2 Samuel 2:14

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."

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,

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

⁸ Avner the son of Ner, commander of Sha'ul's army, had taken Ish-Boshet the son of Sha'ul, brought him over to Machanayim, ⁹ and made him king over Gil‘ad, the Ashuri, Yizre‘el, Efrayim, Binyamin and all Isra'el. ¹⁰ Ish-Boshet the son of Sha'ul was forty years old when he began to rule over Isra'el, and he ruled for two years. But the house of Y'hudah followed David. ¹¹ David was king in Hevron over the house of Y'hudah for seven years and six months. ¹² Avner the son of Ner and the servants of Ish-Boshet the son of Sha'ul went out from Machanayim to Giv‘on; ¹³ while Yo'av the son of Tz'ruyah and David's servants also went out; and they met together by the pool at Giv‘on. One group sat down on one side of the pool and the other on the other side. ¹⁴ 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." ¹⁵ So they got up and paired off, twelve for Binyamin and Ish-Boshet the son of Sha'ul, and twelve of David's servants. ¹⁶ Each one grabbed his partner by the head and drove his sword into his side, so that they fell down together. For this reason that place was named Helkat-Hatzurim [field of blades]; it is in Giv‘on. ¹⁷ The battle that day was very fierce; Avner and the men of Isra'el were beaten by David's servants.

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
Ashur went out from that land and built Ninveh, the city Rechovot, Kelach,

Genesis 10:22
The sons of Shem were ‘Elam, Ashur, Arpakhshad, Lud and Aram.

Genesis 15:18
That day Adonai made a covenant with Avram: "I have given this land to your descendants — from the Vadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River —

Genesis 25:18
Yishma‘el's sons lived between Havilah and Shur, near Egypt as you go toward Ashur; he settled near all his kinsmen. Haftarah Hayyei-Sarah: M'lakhim Alef (1 Kings) 1:1–31 B'rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Hayyei-Sarah: Mattityahu (Matthew) 8:19–22; 27:3–10; Luke 9:57–62 Here is the history of Yitz'chak, Avraham's son. Avraham fathered Yitz'chak. Yitz'chak was forty years old when he took Rivkah, the daughter of B'tu'el the Arami from Paddan-Aram and sister of Lavan the Arami, to be his wife. Yitz'chak prayed to Adonai on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. Adonai heeded his prayer, and Rivkah became pregnant. The children fought with each other inside her so much that she said, "If it's going to be like this, why go on living?" So she went to inquire of Adonai , who answered her, "There are two nations in your womb. From birth they will be two rival peoples. One of these peoples will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger." When the time for her delivery came, there were twins in her womb. The first to come out was reddish and covered all over with hair, like a coat; so they named him ‘Esav [completely formed, that is, having hair already]. Then his brother emerged, with his hand holding ‘Esav's heel, so he was called Ya‘akov [he catches by the heel, he supplants]. Yitz'chak was sixty years old when she bore them. The boys grew; and ‘Esav became a skillful hunter, an outdoorsman; while Ya‘akov was a quiet man who stayed in the tents. Yitz'chak favored ‘Esav, because he had a taste for game; Rivkah favored Ya‘akov. One day when Ya‘akov had cooked some stew, ‘Esav came in from the open country, exhausted, and said to Ya‘akov, "Please! Let me gulp down some of that red stuff — that red stuff! I'm exhausted!" (This is why he was called Edom [red].) Ya‘akov answered, "First sell me your rights as the firstborn." "Look, I'm about to die!" said ‘Esav. "What use to me are my rights as the firstborn?" Ya‘akov said, "First, swear to me!" So he swore to him, thus selling his birthright to Ya‘akov. Then Ya‘akov gave him bread and lentil stew; he ate and drank, got up and went on his way. Thus ‘Esav showed how little he valued his birthright.

Deuteronomy 1:7
Turn, get moving and go to the hill-country of the Emori and all the places near there in the ‘Aravah, the hill-country, the Sh'felah, the Negev and by the seashore — the land of the Kena‘ani, and the L'vanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates River.

Deuteronomy 11:24
Wherever the sole of your foot steps will be yours; your territory will extend from the desert to the L'vanon and from the River, the Euphrates River, to the Western Sea.

Daniel 10:4
On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, I was on the bank of the great river, the Tigris,

Revelation 9:14
saying to the sixth angel, the one with the shofar, "Release the four angels that are bound at the great river Euphrates!"

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.