2 Samuel 18:19-33 – Oh Absalom!

Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 11 Sept 2022

Introduction

vs. 19-23 Joab Chooses Messengers

vs. 24-27 David Anticipates the Message

vs. 28-30 Achimaaz Delivers His Message

vs. 31-32 The Messenger Delivers His Message

v. 33 The Grief of David

APPLICATION


2 Samuel 18:19-33Side-by side comparison of versionsA

LXX

Brenton

DRB

KJV

NAW

MT

19 Καὶ Αχιμαας υἱὸς Σαδωκ εἶπεν Δράμω δὴ καὶ εὐαγγελίῳ τῷ βασιλεῖ ὅτι ἔκρινεν αὐτῷ κύριος ἐκ χειρὸς τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὐτοῦ.

19 And Achimaas the son of Sadoc said, Let me run now and carry glad tidings to the king, for the Lord has delivered him from the hand of his enemies.

19 And Achimaas the son of Sadoc said: I will run and tell the king, that the Lord hath done judgment for him from the hand of his enemies.

19 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath avenged him X X of his enemies.

19 Then Ahimaaz son of Zadoq said, “Please let me run, and let me herald it to the king, for Yahweh has brought justice for him from the control of his enemies!”

19 וַאֲחִימַעַץ בֶּן-צָדוֹק אָמַר אָרוּצָה נָּא וַאֲבַשְּׂרָה אֶת-הַמֶּלֶךְ כִּי-שְׁפָטוֹ יְהוָה מִיַּד אֹיְבָיו:

20 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ιωαβ Οὐκ ἀνὴρ εὐαγγελίας σὺ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ καὶ εὐαγγελιῇ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἄλλῃ, [ἐν] δὲ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ οὐκ εὐαγγελιῇ, οὗ εἵνεκέν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ βασιλέως ἀπέθανεν.

20 And Joab said to him, Thou shalt not be a messenger of glad tidings this day; X thou shalt bear them X another day; but [on] this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead.

20 And Joab said to him: Thou shalt not be the messenger X this day, but shalt bear tidings X another day: X this day I will not [have thee] bear tidings, because the king's son is dead.

20 And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not X bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings X another day: but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead.

20 But Joab said to him, “You are not the heraldry man this day. Although you may be a herald on a later day, yet, this day you shall not be a herald, because it’s about the king’s son having died.”

20 וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ יוֹאָב לֹא אִישׁ בְּשֹׂרָה אַתָּה הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה וּבִשַּׂרְתָּ בְּיוֹם אַחֵר וְהַיּוֹם הַזֶּה לֹא תְבַשֵּׂר כִּי-עַלB בֶּן- הַמֶּלֶךְ מֵת:

21 καὶ εἶπεν Ιωαβ τῷ Χουσι Βαδίσας ἀνάγγειλον τῷ βασιλεῖ ὅσα εἶδες· καὶ προσεκύνησεν Χουσι τῷ Ιωαβ καὶ ἐξῆλθεν.

21 And Joab said to Chusi, Go, report to the king [allC] that thou hast seen. And Chusi did obeisance to Joab, and went out.

21 And Joab said to Chusai: Go, [andD] tell the king what thou hast seen. X Chusai bowed down to Joab, and ran.

21 Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran.

21 Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, communicate to the king what you have seen.” And the Cushite bowed down before Joab and then ran.

21 וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹאָב לַכּוּשִׁי לֵךְ הַגֵּד לַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתָה וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ Eכוּשִׁי לְיוֹאָב וַיָּרֹץ:

22 καὶ προσέθετο ἔτι Αχιμαας υἱὸς Σαδωκ καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς Ιωαβ Καὶ ἔστω ὅτι δράμω καί γε ἐγὼ ὀπίσω τοῦ Χουσι. καὶ εἶπεν Ιωαβ Ἵνα τί τοῦτο X τρέχεις, υἱέ μου; δεῦρο, οὐκ ἔστιν σοι εὐαγγελία εἰς ὠφέλειαν [πορευομένῳ].

22 And Achimaas the son of Sadoc X X said again to Joab, Nay FX X X X let me also run after Chusi. And Joab said, Why wouldest thou thus run, my son? attend, thou hast no tidings for profit [if thou go].

22 Then Achimaas the son of Sadoc X said to Joab X again: X Why might not I X also run after Chusai? And Joab said to him: Why wilt thou run, my son? thou wilt not be the bearer of good tidings.

22 Then X said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But howsoever, let me, I pray [thee], also run after Cushi. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready?

22 Zadoq’s son Ahimaaz nevertheless tried again and said to Joab, “But how can this be? Please let me run after the Cushite – me too!” But Joab said, “Why is it, my son, that you would run, when there is no heraldry to find for you?”

22 וַיֹּסֶף עוֹדG אֲחִימַעַץ בֶּן- צָדוֹק וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל-יוֹאָב וִיהִי מָה אָרֻצָה-נָּא גַם-אָנִי אַחֲרֵי הַכּוּשִׁי וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹאָב לָמָּה-זֶּה אַתָּה רָץ בְּנִי וּלְכָה Hאֵין- בְּשׂוֹרָה מֹצֵאת:

23 [καὶ εἶπεν] Τί γὰρ [ἐὰν] δραμοῦμαιI; καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ [Ιωαβ] Δράμε. καὶ ἔδραμεν Αχιμαας ὁδὸν τὴν τοῦ Κεχαρ καὶ ὑπερέβη τὸν Χουσι. --

23 [And he said,] Why should I [not] run? and [Joab] said to him, Run. And Achimaas ran [along] the way of Kechar, and outran Chusi.

23 [He answered:] But what [if] I run? And he said to him: Run. Then Achimaas running [by] a nearer way passed Chusai.

23 But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran [by] the way of the plain, and overran Cushi.

23 {He answered,} “What if I run anyway?” So he said to him, “Run.” And Ahimaaz ran the Jordan-circuit road and he passed up the Cushite.

23 Jוִיהִי-מָהK אָרוּץ וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ רוּץ וַיָּרָץ אֲחִימַעַץ דֶּרֶךְ הַכִּכָּר וַיַּעֲבֹר אֶת-הַכּוּשִׁי:

24 καὶ Δαυιδ ἐκάθητο ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν δύο πυλῶν. καὶ ἐπορεύθη ὁ σκοπὸς εἰς τὸ δῶμα τῆς πύλης πρὸς τὸ τεῖχος καὶ ἐπῆρεν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶδεν καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀνὴρ τρέχων μόνος ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ,

24 And David was sitting between the two gates: and the watchman went [up] on the top of the gate of the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone before him.

24 And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman [that] was on the top of the gate upon the wall, X lifting up his eyes, X saw X X a man running alone.

24 And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman went [up] to the roof [over] the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone.

24 Meanwhile, the watchman had gone to the balcony of the gate at the outer-wall, while David was sitting between the two gates, and he strained his eyes and looked, and there was a man running by himself.

24 וְדָוִד יוֹשֵׁב בֵּין-שְׁנֵי הַשְּׁעָרִים וַיֵּלֶךְ הַצֹּפֶה אֶל- גַּג הַשַּׁעַר אֶל- הַחוֹמָה וַיִּשָּׂא אֶת- עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה- אִישׁ רָץ לְבַדּוֹ:

25 καὶ ἀνεβόησεν ὁ σκοπὸς καὶ ἀπήγγειλεν τῷ βασιλεῖ. καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς Εἰ μόνος ἐστίν, εὐαγγελία ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ. καὶ ἐπορεύετο πορευόμενος καὶ ἐγγίζων.

25 And the watchman cried out, and reported to the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there are good tidings in his mouth. And the man came X and drew near.

25 And crying out X X he told the king: and the king said: If he be alone, there are good tidings in his mouth. And [as] he was coming apace, and drawing nearer,

25 And the watchman cried, and told X the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.

25 So the watchman called out and communicated it to the king, and the king said, “If he is by himself, there is heraldry in his mouth!” And he came on enthusiastically and was getting near.

25 וַיִּקְרָא הַצֹּפֶה וַיַּגֵּד לַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אִם-לְבַדּוֹ בְּשׂוֹרָה בְּפִיו וַיֵּלֶךְ הָלוֹךְ וְקָרֵב:

26 καὶ εἶδεν ὁ σκοπὸς ἄνδρα ἕτερον τρέχοντα, καὶ ἐβόησεν ὁ σκοπὸς πρὸς τῇ πύλῃ καὶ εἶπεν Ἰδοὺ ἀνὴρ [ἕτερος] τρέχων μόνος. καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς Καί γε οὗτος εὐαγγελιζόμενος.

26 And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman cried at the gate, and said, And look, a[nother] man running alone. And the king said, He also brings glad tidings.

26 X The watchman saw another man running, and X crying aloud from above, X he said: I see a[nother] man running alone. And the king said: He also is a good messenger.

26 And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold another man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings.

26 Then the watchman saw another man running, so the watchman called out to the gatekeeper and said, “Look, another man is running by himself!” And the king said, “This one also is heralding good news.”

26 וַיַּרְא הַצֹּפֶה אִישׁ-אַחֵר רָץ וַיִּקְרָא הַצֹּפֶה אֶל-הַשֹּׁעֵר וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה- אִישׁL רָץ לְבַדּוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ גַּם-זֶה מְבַשֵּׂר:

27 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ σκοπός Ἐγὼ ὁρῶ τὸν δρόμον τοῦ πρώτου ὡς δρόμον Αχιμαας υἱοῦ Σαδωκ. καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς Ἀνὴρ ἀγαθὸς οὗτος καί γε εἰς εὐαγγελίαν ἀγαθὴν ἐλεύσεται.

27 And the watchman said, I see the running of the first as the running of Achimaas the son of Sadoc. And the king said, He is a good man, and will come to report glad tidings.

27 And the watchman said: The running of the foremost seemeth [to] me like the running of Achimaas the son of Sadoc. And the king said: He is a good man: and cometh with good news.

27 And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings.

27 The watchman also said, “I see that the running-form of the first is like the running-form of Zadoq’s son Ahimaaz.” And the king said, “This is a good man, so it is with good heraldry that he comes!”

27 וַיֹּאמֶר הַצֹּפֶה אֲנִי רֹאֶה אֶת- מְרוּצַת הָרִאשׁוֹן כִּמְרֻצַת אֲחִימַעַץ בֶּן-צָדוֹק וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אִישׁ-טוֹב זֶה וְאֶל-בְּשׂוֹרָה טוֹבָה יָבוֹאM:

28 καὶ ἐβόησεν Αχιμαας καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα Εἰρήνη· καὶ προσεκύνησεν τῷ βασιλεῖ ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν· καὶ εἶπεν Εὐλογητὸς κύριος ὁ θεός σου, ὃς ἀπέκλεισεν τοὺς ἄνδρας τοὺς μισοῦντας τὴν χεῖρα αὐτῶν ἐν τῷ κυρίῳ μου τῷ βασιλεῖ.

28 And Achimaas cried out and said to the king, Peace. And he did obeisance to the king with his face to the ground, and said, Blessed be the Lord thy God, who has delivered up the men that lifted up their hand[s] against my lord the king.

28 And Achimaas crying out, said to the king: [God] save [thee, O king]. And falling down before the king with his face to the ground, X he said: Blessed be the Lord thy God, who hath shut up the men that have lifted up their hand[s] against the lord my king.

28 And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, [All] is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, Blessed be the LORD thy God, which hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.

28 Achimaaz then called out and said to the king, “Shalom!” and he bowed down before the king with his nose to the ground. He also said, “Blessed be Yahweh your God who has shut up those men who raised their hand in opposition to my master the king!”

28 וַיִּקְרָא אֲחִימַעַץ וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל-הַמֶּלֶךְ שָׁלוֹם וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ לַמֶּלֶךְ לְאַפָּיו אָרְצָה ס וַיֹּאמֶר בָּרוּךְ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר סִגַּר אֶת- הָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר- נָשְׂאוּ אֶת-יָדָם בַּאדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ:

29 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς Εἰρήνη τῷ παιδαρίῳ τῷ Αβεσσαλωμ; καὶ εἶπεν Αχιμαας Εἶδον τὸ πλῆθος τὸ μέγα τοῦ ἀποστεῖλαι τὸν δοῦλον τοῦ βασιλέως Ιωαβ καὶ τὸν δοῦλόν σου, καὶ οὐκ ἔγνων τί [ἐκεῖ].

29 And the king said, Is X the young man X Abessalom safe? and Achimaas said, I saw a great multitudeNat [the time of] Joab's sending [the] king's servant and thy servant, and I knew not what was [there].

29 And the king said: Is X the young man X Absalom safe? And Achimaas said: I saw a great tumult, O king, when thy servant Joab sent me thy servant: X I know nothing else.

29 And the king said, Is X the young man X Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent [the] king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.

29 Then the king said, “Shalom for my lad – for Absalom?” And Ahimaaz said, “I saw this big commotion at Joab’s commissioning of a servant of the king along with your servant, but I don’t know what it was.”

29 וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ Oשָׁלוֹם לַנַּעַר לְאַבְשָׁלוֹם וַיֹּאמֶר אֲחִימַעַץ רָאִיתִי הֶהָמוֹן הַגָּדוֹל לִשְׁלֹחַ אֶת-עֶבֶד הַמֶּלֶךְ יוֹאָב Pוְאֶת-עַבְדֶּךָ Qוְלֹא יָדַעְתִּי מָה:

30 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς Ἐπίστρεψον, στηλώθητι ὧδε· καὶ ἐπεστράφη καὶ ἔστη.

30 And the king said, Turn aside, stand still here. And he turned aside, and stood.

30 And the king said to him: Pass, [and] stand X here. 31 And when he had passed, [and] stood still,

30 And the king said unto him, Turn aside, and stand X here. And he turned aside, and stood [still].

30 So the king said, “Turn around; station yourself here,” so he turned around and stood by.

30 וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ סֹב הִתְיַצֵּב כֹּהR וַיִּסֹּב וַיַּעֲמֹד:

31 καὶ ἰδοὺ ὁ Χουσι παρεγένετο καὶ εἶπεν τῷ βασιλεῖ Εὐαγγελισθήτω ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεύς, ὅτι ἔκρινέν σοι κύριος σήμερον ἐκ χειρὸς πάντων τῶν ἐπεγειρομένων ἐπὶ σέ.

31 And, behold, Chusi came up, and said to the king, Let my lord the king hear glad tidings, for the Lord has avenged thee this day upon X X all them that rose up against thee.

X Chusai appeared and coming up X he said: I bring good tidings, my lord, the king, for the Lord hath judged for thee this day from the hand of all that have risen up against thee.

31 And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, X Tidings, my lord the king: for the LORD hath avenged thee this day of X X all them that rose up against thee.

31 Presently, there was the Cushite coming in, and the Cushite said, “Let my master the king receive a herald of good news, for Yahweh has brought justice for you today from the control of all those who rose up against you!”

31 וְהִנֵּה הַכּוּשִׁי בָּא וַיֹּאמֶר הַכּוּשִׁיS יִתְבַּשֵּׂרT אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ כִּי- שְׁפָטְךָU יְהוָה הַיּוֹם מִיַּד כָּל- הַקָּמִים עָלֶיךָ: ס

32 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς τὸν Χουσι Εἰ εἰρήνη τῷ παιδαρίῳ τῷ Αβεσσαλωμ; καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Χουσι Γένοιντο ὡς τὸ παιδάριον οἱ ἐχθροὶ τοῦ κυρίου μου τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ πάντες, ὅσοι ἐπανέστησαν ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν εἰς κακά.

32 And the king said to Chusi, Is it well with the young man Abessalom? and Chusi said, Let the enemies of my lord the king, and all whosoever have risen up against him for evil, be as that young man.

32 And the king said to X Chusai: Is the young man Absalom safe? And X Chusai [answering him,] said: Let the enemies of my lord, the king, and all that rise against him unto evil, be as the young man is.

32 And the king said unto X Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And X Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.

32 And the king said to the Cushite, “Is there peace with the young man – with Absalom?” And the Cushite said, “May the enemies of my master the king – and all who rise up against {him} for evil – become like that young man.”

32 וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל- הַכּוּשִׁי הֲשָׁלוֹם לַנַּעַר לְאַבְשָׁלוֹם וַיֹּאמֶר הַכּוּשִׁי יִהְיוּ כַנַּעַר אֹיְבֵי אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר-קָמוּ עָלֶיךָV לְרָעָה: ס

33 (19:1) καὶ ἐταράχθη ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ἀνέβη εἰς τὸ ὑπερῷον τῆς πύλης καὶ ἔκλαυσεν· καὶ οὕτως εἶπεν ἐν τῷ πορεύεσθαι αὐτόν Υἱέ μου Αβεσσαλωμ, υἱέ μου υἱέ μου Αβεσσαλωμ, τίς δῴη τὸν θάνατόν μου [ἀντὶ σοῦ], ἐγὼ ἀντὶ σοῦ; Αβεσσαλωμ υἱέ μου υἱέ μου. -

33 And the king was troubled, and went to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and thus he said as he went, My son Abessalom, my son, my son Abessalom; would [God] I had died [for thee], even I had died for thee, Abessalom, my son, my son!

33 The king therefore [being much] moved, went up to the high chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went he spoke in this manner: My son Absalom, Χ Χ Absalom my son: would [to God] that I might die X for thee, Absalom my son, my son [AbsalomW].

33 And the king [was much] moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would [God] I had died X for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!

33 Then the king shuddered, and he went up to the loft over the gateway, and he wept and spoke thus while he went, “My son Absalom! My son! My son Absalom! If only I could have died – me instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!”

19:1 וַיִּרְגַּז הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיַּעַל עַל־עֲלִיַּת הַשַּׁעַר וַיֵּבְךְּ וְכֹה אָמַר בְּלֶכְתּוֹX בְּנִי אַבְשָׁלוֹם בְּנִי בְנִי אַבְשָׁלוֹם מִי־יִתֵּן מוּתִי אֲנִי תַחְתֶּיךָ אַבְשָׁלוֹם בְּנִי בְנִיY׃


1This is an assumption based on the fact that it is so in NKJV, AJV, ASV, NASB, NIV, RV, ESV, NET, CEV, and NLT.

2The Soncino commentary, reflecting Jewish tradition, does not mention any rabbi who thought it was a proper name, and Andrew Willett’s commentary from 1613 cites three earlier commentators (“Jun. Pellic. Borrh.”) in support of his view that it meant “Cushite.” Keil & Delitzsch concurred. Jamieson’s commentary was the only exception I found.

3Matthew Henry (followed by Gill) seemed to hold this position calling it a “name [which] signifies… an Ethiopian.”

4Goldman (Soncino Books of the Bible). Matthew Henry, John Gill, and Tsumura (who also cited Driver, McCarter, and Hutton in support) also wrote in favor of this view.

5There is debate as to whether the king was referred to in the 2nd person or in the more respectful 3rd person. Ancient manuscripts render it both ways.

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 Sam. 18 are 4Q51 Samuela containing parts of verses 1-11 & 28-29, dated between 50-25 B.C.. (2 Sam 19:1 is obliterated in the known DSS.) 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}.

BScribes have suggested adding -כֵּן "therefore,"so it is in several Hebrew manuscripts as in the Greek. But no matter what the particular wording, all are agreed on the causal meaning ("because"). K&D commented with typical overconfidence: "The Keri כִּי עַל־כֵּן is to be preferred to the Chethib כִּי־עַל; and כֵּן has no doubt been dropt out merely because of בֶּן which follows. The Chethib does not give any suitable sense; for the absence of the article before מֵת ... If מֵת were to be construed as an adverb with בֶּן־מֶלֶךְ, it would of necessity have the article."

C“all” is not in the original Greek of the Vaticanus or of Rohlf’s edition of the Septuagint (nor is it in the original Hebrew).

DThe “and” added in the Vulgate here is supported by several Hebrew manuscripts and by the Greek Lucian Rescription, but is not in the MT, LXX, Targums, or Syriac. It makes no difference in meaning because of the already-close relationship between the two commands to “go” and “communicate.”

EIt is curious that this occurrence of “Cushite” omits the definite article. Tsumura (NICOT) hypothesized that it is due to a scribe spelling what he heard phonetically. An “intervocalic h” is often dropped in pronunciation, much as my family would drop the “h” in “have” in the phrase, “What did you have for lunch?” Tsumara also postulated sandhi to get rid of the vowel that normally accompanies the definite article prefix in Hebrew. Again, in English this might be like my family would pronounce the “you” in the preceding sentence as “je.” The spellings of the words may be compared below, with this instance in grey:
יוֹאָב לַכּוּשִׁי
יִּשְׁתַּחוּ כוּשִׁי

אַחֲרֵי הַכּוּשִׁי
וַיַּעֲבֹר אֶת-הַכּוּשִׁי
וַיֹּאמֶר הַכּוּשִׁי
אֶל-הַכּוּשִׁי
וַיֹּאמֶר הַכּוּשִׁי
Or perhaps the coph consonant prefers to follow a vowel of the "a" or "u" class?

FThe Vaticanus Greek is the same as Rohlfs’ edition.

Gcf. 2 Sam. 2:22 Then Abner tried again once more, saying to Asahel, "For your own [good], take a detour from following me! ..." (NAW)

Hcf. last instance of besorah: 2 Sam. 4:10 “Now, when the one who communicated it to me said, 'Saul is dead,' and, in his eyes, it was like bringing good-news, I seized him and killed him in Ziqlag. That's what I gave him for 'good-news'!” (NAW)

IVaticanus uses a non-deponent form of this verb, but it means the same thing.

JLXX, Vulgate (qui respondit...), and Syriac (...‎אמר) all indicate that “he said” has been dropped out of the MT at the beginning of this verse.

KHere one of the Targums inserts ‎ בִכדֵין (“insomuch as”), Syriac inserts basically the same thing (מדין), LXX inserts εαν (“if”), and Vulgate inserts si (“if”). It seems pretty clear that the pre-Masoretic Hebrew followed by these ancient versions had a word that since dropped out.

LLXX inserts ‘eteroV (“another”), Syriac inserts אחרנא (“another”), Targums inserts‎ אוחרן (“another”), and Vulgate inserts mihi (“to me”).

Mcf. 1 Kings 1:42 “...Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, ‘Come in. A worthy man like you must be bringing good news.’" (NIV)

NThe Hebrew word chamon can mean a “multitude” or the “noise that a multitude makes.” In the Greek as well as the Hebrew, it is definite: “THE great multitude/hubbub.”

OSeveral Hebrew manuscripts and rabbinical commentaries add an interrogative -ה (as it is in v.32). This interrogative was followed by the Vulgate estne and reflected in the LXX punctuation (;). Syriac reads differently:שׁריר הו טליא אבשׁלום.

PThis conjunction in the MT and LXX is missing in the Syriac and Targums, and is rendered me (“me” instead of et “and”) in the Vulgate. It doesn’t change the meaning, however.

QThis conjunction in the MT, Targums, and LXX is missing in the Syriac and Vulgate, but it doesn’t change the meaning.

RMasoretic pointing indicates that “here” belongs with the first half of the sentence, not the second half:
https://hb.openscriptures.org/structure/OshbVerse/index.html?b=2Sam&c=18&v=30

SThe Syriac and Vulgate omit this second instance of “the Cushite,” and the LXX instead reads “to the king.” Neither edit changes the meaning of the text, because in any case “the Cushite” is the subject, and in any case he is speaking to David.

TThis is the only Hithpael form of this verb in the Bible. It is thought to mean, “Receive a herald of good news.”

USyriac continues speaking of the King in 3rd person rather than switching to 2nd person as the MT, LXX, and Vulgate do, but this doesn’t mean anything different. It is curious that the Cushite repeats the phrase that Ahimaaz spoke at the beginning of this periscope.

VLXX & Vulgate read 3ms. MT, Targums, Syriac, & Lucian Rescription read 2ms. DSS are too obliterated for comparison.

WThis last word was added in Douay’s translation into English. It is not there in the Latin Vulgate.

XSyriac and some Greek manuscripts seem to read “as he cried out” (וכד בכא/εν τω κλαιειν) instead of “as he walked,” which doesn’t really make a difference because the “going up” and the “crying out” are already both in the verse.

YThere are Greek, Latin, and Syriac manuscripts which remove one of the two duplications of the phrase “my son” in this verse, but they are inconsistent with themselves.

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