Then the king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Then the king said to Amasa, “Call me the men of Judah together within three days, and be here present.”
- KJV Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be thou here present.
- NKJV And the king said to Amasa, “Assemble the men of Judah for me within three days, and be present here yourself.”
- NASB Now the king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah for me within three days, and be present here yourself.”
- NLT Then the king told Amasa, “Mobilize the army of Judah within three days, and report back at that time.”
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
David ordered Amasa to muster the men of Judah within three days. It matters because the king moved swiftly to crush Sheba's dangerous rebellion.
Overview
David commissioned Amasa, his new commander, to gather Judah's forces quickly against Sheba. The urgent command reflects David's awareness that delay could allow the revolt to spread. The verse sets in motion events that would expose Amasa's failure and Joab's deadly ambition.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- 2 Sam 17:25Absalom had appointed Amasa over the army in place of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra, the Ishmaelite who had married Abigail, the daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah the mother of Joab.
- 2 Sam 19:13And say to Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my flesh and blood? May God punish me, and ever so severely, if from this time you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!’”
- 1 Chr 2:17Abigail was the mother of Amasa, whose father was Jether the Ishmaelite.
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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 20:4 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
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