2 Samuel 13:28-29

13:28 Absalom instructed his servants, “Look! When Amnon is drunk ¹  and I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon down,’ kill him then and there. Don’t fear! Is it not I who have given you these instructions? Be strong and courageous!” ²  13:29 So Absalom’s servants did to Amnon exactly what Absalom had instructed. Then all the king’s sons got up; each one rode away on his mule and fled.

Proverbs 29:12

29:12 If a ruler listens to ³  lies, ⁴ 

all his ministers ⁵  will be wicked. ⁶ 

[13:28]  ¹ tn Heb “when good is the heart of Amnon with wine.”

[13:28]  ² tn Heb “and become sons of valor.”

[29:12]  ³ tn The Hiphil participle מַקְשִׁיב (maqshiv) means “to give attention to; to regard; to heed.” Cf. NASB, NCV, TEV “pays attention to.”

[29:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “word of falsehood” or “lying word.” Cf. TEV “false information.”

[29:12]  ⁵ tn The verb שָׁרַת (sharat) means “to minister; to serve.” The Piel plural participle here refers to servants of the king who attend to him – courtiers and ministers (cf. NIV, NRSV, TEV, CEV “officials”; NLT “advisers”). This, his entourage, will have to resort to evil practices to gain his favor if he is swayed by such lies.

[29:12]  ⁶ sn The servants of the monarch adjust to their ruler; when they see that court flattery and deception are effective, they will begin to practice it and in the end become wicked (e.g., Prov 16:10; 20:8; 25:2).