2 Samuel 3:17
Context3:17 Abner advised 1 the elders of Israel, “Previously you were wanting David to be your king. 2
2 Samuel 12:16
Context12:16 Then David prayed to 3 God for the child and fasted. 4 He would even 5 go and spend the night lying on the ground.
2 Samuel 17:3
Context17:3 and will bring the entire army back to you. In exchange for the life of the man you are seeking, you will get back everyone. 6 The entire army will return unharmed.” 7
2 Samuel 20:19
Context20:19 I represent the peaceful and the faithful in Israel. You are attempting to destroy an important city 8 in Israel. Why should you swallow up the Lord’s inheritance?”


[3:17] 1 tn Heb “the word of Abner was with.”
[3:17] 2 tn Heb “you were seeking David to be king over you.”
[12:16] 3 tn Heb “sought” or “searched for.”
[12:16] 4 tn Heb “and David fasted.”
[12:16] 5 tn The three Hebrew verbs that follow in this verse are perfects with prefixed vav. They may describe repeated past actions or actions which accompanied David’s praying and fasting.
[17:3] 5 tc Heb “like the returning of all, the man whom you are seeking.” The LXX reads differently: “And I will return all the people to you the way a bride returns to her husband, except for the life of the one man whom you are seeking.” The other early versions also struggled with this verse. Modern translations are divided as well: the NAB, NRSV, REB, and NLT follow the LXX, while the NASB and NIV follow the Hebrew text.
[17:3] 6 tn Heb “all of the people will be safe.”
[20:19] 7 tn Heb “a city and a mother.” The expression is a hendiadys, meaning that this city was an important one in Israel and had smaller cities dependent on it.