Discovery Box1 Kings 2:1-11
Context2:1 When David was close to death, 1 he told 2 Solomon his son: 2:2 “I am about to die. 3 Be strong and become a man! 2:3 Do the job the Lord your God has assigned you 4 by following his instructions 5 and obeying 6 his rules, commandments, regulations, and laws as written in the law of Moses. Then you will succeed in all you do and seek to accomplish, 7 2:4 and the Lord will fulfill his promise to me, 8 ‘If your descendants watch their step 9 and live faithfully in my presence 10 with all their heart and being, 11 then,’ he promised, 12 ‘you will not fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’ 13
2:5 “You know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me – how he murdered two commanders of the Israelite armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. 14 During peacetime he struck them down like he would in battle; 15 when he shed their blood as if in battle, he stained his own belt and the sandals on his feet. 16 2:6 Do to him what you think is appropriate, 17 but don’t let him live long and die a peaceful death. 18
2:7 “Treat fairly 19 the sons of Barzillai of Gilead and provide for their needs, 20 because they helped me 21 when I had to flee from your brother Absalom.
2:8 “Note well, you still have to contend with Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, 22 who tried to call down upon me a horrible judgment when I went to Mahanaim. 23 He came down and met me at the Jordan, and I solemnly promised 24 him by the Lord, ‘I will not strike you down 25 with the sword.’ 2:9 But now 26 don’t treat him as if he were innocent. You are a wise man and you know how to handle him; 27 make sure he has a bloody death.” 28
2:10 Then David passed away 29 and was buried in the city of David. 30 2:11 David reigned over Israel forty years; he reigned in Hebron seven years, and in Jerusalem 31 thirty-three years.
[2:1] 1 tn Heb “and the days of David approached to die.”
[2:2] 3 tn Heb “going the way of all the earth.”
[2:3] 4 tn Heb “keep the charge of the
[2:3] 5 tn Heb “by walking in his ways.”
[2:3] 7 tn Heb “then you will cause to succeed all which you do and all which you turn there.”
[2:4] 8 tn Heb “then the
[2:4] 9 tn Heb “guard their way.”
[2:4] 10 tn Heb “by walking before me in faithfulness.”
[2:4] 13 tn Heb “there will not be cut off from you a man from upon the throne of Israel.”
[2:5] 14 tn Heb “what he did to the two commanders…and he killed them.”
[2:5] 15 tn Heb “he shed the blood of battle in peace.”
[2:5] 16 tn Heb “and he shed the blood of battle when he killed which is on his waist and on his sandal[s] which are on his feet.” That is, he covered himself with guilt and his guilt was obvious to all who saw him.
[2:6] 17 tn Heb “according to your wisdom.”
[2:6] 18 tn Heb “and do not bring down his grey hair in peace [to] Sheol.”
[2:7] 19 tn Heb “do loyalty with”; or “act faithfully toward.”
[2:7] 20 tn Heb “and let them be among the ones who eat [at] your table.”
[2:7] 21 tn Heb “drew near to.”
[2:8] 22 tn Heb “Look, with you is Shimei….”
[2:8] 23 tn Heb “and he cursed me with a horrible curse on the day I went to Mahanaim.”
[2:8] 24 tn Or “swore an oath to.”
[2:9] 26 tc The Lucianic recension of the Old Greek and the Vulgate have here “you” rather than “now.” The two words are homonyms in Hebrew.
[2:9] 27 tn Heb “what you should do to him.”
[2:9] 28 tn Heb “bring his grey hair down in blood [to] Sheol.”
[2:10] 29 tn Heb “and David lay down with his fathers.”
[2:10] 30 sn The phrase the city of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
[2:11] 31 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
