So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he took longer than the time allotted him.
Parallel translations
- WEB So Amasa went to call the men of Judah together; but he stayed longer than the set time which he had appointed him.
- KJV So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him.
- NKJV So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah. But he delayed longer than the set time which David had appointed him.
- NASB So Amasa went to summon the men of Judah, but he was delayed longer than the set time which he had designated for him.
- NLT So Amasa went out to notify Judah, but it took him longer than the time he had been given.
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
Amasa delayed beyond the three days David had set. It matters because his tardiness endangered the campaign and gave Joab a pretext to act.
Overview
Amasa failed to muster Judah within the appointed time, whether from inexperience or hesitation. His delay risked letting Sheba fortify himself and gain strength. This lapse prompted David to turn to other commanders and ultimately led to Joab's violent reassertion of power.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- 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 Sam 13:8And Saul waited seven days for the time appointed by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the troops began to desert Saul.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
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 20:5 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.