2 Samuel 20:1--24:25
Konteks20:1 Now a wicked man 1 named Sheba son of Bicri, a Benjaminite, 2 happened to be there. He blew the trumpet 3 and said,
“We have no share in David;
we have no inheritance in this son of Jesse!
Every man go home, 4 O Israel!”
20:2 So all the men of Israel deserted 5 David and followed Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stuck by their king all the way from the Jordan River 6 to Jerusalem. 7
20:3 Then David went to his palace 8 in Jerusalem. The king took the ten concubines he had left to care for the palace and placed them under confinement. 9 Though he provided for their needs, he did not have sexual relations with them. 10 They remained in confinement until the day they died, living out the rest of their lives as widows.
20:4 Then the king said to Amasa, “Call the men of Judah together for me in three days, 11 and you be present here with them too.” 20:5 So Amasa went out to call Judah together. But in doing so he took longer than the time that the king had allotted him.
20:6 Then David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba son of Bicri will cause greater disaster for us than Absalom did! Take your lord’s servants and pursue him. Otherwise he will secure 12 fortified cities for himself and get away from us.” 20:7 So Joab’s men, accompanied by the Kerethites, the Pelethites, and all the warriors, left Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bicri.
20:8 When they were near the big rock that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to them. Now Joab was dressed in military attire and had a dagger in its sheath belted to his waist. When he advanced, it fell out. 13
20:9 Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my brother?” With his right hand Joab took hold of Amasa’s beard as if to greet him with a kiss. 20:10 Amasa did not protect himself from the knife in Joab’s other hand, and Joab 14 stabbed him in the abdomen, causing Amasa’s 15 intestines to spill out on the ground. There was no need to stab him again; the first blow was fatal. 16 Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bicri.
20:11 One of Joab’s soldiers who stood over Amasa said, “Whoever is for 17 Joab and whoever is for David, follow Joab!” 20:12 Amasa was squirming in his own blood in the middle of the path, and this man had noticed that all the soldiers stopped. Having noticed that everyone who came across Amasa 18 stopped, the man 19 pulled him 20 away from the path and into the field and threw a garment over him. 20:13 Once he had removed Amasa 21 from the path, everyone followed Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bicri.
20:14 Sheba 22 traveled through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of 23 Beth Maacah and all the Berite region. When they had assembled, 24 they too joined him. 20:15 So Joab’s men 25 came and laid siege against him in Abel of Beth Maacah. They prepared a siege ramp outside the city which stood against its outer rampart. As all of Joab’s soldiers were trying to break through 26 the wall so that it would collapse, 20:16 a wise woman called out from the city, “Listen up! Listen up! Tell Joab, ‘Come near so that I may speak to you.’”
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.” 20:18 She said, “In the past they would always say, ‘Let them inquire in Abel,’ and that is how they settled things. 20:19 I represent the peaceful and the faithful in Israel. You are attempting to destroy an important city 27 in Israel. Why should you swallow up the Lord’s inheritance?”
20:20 Joab answered, “Get serious! 28 I don’t want to swallow up or destroy anything! 20:21 That’s not the way things are. There is a man from the hill country of Ephraim named Sheba son of Bicri. He has rebelled 29 against King David. Give me just this one man, and I will leave the city.” The woman said to Joab, “This very minute 30 his head will be thrown over the wall to you!”
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 31 blew the trumpet, and his men 32 dispersed from the city, each going to his own home. 33 Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem.
20:23 Now Joab was the general in command of all the army of Israel. Benaiah the son of Jehoida was over the Kerethites and the Perethites. 20:24 Adoniram 34 was supervisor of the work crews. 35 Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the secretary. 20:25 Sheva was the scribe, and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests. 20:26 Ira the Jairite was David’s personal priest. 36
21:1 During David’s reign there was a famine for three consecutive years. So David inquired of the Lord. 37 The Lord said, “It is because of Saul and his bloodstained family, 38 because he murdered the Gibeonites.”
21:2 So the king summoned the Gibeonites and spoke with them. (Now the Gibeonites were not descendants of Israel; they were a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had made a promise to 39 them, but Saul tried to kill them because of his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah.) 21:3 David said to the Gibeonites, “What can I do for you, and how can I make amends so that you will bless 40 the Lord’s inheritance?”
21:4 The Gibeonites said to him, “We 41 have no claim to silver or gold from Saul or from his family, 42 nor would we be justified in putting to death anyone in Israel.” David asked, 43 “What then are you asking me to do for you?” 21:5 They replied to the king, “As for this man who exterminated us and who schemed against us so that we were destroyed and left without status throughout all the borders of Israel – 21:6 let seven of his male descendants be turned over to us, and we will execute 44 them before the Lord in Gibeah of Saul, who was the Lord’s chosen one.” 45 The king replied, “I will turn them over.”
21:7 The king had mercy on Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, in light of the Lord’s oath that had been taken between David and Jonathan son of Saul. 21:8 So the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Aiah’s daughter Rizpah whom she had born to Saul, and the five sons of Saul’s daughter Merab 46 whom she had born to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite. 21:9 He turned them over to the Gibeonites, and they executed them on a hill before the Lord. The seven of them 47 died 48 together; they were put to death during harvest time – during the first days of the beginning 49 of the barley harvest.
21:10 Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest until the rain fell on them, 50 she did not allow the birds of the air to feed 51 on them by day, nor the wild animals 52 by night. 21:11 When David was told what Rizpah daughter of Aiah, Saul’s concubine, had done, 21:12 he 53 went and took the bones of Saul and of his son Jonathan 54 from the leaders 55 of Jabesh Gilead. (They had secretly taken 56 them from the plaza at Beth Shan. It was there that Philistines 57 publicly exposed their corpses 58 after 59 they 60 had killed Saul at Gilboa.) 21:13 David 61 brought the bones of Saul and of Jonathan his son from there; they also gathered up the bones of those who had been executed.
21:14 They buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin at Zela in the grave of his father Kish. After they had done everything 62 that the king had commanded, God responded to their prayers 63 for the land.
21:15 Another battle was fought between the Philistines and Israel. So David went down with his soldiers 64 and fought the Philistines. David became exhausted. 21:16 Now Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, 65 had a spear 66 that weighed three hundred bronze shekels, 67 and he was armed with a new weapon. 68 He had said that he would kill David. 21:17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to David’s aid, striking the Philistine down and killing him. Then David’s men took an oath saying, “You will not go out to battle with us again! You must not extinguish the lamp of Israel!”
21:18 Later there was another battle with the Philistines, this time in Gob. On that occasion Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Saph, who was one of the descendants of Rapha. 21:19 Yet another battle occurred with the Philistines in Gob. On that occasion Elhanan the son of Jair 69 the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, 70 the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. 21:20 Yet another battle occurred in Gath. On that occasion there was a large man 71 who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all! He too was a descendant of Rapha. 21:21 When he taunted Israel, Jonathan, the son of David’s brother Shimeah, killed him. 21:22 These four were the descendants of Rapha who lived in Gath; they were killed 72 by David and his soldiers. 73
22:1 74 David sang 75 to the Lord the words of this song when 76 the Lord rescued him from the power 77 of all his enemies, including Saul. 78 22:2 He said:
“The Lord is my high ridge, 79 my stronghold, 80 my deliverer.
22:3 My God 81 is my rocky summit where I take shelter, 82
my shield, the horn that saves me, 83 my stronghold,
my refuge, my savior. You save me from violence! 84
22:4 I called 85 to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, 86
and I was delivered from my enemies.
22:5 The waves of death engulfed me;
the currents 87 of chaos 88 overwhelmed me. 89
22:6 The ropes of Sheol 90 tightened around me; 91
the snares of death trapped me. 92
22:7 In my distress I called to the Lord;
I called to my God. 93
From his heavenly temple 94 he heard my voice;
he listened to my cry for help. 95
22:8 The earth heaved and shook; 96
the foundations of the sky 97 trembled. 98
They heaved because he was angry.
22:9 Smoke ascended from 99 his nose; 100
fire devoured as it came from his mouth; 101
he hurled down fiery coals. 102
22:10 He made the sky sink 103 as he descended;
a thick cloud was under his feet.
22:11 He mounted 104 a winged angel 105 and flew;
he glided 106 on the wings of the wind. 107
22:12 He shrouded himself in darkness, 108
in thick rain clouds. 109
22:13 From the brightness in front of him
came coals of fire. 110
22:14 The Lord thundered 111 from the sky;
the sovereign One 112 shouted loudly. 113
22:15 He shot 114 arrows and scattered them, 115
lightning and routed them. 116
22:16 The depths 117 of the sea were exposed;
the inner regions 118 of the world were uncovered
by the Lord’s battle cry, 119
by the powerful breath from his nose. 120
22:17 He reached down from above and grabbed me; 121
he pulled me from the surging water. 122
22:18 He rescued me from my strong enemy, 123
from those who hate me,
for they were too strong for me.
22:19 They confronted 124 me in my day of calamity,
but the Lord helped me. 125
22:20 He brought me out into a wide open place;
he delivered me because he was pleased with me. 126
22:21 The Lord repaid 127 me for my godly deeds; 128
he rewarded 129 my blameless behavior. 130
22:22 For I have obeyed the Lord’s commands; 131
I have not rebelled against my God. 132
22:23 For I am aware of all his regulations, 133
and I do not reject his rules. 134
22:24 I was blameless before him;
I kept myself from sinning. 135
22:25 The Lord rewarded me for my godly deeds; 136
he took notice of my blameless behavior. 137
22:26 You prove to be loyal 138 to one who is faithful; 139
you prove to be trustworthy 140 to one who is innocent. 141
22:27 You prove to be reliable 142 to one who is blameless,
but you prove to be deceptive 143 to one who is perverse. 144
22:28 You deliver oppressed 145 people,
but you watch the proud and bring them down. 146
22:29 Indeed, 147 you are my lamp, 148 Lord.
The Lord illumines 149 the darkness around me. 150
22:30 Indeed, 151 with your help 152 I can charge 153 against an army; 154
by my God’s power 155 I can jump over a wall. 156
22:31 The one true God acts in a faithful manner; 157
the Lord’s promise is reliable; 158
he is a shield to all who take shelter in him.
22:32 Indeed, 159 who is God besides the Lord?
Who is a protector 160 besides our God? 161
22:33 The one true God 162 is my mighty refuge; 163
he removes 164 the obstacles in my way. 165
22:34 He gives me the agility of a deer; 166
he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain. 167
22:35 He trains 168 my hands for battle; 169
my arms can bend even the strongest bow. 170
22:36 You give me 171 your protective shield; 172
your willingness to help enables me to prevail. 173
my feet 175 do not slip.
22:38 I chase my enemies and destroy them;
I do not turn back until I wipe them out.
22:39 I wipe them out and beat them to death;
they cannot get up;
they fall at my feet.
22:40 You give me strength for battle; 176
you make my foes kneel before me. 177
22:41 You make my enemies retreat; 178
I destroy those who hate me.
22:42 They cry out, 179 but there is no one to help them; 180
they cry out to the Lord, 181 but he does not answer them.
22:43 I grind them as fine as the dust of the ground;
I crush them and stomp on them like clay 182 in the streets.
22:44 You rescue me from a hostile army; 183
you preserve me as a leader of nations;
people over whom I had no authority are now my subjects. 184
22:45 Foreigners are powerless before me; 185
when they hear of my exploits, they submit to me. 186
22:46 Foreigners lose their courage; 187
they shake with fear 188 as they leave 189 their strongholds. 190
My protector 192 is praiseworthy! 193
The God who delivers me 194 is exalted as king! 195
22:48 The one true God completely vindicates me; 196
he makes nations submit to me. 197
22:49 He delivers me from my enemies; 198
you snatch me away 199 from those who attack me; 200
you rescue me from violent men.
22:50 So I will give you thanks, O Lord, before the nations! 201
I will sing praises to you. 202
22:51 He gives his chosen king magnificent victories; 203
he is faithful to his chosen ruler, 204
to David and to his descendants forever!”
23:1 These are the final words of David:
“The oracle of David son of Jesse,
the oracle of the man raised up as
the ruler chosen by the God of Jacob, 205
Israel’s beloved 206 singer of songs:
23:2 The Lord’s spirit spoke through me;
his word was on my tongue.
23:3 The God of Israel spoke,
the protector 207 of Israel spoke to me.
The one who rules fairly among men,
the one who rules in the fear of God,
23:4 is like the light of morning when the sun comes up,
a morning in which there are no clouds.
He is like the brightness after rain
that produces grass from the earth.
23:5 My dynasty is approved by God, 208
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. 209
23:6 But evil people are like thorns –
all of them are tossed away,
for they cannot be held in the hand.
23:7 The one who touches them
must use an iron instrument
or the wooden shaft of a spear.
They are completely burned up right where they lie!” 210
23:8 These are the names of David’s warriors:
Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was head of the officers. 211 He killed eight hundred men with his spear in one battle. 212 23:9 Next in command 213 was Eleazar son of Dodo, 214 the son of Ahohi. He was one of the three warriors who were with David when they defied the Philistines who were assembled there for battle. When the men of Israel retreated, 215 23:10 he stood his ground 216 and fought the Philistines until his hand grew so tired that it 217 seemed stuck to his sword. The Lord gave a great victory on that day. When the army returned to him, the only thing left to do was to plunder the corpses.
23:11 Next in command 218 was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines assembled at Lehi, 219 where there happened to be an area of a field that was full of lentils, the army retreated before the Philistines. 23:12 But he made a stand in the middle of that area. He defended 220 it and defeated the Philistines; the Lord gave them a great victory.
23:13 At the time of 221 the harvest three 222 of the thirty leaders went down to 223 David at the cave of Adullam. A band of Philistines was camped in the valley of Rephaim. 23:14 David was in the stronghold at the time, while a Philistine garrison was in Bethlehem. 224 23:15 David was thirsty and said, “How I wish someone would give me some water to drink from the cistern in Bethlehem near the gate!” 23:16 So the three elite warriors broke through the Philistine forces and drew some water from the cistern in Bethlehem near the gate. They carried it back to David, but he refused to drink it. He poured it out as a drink offering to the Lord 23:17 and said, “O Lord, I will not do this! 225 It is equivalent to the blood of the men who risked their lives by going.” 226 So he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three elite warriors. 227
23:18 Abishai son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, was head of the three. 228 He killed three hundred men with his spear and gained fame among the three. 229 23:19 From 230 the three he was given honor and he became their officer, even though he was not one of the three.
23:20 Benaiah son of Jehoida was a brave warrior 231 from Kabzeel who performed great exploits. He struck down the two sons of Ariel of Moab. 232 He also went down and killed a lion in a cistern on a snowy day. 23:21 He also killed an impressive-looking Egyptian. 233 The Egyptian wielded a spear, while Benaiah attacked 234 him with a club. He grabbed the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 23:22 Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoida, who gained fame among the three elite warriors. 23:23 He received honor from 235 the thirty warriors, though he was not one of the three elite warriors. David put him in charge of his bodyguard.
23:24 Included with the thirty were the following: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem, 236 23:25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, 23:26 Helez the Paltite, Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa, 23:27 Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, 23:28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, 23:29 Heled 237 son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin, 23:30 Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai from the wadis of Gaash, 23:31 Abi-Albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, 23:32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan 23:33 son of 238 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite, 23:34 Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite, Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, 23:35 Hezrai 239 the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, 23:36 Igal son of Nathan from Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 23:37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite (the armor-bearer 240 of Joab son of Zeruiah), 23:38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite 23:39 and Uriah the Hittite. Altogether there were thirty-seven.
24:1 The Lord’s anger again raged against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go count Israel and Judah.” 241 24:2 The king told Joab, the general in command of his army, “Go through all the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beer Sheba and muster the army, so I may know the size of the army.”
24:3 Joab replied to the king, “May the Lord your God make the army a hundred times larger right before the eyes of my lord the king! But why does my master the king want to do this?”
24:4 But the king’s edict stood, despite the objections of 242 Joab and the leaders of the army. So Joab and the leaders of the army left the king’s presence in order to muster the Israelite army.
24:5 They crossed the Jordan and camped at Aroer, on the south side of the city, at 243 the wadi of Gad, near Jazer. 24:6 Then they went on to Gilead and to the region of Tahtim Hodshi, coming to Dan Jaan and on around to Sidon. 244 24:7 Then they went to the fortress of Tyre 245 and all the cities of the Hivites and the Canaanites. Then they went on to the Negev of Judah, to Beer Sheba. 24:8 They went through all the land and after nine months and twenty days came back to Jerusalem. 246
24:9 Joab reported the number of warriors 247 to the king. In Israel there were 800,000 sword-wielding warriors, and in Judah there were 500,000 soldiers.
24:10 David felt guilty 248 after he had numbered the army. David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly by doing this! Now, O Lord, please remove the guilt of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.”
24:11 When David got up the next morning, the Lord had already spoken 249 to Gad the prophet, David’s seer: 24:12 “Go, tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am offering you three forms of judgment. Pick one of them and I will carry it out against you.’”
24:13 Gad went to David and told him, “Shall seven 250 years of famine come upon your land? Or shall you flee for three months from your enemy with him in hot pursuit? Or shall there be three days of plague in your land? Now decide 251 what I should tell the one who sent me.” 24:14 David said to Gad, “I am very upset! I prefer that we be attacked by the Lord, for his mercy is great; I do not want to be attacked by men!” 252
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. 24:16 When the angel 253 extended his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord relented from his judgment. 254 He told the angel who was killing the people, “That’s enough! Stop now!” 255 (Now the Lord’s angel was near the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.)
24:17 When he saw the angel who was destroying the people, David said to the Lord, “Look, it is I who have sinned and done this evil thing! As for these sheep – what have they done? Attack me and my family.” 256
24:18 So Gad went to David that day and told him, “Go up and build an altar for the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” 24:19 So David went up as Gad instructed him to do, according to the Lord’s instructions.
24:20 When Araunah looked out and saw the king and his servants approaching him, he 257 went out and bowed to the king with his face 258 to the ground. 24:21 Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” David replied, “To buy from you the threshing floor so I can build an altar for the Lord, so that the plague may be removed from the people.” 24:22 Araunah told David, “My lord the king may take whatever he wishes 259 and offer it. Look! Here are oxen for burnt offerings, and threshing sledges 260 and harnesses 261 for wood. 24:23 I, the servant of my lord 262 the king, give it all to the king!” Araunah also told the king, “May the Lord your God show you favor!” 24:24 But the king said to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it from you! I will not offer to the Lord my God burnt sacrifices that cost me nothing.”
So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty pieces of silver. 263 24:25 Then David built an altar for the Lord there and offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings. And the Lord accepted prayers for the land, and the plague was removed from Israel.
[20:1] 1 tn Heb “a man of worthlessness.”
[20:1] 2 tn The expression used here יְמִינִי (yÿmini) is a short form of the more common “Benjamin.” It appears elsewhere in 1 Sam 9:4 and Esth 2:5. Cf. 1 Sam 9:1.
[20:1] 3 tn Heb “the shophar” (the ram’s horn trumpet). So also v. 22.
[20:1] 4 tc The MT reads לְאֹהָלָיו (lÿ’ohalav, “to his tents”). For a similar idiom, see 19:9. An ancient scribal tradition understands the reading to be לְאלֹהָיו (le’lohav, “to his gods”). The word is a tiqqun sopherim, and the scribes indicate that they changed the word from “gods” to “tents” so as to soften its theological implications. In a consonantal Hebrew text the change involved only the metathesis of two letters.
[20:2] 5 tn Heb “went up from after.”
[20:2] 6 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[20:2] 7 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[20:3] 9 tn Heb “and he placed them in a guarded house.”
[20:3] 10 tn Heb “he did not come to them”; NAB “has no further relations with them”; NIV “did not lie with them”; TEV “did not have intercourse with them”; NLT “would no longer sleep with them.”
[20:4] 11 tn The present translation follows the Masoretic accentuation, with the major mark of disjunction (i.e., the atnach) placed at the word “days.” However, some scholars have suggested moving the atnach to “Judah” a couple of words earlier. This would yield the following sense: “Three days, and you be present here with them.” The difference in meaning is slight, and the MT is acceptable as it stands.
[20:6] 12 tn Heb “find.” The perfect verbal form is unexpected with the preceding word “otherwise.” We should probably read instead the imperfect. Although it is possible to understand the perfect here as indicating that the feared result is thought of as already having taken place (cf. BDB 814 s.v. פֶּן 2), it is more likely that the perfect is simply the result of scribal error. In this context the imperfect would be more consistent with the following verb וְהִצִּיל (vÿhitsil, “and he will get away”).
[20:8] 13 sn The significance of the statement it fell out here is unclear. If the dagger fell out of its sheath before Joab got to Amasa, how then did he kill him? Josephus, Ant. 7.11.7 (7.284), suggested that as Joab approached Amasa he deliberately caused the dagger to fall to the ground at an opportune moment as though by accident. When he bent over and picked it up, he then stabbed Amasa with it. Others have tried to make a case for thinking that two swords are referred to – the one that fell out and another that Joab kept concealed until the last moment. But nothing in the text clearly supports this view. Perhaps Josephus’ understanding is best, but it is by no means obvious in the text either.
[20:10] 14 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:10] 15 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Amasa) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:10] 16 tn Heb “and he did not repeat concerning him, and he died.”
[20:11] 17 tn Heb “takes delight in.”
[20:12] 18 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Amasa) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:12] 19 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man who spoke up in v. 11) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:12] 20 tn Heb “Amasa.” For stylistic reasons the name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation.
[20:13] 21 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Amasa) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:14] 22 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Sheba) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:14] 23 tc In keeping with the form of the name in v. 15, the translation deletes the “and” found in the MT.
[20:14] 24 tc The translation follows the Qere, many medieval Hebrew
[20:15] 25 tn Heb “they.” The following context makes it clear that this refers to Joab and his army.
[20:15] 26 tc The LXX has here ἐνοοῦσαν (enoousan, “were devising”), which apparently presupposes the Hebrew word מַחֲשָׁבִים (makhashavim) rather than the MT מַשְׁחִיתִם (mashkhitim, “were destroying”). With a number of other scholars Driver thinks that the Greek variant may preserve the original reading, but this seems to be an unnecessary conclusion (but see S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 346).
[20:19] 27 tn Heb “a city and a mother.” The expression is a hendiadys, meaning that this city was an important one in Israel and had smaller cities dependent on it.
[20:20] 28 tn Heb “Far be it, far be it from me.” The expression is clearly emphatic, as may be seen in part by the repetition. P. K. McCarter, however, understands it to be coarser than the translation adopted here. He renders it as “I’ll be damned if…” (II Samuel [AB], 426, 429), which (while it is not a literal translation) may not be too far removed from the way a soldier might have expressed himself.
[20:21] 29 tn Heb “lifted his hand.”
[20:22] 31 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:22] 32 tn Heb “they”; the referent (Joab’s men) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:22] 33 tn Heb “his tents.”
[20:24] 34 tn Heb “Adoram” (so KJV, NAB, NRSV, CEV), but see 1 Kgs 4:6; 5:14.
[20:24] 35 tn Heb “was over the forced labor.”
[20:26] 36 tn Heb “priest for David.” KJV (“a chief ruler about David”) and ASV (“chief minister unto David”) regarded this office as political.
[21:1] 37 tn Heb “sought the face of the
[21:1] 38 tn Heb “and the house of bloodshed.”
[21:2] 39 tn Heb “swore an oath to.”
[21:3] 40 tn After the preceding imperfect verbal form, the subordinated imperative indicates purpose/result. S. R. Driver comments, “…the imper. is used instead of the more normal voluntative, for the purpose of expressing with somewhat greater force the intention of the previous verb” (S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 350).
[21:4] 41 tc The translation follows the Qere and several medieval Hebrew
[21:4] 43 tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:6] 44 tn The exact nature of this execution is not altogether clear. The verb יָקַע (yaqa’) basically means “to dislocate” or “alienate.” In Gen 32:26 it is used of the dislocation of Jacob’s thigh. Figuratively it can refer to the removal of an individual from a group (e.g., Jer 6:8; Ezek 23:17) or to a type of punishment the specific identity of which is uncertain (e.g., here and Num 25:4); cf. NAB “dismember them”; NIV “to be killed and exposed.”
[21:6] 45 tc The LXX reads “at Gibeon on the mountain of the
[21:8] 46 tc The MT reads “Michal” here, but two Hebrew manuscripts read “Merab,” along with some LXX manuscripts. Cf. 1 Sam 18:19.
[21:9] 47 tc The translation follows the Qere and several medieval Hebrew
[21:9] 49 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[21:10] 50 tn Heb “until water was poured on them from the sky.”
[21:10] 52 tn Heb “the beasts of the field.”
[21:12] 53 tn Heb “David.” For stylistic reasons the name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation.
[21:12] 54 tn Heb “the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son.” See also v. 13.
[21:12] 57 tc Against the MT, this word is better read without the definite article. The MT reading is probably here the result of wrong word division, with the letter ה (he) belonging with the preceding word שָׁם (sham) as the he directive (i.e., שָׁמָּה, samah, “to there”).
[21:12] 58 tn Heb “had hung them.”
[21:12] 59 tn Heb “in the day.”
[21:12] 60 tn Heb “Philistines.”
[21:13] 61 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:14] 62 tc Many medieval Hebrew
[21:14] 63 tn Heb “was entreated.” The verb is an example of the so-called niphal tolerativum, with the sense that God allowed himself to be supplicated through prayer (cf. GKC 137 §51.c).
[21:15] 64 tn Heb “his servants.”
[21:16] 65 tn This name has the definite article and may be intended to refer to a group of people rather than a single individual with this name.
[21:16] 66 tn This is the only occurrence of this Hebrew word in the OT. Its precise meaning is therefore somewhat uncertain. As early as the LXX the word was understood to refer to a “spear,” and this seems to be the most likely possibility. Some scholars have proposed emending the text of 2 Sam 21:16 to כוֹבַעוֹ (khova’o; “his helmet”), but in spite of the fact that the word “helmet” appears in 1 Sam 17:5, there is not much evidence for reading that word here.
[21:16] 67 tn Either the word “shekels” should be supplied here, or the Hebrew word מִשְׁקַל (mishqal, “weight”) right before “bronze” is a corrupted form of the word for shekel. If the latter is the case the problem probably resulted from another occurrence of the word מִשְׁקַל just four words earlier in the verse.
[21:16] sn Three hundred bronze shekels would have weighed about 7.5 pounds (3.4 kg).
[21:16] 68 tn The Hebrew text reads simply “a new [thing],” prompting one to ask “A new what?” Several possibilities have been proposed to resolve the problem: perhaps a word has dropped out of the Hebrew text here; or perhaps the word “new” is the result of misreading a different, less common, word; or perhaps a word (e.g., “sword,” so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, CEV, NLT) is simply to be inferred. The translation generally follows the latter possibility, while at the same time being deliberately nonspecific (“weapon”).
[21:19] 69 tn Heb “Jaare-Oregim,” but the second word, which means “weavers,” is probably accidentally included. It appears at the end of the verse. The term is omitted in the parallel account in 1 Chr 20:5, which has simply “Jair.”
[21:19] 70 sn The Hebrew text as it stands reads, “Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite.” Who killed Goliath the Gittite? According to 1 Sam 17:4-58 it was David who killed Goliath, but according to the MT of 2 Sam 21:19 it was Elhanan who killed him. Many scholars believe that the two passages are hopelessly at variance with one another. Others have proposed various solutions to the difficulty, such as identifying David with Elhanan or positing the existence of two Goliaths. But in all likelihood the problem is the result of difficulties in the textual transmission of the Samuel passage; in fact, from a text-critical point of view the books of Samuel are the most poorly preserved of all the books of the Hebrew Bible. The parallel passage in 1 Chr 20:5 reads, “Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath.” Both versions are textually corrupt. The Chronicles text has misread “Bethlehemite” (בֵּית הַלַּחְמִי, bet hallakhmi) as the accusative sign followed by a proper name אֶת לַחְמִי (’et lakhmi). (See the note at 1 Chr 20:5.) The Samuel text misread the word for “brother” (אַח, ’akh) as the accusative sign (אֵת, ’et), thereby giving the impression that Elhanan, not David, killed Goliath. Thus in all probability the original text read, “Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath.”
[21:20] 71 tn Heb “a man of stature.”
[21:22] 72 tn Heb “they fell.”
[21:22] 73 tn Heb “his servants.”
[22:1] 74 sn In this long song of thanks, David affirms that God is his faithful protector. He recalls in highly poetic fashion how God intervened in awesome power and delivered him from death. His experience demonstrates that God vindicates those who are blameless and remain loyal to him. True to his promises, God gives the king victory on the battlefield and enables him to subdue nations. A parallel version of the song appears in Ps 18.
[22:1] 76 tn Heb “in the day,” or “at the time.”
[22:1] 78 tn Heb “and from the hand of Saul.”
[22:2] 79 tn Traditionally “is my rock”; CEV “mighty rock”; TEV “is my protector.” This metaphor pictures God as a rocky, relatively inaccessible summit, where one would be able to find protection from enemies. See 1 Sam 23:25, 28.
[22:2] 80 tn Traditionally “my fortress”; TEV “my strong fortress”; NCV “my protection.”
[22:2] sn My stronghold. David often found safety in such strongholds. See 1 Sam 22:4-5; 24:22; 2 Sam 5:9, 17; 23:14.
[22:3] 81 tc The translation (along with many English versions, e.g., NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT) follows the LXX in reading אֱלֹהִי (’elohi, “my God”) rather than MT’s אֱלֹהֵי (’elohe, “the God of”). See Ps 18:2.
[22:3] 83 tn Heb “the horn of my salvation,” or “my saving horn.”
[22:3] sn Though some see “horn” as referring to a horn-shaped peak of a hill, or to the “horns” of an altar where one could find refuge, it is more likely that the horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 89:17, 24; 92:10; Lam 2:17). In the ancient Near East powerful warrior-kings would sometimes compare themselves to a goring bull that uses its horns to kill its enemies. For examples, see P. Miller, “El the Warrior,” HTR 60 (1967): 422-25, and R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 135-36. 2 Sam 22:3 uses the metaphor of the horn in a slightly different manner. Here the Lord himself is compared to a horn. He is to the psalmist what the horn is to the ox, a source of defense and victory.
[22:3] 84 tn The parallel version of the song in Ps 18 does not include this last line.
[22:4] 85 tn In this song of thanksgiving, where David recalls how the Lord delivered him, the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense (cf. CEV “I prayed”), not an imperfect (as in many English versions).
[22:4] 86 tn Heb “worthy of praise, I cried out [to] the
[22:5] 87 tn The noun נַחַל (nakhal) usually refers to a river or stream, but in this context the plural form likely refers to the currents of the sea (see vv. 15-16).
[22:5] 88 tn The noun בְלִיַּעַל (bÿliyya’al) is used here as an epithet for death. Elsewhere it is a common noun meaning “wickedness, uselessness” (see HALOT 133-34 s.v. בְּלִיַּעַל). It is often associated with rebellion against authority and other crimes that result in societal disorder and anarchy. The phrase “man/son of wickedness” refers to one who opposes God and the order he has established. The term becomes an appropriate title for death, which, through human forces, launches an attack against God’s chosen servant.
[22:5] 89 tn In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. (Note the perfect verbal form in the parallel/preceding line.) The verb בָּעַת (ba’at) sometimes by metonymy carries the nuance “frighten,” but the parallelism (note “engulfed” in the preceding line) favors the meaning “overwhelm” here.
[22:6] 90 tn “Sheol,” personified here as David’s enemy, is the underworld, place of the dead in primitive Hebrew cosmology.
[22:6] 91 tn Heb “surrounded me.”
[22:6] 92 tn Heb “confronted me.”
[22:7] 93 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] 94 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] 95 tn Heb “and my cry for help [entered] his ears.”
[22:8] 96 tn The earth heaved and shook. The imagery pictures an earthquake, in which the earth’s surface rises and falls. The earthquake motif is common in Old Testament theophanies of God as warrior and in ancient Near eastern literary descriptions of warring gods and kings. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 160-62.
[22:8] 97 tn Ps 18:7 reads “the roots of the mountains.”
[22:8] 98 tn In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. Note the three prefixed verbal forms with vav consecutive in the verse.
[22:9] 99 tn Heb “within” or “[from] within.” For a discussion of the use of the preposition בְּ (bet) here, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 163-64.
[22:9] 100 tn Or “in his anger.” The noun אַף (’af) can carry the abstract meaning “anger,” but the parallelism (note “from his mouth”) suggests the more concrete meaning “nose” here (most English versions, “nostrils”). See also v. 16, “the powerful breath of your nose.”
[22:9] 101 tn Heb “fire from his mouth devoured.” In this poetic narrative the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. Note the two perfect verbal forms in the verse.
[22:9] sn For other examples of fire as a weapon in Old Testament theophanies and ancient Near Eastern portrayals of warring gods and kings, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 165-67.
[22:9] 102 tn Heb “coals burned from him.” Perhaps the psalmist pictures God’s fiery breath igniting coals (see Job 41:21), which he then hurls as weapons (see Ps 120:4).
[22:10] 103 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
[22:11] 104 tn Or “rode upon.”
[22:11] 105 tn Heb “a cherub” (so KJV, NAB, NRSV); NIV “the cherubim” (plural); TEV “his winged creature”; CEV “flying creatures.”
[22:11] sn A winged angel. Cherubs, as depicted in the Old Testament, possess both human and animal (lion, ox, and eagle) characteristics (see Ezek 1:10; 10:14, 21; 41:18). They are pictured as winged creatures (Exod 25:20; 37:9; 1 Kgs 6:24-27; Ezek 10:8, 19) and serve as the very throne of God when the ark of the covenant is in view (Pss 80:1; 99:1; see Num 7:89; 1 Sam 4:4; 2 Sam 6:2; 2 Kgs 19:15). The picture of the
[22:11] 106 tc The translation follows very many medieval Hebrew
[22:11] 107 sn The wings of the wind. Verse 10 may depict the
[22:12] 108 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] 109 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.)
[22:13] 110 tc The parallel text in Ps 18:12 reads “from the brightness in front of him his clouds came, hail and coals of fire.” The Lucianic family of texts within the Greek tradition of 2 Sam 22:13 seems to assume the underlying Hebrew text: מִנֹּגַהּ נֶגְדּוֹ עָבְרוּ בָּרָד וְגַחֲלֵי אֵשׁ (minnogah negdo ’avru barad vÿgakhale ’esh, “from the brightness in front of him came hail and coals of fire”) which is the basis for the present translation. The textual situation is perplexing and the identity of the original text uncertain. The verbs עָבְרוּ (’avÿru; Ps 18:12) and בָּעֲרוּ (ba’aru, 2 Sam 22:13) appear to be variants involving a transposition of the first two letters. The noun עָבָיו (’avav, “his clouds”; Ps 18:12) may be virtually dittographic (note the following עָבְרוּ), or it could have accidentally dropped from the text of 2 Sam 22:13 by virtual haplography (note the preceding בָּעֲרוּ [ba’aru], which might have originally read עָבְרוּ). The term בָּרָד (barad, “hail”; Ps 18:12) may be virtually dittographic (note the preceding עָבְרוּ), or it could have dropped from 2 Sam 22:13 by virtual haplography (note the preceding בָּעֲרוּ, which might have originally read עָבְרוּ). For a fuller discussion of the text, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 74-76.
[22:14] 111 tn The shortened theme vowel indicates that the prefixed verbal form is a preterite.
[22:14] 112 tn Heb “the Most High.” This divine title (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Ps 47:2.
[22:14] 113 tn Heb “offered his voice.” In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. Note the preterite form in the preceding line. The text of Ps 18:13 adds at this point, “hail and coals of fire.” These words are probably accidentally added from v. 12b; they do not appear in 2 Sam 22:14.
[22:14] sn Thunder is a common motif in Old Testament theophanies and in ancient Near Eastern portrayals of the storm god and warring kings. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 179-83.
[22:15] 115 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] 116 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.
[22:16] 118 tn Or “foundations.”
[22:16] 119 tn The noun is derived from the verb גָעַר (nag’ar) which is often understood to mean “rebuke.” In some cases it is apparent that scolding or threatening is in view (see Gen 37:10; Ruth 2:16; Zech 3:2). However, in militaristic contexts this translation is inadequate, for the verb refers in this setting to the warrior’s battle cry, which terrifies and paralyzes the enemy. See A. Caquot, TDOT 3:53, and note the use of the verb in Pss 68:30; 106:9; and Nah 1:4, as well as the related noun in Job 26:11; Pss 9:5; 76:6; 104:7; Isa 50:2; 51:20; 66:15.
[22:16] 120 tn Heb “blast of the breath” (literally, “breath of breath”) employs an appositional genitive. Synonyms are joined in a construct relationship to emphasize the single idea. For a detailed discussion of the grammatical point with numerous examples, see Y. Avishur, “Pairs of Synonymous Words in the Construct State (and in Appositional Hendiadys) in Biblical Hebrew,” Semitics 2 (1971): 17-81.
[22:17] 121 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] 122 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] 123 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.
[22:19] 124 tn The same verb is translated “trapped” in v. 6. In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not imperfect. Cf. NAB, NCV, TEV, NLT “attacked.”
[22:19] 125 tn Heb “became my support.”
[22:20] 126 tn Or “delighted in me” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[22:21] 127 tn In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not imperfect.
[22:21] 128 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] 129 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] 130 tn Heb “according to the purity of my hands he repaid to me.” Hands suggest activity and behavior.
[22:22] 131 tn Heb “for I have kept the ways of the
[22:22] 132 tn Heb “I have not acted wickedly from my God.” The statement is elliptical, the idea being, “I have not acted wickedly and, in so doing, departed from my God.”
[22:23] 133 tn Heb “for all his regulations are before me.” The term מִשְׁפָּטָו (mishpatav, “his regulations”) refers to God’s covenantal requirements, especially those which the king is responsible to follow (cf Deut 17:18-20). See also Pss 19:9 (cf vv. 7-8); 89:30; 147:20 (cf v. 19), as well as the numerous uses of the term in Ps 119.
[22:23] 134 tn Heb “and his rules, I do not turn aside from it.” Ps 18:22 reads, “and his rules I do not turn aside from me.” The prefixed verbal form is probably an imperfect; David here generalizes about his loyalty to God’s commands. The
[22:24] 135 tn Heb “from my sin,” that is, from making it my own in any way. Leading a “blameless” life meant that the king would be loyal to God’s covenant, purge the government and society of evil and unjust officials, and reward loyalty to the
[22:25] 136 tn Heb “according to my righteousness.” See v. 21.
[22:25] 137 tn Heb “according to my purity before his eyes.”
[22:26] 138 tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 26-30 draw attention to God’s characteristic actions. Based on his experience, the psalmist generalizes about God’s just dealings with people (vv. 26-28) and about the way in which God typically empowers him on the battlefield (vv. 29-30). The Hitpael stem is used in vv. 26-27 in a reflexive resultative (or causative) sense. God makes himself loyal, etc. in the sense that he conducts or reveals himself as such. On this use of the Hitpael stem, see GKC 149-50 §54.e.
[22:26] 139 tn Or “to a faithful follower.” A חָסִיד (khasid, “faithful follower”) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 16:10; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).
[22:26] 141 tc Heb “a warrior of innocence.” The parallel text in Ps 18:25 reads, probably correctly, גֶּבֶר (gever, “man”) instead of גִּבּוֹר (gibor, “warrior”).
[22:27] 142 tn Or “blameless.”
[22:27] 143 tc The translation follows two medieval Hebrew
[22:27] 144 tn The adjective עִקֵּשׁ (’iqqesh) has the basic nuance “twisted; crooked,” and by extension refers to someone or something that is morally perverse. It appears frequently in Proverbs, where it is used of evil people (22:5), speech (8:8; 19:1), thoughts (11:20; 17:20) and life styles (2:15; 28:6). A righteous king opposes such people (Ps 101:4). Verses 26-27 affirm God’s justice. He responds to people in accordance with their moral character. His response mirrors their actions. The faithful and blameless find God to be loyal and reliable in his dealings with them. But deceivers discover he is able and willing to use deceit to destroy them. For a more extensive discussion of the theme of divine deception in the OT, see R. B. Chisholm, “Does God Deceive?” BSac 155 (1998): 11-28.
[22:28] 145 tn Or perhaps “humble” (so NIV, NRSV, NLT; note the contrast with those who are proud).
[22:28] 146 tc Heb “but your eyes are upon the proud, you bring low.” Ps 18:27 reads “but proud eyes you bring low.”
[22:29] 147 tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is asseverative here.
[22:29] 148 tc Many medieval Hebrew
[22:29] 149 tc The Lucianic Greek recension and Vulgate understand this verb to be second person rather than third person as in the MT. But this is probably the result of reading the preceding word “
[22:29] 150 tn Heb “my darkness.”
[22:30] 151 tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is asseverative here.
[22:30] 153 tn Heb “I will run.” The imperfect verbal forms in v. 30 indicate the subject’s potential or capacity to perform an action. Though one might expect a preposition to follow the verb here, this need not be the case with the verb רוּץ (ruts; see 1 Sam 17:22). Some emend the Qal to a Hiphil form of the verb and translate, “I put to flight [literally, “cause to run”] an army.”
[22:30] 154 tn More specifically, the noun refers to a raiding party or to a contingent of troops (see HALOT 177 s.v. II גְדוּד). The picture of a divinely empowered warrior charging against an army in almost superhuman fashion appears elsewhere in ancient Near Eastern literature. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 228.
[22:30] 155 tn Heb “by my God.”
[22:30] 156 tn David uses hyperbole to emphasize his God-given military superiority.
[22:31] 157 tn Heb “[As for] the God, his way is blameless.” The term הָאֵל (ha’el, “the God”) stands as a nominative (or genitive) absolute in apposition to the resumptive pronominal suffix on “way.” The prefixed article emphasizes his distinctiveness as the one true God (see BDB 42 s.v. II אֵל 6; Deut 33:26). God’s “way” in this context refers to his protective and salvific acts in fulfillment of his promise (see also Deut 32:4; Pss 67:2; 77:13 [note vv. 11-12, 14]; 103:7; 138:5; 145:17).
[22:31] 158 tn Heb “the word of the
[22:32] 159 tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is asseverative here.
[22:32] 160 tn Heb “rocky cliff,” which is a metaphor of protection.
[22:32] 161 tn The rhetorical questions anticipate the answer, “No one.” In this way the psalmist indicates that the
[22:33] 162 tn Heb “the God.” See the note at v. 31.
[22:33] 163 tc 4QSama has מְאַזְּרֵנִי (mÿ’azzÿreni, “the one girding me with strength”) rather than the MT מָעוּזִּי (ma’uzzi, “my refuge”). See as well Ps 18:32.
[22:33] 164 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav consecutive here carries along the generalizing tone of the preceding line.
[22:33] 165 tn Heb “and he sets free (from the verb נָתַר, natar) [the] blameless, his [Kethib; “my” (Qere)] way.” The translation follows Ps 18:32 in reading “he made my path smooth.” The term תָּמִים (tamim, “smooth”) usually carries a moral or ethical connotation, “blameless, innocent.” However, in Ps 18:33 it refers to a pathway free of obstacles. The reality underlying the metaphor is the psalmist’s ability to charge into battle without tripping (see vv. 33, 36).
[22:34] 166 tc Heb “[the one who] makes his feet like [those of] a deer.” The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[22:34] 167 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] 169 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] 170 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.
[22:36] 171 tn Another option is to translate the prefixed verb with vav consecutive with a past tense, “you gave me.” Several prefixed verbal forms with vav consecutive also appear in vv. 38-44. The present translation understands this section as a description of what generally happened when the author charged into battle, but another option is to understand the section as narrative and translate accordingly.
[22:36] 172 tc Ps 18:35 contains an additional line following this one, which reads “your right hand supports me.” It may be omitted here due to homoioarcton. See the note at Ps 18:35.
[22:36] tn Heb “and you give me the shield of your deliverance”; KJV, ASV “the shield of thy (your NRSV, NLT) salvation”; NIV “your shield of victory.” Ancient Near Eastern literature often refers to a god giving a king special weapons. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 260-61.
[22:36] 173 tn Heb “your answer makes me great.” David refers to God’s willingness to answer his prayer.
[22:37] 174 tn Heb “step.” “Step” probably refers metonymically to the path upon which the psalmist walks. Another option is to translate, “you widen my stride.” This would suggest that God gives him the capacity to run quickly.
[22:37] 175 tn Heb “lower legs.” On the meaning of the Hebrew noun, which occurs only here, see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 112. A cognate Akkadian noun means “lower leg.”
[22:40] 176 tn Heb “you clothed me with strength for battle.”
[22:40] 177 tn Heb “you make those who rise against me kneel beneath me.”
[22:41] 178 tn Heb “and [as for] my enemies, you give to me [the] back [or “neck” ].” The idiom “give [the] back” means “to cause [one] to turn the back and run away.” See Exod 23:27 and HALOT 888 s.v. II ערף.
[22:42] 179 tc The translation follows one medieval Hebrew
[22:42] 180 tn Heb “but there is no deliverer.”
[22:42] 181 tn The words “they cry out” are not in the Hebrew text. This reference to the psalmists’ enemies crying out for help to the
[22:43] 182 tn Or “mud” (so NAB, NIV, CEV). See HALOT 374 s.v. טִיט.
[22:44] 183 tn Heb “from the strivings of my people.” In this context רִיב (riv, “striving”) probably has a militaristic sense (as in Judg 12:2; Isa 41:11), and עַם (’am, “people”) probably refers more specifically to an army (for other examples, see the verses listed in BDB 766 s.v. עַם 2.d). The suffix “my” suggests David is referring to attacks by his own countrymen, the “people” being Israel. However, the parallel text in Ps 18:43 omits the suffix.
[22:44] 184 tn Heb “a people whom I did not know serve me.” In this context the verb “know” (יָדַע, yada’) probably refers to formal recognition by treaty. People who were once not under the psalmist’s authority now willingly submit to his rulership to avoid being conquered militarily (see vv. 45-46). The language may recall the events recorded in 2 Sam 8:9-10 and 10:19.
[22:45] 185 tn For the meaning “to be weak; to be powerless” for the verb כָּחַשׁ (kakhash), see Ps 109:24. Verse 46, which also mentions foreigners, favors this interpretation. Another option is to translate “cower in fear” (see Deut 33:29; Pss 66:3; 81:15).
[22:45] 186 tn Heb “at a report of an ear they submit to me.” The report of David’s exploits is so impressive that those who hear it submit to his rulership without putting up a fight.
[22:46] 187 tn Heb “wither, wear out.”
[22:46] 188 tc The translation assumes a reading וְיַחְרְגוּ (vÿyakhrÿgu, “and they quaked”) rather than the MT וְיַחְגְּרוּ (vÿyakhgÿru, “and they girded themselves”). See the note at Ps 18:45.
[22:46] 190 tn Heb “prisons.” Their besieged cities are compared to prisons.
[22:47] 191 tn Elsewhere the construction חַי־יְהוָה (khay-yÿhvah) as used exclusively as an oath formula, but this is not the case here, for no oath follows. Here the statement is an affirmation of the
[22:47] 192 tn Heb “my rocky cliff,” which is a metaphor for protection.
[22:47] 193 tn Or “blessed [i.e., praised] be.”
[22:47] 194 tn Heb “the God of the rock of my deliverance.” The term צוּר (tsur, “rock”) is probably accidentally repeated from the previous line. The parallel version in Ps 18:46 has simply “the God of my deliverance.”
[22:47] 195 tn The words “as king” are supplied in the translation for clarification. In the Psalms the verb רוּם (rum, “be exalted”) when used of God, refers to his exalted position as king (Pss 99:2; 113:4; 138:6) and/or his self-revelation as king through his mighty deeds of deliverance (Pss 21:13; 46:10; 57:5, 11).
[22:48] 196 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] 197 tn Heb “and [is the one who] brings down nations beneath me.”
[22:49] 198 tn Heb “and [the one who] brings me out from my enemies.”
[22:49] 199 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
[22:49] 200 tn Heb “from those who rise against me.”
[22:50] 201 sn This probably alludes to the fact that David will praise the
[22:50] 202 tn Heb “to your name.” God’s “name” refers metonymically to his divine characteristics as suggested by his name, in this case “
[22:51] 203 tc The translation follows the Kethib and the ancient versions in reading מַגְדִּיל (magdil, “he magnifies”) rather than the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[22:51] 204 tn Heb “[the one who] does loyalty to his anointed one.”
[23:1] 205 tn Heb “the anointed one of the God of Jacob.”
[23:3] 207 tn Heb “rock,” used as a metaphor of divine protection.
[23:5] 208 tn Heb “For not thus [is] my house with God?”
[23:5] 209 tn Heb “for all my deliverance and every desire, surely does he not make [it] grow?”
[23:7] 210 tn Heb “and with fire they are completely burned up in [the place where they] remain.” The infinitive absolute is used before the finite verb to emphasize that they are completely consumed by the fire.
[23:8] 211 tn The Hebrew word is sometimes rendered as “the three,” but BDB is probably correct in taking it to refer to military officers (BDB 1026 s.v. שְׁלִישִׁי). In that case the etymological connection of this word to the Hebrew numerical adjective for “three” can be explained as originating with a designation for the third warrior in a chariot.
[23:8] 212 tc The translation follows some LXX
[23:9] 213 tn Heb “after him.”
[23:9] 214 tc This follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[23:10] 217 tn Heb “his hand.”
[23:11] 218 tn Heb “after him.”
[23:11] 219 tn The Hebrew text is difficult here. The MT reads לַחַיָּה (lachayyah), which implies a rare use of the word חַיָּה (chayyah). The word normally refers to an animal, but if the MT is accepted it would here have the sense of a troop or community of people. BDB 312 s.v. II. חַיָּה, for example, understands the similar reference in v. 13 to be to “a group of allied families, making a raid together.” But this works better in v. 13 than it does in v. 11, where the context seems to suggest a particular staging location for a military operation. (See 1 Chr 11:15.) It therefore seems best to understand the word in v. 11 as a place name with ה (he) directive. In that case the Masoretes mistook the word for the common term for an animal and then tried to make sense of it in this context.
[23:12] 220 tn Heb “delivered.”
[23:13] 221 tn The meaning of Hebrew אֶל־קָצִיר (’el qatsir) seems here to be “at the time of harvest,” although this is an unusual use of the phrase. As S. R. Driver points out, this preposition does not normally have the temporal sense of “in” or “during” (S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 366).
[23:13] 222 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[23:13] 223 tn Heb “went down…and approached.”
[23:14] 224 map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
[23:17] 225 tn Heb “Far be it to me, O
[23:17] 226 tn Heb “[Is it not] the blood of the men who were going with their lives?”
[23:17] 227 tn Heb “These things the three warriors did.”
[23:18] 228 tc The translation follows the Qere, many medieval Hebrew
[23:18] 229 tn Heb “and he was wielding his spear against three hundred, [who were] slain, and to him there was a name among the three.”
[23:19] 230 tn Or “more than.”
[23:20] 231 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[23:20] 232 tc Heb “the two of Ariel, Moab.” The precise meaning of אריאל is uncertain; some read “warrior.” The present translation assumes that the word is a proper name and that בני, “sons of,” has accidentally dropped from the text by homoioarcton (note the preceding שׁני).
[23:21] 233 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[23:21] 234 tn Heb “and he went down to.”
[23:23] 235 tn Or “more than.”
[23:24] 236 map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
[23:29] 237 tc The translation follows many medieval Hebrew
[23:33] 238 tn The Hebrew text does not have “the son of.”
[23:35] 239 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[23:37] 240 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[24:1] 241 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.
[24:4] 242 tn Heb “and the word of the king was stronger than.”
[24:5] 243 tn Heb “in the middle of.”
[24:6] 244 map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[24:7] 245 map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[24:8] 246 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[24:9] 247 tn Heb “and Joab gave the number of the numbering of the people.”
[24:10] 248 tn Heb “and the heart of David struck him.”
[24:11] 249 tn Heb “and the word of the
[24:13] 250 tc The LXX has here “three” rather than “seven,” and is followed by NAB, NIV, NCV, NRSV, TEV, NLT. See 1 Chr 21:12.
[24:13] 251 tn Heb “now know and see.”
[24:14] 252 tn Heb “There is great distress to me. Let us fall into the hand of the
[24:16] 253 tn Heb “messenger.”
[24:16] 254 tn Heb “concerning the calamity.”
[24:16] 255 tn Heb “Now, drop your hand.”
[24:17] 256 tn Heb “let your hand be against me and against the house of my father.”
[24:20] 257 tn Heb “Araunah.” The name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.
[24:20] 258 tn Heb “nostrils.”
[24:22] 259 tn Heb “what is good in his eyes.”
[24:22] 260 sn Threshing sledges were heavy boards used in ancient times for loosening grain from husks. On the bottom sides of these boards sharp stones were embedded, and the boards were then dragged across the grain on a threshing floor by an ox or donkey.
[24:22] 261 tn Heb “the equipment of the oxen.”
[24:23] 262 tc The Hebrew text is difficult here. The translation reads עֶבֶד אֲדֹנָי (’eved ’adoni, “the servant of my lord”) rather than the MT’s אֲרַוְנָה (’Aravnah). In normal court etiquette a subject would not use his own name in this way, but would more likely refer to himself in the third person. The MT probably first sustained loss of עֶבֶד (’eved, “servant”), leading to confusion of the word for “my lord” with the name of the Jebusite referred to here.
[24:24] 263 tn Heb “fifty shekels of silver.” This would have been about 20 ounces (568 grams) of silver by weight.
