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Wednesday, August 27th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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Read the Bible

New Revised Standard

2 Samuel 20:9

Joab said to Amasa, "Is it well with you, my brother?" And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Abishai;   Amasa;   Assassination;   Confidence;   David;   Homicide;   Joab;   Kiss;   Salutations;   Treachery;   Thompson Chain Reference - Evil;   Kiss;   Treachery;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Enemies;   Hands, the;   Salutations;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Amasa;   Gibeon;   Joab;   Kiss;   Sheba;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Joab;   Sheba;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Hand, Right Hand;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Amasa;   Gibeon;   Joab;   Sheba;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Abner;   Arms;   Beard;   Gibeon;   Sheba (1);   Holman Bible Dictionary - Abel-Beth-Maachah or Abel-Beth-Maacah;   Gibeon;   Health;   Kiss;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Amasa;   Gibeon;   Joab;   Kiss;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Gestures;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Amasa ;   Bichri ;   Gibeon ;   Joab ;   Sheba ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Kiss;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Amasa;   Beard;   David;   Gibeon;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Beard;   Da'vid;   She'ba;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Kiss;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Amasa;   Crime;   Greeting;   Health;   Kiss;   Leasing;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Beard;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Kiss and Kissing;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Joab asked Amasa, “Are you well, my brother?” Then with his right hand Joab grabbed Amasa by the beard to kiss him.
Hebrew Names Version
Yo'av said to `Amasa, Is it well with you, my brother? Yo'av took `Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
King James Version
And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him.
Lexham English Bible
Then Joab said to Amasa, "Is it peace, O you my brother?" Then the right hand of Joab took hold of the beard of Amasa as if to kiss him.
English Standard Version
And Joab said to Amasa, "Is it well with you, my brother?" And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
New Century Version
Joab asked Amasa, "Brother, is everything all right with you?" Then with his right hand he took Amasa by the beard to kiss him.
New English Translation
Joab said to Amasa, "How are you, my brother?" With his right hand Joab took hold of Amasa's beard as if to greet him with a kiss.
Amplified Bible
Joab said to Amasa, "Is it going well with you, my brother?" And with his right hand Joab took hold of Amasa by the beard [as if] to kiss him [in greeting].
New American Standard Bible
And Joab said to Amasa, "Is it going well for you, my brother?" And Joab took hold of Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Ioab sayde to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? & Ioab tooke Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kisse him.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Joab said to Amasa, "Is it well with you, my brother?" And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
Contemporary English Version
Joab said, "Amasa, my cousin, how are you?" Then Joab took hold of Amasa's beard with his right hand, so that he could greet him with a kiss.
Complete Jewish Bible
Yo'av said to ‘Amasa, "Is it going well with you, my brother? Then, with his right hand, Yo'av took ‘Amasa by the beard to kiss him.
Darby Translation
And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou well, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him.
Easy-to-Read Version
Joab asked Amasa, "How are you doing, brother?" Joab reached out with his right hand and grabbed Amasa by the beard to greet him with a kiss.
George Lamsa Translation
And Joab said to Amasa, Peace be with you, my brother. And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his hand to kiss him.
Good News Translation
Joab said to Amasa, "How are you, my friend?" and took hold of his beard with his right hand in order to kiss him.
Literal Translation
And Joab said to Amasa, Is it well with you, my brother? And Joab's right hand took hold of Amasa's beard to give a kiss to him.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Ioab sayde vnto Amasa: Peace be with the my brother. And Ioab toke Amasa by the beerde with his righte hade, to kysse him.
American Standard Version
And Joab said to Amasa, Is it well with thee, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
Bible in Basic English
And Joab said to Amasa, Is it well, my brother? And with his right hand he took him by the hair of his chin to give him a kiss.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Ioab saide to Amasa: Art thou in health my brother? And Ioab toke Amasa by ye beard with the right hand, to kisse him.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Joab said to Amasa: 'Is it well with thee, my brother?' And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
King James Version (1611)
And Ioab saide to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Ioab tooke Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kisse him.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Joab said to Amessai, Art thou in health, my brother? and the right hand of Joab took hold of the beard of Amessai to kiss him.
English Revised Version
And Joab said to Amasa, Is it well with thee, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
Berean Standard Bible
"Are you well, my brother?" Joab asked Amasa. And with his right hand Joab grabbed Amasa by the beard to kiss him.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Heil, my brother! And he helde with the riyt hond the chyn of Amasa, as kissinge him.
Young's Literal Translation
And Joab saith to Amasa, `Art thou [in] peace, my brother?' and the right hand of Joab layeth hold on the beard of Amasa to give a kiss to him;
Update Bible Version
And Joab said to Amasa, Is it well with you, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Joab said to Amasa, [Art] thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him.
World English Bible
Joab said to Amasa, Is it well with you, my brother? Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
New King James Version
Then Joab said to Amasa, "Are you in health, my brother?" And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
New Living Translation
"How are you, my cousin?" Joab said and took him by the beard with his right hand as though to kiss him.
New Life Bible
Joab said to Amasa, "Is it well with you, my brother?" And he took Amasa by the hair of his face with his right hand to kiss him.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said Joab unto Amasa, Art thou, well, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand, to kiss him.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Joab said to Amasa: God save thee, my brother. And he took Amasa by the chin with his right hand to kiss him.
Revised Standard Version
And Jo'ab said to Ama'sa, "Is it well with you, my brother?" And Jo'ab took Ama'sa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Joab said to Amasa, "Is it well with you, my brother?" And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.

Contextual Overview

4 Then the king said to Amasa, "Call the men of Judah together to me within three days, and be here yourself." 5 So Amasa went to summon Judah; but he delayed beyond the set time that had been appointed him. 6 David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom; take your lord's servants and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities for himself, and escape from us." 7 Joab's men went out after him, along with the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the warriors; they went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bichri. 8 When they were at the large stone that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Now Joab was wearing a soldier's garment and over it was a belt with a sword in its sheath fastened at his waist; as he went forward it fell out. 9 Joab said to Amasa, "Is it well with you, my brother?" And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. 10 But Amasa did not notice the sword in Joab's hand; Joab struck him in the belly so that his entrails poured out on the ground, and he died. He did not strike a second blow. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bichri. 11 And one of Joab's men took his stand by Amasa, and said, "Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab." 12 Amasa lay wallowing in his blood on the highway, and the man saw that all the people were stopping. Since he saw that all who came by him were stopping, he carried Amasa from the highway into a field, and threw a garment over him. 13 Once he was removed from the highway, all the people went on after Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bichri.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Art thou: Psalms 55:21, Proverbs 26:24-26, Micah 7:2

took Amasa: Thevenot says, that among the Turks it is a great affront to take one by the beard, unless it be to kiss him, in which case they often do it. D'Arvieux, describing an assembly of Arab emirs at an entertainment, says, "After the usual civilities, caresses, kissings of the beard, and of the hand, which every one gave and received according to his rank and dignity, they sat down upon mats." The doing this by the Arab emirs corresponds with the conduct of Joab, and illustrates this horrid assassination.

to kiss him: Matthew 26:48, Matthew 26:49, Luke 22:47, Luke 22:48

Reciprocal: Genesis 4:8 - talked Genesis 24:14 - thereby Genesis 29:6 - Is he well Exodus 21:14 - slay Deuteronomy 27:24 - General 2 Samuel 3:27 - took him 2 Samuel 11:16 - he assigned 2 Samuel 13:26 - let my brother 2 Samuel 17:25 - Amasa 2 Samuel 20:10 - in Joab's 1 Chronicles 21:6 - Joab Nehemiah 6:2 - Come Psalms 55:23 - bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days Proverbs 10:18 - that hideth Proverbs 26:23 - General Proverbs 27:6 - the kisses Jeremiah 9:8 - one Jeremiah 41:1 - they did Mark 14:44 - Whomsoever Luke 6:41 - but Romans 12:9 - love

Cross-References

Genesis 12:18
So Pharaoh called Abram, and said, "What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?
Genesis 20:10
And Abimelech said to Abraham, "What were you thinking of, that you did this thing?"
Genesis 20:11
Abraham said, "I did it because I thought, There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.
Genesis 20:18
For the Lord had closed fast all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.
Genesis 26:10
Abimelech said, "What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us."
Genesis 34:7
just as the sons of Jacob came in from the field. When they heard of it, the men were indignant and very angry, because he had committed an outrage in Israel by lying with Jacob's daughter, for such a thing ought not to be done.
Genesis 38:24
About three months later Judah was told, "Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the whore; moreover she is pregnant as a result of whoredom." And Judah said, "Bring her out, and let her be burned."
Genesis 39:9
He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except yourself, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"
Exodus 32:21
Moses said to Aaron, "What did this people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?"
Exodus 32:35
Then the Lord sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf—the one that Aaron made.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Joab said to Amasa,.... In a friendly manner, with all the air of pleasantry and good humour:

[art] thou in health, my brother? this looked like a friendly salutation to ask of his health, and wish him it, and a loving appellation to call him brother; though they were near of kin, sisters' children, and so own cousins; thus he addressed him, to cover his design:

and Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him: as was usual for the eastern people to do when they addressed and saluted one another in an affectionate way, and as the Turks and Arabs do to this day, as travellers relate. Barthius t has collected passages from the Greek poets, which show it to be a custom, that when a man asked a favour of another, he caught hold of his beard with the right hand, and of his knee with the left; and in such a posture Joab might easily do what follows.

t Animadv. ad Claudian. de Raptu Proserp. l. 1. ver. 50. vid. Homer. Iliad. ver. 500, 501. Iliad. 8. ver. 371. & Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 2. c. 19.


 
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