2 Samuel 3:24

3:24 So Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Abner ¹  has come to you! Why would you send him away? Now he’s gone on his way! ² 

2 Samuel 7:15

7:15 But my loyal love will not be removed from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you.

2 Samuel 13:12

13:12 But she said to him, “No, my brother! Don’t humiliate me! This just isn’t done in Israel! Don’t do this foolish thing!

2 Samuel 16:4

16:4 The king said to Ziba, “Everything that was Mephibosheth’s now belongs to you.” Ziba replied, “I bow before you. May I find favor in your sight, my lord the king.”

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. ³ 

2 Samuel 19:24

19:24 Now Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, ⁴  came down to meet the king. From the day the king had left until the day he safely ⁵  returned, Mephibosheth ⁶  had not cared for his feet ⁷  nor trimmed ⁸  his mustache nor washed his clothes.

2 Samuel 20:17

20:17 When he approached her, the woman asked, “Are you Joab?” He replied, “I am.” She said to him, “Listen to the words of your servant.” He said, “Go ahead. I’m listening.”

[3:24]  ¹ tn Heb “Look, Abner.”

[3:24]  ² tc The LXX adds “in peace.”

[18:14]  ³ 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.”

[19:24]  ⁴ tn Heb “son.”

[19:24]  ⁵ tn Heb “in peace.” So also in v. 31.

[19:24]  ⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Mephibosheth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:24]  ⁷ tn Heb “done his feet.”

[19:24]  ⁸ tn Heb “done.”