2 Samuel 1:1

David Learns of the Deaths of Saul and Jonathan

1:1 After the death of Saul, ¹  when David had returned from defeating the Amalekites, ²  he stayed at Ziklag ³  for two days.

2 Samuel 3:32

3:32 So they buried Abner in Hebron. The king cried loudly ⁴  over Abner’s grave and all the people wept too.

2 Samuel 4:1

Ish-bosheth is killed

4:1 When Ish-bosheth ⁵  the son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he was very disheartened, ⁶  and all Israel was afraid.

2 Samuel 6:18

6:18 When David finished offering the burnt sacrifices and peace offerings, he pronounced a blessing over the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.

2 Samuel 8:3

8:3 David defeated King Hadadezer son of Rehob of Zobah when he came to reestablish ⁷  his authority ⁸  over the Euphrates ⁹  River.

2 Samuel 10:10

10:10 He put his brother Abishai in charge of the rest of the army ¹⁰  and they were deployed ¹¹  against the Ammonites.

2 Samuel 11:26

11:26 When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband Uriah was dead, she mourned for him. ¹² 

2 Samuel 13:37

13:37 But Absalom fled and went to King Talmai son of Ammihud of Geshur. And David ¹³  grieved over his son every day.

2 Samuel 15:33

15:33 David said to him, “If you leave ¹⁴  with me you will be a burden to me.

2 Samuel 22:49

22:49 He delivers me from my enemies; ¹⁵ 

you snatch me away ¹⁶  from those who attack me; ¹⁷ 

you rescue me from violent men.

[1:1]  ¹ sn This chapter is closely linked to 1 Sam 31. It should be kept in mind that 1 and 2 Samuel were originally a single book, not separate volumes. Whereas in English Bible tradition the books of Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, and Ezra-Nehemiah are each regarded as two separate books, this was not the practice in ancient Hebrew tradition. Early canonical records, for example, counted them as single books respectively. The division into two books goes back to the Greek translation of the OT and was probably initiated because of the cumbersome length of copies due to the Greek practice (unlike that of Hebrew) of writing vowels. The present division into two books can be a little misleading in terms of perceiving the progression of the argument of the book; in some ways it is preferable to treat the books of 1-2 Samuel in a unified fashion.

[1:1]  ² sn The Amalekites were a nomadic people who inhabited Judah and the Transjordan. They are mentioned in Gen 36:15-16 as descendants of Amalek who in turn descended from Esau. In Exod 17:8-16 they are described as having acted in a hostile fashion toward Israel as the Israelites traveled to Canaan from Egypt. In David’s time the Amalekites were viewed as dangerous enemies who raided, looted, and burned Israelite cities (see 1 Sam 30).

[1:1]  ³ sn Ziklag was a city in the Negev which had been given to David by Achish king of Gath. For more than a year David used it as a base from which he conducted military expeditions (see 1 Sam 27:5-12). According to 1 Sam 30:1-19, Ziklag was destroyed by the Amalekites while Saul fought the Philistines.

[3:32]  ⁴ tn Heb “lifted up his voice and wept.” The expression is a verbal hendiadys.

[4:1]  ⁷ tn The MT does not specify the subject of the verb here, but the reference is to Ish-bosheth, so the name has been supplied in the translation for clarity. 4QSam^a and the LXX mistakenly read “Mephibosheth.”

[4:1]  ⁸ tn Heb “his hands went slack.”

[8:3]  ¹⁰ tc The LXX has ἐπιστῆσαι (episthsai, “cause to stand”). See the parallel text in 1 Chr 18:3.

[8:3]  ¹¹ tn Heb “hand.”

[8:3]  ¹² tn The MT does not have the name “Euphrates” in the text. It is supplied in the margin (Qere) as one of ten places where the Masoretes believed that something was “to be read although it was not written” in the text as they had received it. The ancient versions (LXX, Syriac Peshitta, Vulgate) include the word. See also the parallel text in 1 Chr 18:3.

[10:10]  ¹³ tn Heb “people.”

[10:10]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “he arranged.”

[11:26]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “for her lord.”

[13:37]  ¹⁹ tc The Hebrew text leaves the word “David” to be inferred. The Syriac Peshitta and Vulgate add the word “David.” Most of the Greek tradition includes the words “King David” here.

[15:33]  ²² tn Heb “cross over.”

[22:49]  ²⁵ tn Heb “and [the one who] brings me out from my enemies.”

[22:49]  ²⁶ tn Heb “you lift me up.” In light of the preceding and following references to deliverance, the verb רוּם (rum) probably here refers to being rescued from danger (see Ps 9:13). However, it could mean “exalt; elevate” here, indicating that the Lord has given him victory over his enemies and forced them to acknowledge the psalmist’s superiority.

[22:49]  ²⁷ tn Heb “from those who rise against me.”