2 Samuel 10:19--11:1

10:19 When all the kings who were subject to Hadadezer ¹  saw they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became subjects of Israel. ²  The Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.

David Commits Adultery with Bathsheba

11:1 In the spring of the year, at the time when kings ³  normally conduct wars, ⁴  David sent out Joab with his officers ⁵  and the entire Israelite army. ⁶  They defeated the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed behind in Jerusalem. ⁷ 

2 Samuel 13:4

13:4 He asked Amnon, ⁸  “Why are you, the king’s son, ⁹  so depressed every morning? Can’t you tell me?” So Amnon said to him, “I’m in love with Tamar the sister of my brother Absalom.”

2 Samuel 13:18

13:18 (Now she was wearing a long robe, ¹⁰  for this is what the king’s virgin daughters used to wear.) So Amnon’s ¹¹  attendant removed her and bolted the door ¹²  behind her.

2 Samuel 13:29

13:29 So Absalom’s servants did to Amnon exactly what Absalom had instructed. Then all the king’s sons got up; each one rode away on his mule and fled.

2 Samuel 13:33

13:33 Now don’t let my lord the king be concerned about the report that has come saying, ‘All the king’s sons are dead.’ It is only Amnon who is dead.”

2 Samuel 14:24

14:24 But the king said, “Let him go over ¹³  to his own house. He may not see my face.” So Absalom went over ¹⁴  to his own house; he did not see the king’s face.

2 Samuel 18:20

18:20 But Joab said to him, “You will not be a bearer of good news today. You will bear good news some other day, but not today, ¹⁵  for the king’s son is dead.”

2 Samuel 19:18

19:18 They crossed at the ford in order to help the king’s household cross and to do whatever he thought appropriate.

Now after he had crossed the Jordan, Shimei son of Gera threw himself down before the king.

---

¹ tn Heb “the servants of Hadadezer.”

² tn Heb “and they served them.”

³ tc Codex Leningrad (B19A), on which BHS is based, has here “messengers” (הַמַּלְאכִים, hammal’khim), probably as the result of contamination from the occurrence of that word in v. 4. The present translation follows most Hebrew mss and the ancient versions, which read “kings” (הַמֶּלָאכִים, hammela’kim).

⁴ tn Heb “go out.”

⁵ tn Heb “and his servants with him.”

⁶ tn Heb “all Israel.”

⁷ tn The disjunctive clause contrasts David’s inactivity with the army’s activity.

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

⁸ tn Heb “and he said to him.”

⁹ tn An more idiomatic translation might be “Why are you of all people…?”

¹⁰ tn The Hebrew expression used here (כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּים, kÿtonet passim) is found only here and in Gen 37:3, 23, 32. Hebrew פַּס (pas) can refer to the palm of the hand or the sole of the foot; here the idea is probably that of a long robe reaching to the feet and having sleeves reaching to the wrists. The notion of a “coat of many colors” (KJV, ASV “garment of divers colors”), a familiar translation for the phrase in Genesis, is based primarily on the translation adopted in the LXX χιτῶνα ποικίλον (citona poikilion) and does not have a great deal of support.

¹¹ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Amnon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹² tn The Hebrew verb is a perfect with nonconsecutive vav, probably indicating an action (locking the door) that complements the preceding one (pushing her out the door).

¹³ tn Heb “turn aside.”

¹⁴ tn Heb “turned aside.”

¹⁵ tn Heb “but this day you will not bear good news.”