When Abner and twenty of his men came to David at Hebron, David held a feast for them.
Parallel translations
- WEB So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. David made Abner and the men who were with him a feast.
- KJV So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men that were with him a feast.
- NKJV So Abner and twenty men with him came to David at Hebron. And David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him.
- NASB Then Abner and twenty men with him came to David at Hebron. And David held a feast for Abner and the men who were with him.
- NLT When Abner and twenty of his men came to Hebron, David entertained them with a great feast.
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
Abner comes to David at Hebron with twenty men, and David honors them with a feast. The shared meal signals goodwill and the near-completion of the alliance.
Overview
Abner arrives with a delegation, and David receives them hospitably with a banquet, an act expressing peace and covenant fellowship. The feast marks the warming relations between the houses of Saul and David. This gracious reception underscores David's genuine desire for reconciliation rather than revenge.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Gen 31:54Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat a meal. And after they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain.
- Esth 1:3In the third year of his reign, Xerxes held a feast for all his officials and servants. The military leaders of Persia and Media were there, along with the nobles and princes of the provinces.
- Gen 26:30So Isaac prepared a feast for them, and they ate and drank.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 3:20 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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