Lectionary Calendar
Monday, November 24th, 2025
the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

2 Samuel 18:15

Ten of Joab's young helpers gathered around Absalom and killed him.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Absalom;   Armor-Bearer;   Ephraim;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ahimaaz;   Joab;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Absalom;   Joab;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - David;   Fox;   Joab;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Abishai;   Armour, Arms;   Joab;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Joab ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Absalom;   David;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Jo'ab;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Absalom (1);   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Joab;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
ten young men who were Joab’s armor-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck him, and killed him.
Hebrew Names Version
Ten young men who bore Yo'av's armor compassed about and struck Avshalom, and killed him.
King James Version
And ten young men that bare Joab's armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.
Lexham English Bible
Then ten of the young men who bore the weapons of Joab surrounded him and struck and killed Absalom.
English Standard Version
And ten young men, Joab's armor-bearers, surrounded Absalom and struck him and killed him.
New Century Version
Ten young men who carried Joab's armor also gathered around Absalom and struck him and killed him.
New English Translation
Then ten soldiers who were Joab's armor bearers struck Absalom and finished him off.
Amplified Bible
And ten young men, Joab's armor bearers, surrounded and struck Absalom and killed him.
New American Standard Bible
And ten young men who carried Joab's armor gathered around and struck Absalom and killed him.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And tenne seruants that bare Ioabs armour, compassed about and smote Absalom, and slewe him.
Legacy Standard Bible
And ten young men who carried Joab's armor gathered around and struck Absalom and put him to death.
Contemporary English Version
Ten of Joab's bodyguards came over and finished him off.
Complete Jewish Bible
Then Yo'av's ten young armor-bearers surrounded Avshalom, struck him and killed him.
Darby Translation
And ten young men that bore Joab's armour surrounded and smote Absalom, and killed him.
George Lamsa Translation
And ten young men who bore Joabs armor circled about and smote Absalom and slew him.
Good News Translation
Then ten of Joab's soldiers closed in on Absalom and finished killing him.
Literal Translation
And they went around, ten young men bearing Joab's weapons, and struck Absalom, and killed him.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And ten yoge men Ioabs weapenbearers, came aboute him, and smote him to death.
American Standard Version
And ten young men that bare Joab's armor compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.
Bible in Basic English
And ten young men, servants of Joab, came round Absalom and put an end to him.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And ten seruauntes that bare Ioabs weapons, turned and smote Absalom, and slue him.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And ten young men that bore Joab's armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.
King James Version (1611)
And ten yong men that bare Ioabs armour, compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And ten young men that bore Joab’s armour compassed Abessalom, and smote him and slew him.
English Revised Version
And ten young men that bare Joab’s armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.
Berean Standard Bible
And ten young men who carried Joab's armor surrounded Absalom, struck him, and killed him.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
ten yonge squieris of Joab runnen, and smytiden, and killiden hym.
Young's Literal Translation
And they go round -- ten youths bearing weapons of Joab -- and smite Absalom, and put him to death.
Update Bible Version
And ten young men that bore Joab's armor compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.
Webster's Bible Translation
And ten young men that bore Joab's armor compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.
World English Bible
Ten young men who bore Joab's armor compassed about and struck Absalom, and killed him.
New King James Version
And ten young men who bore Joab's armor surrounded Absalom, and struck and killed him.
New Living Translation
Ten of Joab's young armor bearers then surrounded Absalom and killed him.
New Life Bible
And ten young men who carried Joab's battle clothes gathered around and hit Absalom and killed him.
New Revised Standard
And ten young men, Joab's armor-bearers, surrounded Absalom and struck him, and killed him.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then came round ten young men who bare Joab's armour, - and smote Absolom, and slew him.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Ten young men, armourbearers of Joab, ran up, and striking him slew him.
Revised Standard Version
And ten young men, Jo'ab's armor-bearers, surrounded Ab'salom and struck him, and killed him.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
And ten young men who carried Joab's armor gathered around and struck Absalom and killed him.

Contextual Overview

9 It so happened that David's officers found Absalom. Absalom jumped on his mule and tried to escape, but the mule went under the branches of a large oak tree. The branches were thick, and Absalom's head got caught in the tree. His mule ran out from under him, so Absalom was left hanging above the ground. 10 Someone saw this happen and told Joab, "I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree." 11 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!" 12 The man said to Joab, "I would not try to hurt the king's son even if you gave me 1000 pieces of silver. We heard the king's command to you, Abishai, and Ittai. The king said, ‘Be careful not to hurt young Absalom.' 13 If I had killed Absalom, the king himself would find out, and you would punish me." 14 Joab said, "I will not waste my time here with you!" Absalom was still alive and hanging in the oak tree. Joab took three sticks in his hand and hit him in the heart. 15 Ten of Joab's young helpers gathered around Absalom and killed him. 16 Joab blew the trumpet and called the people to stop chasing Israelites. 17 Then Joab's men took Absalom's body and threw it into a large hole in the forest and covered it with stones. All the Israelites ran away and went home. 18 While Absalom was alive he put up a memorial stone in King's Valley. He said, "I have no son to keep my name alive." So he named that monument after himself. It is called "Absalom's Monument" even today.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 12:10 - the sword 1 Kings 2:28 - Joab had Psalms 35:8 - into Proverbs 17:11 - General Ecclesiastes 10:8 - that Galatians 3:13 - for

Cross-References

Genesis 4:9
Later, the Lord said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" Cain answered, "I don't know. Is it my job to watch over my brother?"
Genesis 12:13
So tell them that you are my sister. Then they will be good to me because of you. In this way you will save my life."
Genesis 18:25
Surely you would not destroy the city. You would not destroy fifty good people to kill those who are evil. If that happened, those who are good would be the same as those who are evil—both would be punished. As the judge of the whole world, surely you would do the right thing!"
Genesis 18:27
Then Abraham said, "Compared to you, Lord, I am only dust and ashes. But let me bother you again and ask you this question.
Job 2:10
Job answered, "You sound like one of those fools on the street corner! How can we accept all the good things that God gives us and not accept the problems?" So even after all that happened to Job, he did not sin. He did not accuse God of doing anything wrong.
Psalms 44:21
If we did, then God knows it, because he knows our deepest secrets.
Proverbs 12:19
Lies last only a moment, but the truth lasts forever.
Proverbs 28:13
Whoever hides their sins will not be successful, but whoever confesses their sins and stops doing wrong will receive mercy.
Mark 2:8
Jesus knew immediately what these teachers of the law were thinking. So he said to them, "Why do you have these questions in your minds?
John 2:25
He did not need anyone to tell him what a person was like. He already knew.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And ten young men that bare Joab's armour,.... That waited upon him in the battle, to carry his armour, and supply him with it as he should have occasion; these, by his orders,

compassed about, and smote Absalom, and slew him; they enclosed him that none might rescue him, and smote him with their spears or swords, or whatsoever armour they had, until it was a clear case that he was really dead. Joab in this disobeyed the king's order, but provided for the good of the nation, and the safety of the king. The Jews observe m, that measure for measure was given to Absalom; he was proud of his hair, 2 Samuel 14:25, and therefore was hanged by it, 2 Samuel 18:9; he lay with ten concubines of his father, 2 Samuel 16:21, and therefore was smitten with ten lances or spears by ten young men; and he stole three hearts, the heart of his father, the heart of the sanhedrim, and the heart of the men of Israel, and therefore three darts were fixed in him, 2 Samuel 18:14.

m Misn. Sotah, c. 1. sect. 8.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 18:15. Ten young men - smote Absalom and slew him. — That is, they all pierced the body; but there could be no life in it after three darts had been thrust through the heart: but they added as much as would have killed him had he been alive.


 
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