2 Samuel 20 · Verse 10

2 Samuel 20:10

But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand: so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.
2 Samuel 20:10, King James Version

2 Samuel 20:10 in other translations

BSBAmasa was not on guard against the dagger in Joab’s hand, and Joab stabbed him in the stomach and spilled out his intestines on the ground. And Joab did not need to strike him again, for Amasa was dead. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bichri.
WEBBut Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand. So he struck him with it in the body and shed out his bowels to the ground, and didn’t strike him again; and he died. Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri.
ASVBut Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand: so he smote him therewith in the body, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. And Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.
YLTand Amasa hath not been watchful of the sword that is in the hand of Joab, and he smiteth him with it unto the fifth rib, and sheddeth out his bowels to the earth, and he hath not repeated it to him, and he dieth; and Joab and Abishai his brother have pursued after Sheba son of Bichri.
DARBYAnd Amasa had taken no notice of the sword that was in Joab's hand: so he smote him with it in the belly and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. And Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.
BBEBut Amasa did not see danger from the sword which was now in Joab's left hand, and Joab put it through his stomach so that his inside came out on to the earth, and he did not give him another blow. So Joab and his brother Abishai went on after Sheba, the son of Bichri.
WebsterBut Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand: so he smote him in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.

What does 2 Samuel 20:10 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
10. smote him ... in the fifth rib--the seat of the liver and bowels, where wounds are mortal. struck him not again--that is, despatched him at the first blow.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 10 In the fifth rib - I believe חמש chomesh, which we render here and elsewhere the fifth rib, means any part of the abdominal region. The Septuagint translate it την ψοαν, the groin; the Targum, the right side of the thigh, i.e., (the phrase of the Targumist being interpreted), the privy parts. That it means some part of the abdominal region, is evident from what follows, And shed out his bowels to the ground. It appears from this that, in plain English, he ripped up his belly.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Samuel 20:4-13

Joab barbarously murdered Amasa. The more plot there is in a sin, the worse it is. Joab contentedly sacrificed the interest both of the king and the kingdom to his personal revenge. But one would wonder with what face a murderer could pursue a traitor; and how, under such a load of guilt, he had courage to enter upon danger: his conscience was seared.

Read the full comment on 2 Samuel 20:4-13 →

2 Samuel 20:10 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.

וַעֲמָשָׂ֨אva.'a.ma.Sa'and AmasaH6021
לֹֽא\־lo'-notH3808
נִשְׁמַ֜רnish.Marhe took heedH8104
בַּחֶ֣רֶב\׀ba.Che.revto the swordH2719
אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherwhichH834
בְּיַד\־be.yad-[was] in [the] hand ofH3027
יוֹאָ֗בyo.'AvJoabH3097
וַיַּכֵּהוּ֩vai.ya.ke.Huand he struck himH5221
בָ֨הּvahwith <the> it
אֶל\־'el-intoH413
הַחֹ֜מֶשׁha.Cho.meshthe bellyH2570
וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֨ךְvai.yish.Pokhand he poured outH8210
מֵעָ֥יוme.'Avbowels hisH4578
אַ֛רְצָה'Ar.tzah[the] ground towardsH776
וְלֹא\־ve.lo'-and notH3808
שָׁ֥נָהSha.nahhe repeatedH8138
ל֖וֹloto <the> him
וַיָּמֹ֑ת\ \סvai.ya.Motand he diedH4191
וְיוֹאָב֙ve.yo.'Avand JoabH3097
וַאֲבִישַׁ֣יva.'a.vi.Shaiand AbishaiH52
אָחִ֔יו'a.Chivbrother hisH251
רָדַ֕ףra.Dafhe pursuedH7291
אַחֲרֵ֖י'a.cha.ReiafterH310
שֶׁ֥בַעShe.va'ShebaH7652
בֶּן\־ben-[the] son ofH1121
בִּכְרִֽי\׃bikh.RiBicriH1075

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

Cross references for 2 Samuel 20:10

  • 2 Samuel 2:23

    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.

  • 2 Samuel 3:27

    And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there under the fifth rib, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.

  • Judges 3:21

    And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:

  • 1 Kings 2:5-6

    Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet. Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace.

  • 1 Samuel 26:8

    Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time.

  • 2 Samuel 20:9

    And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him.

  • Acts 1:18-19

    Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.

  • 1 Chronicles 12:2

    They were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows out of a bow, even of Saul’s brethren of Benjamin.

  • 1 Kings 2:31-34

    And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from me, and from the house of my father. And the Lord shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah. Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever: but upon David, and upon his seed, and upon his house, and upon his throne, shall there be peace for ever from the Lord. So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and slew him: and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.

  • Genesis 4:8

    And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
in Joab's.
9; Jud 3:21; 1Ch 12:2
he smote.
2:23; 3:27; Ge 4:8; 1Ki 2:5,6,31-34
and shed.
Ac 1:18,19
struck him not again. Heb. doubled not his stroke.
1Sa 26:8

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

Context

  • 2 Samuel 20:9

    And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him.

  • 2 Samuel 20:10

    But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand: so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.

  • 2 Samuel 20:11

    And one of Joab’s men stood by him, and said, He that favoureth Joab, and he that is for David, let him go after Joab.

Read all of 2 Samuel 20

2 Samuel 20:10 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y como Amasa no se cuidó de la daga que Joab en la mano tenía, hirióle éste con ella en la quinta costilla, y derramó sus entrañas por tierra, y cayó muerto sin darle segundo golpe. Después Joab y su hermano Abisai fueron en seguimiento de Seba hijo de Bichri.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et Amasa ne prenait pas garde à l’épée qui était dans la main de Joab; et Joab l’en frappa dans le ventre, et répandit ses entrailles à terre, sans le frapper une seconde fois; et il mourut. Et Joab, et Abishaï, son frère, poursuivirent Shéba, fils de Bicri.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Amasa hatte aber nicht achtgegeben auf das Schwert, das in Joabs Hand war; und Joab schlug ihn damit in den Bauch und schüttete seine Eingeweide aus zur Erde, und gab ihm keinen zweiten Schlag; und er starb. Joab aber und Abisai, sein Bruder, jagten Scheba, dem Sohne Bikris, nach.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Porro Amasa non observavit gladium quem habebat Joab: qui percussit eum in latere, et effudit intestina ejus in terram, nec secundum vulnus apposuit: et mortuus est. Joab autem, et Abisai frater ejus, persecuti sunt Seba filium Bochri.