2 Samuel 3:27

3:27 When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside at the gate as if to speak privately with him. Joab then stabbed him ¹  in the abdomen and killed him, avenging the shed blood of his brother Asahel. ² 

2 Samuel 20:9-10

20:9 Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my brother?” With his right hand Joab took hold of Amasa’s beard as if to greet him with a kiss. 20:10 Amasa did not protect himself from the knife in Joab’s other hand, and Joab ³  stabbed him in the abdomen, causing Amasa’s ⁴  intestines to spill out on the ground. There was no need to stab him again; the first blow was fatal. ⁵  Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bicri.

Psalms 28:3

28:3 Do not drag me away with evil men,

with those who behave wickedly, ⁶ 

who talk so friendly to their neighbors, ⁷ 

while they plan to harm them! ⁸ 

Psalms 55:20-21

55:20 He ⁹  attacks ¹⁰  his friends; ¹¹ 

he breaks his solemn promises to them. ¹² 

55:21 His words are as smooth as butter, ¹³ 

but he harbors animosity in his heart. ¹⁴ 

His words seem softer than oil,

but they are really like sharp swords. ¹⁵ 

[3:27]  ¹ tn Heb “and he struck him down there [in] the stomach.”

[3:27]  ² tn Heb “and he [i.e., Abner] died on account of the blood of Asahel his [i.e., Joab’s] brother.”

[20:10]  ³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:10]  ⁴ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Amasa) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:10]  ⁵ tn Heb “and he did not repeat concerning him, and he died.”

[28:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “workers of wickedness.”

[28:3]  ⁷ tn Heb “speakers of peace with their neighbors.”

[28:3]  ⁸ tn Heb “and evil [is] in their heart[s].”

[55:20]  ⁹ sn He. This must refer to the psalmist’s former friend, who was addressed previously in vv. 12-14.

[55:20]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “stretches out his hand against.”

[55:20]  ¹¹ tc The form should probably be emended to an active participle (שֹׁלְמָיו, sholÿmayv) from the verbal root שָׁלַם (shalam, “be in a covenant of peace with”). Perhaps the translation “his friends” suggests too intimate a relationship. Another option is to translate, “he attacks those who made agreements with him.”

[55:20]  ¹² tn Heb “he violates his covenant.”

[55:21]  ¹³ tn Heb “the butter-like [words] of his mouth are smooth.” The noun מַחְמָאֹת (makhma’ot, “butter-like [words]”) occurs only here. Many prefer to emend the form to מֵחֶמְאָה (mekhem’ah, from [i.e., “than”] butter”), cf. NEB, NRSV “smoother than butter.” However, in this case “his mouth” does not agree in number with the plural verb חָלְקוּ (kholqu, “they are smooth”). Therefore some further propose an emendation of פִּיו (piv, “his mouth”) to פָּנָיו (panayv, “his face”). In any case, the point seems to that the psalmist’s former friend spoke kindly to him and gave the outward indications of friendship.

[55:21]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and war [is in] his heart.”

[55:21]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “his words are softer than oil, but they are drawn swords.”