2 Samuel 2:14
New International Version
Then Abner said to Joab, “Let’s have some of the young men get up and fight hand to hand in front of us.” “All right, let them do it,” Joab said.

New Living Translation
Then Abner suggested to Joab, “Let’s have a few of our warriors fight hand to hand here in front of us.” “All right,” Joab agreed.

English Standard Version
And Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men arise and compete before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.”

Berean Standard Bible
Then Abner said to Joab, “Let us have the young men get up and compete before us.” “Let them get up,” Joab replied.

King James Bible
And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.

New King James Version
Then Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men now arise and compete before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.”

New American Standard Bible
Then Abner said to Joab, “Now have the young men arise and hold a martial skills match in our presence.” And Joab said, “Have them arise!”

NASB 1995
Then Abner said to Joab, “Now let the young men arise and hold a contest before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.”

NASB 1977
Then Abner said to Joab, “Now let the young men arise and hold a contest before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Abner said to Joab, “Now let the young men arise and hold a contest before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.”

Amplified Bible
Then Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men now stand and have a contest before us.” And Joab said, “Let them stand.”

Christian Standard Bible
Then Abner said to Joab, “Let’s have the young men get up and compete in front of us.” “Let them get up,” Joab replied.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then Abner said to Joab, “Let’s have the young men get up and compete in front of us."” Let them get up,” Joab replied.

American Standard Version
And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men, I pray thee, arise and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.

Contemporary English Version
Abner yelled to Joab, "Let's get some of our best soldiers to stand up and fight each other!" Joab agreed,

English Revised Version
And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men, I pray thee, arise and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Abner said to Joab, "Let's have the young men hold a contest." Joab agreed.

Good News Translation
Abner said to Joab, "Let's have some of the young men from each side fight an armed contest." "All right," Joab answered.

International Standard Version
Abner told Joab, "Let's have the young men get up and fight in our presence." Joab replied, "Let them come."

Majority Standard Bible
Then Abner said to Joab, “Let us have the young men get up and compete before us.” “Let them get up,” Joab replied.

NET Bible
Abner said to Joab, "Let the soldiers get up and fight before us." Joab said, "So be it!"

New Heart English Bible
Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men arise and compete before us." Joab said, "Let them arise."

Webster's Bible Translation
And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.

World English Bible
Abner said to Joab, “Please let the young men arise and compete before us!” Joab said, “Let them arise!”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Abner says to Joab, “Now let the youths rise and they play before us”; and Joab says, “Let them rise.”

Young's Literal Translation
And Abner saith unto Joab, 'Let the youths rise, I pray thee, and they play before us;' and Joab saith, 'Let them rise.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And Abner will say to Joab, Now shall the boys arise and play before us. And Joab will say, They shall arise.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Abner said to Joab: Let the young men rise, and play before us. And Joab answered: Let them rise.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And Abner said to Joab, “Let the youths rise up and play before us.” And Joab answered, “Let them rise up.”

New American Bible
Then Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men rise and perform for us.” Joab replied, “All right.”

New Revised Standard Version
Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men come forward and have a contest before us.” Joab said, “Let them come forward.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Abnir said to Yuab: “The young men shall arise, they shall play before us!” And Yuab said: “Let them arise!”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Abner said to Joab: 'Let the young men, I pray thee, arise and play before us.' And Joab said: 'Let them arise.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Abenner said to Joab, Let now the young men arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
War Between the Houses of David and Saul
13So Joab son of Zeruiah, along with the servants of David, marched out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. And the two camps took up positions on opposite sides of the pool. 14Then Abner said to Joab, “Let us have the young men get up and compete before us.” “Let them get up,” Joab replied. 15So they got up and were counted off—twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve for David.…

Cross References
1 Samuel 17:50-51
Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. / David ran and stood over him. He grabbed the Philistine’s sword and pulled it from its sheath and killed him, and he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran.

1 Samuel 14:12
So the men of the outpost called out to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come on up, and we will teach you a lesson!” “Follow me,” Jonathan told his armor-bearer, “for the LORD has delivered them into the hand of Israel.”

1 Kings 20:18
“If they have marched out in peace,” he said, “take them alive. Even if they have marched out for war, take them alive.”

Judges 20:18-20
The Israelites set out, went up to Bethel, and inquired of God, “Who of us shall go up first to fight against the Benjamites?” “Judah will be first,” the LORD replied. / The next morning the Israelites set out and camped near Gibeah. / And the men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin and took up their battle positions at Gibeah.

1 Samuel 2:10
Those who oppose the LORD will be shattered. He will thunder from heaven against them. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth and will give power to His king. He will exalt the horn of His anointed.”

1 Samuel 18:17
Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage. Only be valiant for me and fight the LORD’s battles.” But Saul was thinking, “I need not raise my hand against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”

1 Samuel 26:10
David added, “As surely as the LORD lives, the LORD Himself will strike him down; either his day will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish.

1 Samuel 24:12
May the LORD judge between you and me, and may the LORD take vengeance on you, but my hand will never be against you.

1 Samuel 17:8-10
And Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and array yourselves for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose one of your men and have him come down against me. / If he is able to fight me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and work for us.” / Then the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day! Give me a man to fight!”

1 Samuel 17:26
David asked the men who were standing with him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

1 Samuel 17:36
Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.”

1 Samuel 17:45-47
But David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. / This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand. This day I will strike you down, cut off your head, and give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the creatures of the earth. Then the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. / And all those assembled here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give all of you into our hands.”

1 Samuel 17:52
Then the men of Israel and Judah charged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. And the bodies of the Philistines were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron.

1 Samuel 17:57
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 18:6-7
As the troops were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs, and with tambourines and other instruments. / And as the women danced, they sang out: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.”


Treasury of Scripture

And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.

play before

2 Samuel 2:17,26,27
And there was a very sore battle that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David…

Proverbs 10:23
It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom.

Proverbs 17:14
The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.

Jump to Previous
Abner Arise Contest Fight Front Hand Hold Joab Jo'ab Let's Play Please Right Sport Strength Test Young Youths
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Abner Arise Contest Fight Front Hand Hold Joab Jo'ab Let's Play Please Right Sport Strength Test Young Youths
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














Then Abner said to Joab
Abner, the son of Ner, was the commander of Saul's army and a significant figure in the early monarchy of Israel. His name in Hebrew, אַבְנֵר (Avner), means "father of light" or "my father is a lamp," indicating a position of leadership and guidance. Joab, on the other hand, was the son of Zeruiah, David's sister, and the commander of David's forces. His name, יוֹאָב (Yoav), means "Yahweh is father." This encounter between two military leaders highlights the tension between the house of Saul and the house of David, a pivotal moment in Israel's history as the nation transitions from Saul's rule to David's.

Let us have the young men get up and compete before us
The phrase "young men" refers to warriors or soldiers, often used to denote those who are in the prime of their physical strength and capability. The Hebrew word נַעֲרִים (na'arim) can mean young men or servants, emphasizing their role as active participants in the unfolding events. The term "compete" is translated from the Hebrew word שָׂחַק (sachaq), which can mean to play, laugh, or engage in combat. In this context, it suggests a form of martial contest or battle, reflecting the ancient Near Eastern practice of resolving disputes through representative combat. This competition was not merely a game but a serious and potentially deadly confrontation, symbolizing the larger conflict between the two factions.

'Let them get up,' Joab replied
Joab's response, "Let them get up," indicates his agreement to Abner's proposal. The phrase "get up" is from the Hebrew קוּם (qum), meaning to arise or stand. It signifies readiness and willingness to engage in the proposed contest. Joab's consent reflects the acceptance of the challenge and the inevitability of conflict between the two sides. This moment foreshadows the ongoing struggle for power and the eventual establishment of David's kingship over all Israel. The interaction between Abner and Joab serves as a microcosm of the larger divine narrative, where God's sovereignty and the fulfillment of His promises to David are being worked out through human actions and decisions.

(14) Let the young men.--To avoid unnecessary bloodshed between the tribes of a common parentage, and also, perhaps, to prevent the weakening of the nation in the face of their common Philistine foe, Abner proposes that the struggle should be decided by a combat between a few champions chosen on either side, and Joab immediately accepts the proposal. Hervey (Speaker's Commentary) aptly compares this combat to that of the Horatii and Curiatii, under strikingly similar circumstances and with similar results, as described by Livy (I., 100 10:25).

Verse 14. - Let the young men now arise. "Now" is not an adverb of time, but is hortative, and therefore rightly translated in the Revised Version, "I pray thee." It is by no means certain that Abner meant that this single combat should decide the war; for similar preludes before a battle are not uncommon among the Arabians, and serve, as this did, to put an end to the mutual unwillingness to begin the onslaught. So, too, games often preceded outbreaks of Scandinavian blood feuds. And this was probably Abner's object. He was the assailant, but now found that his men shrank from mortal combat with their brethren. There is thus no comparison between this combat and that of the Curiatii and Horatii described in Livy, 1. 10:25. Let them play. The word is grim enough, though intended to gloss over the cruel reality. On each side twelve of the most skilful champions were to be selected, who were to fight in stern earnest with one another, while the rest gazed upon the fierce spectacle. The sight of the conflict would whet their appetite for blood, and their reluctance would give place to thirst for revenge. The request was too thoroughly in accordance with Joab's temper for him to refuse, and his immediate answer was, Let them arise.

Parallel Commentaries ...


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

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

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

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

“Let us have the young men
הַנְּעָרִ֔ים (han·nə·‘ā·rîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5288: A boy, lad, youth, retainer

get up
יָק֤וּמוּ (yā·qū·mū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6965: To arise, stand up, stand

and compete
וִֽישַׂחֲק֖וּ (wî·śa·ḥă·qū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7832: To laugh, to play

before us.”
לְפָנֵ֑ינוּ (lə·p̄ā·nê·nū)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural
Strong's 6440: The face

“Let them get up,”
יָקֻֽמוּ׃ (yā·qu·mū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6965: To arise, stand up, stand

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

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


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OT History: 2 Samuel 2:14 Abner said to Joab Please let (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
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