2 Samuel 1:10

1:10 So I stood over him and put him to death, since I knew that he couldn’t live in such a condition. ¹  Then I took the crown which was on his head and the ²  bracelet which was on his arm. I have brought them here to my lord.” ³ 

2 Samuel 15:14

15:14 So David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, ⁴  “Come on! ⁵  Let’s escape! ⁶  Otherwise no one will be delivered from Absalom! Go immediately, or else he will quickly overtake us and bring ⁷  disaster on us and kill the city’s residents with the sword.” ⁸ 

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 ⁹  with you. May genuine loyal love ¹⁰  protect ¹¹  you!”

[1:10]  ¹ tn Heb “after his falling”; NAB “could not survive his wound”; CEV “was too badly wounded to live much longer.”

[1:10]  ² tc The MT lacks the definite article, but this is likely due to textual corruption. It is preferable to read the alef (א) of אֶצְעָדָה (’ets’adah) as a ה (he) giving הַצְּעָדָה (hatsÿ’adah). There is no reason to think that the soldier confiscated from Saul’s dead body only one of two or more bracelets that he was wearing (cf. NLT “one of his bracelets”).

[1:10]  ³ sn The claims that the soldier is making here seem to contradict the story of Saul’s death as presented in 1 Sam 31:3-5. In that passage it appears that Saul took his own life, not that he was slain by a passerby who happened on the scene. Some scholars account for the discrepancy by supposing that conflicting accounts have been brought together in the MT. However, it is likely that the young man is here fabricating the account in a self-serving way so as to gain favor with David, or so he supposes. He probably had come across Saul’s corpse, stolen the crown and bracelet from the body, and now hopes to curry favor with David by handing over to him these emblems of Saul’s royalty. But in so doing the Amalekite greatly miscalculated David’s response to this alleged participation in Saul’s death. The consequence of his lies will instead be his own death.

[15:14]  ⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[15:14]  ⁵ tn Heb “Arise!”

[15:14]  ⁶ tn Heb “let’s flee.”

[15:14]  ⁷ tn Heb “thrust.”

[15:14]  ⁸ tn Heb “and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”

[15:20]  ⁹ tn Heb “brothers,” but see v. 22.

[15:20]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “loyal love and truth.” The expression is a hendiadys.

[15:20]  ¹¹ tn Heb “be with.”