Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options

2 Samuel 17-21
New English Translation

The Death of Ahithophel

17 Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me pick out 12,000 men. Then I will go and pursue David this very night. 2 When I catch up with[a] him he will be exhausted and worn out.[b] I will rout him, and the entire army that is with him will flee. I will kill only the king 3 and will bring the entire army back to you. In exchange for the life of the man you are seeking, you will get back everyone.[c] The entire army will return unharmed.”[d]

4 This seemed like a good idea to Absalom and to all the leaders[e] of Israel. 5 But Absalom said, “Call for[f] Hushai the Arkite, and let’s hear what he has to say.”[g] 6 So Hushai came to Absalom. Absalom said to him, “Here is what Ahithophel has advised. Should we follow his advice? If not, what would you recommend?”

7 Hushai replied to Absalom, “Ahithophel’s advice is not sound this time.”[h] 8 Hushai went on to say, “You know your father and his men—they are soldiers and are as dangerous as a bear out in the wild that has been robbed of her cubs.[i] Your father is an experienced soldier; he will not stay overnight with the army. 9 At this very moment he is hiding out in one of the caves or in some other similar place. If it should turn out that he attacks our troops first,[j] whoever hears about it will say, ‘Absalom’s army has been slaughtered!’ 10 If that happens even the bravest soldier—one who is lion-hearted—will virtually melt away. For all Israel knows that your father is a warrior and that those who are with him are brave. 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. 12 We will come against him wherever he happens to be found. We will descend on him like the dew falls on the ground. Neither he nor any of the men who are with him will be spared alive—not one of them! 13 If he regroups in a city, all Israel will take up ropes to that city and drag it down to the valley, so that not a single pebble will be left there!”

14 Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Arkite sounds better than the advice of Ahithophel.” Now the Lord had decided[k] to frustrate the sound advice of Ahithophel, so that the Lord could bring disaster on Absalom.

15 Then Hushai reported to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, “Here is what Ahithophel has advised Absalom and the leaders[l] of Israel to do, and here is what I have advised. 16 Now send word quickly to David and warn him,[m] “Don’t spend the night at the fords[n] of the wilderness tonight. Instead, be sure you cross over,[o] or else the king and everyone who is with him may be overwhelmed.”[p]

17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying in En Rogel. A female servant would go and inform them, and they would then go and inform King David. It was not advisable for them to be seen going into the city. 18 But a young man saw them on one occasion and informed Absalom. So the two of them quickly departed and went to the house of a man in Bahurim. There was a well in his courtyard, and they got down in it. 19 His wife then took the covering and spread it over the top of the well and scattered some grain over it. No one was aware of what she had done.

20 When the servants of Absalom approached the woman at her home, they asked, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” The woman replied to them, “They crossed over the stream.” Absalom’s men[q] searched but did not find them, so they returned to Jerusalem.

21 After the men had left, Ahimaaz and Jonathan[r] climbed out of the well. Then they left and informed King David. They advised David, “Get up and cross the stream[s] quickly, for Ahithophel has devised a plan to catch you.”[t] 22 So David and all the people who were with him got up and crossed the Jordan River.[u] By dawn there was not one person left who had not crossed the Jordan.

23 When Ahithophel realized that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and returned to his house in his hometown. After setting his household in order, he hanged himself. So he died and was buried in the grave[v] of his father.

24 Meanwhile David had gone to Mahanaim, while Absalom and all the men of Israel had crossed the Jordan River. 25 Absalom had made Amasa general in command of the army in place of Joab. (Now Amasa was the son of an Israelite man named Jether, who had married[w] Abigail the daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother.) 26 The army of Israel[x] and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.

27 When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, Makir the son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim 28 brought bedding, basins, and pottery utensils. They also brought food for David and all who were with him, including wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils,[y] 29 honey, curds, flocks, and cheese.[z] For they said, “The people are no doubt hungry, tired, and thirsty there in the desert.”[aa]

The Death of Absalom

18 David assembled the army that was with him. He appointed leaders of thousands and leaders of hundreds. 2 David then sent out the army—a third under the leadership of Joab, a third under the leadership of Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under the leadership of Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the troops, “I too will indeed march out with you.”

3 But the soldiers replied,[ab] “You should not do this![ac] For if we should have to make a rapid retreat, they won’t be concerned about us.[ad] Even if half of us should die, they won’t be concerned. But you[ae] are like 10,000 of us! So it is better if you remain in the city for support.” 4 Then the king said to them, “I will do whatever seems best to you.”

So the king stayed beside the city gate, while all the army marched out by hundreds and by thousands. 5 The king gave this order to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: “For my sake deal gently with the young man Absalom.” Now the entire army was listening when the king gave all the leaders this order concerning Absalom.

6 Then the army marched out to the field to fight against Israel. The battle took place in the forest of Ephraim. 7 The army of Israel was defeated there by David’s men.[af] The slaughter there was great that day—20,000 soldiers were killed. 8 The battle there was spread out over the whole area, and the forest consumed more soldiers than the sword devoured that day.

9 Then Absalom happened to come across David’s men. Now as Absalom was riding on his[ag] mule, it[ah] went under the branches of a large oak tree. His head got caught in the oak and he was suspended in midair,[ai] while the mule he had been riding kept going.

10 When one[aj] of the men saw this, he reported it to Joab saying, “I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree.” 11 Joab replied to the man who was telling him this, “What! You saw this? Why didn’t you strike him down right on the spot?[ak] I would have given you ten pieces of silver[al] and a commemorative belt!”[am]

12 The man replied to Joab, “Even if[an] I were receiving[ao] 1,000 pieces of silver,[ap] I would not strike[aq] the king’s son! In our very presence[ar] the king gave this order to you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.’[as] 13 If I had acted at risk of my own life[at]—and nothing is hidden from the king—you would have abandoned me.”[au]

14 Joab replied, “I will not wait around like this for you!” He took three spears in his hand and thrust them into the middle of Absalom while he was still alive in the middle of the oak tree.[av] 15 Then ten soldiers who were Joab’s armor-bearers struck Absalom and finished him off.

16 Then Joab blew the trumpet[aw] and the army turned back from chasing Israel, for Joab had called for the army to halt. 17 They took Absalom, threw him into a large pit in the forest, and stacked a huge pile of stones over him. In the meantime all the Israelite soldiers fled to their homes.[ax]

18 Before this[ay] Absalom[az] had set up a monument[ba] and dedicated it to himself in the King’s Valley, reasoning, “I have no son who will carry on my name.” He named the monument after himself, and to this day it is known as Absalom’s Memorial.

David Learns of Absalom’s Death

19 Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Let me run and give the king the good news that the Lord has vindicated him before his enemies.”[bb] 20 But Joab said to him, “You will not be a bearer of good news today. You will bear good news some other day, but not today,[bc] for the king’s son is dead.”

21 Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go and tell the king what you have seen.” After bowing to Joab, the Cushite ran off. 22 Ahimaaz the son of Zadok again spoke to Joab, “Whatever happens, let me go after the Cushite.” But Joab said, “Why is it that you want to go, my son? You have no good news that will bring you a reward.” 23 But he said,[bd] “Whatever happens, I want to go!” So Joab[be] said to him, “Then go!” So Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Jordan plain, and he passed the Cushite.

24 Now David was sitting between the inner and outer gates,[bf] and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate at the wall. When he looked, he saw a man running by himself. 25 So the watchman called out and informed the king. The king said, “If he is by himself, he brings good news.”[bg] The runner[bh] came ever closer.

26 Then the watchman saw another man running. The watchman called out to the gatekeeper, “There is another man running by himself.” The king said, “This one also is bringing good news.” 27 The watchman said, “It appears to me that the first runner is Ahimaaz[bi] son of Zadok.” The king said, “He is a good man, and he comes with good news.”

28 Then Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, “Greetings!”[bj] He bowed down before the king with his face toward the ground and said, “May the Lord your God be praised because he has defeated[bk] the men who opposed[bl] my lord the king!”

29 The king replied, “How is the young man Absalom?” Ahimaaz replied, “I saw a great deal of confusion when Joab was sending the king’s servant and me, your servant, but I don’t know what it was all about.” 30 The king said, “Turn aside and take your place here.” So he turned aside and waited.

31 Then the Cushite arrived and said,[bm] “May my lord the king now receive the good news! The Lord has vindicated you today and delivered you from the hand of all who have rebelled against you!”[bn] 32 The king asked the Cushite, “How is the young man Absalom?” The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who have plotted against you[bo] be like that young man!”

33 (19:1)[bp] The king then became very upset. He went up to the upper room over the gate and wept. As he went he said, “My son, Absalom! My son, my son,[bq] Absalom! If only I could have died in your place! Absalom, my son, my son!”[br]

19 (19:2) Joab was told, “The king is weeping and mourning over Absalom.” 2 So the victory of that day was turned to mourning as far as all the people were concerned. For the people heard on that day, “The king is grieved over his son.” 3 That day the people stole away to go to the city the way people who are embarrassed steal away in fleeing from battle. 4 The king covered his face and cried out loudly,[bs] “My son, Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!”

5 So Joab visited[bt] the king at his home. He said, “Today you have embarrassed all your servants who have saved your life this day, as well as the lives of your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your concubines. 6 You seem to love your enemies and hate your friends! For you have as much as declared today that leaders and servants don’t matter to you. I realize now[bu] that if[bv] Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today,[bw] it would be all right with you. 7 So get up now and go out and give some encouragement to[bx] your servants. For I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out there, not a single man will stay here with you tonight! This disaster will be worse for you than any disaster that has overtaken you from your youth right to the present time!”

8 So the king got up and sat at the city gate. When all the people were informed that the king was sitting at the city gate, they[by] all came before him.

David Goes Back to Jerusalem

But the Israelite soldiers[bz] had all fled to their own homes.[ca] 9 All the people throughout all the tribes of Israel were arguing among themselves saying, “The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies. He rescued us from the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled from the land because of Absalom. 10 But Absalom, whom we anointed as our king,[cb] has died in battle. So now why do you hesitate to bring the king back?”[cc]

11 Then King David sent a message to Zadok and Abiathar the priests saying, “Tell the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you delay any further in bringing the king back to his palace,[cd] when everything Israel is saying has come to the king’s attention.[ce] 12 You are my brothers—my very own flesh and blood![cf] Why should you delay any further in bringing the king back?’ 13 Say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my flesh and blood?[cg] God will punish me severely,[ch] if from this time on you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!’”

14 He[ci] won over the hearts of all the men of Judah as though they were one man. Then they sent word to the king saying, “Return, you and all your servants as well.” 15 So the king returned and came to the Jordan River.[cj]

Now the people of Judah[ck] had come to Gilgal to meet the king and to help him[cl] cross the Jordan. 16 Shimei son of Gera the Benjaminite from Bahurim came down quickly with the men of Judah to meet King David. 17 There were 1,000 men from Benjamin with him, along with Ziba the servant[cm] of Saul’s household, and with him his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They hurriedly crossed[cn] the Jordan within sight of the king. 18 They crossed at the ford in order to help the king’s household cross and to do whatever he thought appropriate.

Now after he had crossed the Jordan, Shimei son of Gera threw himself down before the king. 19 He said to the king, “Don’t think badly of me, my lord, and don’t recall the sin of your servant on the day when you, my lord the king, left[co] Jerusalem! Please don’t call it to mind! 20 For I, your servant,[cp] know that I sinned, and I have come today as the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.”

21 Abishai son of Zeruiah replied, “For this should not Shimei be put to death? After all, he cursed the Lord’s anointed!” 22 But David said, “What do we have in common,[cq] you sons of Zeruiah? You are like my enemy today! Should anyone be put to death in Israel today? Don’t I know that today I am king over Israel?” 23 The king said to Shimei, “You won’t die.” The king vowed an oath[cr] concerning this.

24 Now Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson,[cs] came down to meet the king. From the day the king had left until the day he safely[ct] returned, Mephibosheth[cu] had not cared for his feet[cv] nor trimmed[cw] his mustache nor washed his clothes.

25 When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Why didn’t you go with me, Mephibosheth?” 26 He replied, “My lord the king, my servant deceived me! I[cx] said, ‘Let me get my donkey saddled so that I can ride on it and go with the king,’ for I[cy] am lame. 27 But my servant[cz] has slandered me[da] to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like an angel of God. Do whatever seems appropriate to you. 28 After all, there was no one in the entire house of my grandfather[db] who did not deserve death from my lord the king. But instead you allowed me to eat at your own table![dc] What further claim do I have to ask[dd] the king for anything?”

29 Then the king replied to him, “Why should you continue speaking like this? You and Ziba will inherit the field together.” 30 Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him have[de] the whole thing! My lord the king has returned safely[df] to his house!”

31 Now when Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim, he crossed the Jordan with the king so he could send him on his way from there.[dg] 32 But Barzillai was very old—eighty years old, in fact—and he had taken care of the king when he stayed in Mahanaim, for he was a very rich[dh] man. 33 So the king said to Barzillai, “Cross over with me, and I will take care of you while you are with me in Jerusalem.”

34 Barzillai replied to the king, “How many days do I have left to my life, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? 35 I am now eighty years old. Am I able to discern good and bad? Can I[di] taste what I eat and drink? Am I still able to hear the voices of male and female singers? Why should I[dj] continue to be a burden to my lord the king? 36 I will cross the Jordan with the king and go a short distance.[dk] Why should the king reward me in this way? 37 Let me[dl] return so that I may die in my own town near the grave of my father and my mother. But look, here is your servant Kimham. Let him cross over with my lord the king. Do for him whatever seems appropriate to you.”

38 The king replied, “Kimham will cross over with me, and I will do for him whatever I deem appropriate. And whatever you choose, I will do for you.”

39 So all the people crossed the Jordan, as did the king. After the king had kissed him and blessed him, Barzillai returned to his home.[dm] 40 When the king crossed over to Gilgal, Kimham[dn] crossed over with him. Now all the soldiers[do] of Judah along with half the soldiers of Israel had helped the king cross over.[dp]

41 Then all the men of Israel began coming to the king. They asked the king, “Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, sneak the king[dq] away and help the king and his household cross the Jordan—and not only him but all of David’s men as well?” 42 All the men of Judah replied to the men of Israel, “Because the king is our close relative! Why are you so upset about this? Have we eaten at the king’s expense?[dr] Or have we misappropriated anything for our own use?” 43 The men of Israel replied to the men of Judah, “We have ten shares in the king, and we have a greater claim on David than you do! Why do you want[ds] to curse us? Weren’t we the first to suggest bringing back our king?” But the comments of the men of Judah were more severe than those of the men of Israel.

Sheba’s Rebellion

20 Now a wicked man[dt] named Sheba son of Bikri, a Benjaminite,[du] happened to be there. He blew the trumpet[dv] and said,

“We have no share in David;
we have no inheritance in this son of Jesse!
Every man go home,[dw] O Israel!”

2 So all the men of Israel deserted[dx] David and followed Sheba son of Bikri. But the men of Judah stuck by their king all the way from the Jordan River[dy] to Jerusalem.

3 Then David went to his palace[dz] in Jerusalem. The king took the ten concubines he had left to care for the palace and placed them under confinement.[ea] Though he provided for their needs, he did not sleep with them.[eb] They remained under restriction until the day they died, living out the rest of their lives as widows.

4 Then the king said to Amasa, “Call the men of Judah together for me in three days,[ec] and you be present here with them too.” 5 So Amasa went out to call Judah together. But in doing so he took longer than the time that the king had allotted him.

6 Then David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba son of Bikri will cause greater disaster for us than Absalom did! Take your lord’s servants and pursue him. Otherwise he will secure[ed] fortified cities for himself and get away from us.” 7 So Joab’s men, accompanied by the Kerethites, the Pelethites, and all the warriors, left Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bikri.

8 When they were near the big rock that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to them. Now Joab was dressed in military attire and had a dagger in its sheath belted to his waist. When he advanced, it fell out.[ee]

9 Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my brother?” With his right hand Joab took hold of Amasa’s beard as if to greet him with a kiss. 10 Amasa did not protect himself from the knife in Joab’s other hand, and Joab[ef] stabbed him in the abdomen, causing Amasa’s[eg] intestines to spill out on the ground. There was no need to stab him again; the first blow was fatal.[eh] Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bikri.

11 One of Joab’s soldiers who stood over Amasa said, “Whoever is for[ei] Joab and whoever is for David, follow Joab!” 12 Amasa was squirming in his own blood in the middle of the path, and this man had noticed that all the soldiers stopped. Having noticed that everyone who came across Amasa[ej] stopped, the man[ek] pulled him[el] away from the path and into the field and threw a garment over him. 13 Once he had removed Amasa[em] from the path, everyone followed Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bikri.

14 Sheba[en] traveled through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of[eo] Beth Maacah and all the Berite region. When they had assembled,[ep] they too joined him. 15 So Joab’s men[eq] came and laid siege against him in Abel of Beth Maacah. They prepared a siege ramp outside the city that stood against its outer rampart. As all of Joab’s soldiers were trying to break through[er] the wall so that it would collapse, 16 a wise woman called out from the city, “Listen up! Listen up! Tell Joab, ‘Come near so that I may speak to you.’”

17 When he approached her, the woman asked, “Are you Joab?” He replied, “I am.” She said to him, “Listen to the words of your servant.” He said, “Go ahead. I’m listening.” 18 She said, “In the past they would always say, ‘Let them inquire in Abel,’ and that is how they settled things. 19 I represent the peaceful and the faithful in Israel. You are attempting to destroy an important city[es] in Israel. Why should you swallow up the Lord’s inheritance?”

20 Joab answered, “Not at all![et] I don’t intend to swallow up or destroy anything! 21 That’s not the way things are. There is a man from the hill country of Ephraim named Sheba son of Bikri. He has rebelled[eu] against King David. Give me just this one man, and I will leave the city.” The woman said to Joab, “This very minute[ev] his head will be thrown over the wall to you!”

22 Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice and they cut off Sheba’s head[ew] and threw it out to Joab. Joab[ex] blew the trumpet, and his men[ey] dispersed from the city, each going to his own home.[ez] Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem.

23 Now Joab was the general in command of all the army of Israel. Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and the Perethites. 24 Adoniram[fa] was supervisor of the work crews.[fb] Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the secretary. 25 Sheva was the scribe, and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests. 26 Ira the Jairite was David’s personal priest.[fc]

The Gibeonites Demand Revenge

21 During David’s reign there was a famine for three consecutive years. So David inquired of the Lord.[fd] The Lord said, “It is because of Saul and his bloodstained family,[fe] because he murdered the Gibeonites.”

2 So the king summoned the Gibeonites and spoke with them. (Now the Gibeonites were not descendants of Israel; they were a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had made a promise to[ff] them, but Saul tried to kill them because of his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah.) 3 David said to the Gibeonites, “What can I do for you, and how can I make amends so that you will bless[fg] the Lord’s inheritance?”

4 The Gibeonites said to him, “We[fh] have no claim to silver or gold from Saul or from his family,[fi] nor would we be justified in putting to death anyone in Israel.” David asked,[fj] “What then are you asking me to do for you?” 5 They replied to the king, “As for this man who exterminated us and who schemed against us so that we were destroyed and left without status throughout all the borders of Israel— 6 let seven of his male descendants be turned over to us, and we will execute[fk] them before the Lord in Gibeah of Saul, who was the Lord’s chosen one.”[fl] The king replied, “I will turn them over.”

7 The king had mercy on Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, in light of the Lord’s oath that had been taken between David and Jonathan son of Saul. 8 So the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Aiah’s daughter Rizpah whom she had born to Saul, and the five sons of Saul’s daughter Merab[fm] whom she had born to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite. 9 He turned them over to the Gibeonites, and they executed them on a hill before the Lord. The seven of them[fn] died[fo] together; they were put to death during harvest time—during the first days of the beginning[fp] of the barley harvest.

10 Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest until the rain fell on them,[fq] she did not allow the birds of the air to feed[fr] on them by day, nor the wild animals[fs] by night. 11 When David was told what Rizpah daughter of Aiah, Saul’s concubine, had done, 12 he[ft] went and took the bones of Saul and of his son Jonathan[fu] from the leaders[fv] of Jabesh Gilead. (They had secretly taken[fw] them from the plaza at Beth Shan. It was there that Philistines[fx] publicly exposed their corpses[fy] after[fz] they[ga] had killed Saul at Gilboa.) 13 David[gb] brought the bones of Saul and of Jonathan his son from there; they also gathered up the bones of those who had been executed.

14 They buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin at Zela in the grave of his father Kish. After they had done everything[gc] that the king had commanded, God responded to their prayers[gd] for the land.

Israel Engages in Various Battles with the Philistines

15 Another battle was fought between the Philistines and Israel. So David went down with his soldiers[ge] and fought the Philistines. David became exhausted. 16 Now Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha,[gf] had a spear[gg] that weighed 300 bronze shekels,[gh] and he was armed with a new weapon.[gi] He had said that he would kill David. 17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to David’s aid, striking the Philistine down and killing him. Then David’s men took an oath saying, “You will not go out to battle with us again! You must not extinguish the lamp of Israel!”

18 Later there was another battle with the Philistines, this time in Gob. On that occasion Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Saph, who was one of the descendants of Rapha. 19 Yet another battle occurred with the Philistines in Gob. On that occasion Elhanan the son of Jair[gj] the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite,[gk] the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. 20 Yet another battle occurred in Gath. On that occasion there was a large man[gl] who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all! He too was a descendant of Rapha. 21 When he taunted Israel, Jonathan, the son of David’s brother Shimeah, killed him. 22 These four were the descendants of Rapha who lived in Gath; they were killed[gm] by David and his soldiers.[gn]

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 17:2 tn Heb “and I will come upon him.”
  2. 2 Samuel 17:2 tn Heb “exhausted and slack of hands.”
  3. 2 Samuel 17:3 tc Heb “like the returning of all, the man whom you are seeking.” The LXX reads differently: “And I will return all the people to you the way a bride returns to her husband, except for the life of the one man whom you are seeking.” The other early versions also struggled with this verse. Modern translations are divided as well: the NAB, NRSV, REB, and NLT follow the LXX, while the NASB and NIV follow the Hebrew text.
  4. 2 Samuel 17:3 tn Heb “all of the people will be safe.”
  5. 2 Samuel 17:4 tn Heb “elders.”
  6. 2 Samuel 17:5 tc In the MT the verb is singular, but in the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate it is plural.
  7. 2 Samuel 17:5 tn Heb “what is in his mouth.”
  8. 2 Samuel 17:7 tn Heb “Not good is the advice which Ahithophel has advised at this time.”
  9. 2 Samuel 17:8 tc The LXX (with the exception of the recensions of Origen and Lucian) repeats the description as follows: “Just as a female bear bereft of cubs in a field.”
  10. 2 Samuel 17:9 tn Heb “that he falls on them [i.e., Absalom’s troops] at the first [encounter]; or “that some of them [i.e., Absalom’s troops] fall at the first [encounter].”
  11. 2 Samuel 17:14 tn Heb “commanded.”
  12. 2 Samuel 17:15 tn Heb “elders.”
  13. 2 Samuel 17:16 tn Heb “send quickly and tell David saying.”
  14. 2 Samuel 17:16 tc The MT reads “the rift valleys (עֲרָבוֹת, ʿaravot) of the wilderness.” The plural form typically refers to the gently sloping plains at the basin of the rift valley just north of the Dead Sea (while the larger rift valley extends from Galilee to the Gulf of Aqaba). Many translations render as the “fords” (NASB, ESV, NIV, NRSV) assuming the reversal of two letters as עֲבָרוֹת (ʿavarot, “fords, crossing”).
  15. 2 Samuel 17:16 tn That is, “cross over the Jordan River.”
  16. 2 Samuel 17:16 tn Heb “swallowed up.”
  17. 2 Samuel 17:20 tn Heb “they”; the referents (Absalom’s men) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
  18. 2 Samuel 17:21 tn Heb “they”; the referents (Ahimaaz and Jonathan) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
  19. 2 Samuel 17:21 tn Heb “the water.”
  20. 2 Samuel 17:21 tn Heb “for thus Ahithophel has devised against you.” The expression “thus” is narrative shorthand, referring to the plan outlined by Ahithophel (see vv. 1-3). The men would surely have outlined the plan in as much detail as they had been given by the messenger.
  21. 2 Samuel 17:22 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text here or in v. 24, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  22. 2 Samuel 17:23 tc The Greek recensions of Origen and Lucian have here “house” for “grave.”
  23. 2 Samuel 17:25 tn Heb “come to.”
  24. 2 Samuel 17:26 tn Heb “and Israel.”
  25. 2 Samuel 17:28 tc The MT adds “roasted grain” וְקָלִי (veqali) at the end of v. 28, apparently accidentally repeating the word from its earlier occurrence in this verse. With the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and an Old Latin ms the translation deletes this second occurrence of the word.
  26. 2 Samuel 17:29 tn Heb “cheese of the herd,” probably referring to cheese from cow’s milk (rather than goat’s milk).
  27. 2 Samuel 17:29 tn Or “wilderness” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV, TEV, NLT).
  28. 2 Samuel 18:3 tn Heb “the people said.”
  29. 2 Samuel 18:3 tn Heb “march out.”
  30. 2 Samuel 18:3 tn Heb “they will not place to us heart.”
  31. 2 Samuel 18:3 tc The translation follows the LXX (except for the Lucianic recension), Symmachus, and Vulgate in reading אָתָּה (ʾattah, “you”) rather than MT עָתָּה (ʿattah, “now”).
  32. 2 Samuel 18:7 tn Heb “servants” (also in v. 9).
  33. 2 Samuel 18:9 tn Heb “the.”
  34. 2 Samuel 18:9 tn Heb “the donkey.”
  35. 2 Samuel 18:9 tn Heb “between the sky and the ground.”
  36. 2 Samuel 18:10 tc 4QSama lacks the word “one.”
  37. 2 Samuel 18:11 tn Heb “Why did you not strike him down there to the ground.”
  38. 2 Samuel 18:11 tn Heb “ten [shekels] of silver.” This would have been about 4 ounces (114 grams) of silver by weight.
  39. 2 Samuel 18:11 tn Heb “and a girdle” (so KJV); NIV “a warrior’s belt”; CEV “a special belt”; NLT “a hero’s belt.”
  40. 2 Samuel 18:12 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading וְלוּ (velu, “and if”) rather than MT וְלֹא (velo’, “and not”).
  41. 2 Samuel 18:12 tn Heb “weighing out in my hand.”
  42. 2 Samuel 18:12 tn Heb “a thousand [shekels] of silver.” This would have been about 25 pounds (11.4 kg) of silver by weight.
  43. 2 Samuel 18:12 tn Heb “extend my hand against.”
  44. 2 Samuel 18:12 tn Heb “in our ears.”
  45. 2 Samuel 18:12 tc The Hebrew text is very difficult here. The MT reads מִי (mi, “who”), apparently yielding the following sense: “Show care, whoever you might be, for the youth Absalom.” The Syriac Peshitta reads li (“for me”), the Hebrew counterpart of which may also lie behind the LXX rendering μοι (moi, “for me”). This reading seems preferable here, since it restores sense to the passage and most easily explains the rise of the variant.
  46. 2 Samuel 18:13 tc The translation follows the Qere, many medieval Hebrew mss, and a number of the ancient versions in reading בְנַפְשִׁי (venafshi, “against my life”) rather than the MT בְנַפְשׁוֹ (venafsho, “against his life”).
  47. 2 Samuel 18:13 tn Heb “stood aloof.”
  48. 2 Samuel 18:14 tn There is a play on the word “heart” here that is difficult to reproduce in English. Literally the Hebrew text says “he took three spears in his hand and thrust them into the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the heart of the oak tree.” This figure of speech involves the use of the same word in different senses and is known as antanaclasis. It is illustrated in the familiar saying from the time of the American Revolution: “If we don’t hang together, we will all hang separately.” The present translation understands “heart” to be used somewhat figuratively for “chest” (cf. TEV, CEV), which explains why Joab’s armor-bearers could still “kill” Absalom after he had been stabbed with three spears through the “heart.” Since trees do not have “chests” either, the translation uses “middle.”
  49. 2 Samuel 18:16 tn Heb “the shofar” (the ram’s horn trumpet).
  50. 2 Samuel 18:17 tn Heb “and all Israel fled, each to his tent.” In this context this refers to the supporters of Absalom (see vv. 6-7, 16).
  51. 2 Samuel 18:18 tn Heb “and in his life.”
  52. 2 Samuel 18:18 tn This disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) describes an occurrence that preceded the events just narrated.
  53. 2 Samuel 18:18 tn Heb “a pillar.”
  54. 2 Samuel 18:19 tn Heb “that the Lord has vindicated him from the hand of his enemies.”
  55. 2 Samuel 18:20 tn Heb “but this day you will not bear good news.”
  56. 2 Samuel 18:23 tn The words “but he said” are not in the Hebrew text. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
  57. 2 Samuel 18:23 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  58. 2 Samuel 18:24 tn Heb “the two gates.”
  59. 2 Samuel 18:25 tn Heb “good news is in his mouth.”
  60. 2 Samuel 18:25 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the runner) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  61. 2 Samuel 18:27 tn Heb “I am seeing the running of the first one like the running of Ahimaaz.”
  62. 2 Samuel 18:28 tn Heb “Peace.”
  63. 2 Samuel 18:28 tn Heb “delivered over.”
  64. 2 Samuel 18:28 tn Heb “lifted their hand against.”
  65. 2 Samuel 18:31 tn Heb “And look, the Cushite came and the Cushite said.”
  66. 2 Samuel 18:31 tn Heb “for the Lord has vindicated you today from the hand of all those rising against you.”
  67. 2 Samuel 18:32 tn Heb “and all those rising against you for evil.”
  68. 2 Samuel 18:33 sn This marks the beginning of ch. 19 in the Hebrew text. Beginning with 18:33, the verse numbers through 19:43 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 18:33 ET = 19:1 HT, 19:1 ET = 19:2 HT, 19:2 ET = 19:3 HT, etc., through 19:43 ET = 19:44 HT. From 20:1 the versification in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible is again the same.
  69. 2 Samuel 18:33 tc One medieval Hebrew ms, some mss of the LXX, and the Vulgate lack this repeated occurrence of “my son” due to haplography.
  70. 2 Samuel 18:33 tc The Lucianic Greek recension and Syriac Peshitta lack this repeated occurrence of “my son” due to haplography.
  71. 2 Samuel 19:4 tn Heb “with a great voice.”
  72. 2 Samuel 19:5 tn Heb “came to.”
  73. 2 Samuel 19:6 tn Heb “today.”
  74. 2 Samuel 19:6 tc The translation follows the Qere, 4QSama, and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading לוּ (lu, “if”) rather than MT לֹא (loʾ, “not”).
  75. 2 Samuel 19:6 tc The Lucianic Greek recension and Syriac Peshitta lack “today.”
  76. 2 Samuel 19:7 tn Heb “and speak to the heart of.”
  77. 2 Samuel 19:8 tn Heb “all the people.”
  78. 2 Samuel 19:8 tn The Hebrew text has simply “Israel” (see 18:16-17).
  79. 2 Samuel 19:8 tn Heb “had fled, each to his tent.”
  80. 2 Samuel 19:10 tn Heb “over us.”
  81. 2 Samuel 19:10 tc The LXX includes the following words at the end of v. 11: “And what all Israel was saying came to the king’s attention.” The words are misplaced in the LXX from v. 12 (although the same statement appears there in the LXX as well).
  82. 2 Samuel 19:11 tn Heb “his house.”
  83. 2 Samuel 19:11 tc The Hebrew text adds “to his house” (= palace), but the phrase, which also appears earlier in the verse, is probably accidentally repeated here.
  84. 2 Samuel 19:12 tn Heb “my bone and my flesh.”
  85. 2 Samuel 19:13 tn Heb “my bone and my flesh.”
  86. 2 Samuel 19:13 tn Heb “Thus God will do to me and thus he will add.”
  87. 2 Samuel 19:14 tn The referent of “he” is not entirely clear: cf. NCV “David”; TEV “David’s words”; NRSV, NLT “Amasa.”
  88. 2 Samuel 19:15 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  89. 2 Samuel 19:15 tn The Hebrew text has simply “Judah.”
  90. 2 Samuel 19:15 tn Heb “the king.” The pronoun (“him”) has been used in the translation to avoid redundancy.
  91. 2 Samuel 19:17 tn Heb “youth.”
  92. 2 Samuel 19:17 tn Heb “rushed into.”
  93. 2 Samuel 19:19 tn Though this verb in the MT is third person masculine singular, it should probably be read as second person masculine singular. It is one of fifteen places where the Masoretes placed a dot over each of the letters of the word in question in order to call attention to their suspicion of the word. Their concern in this case apparently had to do with the fact that this verb and the two preceding verbs alternate from third person to second and back again to third. Words marked in this way in Hebrew manuscripts or printed editions are said to have puncta extrordinaria, or “extraordinary points.”
  94. 2 Samuel 19:20 tn The Hebrew text has simply “your servant.” The word "I" has been supplied for English style.
  95. 2 Samuel 19:22 tn Heb “what to me and to you.”
  96. 2 Samuel 19:23 tn Heb “swore to him.”
  97. 2 Samuel 19:24 tn Heb “son.”
  98. 2 Samuel 19:24 tn Heb “in peace.” So also in v. 31.
  99. 2 Samuel 19:24 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Mephibosheth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  100. 2 Samuel 19:24 tn Heb “done his feet.”
  101. 2 Samuel 19:24 tn Heb “done.”
  102. 2 Samuel 19:26 tn Heb “your servant.”
  103. 2 Samuel 19:26 tn Heb “your servant.”
  104. 2 Samuel 19:27 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  105. 2 Samuel 19:27 tn Heb “your servant.”
  106. 2 Samuel 19:28 tn Heb “father.”
  107. 2 Samuel 19:28 tn Heb “and you placed your servant among those who eat at your table.”
  108. 2 Samuel 19:28 tn Heb “to cry out to.”
  109. 2 Samuel 19:30 tn Heb “take.”
  110. 2 Samuel 19:30 tn Heb “in peace.”
  111. 2 Samuel 19:31 tc The MT reading אֶת־בַיַּרְדֵּן (ʾet vayyarden, “in the Jordan”) is odd syntactically. The use of the preposition after the object marker אֶת (ʾet) is difficult to explain. Graphic confusion is likely in the MT; the translation assumes the reading מִיַּרְדֵּן (miyyarden, “from the Jordan”). Another possibility is to read the definite article on the front of “Jordan” (הַיַּרְדֵּן, hayyarden; “the Jordan”).
  112. 2 Samuel 19:32 tn Heb “great.”
  113. 2 Samuel 19:35 tn Heb “your servant.”
  114. 2 Samuel 19:35 tn Heb “your servant.”
  115. 2 Samuel 19:36 tn Heb “Like a little your servant will cross the Jordan with the king.”
  116. 2 Samuel 19:37 tn Heb “your servant.”
  117. 2 Samuel 19:39 tn Heb “to his place.”
  118. 2 Samuel 19:40 tn The MT in this instance alone spells the name with final ן (nun, “Kimhan”) rather than as elsewhere with final ם (mem, “Kimham”). As in most other translations, the conventional spelling (with ם) has been used here to avoid confusion.
  119. 2 Samuel 19:40 tn Heb “people.”
  120. 2 Samuel 19:40 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading the Hiphil verb הֶעֱבִירוּ (heʿeviru, “they caused to pass over”) rather than the Qal verb וַיְעֱבִרוּ (vayeʿeviru, “they crossed over”) of the MT.
  121. 2 Samuel 19:41 tn Heb “sneak you.”
  122. 2 Samuel 19:42 tn Heb “from the king.”
  123. 2 Samuel 19:43 tn The translation understands the verb in a desiderative sense, indicating the desire but not necessarily the completed action of the party in question. It is possible, however, that the verb should be given the more common sense of accomplished action, in which case it means here “Why have you cursed us?”
  124. 2 Samuel 20:1 tn Heb “a man of worthlessness.”
  125. 2 Samuel 20:1 tn The expression used here יְמִינִי (yemini) is a short form of the more common “Benjamin.” It appears elsewhere in 1 Sam 9:4 and Esth 2:5. Cf. 1 Sam 9:1.
  126. 2 Samuel 20:1 tn Heb “the shofar” (the ram’s horn trumpet). So also v. 22.
  127. 2 Samuel 20:1 tc The MT reads לְאֹהָלָיו (leʾohalayv, “to his tents”). For a similar idiom, see 19:9. An ancient scribal tradition understands the reading to be לֵאלֹהָיו (leʾlohav, “to his gods”). The word is a tiqqun sopherim, and the scribes indicate that they changed the word from “gods” to “tents” so as to soften its theological implications. In a consonantal Hebrew text the change involved only the metathesis of two letters.
  128. 2 Samuel 20:2 tn Heb “went up from after.”
  129. 2 Samuel 20:2 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  130. 2 Samuel 20:3 tn Heb “house.”
  131. 2 Samuel 20:3 tn Heb “and he placed them in a guarded house.”
  132. 2 Samuel 20:3 tn Heb “come to them.” The expression בּוֹא אֶל (boʾ ʾel) means “come to” or “approach,” but is also used as a euphemism for sexual relations.
  133. 2 Samuel 20:4 tn The present translation follows the Masoretic accentuation, with the major mark of disjunction (i.e., the ’atnakh) placed at the word “days.” However, some scholars have suggested moving the ’atnakh to “Judah” a couple of words earlier. This would yield the following sense: “Three days, and you be present here with them.” The difference in meaning is slight, and the MT is acceptable as it stands.
  134. 2 Samuel 20:6 tn Heb “find.” The perfect verbal form is unexpected with the preceding word “otherwise.” We should probably read instead the imperfect. Although it is possible to understand the perfect here as indicating that the feared result is thought of as already having taken place (cf. BDB 814 s.v. פֶּן 2), it is more likely that the perfect is simply the result of scribal error. In this context the imperfect would be more consistent with the following verb וְהִצִּיל (vehitsil, “and he will get away”).
  135. 2 Samuel 20:8 sn The significance of the statement it fell out here is unclear. If the dagger fell out of its sheath before Joab got to Amasa, how then did he kill him? Josephus, Ant. 7.11.7 (7.284), suggested that as Joab approached Amasa he deliberately caused the dagger to fall to the ground at an opportune moment as though by accident. When he bent over and picked it up, he then stabbed Amasa with it. Others have tried to make a case for thinking that two swords are referred to—the one that fell out and another that Joab kept concealed until the last moment. But nothing in the text clearly supports this view. Perhaps Josephus’ understanding is best, but it is by no means obvious in the text either.
  136. 2 Samuel 20:10 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  137. 2 Samuel 20:10 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Amasa) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  138. 2 Samuel 20:10 tn Heb “and he did not repeat concerning him, and he died.”
  139. 2 Samuel 20:11 tn Heb “takes delight in.”
  140. 2 Samuel 20:12 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Amasa) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  141. 2 Samuel 20:12 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man who spoke up in v. 11) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  142. 2 Samuel 20:12 tn Heb “Amasa.” For stylistic reasons the name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation.
  143. 2 Samuel 20:13 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Amasa) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  144. 2 Samuel 20:14 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Sheba) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  145. 2 Samuel 20:14 tc In keeping with the form of the name in v. 15, the translation deletes the “and” found in the MT.
  146. 2 Samuel 20:14 tc The translation follows the Qere, many medieval Hebrew mss, and the ancient versions in reading וַיִּקָּהֲלוּ (vayyiqqahalu, “and they were gathered together”) rather than the Kethib of the MT וַיִּקְלֻהוּ (vayyiqluhu, “and they cursed him”). The Kethib is the result of metathesis.
  147. 2 Samuel 20:15 tn Heb “they.” The following context makes it clear that this refers to Joab and his army.
  148. 2 Samuel 20:15 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).
  149. 2 Samuel 20:19 tn Heb “a city and a mother.” The expression is a hendiadys, meaning that this city was an important one in Israel and had smaller cities dependent on it.
  150. 2 Samuel 20:20 tn Heb “Far be it, far be it from me.” The expression is clearly emphatic, as may be seen in part by the repetition. P. K. McCarter, however, understands it to be coarser than the translation adopted here. He renders it as “I’ll be damned if…” (II Samuel [AB], 426, 429), which (while it is not a literal translation) may not be too far removed from the way a soldier might have expressed himself.
  151. 2 Samuel 20:21 tn Heb “lifted his hand.”
  152. 2 Samuel 20:21 tn Heb “Look!”
  153. 2 Samuel 20:22 tn Heb “the head of Sheba son of Bikri.”
  154. 2 Samuel 20:22 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  155. 2 Samuel 20:22 tn Heb “they”; the referent (Joab’s men) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  156. 2 Samuel 20:22 tn Heb “his tents.”
  157. 2 Samuel 20:24 tn Heb “Adoram” (so KJV, NAB, NRSV, CEV), but see 1 Kgs 4:6; 5:14.
  158. 2 Samuel 20:24 tn Heb “was over the forced labor.”
  159. 2 Samuel 20:26 tn Heb “priest for David.” KJV (“a chief ruler about David”) and ASV (“chief minister unto David”) regarded this office as political.
  160. 2 Samuel 21:1 tn Heb “sought the face of the Lord.”
  161. 2 Samuel 21:1 tn Heb “and the house of bloodshed.”
  162. 2 Samuel 21:2 tn Heb “swore an oath to.”
  163. 2 Samuel 21:3 tn After the preceding imperfect verbal form, the subordinated imperative indicates purpose/result. S. R. Driver comments, “…the imper. is used instead of the more normal voluntative, for the purpose of expressing with somewhat greater force the intention of the previous verb” (S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 350).
  164. 2 Samuel 21:4 tc The translation follows the Qere and several medieval Hebrew mss in reading לָנוּ (lanu, “to us”) rather than the MT לִי (li, “to me”). But for a contrary opinion see S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 53, 350.
  165. 2 Samuel 21:4 tn Heb “house.”
  166. 2 Samuel 21:4 tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  167. 2 Samuel 21:6 tn The exact nature of this execution is not altogether clear. The verb יָקַע (yaqaʿ) basically means “to dislocate” or “alienate.” In Gen 32:26 it is used of the dislocation of Jacob’s thigh. Figuratively it can refer to the removal of an individual from a group (e.g., Jer 6:8; Ezek 23:17) or to a type of punishment the specific identity of which is uncertain (e.g., here and Num 25:4); cf. NAB “dismember them”; NIV “to be killed and exposed.”
  168. 2 Samuel 21:6 tc The LXX reads “at Gibeon on the mountain of the Lord” (cf. 21:9). The present translation follows the MT, although a number of recent English translations follow the LXX reading here (e.g., NAB, NRSV, NLT).
  169. 2 Samuel 21:8 tc The MT reads “Michal” here, but two Hebrew manuscripts read “Merab,” along with some LXX manuscripts. Cf. 1 Sam 18:19.
  170. 2 Samuel 21:9 tc The translation follows the Qere and several medieval Hebrew mss in reading שְׁבַעְתָּם (shevaʿtam, “the seven of them”) rather than MT שִׁבַעְתִּים (shivaʿtim, “seventy”).
  171. 2 Samuel 21:9 tn Heb “fell.”
  172. 2 Samuel 21:9 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading בִּתְחִלַּת (bitkhillat, “in the beginning”) rather than MT תְחִלַּת (tekhillat, “beginning of”).
  173. 2 Samuel 21:10 tn Heb “until water was poured on them from the sky.”
  174. 2 Samuel 21:10 tn Heb “rest.”
  175. 2 Samuel 21:10 tn Heb “the beasts of the field.”
  176. 2 Samuel 21:12 tn Heb “David.” For stylistic reasons the name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation.
  177. 2 Samuel 21:12 tn Heb “the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son.” See also v. 13.
  178. 2 Samuel 21:12 tn Heb “lords.”
  179. 2 Samuel 21:12 tn Heb “stolen.”
  180. 2 Samuel 21:12 tc Against the MT, this word is better read without the definite article. The MT reading is probably here the result of wrong word division, with the letter ה (he) belonging with the preceding word שָׁם (sham) as the he directive (i.e., שָׁמָּה, samah, “to there”).
  181. 2 Samuel 21:12 tn Heb “had hung them.”
  182. 2 Samuel 21:12 tn Heb “in the day.”
  183. 2 Samuel 21:12 tn Heb “Philistines.”
  184. 2 Samuel 21:13 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  185. 2 Samuel 21:14 tc Many medieval Hebrew mss have here כְּכֹל (kekhol, “according to all”).
  186. 2 Samuel 21:14 tn Heb “was entreated.” The verb is an example of the so-called niphal tolerativum, with the sense that God allowed himself to be supplicated through prayer (cf. GKC 137 §51.c).
  187. 2 Samuel 21:15 tn Heb “his servants.”
  188. 2 Samuel 21:16 tn This name has the definite article and may be intended to refer to a group of people rather than a single individual with this name.
  189. 2 Samuel 21:16 tn This is the only occurrence of this Hebrew word in the OT. Its precise meaning is therefore somewhat uncertain. As early as the LXX the word was understood to refer to a “spear,” and this seems to be the most likely possibility. Some scholars have proposed emending the text of 2 Sam 21:16 to כוֹבַעוֹ (khovaʿo; “his helmet”), but in spite of the fact that the word “helmet” appears in 1 Sam 17:5, there is not much evidence for reading that word here.
  190. 2 Samuel 21:16 tn Either the word “shekels” should be supplied here, or the Hebrew word מִשְׁקַל (mishqal, “weight of”) right before “bronze” is a corrupted form of the word for shekel. If the latter is the case the problem probably resulted from another occurrence of the word מִשְׁקַל just four words earlier in the verse.sn 300 bronze shekels would have weighed about 7.5 pounds (3.4 kg).
  191. 2 Samuel 21:16 tn The Hebrew text reads simply “a new [thing],” prompting one to ask “A new what?” Several possibilities have been proposed to resolve the problem: perhaps a word has dropped out of the Hebrew text here; or perhaps the word “new” is the result of misreading a different, less common, word; or perhaps a word (e.g., “sword,” so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, CEV, NLT) is simply to be inferred. The translation generally follows the last possibility, while at the same time being deliberately nonspecific (“weapon”).
  192. 2 Samuel 21:19 tn Heb “Jaare-Oregim,” but the second word, which means “weavers,” is probably accidentally included. It appears at the end of the verse. The term is omitted in the parallel account in 1 Chr 20:5, which has simply “Jair.”
  193. 2 Samuel 21:19 sn The Hebrew text as it stands reads, “Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite.” Who killed Goliath the Gittite? According to 1 Sam 17:4-58 it was David who killed Goliath, but according to the MT of 2 Sam 21:19 it was Elhanan who killed him. Many scholars believe that the two passages are hopelessly at variance with one another. Others have proposed various solutions to the difficulty, such as identifying David with Elhanan or positing the existence of two Goliaths. But in all likelihood the problem is the result of difficulties in the textual transmission of the Samuel passage. The parallel passage in 1 Chr 20:5 reads, “Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath.” Both versions are textually suspect. The Chronicles text appears to have misread “Bethlehemite” (בֵּית הַלַּחְמִי, bet hallakhmi) as the accusative sign followed by a proper name אֶת לַחְמִי (ʾet lakhmi). (See the note at 1 Chr 20:5.) The Samuel text appears to have misread the word for “brother” (אַח, ʾakh) as the accusative sign (אֵת, ʾet), thereby giving the impression that Elhanan, not David, killed Goliath. Thus in all probability the original text read, “Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath.”
  194. 2 Samuel 21:20 tn Heb “a man of stature.”
  195. 2 Samuel 21:22 tn Heb “they fell.”
  196. 2 Samuel 21:22 tn Heb “his servants.”
Next
2 Samuel 16
2 Samuel 22
Next
dropdown
New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.