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Sunday, August 3rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 13 / Ordinary 18
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Read the Bible

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

2 Samuel 14:6

Now, thy maidservant, had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, with none to tear them apart, - so the one smote the other, and slew him.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Absalom;   Avenger of Blood;   David;   Dishonesty;   Intercession;   Joab;   Kindness;   Obsequiousness;   Parables;   Tact;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Parables;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Absalom;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Joab;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Allegory;   Mediator, Mediation;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Court Systems;   Jonah;   King, Kingship;   Maid, Maiden;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Parable;   Priests and Levites;   Samuel, Books of;   Wisdom;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Absalom;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Jo'ab;   Law of Moses;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Goel;   Handmaid;   Part;   Samuel, Books of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Absalom;   Parable;   Poetry;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Your servant had two sons. They were fighting in the field with no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him.
Hebrew Names Version
Your handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one struck the other, and killed him.
King James Version
And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and slew him.
Lexham English Bible
Your servant had two sons, and they both fought in the open field, and there was no one to part them. One struck the other and killed him.
English Standard Version
And your servant had two sons, and they quarreled with one another in the field. There was no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him.
New Century Version
I had two sons. They were out in the field fighting, and no one was there to stop them. So one son killed the other son.
New English Translation
Your servant has two sons. When the two of them got into a fight in the field, there was no one present who could intervene. One of them struck the other and killed him.
Amplified Bible
"Your maidservant had two sons, but the two of them struggled and fought in the field. There was no one to separate them, so one struck the other and killed him.
New American Standard Bible
"And your servant had two sons, but the two of them fought in the field, and there was no one to save them from each other, so one struck the other and killed him.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And thine handmayd had two sonnes, & they two stroue together in the fielde: (and there was none to part them) so the one smote the other, and slew him.
Legacy Standard Bible
And your servant-woman had two sons, but the two of them struggled together in the field, and there was no one to deliver between them, so one struck the other and put him to death.
Contemporary English Version
I had two sons, but they got into a fight out in a field where there was no one to pull them apart, and one of them killed the other.
Complete Jewish Bible
my two sons were out in the field; and they got into a fight with each other. There was no one to separate them, and one hit the other and killed him.
Darby Translation
And thy bondmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other and slew him.
Easy-to-Read Version
I had two sons. They were out in the field fighting. There was no one to stop them. One son killed the other son.
George Lamsa Translation
And your handmaid had two sons, and they two quarrelled together in the field, and there was none to part them, and one was stronger than the other and slew him.
Good News Translation
Sir, I had two sons, and one day they got into a quarrel out in the fields, where there was no one to separate them, and one of them killed the other.
Literal Translation
And your servant had two sons. And the two of them fought in the field, and there was no deliverer between them. And the one struck the other, and killed him.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And thy handmayde had two sonnes, which stroue together in the felde: and whyle there was noman to parte the a sunder, the one smote the other, and slewe him.
American Standard Version
And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and killed him.
Bible in Basic English
And I had two sons, and the two of them had a fight in the field, and there was no one to come between them, and one with a blow put the other to death.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And thy hande mayde had two sonnes, and they two fought together in the fielde, where was no man to go betweene them, but the one smote the other, and slue him.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and killed him.
King James Version (1611)
And thy handmayd had two sonnes, and they two stroue together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and slew him.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And moreover thy handmaid had two sons, and they fought together in the field, and there was no one to part them; and the one smote the other his brother, and slew him.
English Revised Version
And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and killed him.
Berean Standard Bible
And your maidservant had two sons who were fighting in the field with no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and tweyne sones weren of thin handmayde, whiche debatiden ayens hem silf in the feeld, and `noon was that myyte forbede hem, and oon smoot `the tother, and killide hym.
Young's Literal Translation
and thy maid-servant hath two sons; and they strive both of them in a field, and there is no deliverer between them, and the one smiteth the other, and putteth him to death;
Update Bible Version
And your female slave had two sons, and both of them strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and killed him.
Webster's Bible Translation
And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and [there was] none to part them, but the one smote the other and slew him.
World English Bible
Your handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one struck the other, and killed him.
New King James Version
Now your maidservant had two sons; and the two fought with each other in the field, and there was no one to part them, but the one struck the other and killed him.
New Living Translation
My two sons had a fight out in the field. And since no one was there to stop it, one of them was killed.
New Life Bible
Your woman servant had two sons. But they fought together in the field and there was no one to pull them apart. So one hit the other and killed him.
New Revised Standard
Your servant had two sons, and they fought with one another in the field; there was no one to part them, and one struck the other and killed him.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And thy handmaid had two sons: and they quarrelled with each other in the field, and there was none to part them: and the one struck the other, and slew him.
Revised Standard Version
And your handmaid had two sons, and they quarreled with one another in the field; there was no one to part them, and one struck the other and killed him.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Your maidservant had two sons, but the two of them struggled together in the field, and there was no one to separate them, so one struck the other and killed him.

Contextual Overview

1 And Joab, son of Zeruiah, perceived that the heart of the king was towards Absolom. 2 So Joab sent to Tekoa, and fetched from thence, a wise woman, - and said unto her - I pray thee, feign thyself a mourner, and put on, I pray thee, mourning apparel, and do not anoint thyself with oil, but be as a woman that hath, these many days, been mourning for the dead; 3 so shalt thou come in unto the king, and speak unto him, after this manner. And Joab put the words in her mouth. 4 And, when the woman of Tekoa came in unto the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did homage, - and said - Save, O king! 5 And the king said to her - What aileth thee? And she said - Of a truth, a widow woman, am I, for my husband is dead. 6 Now, thy maidservant, had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, with none to tear them apart, - so the one smote the other, and slew him. 7 Lo! therefore, all the family hath risen up against thy maidservant, and have said: Give up him that hath smitten his brother, that we may put him to death, for the life of his brother, whom he hath slain, that we may destroy, the heir also. So will they quench my ember that is left, and make my husband without name or remainder, on the face of the ground. 8 And the king said unto the woman - Go to thy house, and, I, will give command concerning thee. 9 Then said the woman of Tekoa unto the king, Upon me, my lord, O king, be the iniquity, and upon the house of my father, - but, the king and his throne, be guiltless. 10 And the king said, - He that speaketh unto thee, bring him in unto me, and he shall, no more, annoy thee.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

and they two: Genesis 4:8, Exodus 2:13, Deuteronomy 22:26, Deuteronomy 22:27

none to part: Heb. no deliverer between

Reciprocal: Genesis 27:45 - why Exodus 21:18 - men Judges 18:28 - And there 1 Kings 11:29 - and they two Psalms 7:2 - while Ecclesiastes 4:10 - but

Cross-References

Genesis 14:20
And blessed be GOD Most High, who hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. So he gave unto him a tenth of all.
Genesis 16:7
And the messenger of Yahweh b found her by the fountain of water in the desert, - by the fountain in the way to Shur.
Genesis 21:21
And he dwelt in the desert of Paran, - and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.
Genesis 36:8
So Esau dwelt in Mount Seir, Esau, is Edom.
Numbers 10:12
and the sons of Israel set forward by their removals from the desert of Sinai, and then the cloud abode in the desert of Paran.
Numbers 12:16
Then afterwards, did the people set forward from Hazeroth, and encamped in the desert of Paran.
Numbers 13:3
So then Moses sent them out of the desert of Paran, at the bidding of Yahweh, - all of them, great men, heads of the seas of Israel, were they.
Deuteronomy 2:12
And in Seir, dwelt the Horim aforetime, but, the sons of Esau, dispossessed them, and destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their stead, - as did Israel unto the land of his own possession, which Yahweh had given unto them.
Habakkuk 3:3
GOD, from Teman, cometh in, and, the Holy One, from Mount Paran. Selah. His splendour, hath covered the heavens, and, his praise, hath filled the earth:

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And thy handmaid had two sons,.... Two are observed, that her case might suit with Amnon and Absalom:

and they two strove together in the field; they quarrelled, and fought in the field, where there were no witnesses of what they did to each other; whereby she would suggest that Ammon was killed in the field, of which there were no witnesses, and therefore Absalom ought not to die; whereas it was in Absalom's house, at his table, and where the rest of the king's sons were present, and witnesses of it:

and [there was] none to part them; which, had there been, might have prevented the sad disaster; this, as Abarbinel thinks, is pointed at David, who when Amnon forced Tamar, did not correct him for it, nor seek to make peace between the brethren, and hence followed what had happened:

but the one smote the other, and slew him; as say the accusers of him that is living; for the fable supposes there was none with them; however, she suggests, as the above writer observes, that one gave the first blow, and so was the aggressor; and that he that was smitten rose up in his own defence, and in his passion slew him that smote him; which is observed to lessen the crime, and to intimate that Amnon was the aggressor, who first began the sin and quarrel, in ravishing Tamar, and so reproaching Absalom; and therefore his blood was upon his own head.


 
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