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2 Samuel 3:20

in 2 Samuel 3

When Abner and twenty of his men came to David at Hebron, David held a feast for them.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men that were with him a feast.

KJV

So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men that were with him a feast.

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This verse in 2 Samuel 3

Commentary

6 notes on this verse

A commentator

Ambrose of Milan

On the Duties of the Clergy 2.7.33 · Written before 397.

He had bound the people to himself freely in doing his duty; first, when during the division among the people he preferred to live like an exile at Hebron rather than to reign at Jerusalem; next, when he showed that he loved valor even in an enemy. He had also thought that justice should be shown to those who had borne arms against himself the same as to his own men. Again, he admired Abner, the bravest champion of the opposing side, while he was their leader and was yet waging war.

This site's exposition

When Abner and twenty of his men came to David at Hebron

on 2 Samuel 3:20-21

Abner comes to Hebron with twenty men and David holds a feast, marking a peace struck. Abner leaves with a promise to gather all Israel, and “he went in peace” closes the scene. Ambrose of Milan cites David's conduct toward a former enemy in On the Duties of the Clergy.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

) in token of reconciliation and joy and as a pledge of the agreement between them: it was a feast upon a covenant, like that, Gen. xxvi. If thy enemy hunger, feed him; but, if he submit, feast him.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens

So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him,....

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

Twenty men - These were doubtless his official suite as Ish-bosheth’s envoy to conduct Michal to David, but privy and consenting to his intrigue with David. It is remarkable that not a word should be said about the meeting of David and Michal.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

Abner had communication with the elders of Israel--He spoke the truth in impressing their minds with the well-known fact of David's divine designation to the kingdom. But he acted a base and hypocritical part in pretending that his present movement was prompted by religious motives, when it sprang entirely from malice and revenge against Ish-bosheth.

The words behind it

15 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וַיָּבֹ֨אand he came

    vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times

  • אַבְנֵ֤רAbner

    ʾavnerH74 →63 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • דָּוִד֙David

    davidH1732 →999 times

  • חֶבְר֔וֹןHebron

    chevronH2275 →72 times

  • וְאִתּ֖וֹand [were] with him

    veitoH854 →929 times

  • עֶשְׂרִ֣יםtwenty

    ʾesrimH6242 →315 times

  • אֲנָשִׁ֑יםmen

    ʾanashimH582 →566 times

  • וַיַּ֨עַשׂand he made

    vaiyaasH6213 →2628 times

  • דָּוִ֧דDavid

    davidH1732 →999 times

  • לְאַבְנֵ֛רfor Abner

    leavnerH74 →63 times

  • וְלַאֲנָשִׁ֥יםand for [the] men

    velaanashimH582 →566 times

  • אֲשֶׁר־who

    ʾasher-H834 →5497 times

  • אִתּ֖וֹ[were] with him

    ʾitoH854 →929 times

  • מִשְׁתֶּֽה׃a feast

    mishtehH4960 →

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

4 in all, six open

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Esther 1:3

    In the third year of his reign, Xerxes held a feast for all his officials and servants. The military leaders of Persia and Media were there, along with the nobles and princes of the…

    it leads to

    • Mark 6:21

      On Herod’s birthday, her opportunity arose. Herod held a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.

    • Daniel 5:1

      Later, King Belshazzar held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he drank wine with them.

    • Esther 2:18

      Then the king held a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his officials and servants. He proclaimed a tax holiday in the provinces and gave gifts worthy of the king’s bounty.

  • Through

    Genesis 31:54

    Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat a meal. And after they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain.

    it leads to

    • Genesis 21:8

      So the child grew and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Exodus 18:12

      Then Moses’ father-in-law Jethro brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.

  • Through

    Genesis 26:30

    So Isaac prepared a feast for them, and they ate and drank.

    it leads to

    • Genesis 19:3

      But Lot insisted so strongly that they followed him into his house. He prepared a feast for them and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

    • Hebrews 12:14

      Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.

    • Romans 12:18

      If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone.

Where this verse is studied

About 2 Samuel

David Mourns the Death of Absalom, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
David Mourns the Death of Absalom, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
2 Samuel: the study guide →Read 2 Samuel 3 →

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrose of Milan, On the Duties of the Clergy 2.7.33; Ambrose of Milan, On the Duties of the Clergy; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in 2 Samuel 3 →