2 Samuel 20:10
in 2 Samuel 20Amasa was not on guard against the dagger in Joab’s hand, and Joab stabbed him in the stomach and spilled out his intestines on the ground. And Joab did not need to strike him again, for Amasa was dead. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bichri.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand: so he smote him therewith in the body, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. And Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.
KJV
But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand: so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.
⋯
This verse in 2 Samuel 20
Commentary
7 notes on this verseSo with the wicked severally, because they have evil not upon the tongue, but under the tongue, in the words of their mouth they hold out sweet things, and in the thoughts of their heart are plotting mischiefs. For it is hence that Joab held the beard of Amasa with his right hand, whilst secretly putting his left hand to his sword, he shed out his bowels. For to hold the chin with the right hand is to caress as if in kindness. But he puts his left hand to his sword, who in secret strikes in malice.
This site's exposition
smote him therewith in the fifth rib
Amasa dies by the same stroke Abner did at 3:27, struck under the fifth rib in a moment staged to look like ordinary courtesy, and Scripture uses the identical phrase for both killings. Joab named a reason for Abner, the blood of his brother Asahel; here he gives none beyond taking back the command David had handed to his rival. The chase for Sheba resumes at once, led now by the man who had just removed him.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
A commentator
John ChrysostomHOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW 42.2 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
Would ye that in another way also I should make what I say plainer? Let us look into their case, who avenge themselves even justly. For as to the wrong doers, that they are the most worthless of all men, warring against their own soul; this is surely plain to every one. But who avenged himself justly, yet kindled innumerable ills, and pierced himself through with many calamities and sorrows? The captain of David's host. For he both stirred up a grievous war, and suffered unnumbered evils; not one whereof would have happened, had he but known how to command himself. Let us flee therefore from this sin, and neither in words nor deeds do our neighbors wrong.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The more there is of plot in a sin the worse it is. He did it treacherously, and under pretence of friendship, that Amasa might not be upon his guard.
But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
In the fifth rib - I believe חמש chomesh, which we render here and elsewhere the fifth rib, means any part of the abdominal region. The Septuagint translate it την ψοαν, the groin; the Targum, the right side of the thigh, i.e., (the phrase of the Targumist being interpreted), the privy parts. That it means some part of the abdominal region, is evident from what follows, And shed out his bowels to the ground. It appears from this that, in plain English, he ripped up his belly.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
smote him . . . in the fifth rib--the seat of the liver and bowels, where wounds are mortal. struck him not again--that is, despatched him at the first blow.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַעֲמָשָׂ֨א | vaamasa' | and Amasa | H6021 → | 16 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| נִשְׁמַ֜ר | nishmar | he took heed | H8104 → | 468 times |
| בַּחֶ֣רֶב׀ | bacherev | to the sword | H2719 → | 413 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בְּיַד־ | beyad- | [was] in [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| יוֹאָ֗ב | yoav | Joab | H3097 → | 144 times |
| וַיַּכֵּהוּ֩ | vaiyakehu | and he struck him | H5221 → | 499 times |
| בָ֨הּ | vah | with <the> it | ||
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | into | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַחֹ֜מֶשׁ | hachomesh | the belly | H2570 → | 4 times |
| וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֨ךְ | vaiyishpokh | and he poured out | H8210 → | |
| מֵעָ֥יו | meav | bowels his | H4578 → | 32 times |
| אַ֛רְצָה | ʾartzah | [the] ground towards | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וְלֹא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| שָׁ֥נָה | shanah | he repeated | H8138 → | |
| ל֖וֹ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| וַיָּמֹ֑ת ס | vaiyamot | and he died | H4191 → | 839 times |
| וְיוֹאָב֙ | veyoav | and Joab | H3097 → | 144 times |
| וַאֲבִישַׁ֣י | vaavishai | and Abishai | H52 → | 25 times |
| אָחִ֔יו | ʾachiv | brother his | H251 → | 630 times |
| רָדַ֕ף | radaf | he pursued | H7291 → | 143 times |
| אַחֲרֵ֖י | ʾacharei | after | H310 → | 715 times |
| שֶׁ֥בַע | sheva' | Sheba | H7652 → | 10 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| בִּכְרִֽי׃ | bikhri | Bicri | H1075 → | 8 times |
וַעֲמָשָׂ֨אand Amasa
vaamasa'H6021 →16 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
נִשְׁמַ֜רhe took heed
nishmarH8104 →468 times
בַּחֶ֣רֶב׀to the sword
bacherevH2719 →413 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בְּיַד־[was] in [the] hand of
beyad-H3027 →1618 times
יוֹאָ֗בJoab
yoavH3097 →144 times
וַיַּכֵּהוּ֩and he struck him
vaiyakehuH5221 →499 times
בָ֨הּwith <the> it
vah
אֶל־into
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַחֹ֜מֶשׁthe belly
hachomeshH2570 →4 times
וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֨ךְand he poured out
vaiyishpokhH8210 →
מֵעָ֥יוbowels his
meavH4578 →32 times
אַ֛רְצָה[the] ground towards
ʾartzahH776 →2504 times
וְלֹא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
שָׁ֥נָהhe repeated
shanahH8138 →
ל֖וֹto <the> him
lo
וַיָּמֹ֑ת סand he died
vaiyamotH4191 →839 times
וְיוֹאָב֙and Joab
veyoavH3097 →144 times
וַאֲבִישַׁ֣יand Abishai
vaavishaiH52 →25 times
אָחִ֔יוbrother his
ʾachivH251 →630 times
רָדַ֕ףhe pursued
radafH7291 →143 times
אַחֲרֵ֖יafter
ʾachareiH310 →715 times
שֶׁ֥בַעSheba
sheva'H7652 →10 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
בִּכְרִֽי׃Bicri
bikhriH1075 →8 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
2 Samuel 3:27When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab pulled him aside into the gateway, as if to speak to him privately, and there Joab stabbed him in the stomach. So Abner died on account of the…
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 20:9–10
“Are you well, my brother?” Joab asked Amasa. And with his right hand Joab grabbed Amasa by the beard to kiss him.
- 1 Kings 2:5
Moreover, you know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me—what he did to Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether, the two commanders of the armies of Israel. He killed them…
- Deuteronomy 27:24
‘Cursed is he who strikes down his neighbor in secret.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
- 1 Kings 2:32
The LORD will bring his bloodshed back upon his own head, for without the knowledge of my father David he struck down two men more righteous and better than he when he put to…
- 2 Samuel 20:9–10
Through
2 Samuel 2:23But Asahel refused to turn away; so Abner thrust the butt of his spear into his stomach, and it came out his back, and he fell dead on the spot. And every man paused…
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 3:27
When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab pulled him aside into the gateway, as if to speak to him privately, and there Joab stabbed him in the stomach. So Abner died on account of the…
- 2 Samuel 4:6
They entered the interior of the house as if to get some wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab and his brother Baanah slipped away.
- 2 Samuel 5:6
Now the king and his men marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites who inhabited the land. The Jebusites said to David: “You will never get in here. Even the blind and lame can repel…
- 2 Samuel 3:27
Through
Judges 3:21And Ehud reached with his left hand, pulled the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon’s belly.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 15:33
But Samuel declared: “As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.
- 1 Samuel 15:33
About 2 Samuel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book 15.11; Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW 42.2; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.