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Monday, July 21st, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Wycliffe Bible

2 Samuel 2:18

Forsothe thre sones of Saruye weren there, Joab, and Abisai, and Asahel; forsothe Asahel was a `rennere moost swift, as oon of the capretis that dwellen in woodis.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Abner;   Asahel;   David;   Deer;   Homicide;   Israel;   Joab;   War;   Zeruiah;   Thompson Chain Reference - Abishai;   Animals;   Asahel;   Deer;   Joab;   Zeruiah;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Beasts;   Feet, the;   Roe, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Abishai;   Asahel;   Gibeon;   Roe and Roebuck;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Abishai;   Abner;   Joab;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Abishai;   Asahel;   Joab;   Roe;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ahimaaz;   High Priest;   Joab;   Naphtali;   Roe;   War;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Asahel;   Samuel, Books of;   Son of God;   Zeruiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Abishai;   Abner;   Asahel;   Gazelle;   Gibeon;   Joab;   Pool, Pond;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Abner ;   Asahel ;   Zeruiah ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Joab;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Abishai;   Asahel;   Gibeon;   Smith Bible Dictionary - As'ahel;   Roe, Roebuck;   War;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Asahel;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Abishai;   Asahel;   Deer;   Games;   Gazelle;   Roe;   Zeruiah;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Abner;   Asahel;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Abner;   Asa;   Asahel;   Ish-Bosheth;   Roe;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was a fast runner, like one of the wild gazelles.
Hebrew Names Version
The three sons of Tzeru'yah were there, Yo'av, and Avishai, and `Asa'el: and `Asa'el was as light of foot as a wild roe.
King James Version
And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.
Lexham English Bible
The three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel. Now Asahel was swift with his feet as one of the gazelles which is in the open field.
English Standard Version
And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as swift of foot as a wild gazelle.
New Century Version
Zeruiah's three sons, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel, were there. Now Asahel was a fast runner, as fast as a deer in the field.
New English Translation
The three sons of Zeruiah were there—Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. (Now Asahel was as quick on his feet as one of the gazelles in the field.)
Amplified Bible
Three sons of Zeruiah [the half sister of David] were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as light and swift-footed as one of the [wild] gazelles in the field.
New American Standard Bible
Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel; and Asahel was as swift-footed as one of the gazelles that is in the field.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And there were three sonnes of Zeruiah there, Ioab, and Abishai, and Asahel. And Asahel was as light on foote as a wilde roe.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel; and Asahel was as swift-footed as one of the gazelles which is in the field.
Contemporary English Version
Zeruiah's three sons were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel could run as fast as a deer in an open field,
Complete Jewish Bible
The three sons of Tz'ruyah were there, Yo'av, Avishai and ‘Asah'el. ‘Asah'el was as fleet-footed as a gazelle in an open field.
Darby Translation
And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was swift of foot, as one of the gazelles that are in the field.
Easy-to-Read Version
Zeruiah had three sons, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was a fast runner, as fast as a wild deer.
George Lamsa Translation
And there were three sons of Zoriah there, Joab, Abishai, and Ashael; and Ashael was as swift of foot as a desert gazelle.
Good News Translation
The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel, who could run as fast as a wild deer,
Literal Translation
And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel. And Asahel was swift with his feet, like one of the gazelles in the field.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thre sonnes of Zeru Ia were there, Ioab, Abisai & Asahel. As for Asahel, he was lighte of fete as a Roo in ye felde,
American Standard Version
And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.
Bible in Basic English
There were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel: and Asahel was as quick-footed as a roe of the fields.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And there were three sonnes of Zaruia there: Ioab, Abisai, and Asahel: And Asahel was as light of foote as a wilde Roe.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel; and Asahel was as light of foot as one of the roes that are in the field.
King James Version (1611)
And there were three sonnes of Zeruiah there, Ioab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wilde Roe.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And there were there the three sons of Saruia, Joab, and Abessa, and Asael: and Asael was swift in his feet as a roe in the field.
English Revised Version
And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.
Berean Standard Bible
The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was fleet of foot like a wild gazelle,
Young's Literal Translation
And there are there three sons of Zeruiah, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel, and Asahel [is] light on his feet, as one of the roes which [are] in the field,
Update Bible Version
And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.
Webster's Bible Translation
And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel [was as] light of foot as a wild roe.
World English Bible
The three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.
New King James Version
Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab and Abishai and Asahel. And Asahel was as fleet of foot as a wild gazelle.
New Living Translation
Joab, Abishai, and Asahel—the three sons of Zeruiah—were among David's forces that day. Asahel could run like a gazelle,
New Life Bible
Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel. Asahel was as fast as a wild deer.
New Revised Standard
The three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as swift of foot as a wild gazelle.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now there were there, three sons of Zeruiah, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel, - and, Asahel, was light of foot as a wild gazelle.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And there were the three sons of Sarvia there, Joab, and Abisai, and Asael: now Asael was a most swift runner, like one of the roes that abide in the woods.
Revised Standard Version
And the three sons of Zeru'iah were there, Jo'ab, Abi'shai, and As'ahel. Now As'ahel was as swift of foot as a wild gazelle;
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel; and Asahel was as swift-footed as one of the gazelles which is in the field.

Contextual Overview

18 Forsothe thre sones of Saruye weren there, Joab, and Abisai, and Asahel; forsothe Asahel was a `rennere moost swift, as oon of the capretis that dwellen in woodis. 19 Forsothe Asahel pursuede Abner, and bowide not, nether to the riyt side nether to the left side, ceessynge to pursue Abner. 20 Therfor Abner bihelde bihynde his bac, and seide, Whether thou art Asahel? 21 Which answeride, Y am. And Abner seide to hym, Go to the riytside, ether to the lefte side; and take oon of the yonge men, and take to thee hise spuylis. Sotheli Asahel nolde ceesse, that ne he pursuede hym. 22 And eft Abner spak to Asahel, Go thou awei; nyle thou pursue me, lest Y be compellid to peerse thee in to erthe, and Y schal not mowe reise my face to Joab, thi brother. 23 And Asahel dispiside to here, and nolde bowe awey. Therfor Abner smoot him `with the spere turned awei in the schar, and roof thorouy, and he was deed in the same place; and alle men that passiden bi the place, in which place Asahel felde doun, and was deed, stoden stille. 24 Forsothe while Joab and Abisai pursueden Abner fleynge, the sunne yede doun; and thei camen til to the litil hil of the water cundiyt, which is euene ayens the valey, and the weie of deseert in Gabaon.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

three: 1 Chronicles 2:15, 1 Chronicles 2:16, 1 Chronicles 11:26

was as light: 2 Samuel 1:23, 1 Chronicles 12:8, Psalms 147:10, Psalms 147:11, Ecclesiastes 9:11, Amos 2:14

foot: Heb. his feet

a wild roe: Heb. one of the roes that is in the field, Psalms 18:33, Song of Solomon 2:17, Song of Solomon 8:14, Habakkuk 3:19, The word tzevee, rather denotes the gazelle or antelope (see note on Deuteronomy 15:22).

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 26:6 - to Abishai 2 Samuel 2:13 - Joab 2 Samuel 14:1 - Joab 2 Samuel 20:6 - Abishai 2 Samuel 22:34 - like hinds' 2 Samuel 23:18 - Abishai 2 Samuel 23:24 - Asahel 1 Chronicles 11:6 - Joab 1 Chronicles 11:20 - Abishai 1 Chronicles 27:7 - Asahel Joel 2:7 - They shall run

Cross-References

Genesis 1:31
And God seiy alle thingis whiche he made, and tho weren ful goode. And the euentid and morwetid was maad, the sixte day.
Genesis 2:7
Therfor the Lord God formede man of the sliym of erthe, and brethide in to his face the brething of lijf; and man was maad in to a lyuynge soule.
Genesis 2:9
And the Lord God brouyte forth of the erthe ech tre fair in siyt, and swete to ete; also he brouyte forth the tre of lijf in the middis of paradis, and the tre of kunnyng of good and of yuel.
Genesis 2:11
The name of the o ryuer is Fyson, thilke it is that cumpassith al the lond of Euilath, where gold cometh forth,
Genesis 2:12
and the gold of that lond is the beste, and there is foundun delium, that is, a tree of spicerie, and the stoon onychyn;
Genesis 2:13
and the name to the secounde ryuer is Gyon, thilke it is that cumpassith al the loond of Ethiopie;
Genesis 3:12
And Adam seide, The womman which thou yauest felowe to me, yaf me of the tre, and Y eet.
Ruth 3:1
Forsothe aftir that Ruth turnede ayen to hir modir in lawe, Ruth herde of hir, My douytir, Y schal seke reste to thee, and Y schal purueye that it be wel to thee.
Proverbs 18:22
He that fyndith a good womman, fyndith a good thing; and of the Lord he schal drawe vp myrthe. He that puttith a wey a good womman, puttith awei a good thing; but he that holdith auowtresse, is a fool and vnwijs.
1 Corinthians 7:36
And if ony man gessith hym silf to be seyn foule on his virgyn, that sche is ful woxun, and so it bihoueth to be doon, do sche that that sche wole; sche synneth not, if sche be weddid.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And there were three sons of Zeruiah there,.... In the battle,

Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel; Joab was the general of the array, Abishai was he who went into Saul's host at night, and took away his spear and cruse of water at his head, 1 Samuel 26:6; and it is for the sake of the third, Asahel, that the account is given, the story of his death being about to be told.

And Asahel [was as] light of foot as a wild roe: swiftness of foot, as well as courage, for which this man was famous, 1 Chronicles 11:26; was a very great qualification for a warrior e. So Achilles, in Homer f, is often said to be swift of foot, and others of his heroes are commended for their swiftness. Harold son of King Canutus, was from his swiftness g called Harefoot; as here this man for the same reason is compared to a wild roe, which is a very swift creature, or to one of the roes that were in the field as in the original text. See Song of Solomon 2:7; one sort of which, called "kemas", is said to run as swift as a tempest h.

e Cornel. Nepos, Epaminond. l. 2. f ποδας ωκυς, Iliad. 1. lin. 15. g Rapin's History of England, vol. 1. p. 128. h Aelian. Hist. de Animal, l. 14. c. 14.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 2:18. Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe — To be swift of foot was deemed a great accomplishment in the heroes of antiquity; ποδας ωκυς Αχιλλευς, the swift-footed Achilles, is an epithet which Homer gives to that hero no less than thirty times in the course of the Ilias. It has a qualification also among the Roman soldiers; they were taught both to run swiftly, and to swim well.


 
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