Discovery Box2 Samuel 5:17--8:18
Context5:17 When the Philistines heard that David had been designated 1 king over Israel, they all 2 went up to search for David. When David heard about it, he went down to the fortress. 5:18 Now the Philistines had arrived and spread out in the valley of Rephaim. 5:19 So David asked the Lord, “Should I march up against the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” The Lord said to David, “March up, for I will indeed 3 hand the Philistines over to you.”
5:20 So David marched against Baal Perazim and defeated them there. Then he said, “The Lord has burst out against my enemies like water bursts out.” So he called the name of that place Baal Perazim. 4 5:21 The Philistines 5 abandoned their idols 6 there, and David and his men picked them up.
5:22 The Philistines again came up and spread out in the valley of Rephaim. 5:23 So David asked the Lord what he should do. 7 This time 8 the Lord 9 said to him, “Don’t march straight up. Instead, circle around behind them and come against them opposite the trees. 10 5:24 When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the trees, act decisively. For at that moment the Lord is going before you to strike down the army 11 of the Philistines.” 5:25 David did just as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines from Gibeon all the way to Gezer. 12
6:1 David again assembled 13 all the best 14 men in Israel, thirty thousand in number. 6:2 David and all the men who were with him traveled 15 to 16 Baalah 17 in Judah to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the name 18 of the Lord of hosts, who sits enthroned between the cherubim that are on it. 6:3 They loaded the ark of God on a new cart and carried it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart. 6:4 They brought 19 it with the ark of God up from the house of Abinadab on the hill. Ahio was walking in front of the ark, 6:5 while David and all Israel 20 were energetically celebrating before the Lord, singing 21 and playing various stringed instruments, 22 tambourines, rattles, 23 and cymbals.
6:6 When they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, 24 Uzzah reached out and grabbed hold of 25 the ark of God, 26 because the oxen stumbled. 6:7 The Lord was so furious with Uzzah, 27 he 28 killed him on the spot 29 for his negligence. 30 He died right there beside the ark of God.
6:8 David was angry because the Lord attacked 31 Uzzah; so he called that place Perez Uzzah, 32 which remains its name to this very day. 6:9 David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, “How will the ark of the Lord ever come to me?” 6:10 So David was no longer willing to bring the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. David left it in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 6:11 The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months. The Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his family. 33 6:12 David was told, 34 “The Lord has blessed the family of Obed-Edom and everything he owns because of the ark of God.” So David went and joyfully brought the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David. 6:13 Those who carried the ark of the Lord took six steps and then David 35 sacrificed an ox and a fatling calf. 6:14 Now David, wearing a linen ephod, was dancing with all his strength before the Lord. 36 6:15 David and all Israel 37 were bringing up the ark of the Lord, shouting and blowing trumpets. 38
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. 39 6:17 They brought the ark of the Lord and put it in its place 40 in the middle of the tent that David had pitched for it. Then David offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before the Lord. 6:18 When David finished offering the burnt sacrifices and peace offerings, he pronounced a blessing over the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. 6:19 He then handed out to each member of the entire assembly of Israel, 41 both men and women, a portion of bread, a date cake, 42 and a raisin cake. Then all the people went home. 43 6:20 When David went home to pronounce a blessing on his own house, 44 Michal, Saul’s daughter, came out to meet him. 45 She said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished 46 himself this day! He has exposed himself today before his servants’ slave girls the way a vulgar fool 47 might do!”
6:21 David replied to Michal, “It was before the Lord! I was celebrating before the Lord, who chose me over your father and his entire family 48 and appointed me as leader over the Lord’s people Israel. 6:22 I am willing to shame and humiliate myself even more than this! 49 But with the slave girls whom you mentioned let me be distinguished!” 6:23 Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, had no children to the day of her death.
7:1 The king settled into his palace, 50 for the Lord gave him relief 51 from all his enemies on all sides. 52 7:2 The king said to Nathan the prophet, “Look! I am living in a palace made from cedar, while the ark of God sits in the middle of a tent.” 7:3 Nathan replied to the king, “You should go 53 and do whatever you have in mind, 54 for the Lord is with you.” 7:4 That night the Lord told Nathan, 55 7:5 “Go, tell my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord says: Do you really intend to build a house for me to live in? 7:6 I have not lived in a house from the time I brought the Israelites up from Egypt to the present day. Instead, I was traveling with them and living in a tent. 56 7:7 Wherever I moved among all the Israelites, I did not say 57 to any of the leaders 58 whom I appointed to care for 59 my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house made from cedar?”’
7:8 “So now, say this to my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of hosts says: I took you from the pasture and from your work as a shepherd 60 to make you leader of my people Israel. 7:9 I was with you wherever you went, and I defeated 61 all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth. 62 7:10 I will establish a place for my people Israel and settle 63 them there; they will live there and not be disturbed 64 any more. Violent men 65 will not oppress them again, as they did in the beginning 7:11 and during the time when I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. Instead, I will give you relief 66 from all your enemies. The Lord declares 67 to you that he himself 68 will build a dynastic house 69 for you. 7:12 When the time comes for you to die, 70 I will raise up your descendant, one of your own sons, to succeed you, 71 and I will establish his kingdom. 7:13 He will build a house for my name, and I will make his dynasty permanent. 72 7:14 I will become his father and he will become my son. When he sins, I will correct him with the rod of men and with wounds inflicted by human beings. 7:15 But my loyal love will not be removed from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 7:16 Your house and your kingdom will stand before me 73 permanently; your dynasty 74 will be permanent.’” 7:17 Nathan told David all these words that were revealed to him. 75
7:18 King David went in, sat before the Lord, and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, 76 that you should have brought me to this point? 7:19 And you didn’t stop there, O Lord God! You have also spoken about the future of your servant’s family. 77 Is this your usual way of dealing with men, 78 O Lord God? 7:20 What more can David say to you? You have given your servant special recognition, 79 O Lord God! 7:21 For the sake of your promise and according to your purpose 80 you have done this great thing in order to reveal it to your servant. 81 7:22 Therefore you are great, O Lord God, for there is none like you! There is no God besides you! What we have heard is true! 82 7:23 Who is like your people, Israel, a unique nation 83 on the earth? Their God 84 went 85 to claim 86 a nation for himself and to make a name for himself! You did great and awesome acts for your land, 87 before your people whom you delivered for yourself from the Egyptian empire and its gods. 88 7:24 You made Israel your very own people for all time. 89 You, O Lord, became their God. 7:25 So now, O Lord God, make this promise you have made about your servant and his family a permanent reality. 90 Do as you promised, 91 7:26 so you may gain lasting fame, 92 as people say, 93 ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel!’ The dynasty 94 of your servant David will be established before you, 7:27 for you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have told 95 your servant, ‘I will build you a dynastic house.’ 96 That is why your servant has had the courage 97 to pray this prayer to you. 7:28 Now, O sovereign Lord, you are the true God! 98 May your words prove to be true! 99 You have made this good promise to your servant! 100 7:29 Now be willing to bless your servant’s dynasty 101 so that it may stand permanently before you, for you, O sovereign Lord, have spoken. By your blessing may your servant’s dynasty be blessed on into the future!” 102
8:1 Later David defeated the Philistines and subdued them. David took Metheg Ammah 103 from the Philistines. 104 8:2 He defeated the Moabites. He made them lie on the ground and then used a rope to measure them off. He put two-thirds of them to death and spared the other third. 105 The Moabites became David’s subjects and brought tribute. 106 8:3 David defeated King Hadadezer son of Rehob of Zobah when he came to reestablish 107 his authority 108 over the Euphrates 109 River. 8:4 David seized from him 1,700 charioteers 110 and 20,000 infantrymen. David cut the hamstrings of all but a hundred of the chariot horses. 111 8:5 The Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, but David killed 22,000 of the Arameans. 8:6 David placed garrisons in the territory of the Arameans of Damascus; the Arameans became David’s subjects and brought tribute. The Lord protected 112 David wherever he campaigned. 113 8:7 David took the golden shields that belonged to Hadadezer’s servants and brought them to Jerusalem. 114 8:8 From Tebah 115 and Berothai, Hadadezer’s cities, King David took a great deal of bronze.
8:9 When King Toi 116 of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer, 8:10 he 117 sent his son Joram 118 to King David to extend his best wishes 119 and to pronounce a blessing on him for his victory over Hadadezer, for Toi had been at war with Hadadezer. 120 He brought with him various items made of silver, gold, and bronze. 121 8:11 King David dedicated these things to the Lord, 122 along with the dedicated silver and gold that he had taken from 123 all the nations that he had subdued, 8:12 including 124 Aram, 125 Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amelek. This also included some of the plunder taken from 126 King Hadadezer son of Rehob of Zobah.
8:13 David became famous 127 when he returned from defeating the Arameans 128 in the Valley of Salt, he defeated 129 18,000 in all. 8:14 He placed garrisons throughout Edom, 130 and all the Edomites became David’s subjects. The Lord protected David wherever he campaigned. 8:15 David reigned over all Israel; he guaranteed justice for all his people. 131
8:16 Joab son of Zeruiah was general in command of 132 the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was secretary; 8:17 Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar 133 were priests; Seraiah was scribe; 8:18 Benaiah son of Jehoida supervised 134 the Kerithites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were priests. 135
[5:17] 2 tn Heb “all the Philistines.”
[5:19] 3 tn The infinitive absolute lends emphasis to the following verb.
[5:20] 4 tn The name means “Lord of the outbursts.”
[5:21] 5 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Philistines) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:21] 6 tc For “idols” the LXX and Vulgate have “gods.”
[5:23] 7 tn The words “what to do” are not in the Hebrew text.
[5:23] 8 tn The words “this time” are not in the Hebrew text.
[5:23] 9 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
[5:23] 10 tn Some translate as “balsam trees” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV, NJB, NLT); cf. KJV, NKJV, ASV “mulberry trees”; NAB “mastic trees”; NEB, REB “aspens.” The exact identification of the type of tree or plant is uncertain.
[5:24] 11 tn Heb “camp” (so NAB).
[5:25] 12 tn Heb “from Gibeon until you enter Gezer.”
[6:1] 13 tn The translation understands the verb to be a defective spelling of וַיְּאֱסֹף (vayyÿ’esof) due to quiescence of the letter א (alef). The root therefore is אסף (’sf, “to gather”). The Masoretes, however, pointed the verb as וַיֹּסֶף (vayyosef), understanding it to be a form of יָסַף (yasaf, “to add”). This does not fit the context, which calls for a verb of gathering.
[6:2] 15 tn Heb “arose and went.”
[6:2] 16 tn Heb “from,” but the following context indicates they traveled to this location.
[6:2] 17 tn This is another name for Kiriath-jearim (see 1 Chr 13:6).
[6:2] 18 tc The MT has here a double reference to the name (שֵׁם שֵׁם, shem shem). Many medieval Hebrew
[6:5] 20 tn Heb “all the house of Israel.”
[6:5] 21 tc Heb “were celebrating before the
[6:5] 22 tn Heb “with zithers [?] and with harps.”
[6:5] 23 tn That is, “sistrums” (so NAB, NIV); ASV, NASB, NRSV, CEV, NLT “castanets.”
[6:6] 24 tn 1 Chr 13:9 has “Kidon.”
[6:6] 26 tn Heb “and Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and grabbed it.”
[6:7] 27 tn Heb “and the anger of the
[6:7] 29 tc Heb “there.” Since this same term occurs later in the verse it is translated “on the spot” here for stylistic reasons.
[6:7] 30 tc The phrase “his negligence” is absent from the LXX.
[6:8] 31 tn Heb “because the
[6:8] 32 sn The name Perez Uzzah means in Hebrew “the outburst [against] Uzzah.”
[6:11] 33 tn Heb “house,” both here and in v. 12.
[6:12] 34 tn Heb “and it was told to David, saying.”
[6:13] 35 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[6:14] 36 tn Heb “and David was dancing with all his strength before the
[6:15] 37 tc Heb “all the house of Israel.” A few medieval Hebrew
[6:15] 38 tn Heb “the shophar” (the ram’s horn trumpet).
[6:16] 39 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.”
[6:17] 40 tc The Syriac Peshitta lacks “in its place.”
[6:19] 41 tn Heb “to all the people, to all the throng of Israel.”
[6:19] 42 tn The Hebrew word used here אֶשְׁפָּר (’espar) is found in the OT only here and in the parallel passage found in 1 Chr 16:3. Its exact meaning is uncertain, although the context indicates that it was a food of some sort (cf. KJV “a good piece of flesh”; NRSV “a portion of meat”). The translation adopted here (“date cake”) follows the lead of the Greek translations of the LXX, Aquila, and Symmachus (cf. NASB, NIV, NLT).
[6:19] 43 tn Heb “and all the people went, each to his house.”
[6:20] 44 tn Heb “and David returned to bless his house.”
[6:20] 45 tn Heb “David.” The name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[6:20] 47 tn Heb “one of the foolish ones.”
[6:21] 48 tn Heb “all his house”; CEV “anyone else in your family.”
[6:22] 49 tn Heb “and I will shame myself still more than this and I will be lowly in my eyes.”
[7:1] 50 tn Heb “house” (also in the following verse).
[7:1] 52 tn The translation understands the disjunctive clause in v. 1b as circumstantial-causal.
[7:3] 53 tc Several medieval Hebrew
[7:3] 54 tn Heb “all that is in your heart.”
[7:4] 55 tn Heb “the word of the
[7:6] 56 tn Heb “in a tent and in a dwelling.” The expression is a hendiadys, using two terms to express one idea.
[7:7] 57 tn Heb “Did I speak a word?” In the Hebrew text the statement is phrased as a rhetorical question.
[7:7] 58 tn Heb “tribes” (so KJV, NASB, NCV), but the parallel passage in 1 Chr 17:6 has “judges.”
[7:7] 59 tn Heb “whom I commanded to shepherd” (so NIV, NRSV).
[7:8] 60 tn Heb “and from after the sheep.”
[7:9] 62 tn Heb “and I will make for you a great name like the name of the great ones who are in the earth.”
[7:10] 65 tn Heb “the sons of violence.”
[7:11] 67 tn In the Hebrew text the verb is apparently perfect with vav consecutive, which would normally suggest a future sense (“he will declare”; so the LXX, ἀπαγγελεῖ [apangelei]). But the context seems instead to call for a present or past nuance (“he declares” or “he has declared”). The synoptic passage in 1 Chr 17:10 has וָאַגִּד (va’aggid, “and I declared”). The construction used in 2 Sam 7:11 highlights this important statement.
[7:11] 69 tn Heb “house,” but used here in a metaphorical sense, referring to a royal dynasty. Here the
[7:12] 70 tn Heb, “when your days are full and you lie down with your ancestors.”
[7:12] 71 tn Heb “your seed after you who comes out from your insides.”
[7:13] 72 tn Heb “and I will establish the throne of his kingdom permanently.”
[7:16] 73 tc Heb “before you.” A few medieval Hebrew
[7:17] 75 tn Heb “according to all these words and according to all this revelation, so Nathan said to David.”
[7:19] 77 tn Heb “and this was small in your eyes, O
[7:19] 78 tn Heb “and this [is] the law of man”; KJV “is this the manner of man, O Lord God?”; NAB “this too you have shown to man”; NRSV “May this be instruction for the people, O Lord God!” This part of the verse is very enigmatic; no completely satisfying solution has yet been suggested. The present translation tries to make sense of the MT by understanding the phrase as a question that underscores the uniqueness of God’s dealings with David as described here. The parallel passage in 1 Chr 17:17 reads differently (see the note there).
[7:20] 79 tn Heb “and you know your servant.” The verb here refers to recognizing another in a special way and giving them special treatment (see 1 Chr 17:18). Some English versions take this to refer to the Lord’s knowledge of David himself: CEV “you know my thoughts”; NLT “know what I am really like.”
[7:21] 80 tn Heb “for the sake of your word and according to your heart.”
[7:21] 81 tn Heb “to make known, your servant.”
[7:22] 82 tn Heb “in all which we heard with our ears.” The phrase translated “in all” בְּכֹל (bÿkhol) should probably be emended to “according to all” כְּכֹל (kÿkhol).
[7:23] 83 tn Heb “a nation, one.”
[7:23] 84 tn Heb “whose God” or “because God.” In the Hebrew text this clause is subordinated to what precedes. The clauses are separated in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[7:23] 85 tn The verb is plural in Hebrew, agreeing grammatically with the divine name, which is a plural of degree.
[7:23] 87 tn Heb “and to do for you [plural form] the great [thing] and awesome [things] for your land.”
[7:23] 88 tn Heb “from Egypt, nations and their gods.” The LXX has “nations and tents,” which reflects a mistaken metathesis of letters in אֶלֹהָיו (e’lohav, “its gods”) and אֹהָלָיו (’ohalav, “its tents”).
[7:24] 89 tn Heb “and you established for yourself your people Israel for yourself for a people permanently.”
[7:25] 90 tn Heb “and now, O
[7:25] 91 tn Heb “as you have spoken.”
[7:26] 92 tn Heb “and your name might be great permanently.” Following the imperative in v. 23b, the prefixed verbal form with vav conjunctive indicates purpose/result.
[7:26] 93 tn Heb “saying.” The words “as people” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic reasons.
[7:26] 94 tn Heb “the house.” See the note on “dynastic house” in the following verse.
[7:27] 95 tn Heb “have uncovered the ear of.”
[7:27] 96 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] 97 tn Heb “has found his heart.”
[7:28] 98 tn Heb “the God.” The article indicates uniqueness here.
[7:28] 99 tn The translation understands the prefixed verb form as a jussive, indicating David’s wish/prayer. Another option is to take the form as an imperfect and translate “your words are true.”
[7:28] 100 tn Heb “and you have spoken to your servant this good thing.”
[7:29] 101 tn Heb “house” (again later in this verse). See the note on “dynastic house” in v. 27.
[7:29] 102 tn Or “permanently”; cf. NLT “it is an eternal blessing.”
[8:1] 103 tn Heb “the bridle of one cubit.” Many English versions treat this as a place name because the parallel text in 1 Chr 18:1 reads “Gath” (which is used by NLT here). It is possible that “the bridle of one cubit” is to be understood as “the token of surrender,” referring to the Philistine’s defeat rather than a specific place (cf. TEV, CEV).
[8:1] 104 tn Heb “from the hand [i.e., control] of the Philistines.”
[8:2] 105 tn Heb “and he measured [with] two [lengths] of rope to put to death and [with] the fullness of the rope to keep alive.”
[8:2] 106 tn Heb “and the Moabites were servants of David, carriers of tribute.”
[8:3] 107 tc The LXX has ἐπιστῆσαι (episthsai, “cause to stand”). See the parallel text in 1 Chr 18:3.
[8:3] 109 tn The MT does not have the name “Euphrates” in the text. It is supplied in the margin (Qere) as one of ten places where the Masoretes believed that something was “to be read although it was not written” in the text as they had received it. The ancient versions (LXX, Syriac Peshitta, Vulgate) include the word. See also the parallel text in 1 Chr 18:3.
[8:4] 110 tc The LXX has “one thousand chariots and seven thousand charioteers,” a reading adopted in the text of the NIV. See the parallel text in 1 Chr 18:4.
[8:4] 111 tn Heb “and David cut the hamstrings of all the chariot horses, and he left from them a hundred chariot horses.”
[8:6] 113 tn Or “wherever he went.”
[8:7] 114 tc The LXX includes seventeen words (in Greek) at the end of v. 7 that are not found in the MT. The LXX addition is as follows: “And Sousakim king of Egypt took them when he came up to Jerusalem in the days of Rehoboam the son of Solomon.” This Greek reading now finds Hebrew support in 4QSama. For a reconstruction of this poorly preserved Qumran text see E. C. Ulrich, Jr., The Qumran Text of Samuel and Josephus (HSM), 45-48.
[8:8] 115 tn Heb “Betah” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV), but the name should probably be corrected to “Tebah.” See the parallel text in 1 Chr 18:8.
[8:9] 116 tn The name is spelled “Tou” in the parallel text in 1 Chr 18:9. NIV adopts the spelling “Tou” here.
[8:10] 117 tn Heb “Toi.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[8:10] 118 tn The name appears as “Hadoram” in the parallel text in 1 Chr 18:10.
[8:10] 119 tn Heb “to ask concerning him for peace.”
[8:10] 120 tn Heb “and to bless him because he fought with Hadadezer and defeated him, for Hadadezer was a man of battles with Toi.”
[8:10] 121 tn Heb “and in his hand were items of silver and items of gold and items of bronze.”
[8:11] 122 tn Heb “also them King David made holy to the
[8:11] 123 tn Heb “with the silver and the gold that he had dedicated from.”
[8:12] 125 tc The present translation follows the MT; a few Hebrew
[8:12] 126 tn Heb “and from the plunder of.”
[8:13] 127 tn Heb “made a name.”
[8:13] 128 tn So NASB, NCV; NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “Edomites” (see the note on “Aram” in v. 12).
[8:13] 129 tn The words “he defeated” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[8:14] 130 tc The MT is repetitious here: “He placed in Edom garrisons; in all Edom he placed garrisons.” The Vulgate lacks “in all Edom”; most of the Greek tradition (with the exception of the Lucianic recension and the recension of Origen) and the Syriac Peshitta lack “he placed garrisons.” The MT reading appears here to be the result of a conflation of variant readings.
[8:15] 131 tn Heb “and David was doing what is just and fair for all his people.”
[8:17] 133 tc Here Ahimelech is called “the son of Abiathar,” but NCV, CEV, and REB reverse this to conform with 1 Sam 22:20. Most recent English versions (e.g., NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT) retain the order found in the MT.
[8:18] 134 tc The translation follows the Syriac Peshitta, Targum, and Vulgate in reading “over,” rather than the simple conjunction that appears in MT. See also the parallel passage in 1 Chr 18:17.
[8:18] 135 sn That David’s sons could have been priests, in light of the fact that they were not of the priestly lineage, is strange. One must assume either (1) that the word “priest” (כֹּהֵן, kohen) during this period of time could be used in a broader sense of “chief ruler” (KJV); “chief minister” (ASV, NASB), or “royal adviser” (NIV), perhaps based on the parallel passage in 1 Chr 18:17 which has “the king’s leading officials”, or (2) that in David’s day members of the king’s family could function as a special category of “priests” (cf. NLT “priestly leaders”). The latter option seems to be the more straightforward way of understanding the word in 2 Sam 8:18.
