2 Samuel 20:6
New International Version
David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba son of Bikri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your master’s men and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and escape from us.”

New Living Translation
Then David said to Abishai, “Sheba son of Bicri is going to hurt us more than Absalom did. Quick, take my troops and chase after him before he gets into a fortified town where we can’t reach him.”

English Standard Version
And David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, lest he get himself to fortified cities and escape from us.”

Berean Standard Bible
And David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and elude us.”

King James Bible
And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us.

New King James Version
And David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, lest he find for himself fortified cities, and escape us.”

New American Standard Bible
And David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom; take your lord’s servants and pursue him, so that he does not find for himself fortified cities and escape from our sight.”

NASB 1995
And David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom; take your lord’s servants and pursue him, so that he does not find for himself fortified cities and escape from our sight.”

NASB 1977
And David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom; take your lord’s servants and pursue him, lest he find for himself fortified cities and escape from our sight.”

Legacy Standard Bible
And David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom; take your lord’s servants and pursue him, lest he find for himself fortified cities and deliver himself from our sight.”

Amplified Bible
And David said to Abishai [his nephew], “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, so that he does not find fortified cities for himself and escape from our sight.”

Christian Standard Bible
So David said to Abishai, “Sheba son of Bichri will do more harm to us than Absalom. Take your lord’s soldiers and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and elude us.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So David said to Abishai, “Sheba son of Bichri will do more harm to us than Absalom. Take your lord’s soldiers and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and elude us.”

American Standard Version
And David said to Abishai, Now will Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fortified cities, and escape out of our sight.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And David said to Yuab: “Now Shamu son of Bakri does us more evil than Abishlum, but take with you some Servants of your Master and go after him, lest he will find for himself fortressed cities and he remains in them, and he will pluck out our eyes!”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And David said to Amessai, Now shall Sabee the son of Bochori do us more harm than Abessalom: now then take thou with thee the servants of thy lord, and follow after him, lest he find for himself strong cities, so will he blind our eyes.

Contemporary English Version
So David said to Abishai, "Sheba will hurt us more than Absalom ever did. Take my best soldiers and go after him. We don't want him to take over any walled cities and get away from us."

Douay-Rheims Bible
And David said to Abisai: Now will Seba the son of Bochri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou therefore the servants of thy lord, and pursue after him, lest he find fenced cities, and escape us.

English Revised Version
And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape out of our sight.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
David then told Abishai, "Sheba, son of Bichri, will do us more harm than Absalom. Take my men and go after him, or he will find some fortified cities and take the best ones for himself."

Good News Translation
So the king said to Abishai, "Sheba will give us more trouble than Absalom. Take my men and go after him, or else he may occupy some fortified towns and escape from us."

International Standard Version
So David told Abishai, "Now Bichri's son Sheba is about to do more damage than did Absalom. So take my personal guards and go after them. Otherwise, he'll run to one of the fortified cities and escape from us."

JPS Tanakh 1917
And David said to Abishai: 'Now will Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom; take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fortified cities, and escape out of our sight.'

Literal Standard Version
and David says to Abishai, “Now Sheba son of Bichri does evil to us more than Absalom; you, take the servants of your lord, and pursue after him, lest he has found fortified cities for himself, and delivered himself [from] our eye.”

Majority Standard Bible
And David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and elude us.”

New American Bible
Then David said to Abishai: “Sheba, son of Bichri, may now do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, lest he find fortified cities and take shelter while we look on.”

NET Bible
Then David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba son of Bicri will cause greater disaster for us than Absalom did! Take your lord's servants and pursue him. Otherwise he will secure fortified cities for himself and get away from us."

New Revised Standard Version
David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom; take your lord’s servants and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities for himself, and escape from us.”

New Heart English Bible
David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba the son of Bikri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Now then, take your lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get himself fortified cities, and escape out of our sight."

Webster's Bible Translation
And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue him, lest he get for himself fortified cities, and escape us.

World English Bible
David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your lord’s servants and pursue after him, lest he get himself fortified cities, and escape out of our sight.”

Young's Literal Translation
and David saith unto Abishai, 'Now doth Sheba son of Bichri do evil to us more than Absalom; thou, take the servants of thy lord, and pursue after him, lest he have found for himself fenced cities, and delivered himself from our eye.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Sheba's Rebellion
5So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he took longer than the time allotted him. 6And David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and elude us.” 7So Joab’s men, along with the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the mighty men, marched out of Jerusalem in pursuit of Sheba son of Bichri.…

Cross References
2 Samuel 11:11
Uriah answered, "The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my master Joab and his soldiers are camped in the open field. How can I go to my house to eat and drink and sleep with my wife? As surely as you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do such a thing!"

2 Samuel 21:17
But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, "You must never again go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel may not be extinguished."

1 Kings 1:33
"Take my servants with you," said the king. "Set my son Solomon on my own mule and take him down to Gihon.

Jeremiah 8:14
Why are we just sitting here? Gather together, let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there, for the LORD our God has doomed us. He has given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.


Treasury of Scripture

And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take you your lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us.

Abishai

2 Samuel 2:18
And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.

2 Samuel 3:30,39
So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle…

2 Samuel 10:9,10,14
When Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians: …

do us

2 Samuel 19:7
Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants: for I swear by the LORD, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night: and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now.

thy lord's

2 Samuel 11:11
And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.

1 Kings 1:33
The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon:

Jump to Previous
Abishai Absalom Bichri Cities David Escape Fenced Fortified Harm Lord's Pursue Servants Sheba Sight
Jump to Next
Abishai Absalom Bichri Cities David Escape Fenced Fortified Harm Lord's Pursue Servants Sheba Sight
2 Samuel 20
1. By occasion of the quarrel, Sheba rebels in Israel
3. David's ten concubines are put in confinement for life
4. Amasa, made captain over Judah, is slain by Joab
14. Joab pursues Sheba to Abel
16. A wise woman saves the city by Sheba's head
23. David's officers














(6) David said to Abishai.--David is determined to pass over Joab, and, therefore, when Amasa fails in this crisis, requiring immediate action, he summons Abishai, and puts him in command of such forces as were at hand in Jerusalem, and gives him orders for the rapid pursuit of Sheba. The clause "escape us" is difficult, and doubtful in the original, and the English follows the Vulg. Others translate "pluck out our eye," i.e., do us great harm; others as the LXX., "over shadow our eye," meaning either cause us anxiety, or hide where we cannot find him.

Verse 6. - David said to Abishai. David thus gives the command to the younger brother, and we find in ver. 7 that even "Joab's men," his own special troop, were placed under Abishai's command. There seems always to have been a firm friendship between the brothers, and at first Joab acquiesces. The king was, in fact, in so grim a humour that he probably felt that he had better keep with his men, who would protect him, instead of remaining at Jerusalem, where he would be in David's power. When Amasa joined them, Abishai would have to resign to him the command; and David probably expected that, after a successful campaign, and with the aid of the men of Judah, who were rebels like himself, Amasa would be able to crush Joab. But Joab did not intend to wait for this; and immediately on meeting his rival he murders him, and assumes the command. Thy lord's servants. These are the men enumerated in ver. 7, and formed David's usual military attendants. When war broke out, they were reinforced by a levy of the people. And escape us. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain. It may signify, "and withdraw himself from our eyes," which gives the sense of the Authorized Version, and is supported by the Vulgate. The Septuagint renders, "and overshadow our eyes," which might have the same meaning, but, as others think, may signify, "and cause us anxiety." Many modern commentators render, "and pluck out our eye;" that is, do us painful damage. Either this or the Authorized Version gives a good sense, and, anyhow, rapid action was necessary, or Sheba's revolt might become dangerous.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And David
דָּוִד֙ (dā·wiḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

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

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

Abishai,
אֲבִישַׁ֔י (’ă·ḇî·šay)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 52: Abishai -- 'my father is Jesse', an Israelite name

“Now
עַתָּ֗ה (‘at·tāh)
Adverb
Strong's 6258: At this time

Sheba
שֶׁ֥בַע (še·ḇa‘)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7652: Sheba -- two Israelites

the son
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Bichri
בִּכְרִ֖י (biḵ·rî)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1075: Bichri -- 'youthful', a Benjamite, perhaps also his desc

will do us more harm
יֵ֧רַֽע (yê·ra‘)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3415: To be broken up, to fear

than
מִן־ (min-)
Preposition
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of

Absalom.
אַבְשָׁל֑וֹם (’aḇ·šā·lō·wm)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 53: Absalom -- 'my father is peace', two Israelites

Take
קַ֞ח (qaḥ)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

your lord’s
אֲדֹנֶ֙יךָ֙ (’ă·ḏō·ne·ḵā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 113: Sovereign, controller

servants
עַבְדֵ֤י (‘aḇ·ḏê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

and pursue him,
וּרְדֹ֣ף (ū·rə·ḏōp̄)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 7291: To pursue, chase, persecute

or
פֶּן־ (pen-)
Conjunction
Strong's 6435: Removal, lest

he will secure
מָ֥צָא (mā·ṣā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present

fortified
בְּצֻר֖וֹת (bə·ṣu·rō·wṯ)
Adjective - feminine plural
Strong's 1219: To cut off, make inaccessible, enclose

cities
עָרִ֥ים (‘ā·rîm)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 5892: Excitement

and elude
וְהִצִּ֥יל (wə·hiṣ·ṣîl)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5337: To strip, plunder, deliver oneself, be delivered, snatch away, deliver

us.�
עֵינֵֽנוּ׃ (‘ê·nê·nū)
Noun - common singular construct | first person common plural
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain


Links
2 Samuel 20:6 NIV
2 Samuel 20:6 NLT
2 Samuel 20:6 ESV
2 Samuel 20:6 NASB
2 Samuel 20:6 KJV

2 Samuel 20:6 BibleApps.com
2 Samuel 20:6 Biblia Paralela
2 Samuel 20:6 Chinese Bible
2 Samuel 20:6 French Bible
2 Samuel 20:6 Catholic Bible

OT History: 2 Samuel 20:6 David said to Abishai Now will Sheba (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
2 Samuel 20:5
Top of Page
Top of Page