2 Samuel 3:38

THE MESSAGE

The 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!"

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then the king said to his soldiers, “You must know that a great leader has fallen in Israel today.

Hebrew Names Version
The king said to his servants, "Don't you know that there a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Yisra'el?

King James Version
And the king said unto his servants, Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?

Lexham English Bible
Then the king said to his servants, "Did you not realize that a prince and a great man has fallen today in Israel?

English Standard Version
And the king said to his servants, "Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?

New Century Version
David said to his officers, "You know that a great man died today in Israel.

New English Translation
Then the king said to his servants, "Do you not realize that a great leader has fallen this day in Israel?

Amplified Bible
Then the king said to his servants, "Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?

New American Standard Bible
Then the king said to his servants, "Do you not know that a leader and a great man has fallen in Israel this day?

Geneva Bible (1587)
And the King said vnto his seruants, Know ye not, that there is a prince & a great man falle this day in Israel?

Legacy Standard Bible
Then the king said to his servants, "Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?

Contemporary English Version
David said to his officials, "Don't you realize that today one of Israel's great leaders has died?

Complete Jewish Bible
The king said to his servants, "You realize that a leader, a great man, has fallen today in Isra'el.

Darby Translation
And the king said to his servants, Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?

Easy-to-Read Version
King David said to his officers, "You know that a very important leader died today in Israel.

George Lamsa Translation
And the king said to the people, Do you not know that there is a great prince fallen this day in Israel?

Good News Translation
The king said to his officials, "Don't you realize that this day a great leader in Israel has died?

Literal Translation
And the king said to his servants, Do you not know that a leader and a great one has fallen this day in Israel?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the kynge sayde vnto his seruauntes: Knowe ye not that this daye a prynce and a greate man is fallen in Israel?

American Standard Version
And the king said unto his servants, Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?

Bible in Basic English
And the king said to his servants, Do you not see that a chief and a great man has come to his end today in Israel?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the king said vnto his seruauntes: Knowe ye not howe that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the king said unto his servants: 'Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?

King James Version (1611)
And the King said vnto his seruants, Knowe yee not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the king said to his servants, Know ye not that a great prince is this day fallen in Israel?

English Revised Version
And the king said unto his servants, Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?

Berean Standard Bible
Then the king said to his servants, "Do you not realize that a great prince has fallen today in Israel?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Also the kyng seide to hise seruauntis, Whether ye witen not, that the prince and gretteste felde doun to dai in Israel?

Young's Literal Translation
And the king saith unto his servants, `Do ye not know that a prince and a great one hath fallen this day in Israel?

Update Bible Version
And the king said to his slaves, Don't you know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?

Webster's Bible Translation
And the king said to his servants, Know ye not that there hath a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?

World English Bible
The king said to his servants, "Don't you know that there a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?

New King James Version
Then the king said to his servants, "Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?

New Living Translation
Then King David said to his officials, "Don't you realize that a great commander has fallen today in Israel?

New Life Bible
Then the king said to his servants, "Do you not know that a leader, and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?

New Revised Standard
And the king said to his servants, "Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the king said unto his servants, - Will ye not take note that, a prince and a great man, hath fallen this day, in Israel?

Douay-Rheims Bible
The king also said to his servants: Do you not know that a prince and a great man is slain this day in Israel?

Revised Standard Version
And the king said to his servants, "Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then the king said to his servants, "Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?

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

a prince: 2 Samuel 3:12, 2 Samuel 2:8, 1 Samuel 14:50, 1 Samuel 14:51, Job 32:9

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the king said unto his servants,.... His courtiers, giving a reason why he mourned as he did; or "had said" w, and so is a reason why the people concluded, and were fully satisfied, he had no hand in his death; but the first is best, because what follows was said not to the people at the grave, but to his servants at court:

know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel? a "prince", being of the royal family, his father was Saul's uncle, and he his own cousin; a "great" man, being general of the army, a very valiant and skilful commander, a man of great wisdom and parts. David says nothing of his grace and virtue, only of his grandeur, his high birth and civil excellencies; he praises him in what he was commendable, and proceeds no further; and this was sufficient to show there was just cause of mourning on civil accounts; and this they might easily know and perceive, that the fall or death of such a man, which had that day happened in Israel, was a public loss, and matter of lamentation; and the rather as he was employing all his excellent talents in civil affairs, and all his interest in the people of Israel, to unite them to Judah, and bring them under the government of David.

w יואמר "nam dixerat", Junius & Tremellius.