2 Samuel 5:8

5:8 David said on that day, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites must approach the ‘lame’ and the ‘blind’ who are David’s enemies 1  by going through the water tunnel.” 2  For this reason it is said, “The blind and the lame cannot enter the palace.” 3 

2 Samuel 14:19

14:19 The king said, “Did Joab put you up to all of this?” 4  The woman answered, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, there is no deviation to the right or to the left from all that my lord the king has said. For your servant Joab gave me instructions. He has put all these words in your servant’s mouth.

2 Samuel 18:28

18:28 Then Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, “Greetings!” 5  He bowed down before the king with his face toward the ground and said, “May the Lord your God be praised because he has defeated 6  the men who opposed 7  my lord the king!”

1 tc There is some confusion among the witnesses concerning this word. The Kethib is the Qal perfect 3cp שָׂנְאוּ (sanÿ’u, “they hated”), referring to the Jebusites’ attitude toward David. The Qere is the Qal passive participle construct plural שְׂנֻאֵי (sÿnu’e, “hated”), referring to David’s attitude toward the Jebusites. 4QSama has the Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular שָׂנְאָה (sanÿ’ah, “hated”), the subject of which would be “the soul of David.” The difference is minor and the translation adopted above works for either the Kethib or the Qere.

2 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term has been debated. For a survey of various views, see P. K. McCarter, II Samuel (AB), 139-40.

sn If a water tunnel is in view here, it is probably the so-called Warren’s Shaft that extends up from Hezekiah’s tunnel. It would have provided a means for surprise attack against the occupants of the city of David. The LXX seems not to understand the reference here, translating “by the water shaft” as “with a small knife.”

3 tn Heb “the house.” TEV takes this as a reference to the temple (“the Lord’s house”).

4 tn Heb “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?”

5 tn Heb “Peace.”

6 tn Heb “delivered over.”

7 tn Heb “lifted their hand against.”