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Thursday, July 3rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 8 / Ordinary 13
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New Living Translation

2 Samuel 2:20

When Abner looked back and saw him coming, he called out, "Is that you, Asahel?" "Yes, it is," he replied.

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?”
Hebrew Names Version
Then Aviner looked behind him, and said, Is it you, `Asa'el? He answered, It is I.
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 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 Joab, Abishai, and Asahel—the three sons of Zeruiah—were among David's forces that day. Asahel could run like a gazelle, 19 and he began chasing Abner. He pursued him relentlessly, not stopping for anything. 20 When Abner looked back and saw him coming, he called out, "Is that you, Asahel?" "Yes, it is," he replied. 21 "Go fight someone else!" Abner warned. "Take on one of the younger men, and strip him of his weapons." But Asahel kept right on chasing Abner. 22 Again Abner shouted to him, "Get away from here! I don't want to kill you. How could I ever face your brother Joab again?" 23 But Asahel refused to turn back, so Abner thrust the butt end of his spear through Asahel's stomach, and the spear came out through his back. He stumbled to the ground and died there. And everyone who came by that spot stopped and stood still when they saw Asahel lying there. 24 When Joab and Abishai found out what had happened, they set out after Abner. The sun was just going down as they arrived at the hill of Ammah near Giah, along the road to the wilderness of Gibeon.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Cross-References

Genesis 2:18
Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right 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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