2 Samuel 6:19

6:19 He then handed out to each member of the entire assembly of Israel, ¹  both men and women, a portion of bread, a date cake, ²  and a raisin cake. Then all the people went home. ³ 

2 Samuel 9:3

9:3 The king asked, “Is there not someone left from Saul’s family, ⁴  that I may extend God’s kindness to him?” Ziba said to the king, “One of Jonathan’s sons is left; both of his feet are crippled.”

2 Samuel 18:14

18:14 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. ⁵ 

2 Samuel 19:28

19:28 After all, there was no one in the entire house of my grandfather ⁶  who did not deserve death from my lord the king. But instead you allowed me to eat at your own table! ⁷  What further claim do I have to ask ⁸  the king for anything?”

2 Samuel 24:4

24:4 But the king’s edict stood, despite the objections of ⁹  Joab and the leaders of the army. So Joab and the leaders of the army left the king’s presence in order to muster the Israelite army.

[6:19]  ¹ tn Heb “to all the people, to all the throng of Israel.”

[6:19]  ² tn The Hebrew word used here אֶשְׁפָּר (’espar) is found in the OT only here and in the parallel passage found in 1 Chr 16:3. Its exact meaning is uncertain, although the context indicates that it was a food of some sort (cf. KJV “a good piece of flesh”; NRSV “a portion of meat”). The translation adopted here (“date cake”) follows the lead of the Greek translations of the LXX, Aquila, and Symmachus (cf. NASB, NIV, NLT).

[6:19]  ³ tn Heb “and all the people went, each to his house.”

[9:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “house.”

[18:14]  ⁵ 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.”

[19:28]  ⁶ tn Heb “father.”

[19:28]  ⁷ tn Heb “and you placed your servant among those who eat at your table.”

[19:28]  ⁸ tn Heb “to cry out to.”

[24:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “and the word of the king was stronger than.”