2 Samuel 3:13

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

'Good,' said David, 'I will make an agreement with you. But I demand one thing: Do not see my face unless you bring Michal, daughter of Saul, when you come to see me.'

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ט֔וֹב אֲנִ֕י אֶכְרֹ֥ת אִתְּךָ֖ בְּרִ֑ית אַ֣ךְ דָּבָ֣ר אֶחָ֡ד אָנֹכִי֩ שֹׁאֵ֨ל מֵאִתְּךָ֤ לֵאמֹר֙ לֹא־תִרְאֶ֣ה אֶת־פָּנַ֔י כִּ֣י ׀ אִם־לִפְנֵ֣י הֱבִיאֲךָ֗ אֵ֚ת מִיכַ֣ל בַּת־שָׁא֔וּל בְּבֹאֲךָ֖ לִרְא֥וֹת אֶת־פָּנָֽי׃

Transliteration

wayyō'mer ṭôb 'ănî 'ekrōt with-you berît 'ak dābār 'eḥād 'ānōkî šō'ēl from-with-you to-lē'mōr not-tir'eh 'et-pānay for if-before hăbî'ăkā 'ēt mîkal bat-šā'ûl in-bō'ăkā to-lir'ôt 'et-pānāy

Grammar Details

• *wayyō'mer*: qal imperfect consecutive 3rd masculine singular - and he said
• *ṭôb*: adjective, masculine singular - good
• *'ănî*: personal pronoun, 1st common singular - I
• *'ekrōt*: qal imperfect 1st common singular - I will cut/make
• *berît*: noun, feminine singular - covenant
• *'ak*: adverb - surely/only
• *dābār*: noun, masculine singular - word/thing/matter
• *'eḥād*: number, masculine singular - one
• *'ānōkî*: personal pronoun, 1st common singular - I
• *šō'ēl*: qal participle, masculine singular - asking/requesting
• *lē'mōr*: qal infinitive construct with prefixed preposition lamed - to say
• *tir'eh*: qal imperfect 2nd masculine singular - you will see
• *pānay*: noun, masculine plural construct with 1st common singular suffix with direct object marker - my face
• *hăbî'ăkā*: hiphil infinitive construct with 2nd masculine singular suffix - your bringing
• *mîkal*: proper noun with direct object marker - Michal
• *bat*: noun, feminine singular construct - daughter of
• *šā'ûl*: proper noun - Saul
• *bō'ăkā*: qal infinitive construct with 2nd masculine singular suffix with prefixed preposition bet - in your coming
• *lir'ôt*: qal infinitive construct with prefixed preposition lamed - to see
• *pānāy*: noun, masculine plural construct with 1st common singular suffix with direct object marker - my face

Word Meanings

• *ṭôb*: good/well/it is good
• *'ekrōt berît*: I will make a covenant/I will establish an agreement
• *tir'eh 'et-pānay*: you will see my face (idiom for having an audience/meeting)
• *hăbî'ăkā*: your bringing/when you bring
• *lir'ôt 'et-pānāy*: to see my face (idiom for having an audience/meeting)

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And he said, Well; I will make a league with thee: but one thing I require of thee, that is, Thou shalt not see my face, except thou first bring Michal Saul's daughter, when thou comest to see my face.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  And he said, Well; I will make a league with you. But one thing I require of you, and that is, You shall not see my face, except you first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when you come to see my face.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  And he said, Well; I will make a league with thee: but one thing I require of thee, that is, Thou shalt not see my face, except thou first bring Michal Saul's daughter, when thou comest to see my face.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And he said,{H559} Well;{H2896} I will make{H3772} a league{H1285} with thee; but one{H259} thing{H1697} I require{H7592} of thee: that is,{H559} thou shalt not see{H7200} my face,{H6440} except thou first{H6440} bring{H935} Michal,{H4324} Saul's{H7586} daughter,{H1323} when thou comest{H935} to see{H7200} my face.{H6440}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And he said{H559}{(H8799)}, Well{H2896}; I will make{H3772}{(H8799)} a league{H1285} with thee: but one{H259} thing{H1697} I require{H7592}{(H8802)} of thee, that is{H559}{(H8800)}, Thou shalt not see{H7200}{(H8799)} my face{H6440}, except thou first{H6440} bring{H935}{(H8687)} Michal{H4324} Saul's{H7586} daughter{H1323}, when thou comest{H935}{(H8800)} to see{H7200}{(H8800)} my face{H6440}.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  He sayde: Wel, I wyll make a couenaunt with the, but one thynge I desyre of the, that thou se not my face, excepte thou brynge me first Michol Sauls doughter, whan thou commest to se my face.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Who saide, Well, I will make a couenant with thee: but one thing I require of thee, that is, that thou see not my face except thou bring Michal Sauls daughter when thou commest to see me.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  He sayde: Well, I will make a bonde with the: But one thing I require of thee, that is, that thou see not my face, except thou first bring Michol Sauls daughter, when thou comest to see me.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  And he said, Well; I will make a league with thee: but one thing I require of thee, that is, Thou shalt not see my face, except thou first bring Michal Saul's daughter, when thou comest to see my face.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  He said, Well; I will make a league with you; but one thing I require of you: that is, you shall not see my face, except you first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when you come to see my face.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And he saith, `Good -- I make with thee a covenant; only, one thing I am asking of thee, that is, Thou dost not see my face, except thou dost first bring in Michal, daughter of Saul in thy coming into see my face.'

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And he said, Well; I will make a league with thee; but one thing I require of thee: that is, thou shalt not see my face, except thou first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when thou comest to see my face.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And he said, Well; I will make a league with thee; but one thing I require of thee: that is, thou shalt not see my face, except thou first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when thou comest to see my face.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And he said, It is well; I will make an agreement with you, but on one condition, which is, that when you come before me, Saul's daughter Michal is to come with you; till she comes you will not see my face.

• World English Bible (2000)

  He said, "Good; I will make a treaty with you; but one thing I require of you. That is, you shall not see my face, unless you first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when you come to see my face."

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  So David said,“Good! I will make an agreement with you. I ask only one thing from you. You will not see my face unless you bring Saul’s daughter Michal when you come to visit me.”

Referenced Verses

• Gen 43:3 : 3 But Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’
• Gen 44:23 : 23 But you said to your servants, 'If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you will not see my face again.'
• Gen 44:26 : 26 But we said, 'We cannot go down unless our youngest brother is with us. For we cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.'
• 1 Sam 18:20-28 : 20 Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased. 21 Saul thought, 'I will give her to him so that she may be a snare to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.' So Saul said to David, 'Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law.' 22 Then Saul ordered his servants, 'Speak to David privately and say, "Look, the king likes you, and all his servants love you; now become his son-in-law."' 23 They repeated these words to David. But David said, 'Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law? I’m only a poor man and little known.' 24 When Saul’s servants reported back what David had said, 25 Saul replied, 'Say to David, "The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies."' Saul’s plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines. 26 When Saul’s servants told David these words, it pleased David to become the king’s son-in-law. However, the allotted time had not yet passed. 27 So David arose and went out with his men, and they struck down two hundred Philistines. David brought their foreskins and presented the full number to the king so that he might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage. 28 When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him,
• 1 Sam 19:11-17 : 11 Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch him and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, saying, 'If you don’t escape tonight, you will be killed in the morning.' 12 So Michal let David down through the window, and he fled and escaped. 13 Michal then took a household idol, placed it in the bed, put a quilt made of goat's hair at its head, and covered it with a garment. 14 When Saul sent messengers to capture David, Michal said, 'He is sick.' 15 Then Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, 'Bring him to me in his bed so I can kill him.' 16 When the messengers arrived, they found the household idol in the bed, with a quilt of goat's hair at its head. 17 Saul said to Michal, 'Why have you deceived me like this? You let my enemy go, and he has escaped.' Michal answered Saul, 'He said to me,
• 2 Sam 3:20-23 : 20 When Abner came to David at Hebron with twenty men, David prepared a feast for Abner and the men who were with him. 21 Then Abner said to David, 'Let me go at once and gather all Israel to my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant with you, and you may rule over all that your heart desires.' So David sent Abner away in peace. 22 Just then, David’s men and Joab returned from a raid, bringing a large amount of plunder, but Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, for David had sent him away in peace. 23 When Joab and all the soldiers who were with him arrived, they were told, 'Abner son of Ner came to the king, and the king sent him away in peace.'
• 1 Chr 15:29 : 29 As the ark of the covenant of the LORD entered the City of David, Michal, Saul's daughter, looked out of the window. When she saw King David leaping and celebrating, she despised him in her heart.