King James Version

2 Samuel 3:1

Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.

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Hebrew

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וַתְּהִ֤יvathiand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “and be”, the next action in the storyH1961to 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.הַמִּלְחָמָה֙hamilchamahthe battleמִלְחָמָהdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “the battle”, the ordinary formH4421a battle (i.e. the engagement); generally, war (i.e. warfare)battle, fight(-ing), war(-rior).אֲרֻכָּ֔הarukahlongאָרֹךְadjective, adjective, feminine, singular, absolute — “long”, the ordinary formH752longlong.בֵּ֚יןbeynbetweenבֵּיןpreposition — “between”H996between (repeated before each noun, often with other particles); also as a conjunction, either...oramong, asunder, at, between (-twixt...and), [phrase] from (the widest), [idiom] in, out of, whether (it be...or), within.בֵּ֣יתbeytfamilyבַּיִתnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “family”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1004a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)court, daughter, door, [phrase] dungeon, family, [phrase] forth of, [idiom] great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, [phrase] prison, [phrase] steward, [phrase] tablet, temple, web,…שָׁא֔וּלshaulShaulשָׁאוּלnoun, proper name — “Shaul”H7586Shaul, the name of an Edomite and two IsraelitesSaul, Shaul.וּבֵ֖יןuveynand betweenבֵּיןconjunction, preposition — “and between”H996between (repeated before each noun, often with other particles); also as a conjunction, either...oramong, asunder, at, between (-twixt...and), [phrase] from (the widest), [idiom] in, out of, whether (it be...or), within.בֵּ֣יתbeytfamilyבַּיִתnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “family”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1004a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)court, daughter, door, [phrase] dungeon, family, [phrase] forth of, [idiom] great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, [phrase] prison, [phrase] steward, [phrase] tablet, temple, web,…דָּוִ֑דdavidDavidדָּוִדnoun, proper name — “David”H1732David, the youngest son of JesseDavid.וְדָוִד֙vedavidand Davidדָּוִדconjunction, noun, proper name — “and David”H1732David, the youngest son of JesseDavid.הֹלֵ֣ךְholekhewalkהָלַךְverb, qal, participle, absolute — “walk”, a verb used as a describing wordH1980to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)(all) along, apace, behave (self), come, (on) continually, be conversant, depart, [phrase] be eased, enter, exercise (self), [phrase] follow, forth, forward, get, go (about, abroad, along, away, forward, on, out, up and down), [phrase] gre…וְחָזֵ֔קvechazeqand strongerחָזֵקconjunction, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “and stronger”, the ordinary formH2390powerful[idiom] wax louder, stronger.וּבֵ֥יתuveytand familyבַּיִתconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “and family”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1004a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)court, daughter, door, [phrase] dungeon, family, [phrase] forth of, [idiom] great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, [phrase] prison, [phrase] steward, [phrase] tablet, temple, web,…שָׁא֖וּלshaulShaulשָׁאוּלnoun, proper name — “Shaul”H7586Shaul, the name of an Edomite and two IsraelitesSaul, Shaul.הֹלְכִ֥יםholekhimwalkהָלַךְverb, qal, participle, absolute — “walk”, a verb used as a describing wordH1980to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)(all) along, apace, behave (self), come, (on) continually, be conversant, depart, [phrase] be eased, enter, exercise (self), [phrase] follow, forth, forward, get, go (about, abroad, along, away, forward, on, out, up and down), [phrase] gre…וְדַלִּֽיםvedalimand leanדַּלconjunction, adjective, adjective, masculine, plural, absolute — “and lean”, the ordinary formH1800properly, dangling, i.e. (by implication) weak or thinlean, needy, poor (man), weaker.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; and David waxed stronger and stronger, but the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: and David waxed stronger and stronger, but the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.

Young’s Literal Translation

And the war is long between the house of Saul and the house of David, and David is going on and [is] strong, and the house of Saul are going on and [are] weak.

World English Bible

Now there was a long war between Saul’s house and David’s house. David grew stronger and stronger, but Saul’s house grew weaker and weaker.

Darby Translation

And the war was long between the house of Saul and the house of David; but David became continually stronger, and the house of Saul became continually weaker.

Douay-Rheims

Now there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: David prospering and growing always stronger and stronger, but the house of Saul decaying daily.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; and David waxed stronger and stronger, but the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And there was war for a long time between the house of Saul and the house of David; and the house of David grew continually stronger; but the house of Saul grew continually weaker.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἐγένετο ὁ πόλεμος ἐπὶ πολὺ ἀναμέσον τοῦ οἴκου Σαοὺλ καὶ ἀναμέσον τοῦ οἴκου Δαυίδ· καὶ ὁ οἶκος Δαυὶδ ἐπορεύετο καὶ ἐκραταιοῦτο, καὶ ὁ οἶκος Σαοὺλ ἐπορεύετο καὶ ἠσθένει.