2 Samuel 2:1-4

David is Anointed King

2:1 Afterward David inquired of the Lord, “Should I go up to one of the cities of Judah?” The Lord told him, “Go up.” David asked, “Where should I go?” The Lord replied, ¹  “To Hebron.” 2:2 So David went up, along with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail, formerly the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. 2:3 David also brought along the men who were with him, each with his family. They settled in the cities ²  of Hebron. 2:4 The men of Judah came and there they anointed David as king over the people ³  of Judah.

David was told, ⁴  “The people ⁵  of Jabesh Gilead are the ones who buried Saul.”

2 Samuel 2:11

2:11 David was king in Hebron over the people of Judah for seven and a half years. ⁶ 

[2:1]  ¹ tn Heb “he said.” The referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[2:3]  ² 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.

[2:4]  ³ tn Heb “house.”

[2:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “and they told David.” The subject appears to be indefinite, allowing one to translate the verb as passive with David as subject.

[2:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “men.”

[2:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “And the number of the days in which David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.”