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Now therefore, gather the rest of the people together and encamp against the city and take it, lest I take the city and it be called after my name.”
2 Samuel 12:28 · New King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it; lest I take the city, and it be called by my name.”
  • KJV Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it: lest I take the city, and it be called after my name.
  • BSB Now, therefore, assemble the rest of the troops, lay siege to the city, and capture it. Otherwise I will capture the city, and it will be named after me.”
  • NASB Now then, gather the rest of the people and camp opposite the city and capture it, or I will capture the city myself and it will be named after me.”
  • NLT Now bring the rest of the army and capture the city. Otherwise, I will capture it and get credit for the victory.”

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Joab urges David to come and take the city himself, lest it be named after Joab. It reflects his concern to preserve the king's honor in the triumph.

Overview

Joab deliberately steps back so that the glory of capturing Rabbah will rest with David, the LORD's anointed king. His words show an awareness of proper order under the throne, even as they also reveal his calculating nature. The episode preserves the dignity of the king through whom God works His covenant purposes for Israel.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 1

  • John 7:18He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory, but he who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — 2 Samuel videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on 2 Samuel 12:28YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on 2 SamuelMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

God's covenant with David — a son whose throne and kingdom would last forever (7:12–16) — finds its yes in Jesus, the Son of David who reigns without end.

How 2 Samuel 12:28 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.