2 Samuel 15:12

15:12 While he was offering sacrifices, Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s adviser, ¹  to come from his city, Giloh. ²  The conspiracy was gaining momentum, and the people were starting to side with Absalom.

2 Samuel 16:5-9

Shimei Curses David and His Men

16:5 Then King David reached ³  Bahurim. There a man from Saul’s extended family named Shimei son of Gera came out, yelling curses as he approached. ⁴  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! ⁵  16:8 The Lord has punished you for ⁶  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!”

2 Samuel 18:15

18:15 Then ten soldiers who were Joab’s armor bearers struck Absalom and finished him off.

2 Samuel 18:19

David Learns of Absalom’s Death

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.” ⁷ 

2 Samuel 20:1

Sheba’s Rebellion

20:1 Now a wicked man ⁸  named Sheba son of Bicri, a Benjaminite, ⁹  happened to be there. He blew the trumpet ¹⁰  and said,

“We have no share in David;

we have no inheritance in this son of Jesse!

Every man go home, ¹¹  O Israel!”

2 Samuel 20:22

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 ¹²  blew the trumpet, and his men ¹³  dispersed from the city, each going to his own home. ¹⁴  Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem.

[15:12]  ¹ tn Traditionally, “counselor,” but this term is more often associated with psychological counseling today, so “adviser” was used in the translation instead.

[15:12]  ² 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.

[16:5]  ³ 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]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ tn Heb “man of worthlessness.”

[16:8]  ⁶ tn Heb “has brought back upon you.”

[18:19]  ⁷ tn Heb “that the Lord has vindicated him from the hand of his enemies.”

[20:1]  ⁸ tn Heb “a man of worthlessness.”

[20:1]  ⁹ 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]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the shophar” (the ram’s horn trumpet). So also v. 22.

[20:1]  ¹¹ 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.

[20:22]  ¹² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:22]  ¹³ tn Heb “they”; the referent (Joab’s men) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:22]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “his tents.”