2 Samuel 5:6

David Occupies Jerusalem

5:6 Then the king and his men advanced to Jerusalem ¹  against the Jebusites who lived in the land. The Jebusites ²  said to David, “You cannot invade this place! Even the blind and the lame will turn you back, saying, ‘David cannot invade this place!’”

2 Samuel 5:8

5:8 David said on that day, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites must approach the ‘lame’ and the ‘blind’ who are David’s enemies ³  by going through the water tunnel.” ⁴  For this reason it is said, “The blind and the lame cannot enter the palace.” ⁵ 

2 Samuel 10:18

10:18 The Arameans fled before Israel. David killed 700 Aramean charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers. ⁶  He also struck down Shobach, the general in command of the army, who died there.

2 Samuel 17:8

17:8 Hushai went on to say, “You know your father and his men – they are soldiers and are as dangerous as a bear out in the wild that has been robbed of her cubs. ⁷  Your father is an experienced soldier; he will not stay overnight with the army.

2 Samuel 17:16

17:16 Now send word quickly to David and warn him, ⁸  “Don’t spend the night at the fords of the desert ⁹  tonight. Instead, be sure you cross over, ¹⁰  or else the king and everyone who is with him may be overwhelmed.” ¹¹ 

2 Samuel 18:2

18:2 David then sent out the army – a third under the leadership of Joab, a third under the leadership of Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under the leadership of Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the troops, “I too will indeed march out with you.”

2 Samuel 20:22

20:22 Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice and they cut off Sheba’s head and threw it out to Joab. Joab ¹²  blew the trumpet, and his men ¹³  dispersed from the city, each going to his own home. ¹⁴  Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem.

[5:6]  ¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[5:6]  ² tn The Hebrew text has “he” rather than “the Jebusites.” The referent has been specified in the translation for clarity. In the Syriac Peshitta and some mss of the Targum the verb is plural rather than singular.

[5:8]  ³ tc There is some confusion among the witnesses concerning this word. The Kethib is the Qal perfect 3cp שָׂנְאוּ (sanÿ’u, “they hated”), referring to the Jebusites’ attitude toward David. The Qere is the Qal passive participle construct plural שְׂנֻאֵי (sÿnu’e, “hated”), referring to David’s attitude toward the Jebusites. 4QSam^a has the Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular שָׂנְאָה (sanÿ’ah, “hated”), the subject of which would be “the soul of David.” The difference is minor and the translation adopted above works for either the Kethib or the Qere.

[5:8]  ⁴ tn The meaning of the Hebrew term has been debated. For a survey of various views, see P. K. McCarter, II Samuel (AB), 139-40.

[5:8]  sn If a water tunnel is in view here, it is probably the so-called Warren’s Shaft that extends up from Hezekiah’s tunnel. It would have provided a means for surprise attack against the occupants of the city of David. The LXX seems not to understand the reference here, translating “by the water shaft” as “with a small knife.”

[5:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “the house.” TEV takes this as a reference to the temple (“the Lord’s house”).

[10:18]  ⁶ tn Heb “horsemen” (so KJV, NASB, NCV, NRSV, NLT) but the Lucianic recension of the LXX reads “foot soldiers,” as does the parallel text in 1 Chr 19:18. Cf. NAB, NIV.

[17:8]  ⁷ tc The LXX (with the exception of the recensions of Origen and Lucian) repeats the description as follows: “Just as a female bear bereft of cubs in a field.”

[17:16]  ⁸ tn Heb “send quickly and tell David saying.”

[17:16]  ⁹ tn Or “wilderness” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV, TEV).

[17:16]  ¹⁰ tn That is, “cross over the Jordan River.”

[17:16]  ¹¹ tn Heb “swallowed up.”

[20:22]  ¹² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:22]  ¹³ tn Heb “they”; the referent (Joab’s men) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:22]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “his tents.”