2 Samuel 15:28

15:28 Look, I will be waiting at the fords of the desert until word from you ¹  reaches me.”

2 Samuel 17:29

17:29 honey, curds, flocks, and cheese. ²  For they said, “The people are no doubt hungry, tired, and thirsty there in the desert.” ³ 

2 Samuel 2:24

2:24 So Joab and Abishai chased Abner. At sunset they came to the hill of Ammah near Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.

2 Samuel 15:23

15:23 All the land was weeping loudly ⁴  as all these people were leaving. ⁵  As the king was crossing over the Kidron Valley, all the people were leaving ⁶  on the road that leads to the desert.

2 Samuel 16:2

16:2 The king asked Ziba, “Why did you bring these things?” ⁷  Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the king’s family to ride on, the loaves of bread ⁸  and the summer fruit are for the attendants to eat, and the wine is for those who get exhausted in the desert.” ⁹ 

2 Samuel 17:16

17:16 Now send word quickly to David and warn him, ¹⁰  “Don’t spend the night at the fords of the desert ¹¹  tonight. Instead, be sure you cross over, ¹²  or else the king and everyone who is with him may be overwhelmed.” ¹³ 

¹ tn The pronoun is plural, referring to Zadok and Abiathar.

² tn Heb “cheese of the herd,” probably referring to cheese from cow’s milk (rather than goat’s milk).

³ tn Or “wilderness” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV, TEV, NLT).

³ tn Heb “with a great voice.”

⁴ tn Heb “crossing over.”

⁵ tn Heb “crossing near the face of.”

⁴ tn Heb “What are these to you?”

⁵ tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading וְהַלֶּחֶם (vÿhallekhem, “and the bread”) rather than וּלְהַלֶּחֶם (ulÿhallekhem, “and to the bread”) of the Kethib. The syntax of the MT is confused here by the needless repetition of the preposition, probably taken from the preceding word.

⁶ tn The Hebrew text adds “to drink.”

⁵ tn Heb “send quickly and tell David saying.”

⁶ tn Or “wilderness” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV, TEV).

⁷ tn That is, “cross over the Jordan River.”

⁸ tn Heb “swallowed up.”