2 Samuel 18:16

THE MESSAGE

Joab then blew the ram's horn trumpet, calling off the army in its pursuit of Israel. They took Absalom, dumped him into a huge pit in the forest, and piled an immense mound of rocks over him. Meanwhile the whole army of Israel was in flight, each man making his own way home.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Joab blew the ram’s horn, and the troops broke off their pursuit of Israel because Joab restrained them.

Hebrew Names Version
Yo'av blew the shofar, and the people returned from pursuing after Yisra'el; for Yo'av held back the people.

King James Version
And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people.

Lexham English Bible
Then Joab blew on the trumpet and the troops returned from pursuing after Israel, for Joab kept back the troops.

English Standard Version
Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the troops came back from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained them.

New Century Version
Then Joab blew the trumpet, so the troops stopped chasing the Israelites.

New English Translation
Then Joab blew the trumpet and the army turned back from chasing Israel, for Joab had called for the army to halt.

Amplified Bible
Then Joab blew the trumpet [to signal the end of the combat], and the men returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab held them back.

New American Standard Bible
Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained the people.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Ioab blewe the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Ioab helde backe the people.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained the people.

Contemporary English Version
Then Joab blew a trumpet to signal his troops to stop chasing Israel's soldiers.

Complete Jewish Bible
Yo'av sounded the shofar, and the people returned from pursuing Isra'el, because Yo'av held back the troops.

Darby Translation
And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab kept back the people.

Easy-to-Read Version
Joab blew the trumpet and called the people to stop chasing Israelites.

George Lamsa Translation
And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel; for Joab had held back the people.

Good News Translation
Joab had the trumpet blown to stop the fighting, and his troops came back from pursuing the Israelites.

Literal Translation
And Joab blew the ram's horn, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab had held the people back.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then blewe Ioab the trompe, and broughte the people agayne, that they shulde folowe nomore vpon Israel. For Ioab wolde fauoure the people.

American Standard Version
And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab held back the people.

Bible in Basic English
And Joab had the horn sounded, and the people came back from going after Israel, for Joab kept them back.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Ioab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from folowing Israel: for Ioab held backe the people.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Joab blew the horn, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab held back the people.

King James Version (1611)
And Ioab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Ioab helde backe the people.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab spared the people.

English Revised Version
And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people.

Berean Standard Bible
Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the troops broke off their pursuit of Israel because Joab had restrained them.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sotheli Joab sownede with a clarioun, and withhelde the puple, lest it pursuede Israel fleynge, and he wolde spare the multitude.

Young's Literal Translation
And Joab bloweth with a trumpet, and the people turneth back from pursuing after Israel, for Joab hath kept back the people;

Update Bible Version
And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab held back the people.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel: for Joab restrained the people.

World English Bible
Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab held back the people.

New King James Version
So Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel. For Joab held back the people.

New Living Translation
Then Joab blew the ram's horn, and his men returned from chasing the army of Israel.

New Life Bible
Then Joab sounded the horn, and all the people returned from going after Israel, for Joab stopped them.

New Revised Standard
Then Joab sounded the trumpet, and the troops came back from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained the troops.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then Joab blew with a horn, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, - for Joab had restrained the people.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Joab sounded the trumpet, and kept back the people from pursuing after Israel in their flight, being willing to spare the multitude.

Revised Standard Version
Then Jo'ab blew the trumpet, and the troops came back from pursuing Israel; for Jo'ab restrained them.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained the people.

Contextual Overview

⁹Absalom ran into David's men, but was out in front of them riding his mule, when the mule ran under the branches of a huge oak tree. Absalom's head was caught in the oak and he was left dangling between heaven and earth, the mule running right out from under him. A solitary soldier saw him and reported it to Joab, "I just saw Absalom hanging from an oak tree!" ¹¹ Joab said to the man who told him, "If you saw him, why didn't you kill him then and there? I'd have rewarded you with ten pieces of silver and a fancy belt." ¹²The man told Joab, "Even if I'd had a chance at a thousand pieces of silver, I wouldn't have laid a hand on the king's son. We all heard the king command you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘For my sake, protect the young man Absalom.' Why, I'd be risking my life, for nothing is hidden from the king. And you would have just stood there!" ¹⁴Joab said, "I can't waste my time with you." He then grabbed three knives and stabbed Absalom in the heart while he was still alive in the tree; by then Absalom was surrounded by ten of Joab's armor bearers; they hacked away at him and killed him. ¹⁶Joab then blew the ram's horn trumpet, calling off the army in its pursuit of Israel. They took Absalom, dumped him into a huge pit in the forest, and piled an immense mound of rocks over him. Meanwhile the whole army of Israel was in flight, each man making his own way home. ¹⁸ While alive, Absalom had erected for himself a pillar in the Valley of the King, "because," he said, "I have no son to carry on my name." He inscribed the pillar with his own name. To this day it is called "The Absalom Memorial."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

blew the trumpet: 2 Samuel 2:28, 2 Samuel 20:22, Numbers 10:2-10, 1 Corinthians 14:8

Reciprocal: Judges 9:55 - General

Cross-References

Acts 15:3
After they were sent off and on their way, they told everyone they met as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria about the breakthrough to the non-Jewish outsiders. Everyone who heard the news cheered—it was terrific news!

Acts 21:5
When our time was up, they escorted us out of the city to the docks. Everyone came along—men, women, children. They made a farewell party of the occasion! We all kneeled together on the beach and prayed. Then, after another round of saying good-bye, we climbed on board the ship while they drifted back to their homes.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Joab blew the trumpet,.... As the sign of a retreat:

and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; upon the sound of the trumpet, the meaning of which they understood:

for Joab held back the people: from shedding any more blood; the head of the conspiracy being removed, the thing would be crushed at once; and Joab neither chose to slay any more, nor take any prisoners, to be tried as traitors, being unawares, without thought, drawn into this rebellion.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Blew the trumpet - To stop the pursuit and slaughter 2 Samuel 2:28; 2 Samuel 20:22.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 18:16. Joab blew the trumpet — He knew that the rebellion was now extinguished by the death of Absalom; and was not willing that any farther slaughter should be made of the deluded people.