2 Samuel 5:23

5:23 So David asked the Lord what he should do. ¹  This time ²  the Lord ³  said to him, “Don’t march straight up. Instead, circle around behind them and come against them opposite the trees. ⁴ 

2 Samuel 7:10

7:10 I will establish a place for my people Israel and settle ⁵  them there; they will live there and not be disturbed ⁶  any more. Violent men ⁷  will not oppress them again, as they did in the beginning

2 Samuel 14:6

14:6 Your servant ⁸  has two sons. When the two of them got into a fight in the field, there was no one present who could intervene. One of them struck the other and killed him.

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.” ⁹ 

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 21:6

21:6 let seven of his male descendants be turned over to us, and we will execute ¹⁰  them before the Lord in Gibeah of Saul, who was the Lord’s chosen one.” ¹¹  The king replied, “I will turn them over.”

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¹ tn The words “what to do” are not in the Hebrew text.

² tn The words “this time” are not in the Hebrew text.

³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁴ 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.

⁵ tn Heb “plant.”

⁶ tn Heb “shaken.”

⁷ tn Heb “the sons of violence.”

⁸ tn Here and elsewhere (vv. 7, 12, 15a, 17, 19) the woman uses a term which suggests a lower level female servant. She uses the term to express her humility before the king. However, she uses a different term in vv. 15b-16. See the note at v. 15 for a discussion of the rhetorical purpose of this switch in terminology.

⁹ 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.

¹⁰ tn The exact nature of this execution is not altogether clear. The verb יָקַע (yaqa’) basically means “to dislocate” or “alienate.” In Gen 32:26 it is used of the dislocation of Jacob’s thigh. Figuratively it can refer to the removal of an individual from a group (e.g., Jer 6:8; Ezek 23:17) or to a type of punishment the specific identity of which is uncertain (e.g., here and Num 25:4); cf. NAB “dismember them”; NIV “to be killed and exposed.”

¹¹ tc The LXX reads “at Gibeon on the mountain of the Lord” (cf. 21:9). The present translation follows the MT, although a number of recent English translations follow the LXX reading here (e.g., NAB, NRSV, NLT).