2 Samuel 11:24

11:24 Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall and some of the king’s soldiers ¹  died. Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.”

2 Samuel 1:14

1:14 David replied to him, “How is it that you were not afraid to reach out your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?”

2 Samuel 3:11

3:11 Ish-bosheth ²  was unable to answer Abner with even a single word because he was afraid of him.

2 Samuel 6:9

6:9 David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, “How will the ark of the Lord ever come to me?”

2 Samuel 7:23

7:23 Who is like your people, Israel, a unique nation ³  on the earth? Their God ⁴  went ⁵  to claim ⁶  a nation for himself and to make a name for himself! You did great and awesome acts for your land, ⁷  before your people whom you delivered for yourself from the Egyptian empire and its gods. ⁸ 

2 Samuel 9:7

9:7 David said to him, “Don’t be afraid, because I will certainly extend kindness to you for the sake of Jonathan your father. You will be a regular guest at my table.” ⁹ 

2 Samuel 10:19

10:19 When all the kings who were subject to Hadadezer ¹⁰  saw they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became subjects of Israel. ¹¹  The Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.

2 Samuel 13:28

13:28 Absalom instructed his servants, “Look! When Amnon is drunk ¹²  and I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon down,’ kill him then and there. Don’t fear! Is it not I who have given you these instructions? Be strong and courageous!” ¹³ 

2 Samuel 14:15

14:15 I have now come to speak with my lord the king about this matter, because the people have made me fearful. ¹⁴  But your servant said, ‘I will speak to the king! Perhaps the king will do what his female servant ¹⁵  asks.

2 Samuel 12:18

12:18 On the seventh day the child died. But the servants of David were afraid to inform him that the child had died, for they said, “While the child was still alive he would not listen to us ¹⁶  when we spoke to him. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He will do himself harm!” ¹⁷ 

¹ tc The translation follows the Qere (“your servants”) rather than the Kethib (“your servant”).

² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ish-bosheth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³ tn Heb “a nation, one.”

⁴ tn Heb “whose God” or “because God.” In the Hebrew text this clause is subordinated to what precedes. The clauses are separated in the translation for stylistic reasons.

⁵ tn The verb is plural in Hebrew, agreeing grammatically with the divine name, which is a plural of degree.

⁶ tn Heb “redeem.”

⁷ tn Heb “and to do for you [plural form] the great [thing] and awesome [things] for your land.”

⁸ tn Heb “from Egypt, nations and their gods.” The LXX has “nations and tents,” which reflects a mistaken metathesis of letters in אֶלֹהָיו (e’lohav, “its gods”) and אֹהָלָיו (’ohalav, “its tents”).

⁴ tn Heb “and you will eat food over my table continually.”

⁵ tn Heb “the servants of Hadadezer.”

⁶ tn Heb “and they served them.”

⁶ tn Heb “when good is the heart of Amnon with wine.”

⁷ tn Heb “and become sons of valor.”

⁷ tc The LXX (ὄψεταί με, opsetai me) has misunderstood the Hebrew יֵרְאֻנִי (yerÿ’uni, Piel perfect, “they have made me fearful”), taking the verb to be a form of the verb רָאָה (ra’ah, “to see”) rather than the verb יָרֵא (yare’, “to fear”). The fact that the Greek translators were working with an unvocalized Hebrew text (i.e., consonants only) made them very susceptible to this type of error.

⁸ tn Here and in v. 16 the woman refers to herself as the king’s אָמָה (’amah), a term that refers to a higher level female servant toward whom the master might have some obligation. Like the other term, this word expresses her humility, but it also suggests that the king might have some obligation to treat her in accordance with the principles of justice.

⁸ tn Heb “to our voice.”

⁹ tn Heb “he will do harm.” The object is not stated in the Hebrew text. The statement may be intentionally vague, meaning that he might harm himself or them!