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Sunday, July 27th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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New Living Translation

2 Samuel 20:9

"How are you, my cousin?" Joab said and took him by the beard with his right hand as though to kiss him.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Abishai;   Amasa;   Assassination;   Confidence;   David;   Homicide;   Joab;   Kiss;   Salutations;   Treachery;   Thompson Chain Reference - Evil;   Kiss;   Treachery;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Enemies;   Hands, the;   Salutations;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Amasa;   Gibeon;   Joab;   Kiss;   Sheba;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Joab;   Sheba;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Hand, Right Hand;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Amasa;   Gibeon;   Joab;   Sheba;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Abner;   Arms;   Beard;   Gibeon;   Sheba (1);   Holman Bible Dictionary - Abel-Beth-Maachah or Abel-Beth-Maacah;   Gibeon;   Health;   Kiss;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Amasa;   Gibeon;   Joab;   Kiss;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Gestures;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Amasa ;   Bichri ;   Gibeon ;   Joab ;   Sheba ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Kiss;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Amasa;   Beard;   David;   Gibeon;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Beard;   Da'vid;   She'ba;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Kiss;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Amasa;   Crime;   Greeting;   Health;   Kiss;   Leasing;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Beard;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Kiss and Kissing;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Joab asked Amasa, “Are you well, my brother?” Then with his right hand Joab grabbed Amasa by the beard to kiss him.
Hebrew Names Version
Yo'av said to `Amasa, Is it well with you, my brother? Yo'av took `Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
King James Version
And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him.
Lexham English Bible
Then Joab said to Amasa, "Is it peace, O you my brother?" Then the right hand of Joab took hold of the beard of Amasa as if to kiss him.
English Standard Version
And Joab said to Amasa, "Is it well with you, my brother?" And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
New Century Version
Joab asked Amasa, "Brother, is everything all right with you?" Then with his right hand he took Amasa by the beard to kiss him.
New English Translation
Joab said to Amasa, "How are you, my brother?" With his right hand Joab took hold of Amasa's beard as if to greet him with a kiss.
Amplified Bible
Joab said to Amasa, "Is it going well with you, my brother?" And with his right hand Joab took hold of Amasa by the beard [as if] to kiss him [in greeting].
New American Standard Bible
And Joab said to Amasa, "Is it going well for you, my brother?" And Joab took hold of Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Ioab sayde to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? & Ioab tooke Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kisse him.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Joab said to Amasa, "Is it well with you, my brother?" And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
Contemporary English Version
Joab said, "Amasa, my cousin, how are you?" Then Joab took hold of Amasa's beard with his right hand, so that he could greet him with a kiss.
Complete Jewish Bible
Yo'av said to ‘Amasa, "Is it going well with you, my brother? Then, with his right hand, Yo'av took ‘Amasa by the beard to kiss him.
Darby Translation
And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou well, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him.
Easy-to-Read Version
Joab asked Amasa, "How are you doing, brother?" Joab reached out with his right hand and grabbed Amasa by the beard to greet him with a kiss.
George Lamsa Translation
And Joab said to Amasa, Peace be with you, my brother. And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his hand to kiss him.
Good News Translation
Joab said to Amasa, "How are you, my friend?" and took hold of his beard with his right hand in order to kiss him.
Literal Translation
And Joab said to Amasa, Is it well with you, my brother? And Joab's right hand took hold of Amasa's beard to give a kiss to him.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Ioab sayde vnto Amasa: Peace be with the my brother. And Ioab toke Amasa by the beerde with his righte hade, to kysse him.
American Standard Version
And Joab said to Amasa, Is it well with thee, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
Bible in Basic English
And Joab said to Amasa, Is it well, my brother? And with his right hand he took him by the hair of his chin to give him a kiss.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Ioab saide to Amasa: Art thou in health my brother? And Ioab toke Amasa by ye beard with the right hand, to kisse him.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Joab said to Amasa: 'Is it well with thee, my brother?' And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
King James Version (1611)
And Ioab saide to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Ioab tooke Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kisse him.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Joab said to Amessai, Art thou in health, my brother? and the right hand of Joab took hold of the beard of Amessai to kiss him.
English Revised Version
And Joab said to Amasa, Is it well with thee, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
Berean Standard Bible
"Are you well, my brother?" Joab asked Amasa. And with his right hand Joab grabbed Amasa by the beard to kiss him.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Heil, my brother! And he helde with the riyt hond the chyn of Amasa, as kissinge him.
Young's Literal Translation
And Joab saith to Amasa, `Art thou [in] peace, my brother?' and the right hand of Joab layeth hold on the beard of Amasa to give a kiss to him;
Update Bible Version
And Joab said to Amasa, Is it well with you, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Joab said to Amasa, [Art] thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him.
World English Bible
Joab said to Amasa, Is it well with you, my brother? Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
New King James Version
Then Joab said to Amasa, "Are you in health, my brother?" And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
New Life Bible
Joab said to Amasa, "Is it well with you, my brother?" And he took Amasa by the hair of his face with his right hand to kiss him.
New Revised Standard
Joab said to Amasa, "Is it well with you, my brother?" And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said Joab unto Amasa, Art thou, well, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand, to kiss him.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Joab said to Amasa: God save thee, my brother. And he took Amasa by the chin with his right hand to kiss him.
Revised Standard Version
And Jo'ab said to Ama'sa, "Is it well with you, my brother?" And Jo'ab took Ama'sa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Joab said to Amasa, "Is it well with you, my brother?" And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.

Contextual Overview

4 Then the king told Amasa, "Mobilize the army of Judah within three days, and report back at that time." 5 So Amasa went out to notify Judah, but it took him longer than the time he had been given. 6 Then David said to Abishai, "Sheba son of Bicri is going to hurt us more than Absalom did. Quick, take my troops and chase after him before he gets into a fortified town where we can't reach him." 7 So Abishai and Joab, together with the king's bodyguard and all the mighty warriors, set out from Jerusalem to go after Sheba. 8 As they arrived at the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa met them. Joab was wearing his military tunic with a dagger strapped to his belt. As he stepped forward to greet Amasa, he slipped the dagger from its sheath. 9 "How are you, my cousin?" Joab said and took him by the beard with his right hand as though to kiss him. 10 Amasa didn't notice the dagger in his left hand, and Joab stabbed him in the stomach with it so that his insides gushed out onto the ground. Joab did not need to strike again, and Amasa soon died. Joab and his brother Abishai left him lying there and continued after Sheba. 11 One of Joab's young men shouted to Amasa's troops, "If you are for Joab and David, come and follow Joab." 12 But Amasa lay in his blood in the middle of the road, and Joab's man saw that everyone was stopping to stare at him. So he pulled him off the road into a field and threw a cloak over him. 13 With Amasa's body out of the way, everyone went on with Joab to capture Sheba son of Bicri.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Art thou: Psalms 55:21, Proverbs 26:24-26, Micah 7:2

took Amasa: Thevenot says, that among the Turks it is a great affront to take one by the beard, unless it be to kiss him, in which case they often do it. D'Arvieux, describing an assembly of Arab emirs at an entertainment, says, "After the usual civilities, caresses, kissings of the beard, and of the hand, which every one gave and received according to his rank and dignity, they sat down upon mats." The doing this by the Arab emirs corresponds with the conduct of Joab, and illustrates this horrid assassination.

to kiss him: Matthew 26:48, Matthew 26:49, Luke 22:47, Luke 22:48

Reciprocal: Genesis 4:8 - talked Genesis 24:14 - thereby Genesis 29:6 - Is he well Exodus 21:14 - slay Deuteronomy 27:24 - General 2 Samuel 3:27 - took him 2 Samuel 11:16 - he assigned 2 Samuel 13:26 - let my brother 2 Samuel 17:25 - Amasa 2 Samuel 20:10 - in Joab's 1 Chronicles 21:6 - Joab Nehemiah 6:2 - Come Psalms 55:23 - bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days Proverbs 10:18 - that hideth Proverbs 26:23 - General Proverbs 27:6 - the kisses Jeremiah 9:8 - one Jeremiah 41:1 - they did Mark 14:44 - Whomsoever Luke 6:41 - but Romans 12:9 - love

Cross-References

Genesis 12:18
So Pharaoh summoned Abram and accused him sharply. "What have you done to me?" he demanded. "Why didn't you tell me she was your wife?
Genesis 20:10
Whatever possessed you to do such a thing?"
Genesis 20:11
Abraham replied, "I thought, ‘This is a godless place. They will want my wife and will kill me to get her.'
Genesis 20:18
For the Lord had caused all the women to be infertile because of what happened with Abraham's wife, Sarah.
Genesis 26:10
"How could you do this to us?" Abimelech exclaimed. "One of my people might easily have taken your wife and slept with her, and you would have made us guilty of great sin."
Genesis 34:7
Meanwhile, Jacob's sons had come in from the field as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked and furious that their sister had been raped. Shechem had done a disgraceful thing against Jacob's family, something that should never be done.
Genesis 38:24
About three months later, Judah was told, "Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has acted like a prostitute. And now, because of this, she's pregnant." "Bring her out, and let her be burned!" Judah demanded.
Genesis 39:9
No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God."
Exodus 32:21
Finally, he turned to Aaron and demanded, "What did these people do to you to make you bring such terrible sin upon them?"
Exodus 32:35
Then the Lord sent a great plague upon the people because they had worshiped the calf Aaron had made.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Joab said to Amasa,.... In a friendly manner, with all the air of pleasantry and good humour:

[art] thou in health, my brother? this looked like a friendly salutation to ask of his health, and wish him it, and a loving appellation to call him brother; though they were near of kin, sisters' children, and so own cousins; thus he addressed him, to cover his design:

and Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him: as was usual for the eastern people to do when they addressed and saluted one another in an affectionate way, and as the Turks and Arabs do to this day, as travellers relate. Barthius t has collected passages from the Greek poets, which show it to be a custom, that when a man asked a favour of another, he caught hold of his beard with the right hand, and of his knee with the left; and in such a posture Joab might easily do what follows.

t Animadv. ad Claudian. de Raptu Proserp. l. 1. ver. 50. vid. Homer. Iliad. ver. 500, 501. Iliad. 8. ver. 371. & Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 2. c. 19.


 
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