1 Chronicles 2:16
New International Version
Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah’s three sons were Abishai, Joab and Asahel.

New Living Translation
Their sisters were named Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah had three sons named Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.

English Standard Version
And their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. The sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel, three.

Berean Standard Bible
Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. And the three sons of Zeruiah were Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.

King James Bible
Whose sisters were Zeruiah, and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah; Abishai, and Joab, and Asahel, three.

New King James Version
Now their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah were Abishai, Joab, and Asahel—three.

New American Standard Bible
Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. And the three sons of Zeruiah were Abshai, Joab, and Asahel.

NASB 1995
and their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. And the three sons of Zeruiah were Abshai, Joab and Asahel.

NASB 1977
and their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. And the three sons of Zeruiah were Abshai, Joab, and Asahel.

Legacy Standard Bible
and their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. And the three sons of Zeruiah were Abshai, Joab, and Asahel.

Amplified Bible
Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. The sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel, three.

Christian Standard Bible
Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah’s three sons: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah’s three sons: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.

American Standard Version
and their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, and Joab, and Asahel, three.

Contemporary English Version
Jesse also had two daughters: Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah was the mother of Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.

English Revised Version
and their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah; Abishai, and Joab, and Asahel, three.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah's three sons were Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.

Good News Translation
He also had two daughters, Zeruiah and Abigail. Jesse's daughter Zeruiah had three sons: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.

International Standard Version
along with their sisters Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah's three sons were Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.

Majority Standard Bible
Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. And the three sons of Zeruiah were Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.

NET Bible
Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah's three sons were Abshai, Joab, and Asahel.

New Heart English Bible
and their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. The sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, and Joab, and Asahel, three.

Webster's Bible Translation
Whose sisters were Zeruiah, and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah; Abishai, and Joab, and Asahel, three.

World English Bible
and their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. The sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel, three.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and their sisters Zeruiah and Abigail. And sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, and Joab, and Asah-El—three.

Young's Literal Translation
and their sisters Zeruiah and Abigail. And sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, and Joab, and Asah-El -- three.

Smith's Literal Translation
And their sisters, Zeruiah and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, and Joab, and Asahel, three.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And their sisters were Sarvia, and Abigail. The sons of Sarvia: Abisai, Joab, and Asael, three.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. The sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel, three.

New American Bible
Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah had three sons: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.

New Revised Standard Version
and their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. The sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel, three.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Whose sisters were Zuriah and Abigail. And the sons of Zuriah: Abishai, Joab, and Ashail, three.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And their two sisters Tsuria and Abigal; and the sons of Tsuria: Abishi and Yuab and Ashail, three.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, and Joab, and Asahel, three.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And their sister was Saruia, and another Abigaia: and the sons of Saruia were Abisa, and Joab, and Asael, three.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Sons of Israel
15Ozem sixth, and David seventh. 16Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. And the three sons of Zeruiah were Abishai, Joab, and Asahel. 17Abigail was the mother of Amasa, whose father was Jether the Ishmaelite.…

Cross References
1 Samuel 17:12-14
Now David was the son of a man named Jesse, an Ephrathite from Bethlehem of Judah who had eight sons. And in the days of Saul, Jesse was old and well along in years. / The three older sons of Jesse had followed Saul into battle: The firstborn was Eliab, the second was Abinadab, and the third was Shammah. / And David was the youngest. The three oldest had followed Saul,

1 Samuel 16:10-13
Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel told him, “The LORD has not chosen any of these.” / And Samuel asked him, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied, “but he is tending the sheep.” “Send for him,” Samuel replied. “For we will not sit down to eat until he arrives.” / So Jesse sent for his youngest son and brought him in. He was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him, for he is the one.” ...

2 Samuel 2:18
The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was fleet of foot like a wild gazelle,

2 Samuel 17:25
Absalom had appointed Amasa over the army in place of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra, the Ishmaelite who had married Abigail, the daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah the mother of Joab.

2 Samuel 23:18-19
Now Abishai, the brother of Joab and son of Zeruiah, was chief of the Three, and he wielded his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name along with the Three. / Was he not more honored than the Three? And he became their commander, even though he was not included among the Three.

2 Samuel 23:24
Now these were members of the Thirty: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

1 Samuel 22:1-2
So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. / And all who were distressed or indebted or discontented rallied around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.

1 Samuel 26:6
And David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?” “I will go with you,” answered Abishai.

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.”

2 Samuel 2:22
Once again, Abner warned Asahel, “Stop chasing me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How could I show my face to your brother Joab?”

1 Samuel 16:6-7
When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, “Surely here before the LORD is His anointed.” / But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.”

1 Samuel 17:55-58
As Saul had watched David going out to confront the Philistine, he said to Abner the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?” “As surely as you live, O king,” Abner replied, “I do not know.” / “Find out whose son this young man is!” said the king. / So when David returned from killing the Philistine, still holding his head in his hand, Abner took him and brought him before Saul. ...

1 Samuel 18:1-4
After David had finished speaking with Saul, the souls of Jonathan and David were knit together, and Jonathan loved him as himself. / And from that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father’s house. / Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. ...

1 Samuel 20:41-42
When the young man had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone, fell facedown, and bowed three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and wept together—though David wept more. / And Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for the two of us have sworn in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘May the LORD be a witness between you and me, and between your descendants and mine forever.’” Then David got up and departed, and Jonathan went back into the city.

1 Samuel 14:50-51
His wife’s name was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the commander of his army was Abner, the son of Saul’s uncle Ner. / Saul’s father Kish and Abner’s father Ner were sons of Abiel.


Treasury of Scripture

Whose sisters were Zeruiah, and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah; Abishai, and Joab, and Asahel, three.

the sons of.

1 Samuel 26:6
Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.

2 Samuel 2:18-23
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 3:39
And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah be too hard for me: the LORD shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness.

Jump to Previous
Abigail Ab'igail Abishai Abi'shai Abshai Asahel As'ahel Joab Jo'ab Sisters Three Zeruiah Zeru'iah
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Abigail Ab'igail Abishai Abi'shai Abshai Asahel As'ahel Joab Jo'ab Sisters Three Zeruiah Zeru'iah
1 Chronicles 2
1. The sons of Israel.
3. The posterity of Judah by Tamar.
13. The children of Jesse.
18. The posterity of Caleb the son of Hezron.
21. Hezron's posterity by the daughter of Machir.
25. Jerahmeel's posterity.
34. Sheshan's posterity.
42. Another branch of Caleb's posterity.
50. The posterity of Caleb the son of Hur.














Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail
This phrase introduces us to two significant women in the lineage of Jesse, the father of King David. The Hebrew root for "sisters" (אֲחָיוֹת, 'achayot) emphasizes familial bonds and the importance of women in biblical genealogies, often highlighting their roles in God's unfolding plan. Zeruiah and Abigail are not just mentioned as sisters but as pivotal figures whose offspring would play crucial roles in David's reign. This inclusion underscores the value of women in the biblical narrative, serving as a reminder of their integral part in God's covenant community.

Zeruiah
Zeruiah is a prominent figure, primarily known as the mother of three of David's mighty warriors. Her name in Hebrew (צְרוּיָה, Tzeruyah) may mean "balsam" or "perfumed," suggesting a sense of strength and resilience. Zeruiah's sons were known for their military prowess and loyalty to David, indicating that she raised them with values that aligned with God's purposes for Israel. Her mention here highlights the influence a mother can have on her children and their destinies.

Abigail
Abigail, not to be confused with David's wife of the same name, is another sister of David. Her name (אֲבִיגַיִל, Avigayil) means "my father's joy" or "source of joy," reflecting a positive and uplifting presence within her family. Although less is known about her compared to Zeruiah, her inclusion in this genealogy signifies her importance in the Davidic line. Abigail's presence in the text serves as a reminder of the joy and blessing that family members can bring to one another.

The sons of Zeruiah Abishai, Joab, and Asahel—three
This phrase lists the three sons of Zeruiah, each of whom played a significant role in King David's military campaigns. The Hebrew word for "sons" (בָּנִים, banim) indicates not only biological offspring but also the continuation of a legacy. These three brothers were known for their bravery and strategic acumen, serving as key figures in establishing David's kingdom.

Abishai
Abishai (אֲבִישַׁי, Avishai) means "my father is a gift," reflecting a sense of divine favor and purpose. As the eldest son, Abishai was a trusted warrior and advisor to David, often taking on dangerous missions. His loyalty and courage exemplify the qualities of a faithful servant of God, willing to risk his life for the anointed king.

Joab
Joab (יוֹאָב, Yoav) means "Yahweh is father," indicating a strong connection to God. As the commander of David's army, Joab was a complex character known for his military genius and sometimes ruthless actions. His leadership was instrumental in securing David's throne, yet his life also serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of unchecked ambition and disobedience to God's commands.

Asahel
Asahel (עֲשָׂהאֵל, Asahel) means "God has made," suggesting a divine purpose in his creation. Known for his swiftness and agility, Asahel was a formidable warrior. His untimely death in battle is a poignant reminder of the cost of war and the fleeting nature of life. Asahel's account encourages believers to pursue their God-given purpose with zeal, while also trusting in God's timing and sovereignty.

—three
The mention of "three" (שְׁלֹשָׁה, shloshah) sons emphasizes completeness and stability, often associated with divine perfection in biblical numerology. The trio of Abishai, Joab, and Asahel represents a formidable force in David's military, each contributing uniquely to the success of his reign. This number also serves as a reminder of the strength found in unity and the power of family working together for a common purpose.

Verses 16, 17. - These verses do not say that David "begat" Zeruiah and Abigail, but that these two were sisters of the foregoing seven brethren. Light is thrown upon this by 2 Samuel 17:25, which says that Abigail was the daughter of one Nahash, and that Zeruiah was her sister. But it is to leave us in greater darkness as to who Nahath was: whether Nahath was another name for Jesse, or the name of Jesse's wife, or the name of a former husband of Jesse's wife, to whom she bore these two daughters before she became wife to Jesse, and that former husband possibly none other than the Ammonite king (2 Samuel 10:2) - or whether none of these conjectures be near the truth, some of which on the face of them seem unlikely enough, is as yet unsettled. Meantime it is worth remembering that Zeruiah named one of her celebrated sons, and probably the eldest of them, Abishai, after Jesse, Ishai being the same as our Jesse; yet from the above premises it is taken that she was strictly sister of Abigail, and therefore was not really related to Jesse. The subject is treated interestingly under the various names in Smith's 'Bible Dictionary.' The husband of Zeruiah is given nowhere, while the husband of Abigail, here called Jether the Ishmeelite, is, in the passage already referred to (2 Samuel 17:25), called Ithra (which is a slightly altered form of the name), an Israelite, with little doubt an error for Ishmaelite. In the same passage also her own name appears as אֲבִיגַל, instead of אֲבִיגַיִל, though many manuscripts have this latter.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Their sisters
וְאַחְיוֹתֵיהֶ֖ם (wə·’aḥ·yō·w·ṯê·hem)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 269: Sister -- a sister

were Zeruiah
צְרוּיָ֣ה (ṣə·rū·yāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6870: Zeruiah -- an Israelite woman

and Abigail.
וַאֲבִיגָ֑יִל (wa·’ă·ḇî·ḡā·yil)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 26: Abigail -- 'my father is joy', two Israelite women

And the three
שְׁלֹשָֽׁה׃ (šə·lō·šāh)
Number - masculine singular
Strong's 7969: Three, third, thrice

sons
וּבְנֵ֣י (ū·ḇə·nê)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Zeruiah [were]
צְרוּיָ֗ה (ṣə·rū·yāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6870: Zeruiah -- an Israelite woman

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

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

and Asahel.
אֵ֖ל (’êl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6214: Asahel -- 'God has made', four Israelites


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OT History: 1 Chronicles 2:16 And their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail (1 Chron. 1Ch iCh i Ch 1 chr 1chr)
1 Chronicles 2:15
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