2 Samuel 18:12
in 2 Samuel 18The man replied, “Even if a thousand shekels of silver were weighed out into my hands, I would not raise my hand against the son of the king. For we heard the king command you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand pieces of silver in my hand, yet would I not put forth my hand against the king’s son: for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.
KJV
And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king’s son: for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 18
Commentary
3 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree
on 2 Samuel 18:10-13
A soldier tells Joab, “I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!” Joab asks why he did not strike him down for ten shekels of silver and a warrior's belt. The man would refuse a thousand shekels, because the whole army heard the king's order to protect Absalom.
This site's exposition
a thousand shekels of silver
The soldier multiplies Joab's offer a hundred times and still refuses. Silver was weighed on scales in that age, so he pictures the full weight laid in his palms. His quotation of the king's order at verse 5 shows the whole army took it as binding.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And the man said unto Joab,....
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Beware that none harm the young man. Everyone who meets up with him should preserve him.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
31 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הָאִישׁ֙ | haish | the man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יוֹאָ֔ב | yoav | Joab | H3097 → | 144 times |
| וְל֨וּא | velo' | and if | H3863 → | |
| אָנֹכִ֜י | ʾanokhi | I | H595 → | 359 times |
| שֹׁקֵ֤ל | shokel | [were] weighing | H8254 → | |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כַּפַּי֙ | kapai | hands my | H3709 → | 192 times |
| אֶ֣לֶף | ʾelef | a thousand | H505 → | 505 times |
| כֶּ֔סֶף | kesef | silver | H3701 → | 403 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אֶשְׁלַ֥ח | ʾeshlach | I will stretch out | H7971 → | 845 times |
| יָדִ֖י | yadi | hand my | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | against | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| בְאָזְנֵ֜ינוּ | veazeneinu | in ears our | H241 → | 187 times |
| צִוָּ֣ה | tzivah | he commanded | H6680 → | 494 times |
| הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֹ֠תְךָ | ʾotekha | <obj.> you | H853 → | 10935 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲבִישַׁ֤י | ʾavishai | Abishai | H52 → | 25 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אִתַּי֙ | ʾitai | Ittai | H863 → | 9 times |
| לֵאמֹ֔ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| שִׁמְרוּ־ | shimru- | protect | H8104 → | 468 times |
| מִ֕י | mi | whoever | H4310 → | 423 times |
| בַּנַּ֖עַר | banaar | <in> the young man | H5288 → | 239 times |
| בְּאַבְשָׁלֽוֹם׃ | beavshalom | <in> Absalom | H53 → | 110 times |
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הָאִישׁ֙the man
haishH376 →1663 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יוֹאָ֔בJoab
yoavH3097 →144 times
וְל֨וּאand if
velo'H3863 →
אָנֹכִ֜יI
ʾanokhiH595 →359 times
שֹׁקֵ֤ל[were] weighing
shokelH8254 →
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
כַּפַּי֙hands my
kapaiH3709 →192 times
אֶ֣לֶףa thousand
ʾelefH505 →505 times
כֶּ֔סֶףsilver
kesefH3701 →403 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
אֶשְׁלַ֥חI will stretch out
ʾeshlachH7971 →845 times
יָדִ֖יhand my
yadiH3027 →1618 times
אֶל־against
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
הַמֶּ֑לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
בְאָזְנֵ֜ינוּin ears our
veazeneinuH241 →187 times
צִוָּ֣הhe commanded
tzivahH6680 →494 times
הַמֶּ֗לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אֹ֠תְךָ<obj.> you
ʾotekhaH853 →10935 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
אֲבִישַׁ֤יAbishai
ʾavishaiH52 →25 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
אִתַּי֙Ittai
ʾitaiH863 →9 times
לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
שִׁמְרוּ־protect
shimru-H8104 →468 times
מִ֕יwhoever
miH4310 →423 times
בַּנַּ֖עַר<in> the young man
banaarH5288 →239 times
בְּאַבְשָׁלֽוֹם׃<in> Absalom
beavshalomH53 →110 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Samuel 18:5Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake.” And all the people heard the king’s orders to each of the commanders regarding Absalom.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 21:18–21
If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and does not listen to them when disciplined,
- 2 Samuel 17:14
Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than that of Ahithophel.” For the LORD had purposed to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel in…
- 2 Samuel 17:1–4
Furthermore, Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me choose twelve thousand men and set out tonight in pursuit of David.
- Luke 23:34
Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His garments by casting lots.
- Psalms 103:13
As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
- Deuteronomy 21:18–21
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
About 2 Samuel
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).