2 Samuel 1:9

1:9 He said to me, ‘Stand over me and finish me off! ¹  I’m very dizzy, ²  even though I’m still alive.’ ³ 

2 Samuel 1:13

1:13 David said to the young man who told this to him, “Where are you from?” He replied, “I am an Amalekite, the son of a resident foreigner.” ⁴ 

2 Samuel 1:18

1:18 (He gave instructions that the people of Judah should be taught “The Bow.” ⁵  Indeed, it is written down in the Book of Yashar.) ⁶ 

2 Samuel 3:16

3:16 Her husband went along behind her, weeping all the way to Bahurim. Finally Abner said to him, “Go back!” ⁷  So he returned home.

2 Samuel 3:28

3:28 When David later heard about this, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the Lord of the shed blood of Abner son of Ner!

2 Samuel 4:1

Ish-bosheth is killed

4:1 When Ish-bosheth ⁸  the son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he was very disheartened, ⁹  and all Israel was afraid.

2 Samuel 5:12-13

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. 5:13 David married more concubines and wives from Jerusalem after he arrived from Hebron. Even more sons and daughters were born to David.

2 Samuel 5:25

5:25 David did just as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines from Gibeon all the way to Gezer. ¹⁰ 

2 Samuel 6:8

6:8 David was angry because the Lord attacked ¹¹  Uzzah; so he called that place Perez Uzzah, ¹²  which remains its name to this very day.

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 8:6

8:6 David placed garrisons in the territory of the Arameans of Damascus; the Arameans became David’s subjects and brought tribute. The Lord protected ¹³  David wherever he campaigned. ¹⁴ 

2 Samuel 9:13

9:13 Mephibosheth was living in Jerusalem, ¹⁵  for he was a regular guest at the king’s table. But both his feet were crippled.

2 Samuel 10:9

10:9 When Joab saw that the battle would be fought on two fronts, he chose some of Israel’s best men and deployed them against the Arameans. ¹⁶ 

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!” ¹⁷ 

2 Samuel 10:17

10:17 When David was informed, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan River, ¹⁸  and came to Helam. The Arameans deployed their forces against David and fought with him.

2 Samuel 11:9

11:9 But Uriah stayed at the door of the palace with all ¹⁹  the servants of his lord. He did not go down to his house.

2 Samuel 12:1

Nathan the Prophet Confronts David

12:1 So the Lord sent Nathan ²⁰  to David. When he came to David, ²¹  Nathan ²²  said, ²³  “There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor.

2 Samuel 12:5

12:5 Then David became very angry at this man. He said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! ²⁴ 

2 Samuel 12:16-17

12:16 Then David prayed to ²⁵  God for the child and fasted. ²⁶  He would even ²⁷  go and spend the night lying on the ground. 12:17 The elders of his house stood over him and tried to lift him from the ground, but he was unwilling, and refused to eat food with them.

2 Samuel 12:22

12:22 He replied, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept because I thought, ²⁸  ‘Perhaps ²⁹  the Lord will show pity and the child will live.

2 Samuel 13:9

13:9 But when she took the pan and set it before him, he refused to eat. Instead Amnon said, “Get everyone out of here!” ³⁰  So everyone left. ³¹ 

2 Samuel 13:11

13:11 As she brought them to him to eat, he grabbed her and said to her, “Come on! Get in bed with me, ³²  my sister!”

2 Samuel 13:15

13:15 Then Amnon greatly despised her. ³³  His disdain toward her surpassed the love he had previously felt toward her. ³⁴  Amnon said to her, “Get up and leave!”

2 Samuel 13:17

13:17 He called his personal attendant and said to him, “Take this woman out of my sight ³⁵  and lock the door behind her!”

2 Samuel 13:22

13:22 But Absalom said nothing to Amnon, either bad or good, yet Absalom hated Amnon because he had humiliated his sister Tamar.

2 Samuel 13:26

13:26 Then Absalom said, “If you will not go, ³⁶  then let my brother Amnon go with us.” The king replied to him, “Why should he go with you?”

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 ³⁷  on a road beside the hill.

2 Samuel 13:36

13:36 Just as he finished speaking, the king’s sons arrived, wailing and weeping. ³⁸  The king and all his servants wept loudly ³⁹  as well.

2 Samuel 14:12

14:12 Then the woman said, “Please permit your servant to speak to my lord the king about another matter.” He replied, “Tell me.”

2 Samuel 14:31

14:31 Then Joab got up and came to Absalom’s house. He said to him, “Why did your servants set my portion of field on fire?”

2 Samuel 15:32

15:32 When David reached the summit, where he used to worship God, Hushai the Arkite met him with his clothes torn and dirt on his head.

2 Samuel 16:5

Shimei Curses David and His Men

16:5 Then King David reached ⁴⁰  Bahurim. There a man from Saul’s extended family named Shimei son of Gera came out, yelling curses as he approached. ⁴¹ 

2 Samuel 18:10

18:10 When one ⁴²  of the men saw this, he reported it to Joab saying, “I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree.

2 Samuel 19:21

19:21 Abishai son of Zeruiah replied, “For this should not Shimei be put to death? After all, he cursed the Lord’s anointed!”

2 Samuel 19:25

19:25 When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Why didn’t you go with me, Mephibosheth?”

2 Samuel 20:5

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.

2 Samuel 22:31

22:31 The one true God acts in a faithful manner; ⁴³ 

the Lord’s promise is reliable; ⁴⁴ 

he is a shield to all who take shelter in him.

2 Samuel 22:42

22:42 They cry out, ⁴⁵  but there is no one to help them; ⁴⁶ 

they cry out to the Lord, ⁴⁷  but he does not answer them.

2 Samuel 22:49

22:49 He delivers me from my enemies; ⁴⁸ 

you snatch me away ⁴⁹  from those who attack me; ⁵⁰ 

you rescue me from violent men.

2 Samuel 23:18

23:18 Abishai son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, was head of the three. ⁵¹  He killed three hundred men with his spear and gained fame among the three. ⁵² 

2 Samuel 24:1

David Displeases the Lord by Taking a Census

24:1 The Lord’s anger again raged against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go count Israel and Judah.” ⁵³ 

2 Samuel 24:20

24:20 When Araunah looked out and saw the king and his servants approaching him, he ⁵⁴  went out and bowed to the king with his face ⁵⁵  to the ground.

---

¹ tn As P. K. McCarter (II Samuel [AB], 59) points out, the Polel of the verb מוּת (mut, “to die”) “refers to dispatching or ‘finishing off’ someone already wounded and near death.” Cf. NLT “put me out of my misery.”

² tn Heb “the dizziness has seized me.” On the meaning of the Hebrew noun translated “dizziness,” see P. K. McCarter, II Samuel (AB), 59-60. The point seems to be that he is unable to kill himself because he is weak and disoriented.

³ tn The Hebrew text here is grammatically very awkward (Heb “because all still my life in me”). Whether the broken construct phrase is due to the fact that the alleged speaker is in a confused state of mind as he is on the verge of dying, or whether the MT has sustained corruption in the transmission process, is not entirely clear. The former seems likely, although P. K. McCarter understands the MT to be the result of conflation of two shorter forms of text (P. K. McCarter, II Samuel [AB], 57, n. 9). Early translators also struggled with the verse, apparently choosing to leave part of the Hebrew text untranslated. For example, the Lucianic recension of the LXX lacks “all,” while other witnesses (namely, one medieval Hebrew ms, codices A and B of the LXX, and the Syriac Peshitta) lack “still.”

⁴ tn The Hebrew word used here refers to a foreigner whose social standing was something less than that of native residents of the land, but something more than that of a nonresident alien who was merely passing through.

⁵ 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.

⁶ 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).

⁷ tn Heb “Go, return.”

⁸ tn The MT does not specify the subject of the verb here, but the reference is to Ish-bosheth, so the name has been supplied in the translation for clarity. 4QSam^a and the LXX mistakenly read “Mephibosheth.”

⁹ tn Heb “his hands went slack.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “from Gibeon until you enter Gezer.”

¹¹ tn Heb “because the Lord broke out [with] a breaking out [i.e., an outburst] against Uzzah.”

¹² sn The name Perez Uzzah means in Hebrew “the outburst [against] Uzzah.”

¹³ tn Or “delivered.”

¹⁴ tn Or “wherever he went.”

¹⁵ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

¹⁶ tn Heb “and Joab saw that the face of the battle was to him before and behind and he chose from all the best in Israel and arranged to meet Aram.”

¹⁷ tn Heb “and the Lord will do what is good in his eyes.”

¹⁸ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

¹⁹ tc The Lucianic recension of the Old Greek translation lacks the word “all.”

²⁰ tc A few medieval Hebrew mss, the LXX, and the Syriac Peshitta add “the prophet.” The words are included in a few modern English version (e.g., TEV, CEV, NLT).

²¹ tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Nathan) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²³ tn The Hebrew text repeats “to him.”

²⁴ tn Heb “the man doing this [is] a son of death.” See 1 Sam 20:31 for another use of this expression, which must mean “he is as good as dead” or “he deserves to die,” as 1 Sam 20:32 makes clear.

²⁵ tn Heb “sought” or “searched for.”

²⁶ tn Heb “and David fasted.”

²⁷ tn The three Hebrew verbs that follow in this verse are perfects with prefixed vav. They may describe repeated past actions or actions which accompanied David’s praying and fasting.

²⁸ tn Heb “said.”

²⁹ tn Heb “Who knows?”

³⁰ tn Heb “from upon me.”

³¹ tc A few medieval Hebrew mss have “and they removed everyone” (Hiphil preterite with vav consecutive 3cp, rather than Qal preterite with vav consecutive 3cp).

³² tn Heb “lie with me” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV); NCV “come and have sexual relations with me.”

³³ tn Heb “and Amnon hated her with very great hatred.”

³⁴ tn Heb “for greater was the hatred with which he hated her than the love with which he loved her.”

³⁵ tn Heb “send this [one] from upon me to the outside.”

³⁶ tn Heb “and not.”

³⁷ tn Heb “behind him.”

³⁸ tn Heb “and they lifted their voice and wept.”

³⁹ tn Heb “with a great weeping.”

⁴⁰ tn Heb “came to.” The form of the verb in the MT is odd. Some prefer to read וַיַּבֹא (vayyavo’), preterite with vav consecutive) rather than וּבָא (uva’), apparently perfect with vav), but this is probably an instance where the narrative offline vÿqatal construction introduces a new scene.

⁴¹ tn Heb “And look, from there a man was coming out from the clan of the house of Saul and his name was Shimei son of Gera, continually going out and cursing.”

⁴² tc 4QSam^a lacks the word “one.”

⁴³ 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).

⁴⁴ tn Heb “the word of the Lord is purified.” The Lord’s “word” probably refers here to his oracle(s) of victory delivered to the psalmist before the battle(s) described in the following context. See also Pss 12:5-7 and 138:2-3. David frequently received such oracles before going into battle (see 1 Sam 23:2, 4-5, 10-12; 30:8; 2 Sam 5:19). The Lord’s word of promise is absolutely reliable; it is compared to metal that has been refined in fire and cleansed of impurities. See Ps 12:6. In the ancient Near East kings would typically seek and receive oracles from their god(s) prior to battle. For examples, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 241-42.

⁴⁵ tc The translation follows one medieval Hebrew ms and the ancient versions in reading the Piel יְשַׁוְּעוּ (yÿshavvÿ’u, “they cry for help”) rather than the Qal of the MT יִשְׁעוּ (yish’u, “they look about for help”). See Ps 18:41 as well.

⁴⁶ tn Heb “but there is no deliverer.”

⁴⁷ tn The words “they cry out” are not in the Hebrew text. This reference to the psalmists’ enemies crying out for help to the Lord suggests that the psalmist refers here to enemies within the covenant community, rather than foreigners. However, the militaristic context suggests foreign enemies are in view. Ancient Near Eastern literature indicates that defeated enemies would sometimes cry out for mercy to the god(s) of their conqueror. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 271.

⁴⁸ tn Heb “and [the one who] brings me out from my enemies.”

⁴⁹ 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 Lord has given him victory over his enemies and forced them to acknowledge the psalmist’s superiority.

⁵⁰ tn Heb “from those who rise against me.”

⁵¹ tc The translation follows the Qere, many medieval Hebrew mss, the LXX, and Vulgate in reading הַשְּׁלֹשָׁה (hashÿlosa, “the three”) rather than the Kethib of the MT הַשָּׁלִשִׁי (hashalisi, “the third,” or “adjutant”). Two medieval Hebrew mss and the Syriac Peshitta have “thirty.”

⁵² tn Heb “and he was wielding his spear against three hundred, [who were] slain, and to him there was a name among the three.”

⁵³ 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.

⁵⁴ tn Heb “Araunah.” The name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.

⁵⁵ tn Heb “nostrils.”