New English Translation
2 Samuel 3:39
39Today I am weak, even though I am anointed as king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too much for me to bear! May the Lord punish appropriately the one who has done this evil thing!”
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
37All the people and all Israel realized on that day that the killing of Abner son of Ner was not done at the king’s instigation. 38Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not realize that a great leader has fallen this day in Israel? Today I am weak, even though I am anointed as king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too much for me to bear! May the Lord punish appropriately the one who has done this evil thing!”
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
Words taken from the KJV.
- this dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- weakרַךְrak · tenderH7390
- though anointedמָשַׁחmâshach · to anointH4886
- kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- and these menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- the sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of Zeruiahצְרוּיָהtserûyâh · ZeruiahH6870
- too hardקָשֶׁהqâsheh · severeH7186
- for me: the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- shall rewardשָׁלֵםshâlam · to completeH7999
- the doer of evilעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- according to his wickednessרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: harmfulH7451
Cross-references for 2 Samuel 3:39
- Exodus 21:12“Whoever strikes someone so that he dies must surely be put to death.
- 2 Chronicles 19:6He told the judges, “Be careful what you do, for you are not judging for men, but for the Lord, who will be with you when you make judicial decisions.
- Psalms 75:10God says, “I will bring down all the power of the wicked; the godly will be victorious.”
- Psalms 101:8Each morning I will destroy all the wicked people in the land, and remove all evildoers from the city of the Lord.
- Proverbs 20:8A king sitting on the throne to judge separates out all evil with his eyes.
- Proverbs 25:5remove the wicked from before the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness.
- 1 Chronicles 22:5David said, “My son Solomon is just an inexperienced young man, and the temple to be built for the Lord must be especially magnificent so it will become famous and be considered splendid by all the nations. Therefore I will make preparations for its construction.” So David made extensive preparations before he died.
- Isaiah 7:4Tell him, ‘Make sure you stay calm! Don’t be afraid! Don’t be intimidated by these two stubs of smoking logs, or by the raging anger of Rezin, Syria, and the son of Remaliah.
- Romans 13:4for it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be in fear, for it does not bear the sword in vain. It is God’s servant to administer retribution on the wrongdoer.
- 1 Chronicles 2:15Ozem sixth, David seventh.
- 2 Samuel 19:6You seem to love your enemies and hate your friends! For you have as much as declared today that leaders and servants don’t matter to you. I realize now that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, it would be all right with you.
- 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.
- Psalms 7:16He becomes the victim of his own destructive plans and the violence he intended for others falls on his own head.
- Psalms 28:4Pay them back for their evil deeds! Pay them back for what they do! Punish them!
- Psalms 62:12and you, O Lord, demonstrate loyal love. For you repay men for what they do.
- 2 Timothy 4:14Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him in keeping with 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
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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