2 Samuel 20:1

Sheba’s Rebellion

20:1 Now a wicked man named Sheba son of Bicri, a Benjaminite, happened to be there. He blew the trumpet and said,

“We have no share in David;

we have no inheritance in this son of Jesse!

Every man go home, O Israel!”

2 Samuel 20:1

Sheba’s Rebellion

20:1 Now a wicked man named Sheba son of Bicri, a Benjaminite, happened to be there. He blew the trumpet and said,

“We have no share in David;

we have no inheritance in this son of Jesse!

Every man go home, O Israel!”

2 Samuel 12:16

12:16 Then David prayed to God for the child and fasted. 10  He would even 11  go and spend the night lying on the ground.

2 Samuel 22:36

22:36 You give me 12  your protective shield; 13 

your willingness to help enables me to prevail. 14 

2 Samuel 22:2

22:2 He said:

“The Lord is my high ridge, 15  my stronghold, 16  my deliverer.

2 Samuel 14:12

14:12 Then the woman said, “Please permit your servant to speak to my lord the king about another matter.” He replied, “Tell me.”


tn Heb “a man of worthlessness.”

tn The expression used here יְמִינִי (yÿmini) is a short form of the more common “Benjamin.” It appears elsewhere in 1 Sam 9:4 and Esth 2:5. Cf. 1 Sam 9:1.

tn Heb “the shophar” (the ram’s horn trumpet). So also v. 22.

tc The MT reads לְאֹהָלָיו (lÿohalav, “to his tents”). For a similar idiom, see 19:9. An ancient scribal tradition understands the reading to be לְאלֹהָיו (lelohav, “to his gods”). The word is a tiqqun sopherim, and the scribes indicate that they changed the word from “gods” to “tents” so as to soften its theological implications. In a consonantal Hebrew text the change involved only the metathesis of two letters.

tn Heb “a man of worthlessness.”

tn The expression used here יְמִינִי (yÿmini) is a short form of the more common “Benjamin.” It appears elsewhere in 1 Sam 9:4 and Esth 2:5. Cf. 1 Sam 9:1.

tn Heb “the shophar” (the ram’s horn trumpet). So also v. 22.

tc The MT reads לְאֹהָלָיו (lÿohalav, “to his tents”). For a similar idiom, see 19:9. An ancient scribal tradition understands the reading to be לְאלֹהָיו (lelohav, “to his gods”). The word is a tiqqun sopherim, and the scribes indicate that they changed the word from “gods” to “tents” so as to soften its theological implications. In a consonantal Hebrew text the change involved only the metathesis of two letters.

tn Heb “sought” or “searched for.”

10 tn Heb “and David fasted.”

11 tn The three Hebrew verbs that follow in this verse are perfects with prefixed vav. They may describe repeated past actions or actions which accompanied David’s praying and fasting.

12 tn Another option is to translate the prefixed verb with vav consecutive with a past tense, “you gave me.” Several prefixed verbal forms with vav consecutive also appear in vv. 38-44. The present translation understands this section as a description of what generally happened when the author charged into battle, but another option is to understand the section as narrative and translate accordingly.

13 tc Ps 18:35 contains an additional line following this one, which reads “your right hand supports me.” It may be omitted here due to homoioarcton. See the note at Ps 18:35.

14 tn Heb “your answer makes me great.” David refers to God’s willingness to answer his prayer.

15 tn Traditionally “is my rock”; CEV “mighty rock”; TEV “is my protector.” This metaphor pictures God as a rocky, relatively inaccessible summit, where one would be able to find protection from enemies. See 1 Sam 23:25, 28.

16 tn Traditionally “my fortress”; TEV “my strong fortress”; NCV “my protection.”