2 Samuel 22:42

22:42 They cry out, ¹  but there is no one to help them; ² 

they cry out to the Lord, ³  but he does not answer them.

2 Samuel 22:7

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

I called to my God. ⁴ 

From his heavenly temple ⁵  he heard my voice;

he listened to my cry for help. ⁶ 

2 Samuel 19:4

19:4 The king covered his face and cried out loudly, ⁷  “My son, Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!”

2 Samuel 13:19

13:19 Then Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long robe she was wearing. She put her hands on her head and went on her way, wailing as she went.

[22:42]  ¹ 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]  ² tn Heb “but there is no deliverer.”

[22:42]  ³ 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.

[22:7]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ tn Heb “and my cry for help [entered] his ears.”

[19:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “with a great voice.”