2 Samuel 7:1

The Lord Establishes a Covenant with David

7:1 The king settled into his palace, ¹  for the Lord gave him relief ²  from all his enemies on all sides. ³ 

2 Samuel 8:1

David Subjugates Nearby Nations

8:1 Later David defeated the Philistines and subdued them. David took Metheg Ammah ⁴  from the Philistines. ⁵ 

2 Samuel 8:13

8:13 David became famous ⁶  when he returned from defeating the Arameans ⁷  in the Valley of Salt, he defeated ⁸  18,000 in all.

2 Samuel 9:8

9:8 Then Mephibosheth ⁹  bowed and said, “Of what importance am I, your servant, that you show regard for a dead dog like me?” ¹⁰ 

2 Samuel 12:27

12:27 Joab then sent messengers to David, saying, “I have fought against Rabbah and have captured the water supply of the city. ¹¹ 

2 Samuel 13:22

13:22 But Absalom said nothing to Amnon, either bad or good, yet Absalom hated Amnon because he had humiliated his sister Tamar.

2 Samuel 15:1

Absalom Leads an Insurrection against David

15:1 Some time later Absalom managed to acquire ¹²  a chariot and horses, as well as fifty men to serve as his royal guard. ¹³ 

2 Samuel 16:9

16:9 Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head!”

2 Samuel 17:1

The Death of Ahithophel

17:1 Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me pick out twelve thousand men. Then I will go and pursue David this very night.

2 Samuel 19:27

19:27 But my servant ¹⁴  has slandered me ¹⁵  to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like an angel of God. Do whatever seems appropriate to you.

2 Samuel 22:44

22:44 You rescue me from a hostile army; ¹⁶ 

you preserve me as a leader of nations;

people over whom I had no authority are now my subjects. ¹⁷ 

2 Samuel 24:23

24:23 I, the servant of my lord ¹⁸  the king, give it all to the king!” Araunah also told the king, “May the Lord your God show you favor!”

[7:1]  ¹ tn Heb “house” (also in the following verse).

[7:1]  ² tn Or “rest.”

[7:1]  ³ tn The translation understands the disjunctive clause in v. 1b as circumstantial-causal.

[8:1]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ tn Heb “from the hand [i.e., control] of the Philistines.”

[8:13]  ⁶ tn Heb “made a name.”

[8:13]  ⁷ tn So NASB, NCV; NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “Edomites” (see the note on “Aram” in v. 12).

[8:13]  ⁸ tn The words “he defeated” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[9:8]  ⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Mephibosheth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:8]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “What is your servant, that you turn to a dead dog which is like me?”

[12:27]  ¹¹ 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.

[15:1]  ¹² tn Heb “acquired for himself.”

[15:1]  ¹³ tn Heb “to run ahead of him.”

[19:27]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:27]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “your servant.”

[22:44]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “from the strivings of my people.” In this context רִיב (riv, “striving”) probably has a militaristic sense (as in Judg 12:2; Isa 41:11), and עַם (’am, “people”) probably refers more specifically to an army (for other examples, see the verses listed in BDB 766 s.v. עַם 2.d). The suffix “my” suggests David is referring to attacks by his own countrymen, the “people” being Israel. However, the parallel text in Ps 18:43 omits the suffix.

[22:44]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “a people whom I did not know serve me.” In this context the verb “know” (יָדַע, yada’) probably refers to formal recognition by treaty. People who were once not under the psalmist’s authority now willingly submit to his rulership to avoid being conquered militarily (see vv. 45-46). The language may recall the events recorded in 2 Sam 8:9-10 and 10:19.

[24:23]  ¹⁸ tc The Hebrew text is difficult here. The translation reads עֶבֶד אֲדֹנָי (’eved ’adoni, “the servant of my lord”) rather than the MT’s אֲרַוְנָה (’Aravnah). In normal court etiquette a subject would not use his own name in this way, but would more likely refer to himself in the third person. The MT probably first sustained loss of עֶבֶד (’eved, “servant”), leading to confusion of the word for “my lord” with the name of the Jebusite referred to here.