New International Version
2 Samuel 3:39
39And 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!”
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.
- 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.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)And even though I am the anointed king, these two sons of Zeruiah—Joab and Abishai—are too strong for me to control. So may the Lord repay these evil men for their evil deeds.”
Context of 2 Samuel 3:39
37So on that day all the people there and all Israel knew that the king had no part in the murder of Abner son of Ner. 38Then the king said to his men, “Do you not realize that a commander and a great man has fallen in Israel this day? 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!”
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“Anyone who strikes a person with a fatal blow is to be put to death.
- 2 Chronicles 19:6He told them, “Consider carefully what you do, because you are not judging for mere mortals but for the Lord, who is with you whenever you give a verdict.
- Psalms 75:10who says, “I will cut off the horns of all the wicked, but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.”
- Psalms 101:8Every morning I will put to silence all the wicked in the land; I will cut off every evildoer from the city of the Lord.
- Proverbs 20:8When a king sits on his throne to judge, he winnows out all evil with his eyes.
- Proverbs 25:5remove wicked officials from the king’s presence, and his throne will be established through righteousness.
- 1 Chronicles 22:5David said, “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the Lord should be of great magnificence and fame and splendor in the sight of all the nations. Therefore I will make preparations for it.” So David made extensive preparations before his death.
- Isaiah 7:4Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah.
- Romans 13:4For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
- 1 Chronicles 2:15the sixth Ozem and the seventh David.
- 2 Samuel 19:6You love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that the commanders and their men mean nothing to you. I see that you would be pleased if Absalom were alive today and all of us were dead.
- 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.
- Psalms 7:16The trouble they cause recoils on them; their violence comes down on their own heads.
- Psalms 28:4Repay them for their deeds and for their evil work; repay them for what their hands have done and bring back on them what they deserve.
- Psalms 62:12and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”; and, “You reward everyone according to what they have done.”
- 2 Timothy 4:14Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done.
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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