2 Samuel 3:18
in 2 Samuel 3Now take action, because the LORD has said to David, ‘Through My servant David I will save My people Israel from the hands of the Philistines and of all their enemies.’”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
now then do it; for Jehovah hath spoken of David, saying, By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.
KJV
Now then do it: for the Lord hath spoken of David, saying, By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 3
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThe Lord hath spoken of David - Where is this spoken? Such a promise is not extant. Perhaps it means no more than, “Thus, it may be presumed, God hath determined.”
This site's exposition
Ye sought for David in times past
on 2 Samuel 3:17-19
Abner works two audiences before he ever reaches Hebron, the elders of Israel and the house of Benjamin, Saul's own tribe, and his argument to both is the word already spoken of David, by the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel. Barnes reads Abner's influence as the very thing that had kept the elders from declaring for David until now, so his defection removes the last obstacle at a stroke. Spurgeon preached the phrase now then do it as a call to present obedience: light once given leaves no room for delay.
This site's exposition
Now take action
Adam Clarke finds no recorded promise in these exact words. He takes Abner to be summing up what the LORD had plainly purposed for David. Abner now argues from the promise he had fought against.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Now then do it,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
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.
You know the circumstances under which these words were spoken. God had cast off Saul because he had not been faithful and He had appointed David to be his successor, anointing him by the hand of Samuel. Yet when Saul was slain in battle, Israel seemed determined to choose her own king by selecting one of Saul's family—and under the leadership of Abner, the majority of the tribes set up Ishbosheth, son of Jonathan, to be king.
You know the circumstances under which these words were spoken. God had cast off Saul because he had not been faithful and He had appointed David to be his successor, anointing him by the hand of Samuel. Yet when Saul was slain in battle, Israel seemed determined to choose her own king by selecting one of Saul's family—and under the leadership of Abner, the majority of the tribes set up Ishbosheth, son of Jonathan, to be king. Then commenced a civil war between the two parties and we read that the house of David waxed stronger and stronger, but the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker. In process of time Abner, the commander-in-chief and prime minister who was at the head of Saul's party, because it served his own purposes, changed his mind and resolved that David should become king over the whole land. Having so resolved, he began to persuade the tribes and argue with them on David's behalf. And the words of my text are a part of a very powerful argument which he used in order to induce them to give up the king of their own choosing and offer the crown to the king whom God had appointed, even David. I need say but very little, however, about the circumstances of the case, for I am about to accommodate the words to quite another people and another king. I desire, in all sincerity of heart, to approach those of you whose minds are ruled by evil desires and motives, all of which are alien sovereigns, hostile to the true King whom God has anointed—and to remind you, this morning, that you have, in times past, sought to have Jesus to be King over you. Perhaps you have some desires towards Him lingering in your heart even now and, therefore, I have hope of you that you will go further, and in all sincerity, submit yourselves to His dominion. It is time that you should go beyond mere desires and attain to something practical.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
And the word of Avner was [sent] Before this [incident with Paltiel]
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
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעַתָּ֖ה | veatah | and therefore | H6258 → | 433 times |
| עֲשׂ֑וּ | ʾasu | act | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יְהוָ֗ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אָמַ֤ר | ʾamar | he has spoken | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| דָּוִד֙ | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| לֵאמֹ֔ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| בְּיַ֣ד׀ | beyad | by [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| דָּוִ֣ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| עַבְדִּ֗י | ʾavdi | servant my | H5650 → | 799 times |
| הוֹשִׁ֜יעַ | hoshia' | to deliver | H3467 → | 206 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עַמִּ֤י | ʾami | people my | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| מִיַּ֣ד | miyad | from [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים | pelishtim | [the] Philistines | H6430 → | 287 times |
| וּמִיַּ֖ד | umiyad | and from [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֹיְבֵיהֶֽם׃ | ʾoyeveihem | enemies their | H341 → | 282 times |
וְעַתָּ֖הand therefore
veatahH6258 →433 times
עֲשׂ֑וּact
ʾasuH6213 →2628 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
יְהוָ֗הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אָמַ֤רhe has spoken
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
דָּוִד֙David
davidH1732 →999 times
לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
בְּיַ֣ד׀by [the] hand of
beyadH3027 →1618 times
דָּוִ֣דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
עַבְדִּ֗יservant my
ʾavdiH5650 →799 times
הוֹשִׁ֜יעַto deliver
hoshia'H3467 →206 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עַמִּ֤יpeople my
ʾamiH5971 →1873 times
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
מִיַּ֣דfrom [the] hand of
miyadH3027 →1618 times
פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים[the] Philistines
pelishtimH6430 →287 times
וּמִיַּ֖דand from [the] hand of
umiyadH3027 →1618 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אֹיְבֵיהֶֽם׃enemies their
ʾoyeveihemH341 →282 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 Samuel 9:16“At this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you are to anoint him leader over My people Israel; he will save them from the hand of…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 10:1
Then Samuel took a flask of oil, poured it on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, “Has not the LORD anointed you ruler over His inheritance?
- Psalms 106:44
Nevertheless He heard their cry; He took note of their distress.
- Psalms 25:18
Consider my affliction and trouble, and take away all my sins.
- Exodus 3:7–9
The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.
- 1 Samuel 15:1
Then Samuel said to Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint you king over His people Israel. Now therefore, listen to the words of the LORD.
- 1 Samuel 10:1
Through
1 Samuel 15:28So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 28:17–18
He has done exactly what He spoke through me: The LORD has torn the kingship out of your hand and given it to your neighbor David.
- 1 Samuel 28:17–18
Through
2 Samuel 3:9May God punish Abner, and ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the LORD has sworn to him:
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 15:28
So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.
- 1 Kings 19:2
So 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…
- 1 Samuel 15:28
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 on the Old Testament; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1375, Now Then Do It; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1375: “"Now Then, Do It"” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).