Lectionary Calendar
Monday, August 18th, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
Attention!
StudyLight.org has pledged to help build churches in Uganda. Help us with that pledge and support pastors in the heart of Africa.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

New American Standard Bible (1995)

2 Samuel 18:16

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

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Absalom;   Armies;   Ephraim;   Trumpet;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ahimaaz;   Joab;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Fox;   War;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Abishai;   Joab;   Samuel, Books of;   War;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Absalom;   David;   Smith Bible Dictionary - War;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Trumpet;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Army;  

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.
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.

Contextual Overview

9 Now Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. For Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak. And his head caught fast in the oak, so he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him kept going. 10 When a certain man saw it, he told Joab and said, "Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak." 11 Then Joab said to the man who had told him, "Now behold, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? And I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt." 12 The man said to Joab, "Even if I should receive a thousand pieces of silver in my hand, I would not put out my hand against the king's son; for in our hearing the king charged you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, 'Protect for me the young man Absalom!' 13 "Otherwise, if I had dealt treacherously against his life (and there is nothing hidden from the king), then you yourself would have stood aloof." 14 Then Joab said, "I will not waste time here with you." So he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak. 15 And ten young men who carried Joab's armor gathered around and struck Absalom and killed him. 16 Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained the people.17 They took Absalom and cast him into a deep pit in the forest and erected over him a very great heap of stones. And all Israel fled, each to his tent. 18 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself a pillar which is in the King's Valley, for he said, "I have no son to preserve my name." So he named the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absalom's Monument to this day.

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
Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren.
Acts 20:38
grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they were accompanying him to the ship.
Acts 21:5
When our days there were ended, we left and started on our journey, while they all, with wives and children, escorted us until we were out of the city. After kneeling down on the beach and praying, we said farewell to one another.
Romans 15:24
whenever I go to Spain—for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while—
3 John 1:6
and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.

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.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile