2 Samuel 12:1-15 – Standing Before God’s Judgment

Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 22 May 2022

Introduction

vs. 1-4 Nathan’s Parable

vs. 5-6 David’s Verdict

vs.7-9 God Convicts King David of Sin

vs.10-12 God Pronounces Judgment on David

vs. 13-15 David Pleads Guilty And God Sentences Him

Conclusion

Meanwhile, what can we take away from this story so far?


2 Samuel 12:1-15Side-by side comparison of versionsA

LXX

Brenton

DRB

KJV

NAW

MT

1 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν κύριος τὸν Ναθαν [τὸν προφήτην] πρὸς Δαυιδ, καὶ εἰσῆλθεν πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Δύο ἦσαν ἄνδρες ἐν πόλει μιᾷ, εἷς πλούσιος καὶ εἷς πένης·

1 And the Lord sent Nathan [the prophet] to David; and he went in to him, and said to him, There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor.

1 And the Lord sent Nathan to David: and when he was come to him, he said to him: There were two men in one city, the one rich, and the other poor.

1 And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.

1 Then Yahweh sent Nathan to David, and he went to him and said to him, “Two men were in one city; one was rich and one was poor.

1 וַיִּשְׁלַח יְהוָה אֶת-נָתָןB אֶל-דָּוִד וַיָּבֹא אֵלָיו וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ שְׁנֵי אֲנָשִׁים הָיוּ בְּעִיר אֶחָת אֶחָד עָשִׁיר וְאֶחָד רָאשׁ:

2 καὶ τῷ πλουσίῳ ἦν ποίμνια καὶ βουκόλια πολλὰ σφόδρα,

2 And the rich man had very many flocks and herds.

2 The rich man had exceeding many sheep and oxen.

2 The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:

2 A great many sheep and cattle belonged to the rich man,

2 לְעָשִׁיר הָיָה צֹאן וּבָקָר הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד:

3 καὶ τῷ πένητι οὐδὲν ἀλλ᾿ ἢ ἀμνὰς μία μικρά, ἣν ἐκτήσατο καὶ περιεποιήσατο [καὶ ἐξέθρεψεν αὐτήν,] καὶ ἡδρύνθη μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ καὶ μετὰ τῶν υἱῶν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό, ἐκ τοῦ ἄρτου αὐτοῦ ἤσθιεν καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ποτηρίου αὐτοῦ ἔπινεν καὶ ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ αὐτοῦ ἐκάθευδεν καὶ ἦν αὐτῷ ὡς θυγάτηρ·

3 But the poor man had only one little ewe lamb, which he had purchased, and preserved, [and reared;] and it grew up with himself and his children in common; it ate of his bread and drank of his cup, and slept in his bosom, and was to him as a daughter.

3 But the poor man had nothing at all but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up, and which had grown up in his [house] together with his children, eating of his bread, and drinking of his cup, and sleeping in his bosom: and it was unto him as a daughter.

3 But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.

3 but to the poor man there belonged nothing except one little ewe-lamb which he had bought. Now, he kept it alive and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate from his plate and it drank from his cup, and it laid down on his chest, so it was like a daugher to him.

3 וְלָרָשׁ אֵין-כֹּל כִּי אִם-כִּבְשָׂהC אַחַת קְטַנָּה אֲשֶׁר קָנָה וַיְחַיֶּהָ וַתִּגְדַּל עִמּוֹ וְעִם-בָּנָיו יַחְדָּו מִפִּתּוֹ תֹאכַל וּמִכֹּסוֹ תִשְׁתֶּה וּבְחֵיקוֹ תִשְׁכָּב וַתְּהִי-לוֹ כְּבַת:

4 καὶ ἦλθεν πάροδος τῷ ἀνδρὶ τῷ πλουσίῳ, καὶ ἐφείσατο λαβεῖν ἐκ τῶν ποιμνίων αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκ τῶν βουκολίων αὐτοῦ τοῦ ποιῆσαι τῷ ξένῳ ὁδοιπόρῳ ἐλθόντι πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ ἔλαβεν τὴν ἀμνάδα τοῦ πένητος καὶ ἐποίησεν [αὐτὴν] τῷ ἀνδρὶ τῷ ἐλθόντι πρὸς αὐτόν.

4 And a traveller came to the rich man, and he spared to take of his flocks and of his herds, to dress for the traveller that came to him; and he took the poor man's lamb, and dressed [it] for the man that came to him.

4 And when a [certain] stran­ger was come to the rich man, he spared to take of his own sheep and oxen, to make a feast for that stran­ger, who was come to him, but took the poor man's ewe, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.

4 And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.

4 Now, a traveller came to the rich man, but he deferred to take from his sheep or from his cattle to make-dinner for the wayfarer who had come to him. Instead he took the ewe-lamb of the poor man and made-dinner for the man who had come to him.”

4 וַיָּבֹא הֵלֶךְ לְאִישׁ הֶעָשִׁיר וַיַּחְמֹלD לָקַחַת מִצֹּאנוֹ וּמִבְּקָרוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת לָאֹרֵחַ הַבָּא-לוֹ וַיִּקַּח אֶת-כִּבְשַׂת הָאִישׁ הָרָאשׁ וַיַּעֲשֶׂהָ לָאִישׁ הַבָּא אֵלָיו:

5 καὶ ἐθυμώθη ὀργῇ Δαυιδ σφόδρα τῷ ἀνδρί, καὶ εἶπεν [Δαυιδ] πρὸς Ναθαν Ζῇ κύριος, ὅτι υἱὸς θανάτου ὁ ἀνὴρ ὁ ποιήσας τοῦτο

5 And David was greatly moved with anger against the man; and [David] said to Nathan, As the Lord lives, the man that did this [thing] shall surely die.

5 And David's anger being exceedingly kindled against that man, X he said to Nathan: As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this is a child of death.

5 And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:

5 Then David’s anger really heated up against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As Yahweh is alive, the man who did this is a son of death!”

5 וַיִּחַר-אַף דָּוִד בָּאִישׁ מְאֹד וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל-נָתָן חַי-יְהוָה כִּי בֶן-מָוֶת הָאִישׁ הָעֹשֶׂה זֹאת:

6 καὶ τὴν ἀμνάδα ἀποτείσει ἑπταπλασίονα ἀνθ᾿ ὧν ὅτι ἐποίησεν τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο καὶ περὶ οὗ οὐκ ἐφείσατο.

6 And he shall restore the lamb seven-fold, X X X X XE because he has not spared.

6 X He shall restore the ewe fourfold, because he did this thing, and X had no pity.

6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.

6 Therefore, he shall make amends four times over for the ewe-lamb, in that he did this thing and in that he did not defer.”

6 וְאֶת-הַכִּבְשָׂה יְשַׁלֵּם אַרְבַּעְתָּיִם עֵקֶב אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אֶת-הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וְעַל אֲשֶׁר לֹא-חָמָל:

7 καὶ εἶπεν Ναθαν πρὸς Δαυιδ Σὺ εἶ ὁ ἀνὴρ [ὁ ποιήσας τοῦτο]· τάδε λέγει κύριος ὁ θεὸς Ισραηλ Ἐγώ εἰμι ἔχρισά σε εἰς βασιλέα ἐπὶ Ισραηλ, καὶ ἐγώ εἰμι ἐρρυσάμην σε ἐκ χειρὸς Σαουλ

7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man [that has done this]. Thus says the Lord God of Israel, I X anoin­ted thee to be king over Israel, and I X rescued thee out the hand of Saul;

7 And Nathan said to David: Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel: I X anointed thee X king over Israel, and I X delivered thee from the hand of Saul,

7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I X anointed thee X king over Israel, and I X delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;

7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man! Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘It was I who anointed you to be king over Israel, and it was I who rescued you from the hand of Saul.

7 וַיֹּאמֶר נָתָן אֶל-דָּוִד אַתָּה הָאִישׁ כֹּה-אָמַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אָנֹכִי מְשַׁחְתִּיךָ לְמֶלֶךְ עַל-יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָנֹכִי הִצַּלְתִּיךָ מִיַּד שָׁאוּל:

8 καὶ ἔδωκά σοι τὸν οἶκον τοῦ κυρίου σου καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας τοῦ κυρίου σου ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ σου καὶ ἔδωκά σοι τὸν οἶκον Ισραηλ καὶ Ιουδα· καὶ εἰ μικρόν ἐστιν, προσθήσω σοι κατὰ ταῦτα X X X.

8 and I gave thee the house of thy lord, and the wives of thy lord into thy bosom, and I gave to thee the house of Israel and Juda; and if that had been little, I would have given thee yet more X X X.

8 And gave thee thy master's house and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and Juda: and if these [things] be little, I shall add far greater things X unto thee.

8 And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been [too] little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.

8 I also gave to you the house of your Lord and even the women of your Lord into your embrace, that is, I have given to you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if it were a small thing, I also would have added this, that, and the other to you.

8 וָאֶתְּנָה לְךָ אֶת-בֵּית אֲדֹנֶיךָ וְאֶת-נְשֵׁי אֲדֹנֶיךָ בְּחֵיקֶךָ וָאֶתְּנָה לְךָ אֶת-בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוּדָה וְאִם-מְעָט וְאֹסִפָה לְּךָ כָּהֵנָּה וְכָהֵנָּה:

9 τί ὅτι ἐφαύλι­σας τὸν λόγονF κυρίου τοῦ ποιῆ­σαι τὸ πονηρὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ; τὸν Ουριαν τὸν Χετταῖον ἐπάταξας ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ ἔλαβες σεαυτῷ εἰς γυναῖκα καὶ αὐτὸν ἀπέκτεινας ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ υἱῶν Αμμων.

9 Why hast thou set at nought the word of the Lord, to do that which is evil in his eyes? thou hast slain Urias the Chettite with the sword, and thou hast taken his wife to be X thy wife, and thou hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

9 Why [therefore] hast thou despised the word of the Lord, to do X evil in myG sight? Thou hast killed Urias the Hethite with the sword, and hast taken his wife X to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do X evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

9 Why did you despise the word of Yahweh by doing what is evil in His sight? Uriah the Hittite you have struck down with the sword! Moreover, his wife you have taken for yourself to be a wife while you slaughtered him with the sword of the descendants of Ammon!

9 מַדּוּעַ בָּזִיתָ אֶת-דְּבַר יְהוָה לַעֲשׂוֹת הָרַע בְּעֵינוֹH אֵת אוּרִיָּה הַחִתִּי הִכִּיתָ בַחֶרֶב וְאֶת-אִשְׁתּוֹ לָקַחְתָּ לְּךָ לְאִשָּׁה וְאֹתוֹ הָרַגְתָּ בְּחֶרֶב בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן:

10 καὶ νῦν οὐκ ἀποστήσεται ῥομφαία ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου σου ἕως αἰῶνος ἀνθ᾿ ὧν ὅτι ἐξουδένωσάς με καὶ ἔλαβες τὴν γυναῖκα τοῦ Ουριου τοῦ Χετταίου τοῦ εἶναί σοι εἰς γυναῖκα.

10 Now therefore the sword shall not depart from thy house for ever, because thou has set me at nought, and thou hast taken the wife of Urias the Chettite, to be thy wife.

10 X Therefore the sword shall never depart from thy house, because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Urias the Hethite to be thy wife.

10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

10 Now therefore, the sword shall never turn away from your household, in that you despised me and you took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to become your wife.

10 וְעַתָּה לֹא- תָסוּר חֶרֶב מִבֵּיתְךָ עַד-עוֹלָםI עֵקֶב כִּי בְזִתָנִי וַתִּקַּח אֶת-אֵשֶׁת אוּרִיָּה הַחִתִּי לִהְיוֹת לְךָ לְאִשָּׁה: ס

11 τάδε λέγει κύριος Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐξεγείρω ἐπὶ σὲ κακὰ ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου σου καὶ λήμψομαι τὰς γυναῖκάς σου κατ᾿ ὀφθαλμούς σου καὶ δώσω τῷ πλησίον σου, καὶ κοιμηθήσεται μετὰ τῶν γυναικῶν σου ἐναντίον τοῦ ἡλίου τούτου·

11 Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will raise up against thee evil out of thy house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and will give them to thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.

11 Thus saith the Lord: Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thy own house, and I will take thy wives before thy eyes and give them to thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.

11 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.

11 Thus says Yahweh, “Here I am, raising up against you an evil out of your own household, and I will take your wives before your eyes and will give them to your fellow, and he will lie down with your wives in the sight of this same sun.

11 כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה הִנְנִי מֵקִים עָלֶיךָ רָעָה מִבֵּיתֶךָ וְלָקַחְתִּי אֶת-נָשֶׁיךָ לְעֵינֶיךָ וְנָתַתִּי לְרֵעֶיךָJ וְשָׁכַב עִם-נָשֶׁיךָ לְעֵינֵי הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ הַזֹּאת:

12 ὅτι σὺ ἐποίη­σας κρυβῇ, κἀγὼ ποιήσω τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο ἐναντίον παντὸς Ισραηλ καὶ ἀπέναντι τούτου τοῦ ἡλίου.

12 For thou didst it secretly, but I will do this thing in the sight of all Israel, and before the sun.

12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing in the sight of all Israel, and in the sight of the sun.

12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.

12 As for you, you did it in secret, but I, I will do this thing in the presence of all Israel and in the presence of the sun.”

12 כִּי אַתָּה עָשִׂיתָ בַסָּתֶר וַאֲנִי אֶעֱשֶׂה אֶת-הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה נֶגֶד כָּל-יִשְׂרָאֵל וְנֶגֶד הַשָּׁמֶשׁ: ס

13 καὶ εἶπεν Δαυιδ τῷ Ναθαν Ἡμάρτηκα τῷ κυρίῳ. καὶ εἶπεν Ναθαν πρὸς Δαυιδ Καὶ κύριος παρεβίβασεν τὸ ἁμάρτημά σου, οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃς·

13 And David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said to David, And the Lord has put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

13 And David said to Nathan: I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said to David: The Lord also hath taken away thy sin: thou shalt not die.

13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

13 So David said to Nathan, “I sinned against Yahweh!” Then Nathan said to David, “Yahweh Himself has also passed over your sin; you will not die.

13 וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד אֶל-נָתָן חָטָאתִי לַיהוָה ס וַיֹּאמֶר נָתָן אֶל-דָּוִד גַּם-יְהוָה הֶעֱבִיר חַטָּאתְךָK לֹא תָמוּת:

14 πλὴν ὅτι παροξύνων παρώξυναςL τοὺς ἐχθροὺς κυρίου ἐν τῷ ῥήματι τούτῳ, καί γε ὁ υἱός σου ὁ τεχθείς σοι θανάτῳ ἀποθανεῖται.

14 Only because thou hast given great occasion of provocation to the enemies of the Lord by this thing, thy son also that is born to thee shall surely die.

14 Nevertheless, because thou hast given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, for this thing, X the child that is born to thee, shall surely die.

14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

14 That’s the end of it: because you really denigrated the {word} of Yahweh through this thing, also the son born to you will surely die.”

14 אֶפֶס כִּי- נִאֵץ נִאַצְתָּM אֶת- אֹיְבֵיN יְהוָה בַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה גַּם הַבֵּן הַיִּלּוֹד לְךָ מוֹת יָמוּתO:

15 καὶ ἀπῆλθεν Ναθαν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ἔθραυσεν κύριος τὸ παιδίον, ὃ ἔτεκεν ἡ γυνὴ Ουριου τῷ Δαυιδ, καὶ ἠρρώστησεν.

15 And Nathan departed to his house. And the Lord smote the child, which the wife of Urias [the ChettiteP] bore to David, and it was ill.

15 And Nathan returned to his house. The Lord also struck the child which the wife of Urias had borne to David, and his life was despaired of.

15 And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.

15 Then Nathan went to his home. And Yahweh struck the newborn whom the wife of Uriah bore to David, and it became incurably-ill.

15 וַיֵּלֶךְ נָתָן אֶל-בֵּיתוֹ וַיִּגֹּף יְהוָהQ אֶת-הַיֶּלֶד אֲשֶׁר יָלְדָה אֵשֶׁת-אוּרִיָּה לְדָוִד וַיֵּאָנַשׁR:


1The three Hebrew words used to describe this man are הֵלֶךְ אֹרֵחַ הַבָּא

21 Samuel 18:23 So Saul's servants spoke these words in David's ears, but David said, "Is it insignificant in y'all's eyes to be an in-law with the king? I am but a poor man and insignificant." (NAW)

31 Sam. 20:31 “[A]ll the days in which the son of Jesse lives upon the earth your kingdom will not be established? So now, send servants and capture this young man, for he is a son of death."

4Willett, Henry, and Keil & Delitzsch considered it a serious death sentence, but Goldman called it “an expression of indignation rather than a judicial verdict.”

5Exodus 22:1&4 "If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep... If the theft is certainly found alive in his hand, whether it is an ox or donkey or sheep, he shall restore double.” (NKJV)
Acccording to Goldman, the Talmud (Yoma 22b) notes that the deaths of this child, then of Amnon, Absalom, and Tamar (for whom I might substitute Adonijah) total a fourfold payback for the stealing of Uriah’s life.

6Goldman, Tsumura, Osiander, Jamieson, K&D, and others stated that this meant that David had the right to marry Saul’s wives, but, pagan traditions notwithstanding, there was no such right in God’s law, and God’s law furthermore forbade marrying one’s father-in-law’s wife. cf. Willett: “By his Lords wiues, to vnderstand women, which were Gods creatures…” Matthew Henry, on the other hand, suggested Nabal as a “master” whose “house” David got, and while it seems likely that David got Nabal’s house, Nabal never was actually David’s master.

7“This is the spring and this is the malignity of sin, that it is making light of the divine law and the law-maker; as if the obligation of it were weak, the precepts of it trifling, and the threats not at all formidable.” ~Matthew Henry

8Technically Uriah was killed by a projectile such as an arrow, not by a sword, so this is a figurative use of the word “sword” with the more generalized meaning of “lethal force.”

9Genesis 9:6 “Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed…” (KJV)

10Leviticus 20:10 “And any man who commits adultery with someone's wife – who commits adultery with his neighbor's wife – shall surely be put to death – the adulterer as well as the adulteress.” (NAW)

112 Sam. 16:22 “So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the top of the house, and Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.” (NKJV)

12Psalm 51:1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. “Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions...” (NKJV)

13Most English versions simply say that the child got “sick,” but this unique Hebrew word is translated “incurable” almost everywhere else it occurs in all the English versions, except in Jeremiah 17, where it is translated “desperate,” “woeful,” “disastrous” (and the KJV translates it “desperate” in Isaiah 17 too).

14Acts 13:38 "Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man [Jesus Christ] is preached to you the forgiveness of sins” (NKJV)

15The Piel stem of the Hebrew Perfect verb also indicates direct rather than indirect action. cf. Tsumura: “there is no support for taking this Pi. Verb(n’s) as causative.”

16Goldman called it “a tikkun sopherim for ‘blasphemed the Lord,’” but followed the American Jewish Version which reads, “blasphemed the enemies of the LORD.” Tsumurah held a similar position, not wanting to include “the enemies of” but admitting that there was no way to prove that it was not original.

AMy original chart includes the NASB and NIV, but their copyright restrictions have forced me to remove them from the publicly-available edition of this chart. I have included the ESV in footnotes when it employs a word not already used by the KJV, NASB, or NIV. (NAW is my translation.) When a translation adds words not in the Hebrew text, but does not indicate it has done so by the use of italics (or greyed-out text), I put the added words in [square brackets]. When one version chooses a wording which is different from all the other translations, I underline it. When a version chooses a translation which, in my opinion, either departs too far from the root meaning of the Hebrew word or departs too far from the grammar form of the original text, I use strikeout. And when a version omits a word which is in the original text, I insert an X. (I also place an X at the end of a word if the original word is plural but the English translation is singular.) I occasionally use colors to help the reader see correlations between the various editions and versions when there are more than two different translations of a given word. The only known Dead Sea Scroll containing 2 Samuel 12 is 4Q51Samuela, which contains fragments of vs. 1-31, and which has been dated between 50-25 B.C. Where the DSS is legible and in agreement with the MT, the MT is colored purple. Where the DSS supports the LXX (or Vulgate) with omissions or text not in the MT, I have highlighted with yellow the LXX and its translation into English, and where I have accepted that into my NAW translation, I have marked it with {pointed brackets}.

BA few Hebrew manuscripts, as well as the Septuagint and the Syriac, add “the prophet” here, but it is the same person.

CThis word occurs in only three other passages: Gen. 21:28-30; Lev. 14:10; and Num. 6:14.

DIt’s ironic that Saul was also condemned for “sparing” the sheep and cattle of the Amalekites in 1 Sam. 15.

E“because he did this thing and” is in the LXX (and Vaticanus); Brenton accidentally skipped over it in his translation.

FThe Lucian rescription and the version by Theodotion omit this word.

GThe Qere of the MT as well as some other Hebrew manuscripts support the first person “my eyes.” In Hebrew spelling, the difference is merely in how long the pen stroke is on the final letter of this word.

HThe change from Yahweh as first person “I” to third person “him” in the MT (“his eyes”) has raised the question in the minds of many as to whether this should be corrected. The copiers of the MT, in the 900’s AD (supported by several Hebrew manuscripts) thought it should be read בְּעֵינַי "in my eyes," and the Vaticanus, dating back to 400 AD, reads that way. A couple of other Hebrew manuscripts read ynda ynyubin the eyes of my lord,” which would mean the end of the quote from Yahweh and the beginning of commentary from Nathan. The Syriac (500’s AD) and Targums (1800’s?), on the other hand, don’t appear to have any pronoun. The DSS from 50 BC is illegible at this point in the verse, so it doesn’t help, but the LXX from the 300’s AD reads the same as the MT.

IGoldman and Willett argued that the length of time should be understood as for the rest of David’s life, which is well within the range of meaning of the Hebrew word, rather than “forever,” which is also a meaning of that word.

JThe MT is plural here “your neighbors/fellows” but every ancient version reads singular, including Targums, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, as well as some Hebrew manuscripts. Tsumura, following Driver explains that this yod is “an etymological, no a plural, indicator.”

KDSS has an additional letter at the end of this word, but it is obliterated. Perhaps it is a directional ה, which would not change the meaning.

LVaticanus reads παροργιζων παρωργισας (“greatly angered” which is not much different from the LXX “greatly provoked”). Aquila rendered it διασυρων διεσυρας (“greatly dragged away together”), and Symmachus βλασφημησαι εποιησας (“did to blaspheme”). Theodotion used the same verb as the Vaticanus, but changed “enemies” to εναντιοις (“those opposed”). This indicates that translators throughout history have found this passage as puzzling to them as it does to us today.

MThere are a variety of translations of this verb among the versions. Targums read מִפתָח פְתַחתָא ית פֻומָא דְסָנְאֵי (“greatly opened the mouth of the enemy”), Syriac reads דרורבת לבעלדבבוהי דמריא בעבידתא הדא (?). For the Greek versions, see the previous endnote.

NDSS instead rbd (“thing”)

ODSS switches the middle two letters, changing the verb stem from a Qal to a Hophal, but it doesn’t change the meaning.

P“the Hittite” is inserted in the Vaticanus, but it is not in the majority of Septuagint manuscripts.

QThe Dead Sea Scrolls (<yhwlah) and the Lucian rescription (o qeoV) of the LXX read “God” instead of “Yahweh,” but this doesn’t change the story.

RThis phrase “and he became ill” does not appear in the DSS or in some LXX manuscripts. It doesn’t change the story, however. This verb is also a hapex legomenon, although it occurs 8 other times as an adjective (Job 34:6; Isa. 17:11; Jer. 15:18; 17:9, 16; 30:12, 15; Mic. 1:9) where it is generally translated “incurable.”

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