2 Samuel 20:19 Meaning and Explanation
“I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The woman pleads that Abel is peaceable and faithful, asking why Joab would destroy a mother city that belongs to the Lord.
What Does 2 Samuel 20:19 Mean?
The woman speaks for her city as one of its peaceable and faithful people. She calls Abel 'a mother in Israel,' a city that nurtures and protects, and she presses the deepest question of all: why destroy what belongs to the Lord? The land and its people are the inheritance of God, not Joab's to consume.
Her appeal rises from siege tactics to sacred ground. To harm the faithful in Israel is to harm what God has claimed as His own. The plea reminds every leader that those entrusted to their power are not theirs to spend, but God's heritage, to be guarded rather than swallowed up.
2 Samuel 20:19 in the Original Language
nachalah (נַחֲלָה), 'inheritance' -- a possession given and guaranteed by God, especially the land and people of Israel.
Frequently Asked Questions About 2 Samuel 20:19
What does 2 Samuel 20:19 mean?
The woman pleads that Abel is peaceable and faithful, asking why Joab would destroy a mother city that belongs to the Lord.