2 Samuel 3:31

Good News Translation

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.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
David then ordered Joab and all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn over Abner.” And King David walked behind the coffin.

Hebrew Names Version
David said to Yo'av, and to all the people who were with him, Tear your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Aviner. King David followed the bier.

King James Version
And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David himself followed the bier.

Lexham English Bible
David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, "Tear your clothing and put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner." Now King David was following after the bier.

English Standard Version
Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, "Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner." And King David followed the bier.

New Century Version
Then David said to Joab and to all the people with Joab, "Tear your clothes and put on rough cloth to show how sad you are. Cry for Abner." King David himself followed the body of Abner.

New English Translation
David instructed Joab and all the people who were with him, "Tear your clothes! Put on sackcloth! Lament before Abner!" Now King David followed behind the funeral bier.

Amplified Bible
Then David said to Joab and to all the people with him, "Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner." And King David walked behind the bier.

New American Standard Bible
Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, "Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner." And King David walked behind the bier.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And Dauid said to Ioab, and to al the people that were with him, Rent your clothes, and put on sackecloth, and mourne before Abner: and King Dauid him selfe followed the beare.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, "Tear your clothes and gird on sackcloth and lament before Abner." And King David walked behind the bier.

Contemporary English Version
David told Joab and everyone with him, "Show your sorrow by tearing your clothes and wearing sackcloth! Walk in front of Abner's body and cry!" David walked behind the stretcher on which Abner's body was being carried.

Complete Jewish Bible
But David said to Yo'av and all those with him, "Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn over Avner." King David himself walked behind the body as it was carried.

Darby Translation
And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your garments, and gird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David followed the bier.

Easy-to-Read Version
David said to Joab and to all the people with Joab, "Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth. Cry for Abner." They buried Abner in Hebron. David went to the funeral. King David and all the people cried at Abner's grave.

George Lamsa Translation
And David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, Rend your clothes and gird yourselves with sackcloth and mourn for Abner. And King David himself and all the people followed the bier.

Literal Translation
And David said to Joab, and to all the people with him, Tear your garments and gird on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And King David was following after the bier.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Dauid sayde vnto Ioab and to all ye people yt was with him: Rente youre clothes, and gyrde sack cloth aboute you, and make lamentacion for Abner. And the kynge wente after the Bere.

American Standard Version
And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David followed the bier.

Bible in Basic English
And David said to Joab and all the people who were with him, Go in grief and put haircloth about you, in sorrow for Abner. And King David went after the dead body.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Dauid sayde to Ioab and to all the people that were with him: Rent your clothes, and put on sackcloth, and mourne before Abner. And king Dauid him selfe folowed the beere.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him: 'Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and wail before Abner.' And king David followed the bier.

King James Version (1611)
And Dauid said to Ioab, and to all the people that were with him, Rent your clothes, and girde you with sackecloth, and mourne before Abner. And king Dauid himselfe followed the biere.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And David said to Joab and to all the people with him, Rend your garments, and gird yourselves with sackcloth, and lament before Abenner. And king David followed the bier.

English Revised Version
And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David followed the bier.

Berean Standard Bible
Then David ordered Joab and all the people with him, "Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner." And King David himself walked behind the funeral bier.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe Dauid seide to Joab, and to al the puple that was with hym, To rende ye your clothis, and be ye gird with sackis, and biweile ye bifor the heersis, `ether dirige, of Abner. Forsothe kyng Dauid suede the beere.

Young's Literal Translation
And David saith unto Joab, and unto all the people who [are] with him, `Rend your garments, and gird on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner;' and king David is going after the bier.

Update Bible Version
And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David followed the bier.

Webster's Bible Translation
And David said to Joab, and to all the people that [were] with him, Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David [himself] followed the bier.

World English Bible
David said to Joab, and to all the people who were with him, Tear your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. King David followed the bier.

New King James Version
Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, "Tear your clothes, gird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn for Abner." And King David followed the coffin.

New Living Translation
Then David said to Joab and all those who were with him, "Tear your clothes and put on burlap. Mourn for Abner." And King David himself walked behind the procession to the grave.

New Life Bible
Then David said to Joab and all the people who were with him, "Tear your clothes and dress in clothes made from hair. Cry in sorrow in front of Abner." And King David walked behind the box in which the dead man was carried.

New Revised Standard
Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, "Tear your clothes, and put on sackcloth, and mourn over Abner." And King David followed the bier.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And David said unto Joab, and unto all the people who were with him, - Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and lament aloud before Abner. And, King David himself, was following the bier.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him: Rend your garments, and gird yourselves with sackcloths, and mourn before the funeral of Abner. And king David himself followed the bier.

Revised Standard Version
Then David said to Jo'ab and to all the people who were with him, "Rend your clothes, and gird on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner." And King David followed the bier.

THE MESSAGE
David ordered Joab and all the men under him, "Rip your cloaks into rags! Wear mourning clothes! Lead Abner's funeral procession with loud lament!" King David followed the coffin. They buried Abner in Hebron. The king's voice was loud in lament as he wept at the side of Abner's grave. All the people wept, too.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, "Tear your clothes and gird on sackcloth and lament before Abner." And King David walked behind the bier.

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

And David: David, intending no doubt to punish Joab, and to lessen his authority with the people, commanded him to take upon him the office of chief mourner; but, as his revenge was gratified, his rival removed, and no heavier punishment inflicted, it is probable his hardened mind would feel but little objection to the ceremony.

Rend: 2 Samuel 1:2, 2 Samuel 1:11, Genesis 37:29, Genesis 37:34, Joshua 7:6, Judges 11:35, 2 Kings 19:1

bier: Heb. bed, Luke 7:14

Reciprocal: Numbers 14:6 - rent their clothes 2 Samuel 11:26 - she mourned 2 Samuel 13:31 - all his servants 1 Kings 20:31 - put sackcloth 2 Kings 5:8 - rent his clothes Ecclesiastes 3:7 - time to rend Isaiah 15:3 - their streets Acts 8:2 - made

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And David said to Joab, and to all the people that [were] with him,.... To his whole court, Joab being present: for he did not flee, nor was he laid hold on in order to be brought to justice; which shows how great his power was, and that he was too hard for David, as in 2 Samuel 3:39; however this he did, he enjoined his whole court, and Joab also, to express public mourning on this account:

rend your clothes and gird you with sackcloth; which were expressions of mourning used on various occasions, and on account of the dead, and which with the Heathens were carried to a greater excess, even to the tearing of their flesh,

and mourn before Abner; before his corpse, as carried to the grave, when it was usual to make great lamentations: see Acts 8:2;

and King David [himself] followed the bier; or "bed" l on which his body was laid, and carried to the grave. On these the rich and noble among the Greeks and Romans were carried, and those of the meaner sort on biers n; and so with the Jews; Acts 8:2- :; some of which were gilded with gold, and were made of ivory, and had ivory feet o; that of Herod's was all of gold, inlaid with precious stones, and the body covered with purple, and followed by his sons and kindred, the soldiers going before armed, and their leaders following p; the bier or bed with the Romans was sometimes carried by six persons, sometimes by eight or more q. It was not usual for kings, as the Jews say r, to attend a funeral, to go out of the doors of their palace after their own dead, and much less others; but David did this to satisfy the people, and to root out of their mind all suspicion of his having any hand in Abner's death; and to show that he was not slain by his will, and with his consent.

l המטה της κλινης, Sept. "lectum", Piscator. n Salmuth. ad Pancirol. par. 1. tit. 62. p. 343. Kirchman. de Funer. Roman. l. 2. c. 9. p. 375. o Alstorph. de lect. vet. c. 19. p. 149. p Joseph. de Bello Jud. l. 1. c. 33. sect. 9. q Kirchman. ut supra. (de Funer. Roman. l. 2. c. 9. p. 375.) r Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 2. sect. 3. Maimon in Hilchot Ebel. c. 7. sect. 7. David de Pomis, Lexic. fol. 119. 4.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 3:31. David said to Joab — He commanded him to take on him the part of a principal mourner.