New American Standard Bible 1995

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1 Kings

2

:

32

"The LORD will return his blood on his own head, because he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he and killed them with the sword, while my father David did not know it: Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah.

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Hebrew: Transliteration:
"The LORD the proper name of the God of Israel Noun H3068 יְהוָ֨ה Yah·weh
will return to turn back, return Verb H7725 וְהֵשִׁיב֩ ve·he·shiv
his blood blood Noun H1818 דָּמֹ֜ו da·mov
on his own head, head Noun H7218 רֹאשֹׁ֗ו ro·shov
because who, which, that Particle H834 אֲשֶׁ֣ר a·sher
he fell to meet, encounter, reach Verb H6293 פָּגַ֣ע pa·ga
upon two two (a card. number) Noun H8147 בִּשְׁנֵֽי־ bish·nei-
Analysis:

Two: Two divergent opinions

The classic example for the number "two" is found in Matthew chapter 26. There, Yeshua says to His disciples,

"You know that after two days comes the Passover, and the Son of Man will be given over for crucifixion."  Matthew 26:2

The phrase "after two days" is somewhat meaningless because after two days can mean three or more days. The period is unspecified. The reason for such ambiguous language is because the purpose of the number two in this passage is not solely numerical. This means that the text is not intending to provide the reader with some definite information concerning a time period. Rather, the purpose of the number two in this context is one of the numerological meanings of the number two.  Often the number two relates to two divergent opinions. In the aforementioned verse, the author wants to inform the reader that there are two very different understandings for this coming Passover. Yeshua wants to emphasize that He is going up to Jerusalem in order to die as the true Passover sacrifice. Even though Yeshua states this emphatically, the disciples did not receive this. In fact, the disciples did not perceive at all what was going to take place during Passover in regard to Yeshua. In other words, Yeshua and the disciples have two divergent opinions concerning the Passover.

This same principle is also found in the Hebrew Bible (Old Covenant). In the book of Amos one reads,

"Can two walk together without them having agreed" Amos 3:3

The word which was translated into English with the phrase "them having agreed" is נועדו. The root of this word is יעד, which relates to a specific destination. The word which precedes this word is בלתי and in this context the word implies a change to the condition. In other words, had there not been a change in the condition, then the two could not walk together, i.e. they could not have arrived at the common destination.

The concept of divergent or different is also seen in the book of Genesis. In speaking about the sun and moon one reads, "And God made two great lights…" (Genesis 1:16). Obviously the sun and moon are very different, as one is a source of light, while the latter just reflects light. Also in the book of Genesis, one encounters the account of the flood. Here Noah is commanded to bring onto the ark two sorts of each type of animal. In this passage, the two relates to two different (or divergent) kinds of the same sort, i.e. male and female. 

Likewise, two angels came to Sodom, demonstrating that the people of Sodom had a very different way of living from that of the Law of God. Once again, the reader should not assume that every occurrence of the number two in the Bible demands this interpretation. However, one will find in a great majority of Biblical passages, the reader will be assisted in arriving at the proper interpretation, when he considers this divergent quality for the number two. 

Loveisrael.org - Baruch Korman, Ph.D. - All Rights Reserved - Used with Permission 2016 

men man Noun H376 אֲ֠נָשִׁים a·na·shim
more from Prepostion H4480 מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙ mim·men·nu
righteous just, righteous Adjective H6662 צַדִּקִ֨ים tzad·di·kim
and better pleasant, agreeable, good Adjective H2896 וְטֹבִ֤ים ve·to·vim
than from Prepostion H4480    
he and killed to kill, slay Verb H2026 וַיַּהַרְגֵ֣ם vai·ya·har·gem
them with the sword, a sword Noun H2719 בַּחֶ֔רֶב ba·che·rev,
while my father father Noun H1 וְאָבִ֥י ve·'a·vi
David perhaps "beloved one," a son of Jesse Noun H1732 דָוִ֖ד da·vid
Analysis:
Read more about: David
did not know to know Verb H3045 יָדָ֑ע ya·da;
[it]: Abner "my father is a lamp," an Isr. name Noun H74 אַבְנֵ֤ר av·ner
Analysis:
Read more about: Abner
the son son Noun H1121 בֶּן־ ben-
of Ner, father of Abner, also the father of Kish Noun H5369 נֵר֙ ner
Analysis:
Read more about: Ner
commander chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince Noun H8269 שַׂר־ sar-
of the army army, war, warfare Noun H6635 צְבָ֣א tze·va
of Israel, "God strives," another name of Jacob and his desc. Noun H3478 יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל yis·ra·'el,
Analysis:
Read more about: Israel
and Amasa two Isr. Noun H6021 עֲמָשָׂ֥א a·ma·sa
Analysis:
Read more about: Amasa
the son son Noun H1121 בֶן־ ven-
of Jether, Moses' father-in-law (see NH3503), also the name of several Isr. Noun H3500 יֶ֖תֶר ye·ter
Analysis:
Read more about: Jether
commander chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince Noun H8269 שַׂר־ sar-
of the army army, war, warfare Noun H6635 צְבָ֥א tze·va
of Judah. probably "praised," a son of Jacob, also his desc., the S. kingdom, also four Isr. Noun H3063 יְהוּדָֽה׃ ye·hu·dah.
Analysis:
Read more about: Judah

Locations

Israel

ISRAEL, KINGDOM OF" I. THE FIRST PERIOD1. The Two Kingdoms2. The Ist Dynasty3. The IInd Dynasty4. Civil WarII. PERIOD OF THE SYRIAN WARS1. The IIIrd Dynasty2. World-Politics3. Battle of Karkar4. Loss of Territory5. Reform of Religion6. Revolution7. The IVth Dynasty8. Renewed Prosperity9. AnarchyIII. DECLINE AND FALL1. Loss of Independence2. Decline3. Extinct... View Details

Judah

JUDAH, TERRITORY OF(yehudhah):I. GEOGRAPHICAL DATA1. The Natural Boundaries2. The Natural Divisions of Judah(1) The Maritime Plain(2) The Shephelah(3) The Hill Country of JudahII. THE TRIBE OF JUDAH AND ITS TERRITORYIII. THE BOUNDARIES OF THE KINGDOM OF JUDAHLITERATUREI. Geographical Data.Although the physical conformation of Western Palestine divides this l... View Details

People

Abner

|my father is a lamp,| an Israelite Abner [N] [H] [S] father of light; i.e., "enlightening", the son of Ner and uncle of Saul. He was commander-in-chief of Saul's army ( 1 Samuel 14:50 ;  17:55 ;  20:25 ). He first introduced David to the court of Saul after the victory over Goliath ( 1 Samuel 17:57 ). After the death of Saul, David was made king over Judah, and rei... View Details

Ner

father of Abner, also the father of Kish

Amasa

two Israelites

Jether

Jether [N] [H] [S] surplus; excellence.  Father-in-law of Moses ( Exodus 4:18 marg.), called elsewhere Jethro (q.v.).    The oldest of Gideon's seventy sons ( Judges 8:20 ).    The father of Amasa, David's general ( 1 Kings 2:5  1 Kings 2:32 ); called Ithra ( 2 Samuel 17:25 ).    1 Chronicles 7:38 . ... View Details

David

David [N] [B] [H] [S] beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother's name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of  2 Samuel 17:25 . As to his personal appearance, we only know that he was red-haired, with beautiful eyes and a fair face ( 1 Samuel 16:12 ;  17:42 ).  His early... View Details

Lord

Lord [N] [B] [S] There are various Hebrew and Greek words so rendered.    Heb. Jehovah, has been rendered in the English Bible LORD, printed in small capitals. This is the proper name of the God of the Hebrews. The form "Jehovah" is retained only in  Exodus 6:3 ;  Psalms 83:18 ;  Isaiah 12:2 ;  26:4 , both in the Authorized and the Revised Version.&nb... View Details

Lord

Lord [N] [B] [S] There are various Hebrew and Greek words so rendered.    Heb. Jehovah, has been rendered in the English Bible LORD, printed in small capitals. This is the proper name of the God of the Hebrews. The form "Jehovah" is retained only in  Exodus 6:3 ;  Psalms 83:18 ;  Isaiah 12:2 ;  26:4 , both in the Authorized and the Revised Version.&nb... View Details

Lord

Lord [N] [B] [S] There are various Hebrew and Greek words so rendered.    Heb. Jehovah, has been rendered in the English Bible LORD, printed in small capitals. This is the proper name of the God of the Hebrews. The form "Jehovah" is retained only in  Exodus 6:3 ;  Psalms 83:18 ;  Isaiah 12:2 ;  26:4 , both in the Authorized and the Revised Version.&nb... View Details

Lord

Lord [N] [B] [S] There are various Hebrew and Greek words so rendered.    Heb. Jehovah, has been rendered in the English Bible LORD, printed in small capitals. This is the proper name of the God of the Hebrews. The form "Jehovah" is retained only in  Exodus 6:3 ;  Psalms 83:18 ;  Isaiah 12:2 ;  26:4 , both in the Authorized and the Revised Version.&nb... View Details

Parallel Verses

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Added text
New American Standard Bible 1995 "The LORD will return his blood on his own head, because he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he and killed them with the sword, while my father David did not know it: Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah.
King James Bible "The And the LORD will shall return his blood on upon his own head, because he who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he he, and killed slew them with the sword, while my father David did not know it: knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, commander captain of the army host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, commander captain of the army host of Judah.
Hebrew Greek English "The LORD will return his blood on his own head, because he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he and killed them with the sword, while my father David did not know it: Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah.