Bible Strands
2 Samuel 3:20
When Abner and twenty of his men came to David at Hebron, David held a feast for them.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Abner arrives at Hebron with twenty men to meet David after negotiating with the Benjamites. David responds by hosting a meal for the delegation.
The words — The Hebrew verb וַיָּבֹא (va-yāḇōʾ) marks Abner’s physical arrival, while עֶשְׂרִים אֲנָשִׁים ('esrîm ʾănāšîm) specifies the exact number of his accompanying men.
The thread — Communal meals accompany political negotiations in Genesis 26:30 and 31:54, and royal banquets like Esther 1:3 signal shifting alliances.
Why it lands — The text records only the feast without detailing its result, requiring the reader to observe how diplomatic treaties are initiated through shared table fellowship before the subsequent covenant discussions unfold.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men that were with him a feast.
Cross-references
- Genesis 26:30 So Isaac prepared a feast for them, and they ate and drank.
- Genesis 31:54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat a meal. And after they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain.
- Esther 1:3 In the third year of his reign, Xerxes held a feast for all his officials and servants. The military leaders of Persia and Media were there, along with the nobles and princes of the provinces.