2 Samuel 20:18

Modern

Then the woman said, “Long ago they used to say, ‘Seek counsel at Abel,’ and that is how disputes were settled.

Traditional

Then she spake, saying, They were wont to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask counsel at Abel: and so they ended the matter.

Literal

And she spoke, saying, “They spoke often in former times, saying, ‘Let them diligently ask at Abel,’ and so they finished.

Latin

Rursumque illa: Sermo, inquit, dicebatur in veteri proverbio: Qui interrogant, interrogent in Abela: et sic perficiebant.

Hebrew

English

Then the woman said, “Long ago they used to say, ‘Seek counsel at Abel,’ and that is how disputes were settled.

The woman shared a saying to persuade Joab not to destroy the entire city, especially a noble one like Abel (short for Abel-beth-maacah, 2 Samuel 20:15), just to catch one criminal.
a city that is a mother in Israel: It was common to refer to outlying villages around a larger city as its “daughters.”

Theme notes and profiles

Deuteronomy 20:10–11
When you approach a city to fight against it, you are to make an offer of peace.

Abel-beth-maacah: A city in northern Israel, also called Abel-maim