Discovery Box2 Samuel 5:1--20:26
Context5:1 All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron saying, “Look, we are your very flesh and blood! 1 5:2 In the past, when Saul was our king, you were the real leader in Israel. 2 The Lord said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel; you will rule over Israel.’”
5:3 When all the leaders 3 of Israel came to the king at Hebron, King David made an agreement with them 4 in Hebron before the Lord. They designated 5 David as king over Israel. 5:4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign and he reigned for forty years. 5:5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah for seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem 6 he reigned for thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.
5:6 Then the king and his men advanced to Jerusalem 7 against the Jebusites who lived in the land. The Jebusites 8 said to David, “You cannot invade this place! Even the blind and the lame will turn you back, saying, ‘David cannot invade this place!’”
5:7 But David captured the fortress of Zion (that is, the city of David). 5:8 David said on that day, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites must approach the ‘lame’ and the ‘blind’ who are David’s enemies 9 by going through the water tunnel.” 10 For this reason it is said, “The blind and the lame cannot enter the palace.” 11
5:9 So David lived in the fortress and called it the City of David. David built all around it, from the terrace inwards. 5:10 David’s power grew steadily, for the Lord God 12 who commands armies 13 was with him. 14
5:11 King Hiram of Tyre 15 sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs, carpenters, and stonemasons. They built a palace 16 for David. 5:12 David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that he had elevated his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. 5:13 David married more concubines and wives from Jerusalem after he arrived from Hebron. Even more sons and daughters were born to David. 5:14 These are the names of children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 5:15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 5:16 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
5:17 When the Philistines heard that David had been designated 17 king over Israel, they all 18 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 19 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. 20 5:21 The Philistines 21 abandoned their idols 22 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. 23 This time 24 the Lord 25 said to him, “Don’t march straight up. Instead, circle around behind them and come against them opposite the trees. 26 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 27 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. 28
6:1 David again assembled 29 all the best 30 men in Israel, thirty thousand in number. 6:2 David and all the men who were with him traveled 31 to 32 Baalah 33 in Judah to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the name 34 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 35 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 36 were energetically celebrating before the Lord, singing 37 and playing various stringed instruments, 38 tambourines, rattles, 39 and cymbals.
6:6 When they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, 40 Uzzah reached out and grabbed hold of 41 the ark of God, 42 because the oxen stumbled. 6:7 The Lord was so furious with Uzzah, 43 he 44 killed him on the spot 45 for his negligence. 46 He died right there beside the ark of God.
6:8 David was angry because the Lord attacked 47 Uzzah; so he called that place Perez Uzzah, 48 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. 49 6:12 David was told, 50 “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 51 sacrificed an ox and a fatling calf. 6:14 Now David, wearing a linen ephod, was dancing with all his strength before the Lord. 52 6:15 David and all Israel 53 were bringing up the ark of the Lord, shouting and blowing trumpets. 54
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. 55 6:17 They brought the ark of the Lord and put it in its place 56 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, 57 both men and women, a portion of bread, a date cake, 58 and a raisin cake. Then all the people went home. 59 6:20 When David went home to pronounce a blessing on his own house, 60 Michal, Saul’s daughter, came out to meet him. 61 She said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished 62 himself this day! He has exposed himself today before his servants’ slave girls the way a vulgar fool 63 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 64 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! 65 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, 66 for the Lord gave him relief 67 from all his enemies on all sides. 68 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 69 and do whatever you have in mind, 70 for the Lord is with you.” 7:4 That night the Lord told Nathan, 71 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. 72 7:7 Wherever I moved among all the Israelites, I did not say 73 to any of the leaders 74 whom I appointed to care for 75 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 76 to make you leader of my people Israel. 7:9 I was with you wherever you went, and I defeated 77 all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth. 78 7:10 I will establish a place for my people Israel and settle 79 them there; they will live there and not be disturbed 80 any more. Violent men 81 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 82 from all your enemies. The Lord declares 83 to you that he himself 84 will build a dynastic house 85 for you. 7:12 When the time comes for you to die, 86 I will raise up your descendant, one of your own sons, to succeed you, 87 and I will establish his kingdom. 7:13 He will build a house for my name, and I will make his dynasty permanent. 88 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 89 permanently; your dynasty 90 will be permanent.’” 7:17 Nathan told David all these words that were revealed to him. 91
7:18 King David went in, sat before the Lord, and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, 92 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. 93 Is this your usual way of dealing with men, 94 O Lord God? 7:20 What more can David say to you? You have given your servant special recognition, 95 O Lord God! 7:21 For the sake of your promise and according to your purpose 96 you have done this great thing in order to reveal it to your servant. 97 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! 98 7:23 Who is like your people, Israel, a unique nation 99 on the earth? Their God 100 went 101 to claim 102 a nation for himself and to make a name for himself! You did great and awesome acts for your land, 103 before your people whom you delivered for yourself from the Egyptian empire and its gods. 104 7:24 You made Israel your very own people for all time. 105 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. 106 Do as you promised, 107 7:26 so you may gain lasting fame, 108 as people say, 109 ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel!’ The dynasty 110 of your servant David will be established before you, 7:27 for you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have told 111 your servant, ‘I will build you a dynastic house.’ 112 That is why your servant has had the courage 113 to pray this prayer to you. 7:28 Now, O sovereign Lord, you are the true God! 114 May your words prove to be true! 115 You have made this good promise to your servant! 116 7:29 Now be willing to bless your servant’s dynasty 117 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!” 118
8:1 Later David defeated the Philistines and subdued them. David took Metheg Ammah 119 from the Philistines. 120 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. 121 The Moabites became David’s subjects and brought tribute. 122 8:3 David defeated King Hadadezer son of Rehob of Zobah when he came to reestablish 123 his authority 124 over the Euphrates 125 River. 8:4 David seized from him 1,700 charioteers 126 and 20,000 infantrymen. David cut the hamstrings of all but a hundred of the chariot horses. 127 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 128 David wherever he campaigned. 129 8:7 David took the golden shields that belonged to Hadadezer’s servants and brought them to Jerusalem. 130 8:8 From Tebah 131 and Berothai, Hadadezer’s cities, King David took a great deal of bronze.
8:9 When King Toi 132 of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer, 8:10 he 133 sent his son Joram 134 to King David to extend his best wishes 135 and to pronounce a blessing on him for his victory over Hadadezer, for Toi had been at war with Hadadezer. 136 He brought with him various items made of silver, gold, and bronze. 137 8:11 King David dedicated these things to the Lord, 138 along with the dedicated silver and gold that he had taken from 139 all the nations that he had subdued, 8:12 including 140 Aram, 141 Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amelek. This also included some of the plunder taken from 142 King Hadadezer son of Rehob of Zobah.
8:13 David became famous 143 when he returned from defeating the Arameans 144 in the Valley of Salt, he defeated 145 18,000 in all. 8:14 He placed garrisons throughout Edom, 146 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. 147
8:16 Joab son of Zeruiah was general in command of 148 the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was secretary; 8:17 Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar 149 were priests; Seraiah was scribe; 8:18 Benaiah son of Jehoida supervised 150 the Kerithites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were priests. 151
9:1 152 Then David asked, “Is anyone still left from the family 153 of Saul, so that I may extend kindness to him for the sake of Jonathan?”
9:2 Now there was a servant from Saul’s house named Ziba, so he was summoned to David. The king asked him, “Are you Ziba?” He replied, “At your service.” 154 9:3 The king asked, “Is there not someone left from Saul’s family, 155 that I may extend God’s kindness to him?” Ziba said to the king, “One of Jonathan’s sons is left; both of his feet are crippled.” 9:4 The king asked him, “Where is he?” Ziba told the king, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.
9:5 So King David had him brought 156 from the house of Makir son of Ammiel in 157 Lo Debar. 9:6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed low with his face toward the ground. 158 David said, “Mephibosheth?” He replied, “Yes, at your service.” 159
9:7 David said to him, “Don’t be afraid, because I will certainly extend kindness to you for the sake of Jonathan your father. You will be a regular guest at my table.” 160 9:8 Then Mephibosheth 161 bowed and said, “Of what importance am I, your servant, that you show regard for a dead dog like me?” 162
9:9 Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s attendant, and said to him, “Everything that belonged to Saul and to his entire house I hereby give to your master’s grandson. 9:10 You will cultivate 163 the land for him – you and your sons and your servants. You will bring its produce 164 and it will be 165 food for your master’s grandson to eat. 166 But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, will be a regular guest at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)
9:11 Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do everything that my lord the king has instructed his servant to do.” So Mephibosheth was a regular guest 167 at David’s table, 168 just as though he were one of the king’s sons.
9:12 Now Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. All the members of Ziba’s household were Mephibosheth’s servants. 9:13 Mephibosheth was living in Jerusalem, 169 for he was a regular guest at the king’s table. But both his feet were crippled.
10:1 Later the king of the Ammonites died and his son Hanun succeeded him. 170 10:2 David said, “I will express my loyalty 171 to Hanun son of Nahash just as his father was loyal 172 to me.” So David sent his servants with a message expressing sympathy over his father’s death. 173 When David’s servants entered the land of the Ammonites, 10:3 the Ammonite officials said to their lord Hanun, “Do you really think David is trying to honor your father by sending these messengers to express his sympathy? 174 No, David has sent his servants to you to get information about the city and spy on it so they can overthrow it!” 175
10:4 So Hanun seized David’s servants and shaved off half of each one’s beard. He cut the lower part of their robes off so that their buttocks were exposed, 176 and then sent them away. 10:5 Messengers 177 told David what had happened, 178 so he summoned them, for the men were thoroughly humiliated. The king said, “Stay in Jericho 179 until your beards have grown again; then you may come back.”
10:6 When the Ammonites realized that David was disgusted with them, 180 they 181 sent and hired 20,000 foot soldiers from Aram Beth Rehob and Aram Zobah, 182 in addition to 1,000 men from the king of Maacah and 12,000 men from Ish-tob. 183
10:7 When David heard the news, he sent Joab and the entire army to meet them. 184 10:8 The Ammonites marched out and were deployed for battle at the entrance of the city gate, while the men from Aram Zobah, Rehob, Ish-tob, and Maacah were by themselves in the field.
10:9 When Joab saw that the battle would be fought on two fronts, he chose some of Israel’s best men and deployed them against the Arameans. 185 10:10 He put his brother Abishai in charge of the rest of the army 186 and they were deployed 187 against the Ammonites. 10:11 Joab 188 said, “If the Arameans start to overpower me, 189 you come to my rescue. If the Ammonites start to overpower you, 190 I will come to your rescue. 10:12 Be strong! Let’s fight bravely for the sake of our people and the cities of our God! The Lord will do what he decides is best!” 191
10:13 So Joab and his men 192 marched out to do battle with the Arameans, and they fled before him. 10:14 When the Ammonites saw the Arameans flee, they fled before his brother Abishai and went into the city. Joab withdrew from fighting the Ammonites and returned to 193 Jerusalem. 194
10:15 When the Arameans realized that they had been defeated by Israel, they consolidated their forces. 195 10:16 Then Hadadezer sent for Arameans from 196 beyond the Euphrates River, 197 and they came to Helam. Shobach, the general in command of Hadadezer’s army, led them. 198
10:17 When David was informed, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan River, 199 and came to Helam. The Arameans deployed their forces against David and fought with him. 10:18 The Arameans fled before Israel. David killed 700 Aramean charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers. 200 He also struck down Shobach, the general in command of the army, who died there. 10:19 When all the kings who were subject to Hadadezer 201 saw they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became subjects of Israel. 202 The Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.
11:1 In the spring of the year, at the time when kings 203 normally conduct wars, 204 David sent out Joab with his officers 205 and the entire Israelite army. 206 They defeated the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed behind in Jerusalem. 207 11:2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of his palace. 208 From the roof he saw a woman bathing. Now this woman was very attractive. 209 11:3 So David sent someone to inquire about the woman. The messenger 210 said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”
11:4 David sent some messengers to get her. 211 She came to him and he had sexual relations with her. 212 (Now at that time she was in the process of purifying herself from her menstrual uncleanness.) 213 Then she returned to her home. 11:5 The woman conceived and then sent word to David saying, “I’m pregnant.”
11:6 So David sent a message to Joab that said, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent Uriah to David. 11:7 When Uriah came to him, David asked about how Joab and the army were doing and how the campaign was going. 214 11:8 Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your home and relax.” 215 When Uriah left the palace, the king sent a gift to him. 216 11:9 But Uriah stayed at the door of the palace with all 217 the servants of his lord. He did not go down to his house.
11:10 So they informed David, “Uriah has not gone down to his house.” So David said to Uriah, “Haven’t you just arrived from a journey? Why haven’t you gone down to your house?” 11:11 Uriah replied to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah reside in temporary shelters, and my lord Joab and my lord’s soldiers are camping in the open field. Should I go to my house to eat and drink and have marital relations 218 with my wife? As surely as you are alive, 219 I will not do this thing!” 11:12 So David said to Uriah, “Stay here another day. Tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem both that day and the following one. 220 11:13 Then David summoned him. He ate and drank with him, and got him drunk. But in the evening he went out to sleep on his bed with the servants of his lord; he did not go down to his own house.
11:14 In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. 11:15 In the letter he wrote: “Station Uriah in the thick of the battle and then withdraw from him so he will be cut down and killed.”
11:16 So as Joab kept watch on the city, he stationed Uriah at the place where he knew the best enemy soldiers 221 were. 11:17 When the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, some of David’s soldiers 222 fell in battle. Uriah the Hittite also died.
11:18 Then Joab sent a full battle report to David. 223 11:19 He instructed the messenger as follows: “When you finish giving the battle report to the king, 11:20 if the king becomes angry and asks you, ‘Why did you go so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you realize they would shoot from the wall? 11:21 Who struck down Abimelech the son of Jerub-Besheth? Didn’t a woman throw an upper millstone 224 down on him from the wall so that he died in Thebez? Why did you go so close to the wall?’ just say to him, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.’”
11:22 So the messenger departed. When he arrived, he informed David of all the news that Joab had sent with him. 11:23 The messenger said to David, “The men overpowered us and attacked us 225 in the field. But we forced them to retreat all the way 226 to the door of the city gate. 11:24 Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall and some of the king’s soldiers 227 died. Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.” 11:25 David said to the messenger, “Tell Joab, ‘Don’t let this thing upset you. 228 There is no way to anticipate whom the sword will cut down. 229 Press the battle against the city and conquer 230 it.’ Encourage him with these words.” 231
11:26 When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband Uriah was dead, she mourned for him. 232 11:27 When the time of mourning passed, David had her brought to his palace. 233 She became his wife and she bore him a son. But what David had done upset the Lord. 234
12:1 So the Lord sent Nathan 235 to David. When he came to David, 236 Nathan 237 said, 238 “There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. 12:2 The rich man had a great many flocks and herds. 12:3 But the poor man had nothing except for a little lamb he had acquired. He raised it, and it grew up alongside him and his children. 239 It used to 240 eat his food, 241 drink from his cup, and sleep in his arms. 242 It was just like a daughter to him.
12:4 “When a traveler arrived at the rich man’s home, 243 he did not want to use one of his own sheep or cattle to feed 244 the traveler who had come to visit him. 245 Instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and cooked 246 it for the man who had come to visit him.”
12:5 Then David became very angry at this man. He said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! 247 12:6 Because he committed this cold-hearted crime, he must pay for the lamb four times over!” 248
12:7 Nathan said to David, “You are that man! This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I chose 249 you to be king over Israel and I rescued you from the hand of Saul. 12:8 I gave you your master’s house, and put your master’s wives into your arms. 250 I also gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all that somehow seems insignificant, I would have given you so much more as well! 12:9 Why have you shown contempt for the word of the Lord by doing evil in my 251 sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and you have taken his wife as your own! 252 You have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 12:10 So now the sword will never depart from your house. For you have despised me by taking the wife of Uriah the Hittite as your own!’ 12:11 This is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to bring disaster on you 253 from inside your own household! 254 Right before your eyes I will take your wives and hand them over to your companion. 255 He will have sexual relations with 256 your wives in broad daylight! 257 12:12 Although you have acted in secret, I will do this thing before all Israel, and in broad daylight.’” 258
12:13 Then David exclaimed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord!” Nathan replied to David, “Yes, and the Lord has forgiven 259 your sin. You are not going to die. 12:14 Nonetheless, because you have treated the Lord with such contempt 260 in this matter, the son who has been born to you will certainly die.”
12:15 Then Nathan went to his home. The Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and the child became very ill. 261 12:16 Then David prayed to 262 God for the child and fasted. 263 He would even 264 go and spend the night lying on the ground. 12:17 The elders of his house stood over him and tried to lift him from the ground, but he was unwilling, and refused to eat food with them.
12:18 On the seventh day the child died. But the servants of David were afraid to inform him that the child had died, for they said, “While the child was still alive he would not listen to us 265 when we spoke to him. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He will do himself harm!” 266
12:19 When David saw that his servants were whispering to one another, he 267 realized that the child was dead. So David asked his servants, “Is the child dead?” They replied, “Yes, he’s dead.” 12:20 So David got up from the ground, bathed, put on oil, and changed his clothes. He went to the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then, when he entered his palace, he requested that food be brought to him, and he ate.
12:21 His servants said to him, “What is this that you have done? While 268 the child was still alive, you fasted and wept. Once the child was dead you got up and ate food!” 12:22 He replied, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept because I thought, 269 ‘Perhaps 270 the Lord will show pity and the child will live. 12:23 But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Am I able to bring him back? I will go to him, but he cannot return to me!’”
12:24 So David comforted his wife Bathsheba. He went to her and had marital relations with her. 271 She gave birth to a son, and David 272 named him Solomon. Now the Lord loved the child 273 12:25 and sent word through Nathan the prophet that he should be named Jedidiah 274 for the Lord’s sake.
12:26 275 So Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal city. 12:27 Joab then sent messengers to David, saying, “I have fought against Rabbah and have captured the water supply of the city. 276 12:28 So now assemble the rest of the army 277 and besiege the city and capture it. Otherwise I will capture the city and it will be named for me.”
12:29 So David assembled all the army and went to Rabbah and fought against it and captured it. 12:30 He took the crown of their king 278 from his head – it was gold, weighed about seventy-five pounds, 279 and held a precious stone – and it was placed on David’s head. He also took from the city a great deal of plunder. 12:31 He removed 280 the people who were in it and made them do hard labor with saws, iron picks, and iron axes, putting them to work at the brick kiln. This was his policy 281 with all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all the army returned to Jerusalem. 282
13:1 Now David’s son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. In the course of time David’s son Amnon fell madly in love with her. 283 13:2 But Amnon became frustrated because he was so lovesick 284 over his sister Tamar. For she was a virgin, and to Amnon it seemed out of the question to do anything to her.
13:3 Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah. Jonadab was a very crafty man. 13:4 He asked Amnon, 285 “Why are you, the king’s son, 286 so depressed every morning? Can’t you tell me?” So Amnon said to him, “I’m in love with Tamar the sister of my brother Absalom.” 13:5 Jonadab replied to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be sick. 287 When your father comes in to see you, say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come in so she can fix some food for me. Let her prepare the food in my sight so I can watch. Then I will eat from her hand.’”
13:6 So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. When the king came in to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come in so she can make a couple of cakes in my sight. Then I will eat from her hand.”
13:7 So David sent Tamar to the house saying, “Please go to the house of Amnon your brother and prepare some food for him.” 13:8 So Tamar went to the house of Amnon her brother, who was lying down. She took the dough, kneaded it, made some cakes while he watched, 288 and baked them. 289 13:9 But when she took the pan and set it before him, he refused to eat. Instead Amnon said, “Get everyone out of here!” 290 So everyone left. 291
13:10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the cakes into the bedroom; then I will eat from your hand.” So Tamar took the cakes that she had prepared and brought them to her brother Amnon in the bedroom. 13:11 As she brought them to him to eat, he grabbed her and said to her, “Come on! Get in bed with me, 292 my sister!”
13:12 But she said to him, “No, my brother! Don’t humiliate me! This just isn’t done in Israel! Don’t do this foolish thing! 13:13 How could I ever be rid of my humiliation? And you would be considered one of the fools 293 in Israel! Just 294 speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.” 13:14 But he refused to listen to her. 295 He overpowered her and humiliated her by raping her. 296 13:15 Then Amnon greatly despised her. 297 His disdain toward her surpassed the love he had previously felt toward her. 298 Amnon said to her, “Get up and leave!”
13:16 But she said to him, “No I won’t, for sending me away now would be worse than what you did to me earlier!” 299 But he refused to listen to her. 13:17 He called his personal attendant and said to him, “Take this woman out of my sight 300 and lock the door behind her!” 13:18 (Now she was wearing a long robe, 301 for this is what the king’s virgin daughters used to wear.) So Amnon’s 302 attendant removed her and bolted the door 303 behind her. 13:19 Then Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long robe she was wearing. She put her hands on her head and went on her way, wailing as she went.
13:20 Her brother Absalom said to her, “Was Amnon your brother with you? Now be quiet, my sister. He is your brother. Don’t take it so seriously!” 304 Tamar, devastated, lived in the house of her brother Absalom.
13:21 Now King David heard about all these things and was very angry. 305 13:22 But Absalom said nothing to Amnon, either bad or good, yet Absalom hated Amnon because he had humiliated his sister Tamar.
13:23 Two years later Absalom’s sheepshearers were in Baal Hazor, 306 near Ephraim. Absalom invited all the king’s sons. 13:24 Then Absalom went to the king and said, “My shearers have begun their work. 307 Let the king and his servants go with me.”
13:25 But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son. We shouldn’t all go. We shouldn’t burden you in that way.” Though Absalom 308 pressed 309 him, the king 310 was not willing to go. Instead, David 311 blessed him.
13:26 Then Absalom said, “If you will not go, 312 then let my brother Amnon go with us.” The king replied to him, “Why should he go with you?” 13:27 But when Absalom pressed him, he sent Amnon and all the king’s sons along with him.
13:28 Absalom instructed his servants, “Look! When Amnon is drunk 313 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!” 314 13:29 So Absalom’s servants did to Amnon exactly what Absalom had instructed. Then all the king’s sons got up; each one rode away on his mule and fled.
13:30 While they were still on their way, the following report reached David: “Absalom has killed all the king’s sons; not one of them is left!” 13:31 Then the king stood up and tore his garments and lay down on the ground. All his servants were standing there with torn garments as well.
13:32 Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah, said, “My lord should not say, ‘They have killed all the young men who are the king’s sons.’ For only Amnon is dead. This is what Absalom has talked about 315 from the day that Amnon 316 humiliated his sister Tamar. 13:33 Now don’t let my lord the king be concerned about the report that has come saying, ‘All the king’s sons are dead.’ It is only Amnon who is dead.”
13:34 In the meantime Absalom fled. When the servant who was the watchman looked up, he saw many people coming from the west 317 on a road beside the hill. 13:35 Jonadab said to the king, “Look! The king’s sons have come! It’s just as I said!”
13:36 Just as he finished speaking, the king’s sons arrived, wailing and weeping. 318 The king and all his servants wept loudly 319 as well. 13:37 But Absalom fled and went to King Talmai son of Ammihud of Geshur. And David 320 grieved over his son every day.
13:38 After Absalom fled and went to Geshur, he remained there for three years. 13:39 The king longed 321 to go to Absalom, for he had since been consoled over the death of Amnon. 322
14:1 Now Joab son of Zeruiah realized that the king longed to see 323 Absalom. 14:2 So Joab sent to Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman. He told her, “Pretend to be in mourning 324 and put on garments for mourning. Don’t anoint yourself with oil. Instead, act like a woman who has been mourning for the dead for some time. 325 14:3 Go to the king and speak to him in the following fashion.” Then Joab told her what to say. 326
14:4 So the Tekoan woman went 327 to the king. She bowed down with her face to the ground in deference to him and said, “Please help me, 328 O king!” 14:5 The king replied to her, “What do you want?” 329 She answered, “I am a widow; my husband is dead. 14:6 Your servant 330 has two sons. When the two of them got into a fight in the field, there was no one present who could intervene. One of them struck the other and killed him. 14:7 Now the entire family has risen up against your servant, saying, ‘Turn over the one who struck down his brother, so that we can execute him and avenge the death 331 of his brother whom he killed. In so doing we will also destroy the heir.’ They want to extinguish my remaining coal, 332 leaving no one on the face of the earth to carry on the name of my husband.”
14:8 Then the king told the woman, “Go to your home. I will give instructions concerning your situation.” 333 14:9 The Tekoan woman said to the king, “My lord the king, let any blame fall on me and on the house of my father. But let the king and his throne be innocent!”
14:10 The king said, “Bring to me whoever speaks to you, and he won’t bother you again!” 14:11 She replied, “In that case, 334 let the king invoke the name of 335 the Lord your God so that the avenger of blood may not kill! Then they will not destroy my son!” He replied, “As surely as the Lord lives, not a single hair of your son’s head 336 will fall to the ground.”
14:12 Then the woman said, “Please permit your servant to speak to my lord the king about another matter.” He replied, “Tell me.” 14:13 The woman said, “Why have you devised something like this against God’s people? When the king speaks in this fashion, he makes himself guilty, for the king has not brought back the one he has banished. 14:14 Certainly we must die, and are like water spilled on the ground that cannot be gathered up again. But God does not take away life; instead he devises ways for the banished to be restored. 337 14:15 I have now come to speak with my lord the king about this matter, because the people have made me fearful. 338 But your servant said, ‘I will speak to the king! Perhaps the king will do what his female servant 339 asks. 14:16 Yes! 340 The king may 341 listen and deliver his female servant 342 from the hand of the man who seeks to remove 343 both me and my son from the inheritance God has given us!’ 344 14:17 So your servant said, ‘May the word of my lord the king be my security, for my lord the king is like the angel of God when it comes to deciding between right and wrong! May the Lord your God be with you!’”
14:18 Then the king replied to the woman, “Don’t hide any information from me when I question you.” The woman said, “Let my lord the king speak!” 14:19 The king said, “Did Joab put you up to all of this?” 345 The woman answered, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, there is no deviation to the right or to the left from all that my lord the king has said. For your servant Joab gave me instructions. He has put all these words in your servant’s mouth. 14:20 Your servant Joab did this so as to change this situation. But my lord has wisdom like that of the angel of God, and knows everything that is happening in the land.” 346
14:21 Then the king said to Joab, “All right! I 347 will do this thing! Go and bring back the young man Absalom! 14:22 Then Joab bowed down with his face toward the ground and thanked 348 the king. Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord the king, because the king has granted the request of your 349 servant!”
14:23 So Joab got up and went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. 350 14:24 But the king said, “Let him go over 351 to his own house. He may not see my face.” So Absalom went over 352 to his own house; he did not see the king’s face.
14:25 Now in all Israel everyone acknowledged that there was no man as handsome as Absalom. 353 From the sole of his feet to the top of his head he was perfect in appearance. 354 14:26 When he would shave his head – at the end of every year he used to shave his head, for it grew too long 355 and he would shave it – he used to weigh the hair of his head at three pounds 356 according to the king’s weight. 14:27 Absalom had 357 three sons and one daughter, whose name was Tamar. She was a very attractive woman. 358
14:28 Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years without seeing the king’s face. 14:29 Then Absalom sent a message to Joab asking him to send him to the king, but Joab was not willing to come to him. So he sent a second message to him, but he still was not willing to come. 14:30 So he said to his servants, “Look, Joab has a portion of field adjacent to mine and he has some barley there. Go and set it on fire.” 359 So Absalom’s servants set Joab’s 360 portion of the field on fire.
14:31 Then Joab got up and came to Absalom’s house. He said to him, “Why did your servants set my portion of field on fire?” 14:32 Absalom said to Joab, “Look, I sent a message to you saying, ‘Come here so that I can send you to the king with this message: 361 “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there.”’ Let me now see the face of the king. If I am at fault, let him put me to death!”
14:33 So Joab went to the king and informed him. The king 362 summoned Absalom, and he came to the king. Absalom 363 bowed down before the king with his face toward the ground and the king kissed him. 364
15:1 Some time later Absalom managed to acquire 365 a chariot and horses, as well as fifty men to serve as his royal guard. 366 15:2 Now Absalom used to get up early and stand beside the road that led to the city gate. Whenever anyone came by who had a complaint to bring to the king for arbitration, Absalom would call out to him, “What city are you from?” The person would answer, “I, your servant, 367 am from one of the tribes of Israel.” 15:3 Absalom would then say to him, “Look, your claims are legitimate and appropriate. 368 But there is no representative of the king who will listen to you.” 15:4 Absalom would then say, “If only they would make me 369 a judge in the land! Then everyone who had a judicial complaint 370 could come to me and I would make sure he receives a just settlement.”
15:5 When someone approached to bow before him, Absalom 371 would extend his hand and embrace him and kiss him. 15:6 Absalom acted this way toward everyone in Israel who came to the king for justice. In this way Absalom won the loyalty 372 of the citizens 373 of Israel.
15:7 After four 374 years Absalom said to the king, “Let me go and repay my vow that I made to the Lord while I was in Hebron. 15:8 For I made this vow 375 when I was living in Geshur in Aram: ‘If the Lord really does allow me to return to Jerusalem, 376 I will serve the Lord.’” 15:9 The king replied to him, “Go in peace.” So Absalom 377 got up and went to Hebron.
15:10 Then Absalom sent spies through all the tribes of Israel who said, “When you hear the sound of the horn, you may assume 378 that Absalom rules in Hebron.” 15:11 Now two hundred men had gone with Absalom from Jerusalem. Since they were invited, they went naively and were unaware of what Absalom was planning. 379 15:12 While he was offering sacrifices, Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s adviser, 380 to come from his city, Giloh. 381 The conspiracy was gaining momentum, and the people were starting to side with Absalom.
15:13 Then a messenger came to David and reported, “The men of Israel are loyal to Absalom!” 382 15:14 So David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, 383 “Come on! 384 Let’s escape! 385 Otherwise no one will be delivered from Absalom! Go immediately, or else he will quickly overtake us and bring 386 disaster on us and kill the city’s residents with the sword.” 387 15:15 The king’s servants replied to the king, “We will do whatever our lord the king decides.” 388
15:16 So the king and all the members of his royal court 389 set out on foot, though the king left behind ten concubines 390 to attend to the palace. 15:17 The king and all the people set out on foot, pausing 391 at a spot 392 some distance away. 15:18 All his servants were leaving with him, 393 along with all the Kerethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites – some six hundred men who had come on foot from Gath. They were leaving with 394 the king.
15:19 Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you come with us? Go back and stay with the new 395 king, for you are a foreigner and an exile from your own country. 396 15:20 It seems like you arrived just yesterday. Today should I make you wander around by going with us? I go where I must go. But as for you, go back and take your men 397 with you. May genuine loyal love 398 protect 399 you!”
15:21 But Ittai replied to the king, “As surely as the Lord lives and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king is, whether dead or alive, 400 there I 401 will be as well!” 15:22 So David said to Ittai, “Come along then.” 402 So Ittai the Gittite went along, 403 accompanied by all his men and all the dependents 404 who were with him.
15:23 All the land was weeping loudly 405 as all these people were leaving. 406 As the king was crossing over the Kidron Valley, all the people were leaving 407 on the road that leads to the desert. 15:24 Zadok and all the Levites who were with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. When they positioned the ark of God, Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had finished leaving 408 the city.
15:25 Then the king said to Zadok, “Take the ark of God back to the city. If I find favor in the Lord’s sight he will bring me back and enable me to see both it and his dwelling place again. 15:26 However, if he should say, ‘I do not take pleasure in you,’ then he will deal with me in a way that he considers appropriate.” 409
15:27 The king said to Zadok the priest, “Are you a seer? 410 Go back to the city in peace! Your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan may go with you and Abiathar. 411 15:28 Look, I will be waiting at the fords of the desert until word from you 412 reaches me.” 15:29 So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and remained there.
15:30 As David was going up the Mount of Olives, he was weeping as he went; his head was covered and his feet were bare. All the people who were with him also had their heads covered and were weeping as they went up. 15:31 Now David 413 had been told, “Ahithophel has sided with the conspirators who are with Absalom. So David prayed, 414 “Make the advice of Ahithophel foolish, O Lord!”
15:32 When David reached the summit, where he used to worship God, Hushai the Arkite met him with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. 15:33 David said to him, “If you leave 415 with me you will be a burden to me. 15:34 But you will be able to counter the advice of Ahithophel if you go back to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king! Previously I was your father’s servant, and now I will be your servant.’ 15:35 Zadok and Abiathar the priests will be there with you. 416 Everything you hear in the king’s palace 417 you must tell Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 15:36 Furthermore, their two sons are there with them, Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan. You must send them to me with any information you hear.” 418
15:37 So David’s friend Hushai arrived in the city, just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.
16:1 When David had gone a short way beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth was there to meet him. He had a couple of donkeys that were saddled, and on them were two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred raisin cakes, a hundred baskets of summer fruit, 419 and a container of wine.
16:2 The king asked Ziba, “Why did you bring these things?” 420 Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the king’s family to ride on, the loaves of bread 421 and the summer fruit are for the attendants to eat, and the wine is for those who get exhausted in the desert.” 422 16:3 The king asked, “Where is your master’s grandson?” 423 Ziba replied to the king, “He remains in Jerusalem, 424 for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will give back to me my grandfather’s 425 kingdom.’” 16:4 The king said to Ziba, “Everything that was Mephibosheth’s now belongs to you.” Ziba replied, “I bow before you. May I find favor in your sight, my lord the king.”
16:5 Then King David reached 426 Bahurim. There a man from Saul’s extended family named Shimei son of Gera came out, yelling curses as he approached. 427 16:6 He threw stones at David and all of King David’s servants, as well as all the people and the soldiers who were on his right and on his left. 16:7 As he yelled curses, Shimei said, “Leave! Leave! You man of bloodshed, you wicked man! 428 16:8 The Lord has punished you for 429 all the spilled blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you rule. Now the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. Disaster has overtaken you, for you are a man of bloodshed!”
16:9 Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head!” 16:10 But the king said, “What do we have in common, 430 you sons of Zeruiah? If he curses because the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David!’, who can say to him, ‘Why have you done this?’” 16:11 Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “My own son, my very own flesh and blood, 431 is trying to take my life. So also now this Benjaminite! Leave him alone so that he can curse, for the Lord has spoken to him. 16:12 Perhaps the Lord will notice my affliction 432 and this day grant me good in place of his curse.” 433
16:13 So David and his men went on their way. But Shimei kept going along the side of the hill opposite him, yelling curses as he threw stones and dirt at them. 434 16:14 The king and all the people who were with him arrived exhausted at their destination, where David 435 refreshed himself.
16:15 Now when Absalom and all the men 436 of Israel arrived in Jerusalem, 437 Ahithophel was with him. 16:16 When David’s friend Hushai the Arkite came to Absalom, Hushai said to him, 438 “Long live the king! Long live the king!”
16:17 Absalom said to Hushai, “Do you call this loyalty to your friend? Why didn’t you go with your friend?” 16:18 Hushai replied to Absalom, “No, I will be loyal to the one whom the Lord, these people, and all the men of Israel have chosen. 439 16:19 Moreover, whom should I serve? Should it not be his son? Just as I served your father, so I will serve you.” 440
16:20 Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give us your advice. What should we do?” 16:21 Ahithophel replied to Absalom, “Have sex with 441 your father’s concubines whom he left to care for the palace. All Israel will hear that you have made yourself repulsive to your father. Then your followers will be motivated to support you.” 442 16:22 So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, 443 and Absalom had sex with 444 his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.
16:23 In those days Ahithophel’s advice was considered as valuable as a prophetic revelation. 445 Both David and Absalom highly regarded the advice of Ahithophel. 446
17:1 Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me pick out twelve thousand men. Then I will go and pursue David this very night. 17:2 When I catch up with 447 him he will be exhausted and worn out. 448 I will rout him, and the entire army that is with him will flee. I will kill only the king 17:3 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. 449 The entire army will return unharmed.” 450
17:4 This seemed like a good idea to Absalom and to all the leaders 451 of Israel. 17:5 But Absalom said, “Call for 452 Hushai the Arkite, and let’s hear what he has to say.” 453 17:6 So Hushai came to Absalom. Absalom said to him, “Here is what Ahithophel has advised. Should we follow his advice? If not, what would you recommend?”
17:7 Hushai replied to Absalom, “Ahithophel’s advice is not sound this time.” 454 17:8 Hushai went on to say, “You know your father and his men – they are soldiers and are as dangerous as a bear out in the wild that has been robbed of her cubs. 455 Your father is an experienced soldier; he will not stay overnight with the army. 17:9 At this very moment he is hiding out in one of the caves or in some other similar place. If it should turn out that he attacks our troops first, 456 whoever hears about it will say, ‘Absalom’s army has been slaughtered!’ 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. 17:11 My advice therefore is this: Let all Israel from Dan to Beer Sheba – in number like the sand by the sea! – be mustered to you, and you lead them personally into battle. 17:12 We will come against him wherever he happens to be found. We will descend on him like the dew falls on the ground. Neither he nor any of the men who are with him will be spared alive – not one of them! 17:13 If he regroups in a city, all Israel will take up ropes to that city and drag it down to the valley, so that not a single pebble will be left there!”
17:14 Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Arkite sounds better than the advice of Ahithophel.” Now the Lord had decided 457 to frustrate the sound advice of Ahithophel, so that the Lord could bring disaster on Absalom.
17:15 Then Hushai reported to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, “Here is what Ahithophel has advised Absalom and the leaders 458 of Israel to do, and here is what I have advised. 17:16 Now send word quickly to David and warn him, 459 “Don’t spend the night at the fords of the desert 460 tonight. Instead, be sure you cross over, 461 or else the king and everyone who is with him may be overwhelmed.” 462
17:17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying in En Rogel. A female servant would go and inform them, and they would then go and inform King David. It was not advisable for them to be seen going into the city. 17:18 But a young man saw them on one occasion and informed Absalom. So the two of them quickly departed and went to the house of a man in Bahurim. There was a well in his courtyard, and they got down in it. 17:19 His wife then took the covering and spread it over the top of the well and scattered some grain over it. No one was aware of what she had done.
17:20 When the servants of Absalom approached the woman at her home, they asked, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” The woman replied to them, “They crossed over the stream.” Absalom’s men 463 searched but did not find them, so they returned to Jerusalem. 464
17:21 After the men had left, Ahimaaz and Jonathan 465 climbed out of the well. Then they left and informed King David. They advised David, “Get up and cross the stream 466 quickly, for Ahithophel has devised a plan to catch you.” 467 17:22 So David and all the people who were with him got up and crossed the Jordan River. 468 By dawn there was not one person left who had not crossed the Jordan.
17:23 When Ahithophel realized that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and returned to his house in his hometown. After setting his household in order, he hanged himself. So he died and was buried in the grave 469 of his father.
17:24 Meanwhile David had gone to Mahanaim, while Absalom and all the men of Israel had crossed the Jordan River. 17:25 Absalom had made Amasa general in command of the army in place of Joab. (Now Amasa was the son of an Israelite man named Jether, who had married 470 Abigail the daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother.) 17:26 The army of Israel 471 and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.
17:27 When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, Makir the son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim 17:28 brought bedding, basins, and pottery utensils. They also brought food for David and all who were with him, including wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, 472 17:29 honey, curds, flocks, and cheese. 473 For they said, “The people are no doubt hungry, tired, and thirsty there in the desert.” 474
18:1 David assembled the army that was with him. He appointed leaders of thousands and leaders of hundreds. 18:2 David then sent out the army – a third under the leadership of Joab, a third under the leadership of Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under the leadership of Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the troops, “I too will indeed march out with you.”
18:3 But the soldiers replied, 475 “You should not do this! 476 For if we should have to make a rapid retreat, they won’t be too concerned about us. 477 Even if half of us should die, they won’t be too concerned about us. But you 478 are like ten thousand of us! So it is better if you remain in the city for support.” 18:4 Then the king said to them, “I will do whatever seems best to you.”
So the king stayed beside the city gate, while all the army marched out by hundreds and by thousands. 18:5 The king gave this order to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: “For my sake deal gently with the young man Absalom.” Now the entire army was listening when the king gave all the leaders this order concerning Absalom.
18:6 Then the army marched out to the field to fight against Israel. The battle took place in the forest of Ephraim. 18:7 The army of Israel was defeated there by David’s men. 479 The slaughter there was great that day – 20,000 soldiers were killed. 18:8 The battle there was spread out over the whole area, and the forest consumed more soldiers than the sword devoured that day.
18:9 Then Absalom happened to come across David’s men. Now as Absalom was riding on his 480 mule, it 481 went under the branches of a large oak tree. His head got caught in the oak and he was suspended in midair, 482 while the mule he had been riding kept going.
18:10 When one 483 of the men saw this, he reported it to Joab saying, “I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree. 18:11 Joab replied to the man who was telling him this, “What! You saw this? Why didn’t you strike him down right on the spot? 484 I would have given you ten pieces of silver 485 and a commemorative belt!” 486
18:12 The man replied to Joab, “Even if 487 I were receiving 488 a thousand pieces of silver, 489 I would not strike 490 the king’s son! In our very presence 491 the king gave this order to you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.’ 492 18:13 If I had acted at risk of my own life 493 – and nothing is hidden from the king! – you would have abandoned me.” 494
18:14 Joab replied, “I will not wait around like this for you!” He took three spears in his hand and thrust them into the middle of Absalom while he was still alive in the middle of the oak tree. 495 18:15 Then ten soldiers who were Joab’s armor bearers struck Absalom and finished him off.
18:16 Then Joab blew the trumpet 496 and the army turned back from chasing Israel, for Joab had called for the army to halt. 18:17 They took Absalom, threw him into a large pit in the forest, and stacked a huge pile of stones over him. In the meantime all the Israelite soldiers fled to their homes. 497
18:18 Prior to this 498 Absalom had set up a monument 499 and dedicated it to himself in the King’s Valley, reasoning “I have no son who will carry on my name.” He named the monument after himself, and to this day it is known as Absalom’s Memorial.
18:19 Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Let me run and give the king the good news that the Lord has vindicated him before his enemies.” 500 18:20 But Joab said to him, “You will not be a bearer of good news today. You will bear good news some other day, but not today, 501 for the king’s son is dead.”
18:21 Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go and tell the king what you have seen.” After bowing to Joab, the Cushite ran off. 18:22 Ahimaaz the son of Zadok again spoke to Joab, “Whatever happens, let me go after the Cushite.” But Joab said, “Why is it that you want to go, my son? You have no good news that will bring you a reward.” 18:23 But he said, 502 “Whatever happens, I want to go!” So Joab 503 said to him, “Then go!” So Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Jordan plain, and he passed the Cushite.
18:24 Now David was sitting between the inner and outer gates, 504 and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate at the wall. When he looked, he saw a man running by himself. 18:25 So the watchman called out and informed the king. The king said, “If he is by himself, he brings good news.” 505 The runner 506 came ever closer.
18:26 Then the watchman saw another man running. The watchman called out to the gatekeeper, “There is another man running by himself.” The king said, “This one also is bringing good news.” 18:27 The watchman said, “It appears to me that the first runner is Ahimaaz 507 son of Zadok.” The king said, “He is a good man, and he comes with good news.”
18:28 Then Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, “Greetings!” 508 He bowed down before the king with his face toward the ground and said, “May the Lord your God be praised because he has defeated 509 the men who opposed 510 my lord the king!”
18:29 The king replied, “How is the young man Absalom?” Ahimaaz replied, “I saw a great deal of confusion when Joab was sending the king’s servant and me, your servant, but I don’t know what it was all about.” 18:30 The king said, “Turn aside and take your place here.” So he turned aside and waited.
18:31 Then the Cushite arrived and said, 511 “May my lord the king now receive the good news! The Lord has vindicated you today and delivered you from the hand of all who have rebelled against you!” 512 18:32 The king asked the Cushite, “How is the young man Absalom?” The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who have plotted against you 513 be like that young man!”
18:33 (19:1) 514 The king then became very upset. He went up to the upper room over the gate and wept. As he went he said, “My son, Absalom! My son, my son, 515 Absalom! If only I could have died in your place! Absalom, my son, my son!” 516
19:1 (19:2) Joab was told, “The king is weeping and mourning over Absalom.” 19:2 So the victory of that day was turned to mourning as far as all the people were concerned. For the people heard on that day, “The king is grieved over his son.” 19:3 That day the people stole away to go to the city the way people who are embarrassed steal away in fleeing from battle. 19:4 The king covered his face and cried out loudly, 517 “My son, Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!”
19:5 So Joab visited 518 the king at his home. He said, “Today you have embarrassed all your servants who have saved your life this day, as well as the lives of your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your concubines. 19:6 You seem to love your enemies and hate your friends! For you have as much as declared today that leaders and servants don’t matter to you. I realize now 519 that if 520 Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, 521 it would be all right with you. 19:7 So get up now and go out and give some encouragement to 522 your servants. For I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out there, not a single man will stay here with you tonight! This disaster will be worse for you than any disaster that has overtaken you from your youth right to the present time!”
19:8 So the king got up and sat at the city gate. When all the people were informed that the king was sitting at the city gate, they 523 all came before him.
But the Israelite soldiers 524 had all fled to their own homes. 525 19:9 All the people throughout all the tribes of Israel were arguing among themselves saying, “The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies. He rescued us from the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled from the land because of Absalom. 19:10 But Absalom, whom we anointed as our king, 526 has died in battle. So now why do you hesitate to bring the king back?” 527
19:11 Then King David sent a message to Zadok and Abiathar the priests saying, “Tell the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you delay any further in bringing the king back to his palace, 528 when everything Israel is saying has come to the king’s attention. 529 19:12 You are my brothers – my very own flesh and blood! 530 Why should you delay any further in bringing the king back?’ 19:13 Say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my flesh and blood? 531 God will punish me severely, 532 if from this time on you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!’”
19:14 He 533 won over the hearts of all the men of Judah as though they were one man. Then they sent word to the king saying, “Return, you and all your servants as well.” 19:15 So the king returned and came to the Jordan River. 534
Now the people of Judah 535 had come to Gilgal to meet the king and to help him 536 cross the Jordan. 19:16 Shimei son of Gera the Benjaminite from Bahurim came down quickly with the men of Judah to meet King David. 19:17 There were a thousand men from Benjamin with him, along with Ziba the servant 537 of Saul’s household, and with him his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They hurriedly crossed 538 the Jordan within sight of the king. 19:18 They crossed at the ford in order to help the king’s household cross and to do whatever he thought appropriate.
Now after he had crossed the Jordan, Shimei son of Gera threw himself down before the king. 19:19 He said to the king, “Don’t think badly of me, my lord, and don’t recall the sin of your servant on the day when you, my lord the king, left 539 Jerusalem! 540 Please don’t call it to mind! 19:20 For I, your servant, 541 know that I sinned, and I have come today as the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.”
19:21 Abishai son of Zeruiah replied, “For this should not Shimei be put to death? After all, he cursed the Lord’s anointed!” 19:22 But David said, “What do we have in common, 542 you sons of Zeruiah? You are like my enemy today! Should anyone be put to death in Israel today? Don’t you realize that today I am king over Israel?” 19:23 The king said to Shimei, “You won’t die.” The king vowed an oath 543 concerning this.
19:24 Now Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, 544 came down to meet the king. From the day the king had left until the day he safely 545 returned, Mephibosheth 546 had not cared for his feet 547 nor trimmed 548 his mustache nor washed his clothes.
19:25 When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Why didn’t you go with me, Mephibosheth?” 19:26 He replied, “My lord the king, my servant deceived me! I 549 said, ‘Let me get my donkey saddled so that I can ride on it and go with the king,’ for I 550 am lame. 19:27 But my servant 551 has slandered me 552 to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like an angel of God. Do whatever seems appropriate to you. 19:28 After all, there was no one in the entire house of my grandfather 553 who did not deserve death from my lord the king. But instead you allowed me to eat at your own table! 554 What further claim do I have to ask 555 the king for anything?”
19:29 Then the king replied to him, “Why should you continue speaking like this? You and Ziba will inherit the field together.” 19:30 Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him have 556 the whole thing! My lord the king has returned safely 557 to his house!”
19:31 Now when Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim, he crossed the Jordan with the king so he could send him on his way from there. 558 19:32 But Barzillai was very old – eighty years old, in fact – and he had taken care of the king when he stayed in Mahanaim, for he was a very rich 559 man. 19:33 So the king said to Barzillai, “Cross over with me, and I will take care of you while you are with me in Jerusalem.”
19:34 Barzillai replied to the king, “How many days do I have left to my life, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? 19:35 I am presently eighty years old. Am I able to discern good and bad? Can I 560 taste what I eat and drink? Am I still able to hear the voices of male and female singers? Why should I 561 continue to be a burden to my lord the king? 19:36 I will cross the Jordan with the king and go a short distance. 562 Why should the king reward me in this way? 19:37 Let me 563 return so that I may die in my own city near the grave of my father and my mother. But look, here is your servant Kimham. Let him cross over with my lord the king. Do for him whatever seems appropriate to you.”
19:38 The king replied, “Kimham will cross over with me, and I will do for him whatever I deem appropriate. And whatever you choose, I will do for you.”
19:39 So all the people crossed the Jordan, as did the king. After the king had kissed him and blessed him, Barzillai returned to his home. 564 19:40 When the king crossed over to Gilgal, Kimham 565 crossed over with him. Now all the soldiers 566 of Judah along with half of the soldiers of Israel had helped the king cross over. 567
19:41 Then all the men of Israel began coming to the king. They asked the king, “Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, sneak the king away and help the king and his household cross the Jordan – and not only him but all of David’s men as well?”
19:42 All the men of Judah replied to the men of Israel, “Because the king is our close relative! Why are you so upset about this? Have we eaten at the king’s expense? 568 Or have we misappropriated anything for our own use?” 19:43 The men of Israel replied to the men of Judah, “We have ten shares in the king, and we have a greater claim on David than you do! Why do you want 569 to curse us? Weren’t we the first to suggest bringing back our king?” But the comments of the men of Judah were more severe than those of the men of Israel.
20:1 Now a wicked man 570 named Sheba son of Bicri, a Benjaminite, 571 happened to be there. He blew the trumpet 572 and said,
“We have no share in David;
we have no inheritance in this son of Jesse!
Every man go home, 573 O Israel!”
20:2 So all the men of Israel deserted 574 David and followed Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stuck by their king all the way from the Jordan River 575 to Jerusalem. 576
20:3 Then David went to his palace 577 in Jerusalem. The king took the ten concubines he had left to care for the palace and placed them under confinement. 578 Though he provided for their needs, he did not have sexual relations with them. 579 They remained in confinement until the day they died, living out the rest of their lives as widows.
20:4 Then the king said to Amasa, “Call the men of Judah together for me in three days, 580 and you be present here with them too.” 20:5 So Amasa went out to call Judah together. But in doing so he took longer than the time that the king had allotted him.
20:6 Then David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba son of Bicri will cause greater disaster for us than Absalom did! Take your lord’s servants and pursue him. Otherwise he will secure 581 fortified cities for himself and get away from us.” 20:7 So Joab’s men, accompanied by the Kerethites, the Pelethites, and all the warriors, left Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bicri.
20:8 When they were near the big rock that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to them. Now Joab was dressed in military attire and had a dagger in its sheath belted to his waist. When he advanced, it fell out. 582
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 583 stabbed him in the abdomen, causing Amasa’s 584 intestines to spill out on the ground. There was no need to stab him again; the first blow was fatal. 585 Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bicri.
20:11 One of Joab’s soldiers who stood over Amasa said, “Whoever is for 586 Joab and whoever is for David, follow Joab!” 20:12 Amasa was squirming in his own blood in the middle of the path, and this man had noticed that all the soldiers stopped. Having noticed that everyone who came across Amasa 587 stopped, the man 588 pulled him 589 away from the path and into the field and threw a garment over him. 20:13 Once he had removed Amasa 590 from the path, everyone followed Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bicri.
20:14 Sheba 591 traveled through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of 592 Beth Maacah and all the Berite region. When they had assembled, 593 they too joined him. 20:15 So Joab’s men 594 came and laid siege against him in Abel of Beth Maacah. They prepared a siege ramp outside the city which stood against its outer rampart. As all of Joab’s soldiers were trying to break through 595 the wall so that it would collapse, 20:16 a wise woman called out from the city, “Listen up! Listen up! Tell Joab, ‘Come near so that I may speak to you.’”
20:17 When he approached her, the woman asked, “Are you Joab?” He replied, “I am.” She said to him, “Listen to the words of your servant.” He said, “Go ahead. I’m listening.” 20:18 She said, “In the past they would always say, ‘Let them inquire in Abel,’ and that is how they settled things. 20:19 I represent the peaceful and the faithful in Israel. You are attempting to destroy an important city 596 in Israel. Why should you swallow up the Lord’s inheritance?”
20:20 Joab answered, “Get serious! 597 I don’t want to swallow up or destroy anything! 20:21 That’s not the way things are. There is a man from the hill country of Ephraim named Sheba son of Bicri. He has rebelled 598 against King David. Give me just this one man, and I will leave the city.” The woman said to Joab, “This very minute 599 his head will be thrown over the wall to you!”
20:22 Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice and they cut off Sheba’s head and threw it out to Joab. Joab 600 blew the trumpet, and his men 601 dispersed from the city, each going to his own home. 602 Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem.
20:23 Now Joab was the general in command of all the army of Israel. Benaiah the son of Jehoida was over the Kerethites and the Perethites. 20:24 Adoniram 603 was supervisor of the work crews. 604 Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the secretary. 20:25 Sheva was the scribe, and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests. 20:26 Ira the Jairite was David’s personal priest. 605
[5:1] 1 tn Heb “look we are your bone and your flesh.”
[5:2] 2 tn Heb “you were the one leading out and the one leading in Israel.”
[5:3] 4 tn Heb “and the king, David, cut for them a covenant.”
[5:5] 6 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[5:6] 7 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[5:6] 8 tn The Hebrew text has “he” rather than “the Jebusites.” The referent has been specified in the translation for clarity. In the Syriac Peshitta and some
[5:8] 9 tc There is some confusion among the witnesses concerning this word. The Kethib is the Qal perfect 3cp שָׂנְאוּ (sanÿ’u, “they hated”), referring to the Jebusites’ attitude toward David. The Qere is the Qal passive participle construct plural שְׂנֻאֵי (sÿnu’e, “hated”), referring to David’s attitude toward the Jebusites. 4QSama has the Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular שָׂנְאָה (sanÿ’ah, “hated”), the subject of which would be “the soul of David.” The difference is minor and the translation adopted above works for either the Kethib or the Qere.
[5:8] 10 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term has been debated. For a survey of various views, see P. K. McCarter, II Samuel (AB), 139-40.
[5:8] 11 tn Heb “the house.” TEV takes this as a reference to the temple (“the Lord’s house”).
[5:10] 12 tc 4QSama and the LXX lack the word “God,” probably due to harmonization with the more common biblical phrase “the
[5:10] 13 tn Traditionally, “the
[5:10] 14 tn The translation assumes that the disjunctive clause is circumstantial-causal, giving the reason for David’s success.
[5:11] 15 map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[5:17] 18 tn Heb “all the Philistines.”
[5:19] 19 tn The infinitive absolute lends emphasis to the following verb.
[5:20] 20 tn The name means “Lord of the outbursts.”
[5:21] 21 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Philistines) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:21] 22 tc For “idols” the LXX and Vulgate have “gods.”
[5:23] 23 tn The words “what to do” are not in the Hebrew text.
[5:23] 24 tn The words “this time” are not in the Hebrew text.
[5:23] 25 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
[5:23] 26 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] 27 tn Heb “camp” (so NAB).
[5:25] 28 tn Heb “from Gibeon until you enter Gezer.”
[6:1] 29 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] 31 tn Heb “arose and went.”
[6:2] 32 tn Heb “from,” but the following context indicates they traveled to this location.
[6:2] 33 tn This is another name for Kiriath-jearim (see 1 Chr 13:6).
[6:2] 34 tc The MT has here a double reference to the name (שֵׁם שֵׁם, shem shem). Many medieval Hebrew
[6:5] 36 tn Heb “all the house of Israel.”
[6:5] 37 tc Heb “were celebrating before the
[6:5] 38 tn Heb “with zithers [?] and with harps.”
[6:5] 39 tn That is, “sistrums” (so NAB, NIV); ASV, NASB, NRSV, CEV, NLT “castanets.”
[6:6] 40 tn 1 Chr 13:9 has “Kidon.”
[6:6] 42 tn Heb “and Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and grabbed it.”
[6:7] 43 tn Heb “and the anger of the
[6:7] 45 tc Heb “there.” Since this same term occurs later in the verse it is translated “on the spot” here for stylistic reasons.
[6:7] 46 tc The phrase “his negligence” is absent from the LXX.
[6:8] 47 tn Heb “because the
[6:8] 48 sn The name Perez Uzzah means in Hebrew “the outburst [against] Uzzah.”
[6:11] 49 tn Heb “house,” both here and in v. 12.
[6:12] 50 tn Heb “and it was told to David, saying.”
[6:13] 51 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[6:14] 52 tn Heb “and David was dancing with all his strength before the
[6:15] 53 tc Heb “all the house of Israel.” A few medieval Hebrew
[6:15] 54 tn Heb “the shophar” (the ram’s horn trumpet).
[6:16] 55 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] 56 tc The Syriac Peshitta lacks “in its place.”
[6:19] 57 tn Heb “to all the people, to all the throng of Israel.”
[6:19] 58 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] 59 tn Heb “and all the people went, each to his house.”
[6:20] 60 tn Heb “and David returned to bless his house.”
[6:20] 61 tn Heb “David.” The name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[6:20] 63 tn Heb “one of the foolish ones.”
[6:21] 64 tn Heb “all his house”; CEV “anyone else in your family.”
[6:22] 65 tn Heb “and I will shame myself still more than this and I will be lowly in my eyes.”
[7:1] 66 tn Heb “house” (also in the following verse).
[7:1] 68 tn The translation understands the disjunctive clause in v. 1b as circumstantial-causal.
[7:3] 69 tc Several medieval Hebrew
[7:3] 70 tn Heb “all that is in your heart.”
[7:4] 71 tn Heb “the word of the
[7:6] 72 tn Heb “in a tent and in a dwelling.” The expression is a hendiadys, using two terms to express one idea.
[7:7] 73 tn Heb “Did I speak a word?” In the Hebrew text the statement is phrased as a rhetorical question.
[7:7] 74 tn Heb “tribes” (so KJV, NASB, NCV), but the parallel passage in 1 Chr 17:6 has “judges.”
[7:7] 75 tn Heb “whom I commanded to shepherd” (so NIV, NRSV).
[7:8] 76 tn Heb “and from after the sheep.”
[7:9] 78 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] 81 tn Heb “the sons of violence.”
[7:11] 83 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] 85 tn Heb “house,” but used here in a metaphorical sense, referring to a royal dynasty. Here the
[7:12] 86 tn Heb, “when your days are full and you lie down with your ancestors.”
[7:12] 87 tn Heb “your seed after you who comes out from your insides.”
[7:13] 88 tn Heb “and I will establish the throne of his kingdom permanently.”
[7:16] 89 tc Heb “before you.” A few medieval Hebrew
[7:17] 91 tn Heb “according to all these words and according to all this revelation, so Nathan said to David.”
[7:19] 93 tn Heb “and this was small in your eyes, O
[7:19] 94 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] 95 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] 96 tn Heb “for the sake of your word and according to your heart.”
[7:21] 97 tn Heb “to make known, your servant.”
[7:22] 98 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] 99 tn Heb “a nation, one.”
[7:23] 100 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] 101 tn The verb is plural in Hebrew, agreeing grammatically with the divine name, which is a plural of degree.
[7:23] 103 tn Heb “and to do for you [plural form] the great [thing] and awesome [things] for your land.”
[7:23] 104 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] 105 tn Heb “and you established for yourself your people Israel for yourself for a people permanently.”
[7:25] 106 tn Heb “and now, O
[7:25] 107 tn Heb “as you have spoken.”
[7:26] 108 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] 109 tn Heb “saying.” The words “as people” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic reasons.
[7:26] 110 tn Heb “the house.” See the note on “dynastic house” in the following verse.
[7:27] 111 tn Heb “have uncovered the ear of.”
[7:27] 112 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] 113 tn Heb “has found his heart.”
[7:28] 114 tn Heb “the God.” The article indicates uniqueness here.
[7:28] 115 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] 116 tn Heb “and you have spoken to your servant this good thing.”
[7:29] 117 tn Heb “house” (again later in this verse). See the note on “dynastic house” in v. 27.
[7:29] 118 tn Or “permanently”; cf. NLT “it is an eternal blessing.”
[8:1] 119 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] 120 tn Heb “from the hand [i.e., control] of the Philistines.”
[8:2] 121 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] 122 tn Heb “and the Moabites were servants of David, carriers of tribute.”
[8:3] 123 tc The LXX has ἐπιστῆσαι (episthsai, “cause to stand”). See the parallel text in 1 Chr 18:3.
[8:3] 125 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] 126 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] 127 tn Heb “and David cut the hamstrings of all the chariot horses, and he left from them a hundred chariot horses.”
[8:6] 129 tn Or “wherever he went.”
[8:7] 130 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] 131 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] 132 tn The name is spelled “Tou” in the parallel text in 1 Chr 18:9. NIV adopts the spelling “Tou” here.
[8:10] 133 tn Heb “Toi.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[8:10] 134 tn The name appears as “Hadoram” in the parallel text in 1 Chr 18:10.
[8:10] 135 tn Heb “to ask concerning him for peace.”
[8:10] 136 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] 137 tn Heb “and in his hand were items of silver and items of gold and items of bronze.”
[8:11] 138 tn Heb “also them King David made holy to the
[8:11] 139 tn Heb “with the silver and the gold that he had dedicated from.”
[8:12] 141 tc The present translation follows the MT; a few Hebrew
[8:12] 142 tn Heb “and from the plunder of.”
[8:13] 143 tn Heb “made a name.”
[8:13] 144 tn So NASB, NCV; NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “Edomites” (see the note on “Aram” in v. 12).
[8:13] 145 tn The words “he defeated” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[8:14] 146 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] 147 tn Heb “and David was doing what is just and fair for all his people.”
[8:17] 149 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] 150 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] 151 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.
[9:1] 152 sn 2 Samuel 9–20 is known as the Succession Narrative. It is a literary unit that describes David’s efforts at consolidating his own kingdom following the demise of King Saul; it also provides the transition to subsequent leadership on the part of David’s successor Solomon.
[9:2] 154 tn Heb “your servant.”
[9:5] 156 tn Heb “sent and took him.”
[9:6] 158 tn Heb “he fell on his face and bowed down.”
[9:6] 159 tn Heb “Look, your servant.”
[9:7] 160 tn Heb “and you will eat food over my table continually.”
[9:8] 161 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Mephibosheth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:8] 162 tn Heb “What is your servant, that you turn to a dead dog which is like me?”
[9:10] 164 tn The Hebrew text implies, but does not actually contain, the words “its produce” here.
[9:10] 165 tc The words “it will be,” though present in the MT, are absent from the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate.
[9:10] 166 tn Heb “and he will eat it.”
[9:11] 168 tc Heb “my table.” But the first person reference to David is awkward here since the quotation of David’s words has already been concluded in v. 10; nor does the “my” refer to Ziba, since the latter part of v. 11 does not seem to be part of Ziba’s response to the king. The ancient versions are not unanimous in the way that they render the phrase. The LXX has “the table of David” (τῆς τραπέζης Δαυιδ, th" trapezh" Dauid); the Syriac Peshitta has “the table of the king” (patureh demalka’); the Vulgate has “your table” (mensam tuam). The present translation follows the LXX.
[9:13] 169 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[10:1] 170 tn Heb “reigned in his place.”
[10:2] 171 tn Heb “do loyalty.”
[10:2] 172 tn Heb “did loyalty.”
[10:2] 173 tn Heb “and David sent to console him by the hand of his servants concerning his father.”
[10:3] 174 tn Heb “Is David honoring your father in your eyes when he sends to you ones consoling?”
[10:3] 175 tn Heb “Is it not to explore the city and to spy on it and to overthrow it [that] David has sent his servants to you?”
[10:4] 176 tn Heb “and he cut their robes in the middle unto their buttocks.”
[10:5] 177 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the messengers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:5] 178 tn The words “what had happened” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[10:5] 179 map For location see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.
[10:6] 180 tn Heb “that they were a stench [i.e., disgusting] with David.”
[10:6] 181 tn Heb “the Ammonites.”
[10:6] 182 tn Or “Arameans of Beth Rehob and Arameans of Zobah.”
[10:6] 183 tn Or perhaps “the men of Tob.” The ancient versions (the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate) understand the name to be “Ish-tob.” It is possible that “Ish” is dittographic and that we should read simply “Tob,” a reading adopted by a number of recent English versions.
[10:7] 184 tn The words “the news” and “to meet them” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarification.
[10:9] 185 tn Heb “and Joab saw that the face of the battle was to him before and behind and he chose from all the best in Israel and arranged to meet Aram.”
[10:10] 187 tn Heb “he arranged.”
[10:11] 188 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:11] 189 tn Heb “if Aram is stronger than me.”
[10:11] 190 tn Heb “if the sons of Ammon are stronger than you.”
[10:12] 191 tn Heb “and the
[10:13] 192 tn Heb “and the army which was with him.”
[10:14] 193 tn Heb “and Joab returned from against the sons of Ammon and entered.”
[10:14] 194 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[10:15] 195 tn Heb “were gathered together.”
[10:16] 196 tn Heb “and Hadadezer sent and brought out Aram which is.”
[10:16] 197 tn Heb “from beyond the River.” The name “Euphrates” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[10:16] 198 tn Heb “was before them.”
[10:17] 199 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[10:18] 200 tn Heb “horsemen” (so KJV, NASB, NCV, NRSV, NLT) but the Lucianic recension of the LXX reads “foot soldiers,” as does the parallel text in 1 Chr 19:18. Cf. NAB, NIV.
[10:19] 201 tn Heb “the servants of Hadadezer.”
[10:19] 202 tn Heb “and they served them.”
[11:1] 203 tc Codex Leningrad (B19A), on which BHS is based, has here “messengers” (הַמַּלְאכִים, hammal’khim), probably as the result of contamination from the occurrence of that word in v. 4. The present translation follows most Hebrew
[11:1] 205 tn Heb “and his servants with him.”
[11:1] 206 tn Heb “all Israel.”
[11:1] 207 tn The disjunctive clause contrasts David’s inactivity with the army’s activity.
[11:2] 208 tn Heb “on the roof of the house of the king.” So also in vv. 8, 9.
[11:2] 209 tn The disjunctive clause highlights this observation and builds the tension of the story.
[11:3] 210 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the messenger) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:4] 211 tn Heb “and David sent messengers and he took her.”
[11:4] 212 tn Heb “he lay with her” (so NASB, NRSV); TEV “he made love to her”; NIV, CEV, NLT “he slept with her.”
[11:4] 213 tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause further heightens the tension by letting the reader know that Bathsheba, having just completed her menstrual cycle, is ripe for conception. See P. K. McCarter, II Samuel (AB), 286. Since she just had her period, it will also be obvious to those close to the scene that Uriah, who has been away fighting, cannot be the father of the child.
[11:7] 214 tn Heb “concerning the peace of Joab and concerning the peace of the people and concerning the peace of the battle.”
[11:8] 215 tn Heb “and wash your feet.”
[11:8] 216 tn Heb “and there went out after him the gift of the king.”
[11:9] 217 tc The Lucianic recension of the Old Greek translation lacks the word “all.”
[11:11] 219 tn Heb “as you live and as your soul lives.”
[11:12] 220 tn On the chronology involved here see P. K. McCarter, II Samuel (AB), 287.
[11:16] 221 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.
[11:17] 222 tn Heb “some of the people from the servants of David.”
[11:18] 223 tn Heb “Joab sent and related to David all the matters of the battle.”
[11:21] 224 sn The upper millstone (Heb “millstone of riding”) refers to the heavy circular stone that was commonly rolled over a circular base in order to crush and grind such things as olives.
[11:23] 225 tn Heb “and came out to us.”
[11:23] 226 tn Heb “but we were on them.”
[11:24] 227 tc The translation follows the Qere (“your servants”) rather than the Kethib (“your servant”).
[11:25] 228 tn Heb “let not this matter be evil in your eyes.”
[11:25] 229 tn Heb “according to this and according to this the sword devours.”
[11:25] 230 tn Heb “overthrow.”
[11:25] 231 tn The Hebrew text does not have “with these words.” They are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[11:26] 232 tn Heb “for her lord.”
[11:27] 233 tn Heb “David sent and gathered her to his house.”
[11:27] 234 tn Heb “and the thing which David had done was evil in the eyes of the
[12:1] 235 tc A few medieval Hebrew
[12:1] 236 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:1] 237 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Nathan) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:1] 238 tn The Hebrew text repeats “to him.”
[12:3] 240 tn The three Hebrew imperfect verbal forms in this sentence have a customary nuance; they describe past actions that were repeated or typical.
[12:3] 241 tn Heb “from his morsel.”
[12:3] 242 tn Heb “and on his chest [or perhaps, “lap”] it would lay.”
[12:4] 243 tn Heb “came to the rich man.” In the translation “arrived at the rich man’s home” has been used for stylistic reasons.
[12:4] 244 tn Heb “and he refused to take from his flock and from his herd to prepare [a meal] for.”
[12:4] 245 tn Heb “who had come to him” (also a second time later in this verse). The word “visit” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarity.
[12:4] 246 tn Heb “and prepared.”
[12:5] 247 tn Heb “the man doing this [is] a son of death.” See 1 Sam 20:31 for another use of this expression, which must mean “he is as good as dead” or “he deserves to die,” as 1 Sam 20:32 makes clear.
[12:6] 248 tc With the exception of the Lucianic recension, the Old Greek translation has here “sevenfold” rather than “fourfold,” a reading that S. R. Driver thought probably to be the original reading (S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 291). However, Exod 22:1 [21:37 HT] specifies fourfold repayment for a stolen sheep, which is consistent with 2 Sam 12:6. Some
[12:8] 250 tn Heb “and the wives of your lord into your chest [or “lap”].” The words “I put” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarification.
[12:9] 251 tc So the Qere; the Kethib has “his.”
[12:9] 252 tn Heb “to you for a wife.” This expression also occurs at the end of v. 10.
[12:11] 253 tn Heb “raise up against you disaster.”
[12:11] 254 tn Heb “house” (so NAB, NRSV); NCV, TEV, CEV “family.”
[12:11] 256 tn Heb “will lie with” (so NIV, NRSV); TEV “will have intercourse with”; CEV, NLT “will go to bed with.”
[12:11] 257 tn Heb “in the eyes of this sun.”
[12:12] 258 tn Heb “and before the sun.”
[12:14] 260 tc The MT has here “because you have caused the enemies of the
[12:15] 261 tn Heb “and the
[12:16] 262 tn Heb “sought” or “searched for.”
[12:16] 263 tn Heb “and David fasted.”
[12:16] 264 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.
[12:18] 265 tn Heb “to our voice.”
[12:18] 266 tn Heb “he will do harm.” The object is not stated in the Hebrew text. The statement may be intentionally vague, meaning that he might harm himself or them!
[12:19] 267 tn Heb “David.” The name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.
[12:21] 268 tc For the MT בַּעֲבוּר (ba’avur, “for the sake of”) we should probably read בְּעוֹד (bÿ’od, “while”). See the Lucianic Greek recension, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Targum.
[12:22] 270 tn Heb “Who knows?”
[12:24] 271 tn Heb “and he lay with her.”
[12:24] 272 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity. While some translations render the pronoun as third person plural (“they”), implying that both David and Bathsheba together named the child, it is likely that the name “Solomon,” which is related to the Hebrew word for “peace” (and may be derived from it) had special significance for David, who would have regarded the birth of a second child to Bathsheba as a confirming sign that God had forgiven his sin and was at peace with him.
[12:24] 273 tn Heb “him,” referring to the child.
[12:25] 274 sn The name Jedidiah means “loved by the
[12:26] 275 sn Here the narrative resumes the battle story that began in 11:1 (see 11:25). The author has interrupted that story to give the related account of David’s sin with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah. He now returns to the earlier story and brings it to a conclusion.
[12:27] 276 sn The expression translated the water supply of the city (Heb “the city of the waters”) apparently refers to that part of the fortified city that guarded the water supply of the entire city. Joab had already captured this part of the city, but he now defers to King David for the capture of the rest of the city. In this way the king will receive the credit for this achievement.
[12:28] 277 tn Heb “people.” So also in vv. 29, 31.
[12:30] 278 tn Part of the Greek tradition wrongly understands Hebrew מַלְכָּם (malkam, “their king”) as a proper name (“Milcom”). Some English versions follow the Greek here, rendering the phrase “the crown of Milcom” (so NRSV; cf. also NAB, CEV). TEV takes this as a reference not to the Ammonite king but to “the idol of the Ammonite god Molech.”
[12:30] 279 tn Heb “and its weight [was] a talent of gold.” The weight of this ornamental crown was approximately 75 lbs (34 kg). See P. K. McCarter, II Samuel (AB), 313.
[12:31] 280 tn Heb “brought out.”
[12:31] 281 tn Heb “and so he would do.”
[12:31] 282 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[13:1] 283 tn Heb “Amnon the son of David loved her.” The following verse indicates the extreme nature of his infatuation, so the translation uses “madly in love” here.
[13:2] 284 tn Heb “and there was distress to Amnon so that he made himself sick.”
[13:4] 285 tn Heb “and he said to him.”
[13:4] 286 tn An more idiomatic translation might be “Why are you of all people…?”
[13:5] 287 tn This verb is used in the Hitpael stem only in this chapter of the Hebrew Bible. With the exception of v. 2 it describes not a real sickness but one pretended in order to entrap Tamar. The Hitpael sometimes, as here, describes the subject making oneself appear to be of a certain character. On this use of the stem, see GKC 149-50 §54.e.
[13:8] 288 tn Heb “in his sight.”
[13:8] 289 tn Heb “the cakes.”
[13:9] 290 tn Heb “from upon me.”
[13:9] 291 tc A few medieval Hebrew
[13:11] 292 tn Heb “lie with me” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV); NCV “come and have sexual relations with me.”
[13:13] 293 tn Heb “and you will be like one of the fools.”
[13:14] 295 tn Heb “to her voice.”
[13:14] 296 tn Heb “and he humiliated her and lay with her.”
[13:15] 297 tn Heb “and Amnon hated her with very great hatred.”
[13:15] 298 tn Heb “for greater was the hatred with which he hated her than the love with which he loved her.”
[13:16] 299 tn Heb “No, because this great evil is [worse] than the other which you did with me, by sending me away.” Perhaps the broken syntax reflects her hysteria and outrage.
[13:17] 300 tn Heb “send this [one] from upon me to the outside.”
[13:18] 301 tn The Hebrew expression used here (כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּים, kÿtonet passim) is found only here and in Gen 37:3, 23, 32. Hebrew פַּס (pas) can refer to the palm of the hand or the sole of the foot; here the idea is probably that of a long robe reaching to the feet and having sleeves reaching to the wrists. The notion of a “coat of many colors” (KJV, ASV “garment of divers colors”), a familiar translation for the phrase in Genesis, is based primarily on the translation adopted in the LXX χιτῶνα ποικίλον (citona poikilion) and does not have a great deal of support.
[13:18] 302 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Amnon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:18] 303 tn The Hebrew verb is a perfect with nonconsecutive vav, probably indicating an action (locking the door) that complements the preceding one (pushing her out the door).
[13:20] 304 tn Heb “Don’t set your heart to this thing!”
[13:21] 305 tc The LXX and part of the Old Latin tradition include the following addition to v. 21, also included in some English versions (e.g., NAB, NRSV, CEV): “But he did not grieve the spirit of Amnon his son, because he loved him, since he was his firstborn.” Note David’s attitude toward his son Adonijah in 1 Kgs 1:6.
[13:23] 306 map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 D3; Map3 A2; Map4 C1.
[13:24] 307 tn Heb “your servant has sheepshearers.” The phrase “your servant” also occurs at the end of the verse.
[13:25] 308 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Absalom) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:25] 309 tc Here and in v. 27 the translation follows 4QSama ויצפר (vayyitspar, “and he pressed”) rather than the MT וַיִּפְרָץ (vayyiprats, “and he broke through”). This emended reading seems also to underlie the translations of the LXX (καὶ ἐβιάσατο, kai ebiasato), the Syriac Peshitta (we’alseh), and Vulgate (cogeret eum).
[13:25] 310 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:25] 311 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:28] 313 tn Heb “when good is the heart of Amnon with wine.”
[13:28] 314 tn Heb “and become sons of valor.”
[13:32] 315 tn Heb “it was placed on the mouth of Absalom.”
[13:32] 316 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Amnon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:34] 317 tn Heb “behind him.”
[13:36] 318 tn Heb “and they lifted their voice and wept.”
[13:36] 319 tn Heb “with a great weeping.”
[13:37] 320 tc The Hebrew text leaves the word “David” to be inferred. The Syriac Peshitta and Vulgate add the word “David.” Most of the Greek tradition includes the words “King David” here.
[13:39] 321 tc The translation follows 4QSama in reading רוּחַ הַמֶּלֶךְ (ruakh hammelekh, “the spirit of the king”) rather than the MT דָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ (david hammelekh, “David the king”). The understanding reflected in the translation above is that David, though alienated during this time from his son Absalom, still had an abiding love and concern for him. He longed for reconciliation with him. A rather different interpretation of the verse supposes that David’s interest in taking military action against Absalom grew slack with the passing of time, and this in turn enabled David’s advisers to encourage him toward reconciliation with Absalom. For the latter view, see P. K. McCarter, II Samuel (AB), 344, and cf. CEV.
[13:39] 322 tn Heb “was consoled over Amnon, because he was dead.”
[14:1] 323 tn Heb “the heart of the king was upon.” The Syriac Peshitta adds the verb ’ethre’i (“was reconciled”).
[14:2] 324 tn The Hebrew Hitpael verbal form here indicates pretended rather than genuine action.
[14:2] 325 tn Heb “these many days.”
[14:3] 326 tn Heb “put the words in her mouth” (so NASB, NIV).
[14:4] 327 tc The translation follows many medieval Hebrew
[14:4] 328 tn The word “me” is left to be inferred in the Hebrew text; it is present in the Syriac Peshitta and Vulgate.
[14:5] 329 tn Heb “What to you?”
[14:6] 330 tn Here and elsewhere (vv. 7, 12, 15a, 17, 19) the woman uses a term which suggests a lower level female servant. She uses the term to express her humility before the king. However, she uses a different term in vv. 15b-16. See the note at v. 15 for a discussion of the rhetorical purpose of this switch in terminology.
[14:7] 331 tn Heb “in exchange for the life.” The Hebrew preposition בְּ (bÿ, “in”) here is the so-called bet pretii, or bet (בְּ) of price, defining the value attached to someone or something.
[14:7] 332 sn My remaining coal is here metaphorical language, describing the one remaining son as her only source of lingering hope for continuing the family line.
[14:8] 333 tn Heb “concerning you.”
[14:11] 334 tn The words “in that case” are not in the Hebrew text, but may be inferred from the context. They are supplied in the translation for the sake of clarification.
[14:11] 335 tn Heb “let the king remember.”
[14:11] 336 tn Heb “of your son.”
[14:14] 337 tn Heb “he devises plans for the one banished from him not to be banished.”
[14:15] 338 tc The LXX (ὄψεταί με, opsetai me) has misunderstood the Hebrew יֵרְאֻנִי (yerÿ’uni, Piel perfect, “they have made me fearful”), taking the verb to be a form of the verb רָאָה (ra’ah, “to see”) rather than the verb יָרֵא (yare’, “to fear”). The fact that the Greek translators were working with an unvocalized Hebrew text (i.e., consonants only) made them very susceptible to this type of error.
[14:15] 339 tn Here and in v. 16 the woman refers to herself as the king’s אָמָה (’amah), a term that refers to a higher level female servant toward whom the master might have some obligation. Like the other term, this word expresses her humility, but it also suggests that the king might have some obligation to treat her in accordance with the principles of justice.
[14:16] 341 tn Or “will.” The imperfect verbal form can have either an indicative or modal nuance. The use of “perhaps” in v. 15b suggests the latter here.
[14:16] 342 tn Heb “in order to deliver his maid.”
[14:16] 344 tn Heb “from the inheritance of God.” The expression refers to the property that was granted to her family line in the division of the land authorized by God.
[14:19] 345 tn Heb “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?”
[14:20] 346 tn Heb “to know all that is in the land.”
[14:21] 347 tc Many medieval Hebrew
[14:22] 349 tc The present translation reads with the Qere “your” rather than the MT “his.”
[14:23] 350 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[14:24] 351 tn Heb “turn aside.”
[14:24] 352 tn Heb “turned aside.”
[14:25] 353 tn Heb “Like Absalom there was not a handsome man in all Israel to boast exceedingly.”
[14:25] 354 tn Heb “there was not in him a blemish.”
[14:26] 355 tn Heb “for it was heavy upon him.”
[14:26] 356 tn Heb “two hundred shekels.” The modern equivalent would be about three pounds (1.4 kg).
[14:27] 357 tn Heb “and there were born.”
[14:27] 358 tc The LXX adds here the following words: “And she became a wife to Rehoboam the son of Solomon and bore to him Abia.”
[14:30] 359 tc The LXX adds here the following words: “And the servants of Absalom burned them up. And the servants of Joab came to him, rending their garments. They said….”
[14:30] 360 tn The word “Joab’s” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[14:33] 362 tn Heb “he.” Joab, acting on behalf of the king, may be the implied subject.
[14:33] 363 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Absalom) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:33] 364 tn Heb “Absalom.” For stylistic reasons the name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation.
[15:1] 365 tn Heb “acquired for himself.”
[15:1] 366 tn Heb “to run ahead of him.”
[15:2] 367 tn Heb “your servant.” So also in vv. 8, 15, 21.
[15:3] 368 tn Heb “good and straight.”
[15:4] 369 tn Heb “Who will make me?”
[15:4] 370 tn Heb “a complaint and a judgment.” The expression is a hendiadys.
[15:5] 371 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Absalom) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[15:6] 372 tn Heb “stole the heart.”
[15:7] 374 tc The MT has here “forty,” but this is presumably a scribal error for “four.” The context will not tolerate a period of forty years prior to the rebellion of Absalom. The Lucianic Greek recension (τέσσαρα ἔτη, tessara ete), the Syriac Peshitta (’arba’ sanin), and Vulgate (post quattuor autem annos) in fact have the expected reading “four years.” Most English translations follow the versions in reading “four” here, although some (e.g. KJV, ASV, NASB, NKJV), following the MT, read “forty.”
[15:8] 375 tn Heb “for your servant vowed a vow.” The formal court style of referring to one’s self in third person (“your servant”) has been translated here as first person for clarity.
[15:8] 376 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[15:9] 377 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Absalom) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[15:11] 379 tn Heb “being invited and going naively and they did not know anything.”
[15:12] 380 tn Traditionally, “counselor,” but this term is more often associated with psychological counseling today, so “adviser” was used in the translation instead.
[15:12] 381 tn Heb “Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, the adviser of David, from his city, from Giloh, while he was sacrificing.” It is not entirely clear who (Absalom or Ahithophel) was offering the sacrifices.
[15:13] 382 tn Heb “the heart of the men of Israel is with Absalom.”
[15:14] 383 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[15:14] 385 tn Heb “let’s flee.”
[15:14] 387 tn Heb “and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”
[15:15] 388 tn Heb “according to all that my lord the king will choose, behold your servants!”
[15:16] 389 tn Heb “and all his house.”
[15:16] 390 tn Heb “women, concubines.”
[15:17] 391 tn Heb “and they stood.”
[15:18] 393 tn Heb “crossing over near his hand.”
[15:18] 394 tn Heb “crossing over near the face of.”
[15:19] 395 tn The word “new” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation to make it clear that David refers to Absalom, not himself.
[15:20] 397 tn Heb “brothers,” but see v. 22.
[15:20] 398 tn Heb “loyal love and truth.” The expression is a hendiadys.
[15:21] 400 tn Heb “whether for death or for life.”
[15:21] 401 tn Heb “your servant.”
[15:22] 402 tn Heb “Come and cross over.”
[15:22] 403 tn Heb “crossed over.”
[15:22] 404 tn Heb “all the little ones.”
[15:23] 405 tn Heb “with a great voice.”
[15:23] 406 tn Heb “crossing over.”
[15:23] 407 tn Heb “crossing near the face of.”
[15:24] 408 tn Heb “crossing from.”
[15:26] 409 tn Heb “as [is] good in his eyes.”
[15:27] 410 tn The Greek tradition understands the Hebrew word as an imperative (“see”). Most Greek
[15:27] 411 tn Heb “And Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar, two of your sons, with you.” The pronominal suffix on the last word is plural, referring to Zadok and Abiathar.
[15:28] 412 tn The pronoun is plural, referring to Zadok and Abiathar.
[15:31] 413 tc The translation follows 4QSama, part of the Greek tradition, the Syriac Peshitta, Targum, and Vulgate uldavid in reading “and to David,” rather than MT וְדָוִד (vÿdavid, “and David”). As Driver points out, the Hebrew verb הִגִּיד (higgid, “he related”) never uses the accusative for the person to whom something is told (S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 316).
[15:33] 415 tn Heb “cross over.”
[15:35] 416 tn Heb “Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be there with you?” The rhetorical question draws attention to the fact that Hushai will not be alone.
[15:35] 417 tn Heb “from the house of the king.”
[15:36] 418 tn Heb “and you must send by their hand to me every word which you hear.” Both of the second person verb forms are plural with Zadok, Abiathar, and Hushai being the understood subjects.
[16:1] 419 tn Heb “a hundred summer fruit.”
[16:2] 420 tn Heb “What are these to you?”
[16:2] 421 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[16:2] 422 tn The Hebrew text adds “to drink.”
[16:3] 424 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[16:3] 425 tn Heb “my father’s.”
[16:5] 426 tn Heb “came to.” The form of the verb in the MT is odd. Some prefer to read וַיַּבֹא (vayyavo’), preterite with vav consecutive) rather than וּבָא (uva’), apparently perfect with vav), but this is probably an instance where the narrative offline vÿqatal construction introduces a new scene.
[16:5] 427 tn Heb “And look, from there a man was coming out from the clan of the house of Saul and his name was Shimei son of Gera, continually going out and cursing.”
[16:7] 428 tn Heb “man of worthlessness.”
[16:8] 429 tn Heb “has brought back upon you.”
[16:10] 430 tn Heb “What to me and to you?”
[16:11] 431 tn Heb “who came out from my entrails.” David’s point is that is his own son, his child whom he himself had fathered, was now wanting to kill him.
[16:12] 432 tc The Hebrew text is difficult here. It is probably preferable to read with the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate בְּעוֹנִי (bÿ’onyi, “on my affliction”) rather than the Kethib of the MT בָּעַוֹנִי (ba’avoni, “on my wrongdoing”). While this Kethib reading is understandable as an objective genitive (i.e., “the wrong perpetrated upon me”), it does not conform to normal Hebrew idiom for this idea. The Qere of the MT בְּעֵינֵי (bÿ’eni, “on my eyes”), usually taken as synecdoche to mean “my tears,” does not commend itself as a likely meaning. The Hebrew word is one of the so-called tiqqune sopherim, or “emendations of the scribes.”
[16:12] 433 tn Heb “and the
[16:13] 434 tn Heb “and he cursed and threw stones, opposite him, pelting [them] with dirt.” The offline vÿqatal construction in the last clause indicates an action that was complementary to the action described in the preceding clause. He simultaneously threw stones and dirt.
[16:14] 435 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[16:15] 436 tn Heb “and all the people, the men of Israel.”
[16:15] 437 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[16:16] 438 tn Heb “to Absalom.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[16:18] 439 tn Heb “No for with the one whom the
[16:19] 440 tn Heb “Just as I served before your father, so I will be before you.”
[16:21] 441 tn Heb “go to”; NAB “have (+ sexual NCV) relations with”; TEV “have intercourse with”; NLT “Go and sleep with.”
[16:21] 442 tn Heb “and the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened.”
[16:22] 443 sn That is, on top of the flat roof of the palace, so it would be visible to the public.
[16:22] 444 tn Heb “went to”; NAB “he visited his father’s concubines”; NIV “lay with his father’s concubines”; TEV “went in and had intercourse with.”
[16:23] 445 tn Heb “And the advice of Ahithophel which he advised in those days was as when one inquires of the word of God.”
[16:23] 446 tn Heb “So was all the advice of Ahithophel, also to David, also to Absalom.”
[17:2] 447 tn Heb “and I will come upon him.”
[17:2] 448 tn Heb “exhausted and slack of hands.”
[17:3] 449 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] 450 tn Heb “all of the people will be safe.”
[17:5] 452 tc In the MT the verb is singular, but in the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate it is plural.
[17:5] 453 tn Heb “what is in his mouth.”
[17:7] 454 tn Heb “Not good is the advice which Ahithophel has advised at this time.”
[17:8] 455 tc The LXX (with the exception of the recensions of Origen and Lucian) repeats the description as follows: “Just as a female bear bereft of cubs in a field.”
[17:9] 456 tn Heb “that he falls on them [i.e., Absalom’s troops] at the first [encounter]; or “that some of them [i.e., Absalom’s troops] fall at the first [encounter].”
[17:14] 457 tn Heb “commanded.”
[17:16] 459 tn Heb “send quickly and tell David saying.”
[17:16] 460 tn Or “wilderness” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV, TEV).
[17:16] 461 tn That is, “cross over the Jordan River.”
[17:16] 462 tn Heb “swallowed up.”
[17:20] 463 tn Heb “they”; the referents (Absalom’s men) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
[17:20] 464 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[17:21] 465 tn Heb “they”; the referents (Ahimaaz and Jonathan) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
[17:21] 466 tn Heb “the water.”
[17:21] 467 tn Heb “for thus Ahithophel has devised against you.” The expression “thus” is narrative shorthand, referring to the plan outlined by Ahithophel (see vv. 1-3). The men would surely have outlined the plan in as much detail as they had been given by the messenger.
[17:22] 468 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text here or in v. 24, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[17:23] 469 tc The Greek recensions of Origen and Lucian have here “house” for “grave.”
[17:26] 471 tn Heb “and Israel.”
[17:28] 472 tc The MT adds “roasted grain” וְקָלִי (vÿqali) at the end of v. 28, apparently accidentally repeating the word from its earlier occurrence in this verse. With the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and an Old Latin
[17:29] 473 tn Heb “cheese of the herd,” probably referring to cheese from cow’s milk (rather than goat’s milk).
[17:29] 474 tn Or “wilderness” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV, TEV, NLT).
[18:3] 475 tn Heb “the people said.”
[18:3] 476 tn Heb “march out.”
[18:3] 477 tn Heb “they will not place to us heart.”
[18:3] 478 tc The translation follows the LXX (except for the Lucianic recension), Symmachus, and Vulgate in reading אָתָּה (’atta, “you”) rather than MT עָתָּה (’atta, “now”).
[18:7] 479 tn Heb “servants” (also in v. 9).
[18:9] 481 tn Heb “the donkey.”
[18:9] 482 tn Heb “between the sky and the ground.”
[18:10] 483 tc 4QSama lacks the word “one.”
[18:11] 484 tn Heb “Why did you not strike him down there to the ground.”
[18:11] 485 tn Heb “ten [shekels] of silver.” This would have been about 4 ounces (114 grams) of silver by weight.
[18:11] 486 tn Heb “and a girdle” (so KJV); NIV “a warrior’s belt”; CEV “a special belt”; NLT “a hero’s belt.”
[18:12] 487 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[18:12] 488 tn Heb “weighing out in my hand.”
[18:12] 489 tn Heb “a thousand [shekels] of silver.” This would have been about 25 pounds (11.4 kg) of silver by weight.
[18:12] 490 tn Heb “extend my hand against.”
[18:12] 491 tn Heb “in our ears.”
[18:12] 492 tc The Hebrew text is very difficult here. The MT reads מִי (mi, “who”), apparently yielding the following sense: “Show care, whoever you might be, for the youth Absalom.” The Syriac Peshitta reads li (“for me”), the Hebrew counterpart of which may also lie behind the LXX rendering μοι (moi, “for me”). This reading seems preferable here, since it restores sense to the passage and most easily explains the rise of the variant.
[18:13] 493 tc The translation follows the Qere, many medieval Hebrew
[18:13] 494 tn Heb “stood aloof.”
[18:14] 495 tn There is a play on the word “heart” here that is difficult to reproduce in English. Literally the Hebrew text says “he took three spears in his hand and thrust them into the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the heart of the oak tree.” This figure of speech involves the use of the same word in different senses and is known as antanaclasis. It is illustrated in the familiar saying from the time of the American Revolution: “If we don’t hang together, we will all hang separately.” The present translation understands “heart” to be used somewhat figuratively for “chest” (cf. TEV, CEV), which explains why Joab’s armor bearers could still “kill” Absalom after he had been stabbed with three spears through the “heart.” Since trees do not have “chests” either, the translation uses “middle.”
[18:16] 496 tn Heb “the shophar” (the ram’s horn trumpet).
[18:17] 497 tn Heb “and all Israel fled, each to his tent.” In this context this refers to the supporters of Absalom (see vv. 6-7, 16).
[18:18] 498 tn Heb “and.” This disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) describes an occurrence that preceded the events just narrated.
[18:18] 499 tn Heb “a pillar.”
[18:19] 500 tn Heb “that the
[18:20] 501 tn Heb “but this day you will not bear good news.”
[18:23] 502 tn The words “but he said” are not in the Hebrew text. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[18:23] 503 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:24] 504 tn Heb “the two gates.”
[18:25] 505 tn Heb “good news is in his mouth.”
[18:25] 506 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the runner) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:27] 507 tn Heb “I am seeing the running of the first one like the running of Ahimaaz.”
[18:28] 509 tn Heb “delivered over.”
[18:28] 510 tn Heb “lifted their hand against.”
[18:31] 511 tn Heb “And look, the Cushite came and the Cushite said.”
[18:31] 512 tn Heb “for the
[18:32] 513 tn Heb “and all those rising against you for evil.”
[18:33] 514 sn This marks the beginning of ch. 19 in the Hebrew text. Beginning with 18:33, the verse numbers through 19:43 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 18:33 ET = 19:1 HT, 19:1 ET = 19:2 HT, 19:2 ET = 19:3 HT, etc., through 19:43 ET = 19:44 HT. From 20:1 the versification in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible is again the same.
[18:33] 515 tc One medieval Hebrew
[18:33] 516 tc The Lucianic Greek recension and Syriac Peshitta lack this repeated occurrence of “my son” due to haplography.
[19:4] 517 tn Heb “with a great voice.”
[19:6] 520 tc The translation follows the Qere, 4QSama, and many medieval Hebrew
[19:6] 521 tc The Lucianic Greek recension and Syriac Peshitta lack “today.”
[19:7] 522 tn Heb “and speak to the heart of.”
[19:8] 523 tn Heb “all the people.”
[19:8] 524 tn The Hebrew text has simply “Israel” (see 18:16-17).
[19:8] 525 tn Heb “had fled, each to his tent.”
[19:10] 527 tc The LXX includes the following words at the end of v. 11: “And what all Israel was saying came to the king’s attention.” The words are misplaced in the LXX from v. 12 (although the same statement appears there in the LXX as well).
[19:11] 528 tn Heb “his house.”
[19:11] 529 tc The Hebrew text adds “to his house” (= palace), but the phrase, which also appears earlier in the verse, is probably accidentally repeated here.
[19:12] 530 tn Heb “my bone and my flesh.”
[19:13] 531 tn Heb “my bone and my flesh.”
[19:13] 532 tn Heb “Thus God will do to me and thus he will add.”
[19:14] 533 tn The referent of “he” is not entirely clear: cf. NCV “David”; TEV “David’s words”; NRSV, NLT “Amasa.”
[19:15] 534 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[19:15] 535 tn The Hebrew text has simply “Judah.”
[19:15] 536 tn Heb “the king.” The pronoun (“him”) has been used in the translation to avoid redundancy.
[19:17] 538 tn Heb “rushed into.”
[19:19] 539 tn Though this verb in the MT is 3rd person masculine singular, it should probably be read as 2nd person masculine singular. It is one of fifteen places where the Masoretes placed a dot over each of the letters of the word in question in order to call attention to their suspicion of the word. Their concern in this case apparently had to do with the fact that this verb and the two preceding verbs alternate from third person to second and back again to third. Words marked in this way in Hebrew manuscripts or printed editions are said to have puncta extrordinaria, or “extraordinary points.”
[19:19] 540 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[19:20] 541 tn The Hebrew text has simply “your servant.”
[19:22] 542 tn Heb “what to me and to you.”
[19:23] 543 tn Heb “swore to him.”
[19:24] 545 tn Heb “in peace.” So also in v. 31.
[19:24] 546 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Mephibosheth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:24] 547 tn Heb “done his feet.”
[19:26] 549 tn Heb “your servant.”
[19:26] 550 tn Heb “your servant.”
[19:27] 551 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:27] 552 tn Heb “your servant.”
[19:28] 554 tn Heb “and you placed your servant among those who eat at your table.”
[19:28] 555 tn Heb “to cry out to.”
[19:30] 557 tn Heb “in peace.”
[19:31] 558 tc The MT reading אֶת־בַיַּרְדֵּן (’et-vayyarden, “in the Jordan”) is odd syntactically. The use of the preposition after the object marker אֶת (’et) is difficult to explain. Graphic confusion is likely in the MT; the translation assumes the reading מִיַּרְדֵּן (miyyarden, “from the Jordan”). Another possibility is to read the definite article on the front of “Jordan” (הַיַּרְדֵּן, hayyarden; “the Jordan”).
[19:35] 560 tn Heb “your servant.”
[19:35] 561 tn Heb “your servant.”
[19:36] 562 tn Heb “Like a little your servant will cross the Jordan with the king.”
[19:37] 563 tn Heb “your servant.”
[19:39] 564 tn Heb “to his place.”
[19:40] 565 tn The MT in this instance alone spells the name with final ן (nun, “Kimhan”) rather than as elsewhere with final ם (mem, “Kimham”). As in most other translations, the conventional spelling (with ם) has been used here to avoid confusion.
[19:40] 567 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[19:42] 568 tn Heb “from the king.”
[19:43] 569 tn The translation understands the verb in a desiderative sense, indicating the desire but not necessarily the completed action of the party in question. It is possible, however, that the verb should be given the more common sense of accomplished action, in which case it means here “Why have you cursed us?”
[20:1] 570 tn Heb “a man of worthlessness.”
[20:1] 571 tn The expression used here יְמִינִי (yÿmini) is a short form of the more common “Benjamin.” It appears elsewhere in 1 Sam 9:4 and Esth 2:5. Cf. 1 Sam 9:1.
[20:1] 572 tn Heb “the shophar” (the ram’s horn trumpet). So also v. 22.
[20:1] 573 tc The MT reads לְאֹהָלָיו (lÿ’ohalav, “to his tents”). For a similar idiom, see 19:9. An ancient scribal tradition understands the reading to be לְאלֹהָיו (le’lohav, “to his gods”). The word is a tiqqun sopherim, and the scribes indicate that they changed the word from “gods” to “tents” so as to soften its theological implications. In a consonantal Hebrew text the change involved only the metathesis of two letters.
[20:2] 574 tn Heb “went up from after.”
[20:2] 575 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[20:2] 576 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[20:3] 578 tn Heb “and he placed them in a guarded house.”
[20:3] 579 tn Heb “he did not come to them”; NAB “has no further relations with them”; NIV “did not lie with them”; TEV “did not have intercourse with them”; NLT “would no longer sleep with them.”
[20:4] 580 tn The present translation follows the Masoretic accentuation, with the major mark of disjunction (i.e., the atnach) placed at the word “days.” However, some scholars have suggested moving the atnach to “Judah” a couple of words earlier. This would yield the following sense: “Three days, and you be present here with them.” The difference in meaning is slight, and the MT is acceptable as it stands.
[20:6] 581 tn Heb “find.” The perfect verbal form is unexpected with the preceding word “otherwise.” We should probably read instead the imperfect. Although it is possible to understand the perfect here as indicating that the feared result is thought of as already having taken place (cf. BDB 814 s.v. פֶּן 2), it is more likely that the perfect is simply the result of scribal error. In this context the imperfect would be more consistent with the following verb וְהִצִּיל (vÿhitsil, “and he will get away”).
[20:8] 582 sn The significance of the statement it fell out here is unclear. If the dagger fell out of its sheath before Joab got to Amasa, how then did he kill him? Josephus, Ant. 7.11.7 (7.284), suggested that as Joab approached Amasa he deliberately caused the dagger to fall to the ground at an opportune moment as though by accident. When he bent over and picked it up, he then stabbed Amasa with it. Others have tried to make a case for thinking that two swords are referred to – the one that fell out and another that Joab kept concealed until the last moment. But nothing in the text clearly supports this view. Perhaps Josephus’ understanding is best, but it is by no means obvious in the text either.
[20:10] 583 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:10] 584 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Amasa) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:10] 585 tn Heb “and he did not repeat concerning him, and he died.”
[20:11] 586 tn Heb “takes delight in.”
[20:12] 587 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Amasa) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:12] 588 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man who spoke up in v. 11) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:12] 589 tn Heb “Amasa.” For stylistic reasons the name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation.
[20:13] 590 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Amasa) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:14] 591 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Sheba) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:14] 592 tc In keeping with the form of the name in v. 15, the translation deletes the “and” found in the MT.
[20:14] 593 tc The translation follows the Qere, many medieval Hebrew
[20:15] 594 tn Heb “they.” The following context makes it clear that this refers to Joab and his army.
[20:15] 595 tc The LXX has here ἐνοοῦσαν (enoousan, “were devising”), which apparently presupposes the Hebrew word מַחֲשָׁבִים (makhashavim) rather than the MT מַשְׁחִיתִם (mashkhitim, “were destroying”). With a number of other scholars Driver thinks that the Greek variant may preserve the original reading, but this seems to be an unnecessary conclusion (but see S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 346).
[20:19] 596 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.
[20:20] 597 tn Heb “Far be it, far be it from me.” The expression is clearly emphatic, as may be seen in part by the repetition. P. K. McCarter, however, understands it to be coarser than the translation adopted here. He renders it as “I’ll be damned if…” (II Samuel [AB], 426, 429), which (while it is not a literal translation) may not be too far removed from the way a soldier might have expressed himself.
[20:21] 598 tn Heb “lifted his hand.”
[20:22] 600 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:22] 601 tn Heb “they”; the referent (Joab’s men) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:22] 602 tn Heb “his tents.”
[20:24] 603 tn Heb “Adoram” (so KJV, NAB, NRSV, CEV), but see 1 Kgs 4:6; 5:14.
[20:24] 604 tn Heb “was over the forced labor.”
[20:26] 605 tn Heb “priest for David.” KJV (“a chief ruler about David”) and ASV (“chief minister unto David”) regarded this office as political.
