2 Samuel 1:21

1:21 O mountains of Gilboa,

may there be no dew or rain on you, nor fields of grain offerings! ¹ 

For it was there that the shield of warriors was defiled; ² 

the shield of Saul lies neglected without oil. ³ 

2 Samuel 2:4

2:4 The men of Judah came and there they anointed David as king over the people ⁴  of Judah.

David was told, ⁵  “The people ⁶  of Jabesh Gilead are the ones who buried Saul.”

2 Samuel 2:29

2:29 Abner and his men went through the Arabah all that night. They crossed the Jordan River ⁷  and went through the whole region of Bitron ⁸  and came to Mahanaim.

2 Samuel 2:32

2:32 They took Asahel’s body and buried him in his father’s tomb at Bethlehem. ⁹  Joab and his men then traveled all that night and reached Hebron by dawn.

2 Samuel 6:5

6:5 while David and all Israel ¹⁰  were energetically celebrating before the Lord, singing ¹¹  and playing various stringed instruments, ¹²  tambourines, rattles, ¹³  and cymbals.

2 Samuel 8:6

8:6 David placed garrisons in the territory of the Arameans of Damascus; the Arameans became David’s subjects and brought tribute. The Lord protected ¹⁴  David wherever he campaigned. ¹⁵ 

2 Samuel 11:23-24

11:23 The messenger said to David, “The men overpowered us and attacked us ¹⁶  in the field. But we forced them to retreat all the way ¹⁷  to the door of the city gate. 11:24 Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall and some of the king’s soldiers ¹⁸  died. Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.”

2 Samuel 12:15

12:15 Then Nathan went to his home. The Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and the child became very ill. ¹⁹ 

2 Samuel 12:22

12:22 He replied, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept because I thought, ²⁰  ‘Perhaps ²¹  the Lord will show pity and the child will live.

2 Samuel 15:31

15:31 Now David ²²  had been told, “Ahithophel has sided with the conspirators who are with Absalom. So David prayed, ²³  “Make the advice of Ahithophel foolish, O Lord!”

2 Samuel 17:16

17:16 Now send word quickly to David and warn him, ²⁴  “Don’t spend the night at the fords of the desert ²⁵  tonight. Instead, be sure you cross over, ²⁶  or else the king and everyone who is with him may be overwhelmed.” ²⁷ 

2 Samuel 19:2

19:2 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.”

2 Samuel 19:14-15

19:14 He ²⁸  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.” 19:15 So the king returned and came to the Jordan River. ²⁹ 

Now the people of Judah ³⁰  had come to Gilgal to meet the king and to help him ³¹  cross the Jordan.

2 Samuel 19:21

19:21 Abishai son of Zeruiah replied, “For this should not Shimei be put to death? After all, he cursed the Lord’s anointed!”

2 Samuel 19:27

19:27 But my servant ³²  has slandered me ³³  to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like an angel of God. Do whatever seems appropriate to you.

2 Samuel 19:29-31

19:29 Then the king replied to him, “Why should you continue speaking like this? You and Ziba will inherit the field together.” 19:30 Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him have ³⁴  the whole thing! My lord the king has returned safely ³⁵  to his house!”

19:31 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. ³⁶ 

2 Samuel 19:34

19:34 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?

2 Samuel 19:36

19:36 I will cross the Jordan with the king and go a short distance. ³⁷  Why should the king reward me in this way?

2 Samuel 19:38-40

19:38 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.”

19:39 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. ³⁸  19:40 When the king crossed over to Gilgal, Kimham ³⁹  crossed over with him. Now all the soldiers ⁴⁰  of Judah along with half of the soldiers of Israel had helped the king cross over. ⁴¹ 

2 Samuel 20:7

20:7 So Joab’s men, accompanied by the Kerethites, the Pelethites, and all the warriors, left Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bicri.

2 Samuel 21:15

Israel Engages in Various Battles with the Philistines

21:15 Another battle was fought between the Philistines and Israel. So David went down with his soldiers ⁴²  and fought the Philistines. David became exhausted.

2 Samuel 22:49

22:49 He delivers me from my enemies; ⁴³ 

you snatch me away ⁴⁴  from those who attack me; ⁴⁵ 

you rescue me from violent men.

[1:21]  ¹ tc Instead of the MT’s “fields of grain offerings” the Lucianic recension of the LXX reads “your high places are mountains of death.” Cf. the Old Latin montes mortis (“mountains of death”).

[1:21]  ² tn This is the only biblical occurrence of the Niphal of the verb גָּעַל (ga’al). This verb usually has the sense of “to abhor” or “loathe.” But here it seems to refer to the now dirty and unprotected condition of a previously well-maintained instrument of battle.

[1:21]  ³ tc It is preferable to read here Hebrew מָשׁוּחַ (mashuakh) with many Hebrew mss, rather than מָשִׁיחַ (mashiakh) of the MT. Although the Syriac Peshitta understands the statement to pertain to Saul, the point here is not that Saul is not anointed. Rather, it is the shield of Saul that lies discarded and is no longer anointed. In ancient Near Eastern practice a warrior’s shield that was in normal use would have to be anointed regularly in order to ensure that the leather did not become dry and brittle. Like other warriors of his day Saul would have carefully maintained his tools of trade. But now that he is dead, the once-cared-for shield of the mighty warrior lies sadly discarded and woefully neglected, a silent but eloquent commentary on how different things are now compared to the way they were during Saul’s lifetime.

[2:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “house.”

[2:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “and they told David.” The subject appears to be indefinite, allowing one to translate the verb as passive with David as subject.

[2:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “men.”

[2:29]  ⁷ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[2:29]  ⁸ 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.”

[2:32]  ⁹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.

[6:5]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “all the house of Israel.”

[6:5]  ¹¹ tc Heb “were celebrating before the Lord with all woods of fir” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB). If the text is retained, the last expression must be elliptical, referring to musical instruments made from fir wood. But it is preferable to emend the text in light of 1 Chr 13:8, which reads “were celebrating before the Lord with all strength and with songs.”

[6:5]  ¹² tn Heb “with zithers [?] and with harps.”

[6:5]  ¹³ tn That is, “sistrums” (so NAB, NIV); ASV, NASB, NRSV, CEV, NLT “castanets.”

[8:6]  ¹⁴ tn Or “delivered.”

[8:6]  ¹⁵ tn Or “wherever he went.”

[11:23]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and came out to us.”

[11:23]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “but we were on them.”

[11:24]  ¹⁸ tc The translation follows the Qere (“your servants”) rather than the Kethib (“your servant”).

[12:15]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “and the Lord struck the child…and he was ill.” It is necessary to repeat “the child” in the translation to make clear who became ill, since “the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became very ill” could be understood to mean that David himself became ill.

[12:22]  ²⁰ tn Heb “said.”

[12:22]  ²¹ tn Heb “Who knows?”

[15:31]  ²² tc The translation follows 4QSam^a, part of the Greek tradition, the Syriac Peshitta, Targum, and Vulgate uldavid in reading “and to David,” rather than MT וְדָוִד (vÿdavid, “and David”). As Driver points out, the Hebrew verb הִגִּיד (higgid, “he related”) never uses the accusative for the person to whom something is told (S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 316).

[15:31]  ²³ tn Heb “said.”

[17:16]  ²⁴ tn Heb “send quickly and tell David saying.”

[17:16]  ²⁵ tn Or “wilderness” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV, TEV).

[17:16]  ²⁶ tn That is, “cross over the Jordan River.”

[17:16]  ²⁷ tn Heb “swallowed up.”

[19:14]  ²⁸ tn The referent of “he” is not entirely clear: cf. NCV “David”; TEV “David’s words”; NRSV, NLT “Amasa.”

[19:15]  ²⁹ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[19:15]  ³⁰ tn The Hebrew text has simply “Judah.”

[19:15]  ³¹ tn Heb “the king.” The pronoun (“him”) has been used in the translation to avoid redundancy.

[19:27]  ³² tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:27]  ³³ tn Heb “your servant.”

[19:30]  ³⁴ tn Heb “take.”

[19:30]  ³⁵ tn Heb “in peace.”

[19:31]  ³⁶ tc The MT reading אֶת־בַיַּרְדֵּן (’et-vayyarden, “in the Jordan”) is odd syntactically. The use of the preposition after the object marker אֶת (’et) 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”).

[19:36]  ³⁷ tn Heb “Like a little your servant will cross the Jordan with the king.”

[19:39]  ³⁸ tn Heb “to his place.”

[19:40]  ³⁹ 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.

[19:40]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “people.”

[19:40]  ⁴¹ tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading the Hiphil verb הֶעֱבִירוּ (he’eviru, “they caused to pass over”) rather than the Qal verb וַיְעֱבִרוּ (vay’ÿviru, “they crossed over”) of the MT.

[21:15]  ⁴² tn Heb “his servants.”

[22:49]  ⁴³ tn Heb “and [the one who] brings me out from my enemies.”

[22:49]  ⁴⁴ 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]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “from those who rise against me.”