Discovery Box2 Samuel 21:1--24:25
Context21:1 During David’s reign there was a famine for three consecutive years. So David inquired of the Lord. 1 The Lord said, “It is because of Saul and his bloodstained family, 2 because he murdered the Gibeonites.”
21:2 So the king summoned the Gibeonites and spoke with them. (Now the Gibeonites were not descendants of Israel; they were a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had made a promise to 3 them, but Saul tried to kill them because of his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah.) 21:3 David said to the Gibeonites, “What can I do for you, and how can I make amends so that you will bless 4 the Lord’s inheritance?”
21:4 The Gibeonites said to him, “We 5 have no claim to silver or gold from Saul or from his family, 6 nor would we be justified in putting to death anyone in Israel.” David asked, 7 “What then are you asking me to do for you?” 21:5 They replied to the king, “As for this man who exterminated us and who schemed against us so that we were destroyed and left without status throughout all the borders of Israel – 21:6 let seven of his male descendants be turned over to us, and we will execute 8 them before the Lord in Gibeah of Saul, who was the Lord’s chosen one.” 9 The king replied, “I will turn them over.”
21:7 The king had mercy on Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, in light of the Lord’s oath that had been taken between David and Jonathan son of Saul. 21:8 So the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Aiah’s daughter Rizpah whom she had born to Saul, and the five sons of Saul’s daughter Merab 10 whom she had born to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite. 21:9 He turned them over to the Gibeonites, and they executed them on a hill before the Lord. The seven of them 11 died 12 together; they were put to death during harvest time – during the first days of the beginning 13 of the barley harvest.
21:10 Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest until the rain fell on them, 14 she did not allow the birds of the air to feed 15 on them by day, nor the wild animals 16 by night. 21:11 When David was told what Rizpah daughter of Aiah, Saul’s concubine, had done, 21:12 he 17 went and took the bones of Saul and of his son Jonathan 18 from the leaders 19 of Jabesh Gilead. (They had secretly taken 20 them from the plaza at Beth Shan. It was there that Philistines 21 publicly exposed their corpses 22 after 23 they 24 had killed Saul at Gilboa.) 21:13 David 25 brought the bones of Saul and of Jonathan his son from there; they also gathered up the bones of those who had been executed.
21:14 They buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin at Zela in the grave of his father Kish. After they had done everything 26 that the king had commanded, God responded to their prayers 27 for the land.
21:15 Another battle was fought between the Philistines and Israel. So David went down with his soldiers 28 and fought the Philistines. David became exhausted. 21:16 Now Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, 29 had a spear 30 that weighed three hundred bronze shekels, 31 and he was armed with a new weapon. 32 He had said that he would kill David. 21:17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to David’s aid, striking the Philistine down and killing him. Then David’s men took an oath saying, “You will not go out to battle with us again! You must not extinguish the lamp of Israel!”
21:18 Later there was another battle with the Philistines, this time in Gob. On that occasion Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Saph, who was one of the descendants of Rapha. 21:19 Yet another battle occurred with the Philistines in Gob. On that occasion Elhanan the son of Jair 33 the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, 34 the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. 21:20 Yet another battle occurred in Gath. On that occasion there was a large man 35 who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all! He too was a descendant of Rapha. 21:21 When he taunted Israel, Jonathan, the son of David’s brother Shimeah, killed him. 21:22 These four were the descendants of Rapha who lived in Gath; they were killed 36 by David and his soldiers. 37
22:1 38 David sang 39 to the Lord the words of this song when 40 the Lord rescued him from the power 41 of all his enemies, including Saul. 42 22:2 He said:
“The Lord is my high ridge, 43 my stronghold, 44 my deliverer.
22:3 My God 45 is my rocky summit where I take shelter, 46
my shield, the horn that saves me, 47 my stronghold,
my refuge, my savior. You save me from violence! 48
22:4 I called 49 to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, 50
and I was delivered from my enemies.
22:5 The waves of death engulfed me;
the currents 51 of chaos 52 overwhelmed me. 53
22:6 The ropes of Sheol 54 tightened around me; 55
the snares of death trapped me. 56
22:7 In my distress I called to the Lord;
I called to my God. 57
From his heavenly temple 58 he heard my voice;
he listened to my cry for help. 59
22:8 The earth heaved and shook; 60
the foundations of the sky 61 trembled. 62
They heaved because he was angry.
22:9 Smoke ascended from 63 his nose; 64
fire devoured as it came from his mouth; 65
he hurled down fiery coals. 66
22:10 He made the sky sink 67 as he descended;
a thick cloud was under his feet.
22:11 He mounted 68 a winged angel 69 and flew;
he glided 70 on the wings of the wind. 71
22:12 He shrouded himself in darkness, 72
in thick rain clouds. 73
22:13 From the brightness in front of him
came coals of fire. 74
22:14 The Lord thundered 75 from the sky;
the sovereign One 76 shouted loudly. 77
22:15 He shot 78 arrows and scattered them, 79
lightning and routed them. 80
22:16 The depths 81 of the sea were exposed;
the inner regions 82 of the world were uncovered
by the Lord’s battle cry, 83
by the powerful breath from his nose. 84
22:17 He reached down from above and grabbed me; 85
he pulled me from the surging water. 86
22:18 He rescued me from my strong enemy, 87
from those who hate me,
for they were too strong for me.
22:19 They confronted 88 me in my day of calamity,
but the Lord helped me. 89
22:20 He brought me out into a wide open place;
he delivered me because he was pleased with me. 90
22:21 The Lord repaid 91 me for my godly deeds; 92
he rewarded 93 my blameless behavior. 94
22:22 For I have obeyed the Lord’s commands; 95
I have not rebelled against my God. 96
22:23 For I am aware of all his regulations, 97
and I do not reject his rules. 98
22:24 I was blameless before him;
I kept myself from sinning. 99
22:25 The Lord rewarded me for my godly deeds; 100
he took notice of my blameless behavior. 101
22:26 You prove to be loyal 102 to one who is faithful; 103
you prove to be trustworthy 104 to one who is innocent. 105
22:27 You prove to be reliable 106 to one who is blameless,
but you prove to be deceptive 107 to one who is perverse. 108
22:28 You deliver oppressed 109 people,
but you watch the proud and bring them down. 110
22:29 Indeed, 111 you are my lamp, 112 Lord.
The Lord illumines 113 the darkness around me. 114
22:30 Indeed, 115 with your help 116 I can charge 117 against an army; 118
by my God’s power 119 I can jump over a wall. 120
22:31 The one true God acts in a faithful manner; 121
the Lord’s promise is reliable; 122
he is a shield to all who take shelter in him.
22:32 Indeed, 123 who is God besides the Lord?
Who is a protector 124 besides our God? 125
22:33 The one true God 126 is my mighty refuge; 127
he removes 128 the obstacles in my way. 129
22:34 He gives me the agility of a deer; 130
he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain. 131
22:35 He trains 132 my hands for battle; 133
my arms can bend even the strongest bow. 134
22:36 You give me 135 your protective shield; 136
your willingness to help enables me to prevail. 137
my feet 139 do not slip.
22:38 I chase my enemies and destroy them;
I do not turn back until I wipe them out.
22:39 I wipe them out and beat them to death;
they cannot get up;
they fall at my feet.
22:40 You give me strength for battle; 140
you make my foes kneel before me. 141
22:41 You make my enemies retreat; 142
I destroy those who hate me.
22:42 They cry out, 143 but there is no one to help them; 144
they cry out to the Lord, 145 but he does not answer them.
22:43 I grind them as fine as the dust of the ground;
I crush them and stomp on them like clay 146 in the streets.
22:44 You rescue me from a hostile army; 147
you preserve me as a leader of nations;
people over whom I had no authority are now my subjects. 148
22:45 Foreigners are powerless before me; 149
when they hear of my exploits, they submit to me. 150
22:46 Foreigners lose their courage; 151
they shake with fear 152 as they leave 153 their strongholds. 154
My protector 156 is praiseworthy! 157
The God who delivers me 158 is exalted as king! 159
22:48 The one true God completely vindicates me; 160
he makes nations submit to me. 161
22:49 He delivers me from my enemies; 162
you snatch me away 163 from those who attack me; 164
you rescue me from violent men.
22:50 So I will give you thanks, O Lord, before the nations! 165
I will sing praises to you. 166
22:51 He gives his chosen king magnificent victories; 167
he is faithful to his chosen ruler, 168
to David and to his descendants forever!”
23:1 These are the final words of David:
“The oracle of David son of Jesse,
the oracle of the man raised up as
the ruler chosen by the God of Jacob, 169
Israel’s beloved 170 singer of songs:
23:2 The Lord’s spirit spoke through me;
his word was on my tongue.
23:3 The God of Israel spoke,
the protector 171 of Israel spoke to me.
The one who rules fairly among men,
the one who rules in the fear of God,
23:4 is like the light of morning when the sun comes up,
a morning in which there are no clouds.
He is like the brightness after rain
that produces grass from the earth.
23:5 My dynasty is approved by God, 172
for he has made a perpetual covenant with me,
arranged in all its particulars and secured.
He always delivers me,
and brings all I desire to fruition. 173
23:6 But evil people are like thorns –
all of them are tossed away,
for they cannot be held in the hand.
23:7 The one who touches them
must use an iron instrument
or the wooden shaft of a spear.
They are completely burned up right where they lie!” 174
23:8 These are the names of David’s warriors:
Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was head of the officers. 175 He killed eight hundred men with his spear in one battle. 176 23:9 Next in command 177 was Eleazar son of Dodo, 178 the son of Ahohi. He was one of the three warriors who were with David when they defied the Philistines who were assembled there for battle. When the men of Israel retreated, 179 23:10 he stood his ground 180 and fought the Philistines until his hand grew so tired that it 181 seemed stuck to his sword. The Lord gave a great victory on that day. When the army returned to him, the only thing left to do was to plunder the corpses.
23:11 Next in command 182 was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines assembled at Lehi, 183 where there happened to be an area of a field that was full of lentils, the army retreated before the Philistines. 23:12 But he made a stand in the middle of that area. He defended 184 it and defeated the Philistines; the Lord gave them a great victory.
23:13 At the time of 185 the harvest three 186 of the thirty leaders went down to 187 David at the cave of Adullam. A band of Philistines was camped in the valley of Rephaim. 23:14 David was in the stronghold at the time, while a Philistine garrison was in Bethlehem. 188 23:15 David was thirsty and said, “How I wish someone would give me some water to drink from the cistern in Bethlehem near the gate!” 23:16 So the three elite warriors broke through the Philistine forces and drew some water from the cistern in Bethlehem near the gate. They carried it back to David, but he refused to drink it. He poured it out as a drink offering to the Lord 23:17 and said, “O Lord, I will not do this! 189 It is equivalent to the blood of the men who risked their lives by going.” 190 So he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three elite warriors. 191
23:18 Abishai son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, was head of the three. 192 He killed three hundred men with his spear and gained fame among the three. 193 23:19 From 194 the three he was given honor and he became their officer, even though he was not one of the three.
23:20 Benaiah son of Jehoida was a brave warrior 195 from Kabzeel who performed great exploits. He struck down the two sons of Ariel of Moab. 196 He also went down and killed a lion in a cistern on a snowy day. 23:21 He also killed an impressive-looking Egyptian. 197 The Egyptian wielded a spear, while Benaiah attacked 198 him with a club. He grabbed the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 23:22 Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoida, who gained fame among the three elite warriors. 23:23 He received honor from 199 the thirty warriors, though he was not one of the three elite warriors. David put him in charge of his bodyguard.
23:24 Included with the thirty were the following: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem, 200 23:25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, 23:26 Helez the Paltite, Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa, 23:27 Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, 23:28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, 23:29 Heled 201 son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin, 23:30 Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai from the wadis of Gaash, 23:31 Abi-Albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, 23:32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan 23:33 son of 202 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite, 23:34 Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite, Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, 23:35 Hezrai 203 the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, 23:36 Igal son of Nathan from Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 23:37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite (the armor-bearer 204 of Joab son of Zeruiah), 23:38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite 23:39 and Uriah the Hittite. Altogether there were thirty-seven.
24:1 The Lord’s anger again raged against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go count Israel and Judah.” 205 24:2 The king told Joab, the general in command of his army, “Go through all the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beer Sheba and muster the army, so I may know the size of the army.”
24:3 Joab replied to the king, “May the Lord your God make the army a hundred times larger right before the eyes of my lord the king! But why does my master the king want to do this?”
24:4 But the king’s edict stood, despite the objections of 206 Joab and the leaders of the army. So Joab and the leaders of the army left the king’s presence in order to muster the Israelite army.
24:5 They crossed the Jordan and camped at Aroer, on the south side of the city, at 207 the wadi of Gad, near Jazer. 24:6 Then they went on to Gilead and to the region of Tahtim Hodshi, coming to Dan Jaan and on around to Sidon. 208 24:7 Then they went to the fortress of Tyre 209 and all the cities of the Hivites and the Canaanites. Then they went on to the Negev of Judah, to Beer Sheba. 24:8 They went through all the land and after nine months and twenty days came back to Jerusalem. 210
24:9 Joab reported the number of warriors 211 to the king. In Israel there were 800,000 sword-wielding warriors, and in Judah there were 500,000 soldiers.
24:10 David felt guilty 212 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.”
24:11 When David got up the next morning, the Lord had already spoken 213 to Gad the prophet, David’s seer: 24:12 “Go, tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am offering you three forms of judgment. Pick one of them and I will carry it out against you.’”
24:13 Gad went to David and told him, “Shall seven 214 years of famine come upon your land? Or shall you flee for three months from your enemy with him in hot pursuit? Or shall there be three days of plague in your land? Now decide 215 what I should tell the one who sent me.” 24:14 David said to Gad, “I am very upset! I prefer that we be attacked by the Lord, for his mercy is great; I do not want to be attacked by men!” 216
24:15 So the Lord sent a plague through Israel from the morning until the completion of the appointed time. Seventy thousand men died from Dan to Beer Sheba. 24:16 When the angel 217 extended his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord relented from his judgment. 218 He told the angel who was killing the people, “That’s enough! Stop now!” 219 (Now the Lord’s angel was near the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.)
24:17 When he saw the angel who was destroying the people, David said to the Lord, “Look, it is I who have sinned and done this evil thing! As for these sheep – what have they done? Attack me and my family.” 220
24:18 So Gad went to David that day and told him, “Go up and build an altar for the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” 24:19 So David went up as Gad instructed him to do, according to the Lord’s instructions.
24:20 When Araunah looked out and saw the king and his servants approaching him, he 221 went out and bowed to the king with his face 222 to the ground. 24:21 Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” David replied, “To buy from you the threshing floor so I can build an altar for the Lord, so that the plague may be removed from the people.” 24:22 Araunah told David, “My lord the king may take whatever he wishes 223 and offer it. Look! Here are oxen for burnt offerings, and threshing sledges 224 and harnesses 225 for wood. 24:23 I, the servant of my lord 226 the king, give it all to the king!” Araunah also told the king, “May the Lord your God show you favor!” 24:24 But the king said to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it from you! I will not offer to the Lord my God burnt sacrifices that cost me nothing.”
So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty pieces of silver. 227 24:25 Then David built an altar for the Lord there and offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings. And the Lord accepted prayers for the land, and the plague was removed from Israel.
[21:1] 1 tn Heb “sought the face of the
[21:1] 2 tn Heb “and the house of bloodshed.”
[21:2] 3 tn Heb “swore an oath to.”
[21:3] 4 tn After the preceding imperfect verbal form, the subordinated imperative indicates purpose/result. S. R. Driver comments, “…the imper. is used instead of the more normal voluntative, for the purpose of expressing with somewhat greater force the intention of the previous verb” (S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 350).
[21:4] 5 tc The translation follows the Qere and several medieval Hebrew
[21:4] 7 tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:6] 8 tn The exact nature of this execution is not altogether clear. The verb יָקַע (yaqa’) basically means “to dislocate” or “alienate.” In Gen 32:26 it is used of the dislocation of Jacob’s thigh. Figuratively it can refer to the removal of an individual from a group (e.g., Jer 6:8; Ezek 23:17) or to a type of punishment the specific identity of which is uncertain (e.g., here and Num 25:4); cf. NAB “dismember them”; NIV “to be killed and exposed.”
[21:6] 9 tc The LXX reads “at Gibeon on the mountain of the
[21:8] 10 tc The MT reads “Michal” here, but two Hebrew manuscripts read “Merab,” along with some LXX manuscripts. Cf. 1 Sam 18:19.
[21:9] 11 tc The translation follows the Qere and several medieval Hebrew
[21:9] 13 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[21:10] 14 tn Heb “until water was poured on them from the sky.”
[21:10] 16 tn Heb “the beasts of the field.”
[21:12] 17 tn Heb “David.” For stylistic reasons the name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation.
[21:12] 18 tn Heb “the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son.” See also v. 13.
[21:12] 21 tc Against the MT, this word is better read without the definite article. The MT reading is probably here the result of wrong word division, with the letter ה (he) belonging with the preceding word שָׁם (sham) as the he directive (i.e., שָׁמָּה, samah, “to there”).
[21:12] 22 tn Heb “had hung them.”
[21:12] 23 tn Heb “in the day.”
[21:12] 24 tn Heb “Philistines.”
[21:13] 25 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:14] 26 tc Many medieval Hebrew
[21:14] 27 tn Heb “was entreated.” The verb is an example of the so-called niphal tolerativum, with the sense that God allowed himself to be supplicated through prayer (cf. GKC 137 §51.c).
[21:15] 28 tn Heb “his servants.”
[21:16] 29 tn This name has the definite article and may be intended to refer to a group of people rather than a single individual with this name.
[21:16] 30 tn This is the only occurrence of this Hebrew word in the OT. Its precise meaning is therefore somewhat uncertain. As early as the LXX the word was understood to refer to a “spear,” and this seems to be the most likely possibility. Some scholars have proposed emending the text of 2 Sam 21:16 to כוֹבַעוֹ (khova’o; “his helmet”), but in spite of the fact that the word “helmet” appears in 1 Sam 17:5, there is not much evidence for reading that word here.
[21:16] 31 tn Either the word “shekels” should be supplied here, or the Hebrew word מִשְׁקַל (mishqal, “weight”) right before “bronze” is a corrupted form of the word for shekel. If the latter is the case the problem probably resulted from another occurrence of the word מִשְׁקַל just four words earlier in the verse.
[21:16] 32 tn The Hebrew text reads simply “a new [thing],” prompting one to ask “A new what?” Several possibilities have been proposed to resolve the problem: perhaps a word has dropped out of the Hebrew text here; or perhaps the word “new” is the result of misreading a different, less common, word; or perhaps a word (e.g., “sword,” so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, CEV, NLT) is simply to be inferred. The translation generally follows the latter possibility, while at the same time being deliberately nonspecific (“weapon”).
[21:19] 33 tn Heb “Jaare-Oregim,” but the second word, which means “weavers,” is probably accidentally included. It appears at the end of the verse. The term is omitted in the parallel account in 1 Chr 20:5, which has simply “Jair.”
[21:19] 34 sn The Hebrew text as it stands reads, “Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite.” Who killed Goliath the Gittite? According to 1 Sam 17:4-58 it was David who killed Goliath, but according to the MT of 2 Sam 21:19 it was Elhanan who killed him. Many scholars believe that the two passages are hopelessly at variance with one another. Others have proposed various solutions to the difficulty, such as identifying David with Elhanan or positing the existence of two Goliaths. But in all likelihood the problem is the result of difficulties in the textual transmission of the Samuel passage; in fact, from a text-critical point of view the books of Samuel are the most poorly preserved of all the books of the Hebrew Bible. The parallel passage in 1 Chr 20:5 reads, “Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath.” Both versions are textually corrupt. The Chronicles text has misread “Bethlehemite” (בֵּית הַלַּחְמִי, bet hallakhmi) as the accusative sign followed by a proper name אֶת לַחְמִי (’et lakhmi). (See the note at 1 Chr 20:5.) The Samuel text misread the word for “brother” (אַח, ’akh) as the accusative sign (אֵת, ’et), thereby giving the impression that Elhanan, not David, killed Goliath. Thus in all probability the original text read, “Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath.”
[21:20] 35 tn Heb “a man of stature.”
[21:22] 36 tn Heb “they fell.”
[21:22] 37 tn Heb “his servants.”
[22:1] 38 sn In this long song of thanks, David affirms that God is his faithful protector. He recalls in highly poetic fashion how God intervened in awesome power and delivered him from death. His experience demonstrates that God vindicates those who are blameless and remain loyal to him. True to his promises, God gives the king victory on the battlefield and enables him to subdue nations. A parallel version of the song appears in Ps 18.
[22:1] 40 tn Heb “in the day,” or “at the time.”
[22:1] 42 tn Heb “and from the hand of Saul.”
[22:2] 43 tn Traditionally “is my rock”; CEV “mighty rock”; TEV “is my protector.” This metaphor pictures God as a rocky, relatively inaccessible summit, where one would be able to find protection from enemies. See 1 Sam 23:25, 28.
[22:2] 44 tn Traditionally “my fortress”; TEV “my strong fortress”; NCV “my protection.”
[22:3] 45 tc The translation (along with many English versions, e.g., NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT) follows the LXX in reading אֱלֹהִי (’elohi, “my God”) rather than MT’s אֱלֹהֵי (’elohe, “the God of”). See Ps 18:2.
[22:3] 47 tn Heb “the horn of my salvation,” or “my saving horn.”
[22:3] 48 tn The parallel version of the song in Ps 18 does not include this last line.
[22:4] 49 tn In this song of thanksgiving, where David recalls how the Lord delivered him, the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense (cf. CEV “I prayed”), not an imperfect (as in many English versions).
[22:4] 50 tn Heb “worthy of praise, I cried out [to] the
[22:5] 51 tn The noun נַחַל (nakhal) usually refers to a river or stream, but in this context the plural form likely refers to the currents of the sea (see vv. 15-16).
[22:5] 52 tn The noun בְלִיַּעַל (bÿliyya’al) is used here as an epithet for death. Elsewhere it is a common noun meaning “wickedness, uselessness” (see HALOT 133-34 s.v. בְּלִיַּעַל). It is often associated with rebellion against authority and other crimes that result in societal disorder and anarchy. The phrase “man/son of wickedness” refers to one who opposes God and the order he has established. The term becomes an appropriate title for death, which, through human forces, launches an attack against God’s chosen servant.
[22:5] 53 tn In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. (Note the perfect verbal form in the parallel/preceding line.) The verb בָּעַת (ba’at) sometimes by metonymy carries the nuance “frighten,” but the parallelism (note “engulfed” in the preceding line) favors the meaning “overwhelm” here.
[22:6] 54 tn “Sheol,” personified here as David’s enemy, is the underworld, place of the dead in primitive Hebrew cosmology.
[22:6] 55 tn Heb “surrounded me.”
[22:6] 56 tn Heb “confronted me.”
[22:7] 57 tn In this poetic narrative the two prefixed verbal forms in v. 7a are best understood as preterites indicating past tense, not imperfects. Note the use of the vav consecutive with the prefixed verbal form that follows in v. 7b.
[22:7] 58 tn Heb “from his temple.” Verse 10, which pictures God descending from the sky, indicates that the heavenly, not earthly, temple is in view.
[22:7] 59 tn Heb “and my cry for help [entered] his ears.”
[22:8] 60 tn The earth heaved and shook. The imagery pictures an earthquake, in which the earth’s surface rises and falls. The earthquake motif is common in Old Testament theophanies of God as warrior and in ancient Near eastern literary descriptions of warring gods and kings. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 160-62.
[22:8] 61 tn Ps 18:7 reads “the roots of the mountains.”
[22:8] 62 tn In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. Note the three prefixed verbal forms with vav consecutive in the verse.
[22:9] 63 tn Heb “within” or “[from] within.” For a discussion of the use of the preposition בְּ (bet) here, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 163-64.
[22:9] 64 tn Or “in his anger.” The noun אַף (’af) can carry the abstract meaning “anger,” but the parallelism (note “from his mouth”) suggests the more concrete meaning “nose” here (most English versions, “nostrils”). See also v. 16, “the powerful breath of your nose.”
[22:9] 65 tn Heb “fire from his mouth devoured.” In this poetic narrative the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. Note the two perfect verbal forms in the verse.
[22:9] 66 tn Heb “coals burned from him.” Perhaps the psalmist pictures God’s fiery breath igniting coals (see Job 41:21), which he then hurls as weapons (see Ps 120:4).
[22:10] 67 tn The verb נָטָה (natah) can carry the sense “[to cause to] bend; [to cause to] bow down” (see HALOT 693 s.v. נָטָה). For example, Gen 49:15 pictures Issachar as a donkey that “bends” its shoulder or back under a burden (cf. KJV, NASB, NRSV “He bowed the heavens”; NAB “He inclined the heavens”). Here the
[22:11] 69 tn Heb “a cherub” (so KJV, NAB, NRSV); NIV “the cherubim” (plural); TEV “his winged creature”; CEV “flying creatures.”
[22:11] 70 tc The translation follows very many medieval Hebrew
[22:11] 71 sn The wings of the wind. Verse 10 may depict the
[22:12] 72 tc Heb “he made darkness around him coverings.” The parallel text in Ps 18:11 reads “he made darkness his hiding place around him, his covering.” 2 Sam 22:12 omits “his hiding place” and pluralizes “covering.” Ps 18:11 may include a conflation of synonyms (“his hiding place” and “his covering” ) or 2 Sam 22:12 may be the result of haplography/homoioarcton. Note that three successive words in Ps 18:11 begin with the letter ס (samek): סִתְרוֹ סְבִיבוֹתָיו סֻכָּתוֹ (sitro sÿvyvotav sukkato).
[22:12] 73 tc Heb “a sieve of water, clouds of clouds.” The form חַשְׁרַת (khashrat) is a construct of חַשְׁרָה (khashrah, “sieve”), which occurs only here in the OT. A cognate Ugaritic noun means “sieve,” and a related verb חשׁר (“to sift”) is attested in postbiblical Hebrew and Aramaic (see HALOT 363 s.v. *חשׁר). The phrase חַשְׁרַת־מַיִם (khashrat-mayim) means literally “a sieve of water.” It pictures the rain clouds as a sieve through which the rain falls to the ground. (See F. M. Cross and D. N. Freedman, Studies in Ancient Yahwistic Poetry, 146, note 33.)
[22:13] 74 tc The parallel text in Ps 18:12 reads “from the brightness in front of him his clouds came, hail and coals of fire.” The Lucianic family of texts within the Greek tradition of 2 Sam 22:13 seems to assume the underlying Hebrew text: מִנֹּגַהּ נֶגְדּוֹ עָבְרוּ בָּרָד וְגַחֲלֵי אֵשׁ (minnogah negdo ’avru barad vÿgakhale ’esh, “from the brightness in front of him came hail and coals of fire”) which is the basis for the present translation. The textual situation is perplexing and the identity of the original text uncertain. The verbs עָבְרוּ (’avÿru; Ps 18:12) and בָּעֲרוּ (ba’aru, 2 Sam 22:13) appear to be variants involving a transposition of the first two letters. The noun עָבָיו (’avav, “his clouds”; Ps 18:12) may be virtually dittographic (note the following עָבְרוּ), or it could have accidentally dropped from the text of 2 Sam 22:13 by virtual haplography (note the preceding בָּעֲרוּ [ba’aru], which might have originally read עָבְרוּ). The term בָּרָד (barad, “hail”; Ps 18:12) may be virtually dittographic (note the preceding עָבְרוּ), or it could have dropped from 2 Sam 22:13 by virtual haplography (note the preceding בָּעֲרוּ, which might have originally read עָבְרוּ). For a fuller discussion of the text, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 74-76.
[22:14] 75 tn The shortened theme vowel indicates that the prefixed verbal form is a preterite.
[22:14] 76 tn Heb “the Most High.” This divine title (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Ps 47:2.
[22:14] 77 tn Heb “offered his voice.” In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. Note the preterite form in the preceding line. The text of Ps 18:13 adds at this point, “hail and coals of fire.” These words are probably accidentally added from v. 12b; they do not appear in 2 Sam 22:14.
[22:15] 79 tn The pronominal suffixes on the verbs “scattered” and “routed” (see the next line) refer to David’s enemies. Some argue that the suffixes refer to the arrows, in which case one might translate “shot them far and wide” and “made them move noisily,” respectively. They argue that the enemies have not been mentioned since v. 4 and are not again mentioned until v. 17. However, usage of the verbs פוּץ (puts, “scatter”) and הָמַם (hamam, “rout”) elsewhere in Holy War accounts suggests the suffixes refer to enemies. Enemies are frequently pictured in such texts as scattered and/or routed (see Exod 14:24; 23:27; Num 10:35; Josh 10:10; Judg 4:15; 1 Sam 7:10; 11:11; Ps 68:1).
[22:15] 80 sn Lightning is a common motif in OT theophanies and in ancient Near Eastern portrayals of the storm god and warring kings. Arrows and lightning bolts are associated in other texts (see Pss 77:17-18; 144:6; Zech 9:14), as well as in ancient Near Eastern art. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 187, 190-92.
[22:16] 82 tn Or “foundations.”
[22:16] 83 tn The noun is derived from the verb גָעַר (nag’ar) which is often understood to mean “rebuke.” In some cases it is apparent that scolding or threatening is in view (see Gen 37:10; Ruth 2:16; Zech 3:2). However, in militaristic contexts this translation is inadequate, for the verb refers in this setting to the warrior’s battle cry, which terrifies and paralyzes the enemy. See A. Caquot, TDOT 3:53, and note the use of the verb in Pss 68:30; 106:9; and Nah 1:4, as well as the related noun in Job 26:11; Pss 9:5; 76:6; 104:7; Isa 50:2; 51:20; 66:15.
[22:16] 84 tn Heb “blast of the breath” (literally, “breath of breath”) employs an appositional genitive. Synonyms are joined in a construct relationship to emphasize the single idea. For a detailed discussion of the grammatical point with numerous examples, see Y. Avishur, “Pairs of Synonymous Words in the Construct State (and in Appositional Hendiadys) in Biblical Hebrew,” Semitics 2 (1971): 17-81.
[22:17] 85 tn Heb “stretched.” Perhaps “his hand” should be supplied by ellipsis (see Ps 144:7). In this poetic narrative context the three prefixed verbal forms in this verse are best understood as preterites indicating past tense, not imperfects.
[22:17] 86 tn Heb “mighty waters.” The waters of the sea symbolize the psalmist’s powerful enemies, as well as the realm of death they represent (see v. 5 and Ps 144:7).
[22:18] 87 tn The singular refers either to personified death or collectively to the psalmist’s enemies. The following line, which refers to “those [plural] who hate me,” favors the latter.
[22:19] 88 tn The same verb is translated “trapped” in v. 6. In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not imperfect. Cf. NAB, NCV, TEV, NLT “attacked.”
[22:19] 89 tn Heb “became my support.”
[22:20] 90 tn Or “delighted in me” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[22:21] 91 tn In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not imperfect.
[22:21] 92 tn Heb “according to my righteousness.” As vv. 22-25 make clear, David refers here to his unwavering obedience to God’s commands. He explains that the Lord was pleased with him and willing to deliver him because he had been loyal to God and obedient to his commandments. Ancient Near Eastern literature contains numerous parallels. A superior (a god or king) would typically reward a subject (a king or the servant of a king, respectively) for loyalty and obedience. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 211-13.
[22:21] 93 tn The unreduced Hiphil prefixed verbal form appears to be an imperfect, in which case the psalmist would be generalizing. However, both the preceding and following contexts (see especially v. 25) suggest he is narrating his experience. Despite its unreduced form, the verb is better taken as a preterite. For other examples of unreduced Hiphil preterites, see Pss 55:14a; 68:9a, 10b; 80:8a; 89:43a; 107:38b; 116:6b.
[22:21] 94 tn Heb “according to the purity of my hands he repaid to me.” Hands suggest activity and behavior.
[22:22] 95 tn Heb “for I have kept the ways of the
[22:22] 96 tn Heb “I have not acted wickedly from my God.” The statement is elliptical, the idea being, “I have not acted wickedly and, in so doing, departed from my God.”
[22:23] 97 tn Heb “for all his regulations are before me.” The term מִשְׁפָּטָו (mishpatav, “his regulations”) refers to God’s covenantal requirements, especially those which the king is responsible to follow (cf Deut 17:18-20). See also Pss 19:9 (cf vv. 7-8); 89:30; 147:20 (cf v. 19), as well as the numerous uses of the term in Ps 119.
[22:23] 98 tn Heb “and his rules, I do not turn aside from it.” Ps 18:22 reads, “and his rules I do not turn aside from me.” The prefixed verbal form is probably an imperfect; David here generalizes about his loyalty to God’s commands. The
[22:24] 99 tn Heb “from my sin,” that is, from making it my own in any way. Leading a “blameless” life meant that the king would be loyal to God’s covenant, purge the government and society of evil and unjust officials, and reward loyalty to the
[22:25] 100 tn Heb “according to my righteousness.” See v. 21.
[22:25] 101 tn Heb “according to my purity before his eyes.”
[22:26] 102 tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 26-30 draw attention to God’s characteristic actions. Based on his experience, the psalmist generalizes about God’s just dealings with people (vv. 26-28) and about the way in which God typically empowers him on the battlefield (vv. 29-30). The Hitpael stem is used in vv. 26-27 in a reflexive resultative (or causative) sense. God makes himself loyal, etc. in the sense that he conducts or reveals himself as such. On this use of the Hitpael stem, see GKC 149-50 §54.e.
[22:26] 103 tn Or “to a faithful follower.” A חָסִיד (khasid, “faithful follower”) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 16:10; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).
[22:26] 105 tc Heb “a warrior of innocence.” The parallel text in Ps 18:25 reads, probably correctly, גֶּבֶר (gever, “man”) instead of גִּבּוֹר (gibor, “warrior”).
[22:27] 106 tn Or “blameless.”
[22:27] 107 tc The translation follows two medieval Hebrew
[22:27] 108 tn The adjective עִקֵּשׁ (’iqqesh) has the basic nuance “twisted; crooked,” and by extension refers to someone or something that is morally perverse. It appears frequently in Proverbs, where it is used of evil people (22:5), speech (8:8; 19:1), thoughts (11:20; 17:20) and life styles (2:15; 28:6). A righteous king opposes such people (Ps 101:4). Verses 26-27 affirm God’s justice. He responds to people in accordance with their moral character. His response mirrors their actions. The faithful and blameless find God to be loyal and reliable in his dealings with them. But deceivers discover he is able and willing to use deceit to destroy them. For a more extensive discussion of the theme of divine deception in the OT, see R. B. Chisholm, “Does God Deceive?” BSac 155 (1998): 11-28.
[22:28] 109 tn Or perhaps “humble” (so NIV, NRSV, NLT; note the contrast with those who are proud).
[22:28] 110 tc Heb “but your eyes are upon the proud, you bring low.” Ps 18:27 reads “but proud eyes you bring low.”
[22:29] 111 tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is asseverative here.
[22:29] 112 tc Many medieval Hebrew
[22:29] 113 tc The Lucianic Greek recension and Vulgate understand this verb to be second person rather than third person as in the MT. But this is probably the result of reading the preceding word “
[22:29] 114 tn Heb “my darkness.”
[22:30] 115 tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is asseverative here.
[22:30] 117 tn Heb “I will run.” The imperfect verbal forms in v. 30 indicate the subject’s potential or capacity to perform an action. Though one might expect a preposition to follow the verb here, this need not be the case with the verb רוּץ (ruts; see 1 Sam 17:22). Some emend the Qal to a Hiphil form of the verb and translate, “I put to flight [literally, “cause to run”] an army.”
[22:30] 118 tn More specifically, the noun refers to a raiding party or to a contingent of troops (see HALOT 177 s.v. II גְדוּד). The picture of a divinely empowered warrior charging against an army in almost superhuman fashion appears elsewhere in ancient Near Eastern literature. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 228.
[22:30] 119 tn Heb “by my God.”
[22:30] 120 tn David uses hyperbole to emphasize his God-given military superiority.
[22:31] 121 tn Heb “[As for] the God, his way is blameless.” The term הָאֵל (ha’el, “the God”) stands as a nominative (or genitive) absolute in apposition to the resumptive pronominal suffix on “way.” The prefixed article emphasizes his distinctiveness as the one true God (see BDB 42 s.v. II אֵל 6; Deut 33:26). God’s “way” in this context refers to his protective and salvific acts in fulfillment of his promise (see also Deut 32:4; Pss 67:2; 77:13 [note vv. 11-12, 14]; 103:7; 138:5; 145:17).
[22:31] 122 tn Heb “the word of the
[22:32] 123 tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is asseverative here.
[22:32] 124 tn Heb “rocky cliff,” which is a metaphor of protection.
[22:32] 125 tn The rhetorical questions anticipate the answer, “No one.” In this way the psalmist indicates that the
[22:33] 126 tn Heb “the God.” See the note at v. 31.
[22:33] 127 tc 4QSama has מְאַזְּרֵנִי (mÿ’azzÿreni, “the one girding me with strength”) rather than the MT מָעוּזִּי (ma’uzzi, “my refuge”). See as well Ps 18:32.
[22:33] 128 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav consecutive here carries along the generalizing tone of the preceding line.
[22:33] 129 tn Heb “and he sets free (from the verb נָתַר, natar) [the] blameless, his [Kethib; “my” (Qere)] way.” The translation follows Ps 18:32 in reading “he made my path smooth.” The term תָּמִים (tamim, “smooth”) usually carries a moral or ethical connotation, “blameless, innocent.” However, in Ps 18:33 it refers to a pathway free of obstacles. The reality underlying the metaphor is the psalmist’s ability to charge into battle without tripping (see vv. 33, 36).
[22:34] 130 tc Heb “[the one who] makes his feet like [those of] a deer.” The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[22:34] 131 tn Heb “and on my high places he makes me walk.” The imperfect verbal form emphasizes God’s characteristic provision. The psalmist compares his agility in battle to the ability of a deer to negotiate rugged, high terrain without falling or being injured. Habakkuk uses similar language to describe his faith during difficult times. See Hab 3:19.
[22:35] 133 tn The psalmist attributes his skill with weapons to divine enabling. Egyptian reliefs picture gods teaching the king how to shoot a bow. See O. Keel, Symbolism of the Biblical World, 265.
[22:35] 134 tn Heb “and a bow of bronze is bent by my arms.” The verb נָחֵת (nakhet) apparently means “to pull back; to bend” here (see HALOT 692 s.v. נחת). The bronze bow referred to here was probably laminated with bronze strips, or a purely ceremonial or decorative bow made entirely from bronze. In the latter case the language is hyperbolic, for such a weapon would not be functional in battle.
[22:36] 135 tn Another option is to translate the prefixed verb with vav consecutive with a past tense, “you gave me.” Several prefixed verbal forms with vav consecutive also appear in vv. 38-44. The present translation understands this section as a description of what generally happened when the author charged into battle, but another option is to understand the section as narrative and translate accordingly.
[22:36] 136 tc Ps 18:35 contains an additional line following this one, which reads “your right hand supports me.” It may be omitted here due to homoioarcton. See the note at Ps 18:35.
[22:36] 137 tn Heb “your answer makes me great.” David refers to God’s willingness to answer his prayer.
[22:37] 138 tn Heb “step.” “Step” probably refers metonymically to the path upon which the psalmist walks. Another option is to translate, “you widen my stride.” This would suggest that God gives him the capacity to run quickly.
[22:37] 139 tn Heb “lower legs.” On the meaning of the Hebrew noun, which occurs only here, see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 112. A cognate Akkadian noun means “lower leg.”
[22:40] 140 tn Heb “you clothed me with strength for battle.”
[22:40] 141 tn Heb “you make those who rise against me kneel beneath me.”
[22:41] 142 tn Heb “and [as for] my enemies, you give to me [the] back [or “neck” ].” The idiom “give [the] back” means “to cause [one] to turn the back and run away.” See Exod 23:27 and HALOT 888 s.v. II ערף.
[22:42] 143 tc The translation follows one medieval Hebrew
[22:42] 144 tn Heb “but there is no deliverer.”
[22:42] 145 tn The words “they cry out” are not in the Hebrew text. This reference to the psalmists’ enemies crying out for help to the
[22:43] 146 tn Or “mud” (so NAB, NIV, CEV). See HALOT 374 s.v. טִיט.
[22:44] 147 tn Heb “from the strivings of my people.” In this context רִיב (riv, “striving”) probably has a militaristic sense (as in Judg 12:2; Isa 41:11), and עַם (’am, “people”) probably refers more specifically to an army (for other examples, see the verses listed in BDB 766 s.v. עַם 2.d). The suffix “my” suggests David is referring to attacks by his own countrymen, the “people” being Israel. However, the parallel text in Ps 18:43 omits the suffix.
[22:44] 148 tn Heb “a people whom I did not know serve me.” In this context the verb “know” (יָדַע, yada’) probably refers to formal recognition by treaty. People who were once not under the psalmist’s authority now willingly submit to his rulership to avoid being conquered militarily (see vv. 45-46). The language may recall the events recorded in 2 Sam 8:9-10 and 10:19.
[22:45] 149 tn For the meaning “to be weak; to be powerless” for the verb כָּחַשׁ (kakhash), see Ps 109:24. Verse 46, which also mentions foreigners, favors this interpretation. Another option is to translate “cower in fear” (see Deut 33:29; Pss 66:3; 81:15).
[22:45] 150 tn Heb “at a report of an ear they submit to me.” The report of David’s exploits is so impressive that those who hear it submit to his rulership without putting up a fight.
[22:46] 151 tn Heb “wither, wear out.”
[22:46] 152 tc The translation assumes a reading וְיַחְרְגוּ (vÿyakhrÿgu, “and they quaked”) rather than the MT וְיַחְגְּרוּ (vÿyakhgÿru, “and they girded themselves”). See the note at Ps 18:45.
[22:46] 154 tn Heb “prisons.” Their besieged cities are compared to prisons.
[22:47] 155 tn Elsewhere the construction חַי־יְהוָה (khay-yÿhvah) as used exclusively as an oath formula, but this is not the case here, for no oath follows. Here the statement is an affirmation of the
[22:47] 156 tn Heb “my rocky cliff,” which is a metaphor for protection.
[22:47] 157 tn Or “blessed [i.e., praised] be.”
[22:47] 158 tn Heb “the God of the rock of my deliverance.” The term צוּר (tsur, “rock”) is probably accidentally repeated from the previous line. The parallel version in Ps 18:46 has simply “the God of my deliverance.”
[22:47] 159 tn The words “as king” are supplied in the translation for clarification. In the Psalms the verb רוּם (rum, “be exalted”) when used of God, refers to his exalted position as king (Pss 99:2; 113:4; 138:6) and/or his self-revelation as king through his mighty deeds of deliverance (Pss 21:13; 46:10; 57:5, 11).
[22:48] 160 tn Heb “The God is the one who grants vengeance to me.” The plural form of the noun “vengeance” indicates degree here, suggesting complete vengeance or vindication. In the ancient Near East military victory was sometimes viewed as a sign that one’s God had judged in favor of the victor, avenging and/or vindicating him. See, for example, Judg 11:27, 32-33, 36.
[22:48] 161 tn Heb “and [is the one who] brings down nations beneath me.”
[22:49] 162 tn Heb “and [the one who] brings me out from my enemies.”
[22:49] 163 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
[22:49] 164 tn Heb “from those who rise against me.”
[22:50] 165 sn This probably alludes to the fact that David will praise the
[22:50] 166 tn Heb “to your name.” God’s “name” refers metonymically to his divine characteristics as suggested by his name, in this case “
[22:51] 167 tc The translation follows the Kethib and the ancient versions in reading מַגְדִּיל (magdil, “he magnifies”) rather than the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[22:51] 168 tn Heb “[the one who] does loyalty to his anointed one.”
[23:1] 169 tn Heb “the anointed one of the God of Jacob.”
[23:3] 171 tn Heb “rock,” used as a metaphor of divine protection.
[23:5] 172 tn Heb “For not thus [is] my house with God?”
[23:5] 173 tn Heb “for all my deliverance and every desire, surely does he not make [it] grow?”
[23:7] 174 tn Heb “and with fire they are completely burned up in [the place where they] remain.” The infinitive absolute is used before the finite verb to emphasize that they are completely consumed by the fire.
[23:8] 175 tn The Hebrew word is sometimes rendered as “the three,” but BDB is probably correct in taking it to refer to military officers (BDB 1026 s.v. שְׁלִישִׁי). In that case the etymological connection of this word to the Hebrew numerical adjective for “three” can be explained as originating with a designation for the third warrior in a chariot.
[23:8] 176 tc The translation follows some LXX
[23:9] 177 tn Heb “after him.”
[23:9] 178 tc This follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[23:10] 181 tn Heb “his hand.”
[23:11] 182 tn Heb “after him.”
[23:11] 183 tn The Hebrew text is difficult here. The MT reads לַחַיָּה (lachayyah), which implies a rare use of the word חַיָּה (chayyah). The word normally refers to an animal, but if the MT is accepted it would here have the sense of a troop or community of people. BDB 312 s.v. II. חַיָּה, for example, understands the similar reference in v. 13 to be to “a group of allied families, making a raid together.” But this works better in v. 13 than it does in v. 11, where the context seems to suggest a particular staging location for a military operation. (See 1 Chr 11:15.) It therefore seems best to understand the word in v. 11 as a place name with ה (he) directive. In that case the Masoretes mistook the word for the common term for an animal and then tried to make sense of it in this context.
[23:12] 184 tn Heb “delivered.”
[23:13] 185 tn The meaning of Hebrew אֶל־קָצִיר (’el qatsir) seems here to be “at the time of harvest,” although this is an unusual use of the phrase. As S. R. Driver points out, this preposition does not normally have the temporal sense of “in” or “during” (S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 366).
[23:13] 186 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[23:13] 187 tn Heb “went down…and approached.”
[23:14] 188 map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
[23:17] 189 tn Heb “Far be it to me, O
[23:17] 190 tn Heb “[Is it not] the blood of the men who were going with their lives?”
[23:17] 191 tn Heb “These things the three warriors did.”
[23:18] 192 tc The translation follows the Qere, many medieval Hebrew
[23:18] 193 tn Heb “and he was wielding his spear against three hundred, [who were] slain, and to him there was a name among the three.”
[23:19] 194 tn Or “more than.”
[23:20] 195 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[23:20] 196 tc Heb “the two of Ariel, Moab.” The precise meaning of אריאל is uncertain; some read “warrior.” The present translation assumes that the word is a proper name and that בני, “sons of,” has accidentally dropped from the text by homoioarcton (note the preceding שׁני).
[23:21] 197 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[23:21] 198 tn Heb “and he went down to.”
[23:23] 199 tn Or “more than.”
[23:24] 200 map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
[23:29] 201 tc The translation follows many medieval Hebrew
[23:33] 202 tn The Hebrew text does not have “the son of.”
[23:35] 203 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[23:37] 204 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[24:1] 205 sn The parallel text in 1 Chr 21:1 says, “An adversary opposed Israel, inciting David to count how many warriors Israel had.” The Samuel version gives an underlying theological perspective, while the Chronicler simply describes what happened from a human perspective. The adversary in 1 Chr 21:1 is likely a human enemy, probably a nearby nation whose hostility against Israel pressured David into numbering the people so he could assess his military strength. See the note at 1 Chr 21:1.
[24:4] 206 tn Heb “and the word of the king was stronger than.”
[24:5] 207 tn Heb “in the middle of.”
[24:6] 208 map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[24:7] 209 map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[24:8] 210 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[24:9] 211 tn Heb “and Joab gave the number of the numbering of the people.”
[24:10] 212 tn Heb “and the heart of David struck him.”
[24:11] 213 tn Heb “and the word of the
[24:13] 214 tc The LXX has here “three” rather than “seven,” and is followed by NAB, NIV, NCV, NRSV, TEV, NLT. See 1 Chr 21:12.
[24:13] 215 tn Heb “now know and see.”
[24:14] 216 tn Heb “There is great distress to me. Let us fall into the hand of the
[24:16] 217 tn Heb “messenger.”
[24:16] 218 tn Heb “concerning the calamity.”
[24:16] 219 tn Heb “Now, drop your hand.”
[24:17] 220 tn Heb “let your hand be against me and against the house of my father.”
[24:20] 221 tn Heb “Araunah.” The name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.
[24:20] 222 tn Heb “nostrils.”
[24:22] 223 tn Heb “what is good in his eyes.”
[24:22] 224 sn Threshing sledges were heavy boards used in ancient times for loosening grain from husks. On the bottom sides of these boards sharp stones were embedded, and the boards were then dragged across the grain on a threshing floor by an ox or donkey.
[24:22] 225 tn Heb “the equipment of the oxen.”
[24:23] 226 tc The Hebrew text is difficult here. The translation reads עֶבֶד אֲדֹנָי (’eved ’adoni, “the servant of my lord”) rather than the MT’s אֲרַוְנָה (’Aravnah). In normal court etiquette a subject would not use his own name in this way, but would more likely refer to himself in the third person. The MT probably first sustained loss of עֶבֶד (’eved, “servant”), leading to confusion of the word for “my lord” with the name of the Jebusite referred to here.
[24:24] 227 tn Heb “fifty shekels of silver.” This would have been about 20 ounces (568 grams) of silver by weight.
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