2 Samuel 2 · Verse 18

2 Samuel 2:18

And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.
2 Samuel 2:18, King James Version

2 Samuel 2:18 in other translations

BSBThe three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was fleet of foot like a wild gazelle,
WEBThe three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was as light of foot as a wild gazelle.
ASVAnd the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.
YLTAnd there are there three sons of Zeruiah, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel, and Asahel is light on his feet, as one of the roes which are in the field,
DARBYAnd there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was swift of foot, as one of the gazelles that are in the field.
BBEThere were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel: and Asahel was as quick-footed as a roe of the fields.
WebsterAnd there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.

What does 2 Samuel 2:18 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 18 Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe - To be swift of foot was deemed a great accomplishment in the heroes of antiquity; ποδας ωκυς Αχιλλευς, the swift-footed Achilles, is an epithet which Homer gives to that hero no less than thirty times in the course of the Ilias. It has a qualification also among the Roman soldiers; they were taught both to run swiftly, and to swim well.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Samuel 2:18-24
Death often comes by ways we least suspect. We are often betrayed by the accomplishments we are proud of! Asahel's swiftness, which he presumed so much upon, did him no service, but hastened his end.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

2 Samuel 2:18 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּֽהְיוּ\־vai.yih.yu-and they wereH1961
שָׁ֗םShamthereH8033
שְׁלֹשָׁה֙she.lo.ShahthreeH7969
בְּנֵ֣יbe.Nei[the] sons ofH1121
צְרוּיָ֔הtze.ru.YahZeruiahH6870
יוֹאָ֥בyo.'AvJoabH3097
וַאֲבִישַׁ֖יva.'a.vi.Shaiand AbishaiH52
וַעֲשָׂהאֵ֑לva.'a.sa.h.'Eland AsahelH6214
וַעֲשָׂהאֵל֙va.'a.sa.h.'Eland AsahelH6214
קַ֣לkal[was] swiftH7031
בְּרַגְלָ֔יוbe.rag.Lavon feet hisH7272
כְּאַחַ֥דke.'a.Chadlike one ofH259
הַצְּבָיִ֖םha.tze.va.Yimthe gazellesH6643
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhichH834
בַּשָּׂדֶֽה\׃ba.sa.Deh[are] in the open countryH7704

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Samuel 2:18

  • 1 Chronicles 12:8

    And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David into the hold to the wilderness men of might, and men of war fit for the battle, that could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as the roes upon the mountains;

  • Habakkuk 3:19

    The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

  • Song of Solomon 2:17

    Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.

  • Psalms 18:33

    He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places.

  • Song of Solomon 8:14

    Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.

  • 1 Chronicles 11:26

    Also the valiant men of the armies were, Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth–lehem,

  • 1 Chronicles 2:15-16

    Ozem the sixth, David the seventh: Whose sisters were Zeruiah, and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah; Abishai, and Joab, and Asahel, three.

  • Amos 2:14

    Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself:

  • Psalms 147:10-11

    He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.

  • 1 Samuel 26:6

    Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.

  • 2 Samuel 1:23

    Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.

  • Ecclesiastes 9:11

    I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
three.
1Ch 2:15,16; 11:26
was as light.
1:23; 1Ch 12:8; Ps 147:10,11; Ec 9:11; Am 2:14
foot. Heb. his feet. a wild roe. Heb. one of the roes thatis in the field.
Ps 18:33; So 2:17; 8:14; Hab 3:19
The word {tzevee,} rather denotes the gazelle or antelope.(See note on De 15:22.)

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Samuel 2:17

    And there was a very sore battle that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David.

  • 2 Samuel 2:18

    And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.

  • 2 Samuel 2:19

    And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.

Read all of 2 Samuel 2

2 Samuel 2:18 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y estaban allí los tres hijos de Sarvia: Joab, y Abisai, y Asael. Este Asael era suelto de pies como un corzo del campo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et il y avait là trois fils de Tseruïa, Joab, et Abishaï, et Asçaël. Et Asçaël était léger de ses pieds comme une des gazelles qui sont dans les champs.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und es waren daselbst drei Söhne der Zeruja: Joab und Abisai und Asael. Asael aber war schnell auf seinen Füßen, wie eine der Gazellen, die auf dem Felde sind.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Erant autem ibi tres filii Sarviæ, Joab, et Abisai, et Asaël: porro Asaël cursor velocissimus fuit, quasi unus de capreis quæ morantur in silvis.