2 Samuel 1:12

1:12 They lamented and wept and fasted until evening because Saul, his son Jonathan, the Lord’s people, and the house of Israel had fallen by the sword.

2 Samuel 1:18

1:18 (He gave instructions that the people of Judah should be taught “The Bow.” ¹  Indeed, it is written down in the Book of Yashar.) ² 

2 Samuel 2:7

2:7 Now be courageous ³  and prove to be valiant warriors, for your lord Saul is dead. The people of Judah have anointed me as king over them.”

2 Samuel 2:10

2:10 Ish-bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he began to rule over Israel. He ruled two years. However, the people ⁴  of Judah followed David.

2 Samuel 2:27-28

2:27 Joab replied, “As surely as God lives, if you had not said this, it would have been morning before the people would have abandoned pursuit ⁵  of their brothers!” 2:28 Then Joab blew the ram’s horn and all the people stopped in their tracks. ⁶  They stopped chasing Israel and ceased fighting. ⁷ 

2 Samuel 2:30

2:30 Now Joab returned from chasing Abner and assembled all the people. Nineteen of David’s soldiers were missing, in addition to Asahel.

2 Samuel 3:31-32

3:31 David instructed Joab and all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes! Put on sackcloth! Lament before Abner!” Now King David followed ⁸  behind the funeral bier. 3:32 So they buried Abner in Hebron. The king cried loudly ⁹  over Abner’s grave and all the people wept too.

2 Samuel 3:34

3:34 Your hands ¹⁰  were not bound,

and your feet were not put into irons.

You fell the way one falls before criminals.”

All the people ¹¹  wept over him again.

2 Samuel 3:37

3:37 All the people and all Israel realized on that day that the killing of Abner son of Ner was not done at the king’s instigation. ¹² 

2 Samuel 5:12

5:12 David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that he had elevated his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

2 Samuel 6:18

6:18 When David finished offering the burnt sacrifices and peace offerings, he pronounced a blessing over the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.

2 Samuel 7:26

7:26 so you may gain lasting fame, ¹³  as people say, ¹⁴  ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel!’ The dynasty ¹⁵  of your servant David will be established before you,

2 Samuel 10:12

10:12 Be strong! Let’s fight bravely for the sake of our people and the cities of our God! The Lord will do what he decides is best!” ¹⁶ 

2 Samuel 13:34

13:34 In the meantime Absalom fled. When the servant who was the watchman looked up, he saw many people coming from the west ¹⁷  on a road beside the hill.

2 Samuel 16:18

16:18 Hushai replied to Absalom, “No, I will be loyal to the one whom the Lord, these people, and all the men of Israel have chosen. ¹⁸ 

2 Samuel 17:29

17:29 honey, curds, flocks, and cheese. ¹⁹  For they said, “The people are no doubt hungry, tired, and thirsty there in the desert.” ²⁰ 

2 Samuel 19:39

19:39 So all the people crossed the Jordan, as did the king. After the king had kissed him and blessed him, Barzillai returned to his home. ²¹ 

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¹ tn Heb “be taught the bow.” The reference to “the bow” is very difficult here. Some interpreters (e.g., S. R. Driver, P. K. McCarter, Jr.) suggest deleting the word from the text (cf. NAB, TEV), but there does not seem to be sufficient evidence for doing so. Others (cf. KJV) understand the reference to be elliptical, meaning “the use of the bow.” The verse would then imply that with the deaths of Saul and Jonathan having occurred, a period of trying warfare is about to begin, requiring adequate preparation for war on the part of the younger generation. Various other views may also be found in the secondary literature. However, it seems best to understand the word here to be a reference to the name of a song (i.e., “The Bow”), most likely the poem that follows in vv. 19-27 (cf. ASV, NASB, NRSV, CEV, NLT); NIV “this lament of the bow.” To make this clear the words “the song of” are supplied in the translation.

² sn The Book of Yashar is a noncanonical writing no longer in existence. It is referred to here and in Josh 10:12-13 and 1 Kgs 8:12-13. It apparently was “a collection of ancient national poetry” (so BDB 449 s.v. יָשָׁר).

³ tn Heb “let your hands be strong.”

⁴ tn Heb “house.”

⁵ tn The Hebrew verb נַעֲלָה (na’alah) used here is the Niphal perfect 3rd person masculine singular of עָלָה (’alah, “to go up”). In the Niphal this verb “is used idiomatically, of getting away from so as to abandon…especially of an army raising a siege…” (see S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 244).

⁶ tn Heb “stood.”

⁷ tn Heb “they no longer chased after Israel and they no longer fought.”

⁸ tn Heb “was walking.”

⁹ tn Heb “lifted up his voice and wept.” The expression is a verbal hendiadys.

¹⁰ tc The translation follows many medieval Hebrew manuscripts and several ancient versions in reading “your hands,” rather than “your hand.”

¹¹ tc 4QSam^a lacks the words “all the people.”

¹² tn Heb “from the king.”

¹³ tn Heb “and your name might be great permanently.” Following the imperative in v. 23b, the prefixed verbal form with vav conjunctive indicates purpose/result.

¹⁴ tn Heb “saying.” The words “as people” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic reasons.

¹⁵ tn Heb “the house.” See the note on “dynastic house” in the following verse.

¹⁶ tn Heb “and the Lord will do what is good in his eyes.”

¹⁷ tn Heb “behind him.”

¹⁸ tn Heb “No for with the one whom the Lord has chosen, and this people, and all the men of Israel, I will be and with him I will stay.” The translation follows the Qere and several medieval Hebrew mss in reading לוֹ (lo, “[I will be] to him”) rather than the MT לֹא (lo’, “[I will] not be”), which makes very little sense here.

¹⁹ tn Heb “cheese of the herd,” probably referring to cheese from cow’s milk (rather than goat’s milk).

²⁰ tn Or “wilderness” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV, TEV, NLT).

²¹ tn Heb “to his place.”