2 Samuel 15:34

15:34 But you will be able to counter the advice of Ahithophel if you go back to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king! Previously I was your father’s servant, and now I will be your servant.’

2 Samuel 15:1

Absalom Leads an Insurrection against David

15:1 Some time later Absalom managed to acquire ¹  a chariot and horses, as well as fifty men to serve as his royal guard. ² 

2 Samuel 1:2

1:2 On the third day a man arrived from the camp of Saul with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. ³  When he approached David, the man ⁴  threw himself to the ground. ⁵ 

2 Samuel 1:8

1:8 He asked me, ‘Who are you?’ I told him, ‘I’m ⁶  an Amalekite.’

Psalms 55:21

55:21 His words are as smooth as butter, ⁷ 

but he harbors animosity in his heart. ⁸ 

His words seem softer than oil,

but they are really like sharp swords. ⁹ 

Galatians 2:13

2:13 And the rest of the Jews also joined with him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray with them ¹⁰  by their hypocrisy.

¹ tn Heb “acquired for himself.”

² tn Heb “to run ahead of him.”

³ sn Tearing one’s clothing and throwing dirt on one’s head were outward expressions of grief in the ancient Near East, where such demonstrable reactions were a common response to tragic news.

⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man mentioned at the beginning of v. 2) has been specified in the translation to avoid confusion as to who fell to the ground.

⁵ tn Heb “he fell to the ground and did obeisance.”

⁶ tc The present translation reads with the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss “and I said,” rather than the Kethib which has “and he said.” See the LXX, Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate, all of which have the first person.

⁷ tn Heb “the butter-like [words] of his mouth are smooth.” The noun מַחְמָאֹת (makhma’ot, “butter-like [words]”) occurs only here. Many prefer to emend the form to מֵחֶמְאָה (mekhem’ah, from [i.e., “than”] butter”), cf. NEB, NRSV “smoother than butter.” However, in this case “his mouth” does not agree in number with the plural verb חָלְקוּ (kholqu, “they are smooth”). Therefore some further propose an emendation of פִּיו (piv, “his mouth”) to פָּנָיו (panayv, “his face”). In any case, the point seems to that the psalmist’s former friend spoke kindly to him and gave the outward indications of friendship.

⁸ tn Heb “and war [is in] his heart.”

⁹ tn Heb “his words are softer than oil, but they are drawn swords.”

¹⁰ tn The words “with them” are a reflection of the σύν- (sun-) prefix on the verb συναπήχθη (sunaphcqh; see L&N 31.76).