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One of Joab’s young men stood near Amasa and said, “Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab!”
2 Samuel 20:11 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB One of Joab’s young men stood by him, and said, “He who favors Joab, and he who is for David, let him follow Joab!”
  • KJV And one of Joab’s men stood by him, and said, He that favoureth Joab, and he that is for David, let him go after Joab.
  • NKJV Meanwhile one of Joab’s men stood near Amasa, and said, “Whoever favors Joab and whoever is for David—follow Joab!”
  • NASB Now one of Joab’s young men stood by him and said, “Whoever favors Joab and whoever is for David, follow Joab!”
  • NLT One of Joab’s young men shouted to Amasa’s troops, “If you are for Joab and David, come and follow Joab.”

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

One of Joab's men called for those loyal to Joab and David to follow him. It matters because Joab swiftly rallied the troops to his command despite the murder.

Overview

A young soldier urged the men to follow Joab, joining loyalty to Joab with loyalty to David as if they were one. The appeal shows how Joab consolidated power even over a fresh killing. The verse illustrates how forcefully Joab reasserted his leadership of the army.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 5

  • 2 Sam 20:13As soon as Amasa’s body was removed from the road, all the men went on with Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bichri.
  • 2 Sam 20:6–7And David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and elude us.”
  • 2 Kgs 9:32He looked up at the window and called out, “Who is on my side? Who?” And two or three eunuchs looked down at him.
  • 2 Sam 20:4Then the king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself.”
  • 2 Sam 20:21That is not the case. But a man named Sheba son of Bichri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Deliver him alone, and I will depart from the city.” “Look,” the woman replied, “his head will be thrown to you over the wall.”

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

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 20:11YouTube · 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 20:11 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.