2 Samuel 20:8 
Context| NET © | When they were near the big rock that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to them. Now Joab was dressed in military attire and had a dagger in its sheath belted to his waist. When he advanced, it fell out. 1 |
| NIV © | While they were at the great rock in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Joab was wearing his military tunic, and strapped over it at his waist was a belt with a dagger in its sheath. As he stepped forward, it dropped out of its sheath. |
| NASB © | When they were at the large stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Now Joab was dressed in his military attire, and over it was a belt with a sword in its sheath fastened at his waist; and as he went forward, it fell out. |
| NLT © | As they arrived at the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa met them, coming from the opposite direction. Joab was wearing his uniform with a dagger strapped to his belt. As he stepped forward to greet Amasa, he secretly slipped the dagger from its sheath. |
| MSG © | They were near the boulder at Gibeon when Amasa came their way. Joab was wearing a tunic with a sheathed sword strapped on his waist, but the sword slipped out and fell to the ground. |
| BBE © | When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came face to face with them. Now Joab had on his war-dress, and round him a band from which his sword was hanging in its cover; and while he was walking, it came out, falling to the earth. |
| NRSV © | When they were at the large stone that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Now Joab was wearing a soldier’s garment and over it was a belt with a sword in its sheath fastened at his waist; as he went forward it fell out. |
| NKJV © | When they were at the large stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came before them. Now Joab was dressed in battle armor; on it was a belt with a sword fastened in its sheath at his hips; and as he was going forward, it fell out. |
| KJV | |
| NASB © | When they were at the large <01419> stone <068> which <0834> is in Gibeon <01391> , Amasa <06021> came <0935> to meet <06440> them. Now Joab <03097> was dressed <02296> it was a belt <02290> with a sword <02719> in its sheath <08593> fastened <06775> at his waist <04975> ; and as he went <03318> forward <03318> , it fell out.<05307> |
| HEBREW | |
| LXXM | |
| NET © [draft] ITL | When they <01992> were near <05973> the big <01419> rock <068> that <0834> is in Gibeon <01391> , Amasa <06021> came <0935> to them <06440> . Now Joab <03097> was dressed <02296> in military <04055> attire <03830> and had a dagger <02719> in <05921> its sheath <08593> belted <06775> to his waist <04975> . When he <01931> advanced, it fell <05307> out .<03318> |
| NET © | When they were near the big rock that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to them. Now Joab was dressed in military attire and had a dagger in its sheath belted to his waist. When he advanced, it fell out. 1 |
| NET © Notes |
1 sn The significance of the statement it fell out here is unclear. If the dagger fell out of its sheath before Joab got to Amasa, how then did he kill him? Josephus, Ant. 7.11.7 (7.284), suggested that as Joab approached Amasa he deliberately caused the dagger to fall to the ground at an opportune moment as though by accident. When he bent over and picked it up, he then stabbed Amasa with it. Others have tried to make a case for thinking that two swords are referred to – the one that fell out and another that Joab kept concealed until the last moment. But nothing in the text clearly supports this view. Perhaps Josephus’ understanding is best, but it is by no means obvious in the text either. |
