What Does 2 Samuel 10:10 Mean in the King James?
And the rest of the people he delivered into the hand of Abishai his brother, that he might put them in array against the children of Ammon.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
“Delivered” is נָתַן (natan), “gave” or “placed”: command takes shape by putting a force into a brother’s hand.
THE MEANING
A shared purpose can hold a divided command: the remaining people are placed in Abishai’s hand, and he sets them in order against Ammon. The verse keeps the cost visible too: this order places people into battle.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The belief that every responsibility must stay in one pair of hands falls away: authority here is entrusted to Abishai.
THE ROOT
נָתַן
natan
GROWS FROM
נתן
give, set, place
“delivered” in this verse is natan. The Hebrew says the people are given into Abishai’s hand, so command is shown as a concrete placing of people under another’s care and authority. The same root also names a gift: what is given is put into someone’s hands.
ALSO GROWS
natan: to give, set, or place
נָתַן
This verb is the one used here: the people are placed in Abishai’s hand for a specific charge.
mattan: gift, present
מַתָּן
The noun shares the root of giving, revealing the common image of something placed into another’s hands; here, what is entrusted is a force for battle.
THE PATTERN
A divided responsibility can remain joined by shared purpose and mutual dependence.
And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee.And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.THE THREAD
Then David enquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand.The Hebrew uses נָתַן (natan, “give” or “place”) with “hand” in both verses. Here people are placed into Abishai’s hand for command; there the Philistines are given into David’s hand, showing how the same wording marks what is entrusted to someone’s authority.
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