2 Samuel 12:31

12:31 He removed ¹  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 ²  with all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all the army returned to Jerusalem. ³ 

2 Samuel 21:11

21:11 When David was told what Rizpah daughter of Aiah, Saul’s concubine, had done,

2 Samuel 22:21

22:21 The Lord repaid ⁴  me for my godly deeds; ⁵ 

he rewarded ⁶  my blameless behavior. ⁷ 

2 Samuel 22:24

22:24 I was blameless before him;

I kept myself from sinning. ⁸ 

2 Samuel 24:19

24:19 So David went up as Gad instructed him to do, according to the Lord’s instructions.

[12:31]  ¹ tn Heb “brought out.”

[12:31]  ² tn Heb “and so he would do.”

[12:31]  ³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[22:21]  ⁴ tn In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not imperfect.

[22:21]  ⁵ tn Heb “according to my righteousness.” As vv. 22-25 make clear, David refers here to his unwavering obedience to God’s commands. He explains that the Lord was pleased with him and willing to deliver him because he had been loyal to God and obedient to his commandments. Ancient Near Eastern literature contains numerous parallels. A superior (a god or king) would typically reward a subject (a king or the servant of a king, respectively) for loyalty and obedience. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 211-13.

[22:21]  ⁶ tn The unreduced Hiphil prefixed verbal form appears to be an imperfect, in which case the psalmist would be generalizing. However, both the preceding and following contexts (see especially v. 25) suggest he is narrating his experience. Despite its unreduced form, the verb is better taken as a preterite. For other examples of unreduced Hiphil preterites, see Pss 55:14a; 68:9a, 10b; 80:8a; 89:43a; 107:38b; 116:6b.

[22:21]  ⁷ tn Heb “according to the purity of my hands he repaid to me.” Hands suggest activity and behavior.

[22:24]  ⁸ tn Heb “from my sin,” that is, from making it my own in any way. Leading a “blameless” life meant that the king would be loyal to God’s covenant, purge the government and society of evil and unjust officials, and reward loyalty to the Lord (see Ps 101).