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 18:16

Joab blew the trumpet and called the people to stop chasing Israelites.

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

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

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
The church helped them get ready to leave on their trip. The men went through the countries of Phoenicia and Samaria, where they told all about how the non-Jewish people had turned to the true God. This made all the believers very happy.
Acts 21:5
But when our time there was up, we returned to the ship to continue our trip. All the followers, even the women and children, came with us to the seashore. We all knelt down on the beach, prayed,
Romans 15:24
So I will visit you when I go to Spain. Yes, I hope to visit you while I am traveling to Spain, and I will stay and enjoy being with you. Then you can help me continue on my trip.
3 John 1:6
They told the church about the love you have. Please help them to continue their trip. Help them in a way that will please 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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