2 Samuel 3:29

Good News Translation

May the punishment for it fall on Joab and all his family! In every generation may there be some man in his family who has gonorrhea or a dreaded skin disease or is fit only to do a woman's work or is killed in battle or doesn't have enough to eat!"

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
May it hang over Joab’s head and his father’s whole family, and may the house of Joab never be without someone who has a discharge or a skin disease, or a man who can only work a spindle, or someone who falls by the sword or starves.”

Hebrew Names Version
let it fall on the head of Yo'av, and on all his father's house; and let there not fail from the house of Yo'av one who has an issue, or who is a leper, or who leans on a staff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread.

King James Version
Let it rest on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that hath an issue, or that is a leper, or that leaneth on a staff, or that falleth on the sword, or that lacketh bread.

Lexham English Bible
May the blood come down on the head of Joab and all the house of his father. May the house of Joab never lack one with a bodily discharge or one with leprosy or one who grasps the distaff or one who falls by the sword or one who is lacking food."

English Standard Version
May it fall upon the head of Joab and upon all his father's house, and may the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge or who is leprous or who holds a spindle or who falls by the sword or who lacks bread!"

New Century Version
Joab and his family are responsible for this. May his family always have someone with sores or with a skin disease. May they always have someone who must lean on a crutch. May some of his family be killed in war. May they always have someone without food to eat."

New English Translation
May his blood whirl over the head of Joab and the entire house of his father! May the males of Joab's house never cease to have someone with a running sore or a skin disease or one who works at the spindle or one who falls by the sword or one who lacks food!"

Amplified Bible
"Let the guilt fall on the head of Joab and on all his father's house (family); and may there never disappear from the house of Joab one who suffers with a discharge or one who is a leper or one who walks with a crutch [being unfit for war], or one who falls by the sword, or one who lacks food."

New American Standard Bible
"May it turn upon the head of Joab and on all his father's house; and may there not be eliminated from the house of Joab someone who suffers a discharge, or has leprosy, or holds the spindle, or falls by the sword, or lacks bread."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Let the blood fall on the head of Ioab, and on all his fathers house, that the house of Ioab be neuer without some that haue running issues, or leper, or that leaneth on a staffe, or that doeth fall on the sworde, or that lacketh bread.

Legacy Standard Bible
May it whirl on the head of Joab and on all his father's house; and may one who has a discharge, or who is a leper, or who takes hold of a spindle, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread not be cut off from the house of Joab."

Contemporary English Version
Joab and his family are the guilty ones. I pray that Joab's family will always be sick with sores and other skin diseases. May they all be cowards, and may they die in war or starve to death."

Complete Jewish Bible
Let it fall on the head of Yo'av and all his father's family. May Yo'av's family always have someone with a hemorrhage or tzara‘at, or who has to walk with a cane, or who dies by the sword or who lacks food."

Darby Translation
let it fall on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that has an issue, or that is a leper, or that leans on a staff, or that falls by the sword, or that lacks bread!

Easy-to-Read Version
Joab and his family are responsible for this, and they will be cursed. Many troubles will come to his family. His people will be sick with leprosy, crippled, killed in war, and not have enough food to eat!"

George Lamsa Translation
Let it rest on the head of Joab and on the head of all his fathers house; and let there never fail to be in the house of Joab one who has a discharge or who is a leper or who is a beggar holding a bowl or who falls by the sword or who lacks bread.

Literal Translation
May it whirl about the head of Joab, and on all his father's house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that has an issue, or that is a leper, or that leans on a staff, or who falls by the sword, or that lacks bread!

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
but vpon the heade of Ioab fall it, and vpon all his fathers house, and in the house of Ioab there ceasse not one to haue a renninge yssue and a leprosy, and to go vpon a staffe, and fall thorow the swerde, and to haue scarnesse of bred.

American Standard Version
let it fall upon the head of Joab, and upon all his father's house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that hath an issue, or that is a leper, or that leaneth on a staff, or that falleth by the sword, or that lacketh bread.

Bible in Basic English
May it come on the head of Joab and all his father's family: among the men of Joab's family may there ever be some who are diseased or lepers, or who do the work of women, or are put to the sword, or are wasted from need of food!

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Let the blood fall on the head of Ioab and on all his fathers house, that the house of Ioab be neuer without one or other that hath running issues or leper, or that leaneth on a staffe, or that doth fall on the sword, or that lacketh bread.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
let it fall upon the head of Joab, and upon all his father's house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that hath an issue, or that is a leper, or that leaneth on a staff, or that falleth by the sword, or that lacketh bread.'

King James Version (1611)
Let it rest on the head of Ioab, and on all his fathers house, & let there not faile from the house of Ioab one that hath an issue, or that is a leper, or that leaneth on a staffe, or that falleth on the sword, or that lacketh bread.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Let it fall upon the head of Joab, and upon all the house of his father; and let there not be wanting of the house of Joab one that has an issue, or a leper, or that leans on a staff, or that falls by the sword, or that wants bread.

English Revised Version
let it fall upon the head of Joab, and upon all his father’s house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that hath an issue, or that is a leper, or that leaneth on a staff, or that falleth by the sword, or that lacketh bread.

Berean Standard Bible
May it whirl over the heads of Joab and the entire house of his father, and may the house of Joab never be without one having a discharge or skin disease or who leans on a staff or falls by the sword or starves."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and come it on the heed of Joab, and on al the hows of his fadir; a man suffrynge flux of seed, and a leprouse man, holdynge spyndil, and fallynge bi swerd, and hauynge nede to breed, `that is, suffrynge hungur, `faile not of the hows of Joab.

Young's Literal Translation
it doth stay on the head of Joab, and on all the house of his father, and there is not cut off from the house of Joab one having an issue, and leprous, and laying hold on a staff, and falling by a sword, and lacking bread.'

Update Bible Version
let it fall on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that has a discharge, or that is a leper, or that leans on a staff, or that falls by the sword, or that lacks bread.

Webster's Bible Translation
Let it rest on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that hath an issue, or that is a leper, or that leaneth on a staff, or that falleth on the sword, or that lacketh bread.

World English Bible
let it fall on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one who has an issue, or who is a leper, or who leans on a staff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread.

New King James Version
Let it rest on the head of Joab and on all his father's house; and let there never fail to be in the house of Joab one who has a discharge or is a leper, who leans on a staff or falls by the sword, or who lacks bread."

New Living Translation
Joab and his family are the guilty ones. May the family of Joab be cursed in every generation with a man who has open sores or leprosy or who walks on crutches or dies by the sword or begs for food!"

New Life Bible
May the guilt be on the head of Joab and all his father's family. May the family of Joab never be without one who has a flow from his body, or a bad skin disease, or the need to use a walking stick. Or may his family never be without one who falls by the sword, or who needs more bread."

New Revised Standard
May the guilt fall on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house; and may the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge, or who is leprous, or who holds a spindle, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks food!"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Let it be hurled upon the head of Joab, and against all his father's house, - and let there not fail from the house of Joab - one that hath an issue, or a leper, or one that leaneth on a crutch, or that falleth by the sword, or that lacketh bread.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And may it come upon the head of Joab, and upon all his father’s house: and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that hath an issue of seed, or that is a leper, or that holdeth the distaff, or that falleth by the sword, or that wanteth bread.

Revised Standard Version
May it fall upon the head of Jo'ab, and upon all his father's house; and may the house of Jo'ab never be without one who has a discharge, or who is leprous, or who holds a spindle, or who is slain by the sword, or who lacks bread!"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"May it fall on the head of Joab and on all his father's house; and may there not fail from the house of Joab one who has a discharge, or who is a leper, or who takes hold of a distaff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread."

Contextual Overview

²² Later on Joab and David's other officials returned from a raid, bringing a large amount of loot with them. Abner, however, was no longer there at Hebron with David, because David had sent him away with a guarantee of safety. ²³ When Joab and his men arrived, he was told that Abner had come to King David and had been sent away with a guarantee of safety. ²⁴ So Joab went to the king and said to him, "What have you done? Abner came to you—why did you let him go like that? ²⁵ He came here to deceive you and to find out everything you do and everywhere you go. Surely you know that!" ²⁶ After leaving David, Joab sent messengers to get Abner, and they brought him back from Sirah Well; but David knew nothing about it. ²⁷ When Abner arrived in Hebron, Joab took him aside at the gate, as though he wanted to speak privately with him, and there he stabbed him in the stomach. And so Abner was murdered because he had killed Joab's brother Asahel. ²⁸ When David heard the news, he said, "The Lord knows that my subjects and I are completely innocent of the murder of Abner. ²⁹ May the punishment for it fall on Joab and all his family! In every generation may there be some man in his family who has gonorrhea or a dreaded skin disease or is fit only to do a woman's work or is killed in battle or doesn't have enough to eat!" ³⁰ So Joab and his brother Abishai took revenge on Abner for killing their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon. ³¹ Then David ordered Joab and his men to tear their clothes, wear sackcloth, and mourn for Abner. And at the funeral King David himself walked behind the coffin.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

rest: 2 Samuel 1:16, Judges 9:24, Judges 9:56, Judges 9:57, 1 Kings 2:31-34, Acts 28:4, Revelation 16:6

let there: 1 Samuel 2:32-36, 2 Kings 5:27, Psalms 109:8-19

fail: Heb. be cut off

an issue: Leviticus 13:44-46, 2 Kings 5:1

Reciprocal: Exodus 21:19 - upon his staff Leviticus 13:2 - the plague of leprosy Leviticus 15:2 - when any man Joshua 2:19 - his blood 1 Samuel 25:39 - hath returned 2 Samuel 13:21 - he was very wroth 2 Samuel 14:9 - and the king 2 Samuel 14:19 - of Joab 2 Samuel 16:8 - the blood 2 Samuel 19:13 - room of Joab 1 Kings 2:33 - return upon 2 Kings 15:5 - the Lord Psalms 109:10 - General Psalms 109:14 - Let the Jeremiah 33:17 - David shall never want Daniel 6:14 - and he Matthew 27:25 - His Mark 1:40 - a leper

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Let it rest on the head of Joab,.... That is, the blood of Abner, who was the shedder of it; let the guilt of it be charged to him, and let punishment for it be inflicted on him:

and on all his father's house; on Abishai his brother, and other relations that might be privy to the death of Abner, and advising to it, and ready to assist in it if necessary:

and let there not fail from the house of Joab; let there be always in his family, and of his seed, one or other of the persons described as follows:

one that hath an issue; a gonorrhoea, which was reckoned infamous, and very impure, according to the Jewish law, and rendered persons unfit for society; see Leviticus 15:1;

or that is a leper; whose disease was very loathsome and infectious, and shut him out of the company of men; see Leviticus 13:1;

or that leaneth on a staff; being blind, as Aquila renders the word; or through weakness of body, not being able to walk without one; or through some disease of the feet, as the Jewish writers generally understand it; and R. Isaiah interprets it of the gout particularly: the word for "staff" is rendered "spindle", Proverbs 31:19; and to this sense it is rendered here in, the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions; and then the meaning is, let his posterity, or some of them, be so poor, that they shall be obliged to get their livelihood in so mean a way as by spinning; or let them be of such an effeminate disposition, as be more fit to handle the spindle, and do the, work of women, than to use the sword:

or that falleth on the sword; not by it honourably in the field of battle, but cowardly destroying themselves with it:

or that lacketh bread; and is obliged to beg it: all which David might say, not by a spirit of prophecy, but in a passion; and to show with what horror he resented the action, and how detestable it was to him, and how far it was for him to have any concern in it: but though it was a very wicked action in Joab to murder Abner in this manner, and for the reasons he did; yet it was a just vengeance from the Lord on Abner for fighting against God, and acting against the dictates of his own conscience; for his rebellion against David, and perfidy to Ishbosheth, and for having been the cause of much bloodshed in Israel.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The curse of David proves that Joab was not justified as blood-revenger or Goel 2 Samuel 3:27 in taking away Abner’s life.

That leaneth on a staff - Rather, a crutch. The phrase denotes one lame or infirm. For similar instances of hereditary disease and poverty as a punishment of great sin, see 1 Samuel 2:31-33, 1Sa 2:36; 2 Kings 5:27; John 9:2.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 3:29. Let it rest on the head — All these verbs may be rendered in the future tense: it will rest on the head of Joab, &c. This was a prophetic declaration, which sufficiently showed the displeasure of God against this execrable man.