The Meaning of 2 Samuel 2:21 Explained

2 Samuel 2:21

KJV: And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armour. But Asahel would not turn aside from following of him.

YLT: And Abner saith to him, 'Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and seize for thee one of the youths, and take to thee his armour;' and Asahel hath not been willing to turn aside from after him.

Darby: And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside, to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay hold of one of the young men, and take for thyself his armour. But Asahel would not turn aside from following him.

ASV: And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armor. But Asahel would not turn aside from following him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Abner  said  to him, Turn thee aside  to thy right hand  or to thy left,  and lay thee hold  on one  of the young men,  and take  thee his armour.  But Asahel  would  not turn aside  from following  of him. 

What does 2 Samuel 2:21 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 2:12-23 - Sword-Play To The Death
For seven and a half years David reigned over the house of Judah. He was in the prime of life, thirty years of age, and seems to have given himself to the consolidation of his kingdom and the quiet sanctities of the home. He maintained throughout those years that spirit of quiet expectancy of which his psalms so often speak. In this, he reminds us of our Lord, who is depicted as sitting at His Father's side till His foes become His footstool.
From Hebron, the city of fellowship, bands of mighty men went forth to fight with Ishbosheth, just as the warriors of the Cross have, in every age, gone forth to engage in deadly conflict with unbelief and sin. Asahel's death reminds us of Stephen's martyrdom. But the end is not yet! The Church's warfare is not against flesh and blood, but against the wicked spirits that rule the darkness of the world. Her weapons, therefore, are not carnal but spiritual, and particularly that of "all-prayer," Ephesians 6:10-20. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 2:21 mean?

And said to him Abner Turn aside to - your right hand or to your left and lay hold on one of the young men and take for yourself - his armor But not would Asahel turn aside from following him
וַיֹּ֧אמֶר ל֣וֹ אַבְנֵ֗ר נְטֵ֤ה לְךָ֙ עַל־ יְמִֽינְךָ֙ א֣וֹ עַל־ שְׂמֹאלֶ֔ךָ וֶאֱחֹ֣ז לְךָ֗ אֶחָד֙ מֵֽהַנְּעָרִ֔ים וְקַח־ לְךָ֖ אֶת־ חֲלִצָת֑וֹ וְלֹֽא־ אָבָ֣ה עֲשָׂהאֵ֔ל לָס֖וּר מֵאַחֲרָֽיו

וַיֹּ֧אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
ל֣וֹ  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
אַבְנֵ֗ר  Abner 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲבִינֵר 
Sense: Saul’s cousin and army captain, treacherously slain by Joab.
נְטֵ֤ה  Turn  aside 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: נָטָה 
Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.
עַל־  - 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
יְמִֽינְךָ֙  your  right  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: יָמִין  
Sense: right, right hand, right side.
שְׂמֹאלֶ֔ךָ  your  left 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: שְׂמֹאל  
Sense: the left, the left hand, the left side.
וֶאֱחֹ֣ז  and  lay  hold 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: אָחוּז 
Sense: grasp, take hold, seize, take possession.
אֶחָד֙  one 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
מֵֽהַנְּעָרִ֔ים  of  the  young  men 
Parse: Preposition-m, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: נַעַר  
Sense: a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer.
וְקַח־  and  take 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
לְךָ֖  for  yourself 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
חֲלִצָת֑וֹ  his  armor 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חֲלִיצָה  
Sense: what is stripped off (a person in war), armour, spoils, belt.
וְלֹֽא־  But  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
עֲשָׂהאֵ֔ל  Asahel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֲשָׂהאֵל  
Sense: nephew of David, son of David’s sister Zeruiah, and brother of Joab and Abishai; swift of foot he was killed by Abner when he pursued him in battle and caught him.
לָס֖וּר  turn  aside 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: סוּר 
Sense: to turn aside, depart.
מֵאַחֲרָֽיו  from  following  him 
Parse: Preposition-m, third person masculine singular
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).

What are the major concepts related to 2 Samuel 2:21?

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