2 Samuel 20:5
New International Version
But when Amasa went to summon Judah, he took longer than the time the king had set for him.

New Living Translation
So Amasa went out to notify Judah, but it took him longer than the time he had been given.

English Standard Version
So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he delayed beyond the set time that had been appointed him.

Berean Standard Bible
So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he took longer than the time allotted him.

King James Bible
So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him.

New King James Version
So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah. But he delayed longer than the set time which David had appointed him.

New American Standard Bible
So Amasa went to summon the men of Judah, but he was delayed longer than the set time which he had designated for him.

NASB 1995
So Amasa went to call out the men of Judah, but he delayed longer than the set time which he had appointed him.

NASB 1977
So Amasa went to call out the men of Judah, but he delayed longer than the set time which he had appointed him.

Legacy Standard Bible
So Amasa went to call out the men of Judah, but he delayed longer than the set time which he had appointed him.

Amplified Bible
So Amasa went to summon [the fighting men of] Judah, but he delayed longer than the time which David had set for him.

Christian Standard Bible
Amasa went to summon Judah, but he took longer than the time allotted him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Amasa went to summon Judah, but he took longer than the time allotted him.

American Standard Version
So Amasa went to call the men of Judah together; but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him.

Contemporary English Version
Amasa started bringing the army together, but it was taking him more than three days.

English Revised Version
So Amasa went to call the men of Judah together: but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Amasa went to call Judah together, but he took longer to do it than David had given him.

Good News Translation
Amasa went to call them, but he did not get back by the time the king had told him to.

International Standard Version
But when Amasa went out to muster the army of Judah, he delayed to act within the time allotted to him.

Majority Standard Bible
So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he took longer than the time allotted him.

NET Bible
So Amasa went out to call Judah together. But in doing so he took longer than the time that the king had allotted him.

New Heart English Bible
So Amasa went to summon Judah together, but he delayed beyond the set time that had been allotted him.

Webster's Bible Translation
So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him.

World English Bible
So Amasa went to call the men of Judah together, but he stayed longer than the set time which had been appointed to him.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and Amasa goes to call Judah, and tarries beyond the appointed time that he had appointed him;

Young's Literal Translation
and Amasa goeth to call Judah, and tarrieth beyond the appointed time that he had appointed him;

Smith's Literal Translation
And Amasa will go to call Judah together: and he will delay from the appointment which he appointed him.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
So Amasa went to assemble the men of Juda, but he tarried beyond the set time which the king had appointed him.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Therefore, Amasa went away, so that he might summon Judah. But he delayed beyond the agreed time that the king had appointed to him.

New American Bible
Accordingly Amasa set out to summon Judah, but delayed beyond the time set for him.

New Revised Standard Version
So Amasa went to summon Judah; but he delayed beyond the set time that had been appointed him.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah; but he tarried longer than the set time which had been appointed.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Amasa went to assemble them of the household of Yehuda, and he took longer than the appointment that the King appointed
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
So Amasa went to call the men of Judah together; but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Amessai went to call Juda, and delayed beyond the time which David appointed him.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Sheba's Rebellion
4Then the king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself.” 5So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he took longer than the time allotted him. 6And 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.”…

Cross References
2 Samuel 19:13
And say to Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my flesh and blood? May God punish me, and ever so severely, if from now on you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!’”

1 Kings 11:26-28
Now Jeroboam son of Nebat was an Ephraimite from Zeredah whose mother was a widow named Zeruah. Jeroboam was a servant of Solomon, but he rebelled against the king, / and this is the account of his rebellion against the king. Solomon had built the supporting terraces and repaired the gap in the wall of the city of his father David. / Now Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor. So when Solomon noticed that the young man was industrious, he put him in charge of the whole labor force of the house of Joseph.

1 Kings 1:5-7
At that time Adonijah, David’s son by Haggith, began to exalt himself, saying, “I will be king!” And he acquired chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run ahead of him. / (His father had never once reprimanded him by saying, “Why do you act this way?” Adonijah was also very handsome, born next after Absalom.) / So Adonijah conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, who supported him.

1 Kings 2:28-30
When the news reached Joab, who had conspired with Adonijah but not with Absalom, he fled to the tent of the LORD and took hold of the horns of the altar. / It was reported to King Solomon: “Joab has fled to the tent of the LORD and is now beside the altar.” So Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, strike him down!” / And Benaiah entered the tent of the LORD and said to Joab, “The king says, ‘Come out!’” But Joab replied, “No, I will die here.” So Benaiah relayed the message to the king, saying, “This is how Joab answered me.”

1 Chronicles 12:38
All these men of war, arrayed for battle, came to Hebron fully determined to make David king over all Israel. And all the rest of the Israelites were of one mind to make David king.

1 Samuel 22:7-8
Then Saul said to his servants, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Is the son of Jesse giving all of you fields and vineyards and making you commanders of thousands or hundreds? / Is that why all of you have conspired against me? Not one of you told me that my own son had made a covenant with the son of Jesse. Not one of you has shown concern for me or revealed to me that my son has stirred up my own servant to lie in wait against me, as is the case today.”

1 Samuel 25:13
And David said to his men, “Strap on your swords!” So David and all his men strapped on their swords, and about four hundred men followed David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.

2 Samuel 15:10-12
Then Absalom sent spies throughout the tribes of Israel with this message: “When you hear the sound of the horn, you are to say, ‘Absalom reigns in Hebron!’” / Two hundred men from Jerusalem accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and they went along innocently, for they knew nothing about the matter. / While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from his hometown of Giloh. So the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept increasing.

2 Samuel 17:25
Absalom had appointed Amasa over the army in place of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra, the Ishmaelite who had married Abigail, the daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah the mother of Joab.

2 Samuel 18:2
He sent out the troops, a third under Joab, a third under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the troops, “I will surely march out with you as well.”

2 Samuel 19:41-43
Soon all the men of Israel came to the king and asked, “Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, take you away secretly and bring the king and his household across the Jordan, together with all of David’s men?” / And all the men of Judah replied to the men of Israel, “We did this because the king is our relative. Why does this anger you? Have we ever eaten at the king’s expense or received anything for ourselves?” / “We have ten shares in the king,” answered the men of Israel, “so we have more claim to David than you. Why then do you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of restoring our king?” But the men of Judah spoke more fiercely than the men of Israel.

2 Samuel 3:30
(Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.)

2 Samuel 8:16
Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;

2 Samuel 19:5-7
Then Joab went into the house and said to the king, “Today you have disgraced all your servants who have saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters, of your wives, and of your concubines. / You love those who hate you and hate those who love you! For you have made it clear today that the commanders and soldiers mean nothing to you. I know today that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead, it would have pleased you! / Now therefore get up! Go out and speak comfort to your servants, for I swear by the LORD that if you do not go out, not a man will remain with you tonight. This will be worse for you than all the adversity that has befallen you from your youth until now!”

2 Samuel 19:11-12
Then King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests: “Say to the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you be the last to restore the king to his palace, since the talk of all Israel has reached the king at his quarters? / You are my brothers, my own flesh and blood. So why should you be the last to restore the king?’


Treasury of Scripture

So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him.

So Amasa

2 Samuel 19:13
And say ye to Amasa, Art thou not of my bone, and of my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in the room of Joab.

tarried

1 Samuel 13:8
And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.

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Amasa Ama'sa Appointed Assemble David Delayed Judah Longer Summon Tarried Tarrieth Time Together
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Amasa Ama'sa Appointed Assemble David Delayed Judah Longer Summon Tarried Tarrieth Time Together
2 Samuel 20
1. By occasion of the quarrel, Sheba rebels in Israel
3. David's ten concubines are put in confinement for life
4. Amasa, made captain over Judah, is slain by Joab
14. Joab pursues Sheba to Abel
16. A wise woman saves the city by Sheba's head
23. David's officers














So Amasa went to summon Judah
Amasa, appointed by David as commander of the army in place of Joab, is tasked with rallying the men of Judah. The Hebrew root for "summon" (קָרָא, qara) implies a calling or gathering, often used in contexts of assembling people for a significant purpose. Historically, Judah was the leading tribe, often taking precedence in military and political matters. Amasa's mission reflects the importance of unity and leadership within the tribes of Israel, emphasizing the need for decisive action in times of national crisis.

but he took longer than the time allotted him
The phrase highlights Amasa's delay, which is critical in the narrative. The Hebrew word for "took longer" (אַחַר, achar) suggests a lingering or delay that is not just a matter of time but also of urgency and expectation. In the historical context, delays in military mobilization could lead to disastrous consequences, as swift action was often necessary to counter threats. This delay foreshadows the tension and eventual conflict that arises due to unmet expectations and the urgency of the situation. It serves as a reminder of the importance of timeliness and reliability in leadership roles, especially when dealing with matters of national security and unity.

(5) He tarried longer.--No cause is assigned for this, and various conjectures have been made. The simplest explanation may be drawn from the fact that, in 2Samuel 20:8, Amasa is met on his return at Gibeon. He had therefore gone quite out of the bounds of Judah into Benjamin, and had consumed more time in consequence of exceeding his instructions. The fact suggests great doubt of his fitness for the place David had promised him. Joab appears to insinuate (in 2Samuel 20:11) that Amasa was not really loyal.

Verse 5. - He tarried longer than the set time. But not longer than was to be expected. For the appointment was so surprising that everybody must have been agape with astonishment. They would naturally have expected that Amasa would he punished. Instead of this, he is commissioned to gather the militia in David's name. And men would hesitate about joining such a leader. Was he really loyal? or would he embark them in a new rebellion? And what would Joab do? He was not a man likely to bear such a slight tamely, and David ought to have foreseen that he was sowing for himself a crop of discord and enmity.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So Amasa
עֲמָשָׂ֖א (‘ă·mā·śā)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6021: Amasa -- two Israelites

went
וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ (way·yê·leḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

to summon
לְהַזְעִ֣יק (lə·haz·‘îq)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 2199: To shriek, to announce, convene publicly

Judah,
יְהוּדָ֑ה (yə·hū·ḏāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3063: Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites

but he took longer
וַיּ֕וֹחֶר (way·yō·w·ḥer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 309: To loiter, to procrastinate

than
מִן־ (min-)
Preposition
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of

the time
הַמּוֹעֵ֖ד (ham·mō·w·‘êḏ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4150: Appointed time, place, or meeting

allotted him.
יְעָדֽוֹ׃ (yə·‘ā·ḏōw)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3259: To fix upon, to meet, to summon, to direct, to engage


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OT History: 2 Samuel 20:5 So Amasa went to call the men (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
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