2 Samuel 18:11

WEB

Joab said to the man who told him, "Behold, you saw it, and why did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have given you ten pieces of silver, and a sash."

KJV

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.

Commentary

And Joab said unto the man that told him,.... That gave the above account of him: and, behold, thou sawest him; in reality; or, "didst thou see him?" is it a fact? and why didst thou not smi te him there to the ground; kill him on the spot, that he might have dropped from the tree to the ground: and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver; on the news of it, for doing it, which was near twenty four shillings of our money; Josephus says (i) fifty shekels; the Arabic version has it ten thousand talents of silver, too great a sum by far: and a girdle? which was a mark of great honour, and a token of a commission under him, and of investing: him with a military office; see Sa1 18:4 ; it used to be given as an honorary reward to soldiers that behaved well, as on the contrary it was reckoned a reproach to be ungirt, or the girdle to be taken away (k). (i) Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 10. sect. 2.) (k) Vide Lydium de re militare, l. 3. c. 6.