2 Samuel 19:1-15 – Bringing Back The King

Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 2 Oct. 2022

Introduction

vs. 1-4 David’s Soldiers Come Back And Face An Unexpected Challenge

vs. 5-7 Joab Calls David To Make A Comeback

vs. 8-10 The People Decide To Support David’s Comeback

1) Absalom was dead, so they might as well go back to David, and

2) David had previously done a great job defending the country from enemies.

vs. 11-13 David’s Comeback Message To Judah

vs. 14-15 The King Comes Back

APPLICATION


2 Samuel 19:1-15Side-by side comparison of versionsA

LXX

Brenton

DRB

KJV

NAW

MT

2) καὶ ἀνηγγέλη τῷ Ιωαβ [λέγοντες] Ἰδοὺ ὁ βασιλεὺς κλαίει καὶ πενθεῖ ἐπὶ Αβεσσαλωμ.

1 And [they] brought Joab word, [saying,] Behold, the king weeps and mourns for Abessalom.

1 And it was told Joab, that the king wept and mourned for [his] son:

1 And it was told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom.

1 Presently, it was communicated to Joab that the king was there weeping and mourning over Absalom.

2 וַיֻּגַּד לְיוֹאָב הִנֵּה הַמֶּלֶךְ בֹּכֶה וַיִּתְאַבֵּלB עַל-אַבְשָׁלֹם:

3) καὶ ἐγένετο ἡ σωτηρία ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ εἰς πένθος παντὶ τῷ λαῷ, ὅτι ἤκουσεν ὁ λαὸς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ λέγων [ὅτι] Λυπεῖται ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ·

2 And the victory was [turned] X that day into mourning to all the people, for the people heard say X that day, The king grieves after his son.

2 And the victory X that day was [turned] into mourning unto all the people: for the people heard say X that day: The king grieveth for his son.

2 And the victory X that day was turned into mourning unto all the people: for the people heard say X that day how the king was grieved for his son.

2 So the deliverance became a mourning-occasion for all the people on that day, since the people heard it said on that day, “The king is grieving over his son.”

3 וַתְּהִי הַתְּשֻׁעָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לְאֵבֶל לְכָל-הָעָם כִּי-שָׁמַע הָעָם בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לֵאמֹר נֶעֱצַב הַמֶּלֶךְ עַל-בְּנוֹ:

4) καὶ διεκλέπτετο ὁ λαὸς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ τοῦ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν πόλιν, καθὼς διακλέπτεται ὁ λαὸς οἱ αἰσχυνόμενοι ἐν τῷ αὐτοὺς φεύγειν ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ.

3 And the people stole away that day to go into the city, as people stealX away when they are ashamed as they flee in the battle.

3 And the people shunned the going into the city that day as a people would do that hath turned their backs, and fled away from the battle.

3 And the people gat them by stealth X that day X into the city, as people being ashamed stealX away when they flee in X battle.

3 So on that day, the people stole in, entering the city like when the people steals in ashamed when they they have fled during the battle.

4 וַיִּתְגַּנֵּבC הָעָם בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לָבוֹא הָעִיר כַּאֲשֶׁר יִתְגַּנֵּב הָעָם הַנִּכְלָמִים בְּנוּסָם בַּמִּלְחָמָהD:

5) καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἔκρυψεν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔκραξεν ὁ βασιλεὺς φωνῇ μεγάλῃ λέγων Υἱέ μου Αβεσσαλωμ, Αβεσσαλωμ υἱέ μου X X.

4 And the king hid his face: and the king cried with a loud voice, My son Abessalom! Abessalom my son X X!

4 And the king covered his head, and X X cried with a loud voice: O my son Absalom, O Absalom my son, O my son.

4 But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!

4 And the king himself was covering his face, and the king was crying out with a loud voice, “My son Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!”

5 וְהַמֶּלֶךְ לָאַט אֶת-פָּנָיו וַיִּזְעַק הַמֶּלֶךְE קוֹל גָּדוֹל בְּנִי אַבְשָׁלוֹם אַבְשָׁלוֹם בְּנִי בְנִי: ס

6) καὶ εἰσῆλθεν Ιωαβ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα εἰς τὸν οἶκον καὶ εἶπεν Κατῄσχυνας σήμερον τὸ πρόσωπον πάντων τῶν δούλων σου τῶν ἐξαιρουμένων X σε σήμερον καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν τῶν υἱῶν σου καὶ τῶν θυγατέρων σου καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν τῶν γυναικῶν σου καὶ X τῶν παλλακῶν σου

5 And Joab went in to the king, into the house, and said, Thou hast this day shamed the faces of all thy servants that have delivered X thee this day, and [have savedF] the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and X of thy concubines,

5 Then Joab going into the house to the king, X said: Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, that have saved thy life X, and the lives of thy sons, and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines.

5 And Joab came into the house to the king, and said, Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, which this day have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines;

5 So Joab went to the king at his house and said, “Today you have put to shame the faces of all your servants, the very ones who have delivered your life {} and the life of your sons and your daughters and the life of your wives and {} of your concubines,

6 וַיָּבֹא יוֹאָב אֶל-הַמֶּלֶךְ הַבָּיִת וַיֹּאמֶר הֹבַשְׁתָּ הַיּוֹם אֶת-פְּנֵי כָל-עֲבָדֶיךָ הַמְמַלְּטִים אֶת-נַפְשְׁךָ Gהַיּוֹם וְאֵת נֶפֶשׁ בָּנֶיךָ וּבְנֹתֶיךָ וְנֶפֶשׁ נָשֶׁיךָ וְנֶפֶשׁ פִּלַגְשֶׁיךָ:

7) τοῦ ἀγαπᾶν τοὺς μισοῦντάς σε καὶ μισεῖν τοὺς ἀγαπῶντάς σε καὶ ἀνήγγειλας σήμερον ὅτι οὔκ εἰσιν οἱ ἄρχοντές [σου] οὐδὲ παῖδες, ὅτι ἔγνωκα σήμερον ὅτι εἰ Αβεσσαλωμ ἔζη, πάντες ἡμεῖς σήμερον νεκροί, ὅτι τότε τὸ εὐθὲς ἦν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου·

6 forasmuch as thou lovest them that hate thee, and hatest them that love thee; and thou hast this day declared, that [thy] princes and [thyH] servants are nothing in thy [sight]: for I know this day, that if Abessalom were alive, and all of us dead to-day, then it would have been right in thy sight.

6 X Thou lov­est them that hate thee, and thou hatest them that love thee: and thou hast shewn this day that X thou [carest] not [for thy] nobles, nor [for thy] servants: and I now [plain­ly] perceive that if Absalom had lived, and all we had been slain X, then it would have pleased X X thee.

6 In that thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends. For thou hast declared this day, that X thou [regardest] neither princes nor servants: for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased X X thee [well].

6 as a result, loving those who hated you and hating those who love you, for you have managed to communicate today that there are no officers or servants belonging to you! Indeed, I understand today that were Absalom alive and all of us dead {}, only then would it be right in your eyes.

7 לְאַהֲבָה אֶת- שֹׂנְאֶיךָ וְלִשְׂנֹא אֶת-אֹהֲבֶיךָ כִּי הִגַּדְתָּ הַיּוֹם כִּי אֵין לְךָ שָׂרִים וַעֲבָדִים כִּי יָדַעְתִּי הַיּוֹם כִּי לֹאI אַבְשָׁלוֹם חַי וְכֻלָּנוּ הַיּוֹםJ מֵתִים כִּי-אָז יָשָׁר בְּעֵינֶיךָ:

8) καὶ νῦν ἀναστὰς ἔξελθε καὶ λάλησον εἰς τὴν καρδίαν τῶν δούλων σου, ὅτι ἐν κυρίῳ ὤμοσα ὅτι [εἰ] μὴ ἐκπορεύσῃ [σήμερον], εἰ αὐλισθήσεται ἀνὴρ μετὰ σοῦ τὴν νύκτα [ταύτην· καὶ ἐπίγνωθι σεαυτῷ] καὶ κακόν σοι τοῦτο ὑπὲρ πᾶν τὸ κακὸν τὸ ἐπελθόν σοι ἐκ νεότητός σου ἕως τοῦ νῦν.

7 And now arise, [andK] go forth, and speak comfortably to thy servants; for I have sworn by the Lord, that unless thou wilt go forth [to-day], there shall not a man remain with thee [this] night: [and know for thyself,] this thing will indeed be evil to thee beyond all the evil that has come upon thee from thy youth until now.

7 Now therefore arise, [and] go out, and speak to the satisfaction of thy servants: for I swear to thee by the Lord, that [if] thou wilt not go forth, there will not tarry with thee [so much as] one this night: and that will be worse to thee, than all the evil[s] that have befallen thee from thy youth until now.

7 Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants: for I swear by the LORD, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night: and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now.

7 So get up, right now, go out there, and speak to the heart of your servants, for I swear by Yahweh, there is no way, apart from you going out there, that any man will stay the night with you tonight. And for you, this could be worse than all the evil which has come upon you from your boyhood until now!”

8 וְעַתָּה קוּם צֵא וְדַבֵּר עַל-לֵב עֲבָדֶיךָ כִּי בַיהוָה נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי כִּיL- אֵינְךָ יוֹצֵא אִם- יָלִין אִישׁ אִתְּךָ הַלַּיְלָה וְרָעָה לְךָ זֹאת מִכָּל-הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר-בָּאָה עָלֶיךָ מִנְּעֻרֶיךָ עַד-עָתָּה: ס

9) καὶ ἀνέστη ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ἐκάθισεν ἐν τῇ πύλῃ, καὶ X πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἀνήγγειλαν λέγοντες Ἰδοὺ ὁ βασιλεὺς κάθηται ἐν τῇ πύλῃ· καὶ εἰσῆλθεν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς κατὰ πρόσωπον τοῦ βασιλέως. Καὶ Ισραηλ ἔφυγεν ἀνὴρ εἰς τὰ σκηνώματα αὐτοῦ.

8 Then the king arose, and sat in the gate: and X all the people X reported, saying, Behold, the king sits in the gate. And all the people went in before the king [to the gateM]; for Israel had fled every man to his tent.

8 Then the king arose and sat in the gate: and it [was] told to all the people X that the king sat in the gate: and all the people came before the king, but Israel fled X to their own dwelling[s].

8 Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told unto all the people, saying, Behold, the king doth sit in the gate. And all the people came before the king: for Israel had fled every man to his tent.

8 Then the king got up and began officiating in the gateway. So they communicated to all the people saying, “Look, the king is officiating in the gateway!” and all the people came before the king. Meanwhile, Israel had fled, each to his tent.

9 וַיָּקָם הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֵּשֶׁב בַּשָּׁעַר וּלְכָל-הָעָם הִגִּידוּ לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה הַמֶּלֶךְ יוֹשֵׁב בַּשַּׁעַר וַיָּבֹא כָל- הָעָם לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וְיִשְׂרָאֵל נָסN אִישׁ לְאֹהָלָיו: ס

10) καὶ ἦν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς κρινόμενος ἐν πάσαις φυλαῖς Ισραηλ λέγοντες Ὁ βασιλεὺς [Δαυιδ] ἐρρύσατο ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἡμῶν, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐξείλατο ἡμᾶς ἐκ χειρὸς ἀλλοφύλων, καὶ νῦν πέφευγεν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς [καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ] ἀπὸ Αβεσσαλωμ·

9 And all the people disputed among all the tribes of Israel, saying, X King [David] delivered us from all our enemies, and he rescued us from the hand of the Philis­tines: and now he has fled from the land[, and from his kingdom, andO] from Abessalom.

9 And all the people were at strife in all the tribes of Israel, saying: The king delivered us out of the hand of our enemies, and he saved us out of the hand of the Philistines: and now he is fled out of the land for Absalom.

9 And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king saved us out of the hand of our enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land for Absalom.

9 Then all the people throughout all the tribes of Israel were trying to come up with a verdict, saying, “{David} the king has brought about deliverance for us from the grip of our enemies, and it was he who rescued us from the grip of the Philis­tines, yet now he has fled from the country on account of Absalom.

10 וַיְהִי כָל- הָעָם נָדוֹןP בְּכָל-שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר הַמֶּלֶךְQ הִצִּילָנוּ מִכַּףR אֹיְבֵינוּ וְהוּא מִלְּטָנוּ מִכַּף פְּלִשְׁתִּים וְעַתָּה בָּרַח מִן- הָאָרֶץ Sמֵעַל אַבְשָׁלוֹם:

11) καὶ Αβεσσαλωμ, ὃν ἐχρίσαμεν ἐφ᾿ ἡμῶν, ἀπέθανεν ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ, καὶ νῦν ἵνα τί ὑμεῖς κωφεύετε τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι τὸν βασιλέα; [καὶ τὸ ῥῆμα παντὸς Ισραηλ ἦλθεν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα.] --

10 And Abessalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle: and now why are ye silent about bringing back the king? [And the word of all Israel came to the king.]

10 But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in the battle: X X how long are you silent, and bring [not] back the king?

10 And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why speak ye [not a word] of bringing the king back?

10 However, Absalom, whom we anointed-king over us, has died in the battle, so now, why are y’all keeping quiet about initiating the return of the king?”

11 וְאַבְשָׁלוֹם אֲשֶׁר מָשַׁחְנוּ עָלֵינוּ מֵת בַּמִּלְחָמָה וְעַתָּה לָמָה אַתֶּם מַחֲרִשִׁים לְהָשִׁיב אֶת-הַמֶּלֶךְT: ס

12) καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς Δαυιδ ἀπέστειλεν πρὸς Σαδωκ καὶ πρὸς Αβιαθαρ τοὺς ἱερεῖς λέγων Λαλήσατε πρὸς τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους Ιουδα λέγοντες Ἵνα τί γίνεσθε ἔσχατοι τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι τὸν βασιλέα εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ; καὶ λόγος παντὸς Ισραηλ ἦλθεν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα X X XU.

11 And king David sent to Sadoc and Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak to the elders of IsraelV, saying, Why are ye the last to bring back the king to his house? whereas the word of all Israel is come to the king to his house.

11 And king David sent to Sadoc, and Abiathar the priests, saying: Speak to the ancients of Juda, saying: Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house? (For the talk of all Israel was come to the king in his house.)

11 And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house? seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, even to his house.

11 Then David the king sent a commission to Zadoq and to Abiathar the priests to say, “Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, ‘Why are y’all being the last to initiate the return of the king to his palace since the verdict of all Israel has come in to the king at his house?

12 וְהַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד שָׁלַח אֶל-צָדוֹק וְאֶל-אֶבְיָתָר הַכֹּהֲנִים לֵאמֹר דַּבְּרוּ אֶל-זִקְנֵי יְהוּדָה לֵאמֹרW לָמָּה תִהְיוּ אַחֲרֹנִים לְהָשִׁיב אֶת-הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל- בֵּיתוֹ וּדְבַר כָּל- יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּא אֶל- הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל-בֵּיתוֹ:

13) ἀδελφοί μου ὑμεῖς, ὀστᾶ μου καὶ σάρκες μου ὑμεῖς, καὶ ἵνα τί γίνεσθε ἔσχατοι τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι τὸν βασιλέα [εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ];

12 Ye are my brethren, ye are my bone[s] and my flesh: X why are ye the last to bring back the king [to his house]?

12 You are my brethren, you are my bone, and my flesh, X why are you the last to bring back the king?

12 Ye are my brethren, ye are my bone[s] and my flesh: wherefore then are ye the last to bring back the king?

12 Y’all are my brothers – you’re my bone and my flesh, so why be last to initiate the return of the king?

13 אַחַי אַתֶּם עַצְמִי וּבְשָׂרִי אַתֶּם וְלָמָּהX תִהְיוּ אַחֲרֹנִים לְהָשִׁיב אֶת- הַמֶּלֶךְY:

14) καὶ τῷ Αμεσσαϊ ἐρεῖτε Οὐχὶ ὀστοῦν μου καὶ σάρξ μου σύ; [καὶ νῦνZ] τάδε ποιήσαι μοι ὁ θεὸς καὶ τάδε προσθείη, εἰ μὴ ἄρχων δυνάμεως ἔσῃ ἐνώπιον ἐμοῦ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἀντὶ Ιωαβ.

13 And ye shall say to Amessai, Art thou not my bone and my flesh? [and now] God do so to me, and more also, if thou shalt not be commander of the host before me continually in the room of Joab.

13 And say ye to Amasa: Art not thou my bone, and my flesh? So do God to me and add more, if thou be not [the chief] captain of the army before me always in the place of Joab.

13 And say ye to Amasa, Art thou not [of] my bone, and [of] my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in the room of Joab.

13 Also, say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? May God deal with me thus and even more, if you do not become general over the army in my presence all my days instead of Joab.’”

14 וְלַעֲמָשָׂא תֹּמְרוּ הֲלוֹא עַצְמִי וּבְשָׂרִי אָתָּה כֹּה יַעֲשֶׂה- לִּי אֱלֹהִים וְכֹה יוֹסִיף אִם-לֹא שַׂר-צָבָא תִּהְיֶה לְפָנַי כָּל-הַיָּמִים תַּחַת יוֹאָב:

15) καὶ ἔκλινεν τὴν καρδίαν παντὸς ἀνδρὸς Ιουδα ὡς ἀνδρὸς ἑνός, καὶ ἀπέστειλαν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα [λέγοντες] Ἐπιστράφητι σὺ καὶ πάντες οἱ δοῦλοί σου.

14 And he bowed the heart of all the men of Juda as [that of] one man; and they sent to the king, [saying,] Return thou, and all thy servants.

14 And he inclined the heart of all the men of Juda, as it were of one man: and they sent to the king, [saying:] Return thou, and all thy servants.

14 And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man; so that they sent this word unto the king, Return thou, and all thy servants.

14 So he inclined the heart of all the men of Judah like they were one man, and they send a commission to the king{ to say}, “Return, you and all your servants!”

15 וַיַּטAA אֶת- לְבַב כָּל-אִישׁAB- יְהוּדָה כְּאִישׁ אֶחָד וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ אֶל-הַמֶּלֶךְAC שׁוּב אַתָּה וְכָל- עֲבָדֶיךָ:

16) καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ἦλθεν ἕως τοῦ Ιορδάνου, καὶ [ἄνδρες] Ιουδα ἦλθαν εἰς Γαλγαλα τοῦ πορεύεσθαι εἰς ἀπαντὴν τοῦ βασιλέως διαβιβάσαι τὸν βασιλέα τὸν Ιορδάνην. --

15 And the king returned, and came as far as X Jordan. And [the men of] Juda came to Galgala on their way to meet the king, to cause the king to pass over Jordan.

15 And the king returned and came as far as the Jordan, and [all] Juda came as far as Galgal to X meet the king, [and] to bring him over the Jordan.

15 So the king returned, and came to X Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to conduct the king over X Jordan.

15 Then the king began the return and came up to the Jordan, and Judah went toward Gilgal to go call on the king in order to bring the king over the Jordan.

16 וַיָּשָׁב הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיָּבֹא עַד-הַיַּרְדֵּן וִADיהוּדָה בָּא הַגִּלְגָּלָה לָלֶכֶת לִקְרַאת הַמֶּלֶךְ לְהַעֲבִיר אֶת-הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת-הַיַּרְדֵּן:


1The text could mean this, and Josephus, Matthew Henry, John Gill, and Robert Jamieson interpreted it that way.

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. (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 19 are 4Q51 Samuela containing parts of verses 5-15, 24-26, & 38-37, 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}.

BThe MT reads “weeping” and “he mourns” (participle + indicative), but the Targums and a couple of other Hebrew manuscripts read participle + participle, and the LXX reads indicative + indicative. It doesn’t change the interpretation, though, because, in Hebrew, when verbs are in a chain, even if they are in different tenses, the second is normally interpreted in the same tense as the first.

CThis is the only passage in the Bible which contains the Hithpael form of this verb (which normally means “to steal”).

DSyriac and Vulgate read “from” the battle rather than “in,” and the NIV follows them.

EThe second iteration of “the king” is omitted in the Vulgate, Syriac, and Greek Lucian Rescription. Even if it is missing, it is assumed to be the subject of the second clause, since it is the subject of the first clause, so there is no difference in meaning. After this, the Syriac, Targums, and some editions of the Greek and Hebrew insert the preposition “with” before “loud voice,” but even without the explicit preposition, the same preposition is universally assumed.

FThis verb is not in the Vaticanus or in Rahlfs’ edition of the Septuagint.

GThe DSS is illegible for the rest of the verse past the direct object particle, but there is not enough space between this and the next legible word to fit all the text of the MT; it is about 10 characters (including spaces) too short. This corroborates with the LXX, which omits 2 words in the MT totalling 10 characters (with spaces): the second instance of the word “today” in this verse, and the last instance of the word “nephesh.” The Vulgate agrees with the omission of the second “hayyom” but not with the omission of the “soul” of the concubines. The Syriac & Targums agree with the MT. The meaning is not changed with the omission of these words because they are both repeated from earlier in the verse, so their meaning applies whether they are written explicitly again or not.

HThis possessive pronoun was added by Brenton. It is not in the Vaticanus or other LXX texts.

IQere is לוּ, and DSS agrees, but it is just a different spelling, not a different meaning.

JDSS is illegible here, but seems to omit this word, as does the Vulgate, Syriac and Lucian Recension of the LXX.

KAdded by Brenton, not in LXX or Vaticanus.

LDSS and several other Hebrew manuscripts (including some from the 9th century Cairo Geniza) insert <a, and the Latin (quod si non), Greek ( ὅτι εἰ μὴ) , and Syriac (?) versions all follow that longer reading.

MThe Vaticanus adds this tidbit which is not in any other manuscript, although there is space in the DSS for it in an obliterated section. It does not add any new or different information, for it was already stated that David was at the gate.

Ncf. DSS נח (“retired”), and Targums‎ אְפַך ... לְקִרוֹהִי (“headed toward his walled-city”), but LXX, Vulgate, and Syriac agree with the MT.

OVaticanus followed the DSS by inserting “and,” differing from the majority of Septuagint manuscripts according to Rohlfs. The DSS does not, however, support the extra phrase in the Septuagint “and his kingdom.” This extra phrase merely teases out more explicitly the implication of what is stated already in all the manuscripts.

PThis is the only Niphal instance of this verb in the Bible.

QDSS and LXX insert “David,” which is still the same person as “the king.”

RDSS is illegible at this point, but the LXX and Syriac read as though the Hebrew were כל (“all”) instead of כף (“palm [of the hand]. The two words are spelled very similarly in Hebrew. Although semantically different, it is not substantially different in meaning in the context of the sentence. All are agreed on כף later on in the verse (“palm of the Philistines”).

SDSS and Vaticanus insert a conjunction here, which is not a substantial change in meaning.

TThe DSS supports the short reading of the MT, but the LXX, Syriac, and some editions of the Vulgate, add a phrase here. Here’s the Syriac in Hebrew script: אמרו גבר לחברה (I’m not sure about the translation, but maybe it is, "And they all in Hebron said…”) Neither the LXX nor the Syriac insertions contradict the story according to the MT, however.

UThe Vaticanus supplies the words in the MT, which are missing in the LXX, by adding εις τον οικον αυτου.

VThe LXX and Vaticanus both say “Judah,” not “Israel.”

WDSS has room for an extra word, but it is unreadable at this point. Syriac omits about half of the verse.

XVaticanus omits the vav conjunction, as does Vulgate and Syriac and some Hebrew manuscripts, but it’s in the LXX majority and Targums, as in the MT.

YThe LXX repeats the final phrase from the previous verse, and the Lucian Rescription (along with the Leningrad Syriac codex) repeats the final phrase from a couple of verses back “ and the word of all Israel came to the king.”

ZThis additional “and now” isn’t in any Hebrew editions or other language versions. DSS is obliterated at this point, so the spacing is all we have to go on in that for comparison, and, while there is space for the extra word, the space could have been used without the extra word, so it is not definitive.

AAJewish commentators followed by Jamieson, interpreted the subject as Amasa, but Willett, Gill, and Keil & Delitzsch interpreted the subject as David, as do I. (Tsumura refused to take a side, claiming it should be interpreted “impersonally… ‘their hearts were turned.’”)

ABDSS is obliterated here, but it doesn’t have enough space for all the words in the MT (It is about 10 characters short, including spaces between words.), but all the other ancient manuscripts and versions have all the words in the MT.

ACDSS spacing supports the MT, but the LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate, as well as some Hebrew manuscripts, insert “to say,” the meaning of which is naturally assumed, but the explicit inscription of it makes the reading smoother.

ADTargums insert “house of,” LXX inserts “men of,” and Vulgate inserts “all of,” but DSS and Syriac support the MT.

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