2 Samuel 19:13
in 2 Samuel 19And say to Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my flesh and blood? May God punish me, and ever so severely, if from this time you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!’”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And say ye to Amasa, Art thou not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in the room of Joab.
KJV
And say ye to Amasa, Art thou not of my bone, and of my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in the room of Joab.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 19
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Of my bone ... - Render as in preceding verse, “art thou not my bone and my flesh?” It is curious to note how the phrase is used in 2Sa 5:1 of common descent from Israel, in 2Sa 19:12 of the closer kindred of the tribe of Judah, and in this verse of the yet nearer kindred between David and Amasa his sister’s son. Captain ... in the room of Joab - It is very plain that David felt the weight of Joab’s overbearing influence to be very oppressive (compare 2Sa 19:22; 2Sa 3:39; 2Sa 16:10).
This site's exposition
captain of the host before me continually in the room of Joab
David swears Amasa into Joab's command outright, an oath sworn to the very man who led the army of the rebellion against him days before. Barnes reads it as evidence of how heavily Joab's independence weighed on David, the same weight behind 3:39's I am this day weak and 16:10's what have I to do with you. The promise holds only briefly; Joab kills Amasa within two chapters, one more death from the sword the prophet said would never leave David's house.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
He owns him for his kinsman, and promises him that, if he will appear for him now, he will make him captain-general of all his forces in the room of Joab, will not only pardon him (which, it may be, Amasa questioned), but prefer him. Sometimes there is nothing lost in purchasing the friendship of one that has been an enemy.
And say ye to Amasa,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The king justly reckoned, that from natural temper as well as gratitude for the royal pardon, he would prove a more tractable servant; and David, doubtless, intended in all sincerity to fulfil this promise.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
While the messages of all Yisroel are coming to the king. All this was part of the message he was charged to bring [to the elders].
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
To Amosoh. Who is [Avsholom's] commanding officer you should say, 'You are my own sister's son.' 6 The son of Avigail. See:25.
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. 3 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
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְלַֽעֲמָשָׂא֙ | velaamasa' | and to Amasa | H6021 → | 16 times |
| תֹּֽמְר֔וּ | tomeru | you will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הֲל֛וֹא | halo' | ¿ not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| עַצְמִ֥י | ʾatzmi | bone my | H6106 → | 126 times |
| וּבְשָׂרִ֖י | uvesari | and flesh my | H1320 → | 270 times |
| אָ֑תָּה | ʾatah | [are] you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| כֹּ֣ה | koh | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| יַֽעֲשֶׂה־ | yaaseh- | may he do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לִּ֤י | li | to <the> me | ||
| אֱלֹהִים֙ | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וְכֹ֣ה | vekhoh | and thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| יוֹסִ֔יף | yosif | may he add | H3254 → | 212 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| לֹ֠א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| שַׂר־ | sar- | commander of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| צָבָ֞א | tzava' | [the] army | H6635 → | 485 times |
| תִּהְיֶ֧ה | tihyeh | you will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לְפָנַ֛י | lefanai | <to> before me | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַיָּמִ֖ים | haiyamim | the days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| תַּ֥חַת | tachat | in place of | H8478 → | 505 times |
| יוֹאָֽב׃ | yoav | Joab | H3097 → | 144 times |
וְלַֽעֲמָשָׂא֙and to Amasa
velaamasa'H6021 →16 times
תֹּֽמְר֔וּyou will say
tomeruH559 →5305 times
הֲל֛וֹא¿ not
halo'H3808 →5168 times
עַצְמִ֥יbone my
ʾatzmiH6106 →126 times
וּבְשָׂרִ֖יand flesh my
uvesariH1320 →270 times
אָ֑תָּה[are] you
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
כֹּ֣הthus
kohH3541 →577 times
יַֽעֲשֶׂה־may he do
yaaseh-H6213 →2628 times
לִּ֤יto <the> me
li
אֱלֹהִים֙God
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
וְכֹ֣הand thus
vekhohH3541 →577 times
יוֹסִ֔יףmay he add
yosifH3254 →212 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
לֹ֠אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
שַׂר־commander of
sar-H8269 →421 times
צָבָ֞א[the] army
tzava'H6635 →485 times
תִּהְיֶ֧הyou will be
tihyehH1961 →3559 times
לְפָנַ֛י<to> before me
lefanaiH6440 →2123 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַיָּמִ֖יםthe days
haiyamimH3117 →2304 times
תַּ֥חַתin place of
tachatH8478 →505 times
יוֹאָֽב׃Joab
yoavH3097 →144 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 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
Ruth 1:17Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”
it leads to
- 2 Kings 6:31
He announced, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders through this day!”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Samuel 3:17
“What was the message He gave you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God punish you, and ever so severely, if you hide from me anything He said to you.”
- 1 Kings 2:23
Then King Solomon swore by the LORD: “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if Adonijah has not made this request at the expense of his life.
- 1 Samuel 25:22
May God punish David, and ever so severely, if I let one of Nabal’s men survive until morning.”
- 2 Kings 6:31
Through
1 Kings 19:2So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like the lives of those…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 20:10
Then Ben-hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if enough dust remains of Samaria for each of my men to have a handful.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ruth 1:17
Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”
- Proverbs 27:1
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.
- 1 Kings 20:10
Through
2 Samuel 17:25Absalom had appointed Amasa over the army in place of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra, the Ishmaelite who had married Abigail, the daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah…
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 2:13
Jesse was the father of Eliab his firstborn; Abinadab was born second, Shimea third,
- 1 Chronicles 2:13
About 2 Samuel
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset and 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.