May God punish Abner, and ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the LORD has sworn to him:
Parallel translations
- WEB God do so to Abner, and more also, if, as Yahweh has sworn to David, I don’t do even so to him;
- KJV So do God to Abner, and more also, except, as the LORD hath sworn to David, even so I do to him;
- NKJV May God do so to Abner, and more also, if I do not do for David as the Lord has sworn to him—
- NASB May God do so to me, and more so, if as the Lord has sworn to David, I do not accomplish this for him:
- NLT May God strike me and even kill me if I don’t do everything I can to help David get what the Lord has promised him!
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 vows by God to help transfer the kingdom to David. He invokes a curse on himself if he fails to act.
Overview
In his anger Abner swears a solemn oath to bring about what the Lord had promised, the giving of the kingdom to David. Strikingly, he acknowledges that God had sworn to establish David's reign. Though Abner acts from pride rather than piety, his words confess the divine purpose, showing how God can use even flawed human motives to accomplish His sovereign will.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- 1 Sam 15:28So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.
- 1 Kgs 19:2So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like the lives of those you killed!”
- Ruth 1:17Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”
- 1 Sam 28:17He has done exactly what He spoke through me: The LORD has torn the kingship out of your hand and given it to your neighbor David.
- 1 Chr 12:23Now these are the numbers of men armed for battle who came to David at Hebron to turn Saul’s kingdom over to him, in accordance with the word of the LORD:
- Ps 89:35–37Once and for all I have sworn by My holiness—I will not lie to David—
- 1 Sam 3:17“What was the message He gave you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God punish you, and ever so severely, if you hide from me anything He said to you.”
- Ps 89:19–20You once spoke in a vision; to Your godly ones You said, “I have bestowed help on a warrior; I have exalted one chosen from the people.
- 1 Sam 16:1–13Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have selected from his sons a king for Myself.”
- 1 Sam 25:22May God punish David, and ever so severely, if I let one of Nabal’s men survive until morning.”
- 2 Sam 3:35Then all the people came and urged David to eat something while it was still day, but David took an oath, saying, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets!”
- Ps 89:3–4You said, “I have made a covenant with My chosen one, I have sworn to David My servant:
- 1 Sam 14:44And Saul declared, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if you, Jonathan, do not surely die!”
- 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!’”
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 3:9 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.