King James Version

2 Samuel 3:17

And Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, Ye sought for David in times past to be king over you:

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Hebrew

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וּדְבַרudevarand causeדָּבָרconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “and cause”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1697a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a causeact, advice, affair, answer, [idiom] any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, [phrase] chronicles, commandment, [idiom] commune(-ication), [phrase] concern(-ing), [phrase] confer, counsel, [phrase] dea…אַבְנֵ֣רavnerAbnerאַבְנֵרnoun, proper name — “Abner”H74Abner, an IsraeliteAbner.הָיָ֔הhayahbeהָיָהverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be”, a completed 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.עִםimwithעִםpreposition — “with”H5973adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with; often with prepositional prefix (and then usually unrepresented in English)accompanying, against, and, as ([idiom] long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from (among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-) to, with(-al).זִקְנֵ֥יziqneoldזָקֵןadjective, adjective, masculine, plural, construct — “old”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2205oldaged, ancient (man), elder(-est), old (man, men and...women), senator.יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לyisraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלnoun, proper name — “Israel”H3478Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterityIsrael.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…גַּםgamalsoגַּםparticle, affirmation — “also”H1571properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...andagain, alike, also, (so much) as (soon), both (so)...and, but, either...or, even, for all, (in) likewise (manner), moreover, nay...neither, one, then(-refore), though, what, with, yea.תְּמוֹל֙temolyesterdayתְּמוֹלadverb — “yesterday”H8543properly, ago, i.e. a (short or long) time since; especially yesterday, or day before yesterday[phrase] before (-time), [phrase] these (three) days, [phrase] heretofore, [phrase] time past, yesterday.גַּםgamalsoגַּםparticle, affirmation — “also”H1571properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...andagain, alike, also, (so much) as (soon), both (so)...and, but, either...or, even, for all, (in) likewise (manner), moreover, nay...neither, one, then(-refore), though, what, with, yea.שִׁלְשֹׁ֔םshilshomexcellent thingsשִׁלְשׁוֹםnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “excellent things”, the ordinary formH8032trebly, i.e. (in time) day before yesterday[phrase] before (that time, -time), excellent things (from the margin), [phrase] heretofore, three days, [phrase] time past.הֱיִיתֶ֞םheyitembeהָיָהverb, qal, perfect, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “be”, a completed 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.מְבַקְשִׁ֧יםmevaqshimbeseechבָּקַשׁverb, piel, participle, absolute — “beseech”, a verb used as a describing wordH1245to 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).אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).דָּוִ֛דdavidDavidדָּוִדnoun, proper name — “David”H1732David, the youngest son of JesseDavid.לְמֶ֖לֶךְlemelekhto kingמֶלֶךְpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “to king”, the ordinary formH4428a kingking, royal.עֲלֵיכֶֽםaleykhemaboveעַלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “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,…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying: 'In times past ye sought for David to be king over you;

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

And Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, In times past ye sought for David to be king over you:

Young’s Literal Translation

And the word of Abner was with the elders of Israel, saying, 'Heretofore ye have been seeking David for king over you,

World English Bible

Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, “In times past, you sought for David to be king over you.

Darby Translation

Now Abner had communicated with the elders of Israel, saying, Ye sought for David aforetime to be king over you;

Douay-Rheims

Abner also spoke to the ancients of Israel, saying: Both yesterday and the day before you sought for David that he might reign over you.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying: 'In times past ye sought for David to be king over you;

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And Abenner spoke to the elders of Israel, saying, In former days ye sought David to reign over you;

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἶπεν Ἀβεννὴρ πρὸς τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους Ἰσραὴλ, λέγων, χθὲς καὶ τρίτην ἐζητεῖτε τὸν Δαυὶδ βασιλεύειν ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς.