So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
Parallel Translations
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So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
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So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
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So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
Cross-references (3)
Passages linked to 2 Samuel 3:30 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- 2 Samuel 2:19-23 Asahel pursued Abner; and in going he didn’t turn to the right hand or to the left from following Abner. Then Abner looked behind him, and said, “Is that you, Asahel?” He answered, “It is.” Abner said to him, “Turn away to your right hand or to your left, and grab one of the young men, and take his armor.” But Asahel would not turn away from following him. Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn away from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I look Joab your brother in the face?” However he refused to turn away. Therefore Abner with the back end of the spear struck him in the body, so that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place. As many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.
- Proverbs 28:17 A man who is tormented by life blood will be a fugitive until death; no one will support him.
- Acts 28:4 When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped from the sea, yet Justice has not allowed to live.”
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (11 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Abishai is said to slay him with Joab, because…
Abishai is said to slay him with Joab, because he consented to the murder.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 2Sa 3:30 So Joab and Abishai his brother slew…
2Sa 3:30 So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
Ver. 30. So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner.] Joab did, but not without the privity and consent of his brother Abishai. Now there is little difference, faveasve sceleri, an illud facias; to hold the bag is as bad as to fill it.
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 Joab and Abishai; for though Joab only committed the…
Joab and Abishai; for though Joab only committed the murder, yet Abishai was guilty of it, because it was done with his consent, and counsel, and help, and approbation; for by these and such-like actions men are involved in the guilt of other men’s sins, at least in God’s judgment. Abner slew Asahel in the fury of battle, and for his own necessary defence; and therefore it was no justification of this unnecessary and treacherous murder in a time of peace.
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 So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner,.... For…
So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner,.... For though it was only Joab that gave him the thrust of which he died, Abishai was in the secret, and was consenting and advising to his death, and so an accessory to it; and might be present, ready to assist in it, if occasion required; and so Josephus (k) expressly says, that Abishai his brother was with him when he drew his sword, and smote him:
because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle: which was no just reason at all; his blood was shed in war, this in peace, in cold blood, and under the guise of friendship; that was shed with reluctance, and after fair warning, and in defence of himself; but this wilfully in Joab, unawares to Abner, and in great deceit and hypocrisy; see Kg1 2:5.
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(k) Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 1. sect. 6.)
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 Abishai - For though Joab only committed the murder,…
Abishai - For though Joab only committed the murder, yet Abishai was guilty of it, because it was done with his consent, and counsel, and approbation. In battle - Which he did for his own necessary defense; and therefore it was no justification of this treacherous murder.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain 2Sa 3:30. So Joab and Abishai his brother slew…
2Sa 3:30. So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner — For though Joab only committed the murder, yet Abishai was chargeable with the guilt of it, because it was done with his consent, counsel, and approbation. And he probably was near at hand when the bloody deed was perpetrated, ready to assist Joab if there should be need. Because he had slain their brother Asahel in battle — Which he did for his own necessary defence, and therefore it was no justification of this treacherous murder.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 30. Joab and Abishai — Joab’s sword and Abishai’s…
30. Joab and Abishai — Joab’s sword and Abishai’s ready consent and counsel accomplished Abner’s fall.
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 30. slew … slain] Murdered Abner, because he had…
30. slew … slain] Murdered Abner, because he had slain, &c. The words in the Heb. are different, and the first denotes the violent character of the act. The Sept. however gives another reading, “Now Joab and Abishai were lying in wait for Abner, because &c.”
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 (30) Slew . . . had slain.—The words are…
(30) Slew . . . had slain.—The words are different in Hebrew, the former denoting violence. Translate the latter had put to death. By this strong disapproval of Joab’s act, David shows that it was done without his knowledge or consent. He still remains at fault, however, for continuing Joab in his high and responsible position; but this seems to have been the result of inability to inflict proper punishment upon so powerful a subject, an inability which David on his death-bed sought to remedy by his charge to Solomon. (See 2Sa_3:39; 1Ki_2:5.)
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 Joab and Abishai his brother. Nothing is said of…
Joab and Abishai his brother. Nothing is said of Abishai having taken part in the murder, but the words suggest that it was a premeditated act, and that Abishai was privy to it.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 3:30 See 2:18-28.
3:30 See 2:18-28.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.