2 Samuel 21:15

THE MESSAGE

War broke out again between the Philistines and Israel. David and his men went down to fight. David became exhausted. Ishbi-Benob, a warrior descended from Rapha, with a spear weighing nearly eight pounds and outfitted in brand-new armor, announced that he'd kill David. But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to the rescue, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, "No more fighting on the front-lines for you! Don't snuff out the lamp of Israel!"

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The Philistines again waged war against Israel. David went down with his soldiers, and they fought the Philistines, but David became exhausted.

Hebrew Names Version
The Pelishtim had war again with Yisra'el; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Pelishtim. David grew faint;

King James Version
Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines: and David waxed faint.

Lexham English Bible
There was war again for the Philistines with Israel, and David and his servants with him went down, and they fought the Philistines, and David grew weary.

English Standard Version
There was war again between the Philistines and Israel, and David went down together with his servants, and they fought against the Philistines. And David grew weary.

New Century Version
Again there was war between the Philistines and Israel. David and his men went out to fight the Philistines, but David became tired.

New English Translation
Another battle was fought between the Philistines and Israel. So David went down with his soldiers and fought the Philistines. David became exhausted.

Amplified Bible
Now the Philistines were at war again with Israel. David went down with his servants, and as they fought against the Philistines, David became weary.

New American Standard Bible
Now when the Philistines were at war with Israel again, David went down, and his servants with him; and when they fought against the Philistines, David became weary.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Againe the Philistims had warre with Israel: and Dauid went downe, and his seruants with him, and they fought against the Philistims, and Dauid fainted.

Legacy Standard Bible
And the Philistines were at war again with Israel, so David went down and his servants with him; and as they fought against the Philistines, David became weary.

Contemporary English Version
One time David got very tired when he and his soldiers were fighting the Philistines.

Complete Jewish Bible
Once again the P'lishtim made war on Isra'el. David went down with his servants and fought against the P'lishtim, but David began to get tired.

Darby Translation
And the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought with the Philistines. And David was exhausted.

Easy-to-Read Version
The Philistines started another war with Israel. David and his men went out to fight the Philistines, but David became very tired and weak.

George Lamsa Translation
Moreover the Philistines were again at war with Israel; and David went down and his servants with him to fight against the Philistines;

Good News Translation
There was another war between the Philistines and Israel, and David and his men went and fought the Philistines. During one of the battles David grew tired.

Literal Translation
And again the Philistines warred with Israel. And David went down, and his servants with him. And they fought with the Philistines. And David was weary.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But there arose warre agayne of ye Philistynes agaynst Israel. And Dauid wente downe & his seruauntes with him, & foughte agaynst the Philistynes. And Dauid was weery,

American Standard Version
And the Philistines had war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines. And David waxed faint;

Bible in Basic English
And the Philistines went to war again with Israel; and David went down with his people, and while they were at Gob they had a fight with the Philistines:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Moreouer, yt Philistines had yet warre againe with Israel, and Dauid went downe and his seruauntes with him, & fought against the Philistines: And Dauid waxed faintie.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the Philistines had war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines; and David waxed faint.

King James Version (1611)
Moreouer, the Philistines had yet warre againe with Israel, and Dauid went down, and his seruants with him, and fought against the Philistines, and Dauid waxed faint.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And there was yet war between the Philistines and Israel: and David went down and his servants with him, and they fought with the Philistines, and David went.

English Revised Version
And the Philistines had war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines: and David waxed faint.

Berean Standard Bible
Once again the Philistines waged war against Israel, and David and his servants went down and fought against the Philistines; but David became exhausted.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe batel of Filisteis was maad eft ayens Israel; and Dauid yede doun, and hise seruauntis with hym, and fouyten ayen Filisteis.

Young's Literal Translation
And again have the Philistines war with Israel, and David goeth down, and his servants with him, and they fight with the Philistines; and David is weary,

Update Bible Version
And the Philistines had war again with Israel; and David went down, and his slaves with him, and fought against the Philistines. And David waxed faint;

Webster's Bible Translation
Moreover, the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines: and David became faint.

World English Bible
The Philistines had war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines. David grew faint;

New King James Version
1 Chronicles 20:4-8">[xr] When the Philistines were at war again with Israel, David and his servants with him went down and fought against the Philistines; and David grew faint.

New Living Translation
Once again the Philistines were at war with Israel. And when David and his men were in the thick of battle, David became weak and exhausted.

New Life Bible
The Philistines were at war again with Israel. David went down with his servants and they fought the Philistines. And David became tired.

New Revised Standard
The Philistines went to war again with Israel, and David went down together with his servants. They fought against the Philistines, and David grew weary.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the Philistines had yet again a war with Israel, - so David went down, and his servants with him, and fought the Philistines, and David became faint.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Philistines made war again against Israel, and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines. And David growing faint,

Revised Standard Version
The Philistines had war again with Israel, and David went down together with his servants, and they fought against the Philistines; and David grew weary.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now when the Philistines were at war again with Israel, David went down and his servants with him; and as they fought against the Philistines, David became weary.

Contextual Overview

¹⁵War broke out again between the Philistines and Israel. David and his men went down to fight. David became exhausted. Ishbi-Benob, a warrior descended from Rapha, with a spear weighing nearly eight pounds and outfitted in brand-new armor, announced that he'd kill David. But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to the rescue, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, "No more fighting on the front-lines for you! Don't snuff out the lamp of Israel!" ¹⁸ Later there was another skirmish with the Philistines at Gob. That time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, another of the warriors descended from Rapha. ¹⁹ At yet another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jaar, the weaver of Bethlehem, killed Goliath the Gittite whose spear was as big as a flagpole. ²⁰Still another fight broke out in Gath. There was a giant there with six fingers on his hands and six toes on his feet—twenty-four fingers and toes! He was another of those descended from Rapha. He insulted Israel, and Jonathan son of Shimeah, David's brother, killed him. ²² These four were descended from Rapha in Gath. And they all were killed by David and his soldiers.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the Philistines: 2 Samuel 5:17, 2 Samuel 5:22, 1 Chronicles 20:4

and David waxed faint: Joshua 14:10, Joshua 14:11, Psalms 71:9, Psalms 71:18, Psalms 73:26, Ecclesiastes 12:3, Isaiah 40:28-30, Jeremiah 9:23, Jeremiah 9:24, 1 Peter 1:24, 1 Peter 1:25

Reciprocal: Genesis 6:4 - giants 2 Samuel 8:1 - And after Psalms 9:5 - rebuked Psalms 18:38 - General Psalms 60:8 - triumph Psalms 108:9 - over Philistia

Cross-References

Genesis 21:1
God visited Sarah exactly as he said he would; God did to Sarah what he promised: Sarah became pregnant and gave Abraham a son in his old age, and at the very time God had set. Abraham named him Isaac. When his son was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him just as God had commanded.

Genesis 21:14
Abraham got up early the next morning, got some food together and a canteen of water for Hagar, put them on her back and sent her away with the child. She wandered off into the desert of Beersheba. When the water was gone, she left the child under a shrub and went off, fifty yards or so. She said, "I can't watch my son die." As she sat, she broke into sobs.

Genesis 21:22
At about that same time, Abimelech and the captain of his troops, Phicol, spoke to Abraham: "No matter what you do, God is on your side. So swear to me that you won't do anything underhanded to me or any of my family. For as long as you live here, swear that you'll treat me and my land as well as I've treated you."

Genesis 21:25
At the same time, Abraham confronted Abimelech over the matter of a well of water that Abimelech's servants had taken. Abimelech said, "I have no idea who did this; you never told me about it; this is the first I've heard of it."

2 Kings 3:9
The king of Israel, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom started out on what proved to be a looping detour. After seven days they had run out of water for both army and animals.

Psalms 63:1

A David Psalm, When He Was out in the Judean Wilderness

God—you're my God! I can't get enough of you! I've worked up such hunger and thirst for God, traveling across dry and weary deserts.

Isaiah 44:12
The blacksmith makes his no-god, works it over in his forge, hammering it on his anvil—such hard work! He works away, fatigued with hunger and thirst.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel,.... Besides what is before recorded in this and the preceding book; being animated to it partly by the number of giants among them, and partly by the decline of David's life, and it may be chiefly by the insurrections and rebellions in Israel; though some think that these battles were not after the rebellions of Absalom and Sheba, and the affair of the Gibeonites, though here recorded; but before, and quickly after the war with the Ammonites, next to which they are placed in 1 Chronicles 20:1; but they seem to be placed here in their proper order:

and David went down, and his servants with him; to the borders of the Philistines, perceiving they were preparing to make war against him:

and fought against the Philistines; engaged in a battle with them:

and David waxed faint; in the battle, not able to bear the fatigues of war, and wield his armour as he had used, being in the decline of life; after he had been engaged a while, his spirits began to fail, not through fear, but through feebleness; but, according to Josephus, it was through weariness in pursuing the enemy put to flight, which the following person perceived, and turned upon him y.

y Antiqu. l. 7. c. 12. sect. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

This, like the preceding paragraph 2 Samuel 21:1-14, is manifestly a detached and unconnected extract. It is probably taken from some history of David’s wars, apparently the same as furnished the materials for 2 Samuel 5:0; 2 Samuel 8:0; 2 Samuel 23:8-39. There is no direct clue to the time when the events here related took place, but it was probably quite in the early part of David’s reign, while he was still young and active, after the war described in 2 Samuel 5:0. The Book of Chronicles places these Philistine battles immediately after the taking of Rabbah of the Ammonites 1 Chronicles 20:4-8, but omits David’s adventure 2 Samuel 21:15-17.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 21:15. Moreover the Philistines had yet war — There is no mention of this war in the parallel place, 1 Chronicles 20:4, &c.

David waxed faint. — This circumstance is nowhere else mentioned.