2nd Samuel Chapter 2 verse 14 Holy Bible
And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men, I pray thee, arise and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.
read chapter 2 in ASV
And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men give a test of their strength before us. And Joab said, Let them do so.
read chapter 2 in BBE
And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise and make sport before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.
read chapter 2 in DARBY
And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.
read chapter 2 in KJV
And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.
read chapter 2 in WBT
Abner said to Joab, Please let the young men arise and play before us. Joab said, Let them arise.
read chapter 2 in WEB
And Abner saith unto Joab, `Let the youths rise, I pray thee, and they play before us;' and Joab saith, `Let them rise.'
read chapter 2 in YLT
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 14. - Let the young men now arise. "Now" is not an adverb of time, but is hortative, and therefore rightly translated in the Revised Version, "I pray thee." It is by no means certain that Abner meant that this single combat should decide the war; for similar preludes before a battle are not uncommon among the Arabians, and serve, as this did, to put an end to the mutual unwillingness to begin the onslaught. So, too, games often preceded outbreaks of Scandinavian blood feuds. And this was probably Abner's object. He was the assailant, but now found that his men shrank from mortal combat with their brethren. There is thus no comparison between this combat and that of the Curiatii and Horatii described in Livy, 1. 10:25. Let them play. The word is grim enough, though intended to gloss over the cruel reality. On each side twelve of the most skilful champions were to be selected, who were to fight in stern earnest with one another, while the rest gazed upon the fierce spectacle. The sight of the conflict would whet their appetite for blood, and their reluctance would give place to thirst for revenge. The request was too thoroughly in accordance with Joab's temper for him to refuse, and his immediate answer was, Let them arise.
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(14) Let the young men.--To avoid unnecessary bloodshed between the tribes of a common parentage, and also, perhaps, to prevent the weakening of the nation in the face of their common Philistine foe, Abner proposes that the struggle should be decided by a combat between a few champions chosen on either side, and Joab immediately accepts the proposal. Hervey (Speaker's Commentary) aptly compares this combat to that of the Horatii and Curiatii, under strikingly similar circumstances and with similar results, as described by Livy (I., 100 10:25).
