2 Samuel 3:33

THE MESSAGE

Then the king sang this tribute to Abner: Can this be? Abner dead like a nameless bum? You were a free man, free to go and do as you wished— Yet you fell as a victim in a street brawl. And all the people wept—a crescendo of crying!

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
and the king sang a lament for Abner:

Hebrew Names Version
The king lamented for Aviner, and said, Should Aviner die as a fool dies?

King James Version
And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner as a fool dieth?

Lexham English Bible
The king sang a lament for Abner and said, "Should Abner have died the death of a fool?

English Standard Version
And the king lamented for Abner, saying, "Should Abner die as a fool dies?

New Century Version
King David sang this funeral song for Abner. "Did Abner die like a fool?

New English Translation
The king chanted the following lament for Abner: "Should Abner have died like a fool?

Amplified Bible
And the king sang a dirge (funeral song) over Abner and said, "Should Abner [the great warrior] die as a fool dies?

New American Standard Bible
And the king sang a song of mourning for Abner and said, "Should Abner die as a fool dies?

Geneva Bible (1587)
And the King lamented ouer Abner, and sayde, Dyed Abner as a foole dyeth?

Legacy Standard Bible
And the king chanted a lament for Abner and said,"Should Abner die as a wicked fool dies?

Contemporary English Version
Then the king sang a funeral song about Abner: Abner, why should you have died like an outlaw?

Complete Jewish Bible
The king sang this lament over Avner: "Should Avner have died like a thug?

Darby Translation
And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Should Abner die as a fool dieth?

Easy-to-Read Version
King David sang this sad song at Abner's funeral: "Did Abner die like some foolish criminal?

George Lamsa Translation
And the king lamented over Abner and said, Abner died like Nabal.

Good News Translation
David sang this lament for Abner: "Why did Abner have to die like a fool?

Literal Translation
And the king lamented for Abner, and said, Should Abner die as it were like a fool?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the kynge mourned for Abner, and sayde: Abner is not deed as a foole dyeth.

American Standard Version
And the king lamented for Abner, and said, Should Abner die as a fool dieth?

Bible in Basic English
And the king made a song of grief for Abner and said, Was the death of Abner to be like the death of a foolish man?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the king lamented ouer Abner, and sayde: Died Abner as a foole dieth?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the king lamented for Abner, and said: Should Abner die as a churl dieth?

King James Version (1611)
And the king lamented ouer Abner, and said, Died Abner as a foole dieth?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the king mourned over Abenner, and said, Shall Abenner die according to the death of Nabal?

English Revised Version
And the king lamented for Abner, and said, Should Abner die as a fool dieth?

Berean Standard Bible
And the king sang this lament for Abner: "Should Abner die the death of a fool?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the kyng biweilide, and bymorenyde Abner, and seide, Abner, thou diedist not as dredeful men, `ethir cowardis, ben wont to die.

Young's Literal Translation
and the king lamenteth for Abner, and saith: -- `As the death of a fool doth Abner die?

Update Bible Version
And the king lamented for Abner, and said, Should Abner die as a fool dies?

Webster's Bible Translation
And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner as a fool dieth?

World English Bible
The king lamented for Abner, and said, Should Abner die as a fool dies?

New King James Version
And the king sang a lament over Abner and said: "Should Abner die as a fool dies?

New Living Translation
Then the king sang this funeral song for Abner: "Should Abner have died as fools die?

New Life Bible
The king sang a song of sorrow for Abner, saying, "Should Abner die as a fool dies?

New Revised Standard
The king lamented for Abner, saying, "Should Abner die as a fool dies?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the king addressed his dirge unto Abner, and said, - As a base man dieth, should Abner have died?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the king mourning and lamenting over Abner, said: Not as cowards are wont to die, hath Abner died.

Revised Standard Version
And the king lamented for Abner, saying, "Should Abner die as a fool dies?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
The king chanted a lament for Abner and said, "Should Abner die as a fool dies?

Contextual Overview

²²Soon after that, David's men, led by Joab, came back from a field assignment. Abner was no longer in Hebron with David, having just been dismissed with David's blessing. As Joab and his raiding party arrived, they were told that Abner the son of Ner had been there with David and had been sent off with David's blessing. ²⁴Joab went straight to the king: "What's this you've done? Abner shows up, and you let him walk away scot-free? You know Abner son of Ner better than that. This was no friendly visit. He was here to spy on you, figure out your comings and goings, find out what you're up to." ²⁶Joab left David and went into action. He sent messengers after Abner; they caught up with him at the well at Sirah and brought him back. David knew nothing of all this. When Abner got back to Hebron, Joab steered him aside at the gate for a personal word with him. There he stabbed him in the belly, killed him in cold blood for the murder of his brother Asahel. ²⁸Later on, when David heard what happened, he said, "Before God I and my kingdom are totally innocent of this murder of Abner son of Ner. Joab and his entire family will always be under the curse of this bloodguilt. May they forever be victims of crippling diseases, violence, and famine." (Joab and his brother, Abishai, murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel at the battle of Gibeon.) ³¹David 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. ³³Then the king sang this tribute to Abner: Can this be? Abner dead like a nameless bum? You were a free man, free to go and do as you wished— Yet you fell as a victim in a street brawl. And all the people wept—a crescendo of crying! ³⁵They all came then to David, trying to get him to eat something before dark. But David solemnly swore, "I'll not so much as taste a piece of bread, or anything else for that matter, before sunset, so help me God!" Everyone at the funeral took notice—and liked what they saw. In fact everything the king did was applauded by the people. It was clear to everyone that day, including all Israel, that the king had nothing to do with the death of Abner son of Ner. ³⁸The king spoke to his servants: "You realize, don't you, that today a prince and hero fell victim of foul play in Israel? And I, though anointed king, was helpless to do anything about it. These sons of Zeruiah are too much for me. God , requite the criminal for his crime!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

as a fool dieth: That is, as a bad man, as the word frequently signifies in Scripture. 2 Samuel 13:12, 2 Samuel 13:13, 2 Samuel 13:28, 2 Samuel 13:29, Proverbs 18:7, Ecclesiastes 2:15, Ecclesiastes 2:16, Jeremiah 17:11, Luke 12:19, Luke 12:20

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 26:5 - Abner Jeremiah 22:18 - Ah my brother Ezekiel 32:16 - General

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the king lamented over Abner,.... Delivered an elegy or funeral oration, which he had composed on this occasion, as Josephus u suggests: for he had cried and wept before, but now he expressed something as follows:

and said, died Abner as a fool dieth? the meaning of the interrogation is, he did not; the Targum is

"did Abner die as wicked men die?''

no, he did not; he did not die for any wickedness he had been guilty of; he did not die as a malefactor, whose crime has been charged and proved in open court, and sentence of condemnation pronounced on him righteously for it; but he died without anything being laid to his charge, and much less proved, and without judge or jury; he was murdered in a clandestine, insidious, and deceitful manner; so the word "fool" is often taken in Scripture for a wicked man, especially in the book of Proverbs; the Septuagint version leaves the word untranslated,

"died Abner according to the death of Nabal?''

no; but it could hardly be thought that David would mention the name of any particular person on such an occasion.

u Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 1. sect. 6.)

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Lamented - i. e. composed and sang the funeral dirge which follows (compare 2 Samuel 1:17).

Died Abner ... - i. e. The great and noble and valiant Abner had died as ignobly and as helplessly as the meanest churl!

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 3:33. The king lamented over Abner — This lamentation, though short, is very pathetic. It is a high strain of poetry; but the measure cannot be easily ascertained. Our own translation may be measured thus: -

Died Abner as a fool dieth?

Thy hands were not bound,

Nor thy feet put into fetters.

As a man falleth before the wicked.

So hast thou fallen!

Or thus: -

Shall Abner die

A death like to a villain's?

Thy hands not bound,

Nor were the fetters to thy feet applied.

Like as one falls before the sons of guilt,

So hast thou fallen!

He was not taken away by the hand of justice, nor in battle, nor by accident: he died the death of a culprit by falling into the hands of a villain.

This song was a heavy reproof to Joab; and must have galled him extremely, being sung by all the people.