King James Version
“And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armour. But Asahel would not turn aside from following of him. armour: or, spoil”
2 Samuel 2:21 · KJV
And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner. from: Heb. from after Abner
Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, I am.
And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armour. But Asahel would not turn aside from following of him. armour: or, spoil
And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me: wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?
Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him under the fifth rib, that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place: and it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.
KJV Study — Public Domain
“to him Turn thee aside”
H5186to stretch or spread out; by implication, to bend away (including moral deflection); used in a great variety of application (as follows)
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
“to thy right hand”
H3225the right hand or side (leg, eye) of a person or other object (as the stronger and more dexterous); locally, the south
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
“or to thy left”
H8040properly, dark (as enveloped), i.e., the north; hence (by orientation), the left hand
“and lay thee hold”
H270to seize (often with the accessory idea of holding in possession)
“of the young men”
H5288(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 latit
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
“from following”
H310properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses)
This verse is found in the book of 2 Samuel. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.
2 Samuel 2:21 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.
Verses related to 2 Samuel 2:21 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge