2 Samuel 6:7

6:7 The Lord was so furious with Uzzah, ¹  he ²  killed him on the spot ³  for his negligence. ⁴  He died right there beside the ark of God.

2 Samuel 6:21

6:21 David replied to Michal, “It was before the Lord! I was celebrating before the Lord, who chose me over your father and his entire family ⁵  and appointed me as leader over the Lord’s people Israel.

2 Samuel 7:23

7:23 Who is like your people, Israel, a unique nation ⁶  on the earth? Their God ⁷  went ⁸  to claim ⁹  a nation for himself and to make a name for himself! You did great and awesome acts for your land, ¹⁰  before your people whom you delivered for yourself from the Egyptian empire and its gods. ¹¹ 

2 Samuel 10:12

10:12 Be strong! Let’s fight bravely for the sake of our people and the cities of our God! The Lord will do what he decides is best!” ¹² 

2 Samuel 15:25-26

15:25 Then the king said to Zadok, “Take the ark of God back to the city. If I find favor in the Lord’s sight he will bring me back and enable me to see both it and his dwelling place again. 15:26 However, if he should say, ‘I do not take pleasure in you,’ then he will deal with me in a way that he considers appropriate.” ¹³ 

2 Samuel 22:7

22:7 In my distress I called to the Lord;

I called to my God. ¹⁴ 

From his heavenly temple ¹⁵  he heard my voice;

he listened to my cry for help. ¹⁶ 

2 Samuel 22:10

22:10 He made the sky sink ¹⁷  as he descended;

a thick cloud was under his feet.

2 Samuel 22:12

22:12 He shrouded himself in darkness, ¹⁸ 

in thick rain clouds. ¹⁹ 

2 Samuel 22:15

22:15 He shot ²⁰  arrows and scattered them, ²¹ 

lightning and routed them. ²² 

2 Samuel 22:17-18

22:17 He reached down from above and grabbed me; ²³ 

he pulled me from the surging water. ²⁴ 

22:18 He rescued me from my strong enemy, ²⁵ 

from those who hate me,

for they were too strong for me.

2 Samuel 22:20-21

22:20 He brought me out into a wide open place;

he delivered me because he was pleased with me. ²⁶ 

22:21 The Lord repaid ²⁷  me for my godly deeds; ²⁸ 

he rewarded ²⁹  my blameless behavior. ³⁰ 

2 Samuel 22:34-35

22:34 He gives me the agility of a deer; ³¹ 

he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain. ³² 

22:35 He trains ³³  my hands for battle; ³⁴ 

my arms can bend even the strongest bow. ³⁵ 

2 Samuel 22:42

22:42 They cry out, ³⁶  but there is no one to help them; ³⁷ 

they cry out to the Lord, ³⁸  but he does not answer them.

2 Samuel 22:48-49

22:48 The one true God completely vindicates me; ³⁹ 

he makes nations submit to me. ⁴⁰ 

22:49 He delivers me from my enemies; ⁴¹ 

you snatch me away ⁴²  from those who attack me; ⁴³ 

you rescue me from violent men.

2 Samuel 22:51

22:51 He gives his chosen king magnificent victories; ⁴⁴ 

he is faithful to his chosen ruler, ⁴⁵ 

to David and to his descendants forever!”

2 Samuel 23:5

23:5 My dynasty is approved by God, ⁴⁶ 

for he has made a perpetual covenant with me,

arranged in all its particulars and secured.

He always delivers me,

and brings all I desire to fruition. ⁴⁷ 

2 Samuel 24:1

David Displeases the Lord by Taking a Census

24:1 The Lord’s anger again raged against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go count Israel and Judah.” ⁴⁸ 

2 Samuel 24:15

24:15 So the Lord sent a plague through Israel from the morning until the completion of the appointed time. Seventy thousand men died from Dan to Beer Sheba.

[6:7]  ¹ tn Heb “and the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah.”

[6:7]  ² tn Heb “God.”

[6:7]  ³ tc Heb “there.” Since this same term occurs later in the verse it is translated “on the spot” here for stylistic reasons.

[6:7]  ⁴ tc The phrase “his negligence” is absent from the LXX.

[6:21]  ⁵ tn Heb “all his house”; CEV “anyone else in your family.”

[7:23]  ⁶ tn Heb “a nation, one.”

[7:23]  ⁷ tn Heb “whose God” or “because God.” In the Hebrew text this clause is subordinated to what precedes. The clauses are separated in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[7:23]  ⁸ tn The verb is plural in Hebrew, agreeing grammatically with the divine name, which is a plural of degree.

[7:23]  ⁹ tn Heb “redeem.”

[7:23]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and to do for you [plural form] the great [thing] and awesome [things] for your land.”

[7:23]  ¹¹ tn Heb “from Egypt, nations and their gods.” The LXX has “nations and tents,” which reflects a mistaken metathesis of letters in אֶלֹהָיו (e’lohav, “its gods”) and אֹהָלָיו (’ohalav, “its tents”).

[10:12]  ¹² tn Heb “and the Lord will do what is good in his eyes.”

[15:26]  ¹³ tn Heb “as [is] good in his eyes.”

[22:7]  ¹⁴ tn In this poetic narrative the two prefixed verbal forms in v. 7a are best understood as preterites indicating past tense, not imperfects. Note the use of the vav consecutive with the prefixed verbal form that follows in v. 7b.

[22:7]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “from his temple.” Verse 10, which pictures God descending from the sky, indicates that the heavenly, not earthly, temple is in view.

[22:7]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and my cry for help [entered] his ears.”

[22:10]  ¹⁷ tn The verb נָטָה (natah) can carry the sense “[to cause to] bend; [to cause to] bow down” (see HALOT 693 s.v. נָטָה). For example, Gen 49:15 pictures Issachar as a donkey that “bends” its shoulder or back under a burden (cf. KJV, NASB, NRSV “He bowed the heavens”; NAB “He inclined the heavens”). Here the Lord causes the sky, pictured as a dome or vault, to bend or sink down as he descends in the storm.

[22:12]  ¹⁸ tc Heb “he made darkness around him coverings.” The parallel text in Ps 18:11 reads “he made darkness his hiding place around him, his covering.” 2 Sam 22:12 omits “his hiding place” and pluralizes “covering.” Ps 18:11 may include a conflation of synonyms (“his hiding place” and “his covering” ) or 2 Sam 22:12 may be the result of haplography/homoioarcton. Note that three successive words in Ps 18:11 begin with the letter ס (samek): סִתְרוֹ סְבִיבוֹתָיו סֻכָּתוֹ (sitro sÿvyvotav sukkato).

[22:12]  ¹⁹ tc Heb “a sieve of water, clouds of clouds.” The form חַשְׁרַת (khashrat) is a construct of חַשְׁרָה (khashrah, “sieve”), which occurs only here in the OT. A cognate Ugaritic noun means “sieve,” and a related verb חשׁר (“to sift”) is attested in postbiblical Hebrew and Aramaic (see HALOT 363 s.v. *חשׁר). The phrase חַשְׁרַת־מַיִם (khashrat-mayim) means literally “a sieve of water.” It pictures the rain clouds as a sieve through which the rain falls to the ground. (See F. M. Cross and D. N. Freedman, Studies in Ancient Yahwistic Poetry, 146, note 33.)

[22:15]  ²⁰ tn Heb “sent.”

[22:15]  ²¹ tn The pronominal suffixes on the verbs “scattered” and “routed” (see the next line) refer to David’s enemies. Some argue that the suffixes refer to the arrows, in which case one might translate “shot them far and wide” and “made them move noisily,” respectively. They argue that the enemies have not been mentioned since v. 4 and are not again mentioned until v. 17. However, usage of the verbs פוּץ (puts, “scatter”) and הָמַם (hamam, “rout”) elsewhere in Holy War accounts suggests the suffixes refer to enemies. Enemies are frequently pictured in such texts as scattered and/or routed (see Exod 14:24; 23:27; Num 10:35; Josh 10:10; Judg 4:15; 1 Sam 7:10; 11:11; Ps 68:1).

[22:15]  ²² sn Lightning is a common motif in OT theophanies and in ancient Near Eastern portrayals of the storm god and warring kings. Arrows and lightning bolts are associated in other texts (see Pss 77:17-18; 144:6; Zech 9:14), as well as in ancient Near Eastern art. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 187, 190-92.

[22:17]  ²³ tn Heb “stretched.” Perhaps “his hand” should be supplied by ellipsis (see Ps 144:7). In this poetic narrative context the three prefixed verbal forms in this verse are best understood as preterites indicating past tense, not imperfects.

[22:17]  ²⁴ tn Heb “mighty waters.” The waters of the sea symbolize the psalmist’s powerful enemies, as well as the realm of death they represent (see v. 5 and Ps 144:7).

[22:18]  ²⁵ tn The singular refers either to personified death or collectively to the psalmist’s enemies. The following line, which refers to “those [plural] who hate me,” favors the latter.

[22:20]  ²⁶ tn Or “delighted in me” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[22:21]  ²⁷ tn In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not imperfect.

[22:21]  ²⁸ 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]  ²⁹ 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]  ³⁰ tn Heb “according to the purity of my hands he repaid to me.” Hands suggest activity and behavior.

[22:34]  ³¹ tc Heb “[the one who] makes his feet like [those of] a deer.” The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading רַגְלַי (raglai, “my feet”) rather than the MT רַגְלָיו (raglav, “his feet”). See as well Ps 18:33.

[22:34]  ³² tn Heb “and on my high places he makes me walk.” The imperfect verbal form emphasizes God’s characteristic provision. The psalmist compares his agility in battle to the ability of a deer to negotiate rugged, high terrain without falling or being injured. Habakkuk uses similar language to describe his faith during difficult times. See Hab 3:19.

[22:35]  ³³ tn Heb “teaches.”

[22:35]  ³⁴ tn The psalmist attributes his skill with weapons to divine enabling. Egyptian reliefs picture gods teaching the king how to shoot a bow. See O. Keel, Symbolism of the Biblical World, 265.

[22:35]  ³⁵ tn Heb “and a bow of bronze is bent by my arms.” The verb נָחֵת (nakhet) apparently means “to pull back; to bend” here (see HALOT 692 s.v. נחת). The bronze bow referred to here was probably laminated with bronze strips, or a purely ceremonial or decorative bow made entirely from bronze. In the latter case the language is hyperbolic, for such a weapon would not be functional in battle.

[22:42]  ³⁶ tc The translation follows one medieval Hebrew ms and the ancient versions in reading the Piel יְשַׁוְּעוּ (yÿshavvÿ’u, “they cry for help”) rather than the Qal of the MT יִשְׁעוּ (yish’u, “they look about for help”). See Ps 18:41 as well.

[22:42]  ³⁷ tn Heb “but there is no deliverer.”

[22:42]  ³⁸ tn The words “they cry out” are not in the Hebrew text. This reference to the psalmists’ enemies crying out for help to the Lord suggests that the psalmist refers here to enemies within the covenant community, rather than foreigners. However, the militaristic context suggests foreign enemies are in view. Ancient Near Eastern literature indicates that defeated enemies would sometimes cry out for mercy to the god(s) of their conqueror. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 271.

[22:48]  ³⁹ tn Heb “The God is the one who grants vengeance to me.” The plural form of the noun “vengeance” indicates degree here, suggesting complete vengeance or vindication. In the ancient Near East military victory was sometimes viewed as a sign that one’s God had judged in favor of the victor, avenging and/or vindicating him. See, for example, Judg 11:27, 32-33, 36.

[22:48]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “and [is the one who] brings down nations beneath me.”

[22:49]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “and [the one who] brings me out from my enemies.”

[22:49]  ⁴² tn Heb “you lift me up.” In light of the preceding and following references to deliverance, the verb רוּם (rum) probably here refers to being rescued from danger (see Ps 9:13). However, it could mean “exalt; elevate” here, indicating that the Lord has given him victory over his enemies and forced them to acknowledge the psalmist’s superiority.

[22:49]  ⁴³ tn Heb “from those who rise against me.”

[22:51]  ⁴⁴ tc The translation follows the Kethib and the ancient versions in reading מַגְדִּיל (magdil, “he magnifies”) rather than the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss of the MT which read מִגְדּוֹל (migdol, “tower”). See Ps 18:50.

[22:51]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “[the one who] does loyalty to his anointed one.”

[23:5]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “For not thus [is] my house with God?”

[23:5]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “for all my deliverance and every desire, surely does he not make [it] grow?”

[24:1]  ⁴⁸ sn The parallel text in 1 Chr 21:1 says, “An adversary opposed Israel, inciting David to count how many warriors Israel had.” The Samuel version gives an underlying theological perspective, while the Chronicler simply describes what happened from a human perspective. The adversary in 1 Chr 21:1 is likely a human enemy, probably a nearby nation whose hostility against Israel pressured David into numbering the people so he could assess his military strength. See the note at 1 Chr 21:1.