2 Samuel 2:26
New International Version
Abner called out to Joab, “Must the sword devour forever? Don’t you realize that this will end in bitterness? How long before you order your men to stop pursuing their fellow Israelites?”

New Living Translation
Abner shouted down to Joab, “Must we always be killing each other? Don’t you realize that bitterness is the only result? When will you call off your men from chasing their Israelite brothers?”

English Standard Version
Then Abner called to Joab, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that the end will be bitter? How long will it be before you tell your people to turn from the pursuit of their brothers?”

Berean Standard Bible
Then Abner called out to Joab: “Must the sword devour forever? Do you not realize that this will only end in bitterness? How long before you tell the troops to stop pursuing their brothers?”

King James Bible
Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren?

New King James Version
Then Abner called to Joab and said, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the latter end? How long will it be then until you tell the people to return from pursuing their brethren?”

New American Standard Bible
Then Abner called to Joab and said, “Should the sword devour forever? Do you not realize that it will be bitter in the end? So how long will you refrain from telling the people to turn back from pursuing their kinsmen?”

NASB 1995
Then Abner called to Joab and said, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the end? How long will you refrain from telling the people to turn back from following their brothers?”

NASB 1977
Then Abner called to Joab and said, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the end? How long will you refrain from telling the people to turn back from following their brothers?”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Abner called to Joab and said, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the end? How long will you refrain from telling the people to turn back from following their brothers?”

Amplified Bible
Then Abner called to Joab, “Must the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the end? How long [will it be] before you tell the people to stop pursuing their brothers?”

Christian Standard Bible
Then Abner called out to Joab, “Must the sword devour forever? Don’t you realize this will only end in bitterness? How long before you tell the troops to stop pursuing their brothers? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then Abner called out to Joab: “Must the sword devour forever? Don’t you realize this will only end in bitterness? How long before you tell the troops to stop pursuing their brothers?"”

American Standard Version
Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Abnir shouted to Yuab and said: “Will the sword kill forever? Do you not know what you will bitterly be in the end? How long will you not tell the people to turn back from going after their brothers?”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Abenner called Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour perpetually? knowest thou not that it will be bitter at last? How long then wilt thou refuse to tell the people to turn from following our brethren?

Contemporary English Version
Abner shouted to Joab, "Aren't we ever going to stop killing each other? Don't you know that the longer we keep on doing this, the worse it's going to be when it's all over? When are you going to order your men to stop chasing their own relatives?"

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Abner cried out to Joab, and said: Shall thy sword rage unto utter destruction? knowest thou not that it is dangerous to drive people to despair? how long dost thou defer to bid the people cease from pursuing after their brethren?

English Revised Version
Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then Abner called to Joab, "Should this slaughter go on forever? Don't you know this will end in bitterness? How long will it be before you will call off your troops from chasing their relatives?"

Good News Translation
Abner called out to Joab, "Do we have to go on fighting forever? Can't you see that in the end there will be nothing but bitterness? We are your relatives. How long will it be before you order your men to stop chasing us?"

International Standard Version
Then Abner called out to Joab, "Must the battle sword keep on devouring forever? Don't you realize that the end result is bitterness? How long will it take for you to order your army to stop pursuing their own relatives?"

JPS Tanakh 1917
Then Abner called to Joab, and said: 'Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the end? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren?'

Literal Standard Version
and Abner calls to Joab and says, “Does the sword consume forever? Have you not known that it is bitterness in the latter end? And until when do you not say to the people to turn back from after their brothers?”

Majority Standard Bible
Then Abner called out to Joab: “Must the sword devour forever? Do you not realize that this will only end in bitterness? How long before you tell the troops to stop pursuing their brothers?”

New American Bible
Then Abner called to Joab and said: “Must the sword devour forever? Do you not know that afterward there will be bitterness? How long before you tell the people to stop pursuing their brothers?”

NET Bible
Then Abner called out to Joab, "Must the sword devour forever? Don't you realize that this will turn bitter in the end? When will you tell the people to turn aside from pursuing their brothers?"

New Revised Standard Version
Then Abner called to Joab, “Is the sword to keep devouring forever? Do you not know that the end will be bitter? How long will it be before you order your people to turn from the pursuit of their kinsmen?”

New Heart English Bible
Then Abner called to Joab, and said, "Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitterness in the latter end? How long shall it be then, before you ask the people to stop pursuing their brothers?"

Webster's Bible Translation
Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, ere thou wilt bid the people return from following their brethren?

World English Bible
Then Abner called to Joab, and said, “Shall the sword devour forever? Don’t you know that it will be bitterness in the latter end? How long will it be then, before you ask the people to return from following their brothers?”

Young's Literal Translation
and Abner calleth unto Joab, and saith, 'For ever doth the sword consume? hast thou not known that it is bitterness in the latter end? and till when dost thou not say to the people to turn back from after their brethren?'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
War Between the Houses of David and Saul
25The Benjamites rallied to Abner, formed a single unit, and took their stand atop a hill. 26Then Abner called out to Joab: “Must the sword devour forever? Do you not realize that this will only end in bitterness? How long before you tell the troops to stop pursuing their brothers?” 27“As surely as God lives,” Joab replied, “if you had not spoken up, the troops would have continued pursuing their brothers until morning.”…

Cross References
2 Samuel 2:25
The Benjamites rallied to Abner, formed a single unit, and took their stand atop a hill.

2 Samuel 2:27
"As surely as God lives," Joab replied, "if you had not spoken up, the troops would have continued pursuing their brothers until morning."


Treasury of Scripture

Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? know you not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, ere you bid the people return from following their brothers?

Shall

2 Samuel 2:14
And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.

Acts 7:26
And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another?

sword

2 Samuel 11:25
Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him.

Isaiah 1:20
But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Jeremiah 2:30
In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

it will be

2 Samuel 2:16
And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Helkathhazzurim, which is in Gibeon.

Proverbs 17:14
The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.

how long

Job 18:2
How long will it be ere ye make an end of words? mark, and afterwards we will speak.

Job 19:2
How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?

Psalm 4:2
O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.

Jump to Previous
Abner Attacking Bid Bitter Bitterness Countrymen Crying Destruction Devour End Ere Fighting Following Forever Joab Latter Order Realize Refrain Sword Telling Turn Wilt
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2 Samuel 2
1. David, by God's direction, with his company goes up to Hebron
4. where he is made king of Judah
5. He commends them of Jabesh Gilead for their king of Israel
8. Abner makes Ishbosheth king of Israel
12. A mortal skirmish between twelve of Abner's and twelve of Joab's men.
18. Asahel is slain
25. At Abner's motion, Joab sounds a retreat
32. Asahel's burial














(26) Abner called to Joab.--It may be that Abner was already considering the expediency of transferring his allegiance to the house of David, or, at least, had had enough experience of Ish-bosheth to see that it would be impossible to unite the tribes under his sway. At all events, his sense of the disastrous effects of civil war was doubtless quickened by his own defeat and present danger.

Verse 26. - Knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end! The Vulgate renders this, "Art thou not aware that desperation is dangerous?" This is a very obvious truth, but probably Abner had in his mind something more statesmanlike. The struggle was for the empire over all Israel, and whoever won would be king over both sides. But every man slain meant a blood feud, which would continue even after the kingdom was united; and Abner probably felt that his own slaughter of Asahel that day would render his position in David's realm difficult and dangerous. Among the Arab tribes quarrels are very common, but bloodshed rare, because of the blood feud which follows. Moderation was thus necessary on both sides, while cruelty and the immoderate use of victory would sow the seeds of future trouble.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then Abner
אַבְנֵ֜ר (’aḇ·nêr)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 74: Abner -- 'my father is a lamp', an Israelite name

called out
וַיִּקְרָ֨א (way·yiq·rā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

Joab:
יוֹאָ֗ב (yō·w·’āḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3097: Joab -- 'the LORD is father', three Israelites

“Must the sword
חֶ֔רֶב (ḥe·reḇ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword

devour forever?
תֹּ֣אכַל (tō·ḵal)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 398: To eat

Do you not
הֲל֣וֹא (hă·lō·w)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

realize
יָדַ֔עְתָּה (yā·ḏa‘·tāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 3045: To know

that
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

this will only end
בָּאַחֲרוֹנָ֑ה (bā·’a·ḥă·rō·w·nāh)
Preposition-b, Article | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 314: Hinder, late, last, western

in bitterness?
מָרָ֥ה (mā·rāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 4751: Bitter, bitterness, bitterly

How long
וְעַד־ (wə·‘aḏ-)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

before you tell
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

the troops
לָעָ֔ם (lā·‘ām)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

to stop
לָשׁ֖וּב (lā·šūḇ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

pursuing
מֵאַחֲרֵ֥י (mê·’a·ḥă·rê)
Preposition-m
Strong's 310: The hind or following part

their brothers?”
אֲחֵיהֶֽם׃ (’ă·ḥê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 251: A brother, )


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OT History: 2 Samuel 2:26 Then Abner called to Joab and said (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
2 Samuel 2:25
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