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2 Samuel 2:21

in 2 Samuel 2

So Abner told him, “Turn to your right or to your left, seize one of the young men, and take his equipment for yourself.” But Asahel would not stop chasing him.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armor. But Asahel would not turn aside from following him.

KJV

And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armour. But Asahel would not turn aside from following of him.

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This verse in 2 Samuel 2

Commentary

7 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Take thee his armor - It seems Asahel wished to get the armor of Abner as a trophy; this also was greatly coveted by ancient heroes. Abner wished to spare him, for fear of exciting Joab’s enmity; but as Asahel was obstinate in the pursuit, and was swifter of foot than Abner, the latter saw that he must either kill or be killed, and therefore he turned his spear and ran it through the body of Asahel.

This site's exposition

Art thou Asahel

on 2 Samuel 2:20-23

Abner asks Asahel by name to turn aside and take a lesser man's armor rather than force a fight he does not want, twice, and twice Asahel refuses. Abner kills him with the hinder end of his own spear, driving the butt through his body rather than the point, which the older writers read as a mark of reluctance rather than skill. The debt is not settled here; Joab collects it in the next chapter, and a killing that opens as self-defense becomes the ground for a murder among brothers.

This site's exposition

take his equipment for yourself

Albert Barnes reads the offer as leave to seize one of the young men as a lesser trophy. Adam Clarke notes that Asahel was the faster of the two. Abner saw that he must kill Asahel or be killed by him.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

): " Lay hold of one of the young men, plunder him and make him thy prisoner, meddle with thy match, but pretend not to one who is so much superior to thee." It is wisdom in all contests to compare our own strength with that of our adversaries, and to take heed of being partial to ourselves in making the comparison, lest we prove in the issue enemies to ourselves, Luke xiv.

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

And Abner said unto him,....

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

Asahel pursued after Abner--To gain the general's armor was deemed the grandest trophy. Asahel, ambitious of securing Abner's, had outstripped all other pursuers, and was fast gaining on the retreating commander. Abner, conscious of possessing more physical power, and unwilling that there should be "blood" between himself and Joab, Asahel's brother, twice urged him to desist.
His armour - Rather, as in the margin; i. e. content thyself with the spoil of some inferior soldier for a trophy.

The words behind it

23 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.

  • וַיֹּ֧אמֶרand he said

    vaiyomerH559 →5305 times

  • ל֣וֹto <the> him

    lo

  • אַבְנֵ֗רAbner

    ʾavnerH74 →63 times

  • נְטֵ֤הturn aside

    netehH5186 →214 times

  • לְךָ֙for <the> yourself

    lekha

  • עַל־to

    ʾal-H5921 →5755 times

  • יְמִֽינְךָ֙right your

    yeminekhaH3225 →140 times

  • א֣וֹor

    ʾoH176 →321 times

  • עַל־to

    ʾal-H5921 →5755 times

  • שְׂמֹאלֶ֔ךָleft your

    semolekhaH8040 →54 times

  • וֶאֱחֹ֣זand seize

    veechozH270 →67 times

  • לְךָ֗for <the> yourself

    lekha

  • אֶחָד֙one

    ʾechadH259 →971 times

  • מֵֽהַנְּעָרִ֔יםfrom the young men

    mehanearimH5288 →239 times

  • וְקַח־and take

    vekach-H3947 →966 times

  • לְךָ֖for <the> yourself

    lekha

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • חֲלִצָת֑וֹspoils his

    chalitzatoH2488 →

  • וְלֹֽא־and not

    velo'-H3808 →5168 times

  • אָבָ֣הhe was willing

    ʾavahH14 →54 times

  • עֲשָׂהאֵ֔לAsahel

    ʾasahelH6214 →24 times

  • לָס֖וּרto turn aside

    lasurH5493 →299 times

  • מֵאַחֲרָֽיו׃from after him

    meacharavH310 →715 times

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

Related verses

2 in all, six open

The walk

5 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

    Judges 14:19

    Then the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave their clothes to those who had solved the…

    it leads to

    • Judges 3:10

      The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge and went out to war. And the LORD delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram into the hand of Othniel, who prevailed against…

    • 1 Samuel 11:6

      When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he burned with great anger.

    • Judges 15:14

      When Samson arrived in Lehi, the Philistines came out shouting against him. And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him. The ropes on his arms became like burnt flax, and the bonds…

    • Judges 13:25

      And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him at Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

    • Judges 14:6

      and the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him, and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as one would tear a young goat. But he did not tell his father…

About 2 Samuel

Combat between Soldiers of Ish-bosheth and David — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
Combat between Soldiers of Ish-bosheth and David — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
2 Samuel: the study guide →Read 2 Samuel 2 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Books of Samuel and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in 2 Samuel 2 →