2 Samuel 2:27

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

Joab answered, 'As surely as God lives, if you had not spoken, the people would have continued pursuing their brothers until morning.'

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יוֹאָ֔ב חַ֚י הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים כִּ֥י לוּלֵ֖א דִּבַּ֑רְתָּ כִּ֣י אָ֤ז מֵֽהַבֹּ֙קֶר֙ נַעֲלָ֣ה הָעָ֔ם אִ֖ישׁ מֵאַחֲרֵ֥י אָחִֽיו׃

Transliteration

wayyōʾmer yôʾāb lives the-ʾĕlōhîm that if-not dibbartā because then from-the-bōqer naʿălâ the-ʿām ʾîš from-after ʾāḥîw

Grammar Details

• *wayyōʾmer*: qal imperfect consecutive, 3rd person masculine singular - and he said
• *yôʾāb*: proper noun, masculine - Joab
• *ʾĕlōhîm*: noun, masculine plural + definite article - the God
• *dibbartā*: piel perfect, 2nd person masculine singular - you had spoken
• *bōqer*: noun, masculine singular + definite article - the morning
• *naʿălâ*: niphal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular - he would have gone up
• *ʿām*: noun, masculine singular + definite article - the people
• *ʾîš*: noun, masculine singular - each man
• *ʾāḥîw*: noun, masculine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix - his brother

Word Meanings

• *wayyōʾmer*: and he said/answered/responded
• *ʾĕlōhîm*: God/deity (plural form used for singular deity)
• *dibbartā*: you had spoken/said/asked
• *bōqer*: morning/daybreak/dawn
• *naʿălâ*: would have gone up/withdrawn/departed
• *ʿām*: people/troops/army
• *ʾîš*: each man/every person/everyone
• *ʾāḥîw*: his brother/kinsman/fellow soldier

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And Joab said, As God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  And Joab said, As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely by morning the people had gone up every man from pursuing his brother.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  And Joab said, As God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And Joab said, As God liveth, if thou hadst not spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone away, nor followed every one his brother.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And Joab said, As God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Ioab sayde: As truly as God lyueth yf thou haddest sayde thus daye in the morninge, the people had ceassed euery one from his brother.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And Ioab sayde, As God liueth, if thou haddest not spoken, surely euen in the morning the people had departed euery one backe from his brother.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And Ioab sayde: As God lyueth, if thou haddest not spoken, suerly euen in the morning the people had departed, euery one from persecuting his brother.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  And Joab said, [As] God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Joab said, As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone away, nor followed everyone his brother.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And Joab saith, `God liveth! for unless thou hadst spoken, surely then from the morning had the people gone up each from after his brother.'

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And Joab said, As God liveth, if thou hadst not spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone away, nor followed every one his brother.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And Joab said, As God liveth, if thou hadst not spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone away, nor followed every one his brother.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And Joab said, By the living God, if you had not given the word, the people would have gone on attacking their countrymen till the morning.

• World English Bible (2000)

  Joab said, "As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely then in the morning the people would have gone away, and not each followed his brother."

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  Joab replied,“As surely as God lives, if you had not said this, it would have been morning before the people would have abandoned pursuit of their brothers!”

Referenced Verses

• Prov 17:14 : 14 Starting a quarrel is like letting out water; so stop the dispute before it breaks out.
• 2 Sam 2:14 : 14 Then Abner said to Joab, 'Let the young men come forward and compete before us.' And Joab said, 'Let them come forward.'
• Job 27:2 : 2 As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice, and the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter,
• Prov 15:1 : 1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
• 1 Sam 25:26 : 26 Now, my lord, as surely as the Lord lives and as you live, the Lord has kept you from shedding blood and avenging yourself with your own hand. May your enemies and those intent on harming my lord be as foolish as Nabal.
• Prov 20:18 : 18 Plans are established by counsel; with wise guidance wage your war.
• Prov 25:8 : 8 Do not go hastily to court, lest you do something in the end that leaves you humiliated when your neighbor puts you to shame.
• Isa 47:7 : 7 You said, 'I will be a mistress forever,' but you did not take these things to heart or remember their outcome.
• Luke 14:31-32 : 31 Or what king, going to war against another king, will not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to face the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still far away and ask for terms of peace.