The Meaning of 2 Samuel 20:20 Explained

2 Samuel 20:20

KJV: And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.

YLT: And Joab answereth and saith, 'Far be it -- far be it from me; I do not swallow up nor destroy.

Darby: And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.

ASV: And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Joab  answered  and said,  Far be it,  far be it  from me, that I should swallow up  or destroy. 

What does 2 Samuel 20:20 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 20:14-26 - One Head Saves Many
This wise woman, by her intervention, saved many lives, and reminds us of the value of presence of mind in a great crisis. She gave Joab to understand, first, that he ought to have given the inhabitants of Abel the opportunity of saying whether or not they intended to fight for Sheba, Deuteronomy 20:10, etc.; and, secondly, that he ought to have taken into account the peaceableness and fidelity of the citizens of that city. A great deal of misunderstanding and bloodshed would be prevented if contending parties would only confer with each other. There is crying and universal need for boards of compulsory arbitration.
Sheba's head saved the city. Bishop Hall says: "Spiritually the case is ours; every man's breast is a city enclosed; every sin is a traitor that lurks within the walls. If we love the head of one traitor above the life of our soul, we shall justly perish. We cannot be more willing to part with our sin than our merciful God is to withdraw His judgments." Oh, that every reader of these lines would heed the command of the Savior, Matthew 5:29-30, so as to enter into everlasting life! [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 20:20 mean?

and answered Joab and said Far be it far be it from me that I should swallow up or destroy
וַיַּ֥עַן יוֹאָ֖ב וַיֹּאמַ֑ר חָלִ֤ילָה חָלִ֙ילָה֙ לִ֔י אִם־ אֲבַלַּ֖ע וְאִם־ אַשְׁחִֽית

וַיַּ֥עַן  and  answered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
יוֹאָ֖ב  Joab 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄואָב  
Sense: son of David’s sister Zeruiah and general of David’s army.
וַיֹּאמַ֑ר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
חָלִ֤ילָה  Far  be  it 
Parse: Interjection, third person feminine singular
Root: חָלִיל  
Sense: far be it (from me), God forbid that, let it not be.
חָלִ֙ילָה֙  far  be  it 
Parse: Interjection, third person feminine singular
Root: חָלִיל  
Sense: far be it (from me), God forbid that, let it not be.
לִ֔י  from  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
אִם־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
אֲבַלַּ֖ע  I  should  swallow  up 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: בָּלַע 
Sense: to swallow down, swallow up, engulf, eat up.
אַשְׁחִֽית  destroy 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁחַת  
Sense: to destroy, corrupt, go to ruin, decay.