2 Samuel 20:10

2 Samuel 20:10 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand: so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But Amasa did not observe the sword that was in Joab's hand. So Joab struck him with it in the stomach and spilled his entrails to the ground without striking a second blow, and he died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But Amasa did not notice the sword that was in Joab’s hand. And he struck him with it in the stomach, and his entrails poured out on the ground; and he did not strike him again. Thus he died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Amasa didn’t notice the dagger in his left hand, and Joab stabbed him in the stomach with it so that his insides gushed out onto the ground. Joab did not need to strike again, and Amasa soon died. Joab and his brother Abishai left him lying there and continued after Sheba.

Context of 2 Samuel 20:10

8While they were at the great rock in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Joab was wearing his military tunic, and strapped over it at his waist was a belt with a dagger in its sheath. As he stepped forward, it dropped out of its sheath. 9Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my brother?” Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. Amasa was not on his guard against the dagger in Joab’s hand, and Joab plunged it into his belly, and his intestines spilled out on the ground. Without being stabbed again, Amasa died. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bikri. 11One of Joab’s men stood beside Amasa and said, “Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab!” 12Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road, and the man saw that all the troops came to a halt there. When he realized that everyone who came up to Amasa stopped, he dragged him from the road into a field and threw a garment over him.

2 Samuel 20:10 word by word

וַעֲמָשָׂ֨א לֹֽא־נִשְׁמַ֜ר בַּחֶ֣רֶב׀ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּיַד־יוֹאָ֗ב וַיַּכֵּהוּ֩ בָ֨הּ אֶל־הַחֹ֜מֶשׁ וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֨ךְ מֵעָ֥יו אַ֛רְצָה וְלֹא־שָׁ֥נָה ל֖וֹ וַיָּמֹ֑ת ס וְיוֹאָב֙ וַאֲבִישַׁ֣י אָחִ֔יו רָדַ֕ף אַחֲרֵ֖י שֶׁ֥בַע בֶּן־בִּכְרִֽי׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But Amasaעֲמָשָׂא‛ămâώâ' · AmasaH6021
• took no heedשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: look atH8104
• to the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• in Joab’sיוֹאָבyô'âb · JoabH3097
• handיָדyâd · handH3027
• so he smoteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• him therewith in the fifthחֹ֫מֶשׁchômesh · bellyH2570
• and shed outשָׁפַךְshâphak · to pour: pourH8210
• his bowelsמֵעֶהmê‛eh · bellyH4578
• to the groundאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: soilH776
• and struck him not againשָׁנָהshânâh · to repeatH8138
• and he diedמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• and Abishaiאֲבִישַׁי'ăbîyshay 'abshay · AbishaiH52
• his brotherאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
• pursuedרָדַףrâdaph · to pursueH7291
• afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• Shebaשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ · ShebaH7652
• the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Bichriבִּכְרִיbikrîy · BichriH1075

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 20:10

• 2 Samuel 20:9Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my brother?” Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
• Judges 3:21Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king’s belly.
• 1 Chronicles 12:2they were armed with bows and were able to shoot arrows or to sling stones right-handed or left-handed; they were relatives of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin):
• 2 Samuel 2:23But Asahel refused to give up the pursuit; so Abner thrust the butt of his spear into Asahel’s stomach, and the spear came out through his back. He fell there and died on the spot. And every man stopped when he came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died.
• 2 Samuel 3:27Now 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.
• Genesis 4:8Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
• 1 Kings 2:5“Now you yourself know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me—what he did to the two commanders of Israel’s armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He killed them, shedding their blood in peacetime as if in battle, and with that blood he stained the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet.
• Acts 1:18(With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out.
• 1 Samuel 26:8Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I won’t strike him twice.”

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 20:10

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10In the fifth rib - I believe חמש chomesh, which we render here and elsewhere the fifth rib, means any part of the abdominal region. The Septuagint translate it , the groin; the Targum, the right side of the thigh, i.e., (the phrase of the Targumist being interpreted), the privy parts. That it means some part of the abdominal region, is evident from what follows, And shed out his bowels to the ground. It appears from this that, in plain English, he ripped…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. 10Amasa … died: This was the second time Joab killed an enemy commander through deceit. The first was Abner (2 Samuel 3:26–27). David tried twice to unite enemy groups by including the enemy's military leader (2 Samuel 3:6–13; 17:25; 19:13). Both times, Joab ruined David's plans by deceitfully murdering the rival commander (2 Samuel 3:22–30).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1010. smote him ... in the fifth rib--the seat of the liver and bowels, where wounds are mortal. struck him not again--that is, despatched him at the first blow.Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 20:10

• Abishai
• Amasa
• Assassination
• Confidence
• David
• Homicide
• Joab
• Kiss
• Treachery

In the dictionaries

• Joab
• Sheba
• Amasa
• Gibeon
• Heed
• Murder
• Wont
• Abishai
• Bible, the
• Crime; Crimes

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