2 Tawarikh 9:1--12:16
Konteks9:1 When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon, 1 she came to challenge 2 him 3 with difficult questions. 4 She arrived in Jerusalem 5 with a great display of pomp, 6 bringing with her camels carrying spices, 7 a very large quantity of gold, and precious gems. She visited Solomon and discussed with him everything that was on her mind. 9:2 Solomon answered all her questions; there was no question too complex for the king. 8 9:3 When the queen of Sheba saw for herself Solomon’s extensive wisdom, 9 the palace 10 he had built, 9:4 the food in his banquet hall, 11 his servants and attendants 12 in their robes, his cupbearers in their robes, and his burnt sacrifices which he presented in the Lord’s temple, 13 she was amazed. 14 9:5 She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your wise sayings and insight 15 was true! 9:6 I did not believe these things until I came and saw them with my own eyes. Indeed, I didn’t hear even half the story! 16 Your wisdom surpasses what was reported to me. 9:7 Your attendants, who stand before you at all times and hear your wise sayings, are truly happy! 17 9:8 May the Lord your God be praised because he favored 18 you by placing you on his throne as the one ruling on his behalf! 19 Because of your God’s love for Israel and his lasting commitment to them, 20 he made you king over them so you could make just and right decisions.” 21 9:9 She gave the king 120 talents 22 of gold and a very large quantity of spices and precious gems. The quantity of spices the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon has never been matched. 23 9:10 (Huram’s 24 servants, aided by Solomon’s servants, brought gold from Ophir, as well as 25 fine 26 timber and precious gems. 9:11 With the timber the king made steps 27 for the Lord’s temple and royal palace as well as stringed instruments 28 for the musicians. No one had seen anything like them in the land of Judah prior to that. 29 ) 9:12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she requested, more than what she had brought him. 30 Then she left and returned 31 to her homeland with her attendants.
9:13 Solomon received 666 talents 32 of gold per year, 33 9:14 besides what he collected from the merchants 34 and traders. All the Arabian kings and the governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon. 9:15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; 600 measures 35 of hammered gold were used for each shield. 9:16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; 300 measures 36 of gold were used for each of those shields. The king placed them in the Palace of the Lebanon Forest. 37
9:17 The king made a large throne decorated with ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. 9:18 There were six steps leading up to the throne, and a gold footstool was attached to the throne. 38 The throne had two armrests with a statue of a lion standing on each side. 39 9:19 There were twelve statues of lions on the six steps, one lion at each end of each step. There was nothing like it in any other kingdom. 40
9:20 All of King Solomon’s cups were made of gold, and all the household items in the Palace of the Lebanon Forest were made of pure gold. There were no silver items, for silver was not considered very valuable in Solomon’s time. 41 9:21 The king had a fleet of large merchant ships 42 manned by Huram’s men 43 that sailed the sea. Once every three years the fleet 44 came into port with cargoes of 45 gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. 46
9:22 King Solomon was wealthier and wiser than any of the kings of the earth. 47 9:23 All the kings of the earth wanted to visit Solomon to see him display his God-given wisdom. 48 9:24 Year after year visitors brought their gifts, which included items of silver, items of gold, clothes, perfume, spices, horses, and mules. 49
9:25 Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his chariot horses 50 and 12,000 horses. He kept them in assigned cities and in Jerusalem. 51 9:26 He ruled all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River 52 to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt. 9:27 The king made silver as plentiful 53 in Jerusalem as stones; cedar was 54 as plentiful as sycamore fig trees are in the lowlands 55 . 9:28 Solomon acquired horses from Egypt and from all the lands.
9:29 The rest of the events of Solomon’s reign, from start to finish, are recorded 56 in the Annals of Nathan the Prophet, the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and the Vision of Iddo the Seer pertaining to Jeroboam son of Nebat. 9:30 Solomon ruled over all Israel from Jerusalem 57 for forty years. 9:31 Then Solomon passed away 58 and was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam replaced him as king.
10:1 Rehoboam traveled to Shechem, for all Israel had gathered in 59 Shechem to make Rehoboam 60 king. 10:2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard the news, he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon. Jeroboam returned from Egypt. 10:3 They sent for him 61 and Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 10:4 “Your father made us work too hard! 62 Now if you lighten the demands he made and don’t make us work as hard, we will serve you.” 63 10:5 He said to them, “Go away for three days, then return to me.” So the people went away.
10:6 King Rehoboam consulted with the older advisers who had served 64 his father Solomon when he had been alive. He asked them, 65 “How do you advise me to answer these people?” 10:7 They said to him, “If you are fair to these people, grant their request, and are cordial to them, they will be your servants from this time forward.” 66 10:8 But Rehoboam rejected their advice and consulted the young advisers who served him, with whom he had grown up. 67 10:9 He asked them, “How do you advise me to respond to these people who said to me, ‘Lessen the demands your father placed on us’?” 68 10:10 The young advisers with whom Rehoboam 69 had grown up said to him, “Say this to these people who have said to you, ‘Your father made us work hard, but now lighten our burden’ 70 – say this to them: ‘I am a lot harsher than my father! 71 10:11 My father imposed heavy demands on you; I will make them even heavier. 72 My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh.’” 73
10:12 Jeroboam and all the people reported to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had ordered when he said, “Return to me on the third day.” 10:13 The king responded to the people harshly. He 74 rejected the advice of the older men 10:14 and followed the advice of the younger ones. He said, “My father imposed heavy demands on you; 75 I will make them even heavier. 76 My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh.” 77 10:15 The king refused to listen to the people, because God was instigating this turn of events 78 so that he might bring to pass the prophetic announcement he had made 79 through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.
10:16 When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, the people answered the king, “We have no portion in David – no share in the son of Jesse! 80 Return to your homes, O Israel! 81 Now, look after your own dynasty, O David!” 82 So all Israel returned to their homes. 83 10:17 (Rehoboam continued to rule over the Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah.) 10:18 King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, 84 the supervisor of the work crews, out after them, but the Israelites stoned him to death. King Rehoboam managed to jump into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. 85 10:19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the Davidic dynasty to this very day.
11:1 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he summoned 180,000 skilled warriors from Judah and Benjamin 86 to attack Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. 11:2 But the Lord told Shemaiah the prophet, 87 11:3 “Say this to King Rehoboam son of Solomon of Judah and to all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin, 11:4 ‘The Lord says this: “Do not attack and make war with your brothers. Each of you go home, for I have caused this to happen.”’” 88 They obeyed the Lord and called off the attack against Jeroboam. 89
11:5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem; 90 he built up these fortified cities throughout Judah: 11:6 Bethlehem, 91 Etam, Tekoa, 11:7 Beth Zur, Soco, Adullam, 11:8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 11:9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 11:10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. These were the fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin. 11:11 He fortified these cities and placed officers in them, as well as storehouses of food, olive oil, and wine. 11:12 In each city there were shields and spears; he strongly fortified them. 92 Judah and Benjamin belonged to him.
11:13 The priests and Levites who lived throughout Israel supported him, no matter where they resided. 93 11:14 The Levites even left their pasturelands and their property behind and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons prohibited them from serving as the Lord’s priests. 11:15 Jeroboam 94 appointed his own priests to serve at the worship centers 95 and to lead in the worship of the goat idols and calf idols he had made. 96 11:16 Those among all the Israelite tribes who were determined to worship the Lord God of Israel followed them to Jerusalem 97 to sacrifice to the Lord God of their ancestors. 98 11:17 They supported 99 the kingdom of Judah and were loyal to 100 Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years; they followed the edicts of 101 David and Solomon for three years.
11:18 Rehoboam married 102 Mahalath the daughter of David’s son Jerimoth and of 103 Abihail, the daughter of Jesse’s son Eliab. 11:19 She bore him sons named Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. 11:20 He later married Maacah the daughter of Absalom. She bore to him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. 11:21 Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than his other wives and concubines. 104 He had eighteen wives and sixty concubines; he fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
11:22 Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as the leader over his brothers, for he intended to name him his successor. 105 11:23 He wisely placed some of his many sons throughout the regions of Judah and Benjamin in the various fortified cities. 106 He supplied them with abundant provisions and acquired many wives for them. 107
12:1 After Rehoboam’s rule was established and solidified, he and all Israel rejected the law of the Lord. 12:2 Because they were unfaithful to the Lord, in King Rehoboam’s fifth year, King Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem. 12:3 He had 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horsemen, and an innumerable number of soldiers who accompanied him from Egypt, including Libyans, Sukkites, and Cushites. 12:4 He captured the fortified cities of Judah and marched against Jerusalem.
12:5 Shemaiah the prophet visited Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah who were assembled in Jerusalem because of Shishak. He said to them, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You have rejected me, so I have rejected you and will hand you over to Shishak.’” 108 12:6 The leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is just.” 109 12:7 When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, he gave this message to Shemaiah: 110 “They have humbled themselves, so I will not destroy them. I will deliver them soon. 111 My anger will not be unleashed against 112 Jerusalem through 113 Shishak. 12:8 Yet they will become his subjects, so they can experience how serving me differs from serving the surrounding nations.” 114
12:9 King Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem and took away the treasures of the Lord’s temple and of the royal palace; he took everything, including the gold shields that Solomon had made. 12:10 King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned them to the officers of the royal guard 115 who protected the entrance to the royal palace. 12:11 Whenever the king visited the Lord’s temple, the royal guards carried them and then brought them back to the guardroom. 116
12:12 So when Rehoboam 117 humbled himself, the Lord relented from his anger and did not annihilate him; 118 Judah experienced some good things. 119 12:13 King Rehoboam solidified his rule in Jerusalem; 120 he 121 was forty-one years old when he became king and he ruled for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord chose from all the tribes of Israel to be his home. 122 Rehoboam’s 123 mother was an Ammonite named Naamah. 12:14 He did evil because he was not determined to follow the Lord. 124
12:15 The events of Rehoboam’s reign, from start to finish, are recorded 125 in the Annals of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer that include genealogical records. 12:16 Then Rehoboam passed away 126 and was buried in the City of David. 127 His son Abijah replaced him as king.
[9:1] 1 tn Heb “the report about Solomon.”
[9:1] 3 tn Heb “Solomon.” The recurrence of the proper name here is redundant in terms of contemporary English style, so the pronoun has been used in the translation instead.
[9:1] 5 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[9:1] 6 tn Heb “with very great strength.” The Hebrew word חַיִל (khayil, “strength”) may refer here to the size of her retinue or to the great wealth she brought with her.
[9:2] 8 tn Heb “Solomon declared to her all her words; there was not a word hidden from the king which he did not declare to her.” If riddles are specifically in view (see v. 1), then one might translate, “Solomon explained to her all her riddles; there was no riddle too complex for the king.”
[9:3] 9 tn Heb “all the wisdom of Solomon.”
[9:4] 11 tn Heb “the food on his table.”
[9:4] 12 tn Heb “the seating of his servants and the standing of his attendants.”
[9:4] 13 tc The Hebrew text has here, “and his upper room [by] which he was going up to the house of the
[9:4] 14 tn Or “it took her breath away”; Heb “there was no breath still in her.”
[9:5] 15 tn Heb “about your words [or perhaps, “deeds”] and your wisdom.”
[9:6] 16 tn Heb “the half was not told to me.”
[9:7] 17 tn Heb “How happy are your men! How happy are these servants of yours, who stand before you continually, who hear your wisdom!”
[9:8] 18 tn Or “delighted in.”
[9:8] 19 tn Heb “as king for the
[9:8] 20 tn Heb “to make him stand permanently.”
[9:8] 21 tn Heb “to do justice and righteousness.”
[9:9] 22 tn The Hebrew word כִּכַּר (kikar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or, by extension, to a standard unit of weight. According to the older (Babylonian) standard the “talent” weighed 130 lbs. (58.9 kg), but later this was lowered to 108.3 lbs. (49.1 kg). More recent research suggests the “light” standard talent was 67.3 lbs. (30.6 kg). Using this as the standard for calculation, the weight of the gold was 8,076 lbs. (3,672 kg).
[9:9] 23 tn Heb “there has not been like those spices which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.”
[9:10] 24 tn Heb “Huram’s” (also in v. 21). Some medieval Hebrew
[9:10] 25 tn Heb “who brought gold from Ophir, brought.”
[9:11] 27 tn Heb “tracks.” The parallel text in 1 Kgs 10:12 has a different term whose meaning is uncertain: “supports,” perhaps “banisters” or “parapets.”
[9:11] 28 tn Two types of stringed instruments are specifically mentioned in the Hebrew text, the כִּנּוֹר (kinnor, “zither”) and נֶבֶל (nevel, “harp”).
[9:11] 29 tn Heb “there was not seen like these formerly in the land of Judah.”
[9:12] 30 tn Heb “besides what she brought to the king.”
[9:12] 31 tn Heb “turned and went.”
[9:13] 32 tn The Hebrew word כִּכַּר (kikar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or, by extension, to a standard unit of weight. According to the older (Babylonian) standard the “talent” weighed 130 lbs. (58.9 kg), but later this was lowered to 108.3 lbs. (49.1 kg). More recent research suggests the “light” standard talent was 67.3 lbs. (30.6 kg). Using this as the standard for calculation, the weight of the gold Solomon received annually was 44,822 lbs. (20,380 kg).
[9:13] 33 tn Heb “the weight of the gold which came to Solomon in one year was 666 units of gold.”
[9:14] 34 tn Heb “traveling men.”
[9:15] 35 tn The Hebrew text has simply “600,” with no unit of measure given.
[9:16] 36 tn The Hebrew text has simply “300,” with no unit of measure given.
[9:16] 37 sn This name was appropriate because of the large amount of cedar, undoubtedly brought from Lebanon, used in its construction. The cedar pillars in the palace must have given it the appearance of a forest. See 1 Kgs 7:2.
[9:18] 38 tc The parallel text of 1 Kgs 10:19 has instead “and the back of it was rounded on top.”
[9:18] 39 tn Heb “[There were] armrests on each side of the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests.”
[9:19] 40 tn Heb “nothing like it had been made for any kingdom.”
[9:20] 41 tn Heb “there was no silver, it was not regarded as anything in the days of Solomon.”
[9:21] 42 tn Heb “for ships belonging to the king were going [to] Tarshish with the servants of Huram.” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to the distant western port of Tarshish.
[9:21] 44 tn Heb “the fleet of Tarshish [ships].”
[9:21] 45 tn Heb “the ships of Tarshish came carrying.”
[9:21] 46 tn The meaning of this word is unclear; some suggest it refers to “baboons.” NEB has “monkeys,” NASB, NRSV “peacocks,” and NIV “baboons.”
[9:22] 47 tn Heb “King Solomon was greater than all the kings of the earth with respect to wealth and wisdom.”
[9:23] 48 tn Heb “and all the kings of the earth were seeking the face of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had placed in his heart.”
[9:24] 49 tn Heb “and they were bringing each one his gift, items of silver…and mules, the matter of a year in a year.”
[9:25] 50 tc The parallel text of 1 Kgs 10:26 reads “fourteen hundred chariots.”
[9:25] 51 tn Heb “he placed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.”
[9:25] map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[9:26] 52 tn Heb “the River.” In biblical Hebrew the Euphrates River was typically referred to simply as “the River.”
[9:27] 53 tn The words “as plentiful” are supplied for clarification.
[9:27] 54 tn Heb “he made cedar.”
[9:27] 55 tn Heb “as the sycamore fig trees which are in the Shephelah.”
[9:29] 56 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Solomon, the former and the latter, are they not written?”
[9:30] 57 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[9:31] 58 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[10:1] 60 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Rehoboam) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:3] 61 tn Heb “They sent and called for him.”
[10:4] 62 tn Heb “made our yoke burdensome.”
[10:4] 63 tn Heb “but you, now, lighten the burdensome work of your father and the heavy yoke which he placed on us, and we will serve you.” In the Hebrew text the prefixed verbal form with vav (וְנַעַבְדֶךָ, vÿna’avdekha, “and we will serve you”) following the imperative (הָקֵל, haqel, “lighten”) indicates purpose/result. The conditional sentence used in the present translation is an attempt to bring out the logical relationship between these forms.
[10:6] 64 tn Heb “stood before.”
[10:7] 66 tn Heb “If today you are for good to these people and you are favorable to them and speak to them good words, they will be your servants all the days.”
[10:8] 67 tn Heb “Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders which they advised and he consulted the young men with whom he had grown up, who stood before him.”
[10:9] 68 tn Heb “Lighten the yoke which your father placed on us.”
[10:10] 69 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Rehoboam) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:10] 70 tn Heb “Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it lighter upon us.”
[10:10] 71 tn Heb “My little one is thicker than my father’s hips.” The referent of “my little one” is not clear. The traditional view is that it refers to the little finger (so NEB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT). As the following statement makes clear, Rehoboam’s point is that he is more harsh and demanding than his father.
[10:11] 72 tn Heb “and now my father placed upon you a heavy yoke, but I will add to your yoke.”
[10:11] 73 tn Heb “My father punished you with whips, but I [will punish you] with scorpions.” “Scorpions” might allude to some type of torture, but more likely it refers to a type of whip that inflicts an especially biting, painful wound.
[10:13] 74 tn Heb “Rehoboam.” The pronoun “he” has been used in the translation in place of the proper name in keeping with contemporary English style.
[10:14] 75 tc The Hebrew text reads, “I will make heavy your yoke,” but many medieval Hebrew
[10:14] 76 tn Heb “but I will add to your yoke.”
[10:14] 77 tn Heb “My father punished you with whips, but I [will punish you] with scorpions.” “Scorpions” might allude to some type of torture, but more likely it refers to a type of whip that inflicts an especially biting, painful wound.
[10:15] 78 tn Heb “because this turn of events was from God.”
[10:15] 79 tn Heb “so that the
[10:16] 80 sn The people’s point seems to be that they have no familial relationship with David that brings them any benefits or places upon them any obligations. They are being treated like outsiders.
[10:16] 81 tn Heb “each one to your tents, Israel.” The word “return” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[10:16] 82 tn Heb “Now see your house, David.”
[10:16] 83 tn Heb “went to their tents.”
[10:18] 84 sn In the parallel account in 1 Kgs 12:18 this name appears as “Adoniram.”
[10:18] 85 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[11:1] 86 tn Heb “he summoned the house of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 chosen men, accomplished in war.”
[11:2] 87 tn Heb “and the word of the
[11:4] 88 tn Heb “for his thing is from me.”
[11:4] 89 tn Heb “and they heard the words of the
[11:5] 90 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[11:6] 91 map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
[11:12] 92 tn Heb “he strengthened them greatly, very much.”
[11:13] 93 tn Heb “and the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel supported him from all their territory.”
[11:15] 94 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jeroboam) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:15] 95 tn Heb “for the high places.”
[11:15] 96 tn Heb “and for the goats and for the calves he had made.”
[11:16] 97 tn Heb “and after them from all the tribes of Israel, the ones giving their heart[s] to seek the
[11:17] 99 tn Or “strengthened.”
[11:17] 100 tn Or “strengthened.”
[11:17] 101 tn Heb “they walked in the way of.”
[11:18] 102 tn Heb “took for himself a wife.”
[11:18] 103 tn The words “and of” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[11:21] 104 sn Concubines were slave women in ancient Near Eastern societies who were the legal property of their master, but who could have legitimate sexual relations with their master. A concubine’s status was more elevated than a mere servant, but she was not free and did not have the legal rights of a free wife. The children of a concubine could, in some instances, become equal heirs with the children of the free wife. After the period of the Judges concubines may have become more of a royal prerogative (2 Sam 21:10-14; 1 Kgs 11:3).
[11:22] 105 tn Heb “and Rehoboam appointed for a head Abijah son of Maacah for ruler among his brothers, indeed to make him king.”
[11:23] 106 tn Heb “and he was discerning and broke up from all his sons to all the lands of Judah and Benjamin, to all the fortified cities.”
[11:23] 107 tn “and he asked for a multitude of wives.”
[12:5] 108 tn Heb “also I have rejected you into the hand of Shishak.”
[12:6] 109 tn Or “fair,” meaning the
[12:7] 110 tn Heb “the word of the
[12:7] 111 tn Heb “and I will give to them soon deliverance.”
[12:7] 112 tn Or “gush forth upon.”
[12:7] 113 tn Heb “by the hand of.”
[12:8] 114 tn Heb “so they may know my service and the service of the kingdoms of the lands.”
[12:10] 115 tn Heb “runners” (also in v. 11).
[12:11] 116 tn Heb “to the chamber of the runners.”
[12:12] 117 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Rehoboam) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:12] 118 tn Heb “the anger of the
[12:12] 119 tn Heb “and also in Judah there were good things.”
[12:13] 120 tn Heb “and the king, Rehoboam, strengthened himself in Jerusalem and ruled.”
[12:13] 121 tn Heb “Rehoboam.” The recurrence of the proper name here is redundant in terms of contemporary English style, so the pronoun has been used in the translation instead.
[12:13] 122 tn Heb “the city where the
[12:13] 123 tn Heb “his”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:14] 124 tn Heb “because he did not set his heart to seek the
[12:15] 125 tn Heb “As for the events of Rehoboam, the former and the latter, are they not written?”
[12:16] 126 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[12:16] 127 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
