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Contemporary English Version

2 Samuel 18:11

Joab said, "You saw Absalom? Why didn't you kill him? I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a special belt."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Absalom;   Ephraim;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Armies of Israel, the;   Arms, Military;   Girdles;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ahimaaz;   Joab;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Absalom;   Joab;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Gift;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Fox;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Apron;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Abishai;   Joab;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Girdle;   Joab ;   Oak;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Absalom;   David;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Jo'ab;   Piece of Silver;   War;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Girdle;   War;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Cushi;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Gifts;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“You just saw him!” Joab exclaimed. “Why didn’t you strike him to the ground right there? I would have given you ten silver pieces and a belt!”
Hebrew Names Version
Yo'av said to the man who told him, Behold, you saw it, and why didn't you strike him there to the ground? and I would have given you ten [pieces of] silver, and a sash.
King James Version
And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle.
Lexham English Bible
Then Joab said to the man who was telling him, "Look, if you saw, why did you not strike him down to the ground there? I would have gladly given you ten pieces of silver and a leather belt."
English Standard Version
Joab said to the man who told him, "What, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have been glad to give you ten pieces of silver and a belt."
New Century Version
Joab said to him, "You saw him? Why didn't you kill him and let him fall to the ground? I would have given you a belt and four ounces of silver!"
New English Translation
Joab replied to the man who was telling him this, "What! You saw this? Why didn't you strike him down right on the spot? I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a commemorative belt!"
Amplified Bible
Joab 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."
New American Standard Bible
Then Joab said to the man who had informed him, "So behold, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? And it would have been my duty to give you ten pieces of silver and a belt."
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Ioab saide vnto the man that tolde him, And hast thou in deede seene? why then diddest thou not there smite him to the grounde, and I woulde haue giuen thee ten shekels of siluer, and a girdle?
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Joab said to the man who had told him, "Now behold, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? And I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt."
Complete Jewish Bible
Yo'av asked the man who told him, "Here now, you saw it; so why didn't you strike him to the ground then and there? I would have had to give you ten pieces of silver and a belt besides."
Darby Translation
And Joab said to the man that told him, And behold, thou sawest [him], and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten silver pieces and a girdle.
Easy-to-Read Version
Joab said to the man, "Why didn't you kill him and let him fall to the ground? I would have given you a belt and ten pieces of silver!"
George Lamsa Translation
And Joab said to the man who told him, When you saw him, why then did you not smite him there and throw him to the ground? And I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a garment.
Good News Translation
Joab answered, "If you saw him, why didn't you kill him on the spot? I myself would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt."
Literal Translation
and Joab said to the man who told him, And behold, you have seen. And why did you not strike him to the earth there and call on me to give you ten silverlings and a girdle?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Ioab saide vnto the ma yt tolde it him: Beholde, sawest thou that, why smotest thou him not there to the groude? so wolde I haue geuen the of myne awne behalfe ten syluerlynges and a gyrdell.
American Standard Version
And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest it, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten pieces of silver, and a girdle.
Bible in Basic English
And Joab said to the man who had given him the news, If you saw this, why did you not put your sword through him, and I would have given you ten bits of silver and a band for your robe?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Ioab sayd vnto the man that told him: If thou diddest see him, why diddest not thou there smite him to the ground, and I would haue geuen thee ten sicles of siluer, and a gyrdle?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Joab said unto the man that told him: 'And, behold, thou sawest it, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have had to give thee ten pieces of silver, and a girdle.'
King James Version (1611)
And Ioab said vnto the man that told him, And behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground, and I would haue giuen thee tenne shekels of siluer, and a girdle?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Joab said to the man who reported it to him, And, behold, thou didst see him: why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten pieces of silver, and a girdle.
English Revised Version
And Joab said unto the man that told him, And behold, thou sawest it, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten [pieces of] silver, and a girdle.
Berean Standard Bible
"You just saw him!" Joab exclaimed. "Why did you not strike him to the ground right there? I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a warrior's belt!"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Joab seide to the man that `hadde telde to hym, If thou siyest, whi persidist thou not hym to the erthe, and Y schulde haue youe `to thee ten siclis of siluer, and a girdil?
Young's Literal Translation
And Joab saith to the man who is declaring [it] to him, `And lo, thou hast seen -- and wherefore didst thou not smite him there to the earth -- and on me to give to thee ten silverlings and one girdle?'
Update Bible Version
And Joab said to the man that told him, And, look, you saw it, and why didn't you smite him there to the ground? and I would have given you ten [pieces of] silver, and a girdle.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Joab said to the man that told him, And behold, thou sawest [him], and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten [shekels] of silver, and a girdle.
World English Bible
Joab said to the man who told him, Behold, you saw it, and why didn't you strike him there to the ground? and I would have given you ten [pieces of] silver, and a sash.
New King James Version
So Joab said to the man who told him, "You just saw him! And why did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a belt."
New Living Translation
"What?" Joab demanded. "You saw him there and didn't kill him? I would have rewarded you with ten pieces of silver and a hero's belt!"
New Life Bible
Joab said to the man, "You saw him! Why did you not kill him and let him fall to the ground? I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt."
New Revised Standard
Joab said to the man who told him, "What, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have been glad to give you ten pieces of silver and a belt."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said Joab to the man that was telling him, Lo! since thou sawest him, why didst thou not smite him there, to the ground? then should I have been bound to give thee ten pieces of silver, and a girdle.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Joab said to the man that told him: If thou sawest him, why didst thou not stab him to the ground, and I would have given thee ten sicles of silver, and a belt?
Revised Standard Version
Jo'ab said to the man who told him, "What, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have been glad to give you ten pieces of silver and a girdle."
THE MESSAGE
Joab said to the man who told him, "If you saw him, why didn't you kill him then and there? I'd have rewarded you with ten pieces of silver and a fancy belt."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Joab said to the man who had told him, "Now behold, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? And I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt."

Contextual Overview

9 Absalom was riding his mule under a huge tree when his head caught in the branches. The mule ran off and left Absalom hanging in midair. Some of David's soldiers happened by, 10 and one of them went and told Joab, "I saw Absalom hanging in a tree!" 11 Joab said, "You saw Absalom? Why didn't you kill him? I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a special belt." 12 The man answered, "Even if you paid me a thousand pieces of silver here and now, I still wouldn't touch the king's son. We all heard King David tell you and Abishai and Ittai not to harm Absalom. 13 He always finds out what's going on. I would have been risking my life to kill Absalom, because you would have let me take the blame." 14 Joab said, "I'm not going to waste any more time on you!" Absalom was still alive, so Joab took three spears and stuck them through Absalom's chest. 15 Ten of Joab's bodyguards came over and finished him off. 16 Then Joab blew a trumpet to signal his troops to stop chasing Israel's soldiers. 17 They threw Absalom's body into a deep pit in the forest and put a big pile of rocks over it. Meanwhile, the people of Israel had all run back to their own homes. 18 When Absalom was alive, he had set up a stone monument for himself in King's Valley. He explained, "I don't have any sons to keep my name alive." He called it Absalom's Monument, and that is the name it still has today.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 19:13 - room of Joab Psalms 143:3 - smitten Proverbs 1:19 - every

Cross-References

Genesis 17:17
Abraham bowed with his face to the ground and thought, "I am almost a hundred years old. How can I become a father? And Sarah is ninety. How can she have a child?" So he started laughing.
Genesis 18:11
Abraham and Sarah were very old, and Sarah was well past the age for having children.
Genesis 18:12
So she laughed and said to herself, "Now that I am worn out and my husband is old, will I really know such happiness?"
Genesis 18:18
since his family will become a great and powerful nation that will be a blessing to all other nations on earth.
Genesis 18:21
Now I am going down to see for myself if those people really are that bad. If they aren't, I want to know about it."
Genesis 31:35
Rachel said, "Father, please don't be angry with me for not getting up; I am having my period." Laban kept on searching, but still did not find the idols.
Leviticus 15:19
When a woman has her monthly period, she remains unclean for seven days, and if you touch her, you must take a bath, but you remain unclean until evening.
Luke 1:7
But they did not have children. Elizabeth could not have any, and both Zechariah and Elizabeth were already old.
Luke 1:18
Zechariah said to the angel, "How will I know this is going to happen? My wife and I are both very old."
Luke 1:36
Your relative Elizabeth is also going to have a son, even though she is old. No one thought she could ever have a baby, but in three months she will have a son.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Joab said unto the man that told him,.... That gave the above account of him:

and, behold, thou sawest [him]; in reality; or, "didst thou see him?" is it a fact?

and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground; kill him on the spot, that he might have dropped from the tree to the ground:

and I would have given thee ten [shekels] of silver; on the news of it, for doing it, which was near twenty four shillings of our money; Josephus says i fifty shekels; the Arabic version has it ten thousand talents of silver, too great a sum by far:

and a girdle? which was a mark of great honour, and a token of a commission under him, and of investing: him with a military office; see

1 Samuel 18:4; it used to be given as an honorary reward to soldiers that behaved well, as on the contrary it was reckoned a reproach to be ungirt, or the girdle to be taken away k.

i Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 10. sect. 2.) k Vide Lydium de re militare, l. 3. c. 6.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Ten shekels - (About 25 shillings.) The word “shekel” is understood, as in Genesis 20:16; Genesis 37:28. See the Exodus 38:24 note.

A girdle - Girdles were costly articles of Hebrew dress used to put money in Matthew 10:9, and given as presents 1 Samuel 18:4.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 18:11. And a girdle. — The military belt was the chief ornament of a soldier, and was highly prized in all ancient nations; it was also a rich present from one chieftain to another. Jonathan gave his to David, as the highest pledge of his esteem and perpetual friendship, 1 Samuel 18:4. And Ajax gave his to Hector, as a token of the highest respect. - Hom. Il. vii., ver. 305.


 
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