KJV ORIGINAL
And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
Joab said to the man who told him this, 'Wait, you saw him there? Why didn't you strike him down to the ground right then? I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a warrior's belt.'
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
Joab is frustrated that a soldier didn't kill Absalom when he had the chance, and offers a reward he would have given for doing it.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during Absalom's rebellion against his father King David. Absalom had gotten caught by his hair in a tree branch while fleeing battle, and a soldier reported this to Joab, David's military commander. Despite David's orders to deal gently with Absalom, Joab wanted him dead to end the civil war.
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