2 Samuel 4:1

Ish-bosheth is killed

4:1 When Ish-bosheth ¹  the son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he was very disheartened, ²  and all Israel was afraid.

2 Samuel 11:26

11:26 When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband Uriah was dead, she mourned for him. ³ 

2 Samuel 13:39

13:39 The king longed ⁴  to go to Absalom, for he had since been consoled over the death of Amnon. ⁵ 

[4:1]  ¹ tn The MT does not specify the subject of the verb here, but the reference is to Ish-bosheth, so the name has been supplied in the translation for clarity. 4QSam^a and the LXX mistakenly read “Mephibosheth.”

[4:1]  ² tn Heb “his hands went slack.”

[11:26]  ³ tn Heb “for her lord.”

[13:39]  ⁴ tc The translation follows 4QSam^a in reading רוּחַ הַמֶּלֶךְ (ruakh hammelekh, “the spirit of the king”) rather than the MT דָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ (david hammelekh, “David the king”). The understanding reflected in the translation above is that David, though alienated during this time from his son Absalom, still had an abiding love and concern for him. He longed for reconciliation with him. A rather different interpretation of the verse supposes that David’s interest in taking military action against Absalom grew slack with the passing of time, and this in turn enabled David’s advisers to encourage him toward reconciliation with Absalom. For the latter view, see P. K. McCarter, II Samuel (AB), 344, and cf. CEV.

[13:39]  ⁵ tn Heb “was consoled over Amnon, because he was dead.”