2 Samuel 2:1--20:26
Konteks2:1 Afterward David inquired of the Lord, “Should I go up to one of the cities of Judah?” The Lord told him, “Go up.” David asked, “Where should I go?” The Lord replied, 1 “To Hebron.” 2:2 So David went up, along with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail, formerly the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. 2:3 David also brought along the men who were with him, each with his family. They settled in the cities 2 of Hebron. 2:4 The men of Judah came and there they anointed David as king over the people 3 of Judah.
David was told, 4 “The people 5 of Jabesh Gilead are the ones who buried Saul.” 2:5 So David sent messengers to the people of Jabesh Gilead and told them, “May you be blessed by the Lord because you have shown this kindness 6 to your lord Saul by burying him. 2:6 Now may the Lord show you true kindness! 7 I also will reward you, 8 because you have done this deed. 2:7 Now be courageous 9 and prove to be valiant warriors, for your lord Saul is dead. The people of Judah have anointed me as king over them.”
2:8 Now Abner son of Ner, the general in command of Saul’s army, had taken Saul’s son Ish-bosheth 10 and had brought him to Mahanaim. 2:9 He appointed him king over Gilead, the Geshurites, 11 Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel. 2:10 Ish-bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he began to rule over Israel. He ruled two years. However, the people 12 of Judah followed David. 2:11 David was king in Hebron over the people of Judah for seven and a half years. 13
2:12 Then Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth son of Saul went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 2:13 Joab son of Zeruiah and the servants of David also went out and confronted them at the pool of Gibeon. One group stationed themselves on one side of the pool, and the other group on the other side of the pool. 2:14 Abner said to Joab, “Let the soldiers get up and fight 14 before us.” Joab said, “So be it!” 15
2:15 So they got up and crossed over by number: twelve belonging to Benjamin and to Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve from the servants of David. 2:16 As they grappled with one another, each one stabbed his opponent with his sword and they fell dead together. 16 So that place is called the Field of Flints; 17 it is in Gibeon.
2:17 Now the battle was very severe that day; Abner and the men of Israel were overcome by David’s soldiers. 18 2:18 The three sons of Zeruiah were there – Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. (Now Asahel was as quick on his feet as one of the gazelles in the field.) 2:19 Asahel chased Abner, without turning to the right or to the left as he followed Abner.
2:20 Then Abner turned and asked, “Is that you, Asahel?” He replied, “Yes it is!” 2:21 Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right or to your left. Capture one of the soldiers 19 and take his equipment for yourself!” But Asahel was not willing to turn aside from following him. 2:22 So Abner spoke again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me! I do not want to strike you to the ground. 20 How then could I show 21 my face in the presence of Joab your brother?” 2:23 But Asahel 22 refused to turn aside. So Abner struck him in the abdomen with the back end of his 23 spear. The spear came out his back; Asahel 24 collapsed on the spot and died there right before Abner. 25 Everyone who now comes to the place where Asahel fell dead pauses in respect. 26
2:24 So Joab and Abishai chased Abner. At sunset they came to the hill of Ammah near Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon. 2:25 The Benjaminites formed their ranks 27 behind Abner and were like a single army, standing at the top of a certain hill.
2:26 Then Abner called out to Joab, “Must the sword devour forever? Don’t you realize that this will turn bitter in the end? When will you tell the people to turn aside from pursuing their brothers?” 2:27 Joab replied, “As surely as God lives, if you had not said this, it would have been morning before the people would have abandoned pursuit 28 of their brothers!” 2:28 Then Joab blew the ram’s horn and all the people stopped in their tracks. 29 They stopped chasing Israel and ceased fighting. 30 2:29 Abner and his men went through the Arabah all that night. They crossed the Jordan River 31 and went through the whole region of Bitron 32 and came to Mahanaim.
2:30 Now Joab returned from chasing Abner and assembled all the people. Nineteen of David’s soldiers were missing, in addition to Asahel. 2:31 But David’s soldiers had slaughtered the Benjaminites and Abner’s men – in all, 360 men had died! 2:32 They took Asahel’s body and buried him in his father’s tomb at Bethlehem. 33 Joab and his men then traveled all that night and reached Hebron by dawn. 3:1 However, the war was prolonged between the house of Saul and the house of David. David was becoming steadily stronger, while the house of Saul was becoming increasingly weaker.
3:2 Now sons were born to David in Hebron. His firstborn was Amnon, born to Ahinoam the Jezreelite. 3:3 His second son 34 was Kileab, born to Abigail the widow 35 of Nabal the Carmelite. His third son was Absalom, the son of Maacah daughter of King Talmai of Geshur. 3:4 His fourth son was Adonijah, the son of Haggith. His fifth son was Shephatiah, the son of Abitail. 3:5 His sixth son was Ithream, born to David’s wife Eglah. These sons 36 were all born to David in Hebron.
3:6 As the war continued between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was becoming more influential 37 in the house of Saul. 3:7 Now Saul had a concubine named Rizpah daughter of Aiah. Ish-bosheth 38 said to Abner, “Why did you have sexual relations with 39 my father’s concubine?” 40
3:8 These words of Ish-bosheth really angered Abner and he said, “Am I the head of a dog that belongs to Judah? This very day I am demonstrating 41 loyalty to the house of Saul your father and to his relatives 42 and his friends! I have not betrayed you into the hand of David. Yet you have accused me of sinning with this woman today! 43 3:9 God will severely judge Abner 44 if I do not do for David exactly what the Lord has promised him, 45 3:10 namely, to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah all the way from Dan to Beer Sheba!” 3:11 Ish-bosheth 46 was unable to answer Abner with even a single word because he was afraid of him.
3:12 Then Abner sent messengers 47 to David saying, “To whom does the land belong? Make an agreement 48 with me, and I will do whatever I can 49 to cause all Israel to turn to you.” 3:13 So David said, “Good! I will make an agreement with you. I ask only one thing from you. You will not see my face unless you bring Saul’s daughter Michal when you come to visit me.” 50
3:14 David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth son of Saul with this demand: 51 “Give me my wife Michal whom I acquired 52 for a hundred Philistine foreskins.” 3:15 So Ish-bosheth took her 53 from her husband Paltiel 54 son of Laish. 3:16 Her husband went along behind her, weeping all the way to Bahurim. Finally Abner said to him, “Go back!” 55 So he returned home.
3:17 Abner advised 56 the elders of Israel, “Previously you were wanting David to be your king. 57 3:18 Act now! For the Lord has said to David, ‘By the hand of my servant David I will save 58 my people Israel from 59 the Philistines and from all their enemies.’”
3:19 Then Abner spoke privately 60 with the Benjaminites. Abner also went to Hebron to inform David privately 61 of all that Israel and the entire house of Benjamin had agreed to. 62 3:20 When Abner, accompanied by twenty men, came to David in Hebron, David prepared a banquet for Abner and the men who were with him. 3:21 Abner said to David, “Let me leave so that I may go and gather all Israel to my lord the king so that they may make an agreement 63 with you. Then you will rule over all that you desire.” So David sent Abner away, and he left in peace.
3:22 Now David’s soldiers 64 and Joab were coming back from a raid, bringing a great deal of plunder with them. Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, for David 65 had sent him away and he had left in peace. 3:23 When Joab and all the army that was with him arrived, Joab was told: “Abner the son of Ner came to the king; he sent him away, and he left in peace!”
3:24 So Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Abner 66 has come to you! Why would you send him away? Now he’s gone on his way! 67 3:25 You know Abner the son of Ner! Surely he came here to spy on you and to determine when you leave and when you return 68 and to discover everything that you are doing!”
3:26 Then Joab left David and sent messengers after Abner. They brought him back from the well of Sirah. (But David was not aware of it.) 3:27 When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside at the gate as if to speak privately with him. Joab then stabbed him 69 in the abdomen and killed him, avenging the shed blood of his brother Asahel. 70
3:28 When David later heard about this, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the Lord of the shed blood of Abner son of Ner! 3:29 May his blood whirl over 71 the head of Joab and the entire house of his father! 72 May the males of Joab’s house 73 never cease to have 74 someone with a running sore or a skin disease or one who works at the spindle 75 or one who falls by the sword or one who lacks food!”
3:30 So Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel in Gibeon during the battle.
3:31 David instructed Joab and all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes! Put on sackcloth! Lament before Abner!” Now King David followed 76 behind the funeral bier. 3:32 So they buried Abner in Hebron. The king cried loudly 77 over Abner’s grave and all the people wept too. 3:33 The king chanted the following lament for Abner:
“Should Abner have died like a fool?
3:34 Your hands 78 were not bound,
and your feet were not put into irons.
You fell the way one falls before criminals.”
All the people 79 wept over him again. 3:35 Then all the people came and encouraged David to eat food while it was still day. But David took an oath saying, “God will punish me severely 80 if I taste bread or anything whatsoever before the sun sets!”
3:36 All the people noticed this and it pleased them. 81 In fact, everything the king did pleased all the people. 3:37 All the people and all Israel realized on that day that the killing of Abner son of Ner was not done at the king’s instigation. 82
3:38 Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not realize that a great leader 83 has fallen this day in Israel? 3:39 Today I am weak, even though I am anointed as king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too much for me to bear! 84 May the Lord punish appropriately the one who has done this evil thing!” 85
4:1 When Ish-bosheth 86 the son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he was very disheartened, 87 and all Israel was afraid. 4:2 Now Saul’s son 88 had two men who were in charge of raiding units; one was named Baanah and the other Recab. They were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, who was a Benjaminite. (Beeroth is regarded as belonging to Benjamin, 4:3 for the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have remained there as resident foreigners until the present time.) 89
4:4 Now Saul’s son Jonathan had a son who was crippled in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan arrived from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but in her haste to get away, he fell and was injured. 90 Mephibosheth was his name.
4:5 Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite – Recab and Baanah – went at the hottest part of the day to the home of Ish-bosheth, as he was enjoying his midday rest. 4:6 They 91 entered the house under the pretense of getting wheat and mortally wounded him 92 in the stomach. Then Recab and his brother Baanah escaped.
4:7 They had entered 93 the house while Ish-bosheth 94 was resting on his bed in his bedroom. They mortally wounded him 95 and then cut off his head. 96 Taking his head, 97 they traveled on the way of the Arabah all that night. 4:8 They brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David in Hebron, saying to the king, “Look! The head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, your enemy who sought your life! The Lord has granted vengeance to my lord the king this day against 98 Saul and his descendants!”
4:9 David replied to Recab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered my life from all adversity, 4:10 when someone told me that Saul was dead – even though he thought he was bringing good news 99 – I seized him and killed him in Ziklag. That was the good news I gave to him! 4:11 Surely when wicked men have killed an innocent man as he slept 100 in his own house, should I not now require his blood from your hands and remove 101 you from the earth?”
4:12 So David issued orders to the soldiers and they put them to death. Then they cut off their hands and feet and hung them 102 near the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth 103 and buried it in the tomb of Abner 104 in Hebron. 105
5:1 All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron saying, “Look, we are your very flesh and blood! 106 5:2 In the past, when Saul was our king, you were the real leader in Israel. 107 The Lord said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel; you will rule over Israel.’”
5:3 When all the leaders 108 of Israel came to the king at Hebron, King David made an agreement with them 109 in Hebron before the Lord. They designated 110 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 111 he reigned for thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.
5:6 Then the king and his men advanced to Jerusalem 112 against the Jebusites who lived in the land. The Jebusites 113 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 114 by going through the water tunnel.” 115 For this reason it is said, “The blind and the lame cannot enter the palace.” 116
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 117 who commands armies 118 was with him. 119
5:11 King Hiram of Tyre 120 sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs, carpenters, and stonemasons. They built a palace 121 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 122 king over Israel, they all 123 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 124 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. 125 5:21 The Philistines 126 abandoned their idols 127 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. 128 This time 129 the Lord 130 said to him, “Don’t march straight up. Instead, circle around behind them and come against them opposite the trees. 131 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 132 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. 133
6:1 David again assembled 134 all the best 135 men in Israel, thirty thousand in number. 6:2 David and all the men who were with him traveled 136 to 137 Baalah 138 in Judah to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the name 139 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 140 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 141 were energetically celebrating before the Lord, singing 142 and playing various stringed instruments, 143 tambourines, rattles, 144 and cymbals.
6:6 When they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, 145 Uzzah reached out and grabbed hold of 146 the ark of God, 147 because the oxen stumbled. 6:7 The Lord was so furious with Uzzah, 148 he 149 killed him on the spot 150 for his negligence. 151 He died right there beside the ark of God.
6:8 David was angry because the Lord attacked 152 Uzzah; so he called that place Perez Uzzah, 153 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. 154 6:12 David was told, 155 “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 156 sacrificed an ox and a fatling calf. 6:14 Now David, wearing a linen ephod, was dancing with all his strength before the Lord. 157 6:15 David and all Israel 158 were bringing up the ark of the Lord, shouting and blowing trumpets. 159
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. 160 6:17 They brought the ark of the Lord and put it in its place 161 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, 162 both men and women, a portion of bread, a date cake, 163 and a raisin cake. Then all the people went home. 164 6:20 When David went home to pronounce a blessing on his own house, 165 Michal, Saul’s daughter, came out to meet him. 166 She said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished 167 himself this day! He has exposed himself today before his servants’ slave girls the way a vulgar fool 168 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 169 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! 170 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, 171 for the Lord gave him relief 172 from all his enemies on all sides. 173 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 174 and do whatever you have in mind, 175 for the Lord is with you.” 7:4 That night the Lord told Nathan, 176 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. 177 7:7 Wherever I moved among all the Israelites, I did not say 178 to any of the leaders 179 whom I appointed to care for 180 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 181 to make you leader of my people Israel. 7:9 I was with you wherever you went, and I defeated 182 all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth. 183 7:10 I will establish a place for my people Israel and settle 184 them there; they will live there and not be disturbed 185 any more. Violent men 186 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 187 from all your enemies. The Lord declares 188 to you that he himself 189 will build a dynastic house 190 for you. 7:12 When the time comes for you to die, 191 I will raise up your descendant, one of your own sons, to succeed you, 192 and I will establish his kingdom. 7:13 He will build a house for my name, and I will make his dynasty permanent. 193 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 194 permanently; your dynasty 195 will be permanent.’” 7:17 Nathan told David all these words that were revealed to him. 196
7:18 King David went in, sat before the Lord, and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, 197 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. 198 Is this your usual way of dealing with men, 199 O Lord God? 7:20 What more can David say to you? You have given your servant special recognition, 200 O Lord God! 7:21 For the sake of your promise and according to your purpose 201 you have done this great thing in order to reveal it to your servant. 202 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! 203 7:23 Who is like your people, Israel, a unique nation 204 on the earth? Their God 205 went 206 to claim 207 a nation for himself and to make a name for himself! You did great and awesome acts for your land, 208 before your people whom you delivered for yourself from the Egyptian empire and its gods. 209 7:24 You made Israel your very own people for all time. 210 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. 211 Do as you promised, 212 7:26 so you may gain lasting fame, 213 as people say, 214 ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel!’ The dynasty 215 of your servant David will be established before you, 7:27 for you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have told 216 your servant, ‘I will build you a dynastic house.’ 217 That is why your servant has had the courage 218 to pray this prayer to you. 7:28 Now, O sovereign Lord, you are the true God! 219 May your words prove to be true! 220 You have made this good promise to your servant! 221 7:29 Now be willing to bless your servant’s dynasty 222 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!” 223
8:1 Later David defeated the Philistines and subdued them. David took Metheg Ammah 224 from the Philistines. 225 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. 226 The Moabites became David’s subjects and brought tribute. 227 8:3 David defeated King Hadadezer son of Rehob of Zobah when he came to reestablish 228 his authority 229 over the Euphrates 230 River. 8:4 David seized from him 1,700 charioteers 231 and 20,000 infantrymen. David cut the hamstrings of all but a hundred of the chariot horses. 232 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 233 David wherever he campaigned. 234 8:7 David took the golden shields that belonged to Hadadezer’s servants and brought them to Jerusalem. 235 8:8 From Tebah 236 and Berothai, Hadadezer’s cities, King David took a great deal of bronze.
8:9 When King Toi 237 of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer, 8:10 he 238 sent his son Joram 239 to King David to extend his best wishes 240 and to pronounce a blessing on him for his victory over Hadadezer, for Toi had been at war with Hadadezer. 241 He brought with him various items made of silver, gold, and bronze. 242 8:11 King David dedicated these things to the Lord, 243 along with the dedicated silver and gold that he had taken from 244 all the nations that he had subdued, 8:12 including 245 Aram, 246 Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amelek. This also included some of the plunder taken from 247 King Hadadezer son of Rehob of Zobah.
8:13 David became famous 248 when he returned from defeating the Arameans 249 in the Valley of Salt, he defeated 250 18,000 in all. 8:14 He placed garrisons throughout Edom, 251 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. 252
8:16 Joab son of Zeruiah was general in command of 253 the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was secretary; 8:17 Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar 254 were priests; Seraiah was scribe; 8:18 Benaiah son of Jehoida supervised 255 the Kerithites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were priests. 256
9:1 257 Then David asked, “Is anyone still left from the family 258 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.” 259 9:3 The king asked, “Is there not someone left from Saul’s family, 260 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 261 from the house of Makir son of Ammiel in 262 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. 263 David said, “Mephibosheth?” He replied, “Yes, at your service.” 264
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.” 265 9:8 Then Mephibosheth 266 bowed and said, “Of what importance am I, your servant, that you show regard for a dead dog like me?” 267
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 268 the land for him – you and your sons and your servants. You will bring its produce 269 and it will be 270 food for your master’s grandson to eat. 271 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 272 at David’s table, 273 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, 274 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. 275 10:2 David said, “I will express my loyalty 276 to Hanun son of Nahash just as his father was loyal 277 to me.” So David sent his servants with a message expressing sympathy over his father’s death. 278 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? 279 No, David has sent his servants to you to get information about the city and spy on it so they can overthrow it!” 280
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, 281 and then sent them away. 10:5 Messengers 282 told David what had happened, 283 so he summoned them, for the men were thoroughly humiliated. The king said, “Stay in Jericho 284 until your beards have grown again; then you may come back.”
10:6 When the Ammonites realized that David was disgusted with them, 285 they 286 sent and hired 20,000 foot soldiers from Aram Beth Rehob and Aram Zobah, 287 in addition to 1,000 men from the king of Maacah and 12,000 men from Ish-tob. 288
10:7 When David heard the news, he sent Joab and the entire army to meet them. 289 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. 290 10:10 He put his brother Abishai in charge of the rest of the army 291 and they were deployed 292 against the Ammonites. 10:11 Joab 293 said, “If the Arameans start to overpower me, 294 you come to my rescue. If the Ammonites start to overpower you, 295 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!” 296
10:13 So Joab and his men 297 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 298 Jerusalem. 299
10:15 When the Arameans realized that they had been defeated by Israel, they consolidated their forces. 300 10:16 Then Hadadezer sent for Arameans from 301 beyond the Euphrates River, 302 and they came to Helam. Shobach, the general in command of Hadadezer’s army, led them. 303
10:17 When David was informed, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan River, 304 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. 305 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 306 saw they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became subjects of Israel. 307 The Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.
11:1 In the spring of the year, at the time when kings 308 normally conduct wars, 309 David sent out Joab with his officers 310 and the entire Israelite army. 311 They defeated the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed behind in Jerusalem. 312 11:2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of his palace. 313 From the roof he saw a woman bathing. Now this woman was very attractive. 314 11:3 So David sent someone to inquire about the woman. The messenger 315 said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”
11:4 David sent some messengers to get her. 316 She came to him and he had sexual relations with her. 317 (Now at that time she was in the process of purifying herself from her menstrual uncleanness.) 318 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. 319 11:8 Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your home and relax.” 320 When Uriah left the palace, the king sent a gift to him. 321 11:9 But Uriah stayed at the door of the palace with all 322 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 323 with my wife? As surely as you are alive, 324 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. 325 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 326 were. 11:17 When the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, some of David’s soldiers 327 fell in battle. Uriah the Hittite also died.
11:18 Then Joab sent a full battle report to David. 328 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 329 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 330 in the field. But we forced them to retreat all the way 331 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 332 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. 333 There is no way to anticipate whom the sword will cut down. 334 Press the battle against the city and conquer 335 it.’ Encourage him with these words.” 336
11:26 When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband Uriah was dead, she mourned for him. 337 11:27 When the time of mourning passed, David had her brought to his palace. 338 She became his wife and she bore him a son. But what David had done upset the Lord. 339
12:1 So the Lord sent Nathan 340 to David. When he came to David, 341 Nathan 342 said, 343 “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. 344 It used to 345 eat his food, 346 drink from his cup, and sleep in his arms. 347 It was just like a daughter to him.
12:4 “When a traveler arrived at the rich man’s home, 348 he did not want to use one of his own sheep or cattle to feed 349 the traveler who had come to visit him. 350 Instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and cooked 351 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! 352 12:6 Because he committed this cold-hearted crime, he must pay for the lamb four times over!” 353
12:7 Nathan said to David, “You are that man! This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I chose 354 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. 355 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 356 sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and you have taken his wife as your own! 357 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 358 from inside your own household! 359 Right before your eyes I will take your wives and hand them over to your companion. 360 He will have sexual relations with 361 your wives in broad daylight! 362 12:12 Although you have acted in secret, I will do this thing before all Israel, and in broad daylight.’” 363
12:13 Then David exclaimed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord!” Nathan replied to David, “Yes, and the Lord has forgiven 364 your sin. You are not going to die. 12:14 Nonetheless, because you have treated the Lord with such contempt 365 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. 366 12:16 Then David prayed to 367 God for the child and fasted. 368 He would even 369 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 370 when we spoke to him. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He will do himself harm!” 371
12:19 When David saw that his servants were whispering to one another, he 372 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 373 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, 374 ‘Perhaps 375 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. 376 She gave birth to a son, and David 377 named him Solomon. Now the Lord loved the child 378 12:25 and sent word through Nathan the prophet that he should be named Jedidiah 379 for the Lord’s sake.
12:26 380 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. 381 12:28 So now assemble the rest of the army 382 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 383 from his head – it was gold, weighed about seventy-five pounds, 384 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 385 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 386 with all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all the army returned to Jerusalem. 387
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. 388 13:2 But Amnon became frustrated because he was so lovesick 389 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, 390 “Why are you, the king’s son, 391 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. 392 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, 393 and baked them. 394 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!” 395 So everyone left. 396
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, 397 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 398 in Israel! Just 399 speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.” 13:14 But he refused to listen to her. 400 He overpowered her and humiliated her by raping her. 401 13:15 Then Amnon greatly despised her. 402 His disdain toward her surpassed the love he had previously felt toward her. 403 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!” 404 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 405 and lock the door behind her!” 13:18 (Now she was wearing a long robe, 406 for this is what the king’s virgin daughters used to wear.) So Amnon’s 407 attendant removed her and bolted the door 408 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!” 409 Tamar, devastated, lived in the house of her brother Absalom.
13:21 Now King David heard about all these things and was very angry. 410 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, 411 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. 412 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 413 pressed 414 him, the king 415 was not willing to go. Instead, David 416 blessed him.
13:26 Then Absalom said, “If you will not go, 417 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 418 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!” 419 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 420 from the day that Amnon 421 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 422 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. 423 The king and all his servants wept loudly 424 as well. 13:37 But Absalom fled and went to King Talmai son of Ammihud of Geshur. And David 425 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 426 to go to Absalom, for he had since been consoled over the death of Amnon. 427
14:1 Now Joab son of Zeruiah realized that the king longed to see 428 Absalom. 14:2 So Joab sent to Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman. He told her, “Pretend to be in mourning 429 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. 430 14:3 Go to the king and speak to him in the following fashion.” Then Joab told her what to say. 431
14:4 So the Tekoan woman went 432 to the king. She bowed down with her face to the ground in deference to him and said, “Please help me, 433 O king!” 14:5 The king replied to her, “What do you want?” 434 She answered, “I am a widow; my husband is dead. 14:6 Your servant 435 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 436 of his brother whom he killed. In so doing we will also destroy the heir.’ They want to extinguish my remaining coal, 437 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.” 438 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, 439 let the king invoke the name of 440 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 441 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. 442 14:15 I have now come to speak with my lord the king about this matter, because the people have made me fearful. 443 But your servant said, ‘I will speak to the king! Perhaps the king will do what his female servant 444 asks. 14:16 Yes! 445 The king may 446 listen and deliver his female servant 447 from the hand of the man who seeks to remove 448 both me and my son from the inheritance God has given us!’ 449 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?” 450 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.” 451
14:21 Then the king said to Joab, “All right! I 452 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 453 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 454 servant!”
14:23 So Joab got up and went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. 455 14:24 But the king said, “Let him go over 456 to his own house. He may not see my face.” So Absalom went over 457 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. 458 From the sole of his feet to the top of his head he was perfect in appearance. 459 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 460 and he would shave it – he used to weigh the hair of his head at three pounds 461 according to the king’s weight. 14:27 Absalom had 462 three sons and one daughter, whose name was Tamar. She was a very attractive woman. 463
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.” 464 So Absalom’s servants set Joab’s 465 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: 466 “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 467 summoned Absalom, and he came to the king. Absalom 468 bowed down before the king with his face toward the ground and the king kissed him. 469
15:1 Some time later Absalom managed to acquire 470 a chariot and horses, as well as fifty men to serve as his royal guard. 471 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, 472 am from one of the tribes of Israel.” 15:3 Absalom would then say to him, “Look, your claims are legitimate and appropriate. 473 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 474 a judge in the land! Then everyone who had a judicial complaint 475 could come to me and I would make sure he receives a just settlement.”
15:5 When someone approached to bow before him, Absalom 476 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 477 of the citizens 478 of Israel.
15:7 After four 479 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 480 when I was living in Geshur in Aram: ‘If the Lord really does allow me to return to Jerusalem, 481 I will serve the Lord.’” 15:9 The king replied to him, “Go in peace.” So Absalom 482 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 483 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. 484 15:12 While he was offering sacrifices, Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s adviser, 485 to come from his city, Giloh. 486 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!” 487 15:14 So David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, 488 “Come on! 489 Let’s escape! 490 Otherwise no one will be delivered from Absalom! Go immediately, or else he will quickly overtake us and bring 491 disaster on us and kill the city’s residents with the sword.” 492 15:15 The king’s servants replied to the king, “We will do whatever our lord the king decides.” 493
15:16 So the king and all the members of his royal court 494 set out on foot, though the king left behind ten concubines 495 to attend to the palace. 15:17 The king and all the people set out on foot, pausing 496 at a spot 497 some distance away. 15:18 All his servants were leaving with him, 498 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 499 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 500 king, for you are a foreigner and an exile from your own country. 501 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 502 with you. May genuine loyal love 503 protect 504 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, 505 there I 506 will be as well!” 15:22 So David said to Ittai, “Come along then.” 507 So Ittai the Gittite went along, 508 accompanied by all his men and all the dependents 509 who were with him.
15:23 All the land was weeping loudly 510 as all these people were leaving. 511 As the king was crossing over the Kidron Valley, all the people were leaving 512 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 513 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.” 514
15:27 The king said to Zadok the priest, “Are you a seer? 515 Go back to the city in peace! Your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan may go with you and Abiathar. 516 15:28 Look, I will be waiting at the fords of the desert until word from you 517 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 518 had been told, “Ahithophel has sided with the conspirators who are with Absalom. So David prayed, 519 “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 520 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. 521 Everything you hear in the king’s palace 522 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.” 523
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, 524 and a container of wine.
16:2 The king asked Ziba, “Why did you bring these things?” 525 Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the king’s family to ride on, the loaves of bread 526 and the summer fruit are for the attendants to eat, and the wine is for those who get exhausted in the desert.” 527 16:3 The king asked, “Where is your master’s grandson?” 528 Ziba replied to the king, “He remains in Jerusalem, 529 for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will give back to me my grandfather’s 530 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 531 Bahurim. There a man from Saul’s extended family named Shimei son of Gera came out, yelling curses as he approached. 532 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! 533 16:8 The Lord has punished you for 534 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, 535 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, 536 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 537 and this day grant me good in place of his curse.” 538
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. 539 16:14 The king and all the people who were with him arrived exhausted at their destination, where David 540 refreshed himself.
16:15 Now when Absalom and all the men 541 of Israel arrived in Jerusalem, 542 Ahithophel was with him. 16:16 When David’s friend Hushai the Arkite came to Absalom, Hushai said to him, 543 “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. 544 16:19 Moreover, whom should I serve? Should it not be his son? Just as I served your father, so I will serve you.” 545
16:20 Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give us your advice. What should we do?” 16:21 Ahithophel replied to Absalom, “Have sex with 546 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.” 547 16:22 So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, 548 and Absalom had sex with 549 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. 550 Both David and Absalom highly regarded the advice of Ahithophel. 551
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 552 him he will be exhausted and worn out. 553 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. 554 The entire army will return unharmed.” 555
17:4 This seemed like a good idea to Absalom and to all the leaders 556 of Israel. 17:5 But Absalom said, “Call for 557 Hushai the Arkite, and let’s hear what he has to say.” 558 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.” 559 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. 560 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, 561 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 562 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 563 of Israel to do, and here is what I have advised. 17:16 Now send word quickly to David and warn him, 564 “Don’t spend the night at the fords of the desert 565 tonight. Instead, be sure you cross over, 566 or else the king and everyone who is with him may be overwhelmed.” 567
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 568 searched but did not find them, so they returned to Jerusalem. 569
17:21 After the men had left, Ahimaaz and Jonathan 570 climbed out of the well. Then they left and informed King David. They advised David, “Get up and cross the stream 571 quickly, for Ahithophel has devised a plan to catch you.” 572 17:22 So David and all the people who were with him got up and crossed the Jordan River. 573 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 574 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 575 Abigail the daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother.) 17:26 The army of Israel 576 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, 577 17:29 honey, curds, flocks, and cheese. 578 For they said, “The people are no doubt hungry, tired, and thirsty there in the desert.” 579
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, 580 “You should not do this! 581 For if we should have to make a rapid retreat, they won’t be too concerned about us. 582 Even if half of us should die, they won’t be too concerned about us. But you 583 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. 584 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 585 mule, it 586 went under the branches of a large oak tree. His head got caught in the oak and he was suspended in midair, 587 while the mule he had been riding kept going.
18:10 When one 588 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? 589 I would have given you ten pieces of silver 590 and a commemorative belt!” 591
18:12 The man replied to Joab, “Even if 592 I were receiving 593 a thousand pieces of silver, 594 I would not strike 595 the king’s son! In our very presence 596 the king gave this order to you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.’ 597 18:13 If I had acted at risk of my own life 598 – and nothing is hidden from the king! – you would have abandoned me.” 599
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. 600 18:15 Then ten soldiers who were Joab’s armor bearers struck Absalom and finished him off.
18:16 Then Joab blew the trumpet 601 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. 602
18:18 Prior to this 603 Absalom had set up a monument 604 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.” 605 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, 606 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, 607 “Whatever happens, I want to go!” So Joab 608 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, 609 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.” 610 The runner 611 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 612 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!” 613 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 614 the men who opposed 615 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, 616 “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!” 617 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 618 be like that young man!”
18:33 (19:1) 619 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, 620 Absalom! If only I could have died in your place! Absalom, my son, my son!” 621
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, 622 “My son, Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!”
19:5 So Joab visited 623 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 624 that if 625 Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, 626 it would be all right with you. 19:7 So get up now and go out and give some encouragement to 627 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 628 all came before him.
But the Israelite soldiers 629 had all fled to their own homes. 630 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, 631 has died in battle. So now why do you hesitate to bring the king back?” 632
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, 633 when everything Israel is saying has come to the king’s attention. 634 19:12 You are my brothers – my very own flesh and blood! 635 Why should you delay any further in bringing the king back?’ 19:13 Say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my flesh and blood? 636 God will punish me severely, 637 if from this time on you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!’”
19:14 He 638 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. 639
Now the people of Judah 640 had come to Gilgal to meet the king and to help him 641 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 642 of Saul’s household, and with him his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They hurriedly crossed 643 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 644 Jerusalem! 645 Please don’t call it to mind! 19:20 For I, your servant, 646 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, 647 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 648 concerning this.
19:24 Now Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, 649 came down to meet the king. From the day the king had left until the day he safely 650 returned, Mephibosheth 651 had not cared for his feet 652 nor trimmed 653 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 654 said, ‘Let me get my donkey saddled so that I can ride on it and go with the king,’ for I 655 am lame. 19:27 But my servant 656 has slandered me 657 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 658 who did not deserve death from my lord the king. But instead you allowed me to eat at your own table! 659 What further claim do I have to ask 660 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 661 the whole thing! My lord the king has returned safely 662 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. 663 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 664 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 665 taste what I eat and drink? Am I still able to hear the voices of male and female singers? Why should I 666 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. 667 Why should the king reward me in this way? 19:37 Let me 668 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. 669 19:40 When the king crossed over to Gilgal, Kimham 670 crossed over with him. Now all the soldiers 671 of Judah along with half of the soldiers of Israel had helped the king cross over. 672
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? 673 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 674 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 675 named Sheba son of Bicri, a Benjaminite, 676 happened to be there. He blew the trumpet 677 and said,
“We have no share in David;
we have no inheritance in this son of Jesse!
Every man go home, 678 O Israel!”
20:2 So all the men of Israel deserted 679 David and followed Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stuck by their king all the way from the Jordan River 680 to Jerusalem. 681
20:3 Then David went to his palace 682 in Jerusalem. The king took the ten concubines he had left to care for the palace and placed them under confinement. 683 Though he provided for their needs, he did not have sexual relations with them. 684 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, 685 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 686 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. 687
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 688 stabbed him in the abdomen, causing Amasa’s 689 intestines to spill out on the ground. There was no need to stab him again; the first blow was fatal. 690 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 691 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 692 stopped, the man 693 pulled him 694 away from the path and into the field and threw a garment over him. 20:13 Once he had removed Amasa 695 from the path, everyone followed Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bicri.
20:14 Sheba 696 traveled through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of 697 Beth Maacah and all the Berite region. When they had assembled, 698 they too joined him. 20:15 So Joab’s men 699 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 700 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 701 in Israel. Why should you swallow up the Lord’s inheritance?”
20:20 Joab answered, “Get serious! 702 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 703 against King David. Give me just this one man, and I will leave the city.” The woman said to Joab, “This very minute 704 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 705 blew the trumpet, and his men 706 dispersed from the city, each going to his own home. 707 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 708 was supervisor of the work crews. 709 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. 710
[2:1] 1 tn Heb “he said.” The referent (the
[2:3] 2 tc The expression “the cities of Hebron” is odd; we would expect the noun to be in the singular, if used at all. Although the Syriac Peshitta has the expected reading “in Hebron,” the MT is clearly the more difficult reading and should probably be retained here.
[2:4] 4 tn Heb “and they told David.” The subject appears to be indefinite, allowing one to translate the verb as passive with David as subject.
[2:6] 7 tn Or “loyalty and devotion.”
[2:6] 8 tn Heb “will do with you this good.”
[2:7] 9 tn Heb “let your hands be strong.”
[2:8] 10 sn The name Ish-bosheth means in Hebrew “man of shame.” It presupposes an earlier form such as Ish-baal (“man of the Lord”), with the word “baal” being used of Israel’s God. But because the Canaanite storm god was named “Baal,” that part of the name was later replaced with the word “shame.”
[2:9] 11 tc The MT here reads “the Ashurite,” but this is problematic if it is taken to mean “the Assyrian.” Ish-bosheth’s kingdom obviously was not of such proportions as to extend to Assyria. The Syriac Peshitta renders the word as “the Geshurite,” while the Targum has “of the house of Ashur.” We should probably emend the Hebrew text to read “the Geshurite.” The Geshurites lived in the northeastern part of the land of Palestine.
[2:11] 13 tn Heb “And the number of the days in which David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.”
[2:14] 14 tn Heb “play.” What is in view here is a gladiatorial contest in which representative groups of soldiers engage in mortal combat before the watching armies. Cf. NAB “perform for us”; NASB “hold (have NRSV) a contest before us”; NLT “put on an exhibition of hand-to-hand combat.”
[2:14] 15 tn Heb “let them arise.”
[2:16] 16 tn Heb “and they grabbed each one the head of his neighbor with his sword in the side of his neighbor and they fell together.”
[2:16] 17 tn The meaning of the name “Helkath Hazzurim” (so NIV; KJV, NASB, NRSV similar) is not clear. BHK relates the name to the Hebrew term for “side,” and this is reflected in NAB “the Field of the Sides”; the Greek OT revocalizes the Hebrew to mean something like “Field of Adversaries.” Cf. also TEV, NLT “Field of Swords”; CEV “Field of Daggers.”
[2:17] 18 tn Heb “servants.” So also elsewhere.
[2:21] 19 tn Heb “young men.” So also elsewhere.
[2:22] 20 tn Heb “Why should I strike you to the ground?”
[2:23] 22 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Asahel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[2:23] 23 tn Heb “the.” The article functions here as a possessive pronoun.
[2:23] 24 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Asahel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[2:23] 25 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abner) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[2:23] 26 tn Heb “and they stand.”
[2:25] 27 tn Heb “were gathered together.”
[2:27] 28 tn The Hebrew verb נַעֲלָה (na’alah) used here is the Niphal perfect 3rd person masculine singular of עָלָה (’alah, “to go up”). In the Niphal this verb “is used idiomatically, of getting away from so as to abandon…especially of an army raising a siege…” (see S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 244).
[2:28] 30 tn Heb “they no longer chased after Israel and they no longer fought.”
[2:29] 31 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
[2:29] 32 tn Heb “and they went, all the Bitron.” The meaning of the Hebrew word “Bitron,” which is used only here in the OT, is disputed. The translation above follows BDB 144 s.v. בִּתְרוֹן in taking the word to be a proper name of an area east of the Jordan. A different understanding was advocated by W. R. Arnold, who took the word to refer to the forenoon or morning; a number of modern scholars and translations have adopted this view (cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV, CEV, NLT). See W. R. Arnold, “The Meaning of בתרון,” AJSL 28 (1911-1912): 274-83. In this case one could translate “and they traveled all morning long.”
[2:32] 33 map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
[3:3] 34 tn The Hebrew text does not have the word “son.” So also in vv. 3-5.
[3:5] 36 tn The Hebrew text does not have “sons.”
[3:6] 37 tn Heb “was strengthening himself.” The statement may have a negative sense here, perhaps suggesting that Abner was overstepping the bounds of political propriety in a self-serving way.
[3:7] 38 tc The Hebrew of the MT reads simply “and he said,” with no expressed subject for the verb. It is not likely that the text originally had no expressed subject for this verb, since the antecedent is not immediately clear from the context. We should probably restore to the Hebrew text the name “Ish-bosheth.” See a few medieval Hebrew
[3:7] 39 tn Heb “come to”; KJV, NRSV “gone in to”; NAB “been intimate with”; NIV “sleep with.”
[3:7] 40 sn This accusation against Abner is a very serious one, since an act of sexual infringement on the king’s harem would probably have been understood as a blatant declaration of aspirations to kingship. As such it was not merely a matter of ethical impropriety but an act of grave political significance as well.
[3:8] 43 tn Heb “and you have laid upon me the guilt of the woman today.”
[3:9] 44 tn Heb “So will God do to Abner and so he will add to him.”
[3:9] 45 tc Heb “has sworn to David.” The LXX, with the exception of the recension of Origen, adds “in this day.”
[3:11] 46 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ish-bosheth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[3:12] 47 tn The Hebrew text adds here, “on his behalf.”
[3:12] 48 tn Heb “cut a covenant.” So also in vv. 13, 21.
[3:12] 49 tn Heb “and behold, my hand is with you.”
[3:13] 50 tn The words “when you come to see my face,” though found in the Hebrew text, are somewhat redundant given the similar expression in the earlier part of the verse. The words are absent from the Syriac Peshitta.
[3:14] 51 tn Heb “to Ish-bosheth son of Saul saying.” To avoid excessive sibilance (especially when read aloud) the translation renders “saying” as “with this demand.”
[3:14] 52 tn Heb “whom I betrothed to myself.”
[3:15] 53 tn Heb “sent and took her.”
[3:15] 54 tn In 1 Sam 25:44 this name appears as “Palti.”
[3:16] 55 tn Heb “Go, return.”
[3:17] 56 tn Heb “the word of Abner was with.”
[3:17] 57 tn Heb “you were seeking David to be king over you.”
[3:18] 58 tc The present translation follows the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate in reading “I will save,” rather than the MT “he saved.” The context calls for the 1st person common singular imperfect of the verb rather than the 3rd person masculine singular perfect.
[3:18] 59 tn Heb “from the hand of.”
[3:19] 60 tn Heb “into the ears of.”
[3:19] 61 tn Heb “also Abner went to speak into the ears of David in Hebron.”
[3:19] 62 tn Heb “all which was good in the eyes of Israel and in the eyes of all the house of Benjamin.”
[3:21] 63 tn After the cohortatives, the prefixed verbal form with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
[3:22] 64 tn Heb “And look, the servants of David.”
[3:22] 65 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[3:24] 66 tn Heb “Look, Abner.”
[3:24] 67 tc The LXX adds “in peace.”
[3:25] 68 tn Heb “your going out and your coming in.” The expression is a merism. It specifically mentions the polar extremities of the actions but includes all activity in between the extremities as well, thus encompassing the entirety of one’s activities.
[3:27] 69 tn Heb “and he struck him down there [in] the stomach.”
[3:27] 70 tn Heb “and he [i.e., Abner] died on account of the blood of Asahel his [i.e., Joab’s] brother.”
[3:29] 71 tn Heb “and may they whirl over.” In the Hebrew text the subject of the plural verb is unexpressed. The most likely subject is Abner’s “shed blood” (v. 28), which is a masculine plural form in Hebrew. The verb חוּל (khul, “whirl”) is used with the preposition עַל (’al) only here and in Jer 23:19; 30:23.
[3:29] 72 tc 4QSama has “of Joab” rather than “of his father” read by the MT.
[3:29] 73 tn Heb “the house of Joab.” However, it is necessary to specify that David’s curse is aimed at Joab’s male descendants; otherwise it would not be clear that “one who works at the spindle” refers to a man doing woman’s work rather than a woman.
[3:29] 74 tn Heb “and may there not be cut off from the house of Joab.”
[3:29] 75 tn The expression used here is difficult. The translation “one who works at the spindle” follows a suggestion of S. R. Driver that the expression pejoratively describes an effeminate man who, rather than being a mighty warrior, is occupied with tasks that are normally fulfilled by women (S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 250-51; cf. NAB “one unmanly”; TEV “fit only to do a woman’s work”; CEV “cowards”). But P. K. McCarter, following an alleged Phoenician usage of the noun to refer to “crutches,” adopts a different view. He translates the phrase “clings to a crutch,” seeing here a further description of physical lameness (II Samuel [AB], 118). Such an idea fits the present context well and is followed by NIV, NCV, and NLT, although the evidence for this meaning is questionable. According to DNWSI 2:915-16, the noun consistently refers to a spindle in Phoenician, as it does in Ugaritic (see UT 468).
[3:31] 76 tn Heb “was walking.”
[3:32] 77 tn Heb “lifted up his voice and wept.” The expression is a verbal hendiadys.
[3:34] 78 tc The translation follows many medieval Hebrew manuscripts and several ancient versions in reading “your hands,” rather than “your hand.”
[3:34] 79 tc 4QSama lacks the words “all the people.”
[3:35] 80 tn Heb “Thus God will do to me and thus he will add.”
[3:36] 81 tn Heb “it was good in their eyes.”
[3:37] 82 tn Heb “from the king.”
[3:38] 83 tn Heb “a leader and a great one.” The expression is a hendiadys.
[3:39] 84 tn Heb “are hard from me.”
[3:39] 85 tn Heb “May the
[4:1] 86 tn The MT does not specify the subject of the verb here, but the reference is to Ish-bosheth, so the name has been supplied in the translation for clarity. 4QSama and the LXX mistakenly read “Mephibosheth.”
[4:1] 87 tn Heb “his hands went slack.”
[4:2] 88 tc The present translation, “Saul’s son had two men,” is based on the reading “to the son of Saul,” rather than the MT’s “the son of Saul.” The context requires the preposition to indicate the family relationship.
[4:3] 89 tn Heb “until this day.”
[4:4] 90 tn Heb “and was lame.”
[4:6] 91 tc For the MT’s וְהֵנָּה (vÿhennah, “and they,” feminine) read וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, “and behold”). See the LXX, Syriac Peshitta, and Targum.
[4:6] 92 tn Heb “and they struck him down.”
[4:7] 93 tn After the concluding disjunctive clause at the end of v. 6, the author now begins a more detailed account of the murder and its aftermath.
[4:7] 94 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ish-bosheth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[4:7] 95 tn Heb “they struck him down and killed him.” The expression is a verbal hendiadys.
[4:7] 96 tn Heb “and they removed his head.” The Syriac Peshitta and Vulgate lack these words.
[4:7] 97 tc The Lucianic Greek recension lacks the words “his head.”
[4:10] 99 tn Heb “and he was like a bearer of good news in his eyes.”
[4:11] 100 tn Heb “on his bed.”
[4:11] 101 tn See HALOT 146 s.v. II בער. Some derive the verb from a homonym meaning “to burn; to consume.”
[4:12] 102 tn The antecedent of the pronoun “them” (which is not present in the Hebrew text, but implied) is not entirely clear. Presumably it is the corpses that were hung and not merely the detached hands and feet; cf. NIV “hung the (their NRSV, NLT) bodies”; the alternative is represented by TEV “cut off their hands and feet, which they hung up.”
[4:12] 103 tc 4QSama mistakenly reads “Mephibosheth” here.
[4:12] 104 tc The LXX adds “the son of Ner” by conformity with common phraseology elsewhere.
[4:12] 105 tc Some
[5:1] 106 tn Heb “look we are your bone and your flesh.”
[5:2] 107 tn Heb “you were the one leading out and the one leading in Israel.”
[5:3] 109 tn Heb “and the king, David, cut for them a covenant.”
[5:5] 111 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[5:6] 112 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[5:6] 113 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] 114 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] 115 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] sn If a water tunnel is in view here, it is probably the so-called Warren’s Shaft that extends up from Hezekiah’s tunnel. It would have provided a means for surprise attack against the occupants of the city of David. The LXX seems not to understand the reference here, translating “by the water shaft” as “with a small knife.”
[5:8] 116 tn Heb “the house.” TEV takes this as a reference to the temple (“the Lord’s house”).
[5:10] 117 tc 4QSama and the LXX lack the word “God,” probably due to harmonization with the more common biblical phrase “the
[5:10] 118 tn Traditionally, “the
[5:10] 119 tn The translation assumes that the disjunctive clause is circumstantial-causal, giving the reason for David’s success.
[5:11] 120 map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[5:17] 123 tn Heb “all the Philistines.”
[5:19] 124 tn The infinitive absolute lends emphasis to the following verb.
[5:20] 125 tn The name means “Lord of the outbursts.”
[5:21] 126 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Philistines) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:21] 127 tc For “idols” the LXX and Vulgate have “gods.”
[5:23] 128 tn The words “what to do” are not in the Hebrew text.
[5:23] 129 tn The words “this time” are not in the Hebrew text.
[5:23] 130 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
[5:23] 131 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] 132 tn Heb “camp” (so NAB).
[5:25] 133 tn Heb “from Gibeon until you enter Gezer.”
[6:1] 134 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] 136 tn Heb “arose and went.”
[6:2] 137 tn Heb “from,” but the following context indicates they traveled to this location.
[6:2] 138 tn This is another name for Kiriath-jearim (see 1 Chr 13:6).
[6:2] 139 tc The MT has here a double reference to the name (שֵׁם שֵׁם, shem shem). Many medieval Hebrew
[6:5] 141 tn Heb “all the house of Israel.”
[6:5] 142 tc Heb “were celebrating before the
[6:5] 143 tn Heb “with zithers [?] and with harps.”
[6:5] 144 tn That is, “sistrums” (so NAB, NIV); ASV, NASB, NRSV, CEV, NLT “castanets.”
[6:6] 145 tn 1 Chr 13:9 has “Kidon.”
[6:6] 147 tn Heb “and Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and grabbed it.”
[6:7] 148 tn Heb “and the anger of the
[6:7] 150 tc Heb “there.” Since this same term occurs later in the verse it is translated “on the spot” here for stylistic reasons.
[6:7] 151 tc The phrase “his negligence” is absent from the LXX.
[6:8] 152 tn Heb “because the
[6:8] 153 sn The name Perez Uzzah means in Hebrew “the outburst [against] Uzzah.”
[6:11] 154 tn Heb “house,” both here and in v. 12.
[6:12] 155 tn Heb “and it was told to David, saying.”
[6:13] 156 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[6:14] 157 tn Heb “and David was dancing with all his strength before the
[6:15] 158 tc Heb “all the house of Israel.” A few medieval Hebrew
[6:15] 159 tn Heb “the shophar” (the ram’s horn trumpet).
[6:16] 160 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] 161 tc The Syriac Peshitta lacks “in its place.”
[6:19] 162 tn Heb “to all the people, to all the throng of Israel.”
[6:19] 163 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] 164 tn Heb “and all the people went, each to his house.”
[6:20] 165 tn Heb “and David returned to bless his house.”
[6:20] 166 tn Heb “David.” The name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[6:20] 168 tn Heb “one of the foolish ones.”
[6:21] 169 tn Heb “all his house”; CEV “anyone else in your family.”
[6:22] 170 tn Heb “and I will shame myself still more than this and I will be lowly in my eyes.”
[7:1] 171 tn Heb “house” (also in the following verse).
[7:1] 173 tn The translation understands the disjunctive clause in v. 1b as circumstantial-causal.
[7:3] 174 tc Several medieval Hebrew
[7:3] 175 tn Heb “all that is in your heart.”
[7:4] 176 tn Heb “the word of the
[7:6] 177 tn Heb “in a tent and in a dwelling.” The expression is a hendiadys, using two terms to express one idea.
[7:7] 178 tn Heb “Did I speak a word?” In the Hebrew text the statement is phrased as a rhetorical question.
[7:7] 179 tn Heb “tribes” (so KJV, NASB, NCV), but the parallel passage in 1 Chr 17:6 has “judges.”
[7:7] 180 tn Heb “whom I commanded to shepherd” (so NIV, NRSV).
[7:8] 181 tn Heb “and from after the sheep.”
[7:9] 183 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] 186 tn Heb “the sons of violence.”
[7:11] 188 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] 190 tn Heb “house,” but used here in a metaphorical sense, referring to a royal dynasty. Here the
[7:12] 191 tn Heb, “when your days are full and you lie down with your ancestors.”
[7:12] 192 tn Heb “your seed after you who comes out from your insides.”
[7:13] 193 tn Heb “and I will establish the throne of his kingdom permanently.”
[7:16] 194 tc Heb “before you.” A few medieval Hebrew
[7:17] 196 tn Heb “according to all these words and according to all this revelation, so Nathan said to David.”
[7:19] 198 tn Heb “and this was small in your eyes, O
[7:19] 199 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] 200 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] 201 tn Heb “for the sake of your word and according to your heart.”
[7:21] 202 tn Heb “to make known, your servant.”
[7:22] 203 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] 204 tn Heb “a nation, one.”
[7:23] 205 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] 206 tn The verb is plural in Hebrew, agreeing grammatically with the divine name, which is a plural of degree.
[7:23] 208 tn Heb “and to do for you [plural form] the great [thing] and awesome [things] for your land.”
[7:23] 209 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] 210 tn Heb “and you established for yourself your people Israel for yourself for a people permanently.”
[7:25] 211 tn Heb “and now, O
[7:25] 212 tn Heb “as you have spoken.”
[7:26] 213 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] 214 tn Heb “saying.” The words “as people” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic reasons.
[7:26] 215 tn Heb “the house.” See the note on “dynastic house” in the following verse.
[7:27] 216 tn Heb “have uncovered the ear of.”
[7:27] 217 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] 218 tn Heb “has found his heart.”
[7:28] 219 tn Heb “the God.” The article indicates uniqueness here.
[7:28] 220 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] 221 tn Heb “and you have spoken to your servant this good thing.”
[7:29] 222 tn Heb “house” (again later in this verse). See the note on “dynastic house” in v. 27.
[7:29] 223 tn Or “permanently”; cf. NLT “it is an eternal blessing.”
[8:1] 224 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] 225 tn Heb “from the hand [i.e., control] of the Philistines.”
[8:2] 226 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] 227 tn Heb “and the Moabites were servants of David, carriers of tribute.”
[8:3] 228 tc The LXX has ἐπιστῆσαι (episthsai, “cause to stand”). See the parallel text in 1 Chr 18:3.
[8:3] 230 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] 231 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] 232 tn Heb “and David cut the hamstrings of all the chariot horses, and he left from them a hundred chariot horses.”
[8:6] 234 tn Or “wherever he went.”
[8:7] 235 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.
[8:7] map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[8:8] 236 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] 237 tn The name is spelled “Tou” in the parallel text in 1 Chr 18:9. NIV adopts the spelling “Tou” here.
[8:10] 238 tn Heb “Toi.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[8:10] 239 tn The name appears as “Hadoram” in the parallel text in 1 Chr 18:10.
[8:10] 240 tn Heb “to ask concerning him for peace.”
[8:10] 241 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] 242 tn Heb “and in his hand were items of silver and items of gold and items of bronze.”
[8:11] 243 tn Heb “also them King David made holy to the
[8:11] 244 tn Heb “with the silver and the gold that he had dedicated from.”
[8:12] 246 tc The present translation follows the MT; a few Hebrew
[8:12] 247 tn Heb “and from the plunder of.”
[8:13] 248 tn Heb “made a name.”
[8:13] 249 tn So NASB, NCV; NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “Edomites” (see the note on “Aram” in v. 12).
[8:13] 250 tn The words “he defeated” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[8:14] 251 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] 252 tn Heb “and David was doing what is just and fair for all his people.”
[8:17] 254 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] 255 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] 256 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] 257 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] 259 tn Heb “your servant.”
[9:5] 261 tn Heb “sent and took him.”
[9:6] 263 tn Heb “he fell on his face and bowed down.”
[9:6] 264 tn Heb “Look, your servant.”
[9:7] 265 tn Heb “and you will eat food over my table continually.”
[9:8] 266 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Mephibosheth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:8] 267 tn Heb “What is your servant, that you turn to a dead dog which is like me?”
[9:10] 269 tn The Hebrew text implies, but does not actually contain, the words “its produce” here.
[9:10] 270 tc The words “it will be,” though present in the MT, are absent from the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate.
[9:10] 271 tn Heb “and he will eat it.”
[9:11] 273 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] 274 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[10:1] 275 tn Heb “reigned in his place.”
[10:2] 276 tn Heb “do loyalty.”
[10:2] 277 tn Heb “did loyalty.”
[10:2] 278 tn Heb “and David sent to console him by the hand of his servants concerning his father.”
[10:3] 279 tn Heb “Is David honoring your father in your eyes when he sends to you ones consoling?”
[10:3] 280 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] 281 tn Heb “and he cut their robes in the middle unto their buttocks.”
[10:5] 282 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the messengers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:5] 283 tn The words “what had happened” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[10:5] 284 map For location see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.
[10:6] 285 tn Heb “that they were a stench [i.e., disgusting] with David.”
[10:6] 286 tn Heb “the Ammonites.”
[10:6] 287 tn Or “Arameans of Beth Rehob and Arameans of Zobah.”
[10:6] 288 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] 289 tn The words “the news” and “to meet them” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarification.
[10:9] 290 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] 292 tn Heb “he arranged.”
[10:11] 293 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:11] 294 tn Heb “if Aram is stronger than me.”
[10:11] 295 tn Heb “if the sons of Ammon are stronger than you.”
[10:12] 296 tn Heb “and the
[10:13] 297 tn Heb “and the army which was with him.”
[10:14] 298 tn Heb “and Joab returned from against the sons of Ammon and entered.”
[10:14] 299 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[10:15] 300 tn Heb “were gathered together.”
[10:16] 301 tn Heb “and Hadadezer sent and brought out Aram which is.”
[10:16] 302 tn Heb “from beyond the River.” The name “Euphrates” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[10:16] 303 tn Heb “was before them.”
[10:17] 304 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[10:18] 305 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] 306 tn Heb “the servants of Hadadezer.”
[10:19] 307 tn Heb “and they served them.”
[11:1] 308 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] 310 tn Heb “and his servants with him.”
[11:1] 311 tn Heb “all Israel.”
[11:1] 312 tn The disjunctive clause contrasts David’s inactivity with the army’s activity.
[11:1] map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[11:2] 313 tn Heb “on the roof of the house of the king.” So also in vv. 8, 9.
[11:2] 314 tn The disjunctive clause highlights this observation and builds the tension of the story.
[11:3] 315 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the messenger) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:4] 316 tn Heb “and David sent messengers and he took her.”
[11:4] 317 tn Heb “he lay with her” (so NASB, NRSV); TEV “he made love to her”; NIV, CEV, NLT “he slept with her.”
[11:4] 318 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] 319 tn Heb “concerning the peace of Joab and concerning the peace of the people and concerning the peace of the battle.”
[11:8] 320 tn Heb “and wash your feet.”
[11:8] 321 tn Heb “and there went out after him the gift of the king.”
[11:9] 322 tc The Lucianic recension of the Old Greek translation lacks the word “all.”
[11:11] 324 tn Heb “as you live and as your soul lives.”
[11:12] 325 tn On the chronology involved here see P. K. McCarter, II Samuel (AB), 287.
[11:16] 326 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] 327 tn Heb “some of the people from the servants of David.”
[11:18] 328 tn Heb “Joab sent and related to David all the matters of the battle.”
[11:21] 329 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] 330 tn Heb “and came out to us.”
[11:23] 331 tn Heb “but we were on them.”
[11:24] 332 tc The translation follows the Qere (“your servants”) rather than the Kethib (“your servant”).
[11:25] 333 tn Heb “let not this matter be evil in your eyes.”
[11:25] 334 tn Heb “according to this and according to this the sword devours.”
[11:25] 335 tn Heb “overthrow.”
[11:25] 336 tn The Hebrew text does not have “with these words.” They are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[11:26] 337 tn Heb “for her lord.”
[11:27] 338 tn Heb “David sent and gathered her to his house.”
[11:27] 339 tn Heb “and the thing which David had done was evil in the eyes of the
[12:1] 340 tc A few medieval Hebrew
[12:1] 341 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:1] 342 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Nathan) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:1] 343 tn The Hebrew text repeats “to him.”
[12:3] 345 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] 346 tn Heb “from his morsel.”
[12:3] 347 tn Heb “and on his chest [or perhaps, “lap”] it would lay.”
[12:4] 348 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] 349 tn Heb “and he refused to take from his flock and from his herd to prepare [a meal] for.”
[12:4] 350 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] 351 tn Heb “and prepared.”
[12:5] 352 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] 353 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
[12:6] tn Heb “the lamb he must repay fourfold because he did this thing and because he did not have compassion.”
[12:8] 355 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] 356 tc So the Qere; the Kethib has “his.”
[12:9] 357 tn Heb “to you for a wife.” This expression also occurs at the end of v. 10.
[12:11] 358 tn Heb “raise up against you disaster.”
[12:11] 359 tn Heb “house” (so NAB, NRSV); NCV, TEV, CEV “family.”
[12:11] 361 tn Heb “will lie with” (so NIV, NRSV); TEV “will have intercourse with”; CEV, NLT “will go to bed with.”
[12:11] 362 tn Heb “in the eyes of this sun.”
[12:12] 363 tn Heb “and before the sun.”
[12:14] 365 tc The MT has here “because you have caused the enemies of the
[12:15] 366 tn Heb “and the
[12:16] 367 tn Heb “sought” or “searched for.”
[12:16] 368 tn Heb “and David fasted.”
[12:16] 369 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] 370 tn Heb “to our voice.”
[12:18] 371 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] 372 tn Heb “David.” The name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.
[12:21] 373 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] 375 tn Heb “Who knows?”
[12:24] 376 tn Heb “and he lay with her.”
[12:24] 377 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] 378 tn Heb “him,” referring to the child.
[12:25] 379 sn The name Jedidiah means “loved by the
[12:26] 380 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] 381 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] 382 tn Heb “people.” So also in vv. 29, 31.
[12:30] 383 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] 384 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] 385 tn Heb “brought out.”
[12:31] 386 tn Heb “and so he would do.”
[12:31] 387 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[13:1] 388 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.
[13:1] sn Amnon was the half-brother of Tamar; Absalom was her full blood-brother.
[13:2] 389 tn Heb “and there was distress to Amnon so that he made himself sick.”
[13:4] 390 tn Heb “and he said to him.”
[13:4] 391 tn An more idiomatic translation might be “Why are you of all people…?”
[13:5] 392 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] 393 tn Heb “in his sight.”
[13:8] 394 tn Heb “the cakes.”
[13:9] 395 tn Heb “from upon me.”
[13:9] 396 tc A few medieval Hebrew
[13:11] 397 tn Heb “lie with me” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV); NCV “come and have sexual relations with me.”
[13:13] 398 tn Heb “and you will be like one of the fools.”
[13:14] 400 tn Heb “to her voice.”
[13:14] 401 tn Heb “and he humiliated her and lay with her.”
[13:15] 402 tn Heb “and Amnon hated her with very great hatred.”
[13:15] 403 tn Heb “for greater was the hatred with which he hated her than the love with which he loved her.”
[13:16] 404 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] 405 tn Heb “send this [one] from upon me to the outside.”
[13:18] 406 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] 407 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Amnon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:18] 408 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] 409 tn Heb “Don’t set your heart to this thing!”
[13:21] 410 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] 411 map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 D3; Map3 A2; Map4 C1.
[13:24] 412 tn Heb “your servant has sheepshearers.” The phrase “your servant” also occurs at the end of the verse.
[13:25] 413 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Absalom) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:25] 414 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] 415 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:25] 416 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:28] 418 tn Heb “when good is the heart of Amnon with wine.”
[13:28] 419 tn Heb “and become sons of valor.”
[13:32] 420 tn Heb “it was placed on the mouth of Absalom.”
[13:32] 421 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Amnon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:34] 422 tn Heb “behind him.”
[13:36] 423 tn Heb “and they lifted their voice and wept.”
[13:36] 424 tn Heb “with a great weeping.”
[13:37] 425 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] 426 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] 427 tn Heb “was consoled over Amnon, because he was dead.”
[14:1] 428 tn Heb “the heart of the king was upon.” The Syriac Peshitta adds the verb ’ethre’i (“was reconciled”).
[14:2] 429 tn The Hebrew Hitpael verbal form here indicates pretended rather than genuine action.
[14:2] 430 tn Heb “these many days.”
[14:3] 431 tn Heb “put the words in her mouth” (so NASB, NIV).
[14:4] 432 tc The translation follows many medieval Hebrew
[14:4] 433 tn The word “me” is left to be inferred in the Hebrew text; it is present in the Syriac Peshitta and Vulgate.
[14:5] 434 tn Heb “What to you?”
[14:6] 435 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] 436 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] 437 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] 438 tn Heb “concerning you.”
[14:11] 439 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] 440 tn Heb “let the king remember.”
[14:11] 441 tn Heb “of your son.”
[14:14] 442 tn Heb “he devises plans for the one banished from him not to be banished.”
[14:15] 443 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] 444 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] 446 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] 447 tn Heb “in order to deliver his maid.”
[14:16] 449 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] 450 tn Heb “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?”
[14:20] 451 tn Heb “to know all that is in the land.”
[14:21] 452 tc Many medieval Hebrew
[14:22] 454 tc The present translation reads with the Qere “your” rather than the MT “his.”
[14:23] 455 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[14:24] 456 tn Heb “turn aside.”
[14:24] 457 tn Heb “turned aside.”
[14:25] 458 tn Heb “Like Absalom there was not a handsome man in all Israel to boast exceedingly.”
[14:25] 459 tn Heb “there was not in him a blemish.”
[14:26] 460 tn Heb “for it was heavy upon him.”
[14:26] 461 tn Heb “two hundred shekels.” The modern equivalent would be about three pounds (1.4 kg).
[14:27] 462 tn Heb “and there were born.”
[14:27] 463 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] 464 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] 465 tn The word “Joab’s” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[14:33] 467 tn Heb “he.” Joab, acting on behalf of the king, may be the implied subject.
[14:33] 468 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Absalom) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:33] 469 tn Heb “Absalom.” For stylistic reasons the name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation.
[15:1] 470 tn Heb “acquired for himself.”
[15:1] 471 tn Heb “to run ahead of him.”
[15:2] 472 tn Heb “your servant.” So also in vv. 8, 15, 21.
[15:3] 473 tn Heb “good and straight.”
[15:4] 474 tn Heb “Who will make me?”
[15:4] 475 tn Heb “a complaint and a judgment.” The expression is a hendiadys.
[15:5] 476 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Absalom) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[15:6] 477 tn Heb “stole the heart.”
[15:7] 479 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] 480 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] 481 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[15:9] 482 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Absalom) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[15:11] 484 tn Heb “being invited and going naively and they did not know anything.”
[15:12] 485 tn Traditionally, “counselor,” but this term is more often associated with psychological counseling today, so “adviser” was used in the translation instead.
[15:12] 486 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] 487 tn Heb “the heart of the men of Israel is with Absalom.”
[15:14] 488 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[15:14] 490 tn Heb “let’s flee.”
[15:14] 492 tn Heb “and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”
[15:15] 493 tn Heb “according to all that my lord the king will choose, behold your servants!”
[15:16] 494 tn Heb “and all his house.”
[15:16] 495 tn Heb “women, concubines.”
[15:17] 496 tn Heb “and they stood.”
[15:18] 498 tn Heb “crossing over near his hand.”
[15:18] 499 tn Heb “crossing over near the face of.”
[15:19] 500 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] 502 tn Heb “brothers,” but see v. 22.
[15:20] 503 tn Heb “loyal love and truth.” The expression is a hendiadys.
[15:21] 505 tn Heb “whether for death or for life.”
[15:21] 506 tn Heb “your servant.”
[15:22] 507 tn Heb “Come and cross over.”
[15:22] 508 tn Heb “crossed over.”
[15:22] 509 tn Heb “all the little ones.”
[15:23] 510 tn Heb “with a great voice.”
[15:23] 511 tn Heb “crossing over.”
[15:23] 512 tn Heb “crossing near the face of.”
[15:24] 513 tn Heb “crossing from.”
[15:26] 514 tn Heb “as [is] good in his eyes.”
[15:27] 515 tn The Greek tradition understands the Hebrew word as an imperative (“see”). Most Greek
[15:27] 516 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] 517 tn The pronoun is plural, referring to Zadok and Abiathar.
[15:31] 518 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] 520 tn Heb “cross over.”
[15:35] 521 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] 522 tn Heb “from the house of the king.”
[15:36] 523 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] 524 tn Heb “a hundred summer fruit.”
[16:2] 525 tn Heb “What are these to you?”
[16:2] 526 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[16:2] 527 tn The Hebrew text adds “to drink.”
[16:3] 529 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[16:3] 530 tn Heb “my father’s.”
[16:5] 531 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] 532 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] 533 tn Heb “man of worthlessness.”
[16:8] 534 tn Heb “has brought back upon you.”
[16:10] 535 tn Heb “What to me and to you?”
[16:11] 536 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] 537 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] 538 tn Heb “and the
[16:13] 539 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] 540 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[16:15] 541 tn Heb “and all the people, the men of Israel.”
[16:15] 542 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[16:16] 543 tn Heb “to Absalom.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[16:18] 544 tn Heb “No for with the one whom the
[16:19] 545 tn Heb “Just as I served before your father, so I will be before you.”
[16:21] 546 tn Heb “go to”; NAB “have (+ sexual NCV) relations with”; TEV “have intercourse with”; NLT “Go and sleep with.”
[16:21] 547 tn Heb “and the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened.”
[16:22] 548 sn That is, on top of the flat roof of the palace, so it would be visible to the public.
[16:22] 549 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] 550 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] 551 tn Heb “So was all the advice of Ahithophel, also to David, also to Absalom.”
[17:2] 552 tn Heb “and I will come upon him.”
[17:2] 553 tn Heb “exhausted and slack of hands.”
[17:3] 554 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] 555 tn Heb “all of the people will be safe.”
[17:5] 557 tc In the MT the verb is singular, but in the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate it is plural.
[17:5] 558 tn Heb “what is in his mouth.”
[17:7] 559 tn Heb “Not good is the advice which Ahithophel has advised at this time.”
[17:8] 560 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] 561 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] 562 tn Heb “commanded.”
[17:16] 564 tn Heb “send quickly and tell David saying.”
[17:16] 565 tn Or “wilderness” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV, TEV).
[17:16] 566 tn That is, “cross over the Jordan River.”
[17:16] 567 tn Heb “swallowed up.”
[17:20] 568 tn Heb “they”; the referents (Absalom’s men) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
[17:20] 569 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[17:21] 570 tn Heb “they”; the referents (Ahimaaz and Jonathan) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
[17:21] 571 tn Heb “the water.”
[17:21] 572 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] 573 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] 574 tc The Greek recensions of Origen and Lucian have here “house” for “grave.”
[17:26] 576 tn Heb “and Israel.”
[17:28] 577 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] 578 tn Heb “cheese of the herd,” probably referring to cheese from cow’s milk (rather than goat’s milk).
[17:29] 579 tn Or “wilderness” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV, TEV, NLT).
[18:3] 580 tn Heb “the people said.”
[18:3] 581 tn Heb “march out.”
[18:3] 582 tn Heb “they will not place to us heart.”
[18:3] 583 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] 584 tn Heb “servants” (also in v. 9).
[18:9] 586 tn Heb “the donkey.”
[18:9] 587 tn Heb “between the sky and the ground.”
[18:10] 588 tc 4QSama lacks the word “one.”
[18:11] 589 tn Heb “Why did you not strike him down there to the ground.”
[18:11] 590 tn Heb “ten [shekels] of silver.” This would have been about 4 ounces (114 grams) of silver by weight.
[18:11] 591 tn Heb “and a girdle” (so KJV); NIV “a warrior’s belt”; CEV “a special belt”; NLT “a hero’s belt.”
[18:12] 592 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[18:12] 593 tn Heb “weighing out in my hand.”
[18:12] 594 tn Heb “a thousand [shekels] of silver.” This would have been about 25 pounds (11.4 kg) of silver by weight.
[18:12] 595 tn Heb “extend my hand against.”
[18:12] 596 tn Heb “in our ears.”
[18:12] 597 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] 598 tc The translation follows the Qere, many medieval Hebrew
[18:13] 599 tn Heb “stood aloof.”
[18:14] 600 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] 601 tn Heb “the shophar” (the ram’s horn trumpet).
[18:17] 602 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] 603 tn Heb “and.” This disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) describes an occurrence that preceded the events just narrated.
[18:18] 604 tn Heb “a pillar.”
[18:19] 605 tn Heb “that the
[18:20] 606 tn Heb “but this day you will not bear good news.”
[18:23] 607 tn The words “but he said” are not in the Hebrew text. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[18:23] 608 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:24] 609 tn Heb “the two gates.”
[18:25] 610 tn Heb “good news is in his mouth.”
[18:25] 611 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the runner) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:27] 612 tn Heb “I am seeing the running of the first one like the running of Ahimaaz.”
[18:28] 614 tn Heb “delivered over.”
[18:28] 615 tn Heb “lifted their hand against.”
[18:31] 616 tn Heb “And look, the Cushite came and the Cushite said.”
[18:31] 617 tn Heb “for the
[18:32] 618 tn Heb “and all those rising against you for evil.”
[18:33] 619 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] 620 tc One medieval Hebrew
[18:33] 621 tc The Lucianic Greek recension and Syriac Peshitta lack this repeated occurrence of “my son” due to haplography.
[19:4] 622 tn Heb “with a great voice.”
[19:6] 625 tc The translation follows the Qere, 4QSama, and many medieval Hebrew
[19:6] 626 tc The Lucianic Greek recension and Syriac Peshitta lack “today.”
[19:7] 627 tn Heb “and speak to the heart of.”
[19:8] 628 tn Heb “all the people.”
[19:8] 629 tn The Hebrew text has simply “Israel” (see 18:16-17).
[19:8] 630 tn Heb “had fled, each to his tent.”
[19:10] 632 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] 633 tn Heb “his house.”
[19:11] 634 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] 635 tn Heb “my bone and my flesh.”
[19:13] 636 tn Heb “my bone and my flesh.”
[19:13] 637 tn Heb “Thus God will do to me and thus he will add.”
[19:14] 638 tn The referent of “he” is not entirely clear: cf. NCV “David”; TEV “David’s words”; NRSV, NLT “Amasa.”
[19:15] 639 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[19:15] 640 tn The Hebrew text has simply “Judah.”
[19:15] 641 tn Heb “the king.” The pronoun (“him”) has been used in the translation to avoid redundancy.
[19:17] 643 tn Heb “rushed into.”
[19:19] 644 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] 645 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[19:20] 646 tn The Hebrew text has simply “your servant.”
[19:22] 647 tn Heb “what to me and to you.”
[19:23] 648 tn Heb “swore to him.”
[19:24] 650 tn Heb “in peace.” So also in v. 31.
[19:24] 651 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Mephibosheth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:24] 652 tn Heb “done his feet.”
[19:26] 654 tn Heb “your servant.”
[19:26] 655 tn Heb “your servant.”
[19:27] 656 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:27] 657 tn Heb “your servant.”
[19:28] 659 tn Heb “and you placed your servant among those who eat at your table.”
[19:28] 660 tn Heb “to cry out to.”
[19:30] 662 tn Heb “in peace.”
[19:31] 663 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] 665 tn Heb “your servant.”
[19:35] 666 tn Heb “your servant.”
[19:36] 667 tn Heb “Like a little your servant will cross the Jordan with the king.”
[19:37] 668 tn Heb “your servant.”
[19:39] 669 tn Heb “to his place.”
[19:40] 670 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] 672 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[19:42] 673 tn Heb “from the king.”
[19:43] 674 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] 675 tn Heb “a man of worthlessness.”
[20:1] 676 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] 677 tn Heb “the shophar” (the ram’s horn trumpet). So also v. 22.
[20:1] 678 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] 679 tn Heb “went up from after.”
[20:2] 680 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[20:2] 681 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[20:3] 683 tn Heb “and he placed them in a guarded house.”
[20:3] 684 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] 685 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] 686 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] 687 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] 688 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:10] 689 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Amasa) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:10] 690 tn Heb “and he did not repeat concerning him, and he died.”
[20:11] 691 tn Heb “takes delight in.”
[20:12] 692 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Amasa) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:12] 693 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man who spoke up in v. 11) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:12] 694 tn Heb “Amasa.” For stylistic reasons the name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation.
[20:13] 695 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Amasa) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:14] 696 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Sheba) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:14] 697 tc In keeping with the form of the name in v. 15, the translation deletes the “and” found in the MT.
[20:14] 698 tc The translation follows the Qere, many medieval Hebrew
[20:15] 699 tn Heb “they.” The following context makes it clear that this refers to Joab and his army.
[20:15] 700 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] 701 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] 702 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] 703 tn Heb “lifted his hand.”
[20:22] 705 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:22] 706 tn Heb “they”; the referent (Joab’s men) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:22] 707 tn Heb “his tents.”
[20:24] 708 tn Heb “Adoram” (so KJV, NAB, NRSV, CEV), but see 1 Kgs 4:6; 5:14.
[20:24] 709 tn Heb “was over the forced labor.”
[20:26] 710 tn Heb “priest for David.” KJV (“a chief ruler about David”) and ASV (“chief minister unto David”) regarded this office as political.
