New King James Version
2 Samuel 3:13
13And David said, “Good, I will make a covenant with you. But one thing I require of you: you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see my face.”
2 Samuel 3:13 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he said, Well; I will make a league with thee: but one thing I require of thee, that is, Thou shalt not see my face, except thou first bring Michal Saul’s daughter, when thou comest to see my face.
- New International Version (NIV)“Good,” said David. “I will make an agreement with you. But I demand one thing of you: Do not come into my presence unless you bring Michal daughter of Saul when you come to see me.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And he said, "Good; I will make a covenant with you. But one thing I require of you; that is, you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when you come to see my face."
- New Living Translation (NLT)“All right,” David replied, “but I will not negotiate with you unless you bring back my wife Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come.”
Context of 2 Samuel 3:13
11And he could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him. 12Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to David, saying, “Whose is the land?” saying also, “Make your covenant with me, and indeed my hand shall be with you to bring all Israel to you.” And David said, “Good, I will make a covenant with you. But one thing I require of you: you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see my face.” 14So David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.” 15And Ishbosheth sent and took her from her husband, from Paltiel the son of Laish.
Read all of 2 Samuel 32 Samuel 3:13 word by word
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ט֔וֹב אֲנִ֕י אֶכְרֹ֥ת אִתְּךָ֖ בְּרִ֑ית אַ֣ךְ דָּבָ֣ר אֶחָ֡ד אָנֹכִי֩ שֹׁאֵ֨ל מֵאִתְּךָ֤ לֵאמֹר֙ לֹא־תִרְאֶ֣ה אֶת־פָּנַ֔י כִּ֣י׀ אִם־לִפְנֵ֣י הֱבִיאֲךָ֗ אֵ֚ת מִיכַ֣ל בַּת־שָׁא֔וּל בְּבֹאֲךָ֖ לִרְא֥וֹת אֶת־פָּנָֽי׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Wellטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
- I will makeכָּרַתkârath · to cut: make(covenant)H3772
- a leagueבְּרִיתberîyth · covenantH1285
- with thee: but oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
- thingדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
- I requireשָׁאַלshâ'al shâ'êl · to askH7592
- Thou shalt not seeרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- my faceפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
- bringבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
- Michalמִיכַלmîykâl · MichalH4324
- Saul’sשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
- daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
- when thou comestבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
Cross-references for 2 Samuel 3:13
- Genesis 43:3But Judah spoke to him, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’
- Genesis 44:23But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.’
- 2 Samuel 3:20So Abner and twenty men with him came to David at Hebron. And David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him.
- 1 Samuel 18:20Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.
- 1 Samuel 19:11Saul also sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and to kill him in the morning. And Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, “If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.”
- 1 Chronicles 15:29And it happened, as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came to the City of David, that Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David whirling and playing music; and she despised him in her heart.
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 3:13
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13Except thou first bring Michal - David had already six wives at Hebron; and none of them could have such pretensions to legitimacy as Michal, who had been taken away from him and married to Phaltiel. However distressing it was to take her from a husband who loved her most tenderly, (see 2 Samuel 3:16;), yet prudence and policy required that he should strengthen his own interest in the kingdom as much as possible; and that he should not leave a princess in…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13David‘s motive in requiring the restitution of Michal was partly his affection for her, and his memory of her love for him; partly the wish to wipe out the affront put upon him in taking away his wife, by obtaining her return; and partly, also, a politic consideration of the effect on Saul‘s partisans of a daughter of Saul being David‘s queen.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-21Verses 7-21 Many, like Abner, are not above committing base crimes, who are too proud to bear reproof, or even the suspicion of being guilty. While men go on in sin, and apparently without concern, they are often conscious that they are fighting against God. Many mean to serve their own purposes; and will betray those who trust them, when they can get any advantage. Yet the Lord serves his own designs, even by those who are thus actuated by revenge…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13Saul had given his daughter Michal to David as his wife (1 Samuel 18:20–27). However, when Michal saved David’s life from her father (1 Samuel 19:11–17), Saul ended the marriage and gave Michal to another man, Palti (1 Samuel 25:44). If David got her back now, it would strengthen his claim to Saul’s kingdom (see 1 Kings 2:13–25).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 12-1312-13. Abner sent messengers to David--Though his language implied a secret conviction, that in supporting Ish-bosheth he had been laboring to frustrate the divine purpose of conferring the sovereignty of the kingdom on David, this acknowledgment was no justification either of the measure he was now adopting, or of the motives that prompted it. Nor does it seem possible to uphold the full integrity and honor of David's conduct in entertaining his secret…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Samuel 3:13
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries