Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025
the Fourth Week of Advent
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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

2 Samuel 3:20

Then Abner came up to David at Hebron. Abner brought 20 men with him. David gave a party for Abner and for all the men who came with him.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Abner;   Conspiracy;   Government;   Treason;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Feasts;   Michal;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Abner;   Palestine;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Feast;   Rizpah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Covenant;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Lord's Supper. (I.);   People's Dictionary of the Bible - David;   Dwelling;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Alliances;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Alliance;   Joab;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Abner;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Covenant;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When Abner and twenty men came to David at Hebron, David held a banquet for him and his men.
Hebrew Names Version
So Aviner came to David to Hevron, and twenty men with him. David made Aviner and the men who were with him a feast.
King James Version
So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men that were with him a feast.
Lexham English Bible
Then Abner came to David in Hebron and with him were twenty men. David had prepared a feast for Abner and for the men who were with him.
English Standard Version
When Abner came with twenty men to David at Hebron, David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him.
New Century Version
Abner came with twenty men to David at Hebron. There David prepared a feast for them.
New English Translation
When Abner, accompanied by twenty men, came to David in Hebron, David prepared a banquet for Abner and the men who were with him.
Amplified Bible
So Abner came to David at Hebron, and [brought] twenty men along with him. And David prepared a feast for Abner and the men with him.
New American Standard Bible
Then Abner and twenty men with him came to David at Hebron. And David held a feast for Abner and the men who were with him.
Geneva Bible (1587)
So Abner came to Dauid to Hebron, hauing twentie men with him, and Dauid made a feast vnto Abner, and to the men that were with him.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Abner and twenty men with him came to David at Hebron. And David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him.
Contemporary English Version
Abner took twenty soldiers with him, and when they got to Hebron, David gave a big feast for them.
Complete Jewish Bible
When Avner came to David in Hevron he brought twenty men with him. David held a feast for Avner and his men.
Darby Translation
So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men that were with him a repast.
George Lamsa Translation
Then Abner came to David at Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men who were with him a great feast.
Good News Translation
When Abner came to David at Hebron with twenty men, David gave a feast for them.
Literal Translation
And Abner came to David, to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made a feast for Abner and for the men with him.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Now whan Abner came to Hebron vnto Dauid, and twety men with him, Dauid made them a feast.
American Standard Version
So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men that were with him a feast.
Bible in Basic English
So Abner, with twenty men, came to Hebron, to David. And David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And so Abner came to Dauid to Hebron, hauing twentie men with him: & Dauid made him & the men that were with him a feast.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men that were with him a feast.
King James Version (1611)
So Abner came to Dauid to Hebron, and twenty men with him: and Dauid made Abner, and the men that were with him, a feast.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Abenner came to David to Chebron, and with him twenty men: and David made for Abenner and his men with him a banquet of wine.
English Revised Version
So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men that were with him a feast.
Berean Standard Bible
When Abner and twenty of his men came to David at Hebron, David held a feast for them.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he cam to Dauid in Ebron with twenti men. And Dauid made a feeste to Abner, and to the men that camen with hym.
Young's Literal Translation
and Abner cometh in unto David, to Hebron, and with him twenty men, and David maketh for Abner, and for the men who [are] with him, a banquet.
Update Bible Version
So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men that were with him a feast.
Webster's Bible Translation
So Abner came to David in Hebron, and twenty men with him: and David made Abner and the men that [were] with him, a feast.
World English Bible
So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. David made Abner and the men who were with him a feast.
New King James Version
So Abner and twenty men with him came to David at Hebron. And David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him.
New Living Translation
When Abner and twenty of his men came to Hebron, David entertained them with a great feast.
New Life Bible
Abner came with twenty men to David at Hebron. And David made a special supper for Abner and the men who were with him.
New Revised Standard
When Abner came with twenty men to David at Hebron, David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So, when Abner came in unto David, in Hebron, and, with him, twenty men, David made, for Abner, and for the men who were with him, a banquet.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he came to David in Hebron with twenty men: and David made a feast for Abner, and his men that came with him.
Revised Standard Version
When Abner came with twenty men to David at Hebron, David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him.
THE MESSAGE
When Abner and the twenty men who were with him met with David in Hebron, David laid out a feast for them.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Abner and twenty men with him came to David at Hebron. And David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him.

Contextual Overview

7 Saul had a slave woman named Rizpah daughter of Aiah. Ish Bosheth said to Abner, "Why did you have sexual relations with my father's servant woman?" 8 This made Abner very angry. He said, "I have been loyal to Saul and his family. I did not give you to David. I am not a traitor working for Judah. But now you are saying that I did this bad thing. 9The Lord promised with an oath that he would take the kingdom away from Saul's family and give it to David. And I swear I will make sure that happens. God will make David king of Judah and Israel. He will rule from Dan to Beersheba." 11 Ish Bosheth was too afraid of Abner to say anything in response. 12 Abner sent messengers to David and said, "Who do you think should rule this country? Make an agreement with me, and I will help you become the ruler of all the people of Israel." 13 David answered, "Good! I will make an agreement with you. But I ask you only one thing: I will not meet with you until you bring Saul's daughter Michal to me." 14 David sent messengers to Saul's son Ish Bosheth. David said, "Give me my wife Michal. She was promised to me. I killed 100 Philistines to get her." 15 Then Ish Bosheth told the men to go and take Michal from a man named Paltiel son of Laish. 16 Michal's husband, Paltiel, followed them, crying all the way to Bahurim. Finally, Abner said to him, "Go back home." So Paltiel went back home. 17 Abner sent this message to the leaders of Israel. He said, "For a long time you have wanted to make David your king.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

David: Genesis 26:30, Genesis 31:54, Esther 1:3

Reciprocal: Genesis 21:8 - feast 2 Samuel 3:13 - Michal 1 Chronicles 12:17 - If ye be come

Cross-References

Genesis 2:20
The man gave names to all the tame animals, to all the birds in the air, and to all the wild animals. He saw many animals and birds, but he could not find a companion that was right for him.
Genesis 2:23
And the man said, "Finally! One like me, with bones from my bones and a body from my body. She was taken out of a man, so I will call her ‘woman.'"
Genesis 5:29
Lamech named his son Noah. Lamech said, "We work very hard as farmers because God cursed the ground. But Noah will bring us rest."
Genesis 16:11
Then the angel of the Lord said, "Hagar, you are now pregnant, and you will have a son. You will name him Ishmael, because the Lord has heard that you were treated badly.
Genesis 35:18
Rachel died while giving birth to the son. Before dying, she named the boy Benoni. But Jacob called him Benjamin.
Exodus 2:10
The baby grew, and after some time, the woman gave the baby to the king's daughter. The king's daughter accepted the baby as her own son. She named him Moses because she had pulled him from the water.
1 Samuel 1:20
By that time the following year, Hannah had become pregnant and had a son. She named him Samuel. She said, "His name is Samuel because I asked the Lord for him."
Matthew 1:21
She will give birth to a son. You will name him Jesus. Give him that name because he will save his people from their sins."
Matthew 1:23
"The virgin will be pregnant and will give birth to a son. They will name him Immanuel." (Immanuel means "God with us.")
Acts 17:26
God began by making one man, and from him he made all the different people who live everywhere in the world. He decided exactly when and where they would live.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him,.... Before he went privately to him, and conferred with him, but now, having gained so many of the Israelites in favour of David, he appeared more publicly and brought perhaps some of the principal of the nation with film, to join in the league and covenant to be made:

and David made Abner and the men that [were] with him a feast; not only in honour to them, as great personages, especially Abner, and as expressive of reconciliation; but as a token of the covenant they were entering into, and for the confirmation of it; it being usual to have feasts when covenants were made; see Genesis 26:28.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Twenty men - These were doubtless his official suite as Ish-bosheth’s envoy to conduct Michal to David, but privy and consenting to his intrigue with David. It is remarkable that not a word should be said about the meeting of David and Michal.


 
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