2 Samuel 1:23

1:23 Saul and Jonathan were greatly loved ¹  during their lives,

and not even in their deaths were they separated.

They were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions.

2 Samuel 2:18-19

2:18 The three sons of Zeruiah were there – Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. (Now Asahel was as quick on his feet as one of the gazelles in the field.) 2:19 Asahel chased Abner, without turning to the right or to the left as he followed Abner.

Psalms 19:5

19:5 Like a bridegroom it emerges ²  from its chamber; ³ 

like a strong man it enjoys ⁴  running its course. ⁵ 

Isaiah 5:26-29

5:26 He lifts a signal flag for a distant nation, ⁶ 

he whistles for it to come from the far regions of the earth.

Look, they ⁷  come quickly and swiftly.

5:27 None tire or stumble,

they don’t stop to nap or sleep.

They don’t loosen their belts,

or unstrap their sandals to rest. ⁸ 

5:28 Their arrows are sharpened,

and all their bows are prepared. ⁹ 

The hooves of their horses are hard as flint, ¹⁰ 

and their chariot wheels are like a windstorm. ¹¹ 

5:29 Their roar is like a lion’s;

they roar like young lions.

They growl and seize their prey;

they drag it away and no one can come to the rescue.

¹ tn Heb “beloved and dear.”

² tn The participle expresses the repeated or regular nature of the action.

³ tn The Hebrew noun חֻפָּה (khufah, “chamber”) occurs elsewhere only in Isa 4:5 and Joel 2:16 (where it refers to the bedroom of a bride and groom).

⁴ tn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to the regularity of the action.

⁵ tn Heb “[on] a path.”

⁶ tc The Hebrew text has literally, “for nations from a distance.” The following verses use singular forms to describe this nation, so the final mem (ם) on לְגּוֹיִם (lÿgoyim) may be enclitic or dittographic. In the latter case one could read לְגוֹי מֵרָחוֹק (lÿgoy merakhoq, “for a nation from a distance”; see Deut 28:49; Joel 3:8). Another possibility is to emend the text from לַגּוֹיִם מֵרָחוֹק (laggoyim merakhoq) to לְגוֹי מִמֶּרְחָק (lÿgoy mimmerkhaq, “for a nation from a distant place”) a phrase which occurs in Jer 5:15. In this case an error of misdivision has occurred in MT, the mem of the prefixed preposition being accidentally taken as a plural ending on the preceding word.

⁷ tn Heb “he.” Singular forms are used throughout vv. 26-30 to describe this nation, but for stylistic reasons the translation uses the plural for these collective singulars.

⁸ tn Heb “and the belt on his waist is not opened, and the thong of his sandals is not torn in two.”

⁹ tn Heb “bent” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NIV “are strung.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “regarded like flint.”

¹¹ sn They are like a windstorm in their swift movement and in the way they kick up dust.