Discovery Box2 Samuel 1:1 
Context1:1 After the death of Saul, 1 when David had returned from defeating the Amalekites, 2 he stayed at Ziklag 3 for two days.
2 Samuel 1:3
Context1:3 David asked him, “Where are you coming from?” He replied, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.”
2 Samuel 3:11
Context3:11 Ish-bosheth 4 was unable to answer Abner with even a single word because he was afraid of him.
2 Samuel 3:30
Context3:30 So Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel in Gibeon during the battle.
2 Samuel 8:3
Context8:3 David defeated King Hadadezer son of Rehob of Zobah when he came to reestablish 5 his authority 6 over the Euphrates 7 River.
2 Samuel 10:10
Context10:10 He put his brother Abishai in charge of the rest of the army 8 and they were deployed 9 against the Ammonites.
2 Samuel 12:25
Context12:25 and sent word through Nathan the prophet that he should be named Jedidiah 10 for the Lord’s sake.
2 Samuel 13:27
Context13:27 But when Absalom pressed him, he sent Amnon and all the king’s sons along with him.
2 Samuel 13:39
Context13:39 The king longed 11 to go to Absalom, for he had since been consoled over the death of Amnon. 12
2 Samuel 14:10
Context14:10 The king said, “Bring to me whoever speaks to you, and he won’t bother you again!”
2 Samuel 17:5
Context17:5 But Absalom said, “Call for 13 Hushai the Arkite, and let’s hear what he has to say.” 14
2 Samuel 18:1
Context18:1 David assembled the army that was with him. He appointed leaders of thousands and leaders of hundreds.
2 Samuel 20:13
Context20:13 Once he had removed Amasa 15 from the path, everyone followed Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bicri.
2 Samuel 22:8-9
Context22:8 The earth heaved and shook; 16
the foundations of the sky 17 trembled. 18
They heaved because he was angry.
22:9 Smoke ascended from 19 his nose; 20
fire devoured as it came from his mouth; 21
he hurled down fiery coals. 22
2 Samuel 22:18
Context22:18 He rescued me from my strong enemy, 23
from those who hate me,
for they were too strong for me.
1 sn This chapter is closely linked to 1 Sam 31. It should be kept in mind that 1 and 2 Samuel were originally a single book, not separate volumes. Whereas in English Bible tradition the books of Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, and Ezra-Nehemiah are each regarded as two separate books, this was not the practice in ancient Hebrew tradition. Early canonical records, for example, counted them as single books respectively. The division into two books goes back to the Greek translation of the OT and was probably initiated because of the cumbersome length of copies due to the Greek practice (unlike that of Hebrew) of writing vowels. The present division into two books can be a little misleading in terms of perceiving the progression of the argument of the book; in some ways it is preferable to treat the books of 1-2 Samuel in a unified fashion.
2 sn The Amalekites were a nomadic people who inhabited Judah and the Transjordan. They are mentioned in Gen 36:15-16 as descendants of Amalek who in turn descended from Esau. In Exod 17:8-16 they are described as having acted in a hostile fashion toward Israel as the Israelites traveled to Canaan from Egypt. In David’s time the Amalekites were viewed as dangerous enemies who raided, looted, and burned Israelite cities (see 1 Sam 30).
3 sn Ziklag was a city in the Negev which had been given to David by Achish king of Gath. For more than a year David used it as a base from which he conducted military expeditions (see 1 Sam 27:5-12). According to 1 Sam 30:1-19, Ziklag was destroyed by the Amalekites while Saul fought the Philistines.
4 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ish-bosheth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 tc The LXX has ἐπιστῆσαι (episthsai, “cause to stand”). See the parallel text in 1 Chr 18:3.
6 tn Heb “hand.”
7 tn The MT does not have the name “Euphrates” in the text. It is supplied in the margin (Qere) as one of ten places where the Masoretes believed that something was “to be read although it was not written” in the text as they had received it. The ancient versions (LXX, Syriac Peshitta, Vulgate) include the word. See also the parallel text in 1 Chr 18:3.
8 tn Heb “people.”
9 tn Heb “he arranged.”
10 sn The name Jedidiah means “loved by the
11 tc The translation follows 4QSama in reading רוּחַ הַמֶּלֶךְ (ruakh hammelekh, “the spirit of the king”) rather than the MT דָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ (david hammelekh, “David the king”). The understanding reflected in the translation above is that David, though alienated during this time from his son Absalom, still had an abiding love and concern for him. He longed for reconciliation with him. A rather different interpretation of the verse supposes that David’s interest in taking military action against Absalom grew slack with the passing of time, and this in turn enabled David’s advisers to encourage him toward reconciliation with Absalom. For the latter view, see P. K. McCarter, II Samuel (AB), 344, and cf. CEV.
12 tn Heb “was consoled over Amnon, because he was dead.”
13 tc In the MT the verb is singular, but in the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate it is plural.
14 tn Heb “what is in his mouth.”
15 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Amasa) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
16 tn The earth heaved and shook. The imagery pictures an earthquake, in which the earth’s surface rises and falls. The earthquake motif is common in Old Testament theophanies of God as warrior and in ancient Near eastern literary descriptions of warring gods and kings. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 160-62.
17 tn Ps 18:7 reads “the roots of the mountains.”
18 tn In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. Note the three prefixed verbal forms with vav consecutive in the verse.
19 tn Heb “within” or “[from] within.” For a discussion of the use of the preposition בְּ (bet) here, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 163-64.
20 tn Or “in his anger.” The noun אַף (’af) can carry the abstract meaning “anger,” but the parallelism (note “from his mouth”) suggests the more concrete meaning “nose” here (most English versions, “nostrils”). See also v. 16, “the powerful breath of your nose.”
21 tn Heb “fire from his mouth devoured.” In this poetic narrative the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. Note the two perfect verbal forms in the verse.
sn For other examples of fire as a weapon in Old Testament theophanies and ancient Near Eastern portrayals of warring gods and kings, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 165-67.
22 tn Heb “coals burned from him.” Perhaps the psalmist pictures God’s fiery breath igniting coals (see Job 41:21), which he then hurls as weapons (see Ps 120:4).
23 tn The singular refers either to personified death or collectively to the psalmist’s enemies. The following line, which refers to “those [plural] who hate me,” favors the latter.
