King James Version

1 Chronicles 21:3

And Joab answered, The LORD make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?

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Hebrew

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וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…יוֹאָ֗בyoavJoabיוֹאָבnoun, proper name — “Joab”H3097Joab, the name of three IsraelitesJoab.יוֹסֵף֩yosefaddיָסַףverb, hiphil, jussive, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “add”, a wish or indirect commandH3254to add or augment (often adverbial, to continue to do a thing)add, [idiom] again, [idiom] any more, [idiom] cease, [idiom] come more, [phrase] conceive again, continue, exceed, [idiom] further, [idiom] gather together, get more, give more-over, [idiom] henceforth, increase (more and more), join, [idi…יְהוָ֨הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…עַמּ֤וֹamvopeopleעַםnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “people”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5971a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flockfolk, men, nation, people.כָּהֵם֙kahemas theyהֵםpreposition, pronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “as they”H1992they (only used when emphatic)it, like, [idiom] (how, so) many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, [idiom] so, [idiom] such, their, them, these, they, those, which, who, whom, withal, ye.מֵאָ֣הmeahhundred , -thמֵאָהadjective, cardinal, both genders, singular, absolute — “hundred , -th”, the ordinary formH3967a hundred; also as a multiplicative and a fractionhundred((-fold), -th), [phrase] sixscore.פְעָמִ֔יםfeamimanvilפַּעַםnoun, common, feminine, plural, absolute — “anvil”, the ordinary formH6471a stroke, literally or figuratively (in various applications, as follow)anvil, corner, foot(-step), going, (hundred-) fold, [idiom] now, (this) [phrase] once, order, rank, step, [phrase] thrice, (often-), second, this, two) time(-s), twice, wheel.הֲלֹא֙halono , -r,לֹאparticle, interrogative, particle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…אֲדֹנִ֣יadonilordאָדוֹןnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “lord”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH113sovereign, i.e. controller (human or divine)lord, master, owner. Compare also names beginning with 'Adoni-'.הַמֶּ֔לֶךְhamelekhthe kingמֶלֶךְdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the king”, the ordinary formH4428a kingking, royal.כֻּלָּ֥םkulamallכֹּלnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “all”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3605properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).לַאדֹנִ֖יladonito lordאָדוֹןpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “to lord”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH113sovereign, i.e. controller (human or divine)lord, master, owner. Compare also names beginning with 'Adoni-'.לַעֲבָדִ֑יםlaavadimto servantעֶבֶדpreposition, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “to servant”, the ordinary formH5650a servant[idiom] bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant.לָ֣מָּהlamahto howמָהpreposition, particle, interrogative — “to how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.יְבַקֵּ֥שׁyevaqeshbeseechבָּקַשׁverb, piel, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “beseech”, an unfinished actionH1245to search out (by any method, specifically in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive afterask, beg, beseech, desire, enquire, get, make inquisition, procure, (make) request, require, seek (for).זֹאת֙zotthisזֹאתpronoun, demonstrative, feminine, singular — “this”H2063this (often used adverb)hereby (-in, -with), it, likewise, the one (other, same), she, so (much), such (deed), that, therefore, these, this (thing), thus.אֲדֹנִ֔יadonilordאָדוֹןnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “lord”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH113sovereign, i.e. controller (human or divine)lord, master, owner. Compare also names beginning with 'Adoni-'.לָ֛מָּהlamahto howמָהpreposition, particle, interrogative — “to how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.יִהְיֶ֥הyihyehbeהָיָהverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be”, an unfinished actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.לְאַשְׁמָ֖הleashmahto offendאַשְׁמָהpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “to offend”, the ordinary formH819guiltiness, a fault, the presentation of asin-offeringoffend, sin, (cause of) trespass(-ing, offering).לְיִשְׂרָאֵֽלleyisraelto Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלpreposition, noun, proper name — “to Israel”H3478Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterityIsrael.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And Joab said: 'The LORD make His people a hundred times so many more as they are; but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of guilt unto Israel?'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And Joab said, Jehovah make his people a hundred times as many as they are: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? why doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of guilt unto Israel?

Young’s Literal Translation

And Joab saith, 'Jehovah doth add to His people as they are a hundred times; are they not, my lord, O king, all of them to my lord for servants? why doth my lord seek this? why is he for a cause of guilt to Israel?'

World English Bible

Joab said, “May Yahweh make his people a hundred times as many as they are. But, my lord the king, aren’t they all my lord’s servants? Why does my lord require this thing? Why will he be a cause of guilt to Israel?”

Darby Translation

And Joab said, Jehovah add to his people, how many soever they be, a hundredfold: are they not all, my lord O king, my lord's servants? why does my lord require this thing? why should he become a trespass to Israel?

Douay-Rheims

And Joab answered: The Lord make his people a hundred times more than they are: but, my lord the king, are they not all thy servants: why doth my lord seek this thing, which may be imputed as a sin to Israel?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And Joab said, May the Lord add to his people, a hundred-fold as many as they are , and let the eyes of my lord the king see it : all are the servants of my lord. Why does my lord seek this thing? do it not , lest it become a sin to Israel.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἶπεν Ἰωάβ, Προσθείη Κύριος ἐπὶ τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, ὡς αὐτοὶ ἑκατονταπλασίως, καὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ τοῦ κυρίου μυυ τοῦ βασιλέως βλέποντες· πάντες τῷ κυρίῳ μου παῖδεσ· ἱνατί ζητεῖ κύριός μου τοῦτο; ἳνα μὴ γένηται εἰς ἁμαρτίαν τῷ Ἰσραήλ.