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Friday, August 29th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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Read the Bible

Hebrew Names Version

2 Samuel 2:20

Then Aviner looked behind him, and said, Is it you, `Asa'el? He answered, It is I.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Abner;   Asahel;   David;   Homicide;   Israel;   Joab;   War;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Gibeon;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Abishai;   Abner;   Joab;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Abner;   Asahel;   Gibeon;   Joab;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Abner ;   Asahel ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Joab;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Asahel;   Gibeon;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - War;  

Encyclopedias:

- Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Abner;   Asahel;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Abner;   Asa;   Ish-Bosheth;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Abner glanced back and said, “Is that you, Asahel?”
King James Version
Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, I am.
Lexham English Bible
Abner turned around and said, "Are you this Asahel?" And he said, "Yes."
English Standard Version
Then Abner looked behind him and said, "Is it you, Asahel?" And he answered, "It is I."
New Century Version
Abner looked back and asked, "Is that you, Asahel?" Asahel said, "Yes, it is."
New English Translation
Then Abner turned and asked, "Is that you, Asahel?" He replied, "Yes it is!"
Amplified Bible
Then Abner looked behind him and said, "Is that you, Asahel?" He answered, "It is I."
New American Standard Bible
Then Abner looked behind himself and said, "Is that you, Asahel?" And he said, "It is I!"
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, Yea.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Abner turned to look behind him and said, "Is that you, Asahel?" And he answered, "It is I."
Contemporary English Version
When Abner turned and saw him, he said, "Is that you, Asahel?" Asahel answered, "Yes it is."
Complete Jewish Bible
Avner looked behind him and asked, "Is that you, ‘Asah'el?" "Yes, it is," he answered.
Darby Translation
Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he said, I am.
Easy-to-Read Version
Abner looked back and asked, "Is that you, Asahel?" Asahel said, "Yes, it's me."
George Lamsa Translation
Then Abner looked behind him and said, Is that you, Ashael? And he answered, It is I.
Good News Translation
Abner looked back and said, "Is that you, Asahel?" "Yes," he answered.
Literal Translation
And Abner looked behind him, and said, Are you Asahel? And he said, I am .
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then Abner turned him aboute, and sayde: Art thou Asahel? He sayde: Yee.
American Standard Version
Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Is it thou, Asahel? And he answered, It is I.
Bible in Basic English
Then Abner, looking back, said, Is it you, Asahel? And he said, It is I.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then Abner loked behynd him, and sayde: Art thou Asahel? He aunswered: Yea.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then Abner looked behind him, and said: 'Is it thou, Asahel?' And he answered: 'It is I.'
King James Version (1611)
Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, I am.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Abenner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asael himself? and he said, I am.
English Revised Version
Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Is it thou, Asahel? And he answered, It is I.
Berean Standard Bible
And Abner glanced back and said, "Is that you, Asahel?" "It is," Asahel replied.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor Abner bihelde bihynde his bac, and seide, Whether thou art Asahel?
Young's Literal Translation
And Abner looketh behind him, and saith, `Art thou he -- Asahel?' and he saith, `I [am].'
Update Bible Version
Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Is it you, Asahel? And he answered, It is I.
Webster's Bible Translation
Then Abner looked behind him, and said, [Art] thou Asahel? And he answered, I [am].
World English Bible
Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Is it you, Asahel? He answered, It is I.
New King James Version
Then Abner looked behind him and said, "Are you Asahel?" He answered, "I am."
New Living Translation
When Abner looked back and saw him coming, he called out, "Is that you, Asahel?" "Yes, it is," he replied.
New Life Bible
Then Abner looked behind him and said, "Is that you, Asahel?" And he answered, "It is I."
New Revised Standard
Then Abner looked back and said, "Is it you, Asahel?" He answered, "Yes, it is."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then Abner looked behind him, and said - Art thou Asahel? And he said - I am.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Abner looked behind him, and said: Art thou Asael? And he answered: I am.
Revised Standard Version
Then Abner looked behind him and said, "Is it you, As'ahel?" And he answered, "It is I."
THE MESSAGE
Abner turned and said, "Is that you, Asahel?" "It surely is," he said.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Abner looked behind him and said, "Is that you, Asahel?" And he answered, "It is I."

Contextual Overview

18 The three sons of Tzeru'yah were there, Yo'av, and Avishai, and `Asa'el: and `Asa'el was as light of foot as a wild roe. 19 `Asa'el pursued after Aviner; and in going he didn't turn to the right hand nor to the left from following Aviner. 20 Then Aviner looked behind him, and said, Is it you, `Asa'el? He answered, It is I. 21 Aviner said to him, Turn you aside to your right hand or to your left, and lay you hold on one of the young men, and take you his armor. But `Asa'el would not turn aside from following him. 22 Aviner said again to `Asa'el, Turn you aside from following me: why should I strike you to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Yo'av your brother? 23 However he refused to turn aside: therefore Aviner with the hinder 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: and it happened, that as many as came to the place where `Asa'el fell down and died stood still. 24 But Yo'av and Avishai pursued after Aviner: and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah, that lies before Giach by the way of the wilderness of Giv`on.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Cross-References

Genesis 2:18
The LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then Abner looked behind him,.... Perceiving one at his heels, and making haste up to him.

And said, [art] thou Asahel? for it seems he knew him personally, being well acquainted with his family:

and he answered, I [am]; so that they were very near to each other, as to discourse together, and be heard and understood by each other.


 
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