abner had returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him privately, and there stabbed him in the stomach, so that he died for the blood of Asahel his brother.
Context of 2 Samuel 3:27
25You know Abner the son of Ner! Surely he came here to spy on you and to determine when you leave and when you return and to discover everything that you are doing!” 26Then Joab left David and sent messengers after Abner. They brought him back from the well of Sirah. (But David was not aware of it.) When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside at the gate as if to speak privately with him. Joab then stabbed him in the abdomen and killed him, avenging the shed blood of his brother Asahel. 28When David later heard about this, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the Lord of the shed blood of Abner son of Ner! 29May his blood whirl over the head of Joab and the entire house of his father! May the males of Joab’s house never cease to have someone with a running sore or a skin disease or one who works at the spindle or one who falls by the sword or one who lacks food!”
Read all of 2 Samuel 32 Samuel 3:27 word by word
וַיָּ֤שָׁב אַבְנֵר֙ חֶבְר֔וֹן וַיַּטֵּ֤הוּ יוֹאָב֙ אֶל־תּ֣וֹךְ הַשַּׁ֔עַר לְדַבֵּ֥ר אִתּ֖וֹ בַּשֶּׁ֑לִי וַיַּכֵּ֤הוּ שָׁם֙ הַחֹ֔מֶשׁ וַיָּ֕מָת בְּדַ֖ם עֲשָׂה־אֵ֥ל אָחִֽיו׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And when Abnerאֲבִינֵר'abnêr 'ăbîynêr · AbnerH74
- was returnedשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- to Hebronחֶבְרוֹןchebrôn · HebronH2275
- Joabיוֹאָבyô'âb · JoabH3097
- took him asideנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186
- inתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
- inאֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
- the gateשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
- to speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- with him quietlyשְׁלִיshelîy · quietnessH7987
- and smoteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
- him there under the fifthחֹ֫מֶשׁchômesh · bellyH2570
- that he diedמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- for the bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
- of Asahelעֲשָׂהאֵל‛ăώâh'êl · AsahelH6214
- his brotherאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
Cross-references for 2 Samuel 3:27
- 2 Samuel 20:9Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my brother?” With his right hand Joab took hold of Amasa’s beard as if to greet him with a kiss.
- Deuteronomy 27:24‘Cursed is the one who kills his neighbor in private.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’
- 1 Kings 2:5“You know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me – how he murdered two commanders of the Israelite armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. During peacetime he struck them down like he would in battle; when he shed their blood as if in battle, he stained his own belt and the sandals on his feet.
- Jeremiah 41:2Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him stood up, pulled out their swords, and killed Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan. Thus Ishmael killed the man that the king of Babylon had appointed to govern the country.
- Jeremiah 6:7As a well continually pours out fresh water so it continually pours out wicked deeds. Sounds of violence and destruction echo throughout it. All I see are sick and wounded people.’
- 2 Samuel 3:6As the war continued between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was becoming more influential in the house of Saul.
- 2 Samuel 4:6They entered the house under the pretense of getting wheat and mortally wounded him in the stomach. Then Recab and his brother Baanah escaped.
- 2 Samuel 2:19Asahel chased Abner, without turning to the right or to the left as he followed Abner.
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 3:27
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 27And smote him there - Joab feared that, after having rendered such essential services to David, Abner would be made captain of the host: he therefore determined to prevent it by murdering the man, under pretense of avenging the death of his brother Asahel. The murder, however, was one of the most unprovoked and wicked: and such was the power and influence of this nefarious general, that the king dared not to bring him to justice for his crime. In the same…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. 27as if to speak to him privately: Joab accused Abner of acting with deception (2 Samuel 3:25). However, Joab himself used deception when he drew Abner aside in order to kill him. on account of the blood: Joab acted according to the custom of blood vengeance (the practice of killing the person who had killed a close family member).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 24-2724-27. Joab came to the king, and said, What hast thou done?--Joab's knowledge of Abner's wily character might have led him to doubt the sincerity of that person's proposals and to disapprove the policy of relying on his fidelity. But undoubtedly there were other reasons of a private and personal nature which made Joab displeased and alarmed by the reception given to Abner. The military talents of that general, his popularity with the army, his influence…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Samuel 3:27
In the dictionaries
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
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