2 Samuel 21:17
New International Version
But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue; he struck the Philistine down and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, saying, “Never again will you go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel will not be extinguished.”

New Living Translation
But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue and killed the Philistine. Then David’s men declared, “You are not going out to battle with us again! Why risk snuffing out the light of Israel?”

English Standard Version
But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid and attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You shall no longer go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.”

Berean Standard Bible
But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You must never again go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel may not be extinguished.”

King James Bible
But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.

New King James Version
But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, “You shall go out no more with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.”

New American Standard Bible
But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, saying, “You shall not go out again with us to battle, so that you do not extinguish the lamp of Israel.”

NASB 1995
But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, “You shall not go out again with us to battle, so that you do not extinguish the lamp of Israel.”

NASB 1977
But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, “You shall not go out again with us to battle, that you may not extinguish the lamp of Israel.”

Legacy Standard Bible
But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and struck the Philistine and put him to death. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, “You shall not go out again with us to battle, so that you do not extinguish the lamp of Israel.”

Amplified Bible
But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to David’s aid, and struck and killed the Philistine. Then David’s men swore to him, “You shall not go out again with us to battle, so that you do not extinguish the lamp of Israel.”

Christian Standard Bible
But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You must never again go out with us to battle. You must not extinguish the lamp of Israel.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him: “You must never again go out with us to battle. You must not extinguish the lamp of Israel.”

American Standard Version
But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succored him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the lamp of Israel.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Abishi son of Tsuria the Philistine helped him and he killed him. Then the Servants swore to David and they were saying to him: “Do not go out with us to battle and you shall not put out the lamp of Israel!”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Abessa the son of Saruia helped him and smote the Philistine, and slew him. Then the men of David swore, saying, Thou shalt not any longer go out with us to battle, and thou shalt not quench the lamp of Israel.

Contemporary English Version
But Abishai came to the rescue and killed the Philistine. David's soldiers told him, "We can't let you risk your life in battle anymore! You give light to our nation, and we want that flame to keep burning."

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Abisai the son of Sarvia rescued him, and striking the Philistine killed him. Then David's men swore unto him, saying: Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, lest thou put out the lamp of Israel.

English Revised Version
But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the lamp of Israel.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But Abishai, son of Zeruiah, came to help David. He attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David's men swore an oath, saying, "You'll never go into battle with us again. The lamp of Israel must never be extinguished."

Good News Translation
But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David's help, attacked the giant, and killed him. Then David's men made David promise that he would never again go out with them to battle. "You are the hope of Israel, and we don't want to lose you," they said.

International Standard Version
But Zeruiah's son Abishai came to David's aid, attacked the Philistine, and killed him. After this, David's army told him, "You're not going out anymore with us to battle, so Israel's beacon won't be extinguished!"

JPS Tanakh 1917
But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David swore unto him, saying: 'Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the lamp of Israel.'

Literal Standard Version
and Abishai son of Zeruiah gives help to him, and strikes the Philistine, and puts him to death; then the men of David swear to him, saying, “You do not go out with us to battle again, nor quench the lamp of Israel.”

Majority Standard Bible
But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You must never again go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel may not be extinguished.”

New American Bible
but Abishai, son of Zeruiah, came to help him, and struck and killed the Philistine. Then David’s men swore to him, “You must not go out to battle with us again, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.”

NET Bible
But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to David's aid, striking the Philistine down and killing him. Then David's men took an oath saying, "You will not go out to battle with us again! You must not extinguish the lamp of Israel!"

New Revised Standard Version
But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid, and attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You shall not go out with us to battle any longer, so that you do not quench the lamp of Israel.”

New Heart English Bible
But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David swore, saying, "You must not go out to battle with us again, so that you do not extinguish the lamp of Israel."

Webster's Bible Translation
But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succored him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, Thou shalt go out no more with us to battle, that thou mayest not extinguish the light of Israel.

World English Bible
But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, “Don’t go out with us to battle any more, so that you don’t quench the lamp of Israel.”

Young's Literal Translation
and Abishai son of Zeruiah giveth help to him, and smiteth the Philistine, and putteth him to death; then swear the men of David to him, saying, 'Thou dost not go out again with us to battle, nor quench the lamp of Israel.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Four Battles Against the Philistines
16Then Ishbi-benob, a descendant of Rapha, whose bronze spear weighed three hundred shekels and who was bearing a new sword, resolved to kill David. 17But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You must never again go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel may not be extinguished.” 18Some time later at Gob, there was another battle with the Philistines. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha.…

Cross References
John 5:35
John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you were willing for a season to bask in his light.

2 Samuel 18:3
But the people pleaded, "You must not go out! For if we have to flee, they will pay no attention to us. Even if half of us die, they will not care; but you are worth ten thousand of us. It is better for now if you support us from the city."

2 Samuel 20:6
And David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take your lord's servants and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and elude us."

2 Samuel 22:29
For You, O LORD, are my lamp; the LORD lights up my darkness.

1 Kings 15:4
Nevertheless, for the sake of David, the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and to make Jerusalem strong.

Jeremiah 40:15
Then Johanan son of Kareah spoke privately to Gedaliah at Mizpah. "Let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah," he said. "No one will know it. Why should he take your life and scatter all the people of Judah who have gathered to you, so that the remnant of Judah would perish?"


Treasury of Scripture

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succored him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, You shall go no more out with us to battle, that you quench not the light of Israel.

Abishai

2 Samuel 20:6-10
And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us…

succoured

2 Samuel 22:19
They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.

Psalm 46:1
To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 144:10
It is he that giveth salvation unto kings: who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword.

Thou shalt

2 Samuel 18:3
But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou succour us out of the city.

quench

2 Samuel 14:7
And, behold, the whole family is risen against thine handmaid, and they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for the life of his brother whom he slew; and we will destroy the heir also: and so they shall quench my coal which is left, and shall not leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the earth.

1 Kings 11:36
And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.

1 Kings 15:4
Nevertheless for David's sake did the LORD his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem:

light [heb] candle, or lamp

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Abishai Battle David Extinguish Helped Israel Killed Lamp Mayest Philistine Quench Smote Struck Succored Succoured Sware Swore Zeruiah
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Abishai Battle David Extinguish Helped Israel Killed Lamp Mayest Philistine Quench Smote Struck Succored Succoured Sware Swore Zeruiah
2 Samuel 21
1. The three year Gibeonite famine ceases, by hanging seven of Saul's sons.
10. Rizpah's kindness unto the dead
12. David buries the bones of Saul and Jonathan in his father's tomb
15. Four battles against the Philistines, wherein four men of David slay four giants.














(17) And smote.--The original leaves it doubtful whether Abishai is the nominative to the verb, or whether it should be simply he, referring to David. 2Samuel 21:22 seems to imply that one at least of the sons of the giant fell by David's own hand.

Sware unto him.--This was a solemn transaction, by which David should hereafter be restrained from personal exposure in battle. That he should be spoken of as "the light of Israel" implies that his government over all Israel had continued long enough already to make its immense benefits sensible.

Verse 17. - The men of David sware unto him. David's men were specifically the mighties, who had so long been his friends and companions. They now bound him by an oath never again to fight in person, lest he should be singled out for combat by some warrior among the enemy and slain. The light of Israel. The lamp in the dwelling was the proof that there was life there, and so it became the symbol of prosperity. In Job 18:5, 6 the extinction of the lamp signifies the destruction of the family. David was evidently now king, and under him Israel was advancing to freedom and empire. His death would have plunged the nation back into weakness and probable ruin.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But Abishai
אֲבִישַׁ֣י (’ă·ḇî·šay)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 52: Abishai -- 'my father is Jesse', an Israelite name

son
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Zeruiah
צְרוּיָ֔ה (ṣə·rū·yāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6870: Zeruiah -- an Israelite woman

came to his aid,
וַיַּֽעֲזָר־ (way·ya·‘ă·zār-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5826: To surround, protect, aid

struck
וַיַּ֥ךְ (way·yaḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5221: To strike

the Philistine,
הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֖י (hap·pə·liš·tî)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6430: Philistines -- inhabitants of Philistia

and killed him.
וַיְמִיתֵ֑הוּ (way·mî·ṯê·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

Then
אָ֣ז (’āz)
Adverb
Strong's 227: At that time, place, therefore

David’s
דָוִ֨ד (ḏā·wiḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

men
אַנְשֵׁי־ (’an·šê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

swore
נִשְׁבְּעוּ֩ (niš·bə·‘ū)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7650: To seven oneself, swear

to him,
ל֜וֹ (lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

“You must never
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

again
ע֤וֹד (‘ō·wḏ)
Adverb
Strong's 5750: Iteration, continuance, again, repeatedly, still, more

go out
תֵצֵ֨א (ṯê·ṣê)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

with us
אִתָּ֙נוּ֙ (’it·tā·nū)
Preposition | first person common plural
Strong's 854: Nearness, near, with, by, at, among

to battle,
לַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה (lam·mil·ḥā·māh)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4421: A battle, war

so that the lamp
נֵ֥ר (nêr)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5216: A lamp, light

of Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

may not
וְלֹ֥א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

be extinguished.�
תְכַבֶּ֖ה (ṯə·ḵab·beh)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 3518: To be quenched or extinguished, to go out


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OT History: 2 Samuel 21:17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
2 Samuel 21:16
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