Now there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. But David grew stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.
Parallel translations
- WEB Now there was long war between Saul’s house and David’s house. David grew stronger and stronger, but Saul’s house grew weaker and weaker.
- KJV Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.
- BSB Now the war between the house of Saul and the house of David was protracted. And David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.
- NASB Now there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; and David became steadily stronger, while the house of Saul became steadily weaker.
- NLT That was the beginning of a long war between those who were loyal to Saul and those loyal to David. As time passed David became stronger and stronger, while Saul’s dynasty became weaker and weaker.
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
The war between the houses of Saul and David drags on, with David steadily growing stronger. The verse summarizes the shifting balance toward David.
Overview
This summary statement captures the trajectory of the entire conflict: David's house grows stronger while Saul's grows weaker. The gradual triumph reflects the certainty of God's promise to establish David's throne, accomplished not in a single stroke but over time. It assures readers that the Lord's purposes prevail steadily even through prolonged struggle, pointing toward the unshakable kingdom of the Son of David.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- 1 Kgs 14:30There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.
- Prov 4:18–19But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light, that shines more and more until the perfect day.
- 2 Sam 2:17The battle was very severe that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before David’s servants.
- Job 8:7Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would greatly increase.
- Job 17:9Yet shall the righteous hold on his way. He who has clean hands shall grow stronger and stronger.
- Ps 84:7They go from strength to strength. Everyone of them appears before God in Zion.
- Eph 6:12For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
- Matt 10:35–36For I came to set a man at odds against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
- 1 Kgs 15:32There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.
- 1 Kgs 15:16There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.
- Esth 6:13Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish descent, you will not prevail against him, but you will surely fall before him.”
- Gal 5:17For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, that you may not do the things that you desire.
- Gen 3:15I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel.”
- Dan 2:44–45In the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
- Dan 2:34–35You saw until a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet that were of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.
- Ps 45:3–5Strap your sword on your thigh, mighty one: your splendor and your majesty.
- Rev 6:2And behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow. A crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 3:1 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.