2 Samuel 22:33

22:33 The one true God ¹  is my mighty refuge; ² 

he removes ³  the obstacles in my way. ⁴ 

2 Samuel 22:40

22:40 You give me strength for battle; ⁵ 

you make my foes kneel before me. ⁶ 

2 Samuel 8:9

8:9 When King Toi ⁷  of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer,

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 2:7

2:7 Now be courageous ⁸  and prove to be valiant warriors, for your lord Saul is dead. The people of Judah have anointed me as king over them.”

2 Samuel 11:16

11:16 So as Joab kept watch on the city, he stationed Uriah at the place where he knew the best enemy soldiers ⁹  were.

2 Samuel 13:28

13:28 Absalom instructed his servants, “Look! When Amnon is drunk ¹⁰  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!” ¹¹ 

2 Samuel 23:20

23:20 Benaiah son of Jehoida was a brave warrior ¹²  from Kabzeel who performed great exploits. He struck down the two sons of Ariel of Moab. ¹³  He also went down and killed a lion in a cistern on a snowy day.

2 Samuel 24:9

24:9 Joab reported the number of warriors ¹⁴  to the king. In Israel there were 800,000 sword-wielding warriors, and in Judah there were 500,000 soldiers.

[22:33]  ¹ tn Heb “the God.” See the note at v. 31.

[22:33]  ² tc 4QSam^a 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]  ³ tn The prefixed verbal form with vav consecutive here carries along the generalizing tone of the preceding line.

[22:33]  ⁴ 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).

[22:40]  ⁵ tn Heb “you clothed me with strength for battle.”

[22:40]  ⁶ tn Heb “you make those who rise against me kneel beneath me.”

[8:9]  ⁹ tn The name is spelled “Tou” in the parallel text in 1 Chr 18:9. NIV adopts the spelling “Tou” here.

[2:7]  ¹³ tn Heb “let your hands be strong.”

[11:16]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “the valiant men.” This refers in context to the strongest or most valiant defenders of the city Joab and the Israelite army were besieging, so the present translation uses “the best enemy soldiers” for clarity.

[13:28]  ²¹ tn Heb “when good is the heart of Amnon with wine.”

[13:28]  ²² tn Heb “and become sons of valor.”

[23:20]  ²⁵ tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading חַיִל (khayil, “valor”) rather than the Kethib of the MT, חַי (khay, “life”).

[23:20]  ²⁶ 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).

[24:9]  ²⁹ tn Heb “and Joab gave the number of the numbering of the people.”