2:12 Then Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth son of Saul went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
13:3 Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah. Jonadab was a very crafty man.
15:1 Some time later Absalom managed to acquire 2 a chariot and horses, as well as fifty men to serve as his royal guard. 3
15:5 When someone approached to bow before him, Absalom 4 would extend his hand and embrace him and kiss him.
15:13 Then a messenger came to David and reported, “The men of Israel are loyal to Absalom!” 5
16:15 Now when Absalom and all the men 7 of Israel arrived in Jerusalem, 8 Ahithophel was with him.
17:24 Meanwhile David had gone to Mahanaim, while Absalom and all the men of Israel had crossed the Jordan River.
18:10 When one 9 of the men saw this, he reported it to Joab saying, “I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree.
1 tc The expression “the cities of Hebron” is odd; we would expect the noun to be in the singular, if used at all. Although the Syriac Peshitta has the expected reading “in Hebron,” the MT is clearly the more difficult reading and should probably be retained here.
2 tn Heb “acquired for himself.”
3 tn Heb “to run ahead of him.”
3 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Absalom) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
4 tn Heb “the heart of the men of Israel is with Absalom.”
5 tn Heb “man of worthlessness.”
6 tn Heb “and all the people, the men of Israel.”
7 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
7 tc 4QSama lacks the word “one.”