The king said to his servants, “Don’t you know that there a prince and a great man has fallen today in Israel?
Parallel translations
- KJV And the king said unto his servants, Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?
- BSB Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not realize that a great prince has fallen today in Israel?
- NKJV Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?
- NASB Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a leader and a great man has fallen in Israel this day?
- NLT Then King David said to his officials, “Don’t you realize that a great commander has fallen today in Israel?
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 tells his servants that a prince and great man has fallen in Israel that day. He publicly honors Abner's stature.
Overview
David acknowledges to his court that Abner was a prince and a great man whose death is a real loss to Israel. By praising the very man Joab killed, David honors him and underscores the wrongness of the deed. David's generous estimate of a former adversary reveals a king free of pettiness and committed to honoring what is honorable.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Job 32:9It is not the great who are wise, nor the aged who understand justice.
- 2 Sam 2:8Now Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s army, had taken Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;
- 1 Sam 14:50–51The name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the captain of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle.
- 2 Sam 3:12Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, “Whose is the land?” and saying, “Make your alliance with me, and behold, my hand will be with you, to bring all Israel around to you.”
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 3:38 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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