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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

2 Samuel 10:11

Joab said to Abishai, "If the Arameans are too strong for me, you will help me. If the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will come and help you.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Joab;   Zobah;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Ammonites, the;   Syria;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Beard;   Hadadezer or Hadarezer;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Ammon;   Joab;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ammonite;   Hanun;   Joab;   Medeba;   Nahash;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Edom;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ammonites;   Disciples;   Hadad-Ezer;   Samuel, Books of;   Syria;   Tob;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Abishai;   Ammon, Ammonites;   Joab;   Maacah;   War;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ambassador;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Hanun;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Da'vid;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - War;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Abishai;   Joab;   Zobah;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Hanun;   Joab;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“If the Arameans are too strong for me,” Joab said, “then you will be my help. However, if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I’ll come to help you.
Hebrew Names Version
He said, If the Aram be too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the children of `Ammon be too strong for you, then I will come and help you.
King James Version
And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee.
Lexham English Bible
Then he said, "If Aram is stronger than I am, you must become my deliverer; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to rescue you.
English Standard Version
And he said, "If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come and help you.
New Century Version
Joab said to Abishai, "If the Arameans are too strong for me, you must help me. Or, if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will help you.
New English Translation
Joab said, "If the Arameans start to overpower me, you come to my rescue. If the Ammonites start to overpower you, I will come to your rescue.
Amplified Bible
Joab said [to Abishai], "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will come to help you.
New American Standard Bible
And he said, "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come to help you.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And he sayde, If the Aramites be stronger then I, thou shalt helpe me, and if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, I will come and succour thee.
Legacy Standard Bible
And he said, "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall save me, but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come to save you.
Contemporary English Version
Joab told his brother, "If the Arameans are too much for me to handle, you can come and help me. If the Ammonites are too strong for you, I'll come and help you.
Complete Jewish Bible
He said, "If Aram is too strong for me, you help me; but if the army of ‘Amon is too strong for you, then I will come and help you.
Darby Translation
And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me; and if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee.
George Lamsa Translation
And he said to Abishai his brother, If the Arameans prove too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the Ammonites prove too strong for you, then I will come and help you.
Good News Translation
Joab said to him, "If you see that the Syrians are defeating me, come and help me, and if the Ammonites are defeating you, I will go and help you.
Literal Translation
And he said, If the Syrians are stronger than I, then you shall be for me; and if the sons of Ammon are stronger than you, then I will come to help you.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And sayde: Yf ye Syrians be to mightie for me, helpe thou me: but yf the children of Ammon be to mightie for the, I shal helpe the.
American Standard Version
And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me; but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee.
Bible in Basic English
And he said, If the Aramaeans are stronger and get the better of me, then you are to come to my help; but if the children of Ammon get the better of you, I will come to your help.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he saide: If the Syrians be stronger then I, thou shalt helpe me: But if the children of Ammon be to strong for thee, I will come and succour thee.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he said: 'If the Arameans be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me, but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee.
King James Version (1611)
And he said, If the Syrians bee too strong for me, then thou shalt helpe me: but if the children of Ammon bee too strong for thee, then I will come and helpe thee.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he said, If Syria be too strong for me, then shall ye help me: and if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then will we be ready to help thee.
English Revised Version
And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee.
Berean Standard Bible
"If the Arameans are too strong for me," said Joab, "then you will come to my rescue. And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to your rescue.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Joab seide, If men of Sirie han the maistrie ayens me, thou schalt be to me in to help; sotheli if the sones of Amon han the maistrie ayens thee, Y schal helpe thee;
Young's Literal Translation
And he saith, `If Aram be stronger than I, then thou hast been to me for salvation, and if the Bene-Ammon be stronger than thou, then I have come to give salvation to thee;
Update Bible Version
And he said, If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come and help you.
Webster's Bible Translation
And he said, If the Syrians shall be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon shall be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee.
World English Bible
He said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the children of Ammon be too strong for you, then I will come and help you.
New King James Version
Then he said, "If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the people of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come and help you.
New Living Translation
"If the Arameans are too strong for me, then come over and help me," Joab told his brother. "And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will come and help you.
New Life Bible
Joab said, "If the Syrians are too strong for me, then help me. But if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come and help you.
New Revised Standard
He said, "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come and help you.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he said - If the Syrians be too strong for me, then shalt thou become my deliverance, - but, if, the sons of Ammon, be too strong for thee, then will I come with deliverance to thee.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Joab said: If the Syrians are too strong for me, then thou shalt help me, but if the children of Ammon are too strong for thee, then I will help thee.
Revised Standard Version
And he said, "If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come and help you.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He said, "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come to help you.

Contextual Overview

6 The Ammonites saw that they had become David's enemies, so they hired Arameans from Beth Rehob and Zobah. There were 20,000 Aramean foot soldiers. The Ammonites also hired the king of Maacah with 1000 men and 12,000 men from Tob. 7 David heard about this, so he sent Joab and the whole army of powerful men. 8 The Ammonites came out and got ready for the battle. They stood at the city gate. The Arameans from Zobah and Rehob and the men from Tob and Maacah did not stand together with the Ammonites in the field. 9 Joab saw that there were enemies in front of him and behind him. So he chose some of the best Israelite soldiers and lined them up for battle against the Arameans. 10 Then Joab gave the other men to his brother Abishai to lead against the Ammonites. 11 Joab said to Abishai, "If the Arameans are too strong for me, you will help me. If the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will come and help you. 12 Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and for the cities of our God. The Lord will do what he decides is right." 13 Then Joab and his men attacked the Arameans. The Arameans ran away from Joab and his men. 14 The Ammonites saw that the Arameans were running away, so they ran away from Abishai and went back to their city. So Joab came back from the battle with the Ammonites and went back to Jerusalem.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

1 Chronicles 19:9-12, Nehemiah 4:20, Luke 22:32, Romans 15:1, Galatians 6:2, Philippians 1:27, Philippians 1:28

Reciprocal: Judges 1:3 - I likewise 2 Samuel 8:12 - Syria 2 Samuel 18:3 - succour Proverbs 27:17 - so

Cross-References

Genesis 10:1
This is the history of the families of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. They are Noah's sons. These men had children after the flood.
Genesis 10:10
Nimrod's kingdom spread from Babylon to Erech, to Akkad, and then to Calneh in the land of Babylonia.
Numbers 24:22
But you Kenites will be destroyed, just as the Lord destroyed Cain. Assyria will make you prisoners."
Numbers 24:24
Ships will come from Cyprus. They will defeat Assyria and Eber, but those ships will also be destroyed."
2 Kings 19:36
So King Sennacherib of Assyria left and went back to Nineveh where he stayed.
Psalms 83:8
Even the Assyrians have joined them. They have made Lot's descendants very powerful. Selah
Isaiah 37:37
So King Sennacherib of Assyria went back to Nineveh and stayed there.
Ezekiel 27:23
Haran, Canneh, Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Kilmad traded with you.
Ezekiel 32:22
"Assyria and all its army are there in the place of death. Their graves are deep down in that deep hole. All the Assyrian soldiers were killed in battle, and their graves are all around his grave. When they were alive, they made people afraid, but they were all killed in battle.
Hosea 14:3
Assyria will not save us. We will not ride on war horses. We will never again say, ‘Our God' to something we made with our hands. This is because you are the one who shows mercy to orphans."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he said, if the Syrians be too strong for me,.... Which he might perceive by Joab's forces giving way, or by some signal agreed on between them

then thou shall help me; detach a part of his army to his support and assistance:

but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee; in the same manner.


 
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