Lectionary Calendar
Monday, July 28th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

Revised Standard Version

2 Samuel 20:6

And David said to Abi'shai, "Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Ab'salom; take your lord's servants and pursue him, lest he get himself fortified cities, and cause us trouble."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Abishai;   David;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Abishai;   Amasa;   Sheba;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Joab;   Sheba;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Amasa;   Gibeon;   Joab;   Sheba;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Abner;   Cherethims;   Gibeon;   Sheba (1);   Holman Bible Dictionary - Abel-Beth-Maachah or Abel-Beth-Maacah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Joab;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Amasa ;   Bichri ;   Joab ;   Sheba ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Abishai;   David;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Da'vid;   She'ba;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Toe;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Abishai;   Get;   Joab;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So David said to Abishai, “Sheba son of Bichri will do more harm to us than Absalom. Take your lord’s soldiers and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and elude us.”
Hebrew Names Version
David said to Avishai, Now will Sheva the son of Bikhri do us more harm than did Avshalom: take your lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fortified cities, and escape out of our sight.
King James Version
And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us.
Lexham English Bible
Then David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba the son of Bicri will do us more harm than Absalom. You take the servants of your lord and pursue after him, lest he find fortified cities for himself and escape from us."
English Standard Version
And David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take your lord's servants and pursue him, lest he get himself to fortified cities and escape from us."
New Century Version
David said to Abishai, "Sheba son of Bicri is more dangerous to us than Absalom was. Take my men and chase him before he finds walled cities and escapes from us."
New English Translation
Then David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba son of Bicri will cause greater disaster for us than Absalom did! Take your lord's servants and pursue him. Otherwise he will secure fortified cities for himself and get away from us."
Amplified Bible
And David said to Abishai [his nephew], "Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your lord's servants and pursue him, so that he does not find fortified cities for himself and escape from our sight."
New American Standard Bible
And David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom; take your lord's servants and pursue him, so that he does not find for himself fortified cities and escape from our sight."
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Dauid sayd to Abishai, Now shal Sheba the sonne of Bichri doe vs more harme then did Absalom: take thou therefore thy lords seruants and followe after him, lest he get him walled cities, and escape vs.
Legacy Standard Bible
And David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom; take your lord's servants and pursue him, lest he find for himself fortified cities and deliver himself from our sight."
Contemporary English Version
So David said to Abishai, "Sheba will hurt us more than Absalom ever did. Take my best soldiers and go after him. We don't want him to take over any walled cities and get away from us."
Complete Jewish Bible
David said to Avishai, "Sheva the son of Bikhri is going to do us more harm than Avshalom. Take your lord's servants and pursue him, so that he won't take over fortified cities and escape us."
Darby Translation
And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom. Take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fortified cities and escape our sight.
Easy-to-Read Version
David said to Abishai, "Sheba son of Bicri is more dangerous to us than Absalom was. So take my officers and chase Sheba. Hurry before he gets into cities with walls. If he gets into the well-protected cities, we will not be able to get him."
George Lamsa Translation
And David said to Joab, Now Shamoa the son of Bichri will do us more harm than did Absalom; take your lords servants and pursue him, lest he find him fortified cities, and stay in them and incite a revolt against us.
Good News Translation
So the king said to Abishai, "Sheba will give us more trouble than Absalom. Take my men and go after him, or else he may occupy some fortified towns and escape from us."
Literal Translation
And David said to Abishai, Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do more evil to us than Absalom. You take the servants of your lord and pursue him, that he not find fortified cities for himself, and deliver himself from our eye.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Dauid sayde vnto Abisai: Now shall Seba the sonne of Bichri do vs more harme then Absalom. Take thou yi lordes seruauntes, and folowe vpon him, yt he fynde not some stroge cities for him, and so escape out of oure sighte.
American Standard Version
And David said to Abishai, Now will Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fortified cities, and escape out of our sight.
Bible in Basic English
And David said to Abishai, Sheba, the son of Bichri, will do us more damage than Absalom did; so take some of your lord's servants and go after him, before he makes himself safe in the walled towns, and gets away before our eyes.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Dauid saide to Abisai: Now shal Seba the sonne of Bichri do vs more harme then did Absalom: Take thou therefore thy lordes seruauntes, and folowe after him, lest he get him walled cities, and escape vs.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And David said to Abishai: 'Now will Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom; take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fortified cities, and escape out of our sight.'
King James Version (1611)
And Dauid said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the sonne of Bichri doe vs more harme then did Absalom: take thou thy lords seruants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape vs.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And David said to Amessai, Now shall Sabee the son of Bochori do us more harm than Abessalom: now then take thou with thee the servants of thy lord, and follow after him, lest he find for himself strong cities, so will he blind our eyes.
English Revised Version
And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord’s servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape out of our sight.
Berean Standard Bible
And David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take your lord's servants and pursue him, or he will secure fortified cities and elude us."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sotheli Dauid seide to Abisai, Now Siba, the sone of Botri, schal turmente vs more than Absolon dide; therfor take the seruauntis of thi lord, and pursue hym, lest in hap he fynde strengthid citees, and ascape vs.
Young's Literal Translation
and David saith unto Abishai, `Now doth Sheba son of Bichri do evil to us more than Absalom; thou, take the servants of thy lord, and pursue after him, lest he have found for himself fenced cities, and delivered himself [from] our eye.'
Update Bible Version
And David said to Abishai, Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than did Absalom: you take your lord's slaves, and pursue after him, in case he found himself fortified cities, and tears out our eye.
Webster's Bible Translation
And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than [did] Absalom: take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue him, lest he get for himself fortified cities, and escape us.
World English Bible
David said to Abishai, Now will Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take your lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fortified cities, and escape out of our sight.
New King James Version
And David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take your lord's servants and pursue him, lest he find for himself fortified cities, and escape us."
New Living Translation
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."
New Life Bible
David said to Abishai, "Now Bichri's son Sheba will bring us more trouble than Absalom. Take your lord's servants and go after him. Or he might find strong cities for himself, and get away from us."
New Revised Standard
David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom; take your lord's servants and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities for himself, and escape from us."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said David unto Abishai, Now, shall Sheba son of Bichri, do us more harm than Absolom, - thou, take the servants of thy lord, and pursue him, lest he have got him into fortified cities, and so have escaped our eye.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And David said to Abisai: Now will Seba the son of Bochri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou therefore the servants of thy lord, and pursue after him, lest he find fenced cities, and escape us.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
And David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom; take your lord's servants and pursue him, so that he does not find for himself fortified cities and escape from our sight."

Contextual Overview

4 Then the king said to Ama'sa, "Call the men of Judah together to me within three days, and be here yourself." 5 So Ama'sa went to summon Judah; but he delayed beyond the set time which had been appointed him. 6 And David said to Abi'shai, "Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Ab'salom; take your lord's servants and pursue him, lest he get himself fortified cities, and cause us trouble." 7 And there went out after Abi'shai, Jo'ab and the Cher'ethites and the Pel'ethites, and all the mighty men; they went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri. 8 When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Ama'sa came to meet them. Now Jo'ab was wearing a soldier's garment, and over it was a girdle with a sword in its sheath fastened upon his loins, and as he went forward it fell out. 9 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. 10 But Ama'sa did not observe the sword which was in Jo'ab's hand; so Jo'ab struck him with it in the body, and shed his bowels to the ground, without striking a second blow; and he died. Then Jo'ab and Abi'shai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri. 11 And one of Jo'ab's men took his stand by Ama'sa, and said, "Whoever favors Jo'ab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Jo'ab." 12 And Ama'sa lay wallowing in his blood in the highway. And any one who came by, seeing him, stopped; and when the man saw that all the people stopped, he carried Ama'sa out of the highway into the field, and threw a garment over him. 13 When he was taken out of the highway, all the people went on after Jo'ab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Abishai: 2 Samuel 2:18, 2 Samuel 3:30, 2 Samuel 3:39, 2 Samuel 10:9, 2 Samuel 10:10, 2 Samuel 10:14, 2 Samuel 18:2, 2 Samuel 18:12, 2 Samuel 21:17, 2 Samuel 23:18, 1 Samuel 26:6, 1 Chronicles 11:20, 1 Chronicles 18:12

do us: 2 Samuel 19:7

thy lord's: 2 Samuel 11:11, 1 Kings 1:33

escape us: Heb. deliver himself from our eyes

Reciprocal: Joshua 10:19 - suffer them Joshua 10:20 - fenced cities 2 Samuel 19:43 - We have 2 Samuel 20:11 - He that Jeremiah 8:14 - enter Mark 3:24 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 3:3
but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'"
Genesis 20:6
Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me; therefore I did not let you touch her.
Genesis 20:7
Now then restore the man's wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you, and all that are yours."
Genesis 20:18
For the LORD had closed all the wombs of the house of Abim'elech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.
Genesis 26:11
So Abim'elech warned all the people, saying, "Whoever touches this man or his wife shall be put to death."
Genesis 31:7
yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not permit him to harm me.
Genesis 35:5
And as they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities that were round about them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.
Genesis 39:9
he is not greater in this house than I am; nor has he kept back anything from me except yourself, because you are his wife; how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"
Exodus 34:24
For I will cast out nations before you, and enlarge your borders; neither shall any man desire your land, when you go up to appear before the LORD your God three times in the year.
Leviticus 6:2
"If any one sins and commits a breach of faith against the LORD by deceiving his neighbor in a matter of deposit or security, or through robbery, or if he has oppressed his neighbor

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And David said to Abishai,.... For it seems he would have nothing to say to Joab, being displeased with him for slaying Absalom, and having removed him from his posts; and therefore speaks to the next officer in his army, Abishai; though Josephus p says, he addressed himself to Joab, contrary to the express words of the text:

now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than [did] Absalom; gain a greater party, and give more trouble to subdue him, unless suppressed in time:

take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue after him; without waiting for Amasa, and the troops he was assembling; delays in such a case as an insurrection being dangerous, which ought to be nipped in the bud, and crushed as soon as possible; in order to which, he bids him take his servants that were about him, his bodyguards, and pursue Sheba:

lest he get him fenced cities; where he may secure himself, and hold out a siege a long time, and give a great deal of trouble:

and escape us; for the present; or "escape our eyes", as the "Keri", or marginal reading is; we shall lose sight of him, and not know which way he is gone, if he is not pursued quickly.

p Antiqu. l. 7. c. 11. sect. 6.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

To Abishai - Probably, as the king was on bad terms with Joab, and wished to deprive him of his post as Captain of the host, he gave his orders to Abishai, and weakly connived at the execution of them by Joab, which was inevitable.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile