2 Samuel 18:14

18:14 Joab replied, “I will not wait around like this for you!” He took three spears in his hand and thrust them into the middle of Absalom while he was still alive in the middle of the oak tree. ¹ 

2 Samuel 7:21

7:21 For the sake of your promise and according to your purpose ²  you have done this great thing in order to reveal it to your servant. ³ 

2 Samuel 14:1

David Permits Absalom to Return to Jerusalem

14:1 Now Joab son of Zeruiah realized that the king longed to see ⁴  Absalom.

2 Samuel 15:13

David Flees from Jerusalem

15:13 Then a messenger came to David and reported, “The men of Israel are loyal to Absalom!” ⁵ 

2 Samuel 17:10

17:10 If that happens even the bravest soldier – one who is lion-hearted – will virtually melt away. For all Israel knows that your father is a warrior and that those who are with him are brave.

2 Samuel 13:33

13:33 Now don’t let my lord the king be concerned about the report that has come saying, ‘All the king’s sons are dead.’ It is only Amnon who is dead.”

2 Samuel 15:6

15:6 Absalom acted this way toward everyone in Israel who came to the king for justice. In this way Absalom won the loyalty ⁶  of the citizens ⁷  of Israel.

2 Samuel 18:3

18:3 But the soldiers replied, ⁸  “You should not do this! ⁹  For if we should have to make a rapid retreat, they won’t be too concerned about us. ¹⁰  Even if half of us should die, they won’t be too concerned about us. But you ¹¹  are like ten thousand of us! So it is better if you remain in the city for support.”

2 Samuel 6:16

6:16 As the ark of the Lord entered the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked out the window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him. ¹² 

2 Samuel 7:27

7:27 for you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have told ¹³  your servant, ‘I will build you a dynastic house.’ ¹⁴  That is why your servant has had the courage ¹⁵  to pray this prayer to you.

2 Samuel 13:20

13:20 Her brother Absalom said to her, “Was Amnon your brother with you? Now be quiet, my sister. He is your brother. Don’t take it so seriously!” ¹⁶  Tamar, devastated, lived in the house of her brother Absalom.

2 Samuel 13:28

13:28 Absalom instructed his servants, “Look! When Amnon is drunk ¹⁷  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!” ¹⁸ 

2 Samuel 19:19

19:19 He said to the king, “Don’t think badly of me, my lord, and don’t recall the sin of your servant on the day when you, my lord the king, left ¹⁹  Jerusalem! ²⁰  Please don’t call it to mind!

2 Samuel 24:10

24:10 David felt guilty ²¹  after he had numbered the army. David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly by doing this! Now, O Lord, please remove the guilt of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.”

2 Samuel 19:7

19:7 So get up now and go out and give some encouragement to ²²  your servants. For I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out there, not a single man will stay here with you tonight! This disaster will be worse for you than any disaster that has overtaken you from your youth right to the present time!”

[18:14]  ¹ tn There is a play on the word “heart” here that is difficult to reproduce in English. Literally the Hebrew text says “he took three spears in his hand and thrust them into the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the heart of the oak tree.” This figure of speech involves the use of the same word in different senses and is known as antanaclasis. It is illustrated in the familiar saying from the time of the American Revolution: “If we don’t hang together, we will all hang separately.” The present translation understands “heart” to be used somewhat figuratively for “chest” (cf. TEV, CEV), which explains why Joab’s armor bearers could still “kill” Absalom after he had been stabbed with three spears through the “heart.” Since trees do not have “chests” either, the translation uses “middle.”

[7:21]  ² tn Heb “for the sake of your word and according to your heart.”

[7:21]  ³ tn Heb “to make known, your servant.”

[14:1]  ³ tn Heb “the heart of the king was upon.” The Syriac Peshitta adds the verb ’ethre’i (“was reconciled”).

[15:13]  ⁴ tn Heb “the heart of the men of Israel is with Absalom.”

[15:6]  ⁵ tn Heb “stole the heart.”

[15:6]  ⁶ tn Heb “the men.”

[18:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “the people said.”

[18:3]  ⁷ tn Heb “march out.”

[18:3]  ⁸ tn Heb “they will not place to us heart.”

[18:3]  ⁹ tc The translation follows the LXX (except for the Lucianic recension), Symmachus, and Vulgate in reading אָתָּה (’atta, “you”) rather than MT עָתָּה (’atta, “now”).

[6:16]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew text adds “in her heart.” Cf. CEV “she was disgusted (+ with him TEV)”; NLT “was filled with contempt for him”; NCV “she hated him.”

[7:27]  ⁸ tn Heb “have uncovered the ear of.”

[7:27]  ⁹ tn Heb “a house.” This maintains the wordplay from v. 11 (see the note on the word “house” there) and is continued in v. 29.

[7:27]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “has found his heart.”

[13:20]  ⁹ tn Heb “Don’t set your heart to this thing!”

[13:28]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “when good is the heart of Amnon with wine.”

[13:28]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and become sons of valor.”

[19:19]  ¹¹ tn Though this verb in the MT is 3rd person masculine singular, it should probably be read as 2nd person masculine singular. It is one of fifteen places where the Masoretes placed a dot over each of the letters of the word in question in order to call attention to their suspicion of the word. Their concern in this case apparently had to do with the fact that this verb and the two preceding verbs alternate from third person to second and back again to third. Words marked in this way in Hebrew manuscripts or printed editions are said to have puncta extrordinaria, or “extraordinary points.”

[19:19]  ¹² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[24:10]  ¹² tn Heb “and the heart of David struck him.”

[19:7]  ¹³ tn Heb “and speak to the heart of.”