King James Version

2 Samuel 20:18

Then 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.

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Hebrew

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וַתֹּ֖אמֶרvatomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, 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…לֵאמֹ֑רlemorto sayאָמַרpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to say”, the to-form of the verbH559to 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…דַּבֵּ֨רdaberspeakדָבַרverb, piel, infinitive absolute — “speak”, the verb used for emphasisH1696perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdueanswer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.יְדַבְּר֤וּyedabrvspeakדָבַרverb, piel, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “speak”, an unfinished actionH1696perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdueanswer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.בָרִֽאשֹׁנָה֙varishonahin firstרִאשׁוֹןpreposition, with the article, adjective, adjective, feminine, singular, absolute — “in first”, the ordinary formH7223first, in place, time or rank (as adjective or noun)ancestor, (that were) before(-time), beginning, eldest, first, fore(-father) (-most), former (thing), of old time, past.לֵאמֹ֔רlemorto sayאָמַרpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to say”, the to-form of the verbH559to 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…שָׁאֹ֧לshaoldemandשָׁאַלverb, qal, infinitive absolute — “demand”, the verb used for emphasisH7592to inquire; by implication, to request; by extension, to demandask (counsel, on), beg, borrow, lay to charge, consult, demand, desire, [idiom] earnestly, enquire, [phrase] greet, obtain leave, lend, pray, request, require, [phrase] salute, [idiom] straitly, [idiom] surely, wish.יְשָׁאֲל֛וּyeshaalvdemandשָׁאַלverb, piel, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “demand”, an unfinished actionH7592to inquire; by implication, to request; by extension, to demandask (counsel, on), beg, borrow, lay to charge, consult, demand, desire, [idiom] earnestly, enquire, [phrase] greet, obtain leave, lend, pray, request, require, [phrase] salute, [idiom] straitly, [idiom] surely, wish.בְּאָבֵ֖לbeavelin Abelאָבֵלpreposition, noun, proper name — “in Abel”H59Abel, the name of two places in Palestine.Abel.וְכֵ֥ןvekhenand as... asכֵּןconjunction, particle, demonstrative — “and as... as”H3651properly, set upright; hence (figuratively as adjective) just; but usually (as adverb or conjunction) rightly or so (in various applications to manner, time and relation; often with other particles)[phrase] after that (this, -ward, -wards), as... as, [phrase] (for-) asmuch as yet, [phrase] be (for which) cause, [phrase] following, howbeit, in (the) like (manner, -wise), [idiom] the more, right, (even) so, state, straightway, such (th…הֵתַֽמּוּhetamvaccomplishתָּמַםverb, hiphil, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “accomplish”, a completed actionH8552to complete, in a good or a bad sense, literal, or figurative, transitive or intransitiveaccomplish, cease, be clean (pass-) ed, consume, have done, (come to an, have an, make an) end, fail, come to the full, be all gone, [idiom] be all here, be (make) perfect, be spent, sum, be (shew self) upright, be wasted, whole.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Then she spoke, saying: 'They were wont to speak in old time, saying: They shall surely ask counsel at Abel; and so they ended the matter.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

Then 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 .

Young’s Literal Translation

and she speaketh, saying, 'They spake often in former times, saying, Let them diligently ask at Abel, and so they finished.

World English Bible

Then she spoke, saying, “They used to say in old times, ‘They shall surely ask counsel at Abel,’ and so they settled a matter.

Darby Translation

And she spoke saying, They were wont to speak in old time saying, Just inquire in Abel; and so they ended.

Douay-Rheims

And she again said: A saying was used in the old proverb: They that inquire, let them inquire in Abela: and so they made an end.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Then she spoke, saying: 'They were wont to speak in old time, saying: They shall surely ask counsel at Abel; and so they ended the matter.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And she spoke, saying, Of old time they said thus, Surely one was asked in Abel, and Dan, whether the faithful in Israel failed in what they purposed; they will surely ask in Abel, even in like manner, whether they have failed.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἶπε λέγουσα, λόγον ἐλάλησαν ἐν πρώτοις, λέγοντες, ἠρωτημένος ἠρωτήθη ἐν τῇ Ἀβὲλ καὶ ἐν Δὰν εἰ ἐξέλιπον ἃ ἔθεντο οἱ πιστοὶ τοῦ Ἰσραήλ· ἐρωτῶντες ἐπερωτήσουσιν ἐν Ἀβὲλ, καὶ οὕτως εἰ ἐξέλιπον.