King James Version

2 Samuel 4:12

And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.

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Hebrew

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וַיְצַו֩vaytsavand appointצָוָהconjunction, verb, piel, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and appoint”, the next action in the storyH6680(intensively) to constitute, enjoinappoint, (for-) bid, (give a) charge, (give a, give in, send with) command(-er, -ment), send a messenger, put, (set) in order.דָּוִ֨דdavidDavidדָּוִדnoun, proper name — “David”H1732David, the youngest son of JesseDavid.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).הַנְּעָרִ֜יםhanarimthe boyנַעַרdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “the boy”, the ordinary formH5288(concretely) a boy (as active), from the age of infancy to adolescence; by implication, a servant; also (by interch. of sex), a girl (of similar latitude in age)babe, boy, child, damsel (from the margin), lad, servant, young (man).וַיַּהַרְג֗וּםvayahargumand destroyהָרַגconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and destroy”, the next action in the storyH2026to smite with deadly intentdestroy, out of hand, kill, murder(-er), put to (death), make (slaughter), slay(-er), [idiom] surely.וַֽיְקַצְּצ֤וּvayqatstsvand cutקָצַץconjunction, verb, piel, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and cut”, the next action in the storyH7112to chop off (literally or figuratively)cut (asunder, in pieces, in sunder, off), [idiom] utmost.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).יְדֵיהֶם֙yedeyhemhandיָדnoun, common, both genders, dual, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “hand”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3027a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),([phrase] be) able, [idiom] about, [phrase] armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, [idiom] bounty, [phrase] broad, (broken-) handed, [idiom] by, charge, coast, [phrase] consecrate, [phrase] creditor, custody, debt, dominion, […וְאֶתveetand object markerאֵתconjunction, particle, direct object marker — “and 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).רַגְלֵיהֶ֔םragleyhemfootרֶגֶלnoun, common, feminine, dual, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “foot”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7272a foot (as used in walking); by implication, a step; by euphemistically the pudenda[idiom] be able to endure, [idiom] according as, [idiom] after, [idiom] coming, [idiom] follow, (broken-)foot(-ed, -stool), [idiom] great toe, [idiom] haunt, [idiom] journey, leg, [phrase] piss, [phrase] possession, time.וַיִּתְל֥וּvayitlvand hangתָּלָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and hang”, the next action in the storyH8518to suspend (especially to gibbet)hang (up).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,…הַבְּרֵכָ֖הhabrekhahthe poolבְּרֵכָהdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “the pool”, the ordinary formH1295a reservoir (at which camels kneel as a resting-place)(fish-) pool.בְּחֶבְר֑וֹןbechevronin Hebronחֶבְרוֹןpreposition, noun, proper name — “in Hebron”H2275Chebron, a place in Palestine, also the name of two IsraelitesHebron.וְאֵ֨תveetand object markerאֵתconjunction, particle, direct object marker — “and 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).רֹ֤אשׁroshheadרֹאשׁnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “head”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7218the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time, rank, itc.)band, beginning, captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company, end, [idiom] every (man), excellent, first, forefront, (be-)head, height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), [idiom] lead, [idiom] poor, principal, ruler, sum, top.אִֽישׁishIsh-boshethאִישׁ־בֹּשֶׁתnoun, proper name — “Ish-bosheth”H378Ish-Bosheth, a son of King SaulIsh-bosheth.בֹּ֨שֶׁת֙boshetIsh-boshethאִישׁ־בֹּשֶׁתnoun, proper name — “Ish-bosheth”H378Ish-Bosheth, a son of King SaulIsh-bosheth.לָקָ֔חוּlaqachvtakeלָקַחverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “take”, a completed actionH3947to take (in the widest variety of applications)accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, [idiom] many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.וַיִּקְבְּר֥וּvayiqbervand buryקָבַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and bury”, the next action in the storyH6912to inter[idiom] in any wise, bury(-ier).בְקֶֽבֶרveqeverin sepulchreקֶבֶרpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “in sepulchre”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6913a sepulchreburying place, grave, sepulchre.אַבְנֵ֖רavnerAbnerאַבְנֵרnoun, proper name — “Abner”H74Abner, an IsraeliteAbner.בְּחֶבְרֽוֹןbechevronin Hebronחֶבְרוֹןpreposition, noun, proper name — “in Hebron”H2275Chebron, a place in Palestine, also the name of two IsraelitesHebron.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth, and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

Young’s Literal Translation

And David commandeth the young men, and they slay them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hang [them] over the pool in Hebron, and the head of Ish-Bosheth they have taken, and bury [it] in the burying-place of Abner in Hebron.

World English Bible

David commanded his young men, and they killed them, cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it in Abner’s grave in Hebron.

Darby Translation

And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged [them] up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.

Douay-Rheims

And David commanded his servants and they slew them: and cutting off their hands and feet, hanged them up over the pool in Hebron: but the head of Isboseth they took and buried in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And David commanded his young men, and they slay them, and cut off their hands and their feet; and they hung them up at the fountain in Chebron: and they buried the head of Jebosthe in the tomb of Abenner the son of Ner.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἐνετείλατο Δαυὶδ τοῖς παιδαρίοις αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀποκτείνουσιν αὐτούς, καὶ κολοβοῦσι τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν καὶ τοὺς πόδας αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐκρέμασαν αὐτοὺς ἐπι τῆς κρήνης ἐν Χεβρὼν, καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν Ἰεβοσθὲ ἔθαψαν ἐν τῷ τάφῳ Ἀβεννὴρ υἱοῦ Νήρ.