2 Samuel 2:27
ESV
And Joab said, "As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely the men would not have given up the pursuit of their brothers until the morning."
NIV
Joab answered, "As surely as God lives, if you had not spoken, the men would have continued pursuing them until morning."
NASB
Joab said, 'As God lives, if you had not spoken, then the people of Judah certainly would have withdrawn in the morning, each from pursuing his brother.'
CSB
"As God lives," Joab replied, "if you had not spoken up, the troops wouldn’t have stopped pursuing their brothers until morning."
NLT
Then Joab said, 'God only knows what would have happened if you hadn’t spoken, for we would have chased you all night if necessary.'
KJV
And Joab said, As God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother.
NKJV
And Joab said, “ As God lives, unless you had spoken, surely then by morning all the people would have given up pursuing their brethren.”
What does 2 Samuel 2:27 mean?
Abner and the survivors of the battle of Gibeon under his command have positioned themselves on the high ground of the hill of Ammah for a last stand. Joab, David's general, and his men have approached the hill at sunset, ready to finish them off. Then Abner did something strange: He asked Joab to stop killing his Israelite brothers. It's a bitter victory to destroy your own people (2 Samuel 2:25–26).Now Joab does something perhaps more surprising. He agrees. Joab tells Abner that he and his men were prepared to chase down and kill Abner and his men all night if that's what it took. He agrees with Abner, though, that they are all brothers. Although his own brother has been killed by Abner's hand, Joab agrees the time has come to stop the carnage.
But Joab won't forget what Abner has done. In two years, when Abner's army is in tatters, he will betray his king and promise David to convince the tribal elders to abandon Saul's son Ish-bosheth and accept David as their king. Joab won't believe Abner, and will still seeks revenge for his brother's death. He will call Abner back and kill him (2 Samuel 3:20–30).
