2 Samuel 2:1

David is Anointed King

2:1 Afterward David inquired of the Lord, “Should I go up to one of the cities of Judah?” The Lord told him, “Go up.” David asked, “Where should I go?” The Lord replied, ¹  “To Hebron.”

2 Samuel 5:19

5:19 So David asked the Lord, “Should I march up against the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” The Lord said to David, “March up, for I will indeed ²  hand the Philistines over to you.”

2 Samuel 5:23

5:23 So David asked the Lord what he should do. ³  This time ⁴  the Lord ⁵  said to him, “Don’t march straight up. Instead, circle around behind them and come against them opposite the trees. ⁶ 

2 Samuel 9:2

9:2 Now there was a servant from Saul’s house named Ziba, so he was summoned to David. The king asked him, “Are you Ziba?” He replied, “At your service.” ⁷ 

2 Samuel 12:19

12:19 When David saw that his servants were whispering to one another, he ⁸  realized that the child was dead. So David asked his servants, “Is the child dead?” They replied, “Yes, he’s dead.”

2 Samuel 13:4

13:4 He asked Amnon, ⁹  “Why are you, the king’s son, ¹⁰  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 16:3

16:3 The king asked, “Where is your master’s grandson?” ¹¹  Ziba replied to the king, “He remains in Jerusalem, ¹²  for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will give back to me my grandfather’s ¹³  kingdom.’”

2 Samuel 18:32

18:32 The king asked the Cushite, “How is the young man Absalom?” The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who have plotted against you ¹⁴  be like that young man!”

2 Samuel 20:17

20:17 When he approached her, the woman asked, “Are you Joab?” He replied, “I am.” She said to him, “Listen to the words of your servant.” He said, “Go ahead. I’m listening.”

---

¹ tn Heb “he said.” The referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

² tn The infinitive absolute lends emphasis to the following verb.

³ tn The words “what to do” are not in the Hebrew text.

⁴ tn The words “this time” are not in the Hebrew text.

⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁶ tn Some translate as “balsam trees” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV, NJB, NLT); cf. KJV, NKJV, ASV “mulberry trees”; NAB “mastic trees”; NEB, REB “aspens.” The exact identification of the type of tree or plant is uncertain.

⁷ tn Heb “your servant.”

⁸ tn Heb “David.” The name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.

⁹ tn Heb “and he said to him.”

¹⁰ tn An more idiomatic translation might be “Why are you of all people…?”

¹¹ tn Heb “son.”

¹² map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

¹³ tn Heb “my father’s.”

¹⁴ tn Heb “and all those rising against you for evil.”