2 Samuel 2:29

2:29 Abner and his men went through the Arabah all that night. They crossed the Jordan River ¹  and went through the whole region of Bitron ²  and came to Mahanaim.

2 Samuel 17:11

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.

2 Samuel 20:2

20:2 So all the men of Israel deserted ³  David and followed Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stuck by their king all the way from the Jordan River ⁴  to Jerusalem. ⁵ 

2 Samuel 24:5

24:5 They crossed the Jordan and camped at Aroer, on the south side of the city, at ⁶  the wadi of Gad, near Jazer.

[2:29]  ¹ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[2:29]  ² 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.”

[20:2]  ³ tn Heb “went up from after.”

[20:2]  ⁴ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[20:2]  ⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[24:5]  ⁶ tn Heb “in the middle of.”