The Meaning of 2 Samuel 20:19 Explained

2 Samuel 20:19

KJV: I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?

YLT: I am of the peaceable -- faithful ones of Israel; thou art seeking to destroy a city, and a mother in Israel; why dost thou swallow up the inheritance of Jehovah?

Darby: I am peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel. Why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of Jehovah?

ASV: I am of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of Jehovah?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I [am one of them that are] peaceable  [and] faithful  in Israel:  thou seekest  to destroy  a city  and a mother  in Israel:  why wilt thou swallow up  the inheritance  of the LORD? 

What does 2 Samuel 20:19 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 20:14-26 - One Head Saves Many
This wise woman, by her intervention, saved many lives, and reminds us of the value of presence of mind in a great crisis. She gave Joab to understand, first, that he ought to have given the inhabitants of Abel the opportunity of saying whether or not they intended to fight for Sheba, Deuteronomy 20:10, etc.; and, secondly, that he ought to have taken into account the peaceableness and fidelity of the citizens of that city. A great deal of misunderstanding and bloodshed would be prevented if contending parties would only confer with each other. There is crying and universal need for boards of compulsory arbitration.
Sheba's head saved the city. Bishop Hall says: "Spiritually the case is ours; every man's breast is a city enclosed; every sin is a traitor that lurks within the walls. If we love the head of one traitor above the life of our soul, we shall justly perish. We cannot be more willing to part with our sin than our merciful God is to withdraw His judgments." Oh, that every reader of these lines would heed the command of the Savior, Matthew 5:29-30, so as to enter into everlasting life! [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 20

1  By occasion of the quarrel, Sheba rebels in Israel
3  David's ten concubines are put in confinement for life
4  Amasa, made captain over Judah, is slain by Joab
14  Joab pursues Sheba to Abel
16  A wise woman saves the city by Sheba's head
23  David's officers

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 20:19 mean?

I [am] [among the] peaceable [and] faithful in Israel You seek to destroy a city and a mother in Israel Why would you swallow up the inheritance of Yahweh -
אָנֹכִ֕י שְׁלֻמֵ֖י אֱמוּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אַתָּ֣ה מְבַקֵּ֗שׁ לְהָמִ֨ית עִ֤יר וְאֵם֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לָ֥מָּה תְבַלַּ֖ע נַחֲלַ֥ת ؟ יְהוָֽה פ

אָנֹכִ֕י  I  [am] 
Parse: Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אָנׄכִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
שְׁלֻמֵ֖י  [among  the]  peaceable 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine plural construct
Root: שָׁלֵם  
Sense: .
אֱמוּנֵ֣י  [and]  faithful 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural construct
Root: אָמַן 
Sense: to support, confirm, be faithful.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל  in  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
מְבַקֵּ֗שׁ  seek 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: בָּקַשׁ  
Sense: to seek, require, desire, exact, request.
לְהָמִ֨ית  to  destroy 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
עִ֤יר  a  city 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
וְאֵם֙  and  a  mother 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֵם  
Sense: mother.
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  in  Israel 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
לָ֥מָּה  Why 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
תְבַלַּ֖ע  would  you  swallow  up 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: בָּלַע 
Sense: to swallow down, swallow up, engulf, eat up.
נַחֲלַ֥ת  the  inheritance 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: נַחֲלָה  
Sense: possession, property, inheritance, heritage.
؟ יְהוָֽה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation