2 Samuel

2 Samuel 20:4–8

⁴Then the king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself.”

⁵So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he took longer than the time allotted him.

⁶And David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and elude us.^a”

⁷So Joab’s men, along with the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the mighty men, marched out of Jerusalem in pursuit of Sheba son of Bichri. ⁸And while they were at the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa joined them.

Now Joab was dressed in military attire, with a dagger strapped to his belt. And as he stepped forward, he slipped the dagger from its sheath.^b

Footnotes

a 20:6 Or and snatch away our eyes or and do us serious harm
b 20:8 Literally Now Joab was dressed in military attire, and over it was a belt around his waist with a dagger in its sheath. And as he stepped forward, it fell out.

Read all of 2 Samuel 20

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

2 Samuel 20:4

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then the king	הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙	ham·me·leḵ	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4428 king
said	וַיֹּ֤אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Amasa	עֲמָשָׂ֔א	‘ă·mā·śā	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H6021 Amasa
Summon	הַזְעֶק־	haz·‘eq-	Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular	H2199 cry, cry out, call
the men	אִישׁ־	’îš-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H376 man
of Judah	יְהוּדָ֖ה	yə·hū·ḏāh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3063 Judah
to come to me	לִ֥י	lî	Preposition; first person common singular
within three	שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת	šə·lō·šeṯ	Number - masculine singular construct	H7969 a three, triad
days	יָמִ֑ים	yā·mîm	Noun - masculine plural	H3117 day
and be here	פֹּ֥ה	pōh	Adverb	H6311 here, hither
yourself	וְאַתָּ֖ה	wə·’at·tāh	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - second person masculine singular	H859 thou

2 Samuel 20:5

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So Amasa	עֲמָשָׂ֖א	‘ă·mā·śā	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H6021 Amasa
went	וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ	way·yê·leḵ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
to summon	לְהַזְעִ֣יק	lə·haz·‘îq	Preposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct	H2199 cry, cry out, call
Judah	יְהוּדָ֑ה	yə·hū·ḏāh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3063 Judah
but he took longer	וַיֵּיחַר	way·yē·ḥar	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H309 to remain behind, delay, tarry
than	מִן־	min-	Preposition	H4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
the time	הַמּוֹעֵ֖ד	ham·mō·w·‘êḏ	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4150 appointed time, place, meeting
allotted him	יְעָדֽוֹ׃ס	yə·‘ā·ḏōw	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H3259 appoint

2 Samuel 20:6

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And David	דָּוִד֙	dā·wiḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
said	וַיֹּ֤אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Abishai	אֲבִישַׁ֔י	’ă·ḇî·šay	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H52 Abishai
Now	עַתָּ֗ה	‘at·tāh	Adverb	H6258 now
Sheba	שֶׁ֥בַע	še·ḇa‘	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7652 Sheba
the son	בֶּן־	ben-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H1121 son
of Bichri	בִּכְרִ֖י	biḵ·rî	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1075 Bikri
will do us more harm	יֵ֧רַֽע	yê·ra‘	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3415 quiver
than	מִן־	min-	Preposition	H4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
Absalom	אַבְשָׁל֑וֹם	’aḇ·šā·lō·wm	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H53 Abshalom
Take	קַ֞ח	qaḥ	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H3947 take
your lord’s	אֲדֹנֶ֙יךָ֙	’ă·ḏō·ne·ḵā	Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H113 lord
servants	עַבְדֵ֤י	‘aḇ·ḏê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H5650 slave, servant
and pursue him	וּרְדֹ֣ף	ū·rə·ḏōp̄	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H7291 pursue, chase, persecute
or	פֶּן־	pen-	Conjunction	H6435 lest
he will find	מָ֥צָא	mā·ṣā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H4672 attain to, find
fortified	בְּצֻר֖וֹת	bə·ṣu·rō·wṯ	Adjective - feminine plural	H1219 cut off, make inaccessible
cities	עָרִ֥ים	‘ā·rîm	Noun - feminine plural	H5892 excitement
and elude	וְהִצִּ֥יל	wə·hiṣ·ṣîl	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H5337 strip, plunder
us	עֵינֵֽנוּ׃	‘ê·nê·nū	Noun - common singular construct; first person common plural	H5869 eye

2 Samuel 20:7

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So Joab’s	יוֹאָ֔ב	yō·w·’āḇ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3097 Joab
men	אַנְשֵׁ֣י	’an·šê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H582 man, mankind
along with the Cherethites	וְהַכְּרֵתִ֥י	wə·hak·kə·rê·ṯî	Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3774 Kerethites
the Pelethites	וְהַפְּלֵתִ֖י	wə·hap·pə·lê·ṯî	Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H6432 courier, official messenger
and all	וְכָל־	wə·ḵāl	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
the mighty men	הַגִּבֹּרִ֑ים	hag·gib·bō·rîm	Article; Adjective - masculine plural	H1368 strong, mighty
marched out of	וַיֵּֽצְאוּ֙	way·yê·ṣə·’ū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H3318 go or come out
Jerusalem	מִיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם	mî·rū·šā·lim	Preposition-m; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H3389 Jerusalem
in pursuit	לִרְדֹּ֕ף	lir·dōp̄	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H7291 pursue, chase, persecute
of Sheba	שֶׁ֥בַע	še·ḇa‘	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7652 Sheba
son	בֶּן־	ben-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H1121 son
of Bichri	בִּכְרִֽי׃	biḵ·rî	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1075 Bikri

2 Samuel 20:8

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
they	הֵ֗ם	hêm	Pronoun - third person masculine plural	H1992 they, them
were at	עִם־	‘im-	Preposition	H5973 with
the great	הַגְּדוֹלָה֙	hag·gə·ḏō·w·lāh	Article; Adjective - feminine singular	H1419 great
stone	הָאֶ֤בֶן	hā·’e·ḇen	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H68 stone
in Gibeon	בְּגִבְע֔וֹן	bə·ḡiḇ·‘ō·wn	Preposition-b; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H1391 Gibon
Amasa	וַעֲמָשָׂ֖א	wa·‘ă·mā·śā	Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H6021 Amasa
joined	בָּ֣א	bā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
them	לִפְנֵיהֶ֑ם	lip̄·nê·hem	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine plural	H6440 face, before
Now Joab	וְיוֹאָ֞ב	wə·yō·w·’āḇ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3097 Joab
was dressed	חָג֣וּר׀	ḥā·ḡūr	Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular	H2296 gird, gird on, gird oneself
in military attire	מִדּ֣וֹ	mid·dōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H4055 measure
with a dagger	חֶ֙רֶב֙	ḥe·reḇ	Noun - feminine singular	H2719 sword
strapped	מְצֻמֶּ֤דֶת	mə·ṣum·me·ḏeṯ	Verb - Pual - Participle - feminine singular	H6775 bind, join
to his belt	חֲג֥וֹר	ḥă·ḡō·wr	Noun - masculine singular construct	H2290 belt, gridle
And as he	וְה֥וּא	wə·hū	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - third person masculine singular	H1931 he, she
stepped forward	יָצָ֖א	yā·ṣā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H3318 go or come out
he slipped the dagger	וַתִּפֹּֽל׃ס	wat·tip·pōl	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H5307 fall, lie
from its sheath	בְּתַעְרָ֔הּ	bə·ṯa‘·rāh	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H8593 razor, sheath