1 Samuel 26:15
New International Version
David said, “You’re a man, aren’t you? And who is like you in Israel? Why didn’t you guard your lord the king? Someone came to destroy your lord the king.

New Living Translation
“Well, Abner, you’re a great man, aren’t you?” David taunted. “Where in all Israel is there anyone as mighty? So why haven’t you guarded your master the king when someone came to kill him?

English Standard Version
And David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy the king your lord.

Berean Standard Bible
So David said to Abner, “You are a man, aren’t you? And who in Israel is your equal? Why then did you not protect your lord the king when one of the people came to destroy him?

King James Bible
And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord.

New King James Version
So David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not guarded your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy your lord the king.

New American Standard Bible
So David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not guarded your lord the king? For one of the people came to kill the king your lord!

NASB 1995
So David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not guarded your lord the king? For one of the people came to destroy the king your lord.

NASB 1977
So David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not guarded your lord the king? For one of the people came to destroy the king your lord.

Legacy Standard Bible
So David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not guarded your lord the king? For one of the people came to destroy the king your lord.

Amplified Bible
David said to Abner, “Are you not a [brave] man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not guarded your lord the king? For one of the people came [into your camp] to kill the king your lord.

Christian Standard Bible
David called to Abner, “You’re a man, aren’t you? Who in Israel is your equal? So why didn’t you protect your lord the king when one of the people came to destroy him?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
David called to Abner, “You’re a man, aren’t you? Who in Israel is your equal? So why didn’t you protect your lord the king when one of the people came to destroy him?

American Standard Version
And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept watch over thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And David said to Abnir: “Behold, you are a mighty man, and who is like you in all Israel? How is it you have not guarded your Lord the King, that one came today that he would destroy the King your Lord?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And David said to Abenner, Art not thou a man? and who is like thee in Israel? Why then dost thou not guard thy lord the king? for one out of the people went in to destroy thy lord the king.

Contemporary English Version
"Abner, what kind of a man are you?" David replied. "Aren't you supposed to be the best soldier in Israel? Then why didn't you protect your king? Anyone who went into your camp could have killed him tonight.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And David said to Abner: Art not thou a man? and who is like thee in Israel? why then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to kill the king thy lord.

English Revised Version
And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept watch over thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
David asked Abner, "Aren't you a man? Is there anyone like you in Israel? Then why didn't you guard your master, the king? Someone came to kill His Royal Majesty.

Good News Translation
David answered, "Abner, aren't you the greatest man in Israel? So why aren't you protecting your master, the king? Just now someone entered the camp to kill your master.

International Standard Version
David told Abner, "Are you not a man, and who is like you in Israel? Why didn't you guard your lord, the king? Indeed, a soldier came to destroy the king, your lord.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And David said to Abner: 'Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept watch over thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord.

Literal Standard Version
And David says to Abner, “Are you not a man? And who [is] like you in Israel? But why have you not watched over your lord the king? For one of the people had come in to destroy the king, your lord.

Majority Standard Bible
So David said to Abner, “You are a man, aren’t you? And who in Israel is your equal? Why then did you not protect your lord the king when one of the people came to destroy him?

New American Bible
David said to Abner: “Are you not a man? Who in Israel is your equal? Why were you not guarding your lord the king when one of his subjects came to assassinate the king, your lord?

NET Bible
David said to Abner, "Aren't you a man? After all, who is like you in Israel? Why then haven't you protected your lord the king? One of the soldiers came to kill your lord the king.

New Revised Standard Version
David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy your lord the king.

New Heart English Bible
David said to Abner, "Aren't you a man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept watch over your lord, the king? For one of the people came in to destroy the king your lord.

Webster's Bible Translation
And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? why then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came in one of the people to destroy the king thy lord.

World English Bible
David said to Abner, “Aren’t you a man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy your lord the king.

Young's Literal Translation
And David saith unto Abner, 'Art not thou a man? and who is like thee in Israel? but why hast thou not watched over thy lord the king? for one of the people had come in to destroy the king, thy lord.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
David Reproves Abner
14And David shouted to the troops and to Abner son of Ner, “Will you not answer me, Abner?” “Who calls to the king?” Abner replied. 15So David said to Abner, “You are a man, aren’t you? And who in Israel is your equal? Why then did you not protect your lord the king when one of the people came to destroy him? 16This thing you have done is not good. As surely as the LORD lives, all of you deserve to die, since you did not protect your lord, the LORD’s anointed. Now look around. Where are the king’s spear and water jug that were by his head?”…

Cross References
1 Samuel 26:14
And David shouted to the troops and to Abner son of Ner, "Will you not answer me, Abner?" "Who calls to the king?" Abner replied.

1 Samuel 26:16
This thing you have done is not good. As surely as the LORD lives, all of you deserve to die, since you did not protect your lord, the LORD's anointed. Now look around. Where are the king's spear and water jug that were by his head?"


Treasury of Scripture

And David said to Abner, Are not you a valiant man? and who is like to you in Israel? why then have you not kept your lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king your lord.

there came

1 Samuel 26:8
Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time.

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Abner David Death Destroy Israel Kept Someone Valiant War Watch Wherefore You're
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Abner David Death Destroy Israel Kept Someone Valiant War Watch Wherefore You're
1 Samuel 26
1. Saul, by the discovery of the Ziphites, comes to Hachilah against David
4. David coming into the trench keeps Abishai from killing Saul,
11. but takes his spear and jug
13. David reproves Abner
17. and exhorts Saul
21. Saul acknowledges his sin














(15) A valiant man.--The English translators have rightly emphasised the Hebrew ish here by rendering a "valiant" man. Ish was used not unfrequently in this "nobler" sense; so in Psalm 49:2, when the b'ne adam, as "the poor mean ones," were contrasted with the b'ne ish, "the noble ones." (See also Isaiah 2:9 : "mean men and great men.")

Wherefore then hast thou not kept?--The whole of this bitter sarcastic address seems to imply that a deadly feud existed between David and Saul's captain and kinsman, Abner. If this be the case, the royal generosity and nobility of David's character was well shown in his subsequent friendship with this Abner, and in his deep sorrow for the great captain's untimely death. (See 2 Samuel 3)



Parallel Commentaries ...


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

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

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

“You are
אַתָּ֗ה (’at·tāh)
Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

a man,
אִ֣ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

aren’t you?
הֲלוֹא־ (hă·lō·w-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

And who
וּמִ֤י (ū·mî)
Conjunctive waw | Interrogative
Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix

in Israel
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (bə·yiś·rā·’êl)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

is your equal?
כָמ֙וֹךָ֙ (ḵā·mō·w·ḵā)
Preposition | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3644: Like, as, when

Why then
וְלָ֙מָּה֙ (wə·lām·māh)
Conjunctive waw | Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

did you not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

protect
שָׁמַ֔רְתָּ (šā·mar·tā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to

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

the king
הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

when
כִּי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

one
אַחַ֣ד (’a·ḥaḏ)
Number - masculine singular construct
Strong's 259: United, one, first

of the people
הָעָ֔ם (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

came
בָא֙ (ḇā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

to destroy him?
לְהַשְׁחִ֖ית (lə·haš·ḥîṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7843: Perhaps to go to ruin


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OT History: 1 Samuel 26:15 David said to Abner Aren't you (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 26:14
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