Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 14 Aug 2022
Read
the passage (NAW) starting at v.15:
Then Hushai said to Zadok
and to Abiathar the priests, “Ahithophel advised Absalom and
the elders of Israel like this and like that, then I myself advised
like this and like that. So now, quickly send a commission and
communicate to David saying, ‘Don’t spend the night
tonight at the plains of the wilderness, but instead you must
urgently cross over, otherwise the king will be swallowed up along
with all the people who are with him.’” Meanwhile,
Jonathan and Ahimaaz were standing-ready at Rogel Spring, where the
housemaid was to come and communicate to them; then they themselves
were to go and communicate to King David, for they were not fit to
be seen going into the city. However, a servant-boy saw them, and he
proceeded to communicate to Absalom. So the two of them quickly went
off and entered into a man’s house in Bahurim. Now, he had a
well in his courtyard, so they climbed down in there. Then the wife
took and spread the drape over the face of the well, then she spread
her threshed barley on it, so the matter was kept from being known.
And when the servants of Absalom came to the wife at the house and
said, “Where are Ahimaz and Jonathan?” the wife said to
them, “They crossed over the water yonder.” So they
searched, but they didn’t find them, then they returned to
Jerusalem. So it was, after the men had gone on, that they climbed
up out of the well, and they went and communicated to King David and
said to David, “Y’all get up and cross over the water
quickly, for Ahithophel has advised like so against y’all!”
So David got up (and all the people with him), and they crossed over
the Jordan. By the morning light, not even one was missing who had
not crossed over the Jordan. Now, when Ahithophel saw that his
advice had not been acted upon, he saddled his donkey and mounted
it, then he went to his house at his city and gave order to his
household, then he strangled himself so that he died. He was then
buried in his father’s tomb. Meanwhile, as for David, he went
toward Machanaim, and as for Absalom, he crossed over the Jordan (he
and all the men of Israel with him). Now, Absalom had installed
Amasa over the army-host instead of Joab, and, as for Amasa, he was
the son of a man whose name was Jethra the Jesraelite, when he went
in to Abigal, the daughter of Nahash, sister of Tseruiah, Joab’s
mother. So Israel with Absalom took up a position in the land of
Gilead. Now, it came about when David was going to Machanaim, that
Shobi, son of Nahash from Rabbah of the descendants of Ammon, and
Makir son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from
Roglim {presented} bedding and bowls and pottery vessels, and wheat
and barley and flour, and granola and beans and lentils, and honey
and butter, and sheep and cow’s cheese to David and to the
people which was with him to eat, for, they said, “The people
has become hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.”
There’s not a lot of deep theology that I could find in this passage, but what did jump out at me was the way David’s friends supported him (and in some cases, failed to support him) during this vulnerable time in his career. I’d like to take note of three things in particular that his friends did during this time and to encourage you to do these same three things in your friendships. The three things, as my sermon title puts them, are Informing (or warning), protecting, and providing. Let’s look at these three things in turn. First,
Our information structures may be direct, such as a face-to-face meeting where a friend shares what he or she directly observed with you, or, as in the case of the information structure that David set up with Hushai, it might be indirect with multiple links in the chain of communication.
David had told Hushai back in 2 Samuel 15:28 "... I will wait in the plains of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me."
Hushai was then invited into the throne room, the inner council of Absalom, and that’s where he was supposed to serve David’s usurping son. He must have had to carry on quite a bit of acting in addition to the little bit we read here in order to keep from blowing his cover in the court of Absalom, but, at some point, Hushai walked over to the part of the palace grounds which housed the ark of the covenant, perhaps for a worship service which might have been conducted every morning and every evening there together with a sacrifice, and he relayed to the high priests, Zadok and Ahithophel, the proceedings of Absalom’s council of war against David, which we studied last week. To the priests, Hushai relayed both Ahithophel’s plan as well as his own counter-proposal, in case Absalom were to change his mind.
Zadok and Ahithophel, in turn had a maid who served in one of their houses1 designated to go just outside the city wall of Jerusalem to the spring named Ein-Rogel (Ein means “spring”) and act like she was just washing clothes for the priest’s household in the running water there, but actually she was rendezvousing with Zadok and Ahithophel’s sons who were living within sight of the city wall, waiting to carry messages from their fathers in Jerusalem to the exiled King David. After David’s people had moved out of Jerusalem and Absalom had occupied Jerusalem, there was probably pretty tight security at the gates of the city, so the priests figured that a housemaid passing in and out of the gates to fetch water or wash clothes would raise fewer suspicions than two prominent priests’ sons obviously on business outside the city.
But even that precaution didn’t work, because, as the housemaid relayed the information to the priest’s sons at the well, they noticed another servant-boy staring at them and then running back toward Jerusalem, so Jonathan and Ahimaaz took off running, afraid that they would be caught by Absalom’s guards. They made it a few miles over the Mount of Olives and down the other side before they stopped for a breather in Bahurim.
They slipped into the home of a wealthy man there who was sympathetic to David (unlike Shimei who was also from Bahurim and had cursed David). I think that this man was wealthy because he is the only person mentioned in the books of Samuel as having a courtyard. He was also probably the one who had refreshed David’s company in Bahurim a day or so before (16:14).
Anyway, the woman of the house hides the spies in her water-well, draping a heavy cloth over the whole edifice and spreading her threshed barley (K&D) out on the cloth in the sun as if to dry the barley before grinding it into flour, and she doesn’t let on about it with anybody else in the household. It was a close call, because Absalom’s lackeys arrived shortly thereafter looking for Jonathan and Ahimaaz, but they didn’t peek under the cloth because they didn’t want to send all those clean barley grains rolling all over the courtyard and risk the ire of this nobleman for messing up his supper, and besides the good woman told them that the spies had gone on toward the nearby stream, so Absalom’s men got thrown off the scent, and the priest’s sons made it to David with Hushai’s message.
What an exciting story! But I want to point out that each of these persons (Hushai, Zadok, Ahithophel, the housemaid, Jonathan, Ahimaaz, and the man and his wife in Bahurim) played an important part in the chain of communication that would save the lives of David and his followers. David’s life depended on each one being faithful in their part of the communication system.
Similarly, information is of crucial importance to us, and friends take an important part in our information systems,
from information that protects you from embarrassment, like, “Hey, there’s a piece of lettuce hanging between your front teeth; better take care of that before your interview!”
to information that is part of vocational guidance like, “You are so much better than me at organizing details. I think you have the spiritual gift of administration.”
to practical information like weather reports that involve a complex network of faithful persons who operate the radars, create the forecasts, maintain the electronic communications systems, and finally who tell you that quarter-size hail is predicted, so you’d better not go outdoors for a walk tonight.
There is yet other information with spiritual significance, which friends who care about you will tell you, such as, “When you use Thayer’s Greek Lexicon for Bible study, watch out for the ways he skewed his definitions toward Unitarianism.” It’s true, Joseph Thayer denied the deity of Christ and of the Holy Spirit, so that’s a good warning, and you might not have thought to be on your guard when using such a widely-acclaimed standard of academic reference as Thayer’s Greek Lexicon.
It’s also important to be faithful in communicating the truth accurately. If you’re not sure what a Unitarian is and you tell somebody else that Dr. Thayer was a Mormon, that’s going to be misleading. Part of being a faithful communicator is being precise and not distorting the information in any way.
Or it might be more personal information like, “Brother, I’ve noticed your eyes wandering over every woman that walked by during our conversation. I’m concerned that there might be something in your heart that isn’t right. Would you be willing to talk with me about that?”
Or, “Sister, I am concerned that you have not entrusted your life to Jesus. You’re my friend, and I don’t want to spend eternity without you. Will you ask Jesus now to save you?”
Proverbs 27:5-6 says, “Open rebuke is better Than love carefully concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend...”
In the information age, it isn’t information per se that proves your friendship, rather it is knowing your friend well enough that you know whether or not they are missing important information and then sharing with them what they need to hear.
David’s friends could have showed up wanting to discuss whether or not it was ethical for David, as the anointed king, to evacuate Jerusalem, or they could have come wanting to discuss the pro’s and con’s of the King of Israel locating the seat of his kingdom on the East side of the Jordan River instead of the West side of the Jordan River. And I’m sure those would both be great things to gather information on, but this would have been the wrong time for such discussions; what David needed at this time was to get to safety immediately because a large army was being mobilized to hunt him down.
In our world, telling a roommate what temperature it is outside may be helpful information if they are wondering whether or not to put on a sweater, but if they have the temperature on their phone desktop already, they probably don’t need you to tell them. And likewise, if they’re not a “Greek geek,” they probably don’t need a warning about Dr. Thayer’s Unitarianism either. In those cases, sharing information that they don’t need would actually demonstrate that you are not a good friend. It’s worth asking yourself, am I just showing off that I know things, or is this something that can actually help my friend?
Often we don’t know whether or not our friend has heard a particular piece of information, so it doesn’t hurt to ask questions that will reveal whether or not they need to be told, but the point is that friends take the initiative, sometimes at real, personal cost to themselves, to share information that will help, warn, and guide those they love, just like Jonathan and Ahimaaz risked getting in trouble with Absalom’s police to save David’s life.
At any rate, the message finally gets to David through his friends, “Don’t spend another night here; get across the Jordan River quickly, and get to a defensible position, because Absalom is about to send a vast army against you, and he means to kill you, David.”
David needed to know whether Absalom posed a military threat or not. Maybe David could just come back to Jerusalem after a day or two when things had cooled off and figure out how to get along with Absalom, and everything would be fine.
But no, now David knows that the only course of action is to prepare to defend his people in a pitched battle. Information from his friends defined his course of action. The nearest walled city available to him was Ish-Bosheth’s old capitol of Machanaim up the Jabbok river valley across the Jordan, so “Let’s go there tonight and get all the women and children to safety. Then from there we’ll form ranks with all who are able to fight, and we’ll do what we can to defend ourselves from being slaughtered. And by God’s mercy we will return to Jerusalem and worship Him again there!”
v.23 starts us off with a negative example of Ahithophel, who failed to protect king David, and ended up falling into despair and killing himself.
His story is eerily-like that of Judas with Jesus. Judas betrayed the Son of David, then, upon realizing what a bad idea that was, he hanged himself (Matt. 27:5).
Ahithophel knew that Absalom would be no match in battle for David, and if there was to be a war, David would win it, and when David came back to the throne, there would be nothing but shame and punishment for him for having helped Absalom overthrow David.
But Ahithophel2 was reasoning according to the wisdom of man, not the wisdom of God. He severely misunderstood how gracious David could be. I have had multiple friends depart from this life through suicide, and in every case, I believe they severely underestimated God’s grace available to them. David had extended incredible mercies to Absalom and to Joab and to Shimei, and there is little doubt that if Ahithophel had humbled himself and returned his loyalties earnestly to David, David would not have punished him, just as David had not punished Absalom and Joab and Shimei, but Ahithophel sadly didn’t understand grace and mercy. Brothers and sisters, do not fail to study God’s grace!
Ahithophel foolishly committed suicide in order to avoid shame and punishment, ensuring that for the rest of history, he would be remembered for his shameful treachery against David and be an example of all who oppose God’s anointed and perish.
It was God’s way of answering David’s flare-prayer on the Mount of Olives a couple of days before: “Please befuddle the counsel of Ahithophel, O Yahweh!" (2 Sam. 15:31, NAW) Now that prayer was answered definitively.
In a later era, God reminded Isaiah in chapter 41: “...fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I chose/strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Behold, all who are incensed against you shall be put to shame and confounded; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish. You shall seek those who contend with you, but you shall not find them; those who war against you shall be as nothing at all. I am Yahweh your God, strengthening your right hand; saying to you, ‘Fear not, I myself help you.’” (Isaiah 41:10-13 NAW)
Jesus made himself a “friend of sinners.” See how He protects you?
Now, after the negative example of one friend who didn’t protect David. Then, in vs. 25-26, we have a second negative example of David’s nephew Amasa also failing to protect David by taking on the role of general of Absalom’s army.
Maybe the case isn’t that strong here for supporting the point that friends protect you, but I’ll make it anyway.
We are not told that much about Amasa in the Bible, but it is interesting that his father is
called an “Israelite” here in the Masoretic Hebrew,
a “Jezrealite” in the Septuagint and Vulgate here,
and an “Ishmaelite” in the Alexandrian Septuagint and in 1 Chron. 2:17.
Some Jewish scholars have suggested that Jether was an Israelite who had lived among the Ishmaelite Arabs, or that he was an Ishmaelite Arab who had come to Israel as a proselyte, thus he could be both an Ishmaelite and and Israelite.3
The Fausset Bible Dictionary suggested what I think is likely, that he was a descendent of Ishmael who had come into contact with David’s family during Saul’s reign, when David had moved his family to live with the king of Moab (1 Sam. 22) and that the irregular wording4 regarding this union indicated that Ithra had seduced Abigal.
Both here and in 1 Chr. 2, Amasa’s parentage is not stated in the normal terms of marriage.
Here it literally says that his father “went into” David’s half-sister Abaga[i]l, whereas the standard wording for a marriage is that the man “took her to be a wife to him5.”
and in 1 Chronicles 2, it begins with his mother giving birth to him, and then adds in a disjointed way that that his father was Jether. (Ithra seems to be a nickname for Jether.)
Keil & Delitzsch noted in their commentary on this passage, “From the description given of Abigail as a daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah, not of David… commentators have very justly concluded that Abigail and Zeruiah were only step-sisters of David, i.e., daughters of his mother by Nahash and not by Jesse.”
There are other possibilities, however, for instance, many commentaries I read indicated that Nahash was just the name of David’s mom or was a nickname for Jesse6.
Sometimes reading the Bible is as spicy as a tabloid, but that’s because in this sin-sick world we get ourselves into all sorts of problems, and we need God’s word to meet us where we are and show us the truth.
Anyway, Amasa was appointed commander over the troops on Absalom’s side, and he chose to take up his army-position in Gilead, which, according to Numbers 32:1, was a great place for livestock7.
Meanwhile, David had had time to set up in the walled city of Machanaim, and his other nephew Joab, remained a faithful protector, leading his army to defend David.
I remember at an office job I once had, some of the managers who had different values than mine conspired to get me fired. I felt that it was unjust and would be financially devastating to my family, but there was nothing I could do to defend myself from the animosity of these managers. But it came to the attention of a co-worker with more seniority than me, and he met with those managers to defend my character and try to talk them out of firing me. I was amazed that he would risk his career by aligning himself with me in front of those managers, but I count him a true friend for doing so.
Are you a faithful protector of your friends?
In addition to helping with needed information and with defense, a third thing is mentioned in this passage which is characteristic of the help of a friend, and that is when...
Who were these men?
Shobi, son of Nahash from Rabbah of the descendants of Ammon
is not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible, but his father and his brother are mentioned as enemies of Israel.
Nahash, remember, had threatened to poke out the right eye of every Israelite man in Jabesh Gilead in 1 Samuel 11.
And when Nahash had died, his son Hanun became king of the Ammonites and insulted David’s messengers, so Joab had laid seige to their capitol city of Rabbah and, together with David, had conquered it in 2 Samuel 12.
Shobi was Hanun’s brother, possibly the younger brother, so perhaps, when David took the crown off of Hanun’s head, David gave Shobi the role of ruler over the Ammonites on the condition that he not cause any more trouble with Israel. This is the best explanation I have found for Shobi traveling 20 miles from his city of Rabbah Northwest to Machanaim to meet up with David and give him supplies.
Next, 30 miles to the North of Machanaim, lived Makir son of Ammiel from Lo Debar.
Makir was a popular name in the Israelite tribe of Manasseh in the trans-Jordan area.
This particular Makir we met before in 2 Samuel 9, providing food and lodging for Saul’s grandson, Mephibosheth.
And yet, now that all hope of the continuation of Saul’s dynasty was lost, and now that Makir has seen how kindly David has treated Mephibosheth, now, when David is in need, Makir comes through with support for David!
Jesus said, “Blessed are those who show mercy, for it is they who will receive mercy” (Matt. 5:7, NAW).
The third provider was Barzillai the Gileadite from Roglim.
We know only slightly more about him because in the next chapter, it is mentioned that he was 80 years old and that he was very rich8.
He may also have been from the tribe of Manasseh and living just North or South of Machanaim, up in the highlands of Gilead overlooking the Jordan River9, since, in the next chapter it says that he came “down” from his home to meet David at the river.
Barzillai also sent one of his sons to join David’s court later on,
and furthermore, the books of Ezra and Nehemiah also mention two priests who married Barzillai’s daughters, and, instead of the daughters being called by the priest’s family name, the priests called themselves by Barzillai’s family name, and lost their status as priests, since priests could only marry other Levites. There must have been something very endearing about this man! His generosity toward his friends was surely part of that.
These three men were all living far enough away from Jerusalem to be able to choose to ignore David if they wanted to, so, when David crossed the Jordan River, they could have said, “I’m not going anywhere near that guy! No way am I going to get caught in the middle of the next civil war!”
and yet, like the Good Samaritan, they see these Israelites coming through the wilderness, and their hearts go out to them.
Why? Simply because they are “hungry and thirsty and weary.” That’s the only reason given as to why they gave all this food and furniture away.
Simply because they saw the needs of David and his people, they had compassion, so they gathered up bedding, cooking utensils, water bottles, grain, beans, honey, butter, meat, and cheese, and gave it to David.
Compassion is a character trait modeled by Jesus too. Matthew 9:36 tells us that “...when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” Do you allow yourself to see the needs of others and be moved with compassion?
This principle that friendship is demonstrated in providing for the needs of others is found throughout Scripture:
Prov. 11:25 “The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself.” (NKJV)
Galatians 6:10 “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (NKJV)
Romans 12:13 “...distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.” (NKJV)
What resources has God given you that you could give to provide for brothers and sisters in Christ in need?
Giving sporadically out of guilt or compulsion is not what we’re talking about, but rather a giving that is based on knowing them well as a friend – understanding what their needs actually are – and giving what will actually help them.
David was hungry, thirsty, and tired, so Shobi, Machir, & Barzillai brought food, drinks, and beds – exactly what hungry, thirsty, tired people needed10!
I also surveyed the use of the word “friend” in the New Testament, and it was fascinating to me to find the same three themes of sharing needed information, protecting from harm, and providing for needs, for instance:
In Mark 5:19, Jesus tells the demoniac whom He had set free, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you." The Gospel was information that his friends needed to hear!
In Acts 19:31, when Paul’s friends realized that he was about to walk into a coliseum full of pagans chanting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians,” and try to preach to them, “...his friends, sent to him pleading that he would not venture into the theater.” They took action to protect him from getting hurt.
And, later on in Acts 24:23 “Governor Felix... commanded the centurion to keep Paul and to let him have liberty, and told him not to forbid any of his friends to provide for or visit him.” Why would Felix tell the centurion not to forbid Paul’s friends from providing for him? Because Paul had friends who were trying to give him provisions! That’s something friends do!
And there are many more examples of the early church sharing needed information, protecting, and providing for each other.
This is because God Himself does the same things with us, His friends.
He gives us the information we need through His word: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NKJV)
He defends us from evil: 2 Thessalonians 3:3 “But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.” (NKJV)
And He provides for us in need: “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19, NKJV)
May God give us grace to be communicative, protective, generous friends like He is!
LXX |
Brenton |
Douay |
KJV |
NAW |
MT |
15 καὶ εἶπεν Χουσι ὁ τοῦ Αραχι πρὸς Σαδωκ καὶ Αβιαθαρ τοὺς ἱερεῖς Οὕτως καὶ οὕτως συνεβούλευσεν Αχιτοφελ τῷ Αβεσσαλωμ καὶ τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις Ισραηλ, καὶ οὕτως καὶ οὕτως συνεβούλευσα ἐγώ· |
15 And Chusi the Arachite said to Sadoc and Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus Achitophel counselled Abessalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and thus have I counselled. |
15 And Chusai said to Sadoc and Abiathar the priests: Thus and thus did Achitophel counsel Absalom, and the ancients of Israel: and thus and thus did I counsel them. |
15 Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and thus have I counselled. |
15 Then Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, “Ahithophel advised Absalom and the elders of Israel like this and like that, then I myself advised like this and like that. |
15 וַיֹּאמֶר חוּשַׁי אֶל-צָדוֹק וְאֶל- אֶבְיָתָר הַכֹּהֲנִים כָּזֹאת וְכָזֹאת יָעַץ אֲחִיתֹפֶל אֶת-אַבְשָׁלֹם וְאֵת זִקְנֵיB יִשְׂרָאֵל וְכָזֹאת וְכָזֹאת יָעַצְתִּי אָנִי: |
16
καὶ νῦν ἀποστείλατε
ταχὺ καὶ ἀναγγείλατε
τῷ Δαυιδ λέγοντες
Μὴ αὐλισθῇς
τὴν νύκτα ἐν αραβωθ
τῆς ἐρήμου καί
γε διαβαίνων
|
16
And now send quickly and report to David, saying, Lodge not this
night in ArabothC
of the wilderness: even go
[and]
|
16 Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying: Tarry not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but without delay pass over: lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that is with him. |
16 Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him. |
16 So now, quickly send a commission and communicate to David saying, ‘Don’t spend the night tonight at the plains of the wilderness, but instead you must urgently cross over, otherwise the king will be swallowed up along with all the people who are with him.’” |
16 וְעַתָּה שִׁלְחוּ מְהֵרָה וְהַגִּידוּ לְדָוִד לֵאמֹר אַל-תָּלֶן הַלַּיְלָה בְּעַרְבוֹתD הַמִּדְבָּר וְגַם עָבוֹר תַּעֲבוֹר פֶּן יְבֻלַּעE לַמֶּלֶךְ וּלְכָל-הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ: |
17 καὶ Ιωναθαν καὶ Αχιμαας εἱστήκεισαν ἐν τῇ πηγῇ Ρωγηλ, καὶ ἐπορεύθη ἡ παιδίσκη καὶ ἀνήγγειλεν αὐτοῖς, καὶ αὐτοὶ πορεύονται καὶ ἀναγγέλλουσιν τῷ βασιλεῖ Δαυιδ, ὅτι οὐκ ἐδύναντο ὀφθῆναι τοῦ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν πόλιν. |
17
And Jonathan and Achimaas stood by the well of Rogel, and |
17
And Jonathan
and Achimaas stayed by the fountainF
Rogel: and [there]
went |
17
Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by Enrogel; for they |
17 Meanwhile, Jonathan and Ahimaaz were standing-ready at Rogel Spring, where the housemaid was to come and communicate to them; then they themselves were to go and communicate to King David, for they were not fit to be seen going into the city. |
17 וִיהוֹנָתָן וַאֲחִימַעַץ עֹמְדִים בְּעֵין-רֹגֵלH וְהָלְכָה הַשִּׁפְחָה וְהִגִּידָה לָהֶם וְהֵם יֵלְכוּ וְהִגִּידוּ לַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד כִּי לֹא יוּכְלוּ לְהֵרָאוֹת לָבוֹא הָעִירָה: |
18 καὶ εἶδεν αὐτοὺς παιδάριον καὶ ἀπήγγειλεν τῷ Αβεσσαλωμ, καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν οἱ δύο ταχέως καὶ εἰσῆλθαν εἰς οἰκίαν ἀνδρὸς ἐν Βαουριμ, καὶ αὐτῷ λάκκος ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ, καὶ κατέβησαν ἐκεῖ. |
18
But a young man saw them and told
Abessalom: and the two went quickly, and entered into the house of
a man in Baurim; and he had a well in his court, and they went
down into |
18
But a certain boy saw them, and told
Absalom: but they |
18 Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told Absalom: but they went both of them away quickly, and came to a man's house in Bahurim, X which had a well in his court; X whither they went down. |
18 However, a servant-boy saw them, and he proceeded to communicate to Absalom. So the two of them quickly went off and entered into a man’s house in Bahurim. Now, he had a well in his courtyard, so they climbed down in there. |
18 וַיַּרְא אֹתָם נַעַר וַיַּגֵּד לְאַבְשָׁלֹם וַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם מְהֵרָה וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל-בֵּית-אִישׁ בְּבַחוּרִים וְלוֹ בְאֵר בַּחֲצֵרוֹ וַיֵּרְדוּ שָׁם: |
19 καὶ ἔλαβεν ἡ γυνὴ καὶ διεπέτασεν τὸ ἐπικάλυμμα ἐπὶ πρόσωπον τοῦ λάκκου καὶ ἔψυξεν ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ αραφωθ, καὶ οὐκ ἐγνώσθη ῥῆμα. |
19
And |
19
And |
19
And the woman took and spread |
19 Then the wife took and spread the drape over the face of the well, then she spread her threshed barley on it, so the matter was kept from being known. |
19 וַתִּקַּח הָאִשָּׁה וַתִּפְרֹשׂ אֶת- הַמָּסָךְ עַל-פְּנֵיI הַבְּאֵר וַתִּשְׁטַח עָלָיו הָרִפוֹתJ וְלֹא נוֹדַע דָּבָר: |
20 καὶ ἦλθαν οἱ παῖδες Αβεσσαλωμ πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν καὶ εἶπαν Ποῦ Αχιμαας καὶ Ιωναθαν; καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ἡ γυνή Παρῆλθαν μικρὸν τοῦ ὕδατος· καὶ ἐζήτησαν καὶ οὐχ εὗραν καὶ ἀνέστρεψαν εἰς Ιερουσαλημ. |
20 And the servants of Abessalom came to the woman into the house, and said, Where are Achimaas and Jonathan? and the woman said to them, They are gone a little way beyond the water. And they sought and found them not, and returned to Jerusalem. |
20 And when Absalom's servants were come into the house, they said to the woman: Where is Achimaas and Jonathan? and the woman answered them: They passed on [in haste, after they had tasted] a little water. But they [that] sought them, when they found them not, X returned into Jerusalem. |
20 And when Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house, they said, Where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said unto them, They be gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem. |
20 And when the servants of Absalom came to the wife at the house and said, “Where are Ahimaz and Jonathan?” the wife said to them, “They crossed over the water yonder.” So they searched, but they didn’t find them, then they returned to Jerusalem. |
20 וַיָּבֹאוּ עַבְדֵי אַבְשָׁלוֹם אֶל-הָאִשָּׁה הַבַּיְתָה וַיֹּאמְרוּ אַיֵּה אֲחִימַעַץ וִיהוֹנָתָן וַתֹּאמֶר לָהֶם הָאִשָּׁה עָבְרוּ מִיכַלK הַמָּיִם וַיְבַקְשׁוּ וְלֹא מָצָאוּ וַיָּשֻׁבוּ יְרוּשָׁלִָם: ס |
21 ἐγένετο δὲ μετὰ τὸ ἀπελθεῖν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀνέβησαν ἐκ τοῦ λάκκου καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν καὶ ἀνήγγειλαν τῷ βασιλεῖ Δαυιδ καὶ εἶπαν πρὸς Δαυιδ Ἀνάστητε καὶ διάβητε ταχέως τὸ ὕδωρ, ὅτι οὕτως ἐβουλεύσατο περὶ ὑμῶν Αχιτοφελ. |
21 And it came to pass after they were gone, that they came up out of the pit, and went on [their way]; and reported to king David, and said to David, Arise ye and go quickly over the water, for thus has Achitophel counselled concerning you. |
21
And when they were gone, X
they
came up out of the well, and going on told
king David, and said X
X:
Arise, and pass quickly over the river: for this manner of counsel
has Achitophel |
21 And it came to pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David, and said unto David, Arise, and pass quickly over the water: for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you. |
21 So it was, after the men had gone on, that they climbed up out of the well, and they went and communicated to King David and said to David, “Y’all get up and cross over the water quickly, for Ahithophel has advised like so against y’all!” |
21 וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי לֶכְתָּם וַיַּעֲלוּ מֵהַבְּאֵר וַיֵּלְכוּ וַיַּגִּדוּ לַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל-דָּוִד קוּמוּ וְעִבְרוּ מְהֵרָה אֶת-הַמַּיִם כִּי-כָכָה יָעַץ עֲלֵיכֶם אֲחִיתֹפֶל: |
22 καὶ ἀνέστη Δαυιδ καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ὁ μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ καὶ διέβησαν τὸν Ιορδάνην ἕως τοῦ φωτὸς τοῦ πρωί, ἕως ἑνὸς οὐκ ἔλαθεν ὃς οὐ διῆλθεν τὸν Ιορδάνην. |
22
And David rose up and all the people with him, and they passed
over Jordan till the morning light |
22
So David arose, and all the people that |
22
Then David arose, and all the people that |
22 So David got up (and all the people with him), and they crossed over the Jordan. By the morning light, not even one was missing who had not crossed over the Jordan. |
22 וַיָּקָם דָּוִד וְכָל-הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ וַיַּעַבְרוּ אֶת- הַיַּרְדֵּן עַד-אוֹר הַבֹּקֶר עַד-אַחַד לֹא נֶעְדָּר אֲשֶׁר לֹא-עָבַר אֶת-הַיַּרְדֵּן: |
23
καὶ Αχιτοφελ
εἶδεν ὅτι οὐκ
|
23
And Achitophel saw that his counsel was not |
23
But Achitophel seeing that his counsel was not |
23
And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not |
23 Now, when Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been acted upon, he saddled his donkey and mounted it, then he went to his house at his city and gave order to his household, then he strangled himself so that he died. He was then buried in his father’s tomb. |
23 וַאֲחִיתֹפֶל רָאָה כִּי לֹא נֶעֶשְׂתָה עֲצָתוֹ וַיַּחֲבֹשׁ אֶת- הַחֲמוֹרN וַיָּקָם וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל-בֵּיתוֹ אֶל-עִירוֹ וַיְצַוO אֶל-בֵּיתוֹP וַיֵּחָנַקQ וַיָּמָת וַיִּקָּבֵר בְּקֶבֶר אָבִיו: ס |
24 Καὶ Δαυιδ διῆλθεν εἰς Μαναϊμ, καὶ Αβεσσαλωμ διέβη τὸν Ιορδάνην αὐτὸς καὶ πᾶς ἀνὴρ Ισραηλ μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ. |
24 And David passed over to Manaim: and Abessalom crossed over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. |
24 But David came to the campXR, and Absalom passed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. |
24 Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. |
24 Meanwhile, as for David, he went toward Machanaim, and as for Absalom, he crossed over the Jordan (he and all the men of Israel with him). |
24 וְדָוִד בָּא מַחֲנָיְמָה וְאַבְשָׁלֹם עָבַר אֶת-הַיַּרְדֵּן הוּא וְכָל-אִישׁS יִשְׂרָאֵל עִמּוֹ: |
25 καὶ τὸν Αμεσσαϊ κατέστησεν Αβεσσαλωμ ἀντὶ Ιωαβ ἐπὶ τῆς δυνάμεως· καὶ Αμεσσαϊ υἱὸς ἀνδρὸς καὶ ὄνομα αὐτῷ Ιοθορ ὁ Ισραηλίτης, οὗτος εἰσῆλθεν πρὸς Αβιγαιαν θυγατέρα Ναας ἀδελφὴν Σαρουιας μητρὸς Ιωαβ. |
25 And Abessalom appointed Amessai in the room of Joab over the host. And Amessai was the son of a man X whose name was Jether of Jezrael: X he went in to Abigaia the daughter of Naas, the sister of Saruia the mother of Joab. |
25 Now Absalom appointed Amasa in Joab's stead over the army: and Amasa was the son of a man X who was called Jethra, of Jezrael, who went in to Abigail the daughter of Naas, the sister of Sarvia [who was] the mother of Joab. |
25
And Absalom |
25 Now, Absalom had installed Amasa over the army-host instead of Joab, and, as for Amasa, he was the son of a man whose name was Jethra the Jesraelite, when he went in to Abigal, the daughter of Nahash, sister of Tseruiah, Joab’s mother. |
25 וְאֶת-עֲמָשָׂא שָׂם אַבְשָׁלֹם תַּחַת יוֹאָב עַל-הַצָּבָא וַעֲמָשָׂא בֶן-אִישׁT וּשְׁמוֹU יִתְרָא הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִיV אֲשֶׁר-בָּא אֶל-אֲבִיגַל בַּת-נָחָשׁW אֲחוֹת צְרוּיָה אֵם יוֹאָב: |
26 καὶ παρενέβαλεν πᾶς Ισραηλ καὶ Αβεσσαλωμ εἰς τὴν γῆν Γαλααδ. |
26 And all Israel and Abessalom encamped in the land of Galaad. |
26 And Israel camped with Absalom in the land of Galaad. |
26 So Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead. |
26 So Israel with Absalom took up a position in the land of Gilead. |
26 וַיִּחַן יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאַבְשָׁלֹם אֶרֶץ הַגִּלְעָד: ס |
27 καὶ ἐγένετο ἡνίκα ἦλθεν Δαυιδ εἰς Μαναϊμ, Ουεσβι υἱὸς Ναας ἐκ Ραββαθ υἱῶν Αμμων καὶ Μαχιρ υἱὸς Αμιηλ ἐκ Λωδαβαρ καὶ Βερζελλι ὁ Γαλααδίτης ἐκ Ρωγελλιμ |
27 And it came to pass when David came to Manaim, that Uesbi the son of Naas of Rabbath of the sons of Ammon, and Machir son of Amiel of Lodabar, and Berzelli the Galaadite of Rogellim, |
27 And when David was come to the campX, X Sobi the son of Naas of Rabbath of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammihel of Lodabar and Berzellai the Galaadite of Rogelim, |
27 And it came to pass, when David was come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim, |
27 Now, it came about when David was going to Machanaim, that Shobi, son of Nahash from Rabbah of the descendants of Ammon, and Makir son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Roglim |
27 וַיְהִי כְּבוֹא דָוִד מַחֲנָיְמָה וְשֹׁבִי בֶן-נָחָשׁ מֵרַבַּת בְּנֵי-עַמּוֹן וּמָכִיר בֶּן-עַמִּיאֵל מִלֹּאX דְבָר וּבַרְזִלַּי הַגִּלְעָדִי מֵרֹגְלִים: |
28
[ἤνεγκαν
δέκα]
κοίτ |
28 [brought ten Yembroidered] bed[s, (with double coverings,)] and [ten] caldrons, and earthenware X, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and meal, and beans, and pulse, X X |
28
[Brought
him]
bed[s],
and |
28
Brought
bed[s],
and basons, and |
28 {presented} bedding and bowls and pottery vessels, and wheat and barley and flour, and granola and beans and lentils {}, |
28 מִשְׁכָּבAA וְסַפּוֹת וּכְלִי יוֹצֵר וְחִטִּים וּשְׂעֹרִים וְקֶמַח וְקָלִי וּפוֹלAB וַעֲדָשִׁים וְקָלִיAC: |
29 καὶ μέλι καὶ βούτυρον καὶ πρόβατα καὶ σαφφωθ βοῶν [καὶ] προσήνεγκαν τῷ Δαυιδ καὶ τῷ λαῷ τῷ μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ φαγεῖν, ὅτι εἶπαν Ὁ λαὸς πεινῶν καὶ ἐκλελυμένος καὶ διψῶν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ. |
29
and honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese[s]
of kine: [and]
they brought [them]
to David and to his people X
with
him to eat; for |
29
And honey, and butter, and sheep, and |
29
And honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David,
and for the people that |
29 and honey and butter, and sheep and cow’s cheese to David and to the people which was with him to eat, for, they said, “The people has become hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.” |
29 וּדְבַשׁ וְחֶמְאָה וְצֹאן וּשְׁפוֹת בָּקָר הִגִּישׁוּ לְדָוִד וְלָעָם אֲשֶׁר-אִתּוֹ לֶאֱכוֹל כִּי אָמְרוּ הָעָם רָעֵב וְעָיֵף וְצָמֵא בַּמִּדְבָּר: |
1Gill cited a Jewish tradition that it was Zadok’s housemaid.
2Matthew Henry commented, “See what real enemies those are to themselves that think too well of themselves...”
3“Kim[c]hi
thinketh he was an Israelite by nation and kinred, but an
Is[h]maelite by habitation: so also Vatablus: but he was an
Is[h]maelite rather by nation, and an Israelite in habitation:”
~Andrew Willett, 1611 AD
“whose father was by birth
Jether, an Ishmaelite (1Chr. 2:17), but by religion Ithra (as he is
here called), an Israelite.” ~Matthew Henry
4“went into” בא instead of “took” לקח. Gill also noted this anomaly.
5e.g. in Ruth 4:13; 1 Kings 4:15; 16:31; 1 Chronicles 2:19; 7:15; 2 Chronicles 11:18; Ezra 2:61; and Nehemiah 7:63. Tsumura also noted the irregularity but suggested it could be explained in terms of an Arab “sadiqa marriage.”
6Andrew Willett considered Nahash as the wife of Jesse. Matthew Henry, John Gill, and Robert Jamieson followed a Jewish tradition that Nahash was Jesse himself.
7“Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock; and when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, that indeed the region was a place for livestock” (NKJV)
82Sa 19:32 Now Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. And he had provided the king with supplies while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very rich man.
9Commentators and Bible Dictionaries were all uncertain as to the location of Roglim, except that it was nearby.
10Psalms 42 and 43 say they were written by the sons of Korah, but the situation they reflect sounds a lot like David’s situation at this point. He was hungry and thirsty and weary and removed from God’s special presence in Jerusalem. “Like a deer pants over bodies of water, so my soul pants for You, God. My soul was thirsty for God? ... My tears were a daily and nightly meal to me while they were saying to me all the day, ‘Where is your God?’ ... I will remember you from the land of Jordan … Deep-waters are calling out to deep-waters according to the sound of your water-channels. All your breakers and your waves went over on me... Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go gloomily into the oppression of the enemy? … Deliver me from [this] man of deceit and injustice! ... Send Your light and Your truth; it is they that will guide me and bring me to the mountain of Your holiness and to Your chambers...” (NAW)
AMy
original chart includes the NASB, NIV, and ESV, but their copyright
restrictions have forced me to remove them from the
publicly-available edition of this chart. (LXX is the Rahlfs edition
of the Septuagint, Brenton is a translation into English of the
Greek Vaticanus, Douay is a translation of the Latin Vulgate, and
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
Scrolls containing 2 Samuel 17 is 4Q51 Samuela containing
parts of verses 23-29, 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}.
BSyriac instead reads “all Israel.”
CThis is a transliteration of the Hebrew word in the MT which means “plains.”
DNASB, NIV, and ESV appear to have been dyslexic in their reading of the MT here, as if the word were instead עברות, or perhaps they are carrying through the variant from the previous chapter where some manuscripts read עברות and others read ערבות.
Ecf.
Psalm 35:25 Don't let them say in their heart, "Aha! Our
dream-come-true!" Don't let them say, "We have swallowed
him up!" (NAW)
The Lamed preposition before “the
king” is curious.
It might be like the word “for” in our contemporary slang expression, “It will be curtains for him!”
Driver called it “nota accusativi,”
and Tsumura (NICOT) called it an “ergative marker… where the ‘subject’ of an intransitive verb, here in passive, is introduced...”
FThe Hebrew word Ein is the word for “fountain.”
GSyriac and Lucian Rescription also insert a conjunction here.
HKnown by quite a few other names, such as Job’s Well, Nehemiah’s Well, Fuller’s Well. It is at the intersection of the Kidron and Hinnom Valleys, just far enough away from Jerusalem to see the city at a distance without being able to identify individual persons by sight.
ISeveral Hebrew manuscripts and rabbinic writings read yp (“mouth”) instead of “face” like the LXX and MT do. The Latin and Chaldee and Lucian Rescription also use “mouth.”
JThe only other instance of this word in the Hebrew Bible is in Proverbs 27:22 “Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, Yet his foolishness will not depart from him.” (NKJV) K&D maintain that it is “peeled barley,” and in accordance, Tsumura rendered it “crushed barley.” AJV translated it “groats,” which, according to Webster’s Dictionary is threshed oats. According to Goldman, the Targums translated it “dates,” and Kimchi translated it “bruised grain,” which could comport with threshed/crushed/peeled barley.
KHapex legomenon. Spelled like David’s wife’s name Michal. BDB said the meaning is “dubious” but suggested “brook” as the meaning, Holiday = “accumulation, reservoir,” K&D followed the LXX with “little,” Kittel cited a few manuscripts and rabbinical writings which omitted it (and the Arabic and Wellhausen followed them), then there is the Old Latin tradition (followed by the Greek Lucian Rescription) which translated it “hurrying,” and the Vulgate Latin, which adds a whole new phrase about “tasting” the water. Targums = “Jordan” (even there is no similarity to Miycal), Syriac = “hence” (מִן־כֹּה), Gesenius suggested “a pit containing water,” Fürst suggested “ditch,” and Tsumura suggested “riverbank.”
LAccording to https://hb.openscriptures.org/structure/OshbVerse/index.html?b=2Sam&c=17&v=22, the main punctuation break occurs between “Jordan” and “until morning light,” not here.
MSyriac and some Hebrew manuscripts add an “and” here, like the Vulgate did, but it’s not in the MT or the LXX. The only known DSS is illegible at this point.
NThere are slight variants on this word: the Syriac and Targums denote a female donkey whereas the MT denotes a male donkey, and, whereas the MT uses no pronoun, the LXX, Old Latin, Vulgate, and some rabbinical writers added the pronoun “his” (wrwmj). (Kittel also noted that the Syriac contains the pronoun “his,” but I didn’t see it there.) However, the definite article can legitimately be translated as a pronoun, and the context indicates that the donkey was his own, so there is no change in meaning.
OLiterally “commanded,” that is, drew up his last will and testament as to how to dispose of his estate.
P2 Kings 20:1 (cf. Isaiah 38:1) … צו לביתך כי מת אתה ...is the only other place in the Hebrew Bible where we see this phrase about putting a house in order before dying.
Qstrangled (KJV, NASB), hanged (Wycliffe, Geneva, NKJV, ASV, NIV, RV, ESV, NET, NLT, Brenton, Douay), but in the only other passage where this verb occurs, Nahum 2:4, where it describes the way a lion kills his prey and brings it to his den for his mate and cubs, most versions switch from “hanged” to “strangled” or translate with another word: killed (NKJV, NASB, Douay), dragged (CEV), woryed (Geneva), slowy (Wycliffe).
R“Machanaim” is Hebrew for “camps,” so this is a translation rather than a transliteration. The same happens again in v.27.
S2 Hebrew manuscripts as well as the Greek Alexandrinus manuscript and the Syriac omit “men of” but it makes no difference in context.
TTargums and Syriac instead have גבר (“mighty-man”). Gill commented: “when Amasa is called a "man's son", it means a great man, as Kimchi observes. Others, however, considered it a term of illegitimacy.
UThe DSS appears to have about 9 characters (including spaces) less than the MT, but this part of the verse is obliterated. If “a man whose name was” were omitted from the MT, the spacing would work, and it wouldn’t change the meaning at all.
V“Amasa, son of Ithra/Jethra” is also mentioned in 1 Kings 2:5 & 32 as well as in 1 Chron. 2:17, and “Jezraelite/Israelite” is only mentioned here and Lev. 24:10, but in 1 Chron. 2:17, it is stated that he was an “Ishmaelite.” Unger’s Bible Dictionary indicates that the reading should be “Ishmaelite” here contra the MT, and with this the Eerdman’s Bible Dictionary agrees, although it mistakenly equates “Ishmaelite” with the LXX and Vulgate (and AJV) reading “Jezrealite.” The Fausset Bible Dictionary also agreed, adding that, “Jether or Ithra had ‘gone in to,’ i.e. seduced, Abigail, daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah, Joab's mother, probably during the sojourn of David's family with the king of Moab (1 Sam. 22:3,4).” Keil & Delitzsch agreed, noting, “1 Chron. 2:17, where the name is written Jether, [is] a contracted form of Jithra. From the description given of Abigail as a daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah, not of David, some of the earlier commentators have very justly concluded that Abigail and Zeruiah were only step-sisters of David, i.e., daughters of his mother by Nahash and not by Jesse.” Lange’s commentary agrees with the above, although it added a couple of other possibilities, such as that Nahash could “ be taken as a woman’s name, here a second wife of Jesse. In this case also the two, Zeruiah and Abigail, would [still] be David’s step-sisters,” and the possibility asserted by some Jewish scholars that Nahash was another name for Jesse, but dismissed the latter on the supposition that “son of a man” indicated foreignness, so he couldn’t have been an Israelite like Jesse was. Gill and Jamieson were convinced, however, that Nahash was Jesse.
WDSS y?–, suggesting another name besides “Nahash.” The possibility of “Jesse” is intriguing, but no other manuscript offers any other name besides Nahash, so perhaps it was just an alternate spelling of “Nahash” or something like “those of Nahash.”
XThe “Lo” in “Lo-Debar” is spelled a couple of different ways in Hebrew and Aramaic manuscripts, including awl and wl, but it is the same place.
YVaticanus omits the “and” which is in the LXX and MT here.
ZThe 1828 Webster’s Dictionary defines “pulse” as “Leguminous plants or their seeds; the plants whose pericarp is a legume or pod, as beans, peas”
AASyriac, Vulgate, and LXX all start with the verb “brought” and also mention “beds.” A participle form of “bringing” could start and end with the same letters as the word for “bed” in the MT, but the middle two letters would be different. Targums reads “carpets.” The word for “bed” is singular, though, which seems incongruous with this large food-preparation list.
ABEzekiel 4:9 is the only other place where these “beans” are mentioned in the Bible; it also mentions the next word “lentils,” another word almost as rare, but also found in Gen. 25:34 (for which Esau sold his birthright) and the crop in the field in 2 Sam. 23:11.
ACThe repetition of this food in the list is strange, so the omission of it in the Old Latin, Septuagint, and Syriac makes sense.
ADThe Vaticanus reads 3ms “he said” but the LXX follows the MT with 3mp “they said.”