The Meaning of 2 Samuel 2:22 Explained

2 Samuel 2:22

KJV: And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me: wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?

YLT: And Abner addeth again, saying unto Asahel, 'Turn thee aside from after me, why do I smite thee to the earth? and how do I lift up my face unto Joab thy brother?'

Darby: And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me: why should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?

ASV: And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me: wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Abner  said  again  to Asahel,  Turn thee aside  from following  me: wherefore should I smite  thee to the ground?  how then should I hold up  my face  to Joab  thy brother? 

What does 2 Samuel 2:22 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 2:12-23 - Sword-Play To The Death
For seven and a half years David reigned over the house of Judah. He was in the prime of life, thirty years of age, and seems to have given himself to the consolidation of his kingdom and the quiet sanctities of the home. He maintained throughout those years that spirit of quiet expectancy of which his psalms so often speak. In this, he reminds us of our Lord, who is depicted as sitting at His Father's side till His foes become His footstool.
From Hebron, the city of fellowship, bands of mighty men went forth to fight with Ishbosheth, just as the warriors of the Cross have, in every age, gone forth to engage in deadly conflict with unbelief and sin. Asahel's death reminds us of Stephen's martyrdom. But the end is not yet! The Church's warfare is not against flesh and blood, but against the wicked spirits that rule the darkness of the world. Her weapons, therefore, are not carnal but spiritual, and particularly that of "all-prayer," Ephesians 6:10-20. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 2:22 mean?

So again again Abner said to Asahel Turn aside from following me why should I strike you to the ground then how could I face unto Joab your brother
וַיֹּ֧סֶף ע֣וֹד אַבְנֵ֗ר לֵאמֹר֙ אֶל־ עֲשָׂהאֵ֔ל ס֥וּר לְךָ֖ מֵאַֽחֲרָ֑י לָ֤מָּה אַכֶּ֙כָּה֙ ؟ אַ֔רְצָה וְאֵיךְ֙ אֶשָּׂ֣א פָנַ֔י אֶל־ יוֹאָ֖ב ؟ אָחִֽיךָ

וַיֹּ֧סֶף  So  again 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָסַף 
Sense: to add, increase, do again.
ע֣וֹד  again 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עֹוד  
Sense: a going round, continuance adv.
אַבְנֵ֗ר  Abner 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲבִינֵר 
Sense: Saul’s cousin and army captain, treacherously slain by Joab.
לֵאמֹר֙  said 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
עֲשָׂהאֵ֔ל  Asahel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֲשָׂהאֵל  
Sense: nephew of David, son of David’s sister Zeruiah, and brother of Joab and Abishai; swift of foot he was killed by Abner when he pursued him in battle and caught him.
ס֥וּר  Turn  aside 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: סוּר 
Sense: to turn aside, depart.
מֵאַֽחֲרָ֑י  following  me 
Parse: Preposition-m, first person common singular
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
לָ֤מָּה  why 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
אַכֶּ֙כָּה֙  should  I  strike  you 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, first person common singular, second person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
؟ אַ֔רְצָה  to  the  ground 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וְאֵיךְ֙  then  how 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: אֵיךְ 
Sense: how? interj.
אֶשָּׂ֣א  could  I 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
פָנַ֔י  face 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
אֶל־  unto 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
יוֹאָ֖ב  Joab 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄואָב  
Sense: son of David’s sister Zeruiah and general of David’s army.
؟ אָחִֽיךָ  your  brother 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.

What are the major concepts related to 2 Samuel 2:22?

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