2 Samuel 20:16

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee.

Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַתִּקְרָ֛א אִשָּׁ֥ה חֲכָמָ֖ה מִן־הָעִ֑יר שִׁמְע֤וּ שִׁמְעוּ֙ אִמְרוּ־נָ֣א אֶל־יוֹאָ֔ב קְרַ֣ב עַד־הֵ֔נָּה וַאֲדַבְּרָ֖ה אֵלֶֽיךָ׃

Transliteration

And qārāʾ ʾiššâ ḥăḵāmâ from-the-ʿîr: šāmaʿ, šāmaʿ, ʾāmar-please to-yôʾāv, qārav until-here and dāvar to-you.

Grammar Details

*qārāʾ*: qal imperfect consecutive, 3rd feminine singular - and she called
*ʾiššâ*: noun, feminine singular - woman
*ḥăḵāmâ*: adjective, feminine singular - wise
*ʿîr*: noun, feminine singular with definite article - the city
*šāmaʿ*: qal imperative, masculine plural - hear
*ʾāmar*: qal imperative, masculine plural - say
*yôʾāv*: proper noun, masculine singular - Joab
*qārav*: qal imperative, masculine singular - come near
*dāvar*: piel imperfect cohortative, 1st common singular - let me speak
to-you: 2nd masculine singular preposition suffix

Word Meanings

*qārāʾ*: called/proclaimed/summoned
*ʾiššâ*: woman/wife/female
*ḥăḵāmâ*: wise/skilled/experienced
*šāmaʿ*: hear/listen/obey
*ʾāmar*: say/tell/speak
*qārav*: come near/approach/draw near
*dāvar*: speak/talk/say

ℹ️

About this Translation

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Formal EquivalenceSource: American Standard VersionBest for: Word studies and original-language research

🎯 Translation Approach

A highly literal, word-for-word translation (ASV, 1901) augmented with Strong's numbering to connect English words to underlying Hebrew and Greek terms for study.

Word-for-word

5/5

Readability

2/5

💎 Distinctive Features

Integrated Strong's numbering: Links English terms to underlying Hebrew and Greek words for deeper lexical study.
Formal equivalence: Prioritizes close alignment with source-language forms and structures.
Divine name rendering: Frequently renders the Tetragrammaton as Jehovah in the Old Testament, following ASV tradition.
Study-focused formatting: Optimized for reference and research rather than casual reading.

✅ Strengths

High fidelity to original languages
Includes Strong's numbers for precise word study
Consistent lexical choices aid exegesis
Stable, longstanding scholarly text

⚠️ Considerations

Archaic language reduces readability
Older textual basis compared to some modern translations
Strong's numbers are a concordance index, not full lexical definitions

👥 Who is this for?

Ideal for

Pastors and teachers
Seminary students
Serious Bible students
Readers conducting word studies
Those referencing Hebrew/Greek tools

Consider alternatives for

Casual readers
Children and early teens
ESL learners seeking simple English
Readers preferring contemporary language

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Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

2 Sam 14:2 : 2 And Joab sent to Tekoa, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on mourning apparel, I pray thee, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that hath a long time mourned for the dead:
Eccl 9:14-18 : 14 There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it. 15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. 16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. 17 The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. 18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroyeth much good.
1 Sam 25:3 : 3 Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail; and the woman was of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.
1 Sam 25:32-33 : 32 And David said to Abigail, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel, who sent thee this day to meet me: 33 and blessed be thy discretion, and blessed be thou, that hast kept me this day from bloodguiltiness, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

2 Sam 20:17-22
6 verses
88%
17And he came near unto her; and the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am. Then she said unto him, Hear the words of thy handmaid. And he answered, I do hear.
18Then she spake, saying, They were wont to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask [counsel] at Abel: and so they ended [the matter].
19I 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?
20And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.
21The matter is not so: but a man of the hill-country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, hath lifted up his hand against the king, even against David; deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall.
22Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and threw it out to Joab. And he blew the trumpet, and they were dispersed from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.
2 Sam 14:1-5
5 verses
78%
1Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom.
2And Joab sent to Tekoa, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on mourning apparel, I pray thee, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that hath a long time mourned for the dead:
3and go in to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.
4And when the woman of Tekoa spake to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king.
5And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, Of a truth I am a widow, and my husband is dead.
2 Sam 20:15
77%
15And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maacah, and they cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart; and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.
2 Sam 14:18-20
3 verses
75%
18Then the king answered and said unto the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, aught that I shall ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak.
19And the king said, Is the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, As thy soul liveth, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from aught that my lord the king hath spoken; for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thy handmaid;
20to change the face of the matter hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.
2 Kgs 6:26
71%
26And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.
2 Sam 14:12
71%
12Then the woman said, Let thy handmaid, I pray thee, speak a word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.
2 Sam 11:20-22
3 verses
71%
20it shall be that, if the king's wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore went ye so nigh unto the city to fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?
21who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast an upper millstone upon him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? why went ye so nigh the wall? then shalt thou say, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
22So the messenger went, and came and showed David all that Joab had sent him for.
2 Sam 14:15-16
2 verses
71%
15Now therefore seeing that I am come to speak this word unto my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid: and thy handmaid said, I will now speak unto the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant.
16For the king will hear, to deliver his servant out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.
Judg 4:20
70%
20And he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man does come and inquire of you, and say, Is there any man here? that you shall say, No.
2 Sam 11:18
70%
18Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;
Jer 9:20
69%
20Yet hear the word of Jehovah, O ye women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth; and teach your daughters wailing, and every one her neighbor lamentation.
Prov 1:20-21
2 verses
69%
20Wisdom crieth aloud in the street; She uttereth her voice in the broad places;
21She crieth in the chief place of concourse; At the entrance of the gates, In the city, she uttereth her words:
2 Sam 20:11
69%
11And there stood by him one of Joab's young men, and said, He that favoreth Joab, and he that is for David, let him follow Joab.
2 Sam 11:16
69%
16And it came to pass, when Joab kept watch upon the city, that he assigned Uriah unto the place where he knew that valiant men were.
2 Sam 17:20
68%
20And Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house; and they said, Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said unto them, They are gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.
Prov 8:3
68%
3Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, At the coming in at the doors, she crieth aloud:
1 Kgs 2:30
68%
30And Benaiah came to the Tent of Jehovah, and said unto him, Thus saith the king, Come forth. And he said, Nay; but I will die here. And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.
2 Sam 19:1
68%
1And it was told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom.
2 Sam 19:5
68%
5And Joab came into the house to the king, and said, Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, who this day have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines;
1 Chr 19:8
68%
8And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men.
1 Kgs 1:41
68%
41And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar?
Josh 2:15
68%
15Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the side of the wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.
2 Sam 11:25
68%
25Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another; make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him.
Judg 11:36
67%
36And she said unto him, My father, thou hast opened thy mouth unto Jehovah; do unto me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth, forasmuch as Jehovah hath taken vengeance for thee on thine enemies, even on the children of Ammon.
1 Sam 28:21
67%
21And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, Behold, thy handmaid hath hearkened unto thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me.
1 Chr 20:1
67%
1And it came to pass, at the time of the return of the year, at the time when kings go out [to battle], that Joab led forth the army, and wasted the country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. And Joab smote Rabbah, and overthrew it.
1 Chr 21:4
67%
4Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.
2 Sam 18:25
67%
25And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.
Gen 39:14
67%
14that she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in a Hebrew unto us to mock us: he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice:
1 Sam 25:20
67%
20And it was so, as she rode on her ass, and came down by the covert of the mountain, that, behold, David and his men came down toward her; and she met them.
1 Chr 19:15
67%
15And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.
2 Sam 14:8
67%
8And the king said unto the woman, Go to thy house, and I will give charge concerning thee.
2 Sam 10:7
67%
7And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men.
1 Sam 26:14
67%
14and David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest to the king?
Mic 6:9
67%
9The voice of Jehovah crieth unto the city, and [the man of] wisdom will see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.