2 Samuel 3:13
in 2 Samuel 3“Good,” replied David, “I will make a covenant with you. But there is one thing I require of you: Do not appear before me unless you bring Saul’s daughter Michal when you come to see me.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he said, Well; I will make a league with thee; but one thing I require of thee: that is, thou shalt not see my face, except thou first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when thou comest to see my face.
KJV
And he said, Well; I will make a league with thee: but one thing I require of thee, that is, Thou shalt not see my face, except thou first bring Michal Saul’s daughter, when thou comest to see my face.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 3
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
David’s motive in requiring the restitution of Michal was partly his affection for her, and his memory of her love for him; partly the wish to wipe out the affront put upon him in taking away his wife, by obtaining her return; and partly, also, a politic consideration of the effect on Saul’s partisans of a daughter of Saul being David’s queen.
This site's exposition
Make thy league with me
on 2 Samuel 3:12-14
Abner opens the negotiation with whose is the land, offering David the whole kingdom's allegiance, and Henry reads the providence of it without excusing the man: God can make those serviceable to his purpose who have no sincere love for it. David's one condition answers with a demand of his own, the return of Michal, and he prices her by the very sum he once paid Saul for her, an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, the bride price of 1 Samuel 18:25-27 named again as a legal claim rather than a memory.
This site's exposition
one thing I require of you
Albert Barnes gives three motives for the demand: David’s love for Michal, the wrong done in taking her, and the weight of a daughter of Saul as his queen. Adam Clarke notes the danger of leaving her with another man. Through her, that man could claim the throne.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And he said, well, I will make a league with thee,....
He testified his respect to the house of Saul. So far was he from trampling upon it, now that it was fallen, that even in his elevation he valued himself not a little on his relation to it. He cannot be pleased with the honours of the throne unless he have Michal, Saul's daughter, to share with him in them, so far is he from bearing any malice to the family of his enemy.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Except thou first bring Michal - David had already six wives at Hebron; and none of them could have such pretensions to legitimacy as Michal, who had been taken away from him and married to Phaltiel. However distressing it was to take her from a husband who loved her most tenderly, (see 2Sa 3:16), yet prudence and policy required that he should strengthen his own interest in the kingdom as much as possible; and that he should not leave a princess in the possession of a man who might, in her right, have made pretensions to the throne. Besides, she was his own lawful wife, and he had a right to demand her when he pleased.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
In his behalf saying. From his place to say, We shall keep this [oath] by the One Who made the world.
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. 4 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
29 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| ט֔וֹב | tov | good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| אֲנִ֕י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| אֶכְרֹ֥ת | ʾekhrot | I will make | H3772 → | 288 times |
| אִתְּךָ֖ | ʾitekha | with you | H854 → | 929 times |
| בְּרִ֑ית | berit | a covenant | H1285 → | 284 times |
| אַ֣ךְ | ʾakh | only | H389 → | 161 times |
| דָּבָ֣ר | davar | a thing | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אֶחָ֡ד | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| אָנֹכִי֩ | ʾanokhi | I | H595 → | 359 times |
| שֹׁאֵ֨ל | shoel | [am] asking | H7592 → | 171 times |
| מֵאִתְּךָ֤ | meitekha | from with <the> you | H854 → | 929 times |
| לֵאמֹר֙ | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִרְאֶ֣ה | tireh | you will see | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| פָּנַ֔י | panai | face my | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| כִּ֣י׀ | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | except | H518 → | 1069 times |
| לִפְנֵ֣י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הֱבִיאֲךָ֗ | heviakha | bring you | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֵ֚ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִיכַ֣ל | mikhal | Michal | H4324 → | 18 times |
| בַּת־ | bat- | [the] daughter of | H1323 → | 588 times |
| שָׁא֔וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| בְּבֹאֲךָ֖ | bevoakha | when coming you | H935 → | 2568 times |
| לִרְא֥וֹת | lirot | to see | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| פָּנָֽי׃ ס | panai | face my | H6440 → | 2123 times |
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
ט֔וֹבgood
tovH2896 →538 times
אֲנִ֕יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
אֶכְרֹ֥תI will make
ʾekhrotH3772 →288 times
אִתְּךָ֖with you
ʾitekhaH854 →929 times
בְּרִ֑יתa covenant
beritH1285 →284 times
אַ֣ךְonly
ʾakhH389 →161 times
דָּבָ֣רa thing
davarH1697 →1440 times
אֶחָ֡דone
ʾechadH259 →971 times
אָנֹכִי֩I
ʾanokhiH595 →359 times
שֹׁאֵ֨ל[am] asking
shoelH7592 →171 times
מֵאִתְּךָ֤from with <the> you
meitekhaH854 →929 times
לֵאמֹר֙<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
תִרְאֶ֣הyou will see
tirehH7200 →1300 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
פָּנַ֔יface my
panaiH6440 →2123 times
כִּ֣י׀for
kiH3588 →4482 times
אִם־except
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
לִפְנֵ֣י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
הֱבִיאֲךָ֗bring you
heviakhaH935 →2568 times
אֵ֚ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
מִיכַ֣לMichal
mikhalH4324 →18 times
בַּת־[the] daughter of
bat-H1323 →588 times
שָׁא֔וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
בְּבֹאֲךָ֖when coming you
bevoakhaH935 →2568 times
לִרְא֥וֹתto see
lirotH7200 →1300 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
פָּנָֽי׃ סface my
panaiH6440 →2123 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
1 Chronicles 15:29As the ark of the covenant of the LORD was entering the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked down from a window and saw King David dancing and celebrating, and she despised him…
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 6:20–23
As soon as David returned home to bless his own household, Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today!” she said. “He has uncovered himself…
- 2 Samuel 6:16
As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked down from a window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, and she despised him…
- 1 Samuel 18:27–28
David and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented them as payment in full to become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave his daughter Michal to…
- 2 Samuel 3:13–14
“Good,” replied David, “I will make a covenant with you. But there is one thing I require of you: Do not appear before me unless you bring Saul’s daughter Michal when you come to…
- Deuteronomy 31:26
“Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, so that it may remain there as a witness against you.
- 2 Samuel 6:20–23
Through
Genesis 43:3But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’
it leads to
- Genesis 44:23
But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your younger brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’
- Genesis 43:5
But if you will not send him, we will not go; for the man told us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’”
- Genesis 44:23
Through
Genesis 44:26But we answered, ‘We cannot go down there unless our younger brother goes with us. So if our younger brother is not with us, we cannot see the man.’
it leads to
- Genesis 43:4–5
If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you.
- Genesis 43:4–5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 2 Samuel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.