2 Samuel 3:13

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 King James Version (NKJV)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.”

Context of 2 Samuel 3:13

11Ishbosheth didn’t dare say another word because he was afraid of what Abner might do. 12Then Abner sent messengers to David, saying, “Doesn’t the entire land belong to you? Make a solemn pact with me, and I will help turn over all of Israel to you.” “All right,” David replied, “but I will not negotiate with you unless you bring back my wife Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come.” 14David then sent this message to Ishbosheth, Saul’s son: “Give me back my wife Michal, for I bought her with the lives of 100 Philistines.” 15So Ishbosheth took Michal away from her husband, Palti son of Laish.

2 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 said, “The man was serious when he warned us, ‘You won’t see my face again unless your brother is with you.’
• Genesis 44:23But you told us, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes with you, you will never see my face again.’
• 2 Samuel 3:20When Abner and twenty of his men came to Hebron, David entertained them with a great feast.
• 1 Samuel 18:20In the meantime, Saul’s daughter Michal had fallen in love with David, and Saul was delighted when he heard about it.
• 1 Samuel 19:11Then Saul sent troops to watch David’s house. They were told to kill David when he came out the next morning. But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t escape tonight, you will be dead by morning.”
• 1 Chronicles 15:29But as the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window. When she saw King David skipping about and laughing with joy, she was filled with contempt for him.

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

• Abner
• Conspiracy
• Michal
• Treason

In the dictionaries

• Communication
• Ishbosheth
• Michal
• Sackcloth
• Translate
• Abner
• Covenant, in the Old Testament
• David
• Genealogy
• Government

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