2 Samuel 18:14
New International Version
Joab said, “I’m not going to wait like this for you.” So he took three javelins in his hand and plunged them into Absalom’s heart while Absalom was still alive in the oak tree.

New Living Translation
“Enough of this nonsense,” Joab said. Then he took three daggers and plunged them into Absalom’s heart as he dangled, still alive, in the great tree.

English Standard Version
Joab said, “I will not waste time like this with you.” And he took three javelins in his hand and thrust them into the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak.

Berean Standard Bible
But Joab declared, “I am not going to wait like this with you!” And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak tree.

King James Bible
Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.

New King James Version
Then Joab said, “I cannot linger with you.” And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through Absalom’s heart, while he was still alive in the midst of the terebinth tree.

New American Standard Bible
Then Joab said, “I will not waste time here with you.” So he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the midst of the oak.

NASB 1995
Then Joab said, “I will not waste time here with you.” So he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.

NASB 1977
Then Joab said, “I will not waste time here with you.” So he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Joab said, “I will not wait around here before you.” So he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.

Amplified Bible
Joab said, “I will not waste time with you.” So he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was still alive [and caught] in the midst of the tree.

Christian Standard Bible
Joab said, “I’m not going to waste time with you! ” He then took three spears in his hand and thrust them into Absalom’s chest. While Absalom was still alive in the oak tree,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Joab said, “I’m not going to waste time with you!” He then took three spears in his hand and thrust them into Absalom’s heart while he was still alive in the oak tree,

American Standard Version
Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Yuab said to him: “I shall not stay thus in front of you!” And Yuab took three rods in his hand and he struck them into the heart of Abishlum while he was alive and hanging in the branch

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Joab said, I will begin this; I will not thus remain with thee. And Joab took three darts in his hand, and thrust them into the heart of Abessalom, while he was yet alive in the heart of the oak.

Contemporary English Version
Joab said, "I'm not going to waste any more time on you!" Absalom was still alive, so Joab took three spears and stuck them through Absalom's chest.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Joab said: Not as thou wilt, but will set upon him in thy sight. So he took three lances in his hand, and thrust them into the heart of Absalom: and whilst he yet panted for life, sticking on the oak,

English Revised Version
Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then Joab said, "I shouldn't waste time with you like this." He took three sharp sticks and plunged them into Absalom's heart while he was still alive in the tree.

Good News Translation
"I'm not going to waste any more time with you," Joab said. He took three spears and plunged them into Absalom's chest while he was still alive, hanging in the oak tree.

International Standard Version
"There's no reason to wait for you!" Joab retorted. Then he took three spears in his hand and stabbed Absalom in the heart while he was still alive, dangling from the branches of the oak tree.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Then said Joab: 'I may not tarry thus with thee.' And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the terebinth.

Literal Standard Version
And Joab says, “[It is] not right [that] I linger before you”; and he takes three darts in his hand, and strikes them into the heart of Absalom, while he [is] alive, in the midst of the oak.

Majority Standard Bible
But Joab declared, “I am not going to wait like this with you!” And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak tree.

New American Bible
Joab replied, “I will not waste time with you in this way.” And taking three pikes in hand, he thrust for the heart of Absalom. He was still alive in the tree.

NET Bible
Joab replied, "I will not wait around like this for you!" He took three spears in his hand and thrust them into the middle of Absalom while he was still alive in the middle of the oak tree.

New Revised Standard Version
Joab said, “I will not waste time like this with you.” He took three spears in his hand, and thrust them into the heart of Absalom, while he was still alive in the oak.

New Heart English Bible
Then Joab said, "I'm not going to wait like this with you." He took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.

World English Bible
Then Joab said, “I’m not going to wait like this with you.” He took three darts in his hand and thrust them through Absalom’s heart while he was still alive in the middle of the oak.

Young's Literal Translation
And Joab saith, 'Not right -- I tarry before thee;' and he taketh three darts in his hand, and striketh them into the heart of Absalom, while he is alive, in the midst of the oak.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Absalom Killed
13If I had jeopardized my own life—and nothing is hidden from the king—you would have abandoned me.” 14But Joab declared, “I am not going to wait like this with you!” And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak tree. 15And ten young men who carried Joab’s armor surrounded Absalom, struck him, and killed him.…

Cross References
2 Samuel 12:10
Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.'

2 Samuel 14:30
Then Absalom said to his servants, "Look, Joab's field is next to mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire!" And Absalom's servants set the field on fire.

2 Samuel 18:15
And ten young men who carried Joab's armor surrounded Absalom, struck him, and killed him.

2 Samuel 19:1
Then it was reported to Joab, "The king is weeping and mourning over Absalom."

Psalm 45:5
Your arrows pierce the hearts of the king's foes; the nations fall beneath your feet.


Treasury of Scripture

Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with you. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the middle of the oak.

with thee [heb] before thee

2 Samuel 18:5
And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.

Judges 4:21
Then Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.

Judges 5:26,31
She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples…

midst [heb] heart

Matthew 12:40
For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Jump to Previous
Absalom Ab'salom Absalom's Alive Branches Darts Hand Heart I'm Javelins Joab Jo'ab Midst Oak Plunged Right Safe Spears Tarry Terebinth Three Thrust Time Tree Wait Waste
Jump to Next
Absalom Ab'salom Absalom's Alive Branches Darts Hand Heart I'm Javelins Joab Jo'ab Midst Oak Plunged Right Safe Spears Tarry Terebinth Three Thrust Time Tree Wait Waste
2 Samuel 18
1. David viewing the armies in their march gives them charge of Absalom
6. The Israelites are sorely smitten in the wood of ephraim
9. Absalom, hanging in an oak is slain by Joab, and cast into a pit
18. Absalom's place
19. Ahimaaz and Cushi bring tidings to David
33. David mourns for Absalom














(14) I may not tarry thus.--Joab evidently feels the home-thrusts made by the man in the argument, but, determined on his deed of violence, he sees that it is worse than useless to delay. His act was simply murder. In a lawless age it was defensible as the one act which terminated the rebellion and made a renewal of it impossible, and destroyed a traitor and would-be parricide who was likely otherwise to escape punishment; but it was a distinct disobedience of express orders, and Joab's taking the execution into his own hands was wilful and deliberate murder.

Three darts.--The word means a rod or staff. Also the word heart is the same as the following word midst, and is not therefore to be taken too literally. Joab seized such sticks as were at hand in the wood and thrust them into Absalom, giving him most painful and probably mortal wounds, but not instantly killing him. Then (2Samuel 18:15) the ten men who had Joab's armour and weapons came up and finally killed Absalom.

Verse 14. - Three darts; Hebrew, three staves (see 2 Samuel 23:21). The weapons of the ancients were of a very inferior kind, and stakes sharpened at the end and hardened in the fire were used by the infantry, until the increasing cheapness of iron made it possible to supply them with pikes. Joab's act was not one of intentional cruelty, but, picking up the first weapons that came to hand, he hurried away to kill his victim. His thrusts with these pointed sticks were brutal, and inflicted mortal wounds; but as they were not immediately fatal, Joab's armour bearers, who had followed him, and who had with them Joab's own better weapons, were called upon to put an end to Absalom's sufferings. His heart does not mean that organ anatomically, but the middle of his body. So at the end of the verse, in the midst of the oak, is, in the Hebrew, in the heart of the terebinth.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But Joab
יוֹאָ֔ב (yō·w·’āḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3097: Joab -- 'the LORD is father', three Israelites

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

“I am not
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

going to wait
אֹחִ֣ילָה (’ō·ḥî·lāh)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular
Strong's 3176: To wait, to be patient, hope

like this
כֵ֖ן (ḵên)
Adverb
Strong's 3651: So -- thus

with you!”
לְפָנֶ֑יךָ (lə·p̄ā·ne·ḵā)
Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 6440: The face

And he took
וַיִּקַּח֩ (way·yiq·qaḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

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

spears
שְׁבָטִ֜ים (šə·ḇā·ṭîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 7626: Rod, staff, club, scepter, tribe

in his hand
בְּכַפּ֗וֹ (bə·ḵap·pōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3709: Hollow or flat of the hand, palm, sole (of the foot), a pan

and thrust them
וַיִּתְקָעֵם֙ (way·yiṯ·qā·‘êm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8628: To clatter, slap, clang, to drive, to become bondsman

through the heart
בְּלֵ֣ב (bə·lêḇ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre

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

while he was still
עוֹדֶ֥נּוּ (‘ō·w·ḏen·nū)
Adverb | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5750: Iteration, continuance, again, repeatedly, still, more

alive
חַ֖י (ḥay)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2416: Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life

in the oak tree.
הָאֵלָֽה׃ (hā·’ê·lāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 424: An oak, other strong tree


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OT History: 2 Samuel 18:14 Then said Joab I may not wait (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
2 Samuel 18:13
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