One of Joab’s young men stood by him, and said, “He who favors Joab, and he who is for David, let him follow Joab!”
Parallel Translations
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One of Joab’s young men stood by him, and said, “He who favors Joab, and he who is for David, let him follow Joab!”
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And one of Joab’s men stood by him, and said, He that favoureth Joab, and he that is for David, let him go after Joab.
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And there stood by him one of Joab's young men, and said: 'He that favoureth Joab, and he that is for David let him follow Joab.'
Cross-references (5)
Passages linked to 2 Samuel 20:11 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- 2 Samuel 20:13 When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.
- 2 Samuel 20:4 Then the king said to Amasa, “Call me the men of Judah together within three days, and be here present.”
- 2 Samuel 20:6-7 David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your lord’s servants, and pursue after him, lest he get himself fortified cities, and escape out of our sight.” Joab’s men went out after him, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men; and they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.
- 2 Samuel 20:21 The matter is not so. But a man of the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has lifted up his hand against the king, even against David. Just deliver him, and I will depart from the city.” The woman said to Joab, “Behold, his head will be thrown to you over the wall.”
- 2 Kings 9:32 He lifted up his face to the window, and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs looked out at him.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (15 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain He stood by Amasa at Joab’s appointment.
He stood by Amasa at Joab’s appointment.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 2Sa 20:11 And one of Joab’s men stood by…
2Sa 20:11 And one of Joab’s men stood by him, and said, He that favoureth Joab, and he that [is] for David, [let him go] after Joab.
Ver. 11. And one of Joab’s men stood by him.] This soldier was left there by Joab to justify the fact, and to advise them to march on, notwithstanding it. One interpreter saith that these words are a bitter jeer of a certain servant insulting over dead Amasa, and extolling the wicked act of his master Joab.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain One of Joab’s men, left there on purpose to…
One of Joab’s men, left there on purpose to deliver the following message.
He that favoureth Joab; he that would have Joab to be general, rather than such a perfidious rebel and traitor as Amasa.
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He that is for David; he that wisheth David good success against Sheba, and against all rebels; whereby he implies that though this fact of his was done against the king’s command, yet it was for his interest and defence.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And one of Joab's men stood by him,.... By…
And one of Joab's men stood by him,.... By the body of Amasa; no doubt by the order of Joab, to satisfy the people as they came up, and reconcile them to this fact, and to exhort them not to stop, but to follow after Joab; for though Amasa their general was dead, Joab had taken the command of the army, and the pursuit was carried on with as much rigour as ever:
and said, he that favoureth Joab, and he that is for David, let him go after Joab: he that likes Joab should be general, and is in the interest of David, let him make no stay here, but follow after Joab; Joab and David are put together, as if their interests were the same; though there seems to be an indecency in placing Joab first.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain One - Left there on purpose to deliver the…
One - Left there on purpose to deliver the following message. favoureth Joab - He that would have Joab to be general, rather than such a perfidious rebel as Amasa. For David - He that wisheth David good success against Sheba, and against all rebels.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 11. He that favoureth Joab] As if he…
Verse 11. He that favoureth Joab] As if he had said, There is now no other commander besides Joab; and Joab is steadily attached to David: let those therefore who are loyal follow Joab.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain 2Sa 20:11-13. One of Joab’s men stood by him…
2Sa 20:11-13. One of Joab’s men stood by him — By the command of his master, who knew that this would occasion disorder among Amasa’s soldiers, and therefore left a man there on purpose to deliver the following message: He that favoureth Joab — He that would have Joab to be general, rather than such a perfidious rebel as Amasa. And he that is for David — He that wisheth David good success against Sheba, and against all rebels. He cunningly joins David and Joab together, as if their interests were inseparable. When the man saw that all the people stood still — Wondering at the spectacle, and inquiring into the occasion of it. He removed Amasa out of the highway — Perceiving that it both incensed them against Joab, and hindered the king’s service. And cast a cloth upon him — But the covering of blood with a cloth cannot stop its cry to God for vengeance. All the people went on after Joab — They that were behind did not know that Amasa was killed, and so marched on without any scruple.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain He that favoreth Joab ... - This speech, addressed…
He that favoreth Joab ... - This speech, addressed to Amasa’s followers as well as Joab’s, shows very distinctly that the rivalry between Joab and Amasa, and David’s purpose to make Amasa captain in Joab’s room, were well known; and shows also the real reason why Joab killed Amasa. What is added, “and he that is for David,” was intended to identify Joab’s cause with David’s, and also to insinuate that Amasa had not been loyal to David (2Sa 20:5 note).
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Some men. The same author [Josephus?] and the Hebrew…
Some men. The same author [Josephus?] and the Hebrew only mention "one of," &c. (Haydock) --- Behold. Thus they insult over him, being attached to Joab. Hebrew, "Who loves Joab? and who is David? Let him follow Joab;" or, "who is this who wished to supplant Joab? and who desired to be in David’s favour, after Joab? (Calmet)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain He that favoureth Joab, and he that is for…
He that favoureth Joab, and he that is for David, let him go after Joab--It is a striking proof of Joab's unrivalled influence over the army, that with this villainous murder perpetrated before their eyes they unanimously followed him as their leader in pursuit of Sheba. A soldier conjoined his name with David's, and such a magic spell was in the word "Joab," that all the people "went on"--Amasa's men as well as the rest. The conjunction of these two names is very significant. It shows that the one could not afford to do without the other--neither Joab to rebel against David, nor David to get rid of Joab, though hating him.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 11. One of Joab’s men stood — Doubtless he…
11. One of Joab’s men stood — Doubtless he was instructed to do so by Joab himself.
By him — By the bloody corpse of Amasa.
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He that favoureth Joab… after Joab — There is no other commander now, and his heart is still loyal to David. Thus Joab’s bold and fearless action defeats the purposes of his king.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 11. one of Joab’s men] One of Joab’s young…
11. one of Joab’s men] One of Joab’s young men, perhaps one of his armour-bearers (ch. 2Sa_18:15), remained by the corpse at Joab’s command in order to invite Amasa’s followers to join Joab. Time was too precious for Joab himself to lose a moment.
He that favoureth Joab, &c.] Lit. He that delighteth (ch. 2Sa_15:26) in Joab. He appeals to their personal attachment to himself as general, and to their loyalty to David; insinuating that Amasa was not faithful to the king, and had met his death justly for his treachery. Joab’s real motive in murdering Amasa, as before in the case of Abner, was jealousy.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (11) One of Joab’s man.—Com. 2Sa_20:7. Time was too…
(11) One of Joab’s man.—Com. 2Sa_20:7. Time was too precious for Joab himself to wait. He must put down the rebellion of Sheba by rapid action, and thereby render himself impregnable in the high office which had been his, and which he had now again usurped. He left one of his trusty men, however, by the body of Amasa, with a battle cry which should suggest that he had rightly been put to death for his doubtful loyalty, and that all who were attached to Joab and loyal to David should follow Joab. Joab’s real motive for murdering Amasa, as for murdering Abner (2Sa_3:27), was personal jealousy and ambition.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain One of Joab"s men. Joab left one of his…
One of Joab"s men. Joab left one of his personal followers to prevent any halt of the people round Amasa"s body, and to suggest that he was a traitor. For he was to say to them as they came up, not only that "whosoever had pleasure in Joab," but also that "all who were for David, were to go after Joab." All loyal men were to regard him as captain of the host, and to disobey him would be rebellion. Naturally they would conclude from this that Amasa had not really been true to David, and that his death was the punishment inflicted on him for his past guilt.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 he who is for David
he who is for David
To be "for" someone means to support them. AT: "he who supports David" or "he who is loyal to David" (See: Idiom)
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Amasa lay wallowing in his blood
"Amasa lay squirming in his blood." Amasa may have still been alive and rolling in his blood, but he was probably dead by this time. It is described this way to show how gruesome his body looked. AT: "Amasa lay dead in his blood" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
all the people stood still ... came by him stood still
This means they stopped walking and were staring at Amasa's dead body. AT: "all the people stood still staring at the dead body ... came by him stood still, staring at his dead body" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
he carried Amasa
"he carried Amasa's body"
After Amasa was taken off the road
This may be stated in active form. AT: "After the man took Amasa off the road" (See: Active or Passive)
in pursuit of
This abstract noun can be stated as a verb. AT: "pursuing" (See: Abstract Nouns)
translationWords
favor
David
blood
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.