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Good News Translation

2 Samuel 3:39

Even though I am the king chosen by God, I feel weak today. These sons of Zeruiah are too violent for me. May the Lord punish these criminals as they deserve!"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Wicked (People);   Zeruiah;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Joab;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Abishai;   Joab;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - David;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Abner;   David;   Joab;   King;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Abishai;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Rewards;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - David;   Dwelling;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Hard;   Joab;   Solomon;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Abner;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Joab;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
As for me, even though I am the anointed king, I have little power today. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too fierce for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer according to his evil!”
Hebrew Names Version
I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Tzeru'yah are too hard for me. May the LORD reward the evil-doer according to his wickedness."
King James Version
And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah be too hard for me: the Lord shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness.
Lexham English Bible
I am weak today even though anointed king, and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are crueler than I am. May Yahweh pay them back for doing wickedness according to their own wickedness."
English Standard Version
And I was gentle today, though anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are more severe than I. The Lord repay the evildoer according to his wickedness!"
New Century Version
Even though I am the appointed king, I feel empty. These sons of Zeruiah are too much for me. May the Lord give them the punishment they should have."
New English Translation
Today I am weak, even though I am anointed as king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too much for me to bear! May the Lord punish appropriately the one who has done this evil thing!"
Amplified Bible
"Today I am weak, though anointed king; these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too difficult for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer [Joab] in accordance with his wickedness!"
New American Standard Bible
"And I am weak today, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too difficult for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer in proportion to his evil."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And I am this day weake and newly anoynted King: and these men the sonnes of Zeruiah be too harde for me: the Lorde rewarde the doer of euill according to his wickednesse.
Legacy Standard Bible
Thus I am weak today, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too difficult for me. May Yahweh repay the evildoer according to his evil."
Contemporary English Version
I am the chosen king, but Joab and Abishai have more power than I do. So God will have to pay them back for the evil thing they did."
Complete Jewish Bible
Even though I have just been anointed king, I feel weak today; and these men, the sons of Tz'ruyah, are too brutal for me. May Adonai repay the criminal as his crime deserves!"
Darby Translation
And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too hard for me: Jehovah reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness!
Easy-to-Read Version
And it was on the very same day that I was anointed to be the king. These sons of Zeruiah have caused me a lot of trouble. May the Lord give them the punishment they deserve."
George Lamsa Translation
And I am this day troubled, and as king I see that the sons of Zoriah are too hard for me; the LORD shall reward the evil doer according to his wickedness.
Literal Translation
And I am weak today, though anointed king. And these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too hard for me. May Jehovah reward the doer of evil according to his evil!
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
As for me, I am yet but tender and anoynted kynge. But the men the children of Zeru Ia are to harde for me. The LORDE recompence him that doth euell, acordinge to his wickednes.
American Standard Version
And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me: Jehovah reward the evil-doer according to his wickedness.
Bible in Basic English
While I, though I am crowned king, have little strength, and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are out of my control: may the Lord give to the evil-doer the reward of his evil-doing!
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And I am this day tender and newly annoynted king, and these men the sonnes of Zaruia be to hard for me: The Lorde rewarde the doer of euyll, according to his wickednesse.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And I am this day weak, and just anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me; the LORD reward the evildoer according to his wickedness.'
King James Version (1611)
And I am this day weake, though anointed King, and these men the sonnes of Zeruiah be too hard for me: the Lord shall reward the doer of euill, according to his wickednesse.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And that I am this day a mere kinsman of his, and as it were a subject; but these men the sons of Saruia are too hard for me: the Lord reward the evil-doer according to his wickedness.
English Revised Version
And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah be too hard for me: the LORD reward the wicked doer according to his wickedness.
Berean Standard Bible
And I am weak this day, though anointed as king, and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too fierce for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer according to his evil!"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe Y am `delicat, ether tendir, yit and anoyntid kyng; sotheli these sones of Saruye ben hard to me; the Lord yelde to hym that doith yuel bi his malice.
Young's Literal Translation
and I to-day [am] tender, and an anointed king: and these men, sons of Zeruiah, [are] too hard for me; Jehovah doth recompense to the doer of the evil according to his evil.'
Update Bible Version
And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me: Yahweh reward the evil-doer according to his wickedness.
Webster's Bible Translation
And I [am] this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah [are] too hard for me. The LORD shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness.
World English Bible
I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me. May Yahweh reward the evil-doer according to his wickedness."
New King James Version
And I am weak today, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too harsh for me. The LORD shall repay the evildoer according to his wickedness."
New Living Translation
And even though I am the anointed king, these two sons of Zeruiah—Joab and Abishai—are too strong for me to control. So may the Lord repay these evil men for their evil deeds."
New Life Bible
And I am weak today, even if I was chosen to be king. The sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me. May the Lord pay the sinner for his sin."
New Revised Standard
Today I am powerless, even though anointed king; these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too violent for me. The Lord pay back the one who does wickedly in accordance with his wickedness!"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, I myself, this day, am weak, though anointed king, but, these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are more severe than I: Yahweh repay, the doer of wickedness, according to his wickedness.
Douay-Rheims Bible
But I as yet am tender, though anointed king. And these men the sons of Sarvia are too hard for me: the Lord reward him that doth evil according to his wickedness.
Revised Standard Version
And I am this day weak, though anointed king; these men the sons of Zeru'iah are too hard for me. The LORD requite the evildoer according to his wickedness!"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"I am weak today, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too difficult for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer according to his evil."

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

I am: Exodus 21:12, 2 Chronicles 19:6, 2 Chronicles 19:7, Psalms 75:10, Psalms 101:8, Proverbs 20:8, Proverbs 25:5

weak: Heb. tender, 1 Chronicles 22:5, Isaiah 7:4, *marg. Romans 13:4

the sons: 1 Chronicles 2:15, 1 Chronicles 2:16

too hard: 2 Samuel 19:6, 2 Samuel 19:7, 2 Samuel 19:13

the Lord: 1 Kings 2:5, 1 Kings 2:6, 1 Kings 2:33, 1 Kings 2:34, Psalms 7:16, Psalms 28:4, Psalms 62:12, 2 Timothy 4:14

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 3:11 - because 2 Samuel 3:24 - What hast 2 Samuel 4:11 - require 2 Samuel 16:10 - What have 2 Samuel 19:22 - What have 2 Samuel 20:6 - Abishai Job 21:19 - he rewardeth Proverbs 17:26 - to strike Proverbs 19:10 - much Jeremiah 38:5 - for Daniel 6:16 - the king Matthew 8:2 - a leper

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And I [am] this day weak, though anointed king,.... Which seems to be given as a reason, or for an excuse why he did not inflict just punishment upon the murderer, according to the law of God, because he was "weak"; not in body or mind, but with respect to the kingdom, that was like a tender branch, or in its infant state; and great care and caution were to be used that it was not overturned: he was a king by unction, not by birth; a son of the late king was yet up against him, and was possessed of the far greater part of the kingdom; he was indeed anointed by Samuel to be king over all Israel; but as yet he was not put into the possession of the kingdom he was anointed to; he was anointed and made king over Judah, and invested with the office of king there, and settled in it; and yet his power was not very great there, for as follows:

and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, [be] too hard for me; his sister's sons, Joab and Abishai, they were a check upon him; he could not do what he would, their influence was so great, both in the court and in the camp; the one was general of the army, and the other a considerable officer in it, and both variant men, and very respectable among the people, for their achievements in war, and the success they had; so that they were very much out of the reach of David to bring them to justice, without shaking his kingdom; and therefore in point of prudence he thought it best to connive at this fact until he was more established in the kingdom. Whatever may be said for this conduct, it is certain he was too dilatory, and which did not sit easy upon his mind, and therefore gave it in charge to Solomon before his death not to suffer Joab to go to his grave in peace, 1 Kings 2:5. Some take these words, "weak" and "hard", in a different sense, that David was weak or "tender" x, as it may be rendered, tenderhearted, of a merciful disposition, and therefore spared Abner when he was in his hands, though he had done him so much harm, who was the Lord's anointed; but these men, his sister's sons, were of cruel tempers, more unmerciful than he, and therefore slew him; but the first sense seems best:

the Lord shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness; which may be considered either as an imprecation of evil on Joab, or a prediction, that sooner or later righteous judgment would be rendered to him by the Lord; with whom he leaves it to take vengeance on him, satisfying himself with this for the present, that though it was not in his power to do it, the Lord would in his own time and way: but after all that can be said in favour of David, he seems to have been too much in fear of men, and too distrustful of the power and promise of God to establish him in his kingdom, and was too negligent of public justice; which had it been exercised, might have prevented other sins, as the murder of Ishbosheth, to which the authors of it might be encouraged by this lenity.

x רך "tener", Pagninus, Montanus.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 3:39. I am this day weak — Had Abner lived, all the tribes of Israel would have been brought under my government.

Though anointed king — I have little else than the title: first, having only one tribe under my government; and secondly, the sons of Zeruiah, Joab and his brethren, having usurped all the power, and reduced me to the shadow of royalty.

The Lord shall reward the doer of evil — That is, Joab, whom he appears afraid to name.

WE talk much of ancient manners, their simplicity and ingenuousness; and say that the former days were better than these. But who says this who is a judge of the times? In those days of celebrated simplicity, c., there were not so many crimes as at present I grant: but what they wanted in number they made up in degree: deceit, cruelty, rapine, murder, and wrong of almost every kind, then flourished. We are refined in our vices they were gross and barbarous in theirs: they had neither so many ways nor so many means of sinning; but the sum of their moral turpitude was greater than ours. We have a sort of decency and good breeding, which lay a certain restraint on our passions, they were boorish and beastly, and their bad passions were ever in full play. Civilization prevents barbarity and atrocity; mental cultivation induces decency of manners: those primitive times were generally without these. Who that knows them would wish such ages to return?


 
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