2 Samuel 1:4

1:4 David inquired, “How were things going? ¹  Tell me!” He replied, “The people fled from the battle and many of them ²  fell dead. ³  Even Saul and his son Jonathan are dead!”

2 Samuel 9:6

9:6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed low with his face toward the ground. ⁴  David said, “Mephibosheth?” He replied, “Yes, at your service.” ⁵ 

2 Samuel 15:27

15:27 The king said to Zadok the priest, “Are you a seer? ⁶  Go back to the city in peace! Your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan may go with you and Abiathar. ⁷ 

2 Samuel 15:36

15:36 Furthermore, their two sons are there with them, Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan. You must send them to me with any information you hear.” ⁸ 

2 Samuel 17:17

17:17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying in En Rogel. A female servant would go and inform them, and they would then go and inform King David. It was not advisable for them to be seen going into the city.

2 Samuel 17:21

17:21 After the men had left, Ahimaaz and Jonathan ⁹  climbed out of the well. Then they left and informed King David. They advised David, “Get up and cross the stream ¹⁰  quickly, for Ahithophel has devised a plan to catch you.” ¹¹ 

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¹ tn Heb “What was the word?”

² tn Heb “from the people.”

³ tn Heb “fell and died.”

⁴ tn Heb “he fell on his face and bowed down.”

⁵ tn Heb “Look, your servant.”

⁶ tn The Greek tradition understands the Hebrew word as an imperative (“see”). Most Greek mss have ἴδετε (idete); the Lucianic recension has βλέπε (blepe). It could just as well be taken as a question: “Don’t you see what is happening?” The present translation takes the word as a question, with the implication that Zadok is a priest and not a prophet (i.e., “seer”) and therefore unable to know what the future holds.

⁷ tn Heb “And Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar, two of your sons, with you.” The pronominal suffix on the last word is plural, referring to Zadok and Abiathar.

⁸ tn Heb “and you must send by their hand to me every word which you hear.” Both of the second person verb forms are plural with Zadok, Abiathar, and Hushai being the understood subjects.

⁹ tn Heb “they”; the referents (Ahimaaz and Jonathan) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁰ tn Heb “the water.”

¹¹ tn Heb “for thus Ahithophel has devised against you.” The expression “thus” is narrative shorthand, referring to the plan outlined by Ahithophel (see vv. 1-3). The men would surely have outlined the plan in as much detail as they had been given by the messenger.