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Thursday, July 17th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

2 Samuel 2:14

Then Abner said to Joab, “Let’s have the young men get up and compete in front of us.” Aviner said to Yo'av, Please let the young men arise and play before us. Yo'av said, Let them arise. And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men come up and fight in our presence." And Joab said, "Let them come up." And Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men arise and compete before us." And Joab said, "Let them arise." Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men have a contest here." Joab said, "Yes, let them have a contest." Abner said to Joab, "Let the soldiers get up and fight before us." Joab said, "So be it!" Then Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men now stand and have a contest before us." And Joab said, "Let them stand." Then Abner said to Joab, "Now have the young men arise and hold a martial skills match in our presence." And Joab said, "Have them arise!" Then Abner saide to Ioab, Let the yong men nowe arise, and play before vs. And Ioab said, Let them arise. Then Abner said to Joab, "Now let the young men arise and hold a contest before us." And Joab said, "Let them arise." Abner yelled to Joab, "Let's have some of our best soldiers get up and fight each other!" Joab agreed, Avner said to Yo'av, "If it's all right with you, let's have the young men get up and fight it out between themselves, while we watch." Yo'av said, "Yes, let them." And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise and make sport before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. Abner said to Joab, "Let's have the young soldiers get up and have a contest here." Joab said, "Yes, let's have a contest." And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. Abner said to Joab, "Let's have some of the young men from each side fight an armed contest." "All right," Joab answered. And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men rise up now and play before us. And Joab said, Let them rise. And Abner sayde vnto Ioab: Let the yonge me get them vp, and playe before vs. Ioab sayde: Let them aryse. And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men, I pray thee, arise and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men give a test of their strength before us. And Joab said, Let them do so. And Abner sayde to Ioab: Let the young men nowe aryse, and play before vs. And Ioab sayde: Let them aryse. And Abner said to Joab: 'Let the young men, I pray thee, arise and play before us.' And Joab said: 'Let them arise.' And Abner said to Ioab, Let the yong men now arise, and play before vs: and Ioab saide, Let them arise. And Abenner said to Joab, Let now the young men arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men, I pray thee, arise and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. Then Abner said to Joab, "Let us have the young men get up and compete before us." "Let them get up," Joab replied. And Abner seide to Joab, `The children rise, and plei befor us. And Joab answeride, Rise thei. And Abner saith unto Joab, `Let the youths rise, I pray thee, and they play before us;' and Joab saith, `Let them rise.' And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men, I pray you, arise and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. Abner said to Joab, Please let the young men arise and play before us. Joab said, Let them arise. Then Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men now arise and compete before us." And Joab said, "Let them arise." Then Abner suggested to Joab, "Let's have a few of our warriors fight hand to hand here in front of us." "All right," Joab agreed. Then Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men get up and have a test of strength in front of us." And Joab said, "Let them get up." Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men come forward and have a contest before us." Joab said, "Let them come forward." Then said Abner unto Joab, Let the young men arise, I pray thee, and make sport before us. And Joab said - Let them arise. And Abner said to Joab: Let the young men rise, and play before us. And Joab answered: Let them rise. And Abner said to Jo'ab, "Let the young men arise and play before us." And Jo'ab said, "Let them arise." And Abner says to Joab, "Now let the youths rise and they play before us"; and Joab says, "Let them rise." Abner challenged Joab, "Put up your best fighters. Let's see them do their stuff." Joab said, "Good! Let them go at it!" Then Abner said to Joab, "Now let the young men arise and hold a contest before us." And Joab said, "Let them arise."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Abner;   Armies;   Championship;   David;   Israel;   Joab;   War;   Scofield Reference Index - Kingdom;   Thompson Chain Reference - Abner;   Amusements;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Gibeon;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Abner;   Joab;   Sport;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Gibeon;   Joab;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - War;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Games;   Gibeon;   Helkath-Hazzurim;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Abner;   Games;   Joab;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ishbosheth ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Joab;   Play;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Gibeon;   Hebron;   Smith Bible Dictionary - War;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Hagar;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Games;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Abner;   Ish-Bosheth;   Samuel, Books of;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then Abner said to Joab, “Let’s have the young men get up and compete in front of us.”
Hebrew Names Version
Aviner said to Yo'av, Please let the young men arise and play before us. Yo'av said, Let them arise.
King James Version
And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.
Lexham English Bible
Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men come up and fight in our presence." And Joab said, "Let them come up."
English Standard Version
And Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men arise and compete before us." And Joab said, "Let them arise."
New Century Version
Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men have a contest here." Joab said, "Yes, let them have a contest."
New English Translation
Abner said to Joab, "Let the soldiers get up and fight before us." Joab said, "So be it!"
Amplified Bible
Then Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men now stand and have a contest before us." And Joab said, "Let them stand."
New American Standard Bible
Then Abner said to Joab, "Now have the young men arise and hold a martial skills match in our presence." And Joab said, "Have them arise!"
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Abner saide to Ioab, Let the yong men nowe arise, and play before vs. And Ioab said, Let them arise.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Abner said to Joab, "Now let the young men arise and hold a contest before us." And Joab said, "Let them arise."
Contemporary English Version
Abner yelled to Joab, "Let's have some of our best soldiers get up and fight each other!" Joab agreed,
Complete Jewish Bible
Avner said to Yo'av, "If it's all right with you, let's have the young men get up and fight it out between themselves, while we watch." Yo'av said, "Yes, let them."
Darby Translation
And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise and make sport before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.
Easy-to-Read Version
Abner said to Joab, "Let's have the young soldiers get up and have a contest here." Joab said, "Yes, let's have a contest."
George Lamsa Translation
And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.
Good News Translation
Abner said to Joab, "Let's have some of the young men from each side fight an armed contest." "All right," Joab answered.
Literal Translation
And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men rise up now and play before us. And Joab said, Let them rise.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Abner sayde vnto Ioab: Let the yonge me get them vp, and playe before vs. Ioab sayde: Let them aryse.
American Standard Version
And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men, I pray thee, arise and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.
Bible in Basic English
And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men give a test of their strength before us. And Joab said, Let them do so.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Abner sayde to Ioab: Let the young men nowe aryse, and play before vs. And Ioab sayde: Let them aryse.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Abner said to Joab: 'Let the young men, I pray thee, arise and play before us.' And Joab said: 'Let them arise.'
King James Version (1611)
And Abner said to Ioab, Let the yong men now arise, and play before vs: and Ioab saide, Let them arise.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Abenner said to Joab, Let now the young men arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.
English Revised Version
And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men, I pray thee, arise and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.
Berean Standard Bible
Then Abner said to Joab, "Let us have the young men get up and compete before us." "Let them get up," Joab replied.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Abner seide to Joab, `The children rise, and plei befor us. And Joab answeride, Rise thei.
Young's Literal Translation
And Abner saith unto Joab, `Let the youths rise, I pray thee, and they play before us;' and Joab saith, `Let them rise.'
Update Bible Version
And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men, I pray you, arise and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.
World English Bible
Abner said to Joab, Please let the young men arise and play before us. Joab said, Let them arise.
New King James Version
Then Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men now arise and compete before us." And Joab said, "Let them arise."
New Living Translation
Then Abner suggested to Joab, "Let's have a few of our warriors fight hand to hand here in front of us." "All right," Joab agreed.
New Life Bible
Then Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men get up and have a test of strength in front of us." And Joab said, "Let them get up."
New Revised Standard
Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men come forward and have a contest before us." Joab said, "Let them come forward."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said Abner unto Joab, Let the young men arise, I pray thee, and make sport before us. And Joab said - Let them arise.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Abner said to Joab: Let the young men rise, and play before us. And Joab answered: Let them rise.
Revised Standard Version
And Abner said to Jo'ab, "Let the young men arise and play before us." And Jo'ab said, "Let them arise."
THE MESSAGE
Abner challenged Joab, "Put up your best fighters. Let's see them do their stuff." Joab said, "Good! Let them go at it!"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Abner said to Joab, "Now let the young men arise and hold a contest before us." And Joab said, "Let them arise."

Contextual Overview

8Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took Saul’s son Ish-bosheth and moved him to Mahanaim. 8 Now Aviner the son of Ner, captain of Sha'ul's host, had taken Ish-Boshet the son of Sha'ul, and brought him over to Machanayim; 8 But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim; 8 But Abner the son of Ner, the commander of Saul's army, had taken Ish-Bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. 8 But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim, 8 Abner son of Ner was the commander of Saul's army. Abner took Saul's son Ish-Bosheth to Mahanaim 8 Now Abner son of Ner, the general in command of Saul's army, had taken Saul's son Ish-bosheth and had brought him to Mahanaim. 8Now [Saul's cousin] Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. 8 But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. 8 But Abner the sonne of Ner that was captaine of Sauls hoste, tooke Ish-bosheth the sonne of Saul, and brought him to Mahanaim,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

play before: 2 Samuel 2:17, 2 Samuel 2:26, 2 Samuel 2:27, Proverbs 10:23, Proverbs 17:14, Proverbs 20:18, Proverbs 25:8, Proverbs 26:18, Proverbs 26:19

Reciprocal: Judges 9:29 - Increase thine army 1 Samuel 14:12 - Come up to us 2 Kings 14:8 - Come 2 Chronicles 25:17 - let us see

Cross-References

Genesis 10:11
Out of that land he went forth into Ashshur, and built Nineveh, Rechovot-Ir, Kelach,
Genesis 10:11
Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah,
Genesis 10:11
From that land he went out to Assyria, and he built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah,
Genesis 10:11
From there he went to Assyria, where he built the cities of Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, and Calah.
Genesis 10:11
From that land he went to Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah,
Genesis 10:11
From that land Nimrod went to Assyria, and built Nineveh, and Rehoboth-Ir, and Calah,
Genesis 10:11
From that land he went to Assyria, and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah,
Genesis 10:11
Out of that land came Asshur, and builded Niniueh, and the citie Rehoboth, and Calah:
Genesis 10:11
From that land he went out to Assyria and built Nineveh and Rehoboth-Ir and Calah,
Genesis 10:11
Ashur went out from that land and built Ninveh, the city Rechovot, Kelach,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Abner said to Joab,.... Perceiving he made no motion towards an engagement with him, his orders from David being only to act on the defensive, and avoid as much as possible the effusion of blood:

let the young men now arise, and play before us; with their swords after the manner of gladiators or duellers; that it might appear who were best skilled in the use of the sword, and who were the bravest, stoutest, and most courageous; and this he proposed in a way of bravado, and in order to bring on a battle, or to decide the quarrel between them; and this bloody barbarous exercise Abner calls play, as if it was a diversion and pastime to see men wounding and killing one another:

and Joab said, let them arise; he accepted the challenge, not caring to be hectored and bullied by Abner.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Play - (Compare Judges 16:25; 1 Samuel 18:7). Here, the word is applied to the serious game of war, to be played by twelve combatants on each side, with the two armies for spectators.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 2:14. Let the young men - play before us. — This was diabolical play, where each man thrust his sword into the body of the other, so that the twenty-four (twelve on each side) fell down dead together! But this was the signal for that sanguinary skirmish which immediately took place.


 
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