2 Samuel 15:20

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 ¹  with you. May genuine loyal love ²  protect ³  you!”

2 Samuel 20:15

20:15 So Joab’s men ⁴  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 ⁵  the wall so that it would collapse,

[15:20]  ¹ tn Heb “brothers,” but see v. 22.

[15:20]  ² tn Heb “loyal love and truth.” The expression is a hendiadys.

[15:20]  ³ tn Heb “be with.”

[20:15]  ⁴ tn Heb “they.” The following context makes it clear that this refers to Joab and his army.

[20:15]  ⁵ 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).