Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, August 23rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible

Amplified Bible

2 Samuel 18:16

Then Joab blew the trumpet [to signal the end of the combat], and the men returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab held them back.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Absalom;   Armies;   Ephraim;   Trumpet;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ahimaaz;   Joab;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Fox;   War;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Abishai;   Joab;   Samuel, Books of;   War;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Absalom;   David;   Smith Bible Dictionary - War;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Trumpet;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Army;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Joab blew the ram’s horn, and the troops broke off their pursuit of Israel because Joab restrained them.
Hebrew Names Version
Yo'av blew the shofar, and the people returned from pursuing after Yisra'el; for Yo'av held back the people.
King James Version
And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people.
Lexham English Bible
Then Joab blew on the trumpet and the troops returned from pursuing after Israel, for Joab kept back the troops.
English Standard Version
Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the troops came back from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained them.
New Century Version
Then Joab blew the trumpet, so the troops stopped chasing the Israelites.
New English Translation
Then Joab blew the trumpet and the army turned back from chasing Israel, for Joab had called for the army to halt.
New American Standard Bible
Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained the people.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Ioab blewe the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Ioab helde backe the people.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained the people.
Contemporary English Version
Then Joab blew a trumpet to signal his troops to stop chasing Israel's soldiers.
Complete Jewish Bible
Yo'av sounded the shofar, and the people returned from pursuing Isra'el, because Yo'av held back the troops.
Darby Translation
And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab kept back the people.
Easy-to-Read Version
Joab blew the trumpet and called the people to stop chasing Israelites.
George Lamsa Translation
And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel; for Joab had held back the people.
Good News Translation
Joab had the trumpet blown to stop the fighting, and his troops came back from pursuing the Israelites.
Literal Translation
And Joab blew the ram's horn, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab had held the people back.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then blewe Ioab the trompe, and broughte the people agayne, that they shulde folowe nomore vpon Israel. For Ioab wolde fauoure the people.
American Standard Version
And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab held back the people.
Bible in Basic English
And Joab had the horn sounded, and the people came back from going after Israel, for Joab kept them back.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Ioab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from folowing Israel: for Ioab held backe the people.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Joab blew the horn, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab held back the people.
King James Version (1611)
And Ioab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Ioab helde backe the people.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab spared the people.
English Revised Version
And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people.
Berean Standard Bible
Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the troops broke off their pursuit of Israel because Joab had restrained them.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sotheli Joab sownede with a clarioun, and withhelde the puple, lest it pursuede Israel fleynge, and he wolde spare the multitude.
Young's Literal Translation
And Joab bloweth with a trumpet, and the people turneth back from pursuing after Israel, for Joab hath kept back the people;
Update Bible Version
And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab held back the people.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel: for Joab restrained the people.
World English Bible
Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab held back the people.
New King James Version
So Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel. For Joab held back the people.
New Living Translation
Then Joab blew the ram's horn, and his men returned from chasing the army of Israel.
New Life Bible
Then Joab sounded the horn, and all the people returned from going after Israel, for Joab stopped them.
New Revised Standard
Then Joab sounded the trumpet, and the troops came back from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained the troops.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then Joab blew with a horn, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, - for Joab had restrained the people.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Joab sounded the trumpet, and kept back the people from pursuing after Israel in their flight, being willing to spare the multitude.
Revised Standard Version
Then Jo'ab blew the trumpet, and the troops came back from pursuing Israel; for Jo'ab restrained them.
THE MESSAGE
Joab then blew the ram's horn trumpet, calling off the army in its pursuit of Israel. They took Absalom, dumped him into a huge pit in the forest, and piled an immense mound of rocks over him. Meanwhile the whole army of Israel was in flight, each man making his own way home.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained the people.

Contextual Overview

9Now Absalom met the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a massive tree, and his head was caught in [the thick branches of] the tree; and he was left hanging [in midair] between heaven and earth, while the mule that had been under him kept going. 10A certain man saw it and informed Joab, saying, "I saw Absalom hanging in a tree." 11Joab said to the man who informed him, "You saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt." 12The man told Joab, "Even if I were to feel the weight of a thousand pieces of silver in my hands, I would not put out my hand against the king's son; for we all heard the king command you, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, 'Protect the young man Absalom, for my sake.' 13"Otherwise, if I had acted treacherously against his life (for nothing is hidden from the king) you yourself would have taken sides against me." 14Joab said, "I will not waste time with you." So he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was still alive [and caught] in the midst of the tree. 15And ten young men, Joab's armor bearers, surrounded and struck Absalom and killed him. 16Then Joab blew the trumpet [to signal the end of the combat], and the men returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab held them back.17They took [down the body of] Absalom and threw him into a deep pit in the forest and set up a huge mound of stones over him. Then all Israel fled, everyone to his own tent. 18Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself a memorial pillar which is in the King's Valley, for he said, "I have no son to keep my name in remembrance." He named the memorial pillar after himself, and to this day it is called Absalom's Monument.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

blew the trumpet: 2 Samuel 2:28, 2 Samuel 20:22, Numbers 10:2-10, 1 Corinthians 14:8

Reciprocal: Judges 9:55 - General

Cross-References

Acts 15:3
So, after being supplied and sent on their way by the church, they went through both Phoenicia and Samaria telling in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and they brought great joy to all the believers.
Acts 20:38
grieving and distressed especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see him again. And they accompanied him to the ship.
Acts 21:5
When our days there came to an end, we left and proceeded on our journey, while all of the disciples, with their wives and children, escorted us on our way until we were outside the city. After kneeling down on the beach and praying, we told one another goodbye.
Romans 15:24
whenever I go [on my trip] to Spain—I hope to see you as I pass through [Rome], and to be helped on my journey there by you, after I have first enjoyed your company for a little while.
3 John 1:6
and they have testified before the church of your love and friendship. You will do well to [assist them and] send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Joab blew the trumpet,.... As the sign of a retreat:

and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; upon the sound of the trumpet, the meaning of which they understood:

for Joab held back the people: from shedding any more blood; the head of the conspiracy being removed, the thing would be crushed at once; and Joab neither chose to slay any more, nor take any prisoners, to be tried as traitors, being unawares, without thought, drawn into this rebellion.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Blew the trumpet - To stop the pursuit and slaughter 2 Samuel 2:28; 2 Samuel 20:22.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 18:16. Joab blew the trumpet — He knew that the rebellion was now extinguished by the death of Absalom; and was not willing that any farther slaughter should be made of the deluded people.


 
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