2 Samuel 2:16 Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into his opponent's side, and they all fell together. So this place, which is in Gibeon, is called Helkath-hazzurim.

◄ 2 Samuel 2:16 ►

New International Version
Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his dagger into his opponent’s side, and they fell down together. So that place in Gibeon was called Helkath Hazzurim.

New Living Translation
Each one grabbed his opponent by the hair and thrust his sword into the other’s side so that all of them died. So this place at Gibeon has been known ever since as the Field of Swords.

English Standard Version
And each caught his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side, so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is at Gibeon.

Berean Standard Bible
Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into his opponent’s side, and they all fell together. So this place, which is in Gibeon, is called Helkath-hazzurim.

King James Bible
And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Helkathhazzurim, which is in Gibeon.

New King James Version
And each one grasped his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called the Field of Sharp Swords, which is in Gibeon.

New American Standard Bible
And each one of them seized his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon.

NASB 1995
Each one of them seized his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon.

NASB 1977
And each one of them seized his opponent by the head, and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon.

Legacy Standard Bible
And each one of them seized his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon.

Amplified Bible
Each one of them seized his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into his opponents side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim [that is, the Field of Sides], which is in Gibeon.

Christian Standard Bible
Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into his opponent’s side so that they all died together. So this place, which is in Gibeon, is named Field of Blades.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into his opponent’s side so that they all died together. So this place, which is in Gibeon, is named Field of Blades.

American Standard Version
And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon.

Contemporary English Version
They grabbed each other by the hair and stabbed each other in the side with their daggers. They all died right there! That's why the place in Gibeon is called "Field of Daggers."

English Revised Version
And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Each one grabbed his opponent by the head, stuck his sword into his opponent's side, and they fell down together. Therefore, that place in Gibeon is called the Field of Enemies.

Good News Translation
Each man caught his opponent by the head and plunged his sword into his opponent's side, so that all twenty-four of them fell down dead together. And so that place in Gibeon is called "Field of Swords."

International Standard Version
Each man grabbed his opponent by the head, plunged his sword into his opponent's side, and then they both fell together. That's why the place at Gibeon was named The Field of Swords.

Majority Standard Bible
Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into his opponent?s side, and they all fell together. So this place, which is in Gibeon, is called Helkath-hazzurim.

NET Bible
As they grappled with one another, each one stabbed his opponent with his sword and they fell dead together. So that place is called the Field of Flints; it is in Gibeon.

New Heart English Bible
They each caught his opponent by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Field of Blades, which is in Gibeon.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side: so they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon.

World English Bible
They each caught his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his fellow’s side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place in Gibeon was called Helkath Hazzurim.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And they each lay hold on the head of his companion, and his sword [is] in the side of his companion, and they fall together, and [one] calls that place Helkath-Hazzurim, which [is] in Gibeon,

Young's Literal Translation
And they lay hold, each on the head of his companion, and his sword is in the side of his companion, and they fall together, and one calleth that place Helkath-Hazzurim, which is in Gibeon,

Smith's Literal Translation
And they will seize each upon the head of his neighbor, and his sword in the side of his neighbor, and they will fall together: and he will call, that place Helkath-Hazurim, which is in Gibeon.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And every one catching his fellow, by the head, thrust his sword into the side of his adversary, and they fell down together: and the name of the place was called: The field of the valiant, in Gabaon.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And each one, taking hold of his peer by the head, fixed a sword into the side of his adversary, and they fell down together. And the name of that place was called: The Field of the Valiant in Gibeon.

New American Bible
Then each one grasped his opponent’s head and thrust his sword into his opponent’s side, and they all fell down together. And so that place was named the Field of the Sides; it is in Gibeon.

New Revised Standard Version
Each grasped his opponent by the head, and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is at Gibeon.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And every man caught his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in the other's side; so they fell down together; therefore they called that place Haklath-zadan, which is in Gibeon.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they caught each man his neighbor by the head and his sword entered the side of his neighbor, and they fell as one, and they called that place Khaqlath Tsaran, which is in Gebuun

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together; wherefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And they seized every one the head of his neighbour with his hand, and his sword was thrust into the side of his neighbour, and they fall down together: and the name of that place was called The portion of the treacherous ones, which is in Gabaon.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

War Between the Houses of David and Saul
…15So they got up and were counted off—twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve for David. 16Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into his opponent’s side, and they all fell together. So this place, which is in Gibeon, is called Helkath-hazzurim. 17The battle that day was intense, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by the servants of David.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Judges 7:22
And when the three hundred rams’ horns sounded, the LORD set all the men in the camp against one another with their swords. The army fled to Beth-shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.

1 Samuel 14:20
Then Saul and all his troops assembled and marched to the battle, and they found the Philistines in total confusion, with each man wielding the sword against his neighbor.

2 Samuel 3:1
Now the war between the house of Saul and the house of David was protracted. And David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.

1 Kings 2:5
Moreover, you know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me—what he did to Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether, the two commanders of the armies of Israel. He killed them in peacetime to avenge the blood of war. He stained with the blood of war the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet.

1 Chronicles 12:1-2
Now these were the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was still banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish (they were among the mighty men who helped him in battle; / they were archers using both the right and left hands to sling stones and shoot arrows; and they were Saul’s kinsmen from Benjamin):

Isaiah 9:19-21
By the wrath of the LORD of Hosts the land is scorched, and the people are fuel for the fire. No man even spares his brother. / They carve out what is on the right, but they are still hungry; they eat what is on the left, but they are still not satisfied. Each one devours the flesh of his own offspring. / Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh; together they turn against Judah. Despite all this, His anger is not turned away; His hand is still upraised.

Jeremiah 25:15-16
This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from My hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink from it. / And they will drink and stagger and go out of their minds, because of the sword that I will send among them.”

Ezekiel 38:21
And I will summon a sword against Gog on all My mountains, declares the Lord GOD, and every man’s sword will be against his brother.

Matthew 24:7
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

Mark 13:8
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, as well as famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

Luke 21:10
Then He told them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

John 18:36
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world; if it were, My servants would fight to prevent My arrest by the Jews. But now My kingdom is not of this realm.”

Acts 7:26
The next day he came upon two Israelites who were fighting, and he tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why are you mistreating each other?’

Romans 7:23
But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me.

1 Corinthians 3:3
for you are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and dissension among you, are you not worldly? Are you not walking in the way of man?

Treasury of Scripture

And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together: why that place was called Helkathhazzurim, which is in Gibeon.

{Helkath-hazzurim}.

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Caught Driving Fell Fellow Fellow's Field Gibeon Grabbed Head Helkath Opponent Other's rim Seized Side Sides Sword Thrust Together Wherefore

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

Berean Study Bible

Then each man
This phrase sets the stage for a personal and direct confrontation. The Hebrew word for "man" here is "אִישׁ" (ish), which often denotes an individual of valor or significance. In the context of ancient Israel, this highlights the personal bravery and the tragic nature of civil conflict, as these were not just soldiers but men of the same nation, emphasizing the gravity of internal strife.

grabbed his opponent by the head
The act of grabbing by the head signifies a close and personal combat style, indicative of the brutal and intimate nature of ancient warfare. The Hebrew root "תָּפַשׂ" (taphas) implies seizing or grasping firmly, suggesting determination and the intensity of the struggle. This reflects the desperation and the personal vendettas that often fueled such conflicts in Israel's history.

and thrust his sword into his opponent’s side
The sword, or "חֶרֶב" (chereb) in Hebrew, is a symbol of judgment and warfare throughout the Bible. The act of thrusting into the side is a lethal move, indicating the deadly seriousness of the encounter. This phrase underscores the tragic consequences of division among God's people, as brother turns against brother in a cycle of violence that only leads to mutual destruction.

so that they all fell together
The phrase "fell together" is poignant, as it illustrates the futility and the equal loss on both sides. The Hebrew "נָפַל" (naphal) means to fall, often used in the context of death or defeat. This collective fall serves as a somber reminder of the cost of disunity and the shared fate of those who engage in fratricidal conflict.

So this place, which is in Gibeon
Gibeon holds historical significance as a city of the Gibeonites, who had a complex relationship with Israel, as seen in Joshua 9. The mention of Gibeon situates the event in a real geographical and historical context, reminding readers of the tangible consequences of Israel's internal divisions. It also serves as a backdrop for the unfolding narrative of David's rise to power amidst national turmoil.

is called the Field of Swords
The naming of the place as the "Field of Swords" (Hebrew: "חֶלְקַת הַצֻּרִים", chelqat ha-tzurim) serves as a lasting memorial to the bloodshed and the tragic events that transpired. In biblical tradition, naming a place often signifies its importance and the lessons to be learned from it. This name stands as a testament to the destructive power of conflict and the need for unity under God's covenant.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(16) Helkath ? hazzurim is interpreted in the margin "the field of strong men," but the etymology is very doubtful. Most modern expositors understand it as meaning "the field of sharp edges."

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 16. - His sword in his fellow's side. The absence of the verb in the original sets powerfully before us the rapidity of the whole action. But what an action! Twenty-four experienced men each take the other by the head, and, without any attempt at self-defence, thrust their swords into their opponents' side, and leave their own sides exposed to a similar thrust. Were they, then, unskilful in the use of weapons? Impossible. Were they blinded by hatred of one another? But no rancour would make a man forget his skill in defence. Here there is no variety, no checkered fortune of the combatants, but all twenty-four do and suffer just the same; and it is remarkable that they had swords only, and no shields. With shields on their arms, they could not have seized one another by the hair. It seems certain, therefore, that this mutual butchery was the "play;" nor can we conceive of a more murderous and savage proceeding. Abner, at the head of his fierce Benjamites, thought, perhaps, that Joab had no men among his followers willing to throw life away in so senseless a manner. But Joab was as ready as Abner, and possibly some code of false honour, such as used to make men practise duelling, required the acceptance of the challenge. And so, with their appetite for blood whetted by the sight of twenty-four murders, they hastened to begin the fight. Helkath-hazzurim. Literally this means "the field of flints;" but as the flint is constantly used for any hard rock (Psalm 78:20), the Authorized Version has admitted into the margin a paraphrase taken from the Vulgate, which supposes that by flints are meant "strong men," and renders, "the field of strong men." So in Isaiah 26:4 "the flint," or rock, "of ages," is even translated "everlasting strength." Flints, however, were constantly used by the Israelites for knives whenever extreme sharpness was required. Thus for the circumcising of Israel, Jehovah commanded Joshua to prepare knives of flint (Joshua 5:2); and in course of time the sharp or whetted edge of a weapon was called its flint. Thus in Psalm 89:43 we read, "Thou hast turned back the flint of his sword." The name therefore probably means "the field of the sharp knives" (see margin of the Revised Version), and refers to the short swords with which they murdered one another.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

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

grabbed
וַֽיַּחֲזִ֜קוּ (way·ya·ḥă·zi·qū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 2388: To fasten upon, to seize, be strong, obstinate, to bind, restrain, conquer

his opponent
רֵעֵ֗הוּ (rê·‘ê·hū)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7453: Friend, companion, fellow

by the head
בְּרֹ֣אשׁ (bə·rōš)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7218: The head

and thrust his sword
וְחַרְבּוֹ֙ (wə·ḥar·bōw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword

into his opponent’s
רֵעֵ֔הוּ (rê·‘ê·hū)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7453: Friend, companion, fellow

side,
בְּצַ֣ד (bə·ṣaḏ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6654: A side, an adversary

and they all fell
וַֽיִּפְּל֖וּ (way·yip·pə·lū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5307: To fall, lie

together.
יַחְדָּ֑ו (yaḥ·dāw)
Adverb
Strong's 3162: A unit, unitedly

So this
הַה֔וּא (ha·hū)
Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

place,
לַמָּק֣וֹם (lam·mā·qō·wm)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4725: A standing, a spot, a condition

which
אֲשֶׁ֥ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

is in Gibeon,
בְּגִבְעֽוֹן׃ (bə·ḡiḇ·‘ō·wn)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1391: Gibeon -- a Levitical city in Benjamin

is called
וַיִּקְרָא֙ (way·yiq·rā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

the Field of Swords.
הַצֻּרִ֖ים (haṣ·ṣu·rîm)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 2521: Helkath-hazzurim -- a place near the pool of Gibeon

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OT History: 2 Samuel 2:16 They caught everyone his fellow by (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)