2 Samuel 2:29

2:29 Abner and his men went through the Arabah all that night. They crossed the Jordan River ¹  and went through the whole region of Bitron ²  and came to Mahanaim.

2 Samuel 2:32

2:32 They took Asahel’s body and buried him in his father’s tomb at Bethlehem. ³  Joab and his men then traveled all that night and reached Hebron by dawn.

2 Samuel 4:5

4:5 Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite – Recab and Baanah – went at the hottest part of the day to the home of Ish-bosheth, as he was enjoying his midday rest.

2 Samuel 17:18

17:18 But a young man saw them on one occasion and informed Absalom. So the two of them quickly departed and went to the house of a man in Bahurim. There was a well in his courtyard, and they got down in it.

2 Samuel 4:7

4:7 They had entered ⁴  the house while Ish-bosheth ⁵  was resting on his bed in his bedroom. They mortally wounded him ⁶  and then cut off his head. ⁷  Taking his head, ⁸  they traveled on the way of the Arabah all that night.

2 Samuel 17:21

17:21 After the men had left, Ahimaaz and Jonathan ⁹  climbed out of the well. Then they left and informed King David. They advised David, “Get up and cross the stream ¹⁰  quickly, for Ahithophel has devised a plan to catch you.” ¹¹ 

¹ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

² tn Heb “and they went, all the Bitron.” The meaning of the Hebrew word “Bitron,” which is used only here in the OT, is disputed. The translation above follows BDB 144 s.v. בִּתְרוֹן in taking the word to be a proper name of an area east of the Jordan. A different understanding was advocated by W. R. Arnold, who took the word to refer to the forenoon or morning; a number of modern scholars and translations have adopted this view (cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV, CEV, NLT). See W. R. Arnold, “The Meaning of בתרון,” AJSL 28 (1911-1912): 274-83. In this case one could translate “and they traveled all morning long.”

³ map For location see Map5-B1; Map7-E2; Map8-E2; Map10-B4.

⁵ tn After the concluding disjunctive clause at the end of v. 6, the author now begins a more detailed account of the murder and its aftermath.

⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ish-bosheth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁷ tn Heb “they struck him down and killed him.” The expression is a verbal hendiadys.

⁸ tn Heb “and they removed his head.” The Syriac Peshitta and Vulgate lack these words.

⁹ tc The Lucianic Greek recension lacks the words “his head.”

⁷ tn Heb “they”; the referents (Ahimaaz and Jonathan) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁸ tn Heb “the water.”

⁹ tn Heb “for thus Ahithophel has devised against you.” The expression “thus” is narrative shorthand, referring to the plan outlined by Ahithophel (see vv. 1-3). The men would surely have outlined the plan in as much detail as they had been given by the messenger.