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2Samuel 2:1–32 |
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Introduction Matthew Henry Summarizes 2Samuel 2
vv. 1–4b David Rules Over Judah from Hebron
vv. 4c–7 David honors the men of Jabesh-Gilead
vv. 8–11 Ishbosheth Reigns over Northern and Eastern Israel
vv. 12–17 Civil War between Abner and David’s Nephews
vv. 18–23 Abner Kills Asahel, David’s Nephew
vv. 24–29 A Temporary Truce is Called
vv. 30–33 The Casualty Report to David
Charts, Maps and Short Doctrines:
Introduction Matthew Henry Summarizes 2Samuel 2
v. 1 A Brief Summary of the Doctrine of Hebron
v. 1 The Commentators Remark about Hebron
v. 6 Genocides and Political Killings of the 20th Century
v. 7 Various Commentators on David’s Message to the Men of Jabesh Gilead
v. 8 Summarizing What We Know About Abner
v. 8 Why Abner is Motivated to Set up Ishbosheth as King Over Israel
v. 8 Smith Summarizes the Doctrine of the City of Mahanaim
v. 8 Why Mahanaim is Chosen as the New Capitol City
v. 9 Ashurite, Geshurite or Asherite?
v. 9 The Area over which Ishbosheth Ruled
v. 9 The Reasons You Need a Pastor Teacher
v. 9 Pastor Teachers You Should Avoid
v. 10 How the Age of Ishbosheth Impacts other Numbers in Scripture
v. 11 A Time-Line for the Divided Kingdom
v. 11 Other Theories Dealing with the Length of Ishbosheth’s Reign
v. 12 Why Abner Goes to Gibeon
v. 16 Commentators Explain the Meaning of Helkath-Hazzurim
v. 17 Abner’s Strategy
v. 27 Commentators Interpret Joab’s Oath
v. 29 Where is Bithron?
v. 31 Gill on the Disparity of the Losses
v. 32 The Mistakes of Joab
Doctrines Covered |
Doctrines Alluded To |
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ntroduction: This and the next chapter are easy to sum up in a couple of sentences. God sets up David as king
over Judah (and, presumably, Simeon) in the capitol city Hebron. Abner (probably under Saul’s direction) sets
up Ishbosheth as king over northern and central Israel. A civil war will ensue.
2Sam. 2 is fairly straightforward narrative, with a handful of minor difficulties in translation and interpretation. After it is clear that Saul is dead, David inquires of God as to where he should go and God guides him to go to Hebron to set up his headquarters to rule over Judah. Abner, Saul’s cousin and the commander of Saul’s army, is setting up Saul’s son, Ishbosheth to rule from Mahanaim in eastern Israel. Since Israel had been one entity and now was split, it is inevitable that the armies of both sides should meet, which is what occurs here.
You may recall that David was outside of Israel and probably outside of God’s geographical will. However, when he returned to Ziklag and found that his camp had been raided by Amalekites, David pulled himself together and turned toward God for guidance. In this chapter, David continues in that vein—he asks God for guidance, and God guides him to Hebron in Judah, where he is made king over Judah. You may wonder, why isn’t all Israel behind David at this time? Israel has just been beaten down by the Philistine army, which served to split all Israel right down the middle; above the Philistine victory is northern Israel and below it is Judah. With the Philistines living in some of the cities in central Israel, there is no united Israel. 2Sam. 2:1–4a
After being proclaimed king, David is told about the men of Jabesh-Gilead and how they risked their lives in order to honor Saul, whose body had been hung on a wall in Bethshan, and David sends them greetings and encouragement. David’s purpose here is to indicate to them that he sees this as heroic and he does not feel threatened that they supported their lord Saul. 2Sam. 2:4b–7
However, Abner took Saul’s son Ishbosheth east of the Jordan (Saul’s army was soundly defeated by the Philistines west of the Jordan), and he sets him up as king (probably at Saul’s request the morning that he died). Abner then took his army and he met David’s nephews and their army in Gibeon, which is in central Israel. We do not know the intervening events; we do not know where the Philistines are who are occupying this territory or the impact that these two mobile armies had on them. In this meeting between Abner and Joab (one of David’s nephews), it will be clear the Abner always has the upper hand; his experience is always evident. He will call the shots in this meeting. However, the meeting will end in a civil war between the two armies, and Abner will flee with Asahel, another of David’s nephews, close behind him. With Asahel gaining on Abner, Abner finally turns and deftly kills Asahel. Abner and Joab talk again, and Abner tells Joab that all that can be expected is more and more warfare between these civil factions. Joab, taken aback by the death of his brother, agrees to a temporary truce, and they return to their respective leaders. At the end of this chapter, we are told the body count. 2Sam. 2:12–32
Just so you are exposed to another perspective, let me offer Matthew Henry’s summary of this chapter. |
David had paid due respect to the memory of Saul his prince and Jonathan his friend, and what he did was as much his praise as theirs; he is now considering what is to be done next. Saul is dead, now therefore David arise. |
I. By direction from God he went up to Hebron, and was there anointed king (2Sam. 2:1–4). |
II. He returned thanks to the men of Jabesh–Gilead for burying Saul (2Sam. 2:5–7). |
III. Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, is set up in opposition to him (2Sam. 2:8–11). |
IV. A warm encounter happens between David's party and Ishbosheth's, in which, 1. Twelve of each side engaged hand to hand and were all slain (2Sam. 2:12–16). 2. Saul's party was beaten (2Sam. 2:17). 3. Asahel, on David's side, was slain by Abner (2Sam. 2:18–23). 4. Joab, at Abner's request, sounds a retreat, (2Sam. 2:24–28). 5. Abner makes the best of his way (2Sam. 2:29), and the loss on both sides is computed (2Sam. 2:30–32). So that here we have an account of a civil war in Israel, which, in process of time, ended in the complete settlement of David on the throne. |
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David Rules Over Judah from Hebron
Slavishly literal: |
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Moderately literal: |
And so he is after so, and so inquires David in Yehowah to say, “Should I go up into one of [the] cities of Judah?” And so says Yehowah to him, “Go up.” And so says David “Where do I go up?” And so He says, “Hebron-ward.” |
2Samuel |
And it is afterwards that David inquires of Yehowah, saying, “Should I go up into one of the cities of Judah?” And Yehowah answers him, “Go up.” And David then says, “Where should I go up?” And He says, “To Hebron.” |
After these things, David inquired of Jehovah, “Should I go up into one of the cities of Judah?” And Jehovah answered him, “Yes, you should go up.” Then David asked, “To which city should I go?” And Jehovah answered, “Go to Hebron.” |
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Here is how others have translated this verse:
Ancient texts:
Masoretic Text And so he is after so, and so inquires David in Yehowah to say, “Should I go up into one of [the] cities of Judah?”
And so says Yehowah to him, “Go up.”
And so says David “Where do I go up?”
And so He says, “Hebron-ward.”
Septuagint And it came to pass after this that David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up into one of the cities of Juda?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” And David said, “Where shall I go up?” And He said, “To Chebron.”
Significant differences: None.
Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:
CEV Later, David asked the LORD, "Should I go back to one of the towns of Judah?" The LORD answered, "Yes." David asked, "Which town should I go to?" "Go to Hebron," the LORD replied.
Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):
God’s Word™ After this, David asked the LORD, "Should I go to one of the cities of Judah?" "Go," the LORD answered him. "Where should I go?" David asked. "To Hebron," the LORD replied.
HCSB Some time later, David inquired of the LORD: "Should I go to one of the towns of Judah?" The LORD answered him, "Go." Then David asked, "Where should I go?" "To Hebron," the LORD replied.
Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:
LTHB And it happened after this, David asked of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah? And Jehovah said to him, Go up. And David said, Where shall I go up? And He said, To Hebron.
Young’s Updated LT And it comes to pass afterwards, that David asks at Jehovah, saying, “Do I go up into one of the cities of Judah?” And Jehovah says unto him, “Go up.” And David says, “Whither do I go up?” And He says, “To Hebron.”
What is the gist of this verse? David asks of God if he should go up into Judah and to which city. God tells David to go up to Hebron.
2Samuel 2:1a |
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Hebrew/Pronunciation |
Common English Meanings |
Notes/Morphology |
BDB and Strong’s Numbers |
wa or va (ַו) [pronounced wah] |
and so, and then, then, and |
wâw consecutive |
No Strong’s # BDB #253 |
hâyâh (ה ָי ָה) [pronounced haw-YAW] |
to be, is, was, are; to become, to come into being; to come to pass |
3rd person masculine singular, Qal imperfect |
Strong's #1961 BDB #224 |
achărêy (י̤רֲח ַא) [pronounced ah-kuh-RAY] |
hinder parts; behind, after; following; after that, afterwards |
preposition; plural form |
Strong’s #310 BDB #29 |
kên (ן ֵ) [pronounced kane] |
so, thus; upright, honest; rightly, well; [it is] so, such, so constituted; |
properly, an active participle; used primarily as an adverb |
Strong's #3651 BDB #485 |
Together, achar and kên mean after so (literally) or afterward, afterwards. |
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Translation: And it is afterwards... Recall that David is living in Philistine-controlled territory on the southwest border of Judah and Philistia. When Saul was pursuing David, David finally gave up staying in Judah and went up to Gath. The Philistine king of Gath gave David an area where he could stay (Ziklag), which was near southern Judah, but controlled by the Philistines. We have just witnessed David coming back into fellowship after his camp had been struck by the Amalekites (1Sam. 30:6). He and his men go after and they soundly defeat the Amalekites, recovering all of their personal possessions, their wives and children (1Sam. 30). At the same time, Saul was about to go into his last battle. In fact, simultaneous to David going after the Amalekites, Saul contacted a dead Samuel through a human medium, hoping to get a reprieve or some sort of guidance. Samuel did appear to Saul (if you don’t know why God allowed this, you need to go back to 1Sam. 28 and find out); and told him that he was about to die in battle. Saul did die in battle and an Amalekite comes to tell David about it, claiming to have taken Saul’s life, and hoping to be rewarded for doing so. David has this man executed, based upon his own testimony. Then David writes an ode to Saul and Jonathan, mourning their deaths. That takes us to where we begin this chapter. It is after these things that we find David calling upon God. Recall that Hebrews do not often think chronologically, so that when we have the words which we find here, we can assume that we are looking chronologically at a particular set of events.
2Samuel 2:1b |
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Hebrew/Pronunciation |
Common English Meanings |
Notes/Morphology |
BDB and Strong’s Numbers |
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah] |
and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore |
wâw consecutive |
No Strong’s # BDB #253 |
shâal (לַאָש) [pronounced shaw-AHL] |
to ask [petition, request, inquire]; to demand; to question, to interrogate; to ask [for a loan]; to consult; to salute |
3rd person masculine singular, Qal imperfect |
Strong’s #7592 BDB #981 |
Dâvid (ד̣וָ); also Dâvîyd (די.וָ) [pronounced daw-VEED] |
beloved and is transliterated David |
masculine proper noun |
Strong’s #1732 BDB #187 |
be (׃) [pronounced beh] |
in, into, through; among, in the midst of; at, by, near, on, before, in the presence of, upon; with; to, unto, upon, up to; in respect to, on account of; by means of, about, concerning |
primarily a preposition of proximity; however, it has a multitude of functions |
No Strong’s # BDB #88 |
YHWH (הוהי) [pronunciation is possibly yhoh-WAH] |
transliterated variously as Jehovah, Yahweh, Yehowah |
proper noun |
Strong’s #3068 BDB #217 |
lâmed (ל) [pronounced le] |
to, for, towards, in regards to |
directional/relational preposition |
No Strong’s # BDB #510 |
âmar (ר ַמ ָא) [pronounced aw-MAHR] |
to say, to speak, to utter; to say [to oneself], to think |
Qal infinitive construct |
Strong’s #559 BDB #55 |
Translation: ...that David inquires of Yehowah, saying,... You will recall that David had the means by which he could speak to Jehovah God. The last living priest, the very young man Abiathar, came to David, after Saul had slaughtered the priests at Nob. This man brought with him the Ephod of God, by which one could know the will of God. You will recall that, even though David had access to this Ephod, when he went into the Philistine-held territory, he did not consult with God. As we examined carefully during that time, it was clear that David was out of fellowship, and we covered that in points (1Sam. 27). However, David is now clearly back in fellowship, which means he wants to know what God wants him to do.
2Samuel 2:1c |
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Hebrew/Pronunciation |
Common English Meanings |
Notes/Morphology |
BDB and Strong’s Numbers |
hă ( ֲה) [pronounced heh] |
interrogative particle which acts almost like a piece of punctuation, like the upside-down question mark which begins a Spanish sentence. The verb to be may be implied. |
Strong’s #none BDB #209 |
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׳âlâh (ה ָל ָע) [pronounced ģaw-LAWH] |
to go up, to ascend, to come up, to rise, to climb |
1st person singular, Qal imperfect |
Strong's #5927 BDB #748 |
be () [pronounced beh] |
in, into, through; at, by, near, on, upon; with, before, against; by means of; among; within |
a preposition of proximity |
No Strong’s # BDB #88 |
echâd (ד ָח ∵א) [pronounced eh-KHAWD] |
one, first, certain, only; but it can also mean a composite unity; possibly particular |
feminine singular numeral adjective construct |
Strong's #259 BDB #25 |
׳îyr (רי ̣ע) [pronounced ģeer] |
encampment, city, town |
feminine plural construct |
Strong's #5892 BDB #746 |
Yehûwdâh (הָדהי) [pronounced yehoo-DAW] |
possibly means to praise, to be praised; and is transliterated Judah |
masculine proper noun/location |
Strong’s #3063 BDB #397 |
Translation:...“Should I go up into one of the cities of Judah?” God has named David as the next king of Israel. David is now just outside of Judah, hiding in a Philistine-controlled territory. Now that Saul is dead, David needs to know what to do next. It seems reasonable that he should return to Judah, but he will inquire of God whether or not he should do this.
2Samuel 2:1d |
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Hebrew/Pronunciation |
Common English Meanings |
Notes/Morphology |
BDB and Strong’s Numbers |
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah] |
and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore |
wâw consecutive |
No Strong’s # BDB #253 |
âmar (ר ַמ ָא) [pronounced aw-MAHR] |
to say, to speak, to utter; to say [to oneself], to think |
3rd person masculine singular, Qal imperfect |
Strong’s #559 BDB #55 |
YHWH (הוהי) [pronunciation is possibly yhoh-WAH] |
transliterated variously as Jehovah, Yahweh, Yehowah |
proper noun |
Strong’s #3068 BDB #217 |
lâmed (ל) [pronounced le] |
to, for, towards, in regards to |
directional/relational preposition; with the 3rd person masculine singular suffix |
No Strong’s # BDB #510 |
׳âlâh (ה ָל ָע) [pronounced ģaw-LAWH] |
to go up, to ascend, to come up, to rise, to climb |
2nd person masculine singular, Qal imperative |
Strong's #5927 BDB #748 |
Translation: And Yehowah answers him, “Go up.” God makes it clear that David should go up into Judah, into one of the cities of Judah. This quotation is interesting—instead of having the simple yes or no response, which is how we might view the responses to David’s questions, God tells David to, “Go up.” Because of what has occurred previously, I would assume that David is asking questions of God using the ephod and the young priest, Abiathar. We do not have any recorded incident where God speaks to David in a dream; God never speaks directly to David, at least up until this point in time. So, although I cannot unequivocally rule out the idea that God is speaking to David in a dream, there is no evidence of that, apart from God’s answers, which are very specific, rather than general yes or no answers. As we have discussed earlier, it is possible that there were ways to get a more detailed answer from the Ephod of God, although we have no idea as to how exactly that is done.
2Samuel 2:1e |
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Hebrew/Pronunciation |
Common English Meanings |
Notes/Morphology |
BDB and Strong’s Numbers |
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah] |
and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore |
wâw consecutive |
No Strong’s # BDB #253 |
âmar (ר ַמ ָא) [pronounced aw-MAHR] |
to say, to speak, to utter; to say [to oneself], to think |
3rd person masculine singular, Qal imperfect |
Strong’s #559 BDB #55 |
Dâvid (ד̣וָ); also Dâvîyd (די.וָ) [pronounced daw-VEED] |
beloved and is transliterated David |
masculine proper noun |
Strong’s #1732 BDB #187 |
ân (ןָא) [pronounced awn] |
where, whither |
adverb with the hê local |
Strong’s #575 BDB #33 |
׳âlâh (ה ָל ָע) [pronounced ģaw-LAWH] |
to go up, to ascend, to come up, to rise, to climb |
1st person singular, Qal imperfect |
Strong's #5927 BDB #748 |
Translation: And David then says, “Where should I go up?” As discussed above, we are guessing that David is inquiring of God via the Ephod of God. This is based only upon what has occurred in the past; and based upon the fact that, at no time, has God spoken to David in a dream.
To me, this suggests that God somehow communicated information to Abiathar, more than simply yes or no from the ephod. There is no indication that David laid out before God a few dozen cities and asked God, should I go to this city? Yes or no? Although that is a possibility, that God says to David, “Go Up” and “Hebron” simply indicates that somehow, God is communicating a certain amount of limited information to David, and I would assume that would be through Abiathar, although he is not mentioned here.
2Samuel 2:1f |
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Hebrew/Pronunciation |
Common English Meanings |
Notes/Morphology |
BDB and Strong’s Numbers |
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah] |
and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore |
wâw consecutive |
No Strong’s # BDB #253 |
âmar (ר ַמ ָא) [pronounced aw-MAHR] |
to say, to speak, to utter; to say [to oneself], to think |
3rd person masculine singular, Qal imperfect |
Strong’s #559 BDB #55 |
Cheberôwn (ןר׃ב∵ח) [pronounced khebv-ROHN] |
association, league, joined; transliterated Hebron |
proper noun; location; with the directional hê |
Strong’s #2275 BDB #289 |
Translation: And He says, “To Hebron.” In some manner which we cannot conclusively point to, God is able to clearly indicate to David just exactly where David should go—God tells David to go to Hebron. We covered the Doctrine of Hebron back in Joshua 14:15; however, let us briefly summarize it below.
The actual doctrine goes into much greater detail than we find here. I will cover the history of Hebron after the time of Joshua at another time. |
It is interesting that each of these commentators gives his own unique perspective of the city of Hebron. |
As you might speculate, that God tells David to go to Hebron is quite spiritually significant—of all the cities of Israel, this one, in David’s time, would be seen as the city of the greatest spiritual significance. We, of course, from our point of view in history, see Jerusalem as being the holy city (if there is such a thing); however, Jerusalem was just another city at this time, primarily occupied by Jebusites.
And so goes up David and also two of his wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail, wife of Nabal, the Carmelite;... |
2Samuel 2:2 |
Then David went up, along with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail, the wife of Nabal, the Carmelite;... |
Then David went up to Hebron, taking with him his two wives—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal, from Carmel. |
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Here is how others have translated this verse:
Ancient texts:
Masoretic Text And so goes up David and also two of his wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail, wife of Nabal, the Carmelite;...
Septuagint And David went up there to Chebron, he and both his wives, Achinaam the Jezraelitess, and Abigaia the wife of Nabal the Carmelite,...
Significant differences: Hebron is mentioned by name in the LXX, but not in the Hebrew. Context indicates that we are obviously speaking about going to Hebron.
Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:
CEV David went to Hebron with his two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail. Ahinoam was from Jezreel, and Abigail was the widow of Nabal from Carmel.
Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):
God’s Word™ David went there with his two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail (who had been Nabal's wife) from Carmel.
HCSB So David went there with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail, the widow of Nabal the Carmelite.
Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:
LTHB And David went up there, and also his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail the former wife of Nabal of Carmel.
Young’s Updated LT And David goes up there, and also his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail wife of Nabal the Carmelite;...
What is the gist of this verse? David goes up to Hebron, taking with him, his two wives.
2Samuel 2:2a |
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Hebrew/Pronunciation |
Common English Meanings |
Notes/Morphology |
BDB and Strong’s Numbers |
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah] |
and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore |
wâw consecutive |
No Strong’s # BDB #253 |
׳âlâh (ה ָל ָע) [pronounced ģaw-LAWH] |
to go up, to ascend, to come up, to rise, to climb |
3rd person masculine singular, Qal imperfect |
Strong's #5927 BDB #748 |
Dâvid (ד̣וָ); also Dâvîyd (די.וָ) [pronounced daw-VEED] |
beloved and is transliterated David |
masculine proper noun |
Strong’s #1732 BDB #187 |
we (or ve) (ו) [pronounced weh] |
and, even, then; namely; when; since, that; though |
simple wâw conjunction |
No Strong’s # BDB #251 |
gam (ם ַ) [pronounced gahm] |
also, furthermore, in addition to, even, moreover |
adverb |
Strong’s #1571 BDB #168 |
Together, the wâw conjunction and the gam particle might mean together with, along with, joined with, and, furthermore, and furthermore. |
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shenayim (ם̣י-נש) [pronounced sheNAH-yim] |
two (the cardinal number); both, double, twice; second; (the ordinal number); [and with other numbers]: both |
masculine dual numeral construct |
Strong’s #8147 BDB #1040 |
nâshîym (םי.שָנ) [pronounced naw-SHEEM] |
women, wives |
feminine plural noun; irregular plural of Strong’s #802; with the 3rd person masculine singular suffix |
Strong’s #802 BDB #61 |
Translation: Then David went up, along with his two wives,... In the book of Chronicles, we are told that David will have two sons in Hebron by these two wives: And these were the sons of David, who were born to him in Hebron. The first-born, Amnon, of Ahinoam of Jezreel. The second, Daniel, of Abigail of Carmel (1Chron. 3:1).
We have discussed having multiple wives in Deut. 17:17 21:15 Judges 8:30 1Sam. 1:2. To summarize, just because men in the past have had multiple wives does not mean that God approves of polygamy or that polygamy is as valid a life choice as monogamy. God made Eve for Adam; God did not make Eve, Sally, Jessie, and Molly. Throughout Scripture, principles of marriage are applied to one man and one woman; and some categories of men, e.g., kings, are prohibited from having multiple wives. Furthermore, despite what we men might see as advantages in having more than one wife, is clearly outweighed by the disadvantages. You may recall the wives of Elkanah. First of all, he had a favorite wife. Because of this, his second favorite wife gave his favorite a hard time—she found the one area in which she excelled and the favorite did not, and she rubbed that in. That caused continual tension in the household and the favorite wife was generally unhappy. When Elkanah’s favorite wife was unhappy, Elkanah was also unhappy. These circumstances did reslt to the birth of Samuel, but it was not the circumstances of having two wives which actually led to this birth—that was God’s will based upon a prayer of Hannah’s. As we will see later on in David’s life, his having several wives did not cure him of having a roving eye; and he got himself in serious trouble over a woman, despite the fact that he had several wives.
2Samuel 2:2b |
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Hebrew/Pronunciation |
Common English Meanings |
Notes/Morphology |
BDB and Strong’s Numbers |
Ăchîynô׳am (ם -עֹני.ח ֲא) [pronounced uh-khee-NOH-ģam] |
my brother is delight, and is transliterated Ahinoam |
proper noun |
Strong’s #293 BDB #27 |
Yizere׳êlîyth (תי.ל̤ערז̣י) [pronounced yize-re-ģay-LEETH] |
God will sow; that which God planted; it is transliterated Jezreelitess |
gentilic adjective; feminine form; with the definite article |
Strong’s #3159 BDB #283 |
Translation: ...Ahinoam the Jezreelitess... We have Ahinoam named several times in Scripture, but with very little information. Jezreel will bear a son for David—Amnon—in Hebron (1Chron. 3:1). There are two cities named Jezreel: one up in Issachar and one in Judah (Joshua 15:56). Ahinoam would be from the one in Judah.
2Samuel 2:2c |
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Hebrew/Pronunciation |
Common English Meanings |
Notes/Morphology |
BDB and Strong’s Numbers |
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah] |
and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore |
wâw consecutive |
No Strong’s # BDB #253 |
Ăbîygayil (ל̣י-גי.בֲא) [pronounced ab-vee-GAH-yil] |
my father is joy (or, joyous); or my father’s joy; and is transliterated Abigail |
feminine singular proper noun |
Strong’s #26 BDB #4 |
îshshâh (ה ָֹ ̣א) [pronounced eesh-SHAWH] |
woman, wife |
feminine singular construct |
Strong's #802 BDB #61 |
Nâbâl (לָבָנ) [pronounced naw-BAWL] |
foolish, stupid; impious, wicked; and is transliterated Nabal |
masculine singular proper noun |
Strong’s #5037 BDB #615 |
karemelîy (תי.למר-) [pronounced kare-mel-EE] |
garden, plantation and is transliterated Carmelite |
gentilic adjective; masculine form; with the definite article |
Strong’s #3761 BDB #502 |
Translation: ...and Abigail, the wife of Nabal, the Carmelite;... Abigail is the wife we know a little about. David did some work for her husband, but he refused to settle accounts with David. David got extremely mad and was ready to kill Nabal; however, Abigail interceded, making sure that David got paid a reasonable amount, and apologizing profusely for her husband. When the husband finds out that this happened, and that he was nearly killed, he dies of heart failure (or some similar problem). Free of Nabal, Abigail marries David. We studied this back in 1Sam. 25.
Gill has an interesting take on this verse: [David brought with him] his two wives also, Ahinoam the
Jezreelitess, and Abigail, Nabal's wife, the Carmelite; who were beloved by him, and who had shared
with him in his troubles, and which he took with him to partake of his honour and grandeur, wealth and
riches; in which he was now a type of Christ. See Rom. 8:17.
In fact, it is Gill’s interpretation here
which lends great meaning to the verse before us. Henry adds, they endured tribulation along side of
David and now would enjoy with him the fruits of the kingdom.
I must admit that, I find it amazing that
even a verse as innocuous as this can be fraught with great meaning.
...and his men who [are] with him brought up David; and a man and his house. And so they dwell in cities of Hebron. |
2Samuel 2:3 |
...and David [also] brought up his men who [are] with him—each one and his household. Then they lived in the towns of Hebron. |
David also brought with him his soldiers and their families. They took residence around the suburbs of Hebron. |
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Here is how others have translated this verse:
Ancient texts:
Masoretic Text ...and his men who [are] with him brought up David; and a man and his house. And so they dwell in cities of Hebron.
Septuagint ...and the men that were with him, every one and his family; and they dwelt in the cities of Chebron.
Significant differences: In the Hebrew, we repeat the phrase and David brought up; this is understood in the Greek. As usual, the actual impact to the context is minimal.
Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:
CEV David also had his men and their families come and live in the villages near Hebron.
Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):
God’s Word™ David took his men and their families with him, and they settled in the towns around Hebron.
Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:
LTHB And David brought up his men of those who were with him, each man and his household. And they lived in the cities of Hebron..
Young’s Updated LT ...and his men who are with him has David brought up—a man and his household—and they dwell in the cities of Hebron.
What is the gist of this verse? Also the ex-patriots who were with David came with him to Hebron and they lived in Hebron.
2Samuel 2:3a |
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Hebrew/Pronunciation |
Common English Meanings |
Notes/Morphology |
BDB and Strong’s Numbers |
we (or ve) (ו) [pronounced weh] |
and, even, then; namely; when; since, that; though |
simple wâw conjunction |
No Strong’s # BDB #251 |
ănâsîym (םי.שָנֲא) [pronounced uh-NAW-seem]; also spelled îyshîym (םי.שי ̣א) [pronounced ee-SHEEM] |
men; inhabitants, citizens; companions; soldiers, followers |
masculine plural noun with the 3rd person masculine singular suffix |
Strong's #376 BDB #35 |
ăsher (ר∵שֲא) [pronounced uh-SHER] |
that, which, when, who, whom |
relative pronoun |
Strong's #834 BDB #81 |
׳îm (ם̣ע) [pronounced ģeem] |
with, at, by, near |
preposition of nearness and vicinity; with the 3rd person masculine singular suffix |
Strong’s #5973 BDB #767 |
׳âlâh (ה ָל ָע) [pronounced ģaw-LAWH] |
to cause to go up, to lead up, to take up, to bring up |
3rd person masculine singular, Hiphil perfect |
Strong's #5927 BDB #748 |
Dâvid (ד̣וָ); also Dâvîyd (די.וָ) [pronounced daw-VEED] |
beloved and is transliterated David |
masculine proper noun |
Strong’s #1732 BDB #187 |
The Greek does not repeat David brought up in this verse. |
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Translation: ...and David [also] brought up his men who [are] with him... David was now safe from being attacked by Saul. He will not retire; he will not find a job and settle down. David will make Hebron his headquarters and he will operate out of Hebron as the king of Judah, as we will see in this chapter.
2Samuel 2:3b |
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Hebrew/Pronunciation |
Common English Meanings |
Notes/Morphology |
BDB and Strong’s Numbers |
îysh (שי ̣א) [pronounced eesh] |
a man, a husband; anyone; a certain one; each, each one, everyone |
masculine singular noun |
Strong's #376 BDB #35 |
we (or ve) (ו) [pronounced weh] |
and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though |
simple wâw conjunction |
No Strong’s # BDB #251 |
bayith (ת̣י ַ) [pronounced BAH-yith] |
house, household, habitation as well as inward |
masculine singular noun with the 3rd person masculine singular suffix |
Strong's #1004 BDB #108 |
Translation: ...—each one and his household. You will recall that the Amalekites had taken the wives and children of David and his army—and these wives and children were recovered. This tells us that, despite the fact that these men supported David and despite the fact that they were on the run much of the time, they still had wives and children who traveled with them.
2Samuel 2:3c |
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Hebrew/Pronunciation |
Common English Meanings |
Notes/Morphology |
BDB and Strong’s Numbers |
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah] |
and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore |
wâw consecutive |
No Strong’s # BDB #253 |
yâshab (בַשָי) [pronounced yaw-SHAHBV] |
to remain, to stay; to dwell, to live, to inhabit; to sit |
3rd person masculine plural, Qal imperfect |
Strong's #3427 BDB #442 |
be () [pronounced beh] |
in, into, through; at, by, near, on, upon; with, before, against; by means of; among; within |
a preposition of proximity |
No Strong’s # BDB #88 |
׳îyr (רי ̣ע) [pronounced ģeer] |
encampment, city, town |
feminine plural construct |
Strong's #5892 BDB #746 |
Cheberôwn (ןר׃ב∵ח) [pronounced khebv-ROHN] |
association, league, joined; transliterated Hebron |
proper noun; location |
Strong’s #2275 BDB #289 |
Translation: Then they lived in the towns of Hebron. You will recall that David was living in a Philistine-controlled area. He was given permission to dwell there by Achish king of Gath. David stayed there because Saul would continually come after him. However, now that the threat of Saul was past, David takes his men and they move to Hebron in Judah. They make their semi-permanent headquarters in Hebron and David will operate out of this city.
This verse tells us that these men lived in the towns of Hebron. Prior to this, they apparently had camped together as a military unit, ready to move at a moment’s notice. However, at this point, they essentially move into Hebron and into its outlying areas with the intent of staying there semi-permanently. This will be Judah’s capital city for awhile.
Again, this is a verse which may seem innocuous at first, but it parallels the sentiment found in Titus 2:12: If we suffer with Christ, we shall reign with him. Or Luke 22:29–30: “I bestow on you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one on Me, so that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom. And you will sit on thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel.”
And so come men of Judah and so they anoint there David to king over a house of Judah. And so they make known to David, to say, “Men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.” |
2Samuel 2:4 |
Then men from Judah came and they anointed David there as [lit., to] king [or, to reign] over the house of Judah. They also told David, saying, “[It was] the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.” |
Then elders from Judah came and anointed David to reign over Judah. They also told David that it was the men of Jabesh-gilead who retrieved Saul’s body and buried him. |
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I must admit to being conflicted with how to deal with this verse. The first half of it tells what happened to David after he came to Hebron—all of Judah recognized him as king over Judah. In the second half, we don’t really have a completely new topic, as these elders also tell David about the men of Jabesh-Gilead. However, for a few verses, we will deal with David and the heroes of Jabesh. I almost split the verse into two parts, but then I would have to figure out, if I further exegete portions of each part of the verse, then how do I number them? So, doing that seemed just a pain, unless I exegeted v. 4a as one whole, and v. 4b as one whole. Since I did not want to do that, I kept v. 4 together, but the New section heading will occur in the middle of v. 4.
Don’t be confused—there is nothing wrong with the verse, there are no contradictions that I am trying to iron out, and there is nothing difficult about the actual exegesis. My only difficulty is, topically separating this chapter, which is, certainly, a man-made separation (which is also true about verse separation and the chapter divisions).
Here is how others have translated this verse:
Ancient texts:
Masoretic Text And so come men of Judah and so they anoint there David to king over a house of Judah. And so they make known to David, to say, “Men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.”
Septuagint And the men of Judea come, and anoint David there to reign over the house of Juda; and they reported to David, saying, The men of Jabis of the country of Galaad have buried Saul.
Significant differences: In the LXX, we have the verb reign; in the Hebrew, it is the noun king; which is almost identical to the verb to reign. There is the additional phrase in the country of which is found in the Greek. As usual, the differences are pretty insignificant.
Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:
CEV The people of Judah met with David at Hebron and poured olive oil on his head to show that he was their new king. Then they told David, "The people from Jabesh in Gilead buried Saul."
Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):
HCSB Then the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. They told David: "It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul."
Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:
LTHB And the men of Judah came and anointed David king over the house of Judah there. And they told David, saying, It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.
Young’s Updated LT And the men of Judah come, and anoint there David for king over the house of Judah; and they declare to David, saying, “The men of Jabesh-Gilead are they who buried Saul.”
What is the gist of this verse? Men from Judah come to David and anoint him as king over the house of Judah. They also tell him about what the men of Jabesh did on behalf of Saul.
2Samuel 2:4a |
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Hebrew/Pronunciation |
Common English Meanings |
Notes/Morphology |
BDB and Strong’s Numbers |
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah] |
and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore |
wâw consecutive |
No Strong’s # BDB #253 |
bôw (א) [pronounced boh] |
to come in, to come, to go in, to go, to enter |
3rd person masculine plural, Qal imperfect |
Strong’s #935 BDB #97 |
ănâsîym (םי.שָנֲא) [pronounced uh-NAW-seem]; also spelled îyshîym (םי.שי ̣א) [pronounced ee-SHEEM] |
men; inhabitants, citizens; companions; soldiers, followers |
masculine plural construct |
Strong's #376 BDB #35 |
Yehûwdâh (הָדהי) [pronounced yehoo-DAW] |
possibly means to praise, to be praised; and is transliterated Judah |
masculine proper noun/location |
Strong’s #3063 BDB #397 |
Translation: Then men from Judah came... The Philistines had come and driven a wedge between northern and southern Israel. Judah was southern Israel, and Judah was where David was from. When David destroyed the Amalekites who invaded his camp, he sent much of their spoil to a dozen or so cities in Judah. Here we have a delegation of Judæan elders and officials who come to David in Hebron. They can speak for Judah (and, to some degree, for Simeon, which is in Judah).
2Samuel 2:4b |
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Hebrew/Pronunciation |
Common English Meanings |
Notes/Morphology |
BDB and Strong’s Numbers |
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah] |
and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore |
wâw consecutive |
No Strong’s # BDB #253 |
mâshach (ח -ש ָמ) [pronounced maw-SHAHKH] |
to smear, to anoint |
3rd person masculine plural, Qal imperfect |
Strong’s #4886 BDB #602 |
shâm (ם ָש) [pronounced shawm] |
there; at that time, then; therein, in that thing |
adverb |
Strong’s #8033 BDB #1027 |
êth (ת ֵא) [pronounced ayth] |
generally untranslated; occasionally to, toward |
indicates that the following substantive is a direct object |
Strong's #853 BDB #84 |
Dâvid (ד̣וָ); also Dâvîyd (די.וָ) [pronounced daw-VEED] |
beloved and is transliterated David |
masculine proper noun |
Strong’s #1732 BDB #187 |
lâmed (ל) [pronounced le] |
to, for, towards, in regards to |
directional/relational preposition |
No Strong’s # BDB #510 |
meleke ( ∵ל ∵מ) [pronounced MEH-lek] |
king, ruler, prince |
masculine singular noun |
Strong’s #4428 BDB #572 |
This is a verb in the Greek. The difference between the verb to reign (which is the lâmed preposition and the Qal infinitive construct of to reign) and what we find here to king is a matter of vowel points, and these vowel points were added a millennium or more after the text was written. Why the Masorites chose to render this as a noun as opposed to being a verb is a mystery to me. In terms of the overall meaning, there is none. However, the verb makes for a much smoother Hebrew. |
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׳al (ל ַע) [pronounced ģahl ] |
upon, beyond, on, against, above, over, by, beside |
preposition of proximity |
Strong’s #5921 BDB #752 |
bayith (ת̣י ַ) [pronounced BAH-yith] |
house, household, habitation as well as inward |
masculine singular construct |
Strong's #1004 BDB #108 |
Yehûwdâh (הָדהי) [pronounced yehoo-DAW] |
possibly means to praise, to be praised; and is transliterated Judah |
masculine proper noun/location |
Strong’s #3063 BDB #397 |
Translation: ...and they anointed David there as [lit., to] king [or, to reign] over the house of Judah. You will recall that David was anointed by Samuel king over Israel; however, that was a private ceremony. Word eventually got around, and Saul’s continual attacks on David made it fairly clear that David was more than just an insurrectionist. Jonathan recognized that David would be king; Saul feared that David would replace him; so, throughout much of Israel, David becoming king must have been known, to some degree. By this second anointing, David actually becomes king, albeit, only over the house of Judah.
Because there is a Philistine wedge driven between northern and southern Israel, these men can only speak for the territory of Judah, which would include the territory of Simeon and possibly portions or all of Benjamin (it is in the general area of Benjamin where the Philistines drove a wedge between northern and southern Israel).
Some of these elders probably knew that rulership of Israel belonged in the hands of Judah, from Jacob’s blessing hundreds of years previous: Gen. 49:10 reads: “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until He comes to whom it belongs [or, until Shiloh comes]. The obedience of the peoples will be to Him.” That Saul, from the tribe of Benjamin, had become king, was probably confusing to them. As long as Judah is an independent nation (or as long as United Israel is independent), a man from the tribe of Judah would rule. Jesus Christ, from the tribe of Judah, is Shiloh, and it is to Him the ruler’s scepter belongs.
Throughout this chapter, there have been parallels between seemingly innocuous statements and things which will come to pass. So it is with the first half of v. 4: David had been anointed king over Israel by Samuel many years previous—perhaps as many as 10 or 20 years previous to our narrative. However, it is not until this time that David actually assumes authority over a portion of Israel (Judah). It is the same with our Lord Jesus Christ—He was anointed as the Christ of God, the Messiah of God; however, He did not assume His position of authority until after the cross, and at that point, He did not assume complete authority over all the earth—that will come with the Millennium (Heb. 2:7–8 reads: You made Him for a little while lower than the angels; You have crowned Him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under His feet." Now in putting everything in subjection to Him, He left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to Him). We have the same situation here: David is anointed king over Israel decades before he assumes that position; when he takes a position of authority, it is not complete and entire authority; and 7 years will pass (7 being a divine number representing perfection) until David takes control of all of Israel.
Matthew Henry makes a few comments about the tribe of Judah: The tribe of Judah had often stood
by itself more than any other of the tribes. In Saul's time it was numbered by itself as a distinct body
(1Sam. 15:4) and those of this tribe had been accustomed to act separately. They did so now; yet they
did it for themselves only; they did not pretend to anoint him king over all Israel (as Judges 9:22), but
only over the house of Judah. The rest of the tribes might do as they pleased, but, as for them and
their house, they would be ruled by him whom God had chosen.
These men chose not to presume
that they spoke for all Israel; yet, at the same time, they were not willing to wait for the consensus of
all the tribes. Recall the first chapter of Judges? After Joshua conquered the land, the tribes were then
to conquer their individual territories. All of the tribes, save Judah and Simeon, seemed content to co-exist with Canaanites and Amalekites. Judges initiated the taking of their territory, asking Simeon to
join them. This is how a tribe in a leadership role would act. Their anointing of David as king is a
further act of leadership.
David honors the men of Jabesh-Gilead
This is something that I rarely do—make a sub-chapter division in the middle of a verse. However, even though this next portion of v. 4 is reasonably tied to what has come before, it still introduces a new subject: David showing respect to the men of Jabesh-Gilead for their retrieval of Saul’s body.
2Samuel 2:4c |
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Hebrew/Pronunciation |
Common English Meanings |
Notes/Morphology |
BDB and Strong’s Numbers |
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah] |
and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore |
wâw consecutive |
No Strong’s # BDB #253 |
nâgad (ד ַג ָנ) [pronounced naw-GAHD] |
to make conspicuous, to make known, to expound, to explain, to declare, to inform, to confess, to make it pitifully obvious that |
3rd person masculine plural, Hiphil imperfect |
Strong's #5046 BDB #616 |
lâmed (ל) [pronounced le] |
to, for, towards, in regards to |
directional/relational preposition |
No Strong’s # BDB #510 |
Dâvid (ד̣וָ); also Dâvîyd (די.וָ) [pronounced daw-VEED] |
beloved and is transliterated David |
masculine proper noun |
Strong’s #1732 BDB #187 |
lâmed (ל) [pronounced le] |
to, for, towards, in regards to |
directional/relational preposition |
No Strong’s # BDB #510 |
âmar (ר ַמ ָא) [pronounced aw-MAHR] |
to say, to speak, to utter; to say [to oneself], to think |
Qal infinitive construct |
Strong’s #559 BDB #55 |
ănâsîym (םי.שָנֲא) [pronounced uh-NAW-seem]; also spelled îyshîym (םי.שי ̣א) [pronounced ee-SHEEM] |
men; inhabitants, citizens; companions; soldiers, followers |
masculine plural construct |
Strong's #376 BDB #35 |
Yâbêsh (שֵבָי) [pronounced yawB-VEYSH] |
to be dry, dried up, withered; transliterated Jabesh |
cognate of verb (Strong’s #3001); acts as a proper noun |
Strong’s #3003 BDB #386 |
Gale׳êd (ד̤על-) [pronounced gahle-ĢAYD] |
witness-pile, hill of witness; and is transliterated Gilead |
proper noun; location |
Strong’s #1567 BDB #165 |
Although some exegetes treat this as one noun, Jabesh-gilead; I think the idea is that this is the city Jabesh in Gildean (sort of like Boston, Massachusetts). |
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ăsher (ר∵שֲא) [pronounced uh-SHER] |
that, which, when, who, whom |
relative pronoun |
Strong's #834 BDB #81 |
qâbar (רַבָק) [pronounced kaw-BAHR] |
to bury, to heap up a mound |
3rd person plural, Qal perfect |
Strong’s #6912 BDB #868 |
êth (ת ֵא) [pronounced ayth] |
generally untranslated; occasionally to, toward |
indicates that the following substantive is a direct object |
Strong's #853 BDB #84 |
Shâûwl (לאָש) [pronounced shaw-OOL] |
which is transliterated Saul; it means asked for |
masculine proper noun |
Strong’s #7586 BDB #982 |
Translation: They also told David, saying, “[It was] the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.” We do not get the
entire conversation here. That is, these men did not show up, say, “Dave, you’re king now; oh, by the way the men
from Jabesh-gilead buried Saul.” First of all, knowing of the riff between Saul and David, it is likely that no one
initiated this conversation with David. Many probably figured that Saul was a topic which was off-limits. However,
David had recently executed a man blamed for the death of Saul and, David’s first act as king, would be to honor
Saul and to give him a proper burial, if this had not been done yet (recall that the Philistines had defeated Israel’s
army, so it is reasonable for David to assume that Saul had not been properly buried or eulogized). So, as his first
news conference as king,
David himself probably inquired what happened to Saul’s body and asked for more
details. It is possible that David, at this time, finds out that the Amalekite who claimed to kill Saul actually did not
kill him.
In any case, it is certain David that is told about how Saul’s head was removed and taken to Philistia and how the
Philistines hung up Saul’s body in Beth-shan as an insult to Saul. When Saul’s body was hung on the wall of Beth-shan, very likely a Philistine orator stood before it and read an historical accounting of Saul’s death, which account
may have been posted as well. By the time that the news of the disposition of Saul’s body reached Jabesh Gilead,
everyone in Beth-shan knew what had happened to Saul in battle.
By this time, men in Judah knew the details
of Saul’s death; and David, living outside of Judah and having been given a bogus story about Saul’s death, would
not have known all of the details or the actual historical account.
All that we are told is, the men of Jabesh-gilead, loyal to Saul, and grateful to Saul, went and retrieved his body, at great risk to themselves, and gave him a proper burial. In fact, actually, all we are told here is that these men buried Saul’s body (greater details of Saul’s death and the treatment of his body are found in 1Sam. 30 and in 1Chron. 10—which does have some additional information in it—which details are probably told to David at this time). David is given more details about the men of Jabesh Gilead and their bravery in retrieving Saul’s body. In fact, it is reasonable to suppose that the details were slow in coming in this conference, the men of Judah being probably reticent to discuss Saul with David. In the previous chapter, David eulogized Saul and Jonathan in an ode which he wrote; and at this point in time, David is looking to give Saul a royal burial, if that had not been done yet.
And so sends David messengers unto men of Jabesh-gilead; and so he says unto them, “Blessed [are] you to Yehowah whom you made the grace this with your adonai with Saul. And so you bury with him. |
2Samuel |
So David then sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and he said to them, “You [are] blessed with reference to Yehowah because you made [or, who made] this grace with your lord—with Saul; and you buried him. |
So David then sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “You are blessed by Jehovah, because you have manufactured this grace with Saul, your lord, as you buried him. |
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Here is how others have translated this verse:
Ancient texts:
Masoretic Text And so sends David messengers unto men of Jabesh-gilead; and so he says unto them, “Blessed [are] you to Yehowah whom you made the grace this with your adonai with Saul. And so you bury with him.
Septuagint And David sent messengers to the rulers of Jabis of the country of Galaad, and David said to them, “Blessed are you of the Lord, because you have wrought this mercy toward your lord, even toward Saul the anointed of the Lord, and you have buried him and Jonathan his son.
Significant differences: The first difference is, we have the men of Jabesh-gilead in the Hebrew and the rulers of Jabesh-gilead in the Greek. We have the relative pronoun in the Hebrew; however, it can be translated because, as we find in the Greek. The Latin applies the relative pronoun to the men who showed grace to Saul, which is quite reasonable and in complete agreement with the Hebrew. This really requires some additional discussion, which we will give in the Hebrew exegesis.
In the Hebrew, we have the preposition with, which can be rendered that way 90% of the time. However, in this case, rendering it toward as we find in the Greek is not too much of a stretch (it may have to do with the verb which is used).
Saul is given the title anointed of the Lord in the Greek, but not in the Hebrew. Jonathan is mentioned in the Greek, but not in the Hebrew. As we would expect, the Latin is in agreement with the Hebrew with regards to the additional text (that is, we do not find this additional text in the Hebrew or in the Latin).
There are an abnormal number of significant differences between the Greek and Hebrew texts here; however, note that this has little or no effect upon the actual overall meaning of this verse in context; and it has absolutely no effect upon any major or minor doctrine.
Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:
CEV David sent messengers to tell them: The LORD bless you! You were kind enough to bury Saul your ruler,...
Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):
God’s Word™ So David sent messengers to the people of Jabesh Gilead. He said to them, "May the LORD bless you because you showed kindness to your master Saul by burying him.
HCSB David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, "The LORD bless you, because you have shown this special kindness to Saul your lord when you buried him.
Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:
ESV David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, "May you be blessed by the LORD, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord and buried him.
Young’s Updated LT And David sends messengers unto the men of Jabesh-Gilead, and says unto them, “Blessed are you of Jehovah, in that you have done this kindness with your lord, with Saul, that you bury him.
What is the gist of this verse? David sends a message to the men of Jabesh, blessing them in the name of Jehovah because of their kindness toward Saul and his family, and because they honorably buried him.
2Samuel 2:5a |
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Hebrew/Pronunciation |
Common English Meanings |
Notes/Morphology |
BDB and Strong’s Numbers |
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah] |
and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore |
wâw consecutive |
No Strong’s # BDB #253 |
shâlach (ח ַל ָש) [pronounced shaw-LAKH] |
to send, to send for [forth, away], to dismiss, to deploy, to put forth, to stretch out |
3rd person masculine singular, Qal imperfect |
Strong’s #7971 BDB #1018 |
Dâvid (ד̣וָ); also Dâvîyd (די.וָ) [pronounced daw-VEED] |
beloved and is transliterated David |
masculine proper noun |
Strong’s #1732 BDB #187 |
maleâke (ָא׃לַמ) [pronounced mahle-AWKe] |
messenger or angel; this word has been used for a prophet (Isa. 42:19) and priest (Mal. 2:7) |
masculine plural noun |
Strong’s #4397 BDB #521 |
el (ל∵א) [pronounced el] |
unto; into, among, in; toward, to; against; concerning, regarding; besides, together with; as to |
directional preposition (respect or deference may be implied) |
Strong's #413 BDB #39 |
ănâsîym (םי.שָנֲא) [pronounced uh-NAW-seem]; also spelled îyshîym (םי.שי ̣א) [pronounced ee-SHEEM] |
men; inhabitants, citizens; companions; soldiers, followers |
masculine plural construct |
Strong's #376 BDB #35 |
Yâbêsh (שֵבָי) [pronounced yawB-VEYSH] |
to be dry, dried up, withered; transliterated Jabesh |
cognate of verb (Strong’s #3001); acts as a proper noun |
Strong’s #3003 BDB #386 |
Gale׳êd (ד̤על-) [pronounced gahle-ĢAYD] |
witness-pile, hill of witness; and is transliterated Gilead |
proper noun; location |
Strong’s #1567 BDB #165 |
Although some exegetes treat this as one noun, Jabesh-gilead; I think the idea is that this is the city Jabesh in Gildean (sort of like Boston, Massachusetts). |
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Translation: So David then sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead... People react different when it comes to their competition, whether present, past or future. I recently saw the 2006 state of the union speech by President George W. Bush wherein he made a humorous remark concerning himself and President Clinton. The cameras flashed immediately to Hilary Clinton, who could be seen as Bush’s opposition in the Senate, and may be the next presidential candidate. She did not drop her guard for even a moment; she did not smile; she could not be seen appreciating or approving of anything which Bush said or did. David may be painted in opposition to Saul, and Saul saw David as his greatest threat. However, there were times when Saul acknowledged the truth—that David was a faithful servant and an honorable man. David could have ignored what was done to Saul—“That son of a bitch made my life miserable; I could not even carve out a place in southern Judah without Saul coming down with his whole damned army and threatening my life—and without provocation. He is a bastard, and whether his body rots in the ground or on some wall somewhere, I could give a flying frog.” A lesser man might even charge into Jabesh-gilead and round up those who took Saul’s body and kill them, as they might still be too loyal to Saul’s regime. However, David is not only gracious toward these men, but he honors them.
Let me give you another illustration from this day and time. I have seen current President Bush make mention of the relief efforts and the giving to southeast Asia because of the deadly tsunami of a couple years back; he always speaks of his father and President Clinton graciously—Bush never speaks respectfully of his father without mentioning President Clinton and speaking respectfully of him as well. I have seen the current President Bush making overtures to Senator Edward Kennedy as well, speaking of his illustrious career and contributions to the United States. This is a gracious attitude. Even though these men—President Clinton and Senator Kennedy—may be perceived by some as Bush’s enemies, and that Bush could take an adversarial position with them at every turn, he has chosen not to do so. Whatever your politics are, you should be able to recognize that Bush has been gracious to his political enemies and that this graciousness has rarely been returned. In the case of David, he does not even view Saul has his enemy, despite the fact that Saul had relentlessly pursued him year after year seeking his life. Insofar as I know, even in the current political climate, neither Republicans nor Democrats are seeking the lives of their opponents. However, to any impartial observer, all politics aside, it should be clear who is gracious and who is not.
Application: In your life, if you are a normal, growing believer, you will have a boat-load of detractors and enemies. It comes with the territory; it cannot be helped. You can choose how you deal with these enemies, but realize that Jesus Christ died for them just as He died for you. They might be lying sons-of-bitches, but you have an old sin nature as well. Jesus Christ forgave their sins, just as he has forgiven your sins. Whatever their personal opinion is of you is not an issue; whether they like your or hate you is not an issue—they are people for whom Jesus Christ died. You can choose to be ungracious to them and impolite, but realize that even the men who crucified Jesus and even the men who pulled out his hair and beard and beat His face to a bloody pulp—even those men He died for, and even those men, He prayed to God, “Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” It is not your place to be indignant, retaliatory, underhanded, vengeful, or anything else of the sort—and I don’t care how vicious your enemies are. Jesus Christ has forgiven them all; and if you cannot forgive them, then at very least, you can keep your mouth shut. You don’t need to run them down or talk behind their backs. Realize that you are in a spiritual conflict; that your enemies may not realize that, or may not fully appreciate how they are involved in this conflict. If you have a little doctrine, then you know that this conflict is going on and you know that unseen forces are going to turn others against you. Do not take it personally. Do not retaliate. Do not speak ill of your enemies. Do not become angry. Do not assault them with mental, verbal or physical sins.
Application: I don’t want you to think that I am able to deal with all of my adversarial relationships perfectly. These things are a struggle for me too. In the same situation, I don’t know if I would sit stone-faced like Hilary Clinton, taking every opportunity to run down my opponent; or whether I would be more gracious, as Bush has been. I know that in this area, at times, I have been a complete failure. However, what I do know, from the study of the Word of God, is that there is a right way and a wrong way to deal with your enemies. Retaliation, inordinate competition and mental attitude sins are not the ways to deal with those who are against you.
2Samuel 2:5b |
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Hebrew/Pronunciation |
Common English Meanings |
Notes/Morphology |
BDB and Strong’s Numbers |
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah] |
and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore |
wâw consecutive |
No Strong’s # BDB #253 |
âmar (ר ַמ ָא) [pronounced aw-MAHR] |
to say, to speak, to utter; to say [to oneself], to think |
3rd person masculine singular, Qal imperfect |
Strong’s #559 BDB #55 |
el (ל∵א) [pronounced el] |
unto; into, among, in; toward, to; against; concerning, regarding; besides, together with; as to |
directional preposition (respect or deference may be implied); with the 3rd person masculine plural suffix |
Strong's #413 BDB #39 |
bârake (ַרָ) [pronounced baw-RAHKe] |
blessed, blessed be [is], blessings to; happiness to [for], happiness [is] |
masculine plural, Qal passive participle |
Strong’s #1288 BDB #138 |
attem (ם∵-א) [pronounced aht-TEM] |
you all, you guys, you (often, the verb to be is implied) |
2nd person masculine plural, personal pronoun |
Strong’s #859 BDB #61 |
lâmed (ל) (pronounced le) |
to, for, towards, in regards to, with reference to, as to, with regards to, belonging to |
directional/relational preposition with the 3rd person masculine singular suffix |
No Strong’s # BDB #510 |
The meanings of the lâmed preposition broken down into groups: ➊ to, towards, unto; it is used both to turn one’s heart toward someone as well as to sin against someone; ➋ to, even to; in this sense, it can be used with a number to indicate the upper limit which a multitude might approach (nearly). ➌ Lâmed can be equivalent to the Greek preposition eis (εἰς), meaning into, as in transforming into something else, changing into something else (Gen. 2:7). This use of lâmed after the verb hâyâh (ה ָי ָה) [pronounced haw-YAW] (Strong’s #1961 BDB #224) is one thing becoming another (Gen. 2:7). ➍ Its fourth use is the mark of a dative, after verbs of giving, granting, delivering, pardoning, consulting, sending, etc. This type of dative is broken down into several categories, but one includes the translation by, which would be apropos here. ➎ With regards to, as to. Similar to the Greek preposition eis (εἰς) plus the dative. [Numbering from Gesenius]. ➏ On account of, because, propter, used of cause and reason (propter means because; Gesenius used it). ➐ Concerning, about, used of a person or thing made the object of discourse, after verbs of saying. ➑ On behalf of anyone, for anyone. ➒ As applied to a rule or standard, according to, according as, as though, as if. ➓ When associated with time, it refers to the point of time at which or in which anything is done; or it can refer to the space of time during which something is done (or occurs); at the time of. |
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YHWH (הוהי) [pronunciation is possibly yhoh-WAH] |
transliterated variously as Jehovah, Yahweh, Yehowah |
proper noun |
Strong’s #3068 BDB #217 |
Translation: ...and he said to them, “You [are] blessed with reference to Yehowah... I would have expected to find that they are blessed by Jehovah; however, these men who retrieved Saul’s body are blessed with reference to Jehovah. Whatever the exact meaning, it is clear that these men are blessed because they showed respect to the person of Saul and the office of king. David is also making it clear that he harbors no resentment against them for being faithful to Saul, their lord.
2Samuel 2:5c |
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Hebrew/Pronunciation |
Common English Meanings |
Notes/Morphology |
BDB and Strong’s Numbers |
ăsher (ר∵שֲא) [pronounced uh-SHER] |
that, so that, in that; for that, since; which; when, at what time; who, whom; where, wherever; the fact that = how; because that, because; as, like as; yea, even, yea even; until that; then, so [in an apodosis] |
relative pronoun |
Strong's #834 BDB #81 |
׳âsâh (הָָע) [pronounced ģaw-SAWH] |
to do, to make, to construct, to fashion, to form, to prepare |
2nd person masculine singular, Qal perfect |
Strong's #6213 BDB #793 |
cheçed (ד∵ס∵ח) [pronounced KHEH-sed] |
grace, benevolence, mercy, kindness |
masculine singular noun with the definite article |
Strong's #2617 BDB #338 |
zeh (ה∵ז) [pronounced zeh] |
here, this, this one; thus; possibly another |
masculine singular demonstrative adjective |
Strong’s #2088, 2090 (& 2063) BDB #260 |
׳îm (ם̣ע) [pronounced ģeem] |
with, at, by, near; like; from |
preposition of nearness and vicinity |
Strong’s #5973 BDB #767 |
ădônây (יָנֹדֱא) [pronounced uh-doh-NAY] |
lord, master, owner, superior, sovereign; can refer to the trinity or to an intensification of the noun; transliterated Adonai |
masculine plural noun with the 2nd person masculine plural suffix |
Strong’s #113 BDB #10 |
׳îm (ם̣ע) [pronounced ģeem] |
with, at, by, near; like; from |
preposition of nearness and vicinity |
Strong’s #5973 BDB #767 |
Shâûwl (לאָש) [pronounced shaw-OOL] |
which is transliterated Saul; it means asked for |
masculine proper noun |
Strong’s #7586 BDB #982 |
Translation: ...because you made [or, who made] this grace with your lord—with Saul;... This is a difficult portion of Scripture to translate. The relative pronoun can be used like an explanatory conjunction; therefore, it is legitimate to render this because. If translating this simply as a relative pronoun, then I would not expect the 2nd person masculine plural verb, but the 3rd person masculine singular (or plural) verb (however, for all I know, maybe the 2nd person masculine plural is reasonable here, even though it follows the relative pronoun, which actually has no number, gender or person. We may want to loosely render this: ...you who manufactured this grace to your lord—even to Saul;... We have a repetition of the preposition, affixed to both Saul and to your lord; this allows for the rendering even to Saul.
Obviously, the entire town did not show up to retrieve Saul’s body, but certain men from Jabesh did. David is specifically addressing this message to those who were brave enough to risk their lives by going to Beth-shan. This message is to these men who are blessed by God. Perhaps this is the actual meaning of the Hebrew here.
2Samuel 2:5d |
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Hebrew/Pronunciation |
Common English Meanings |
Notes/Morphology |
BDB and Strong’s Numbers |
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah] |
and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore |
wâw consecutive |
No Strong’s # BDB #253 |
qâbar (רַבָק) [pronounced kaw-BAHR] |
to bury, to heap up a mound |
2nd person masculine plural, Qal imperfect |
Strong’s #6912 BDB #868 |
êth (ת ֵא) [pronounced ayth] |
untranslated mark of a direct object; occasionally to, toward |
affixed to a 3rd person masculine singular suffix |
Strong's #853 BDB #84 |
Owen lists this as the prepositional use instead. |
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êth (ת ֵא) [pronounced ayth] |
with, at, near, by, among, directly from |
preposition (which is identical to the sign of the direct object); with the 3rd person masculine singular suffix |
Strong's #854 BDB #85 |
The problem is the vowel point, which corresponds to the preposition, but not to the direct object. Again, the vowel points were added a long while after the original manuscript was penned. |
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The Greek adds and Jonathan his son at this point. |
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Translation: ...and you buried him. The men of Jabesh-gildea showed great grace to Saul. They risked their lives in order to retrieve his body; and then they gave him a proper and formal burial (one would assume).
Clarke writes: This was a generous and noble act, highly indicative of the grandeur of David’s mind.
He respected Saul as his once legitimate sovereign; he loved Jonathan as his most intimate friend.
The former had greatly injured him, and sought his destruction; but even this did not cancel his respect
for him, as the anointed of God, and as the king of Israel.
I should add that burial of the dead, although not mandated in Scripture, is respectful. Not only did God say, “You are dust, and to dust you will return” (Gen. 3:19b), but God Himself buried Moses when Moses died (Deut. 34:5–6).
And now [may] make Yehowah with you [all] grace and faithfulness and also I—I do with you the good the this who have done the word the this. |
2Samuel 2:6 |
And now may Yehowah manufacture grace and faithfulness to [lit., with] you [all] and I will also manufacture this good [to those] who have done this thing [for Saul]. |
And now may Jehovah manufacture grace and faithfulness to you who have done this gracious thing for Saul and his family; furthermore, I will also do good toward you as well. |
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Here is how others have translated this verse:
Ancient texts:
Masoretic Text And now [may] make Yehowah with you [all] grace and faithfulness and also I—I do with you the good the this who have done the word the this.
Septuagint And now may the Lord deal in mercy and truth towards you; and I also will requite towards you this good deed, because you have done this.
Significant differences: The only difference is the relative pronoun in the Hebrew is translated as an explanatory particle, which is legitimate, according to BDB.
Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:
CEV ...and I pray that the LORD will be kind and faithful to you. I will be your friend because of what you have done.
Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):
HCSB Now, may the LORD show special kindness and faithfulness to you, and I will also show the same goodness to you because you have done this deed.
Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:
ESV Now may the LORD show steadfast love and faithfulness to you. And I will do good to you because you have done this thing.
WEB Now Yahweh show loving kindness and truth to you: and I also will reward you for this kindness, because you have done this thing.
Young’s Updated LT And, now, Jehovah does with you kindness and truth, and also, I do with you this good because you have done this thing.
What is the gist of this verse? David asks that Jehovah God show these men grace and faithfulness, and that he will treat them in grace as well, because they have done this thing (the retrieval of Saul’s body).
2Samuel 2:6a |
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Hebrew/Pronunciation |
Common English Meanings |
Notes/Morphology |
BDB and Strong’s Numbers |
we (or ve) (ו) [pronounced weh] |
and |
simple wâw conjunction |
No Strong’s # BDB #251 |
׳attâh (ה ָ ַע) [pronounced ģaht-TAWH] |
now, at this time, already |
adverb of time |
Strong’s #6258 BDB #773 |
When followed by an imperative or an interrogative, we + the adverb ׳attâh mean and so, thus, things being so, therefore, now therefore. Sometimes, the concept of time is lost when this combination is used to incite another. |
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׳âsâh (הָָע) [pronounced ģaw-SAWH] |
to do, to make, to construct, to fashion, to form, to prepare |
3rd person masculine singular, Qal imperfect; apocopated form |
Strong's #6213 BDB #793 |
YHWH (הוהי) [pronunciation is possibly yhoh-WAH] |
transliterated variously as Jehovah, Yahweh, Yehowah |
proper noun |
Strong’s #3068 BDB #217 |
׳îm (ם̣ע) [pronounced ģeem] |
with, at, by, near; like; from |
preposition of nearness and vicinity; with the 2nd person masculine plural suffix |
Strong’s #5973 BDB #767 |
cheçed (ד∵ס∵ח) [pronounced KHEH-sed] |
grace, benevolence, mercy, kindness |
masculine singular noun |
Strong's #2617 BDB #338 |
we (or ve) (ו) [pronounced weh] |
and, even, then; namely; when; since, that; though |
simple wâw conjunction |
No Strong’s # BDB #251 |
ěmeth (ת ∵מ ֱא) [pronounced EH-meth] |
firmness, faithfulness, truth, certainty, stability, perpetuity, fidelity, reliable, stable, dependable |
feminine singular noun |
Strong’s #571 BDB #54 |
Translation: And now may Yehowah manufacture grace and faithfulness to [lit., with] you [all]... The apocopated form means that David is asking for God to be gracious and faithful to these men. David recognizes that what these men did required bravery and self-sacrifice, and that their motives were noble; and he calls for God to give them grace and to be faithful to them for this act.
2Samuel 2:6b |
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Hebrew/Pronunciation |
Common English Meanings |
Notes/Morphology |
BDB and Strong’s Numbers |
we (or ve) (ו) [pronounced weh] |
and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though |
simple wâw conjunction |
No Strong’s # BDB #251 |
gam (ם ַ) [pronounced gahm] |
also, furthermore, in addition to, even, moreover |
adverb |
Strong’s #1571 BDB #168 |
Together, the wâw conjunction and the gam particle might mean together with, along with, joined with, and, furthermore, and furthermore. |
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ânôkîy (י.כֹנָא) [pronounced awn-oh-KEE] |
I, me; (sometimes a verb is implied) |
1st person singular personal pronoun |
Strong’s #595 BDB #59 |
׳âsâh (הָָע) [pronounced ģaw-SAWH] |
to do, to make, to construct, to fashion, to form, to prepare |
1st person singular, Qal imperfect |
Strong's #6213 BDB #793 |
׳îm (ם̣ע) [pronounced ģeem] |
with, at, by, near; like; from |
preposition of nearness and vicinity; with the 2nd person masculine plural suffix |
Strong’s #5973 BDB #767 |
ţôwbâh (הָבט) [pronounced TOHB-vaw] |
welfare, benefit, good, good things |
feminine singular noun with the definite article |
Strong’s #2896 BDB #375 |
zeh (ה∵ז) [pronounced zeh] |
here, this, this one; thus; possibly another |
masculine singular demonstrative adjective with the definite article |
Strong’s #2088, 2090 (& 2063) BDB #260 |
Translation: ...and I will also manufacture this good... David is also going to be gracious and faithful towards those who have done this thing to Saul. God is asked to bless these men, and David said that he would as well.
David is making is clear to these men that, their loyalty and devotion to Saul is not perceived by him as a threat or as disloyalty to him in any way. Despots often gather up those they do not trust, those who supported their political rivals, and imprison or execute them. Even in modern history, in the 20th century, we have examples of mass executions, some to solidify political power, and others simply out of hate.
In most cases, these are simply reasonable estimates, and they take into consideration that some are killed not directly, but through intentional starvation or privation by the despot/government over them. |
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Political Leader (Country, Time Period) |
Number Killed |
Comments |
Mao Ze-Dong (China, 1958-61 and 1966-69) |
49,000,000 |
“The great leap forward” and “cultural revolution” |
Jozef Stalin (USSR, 1934-39) |
13,000,000 |
The “purges” |
Adolf Hitler (Germany, 1939-1945) |
12,000,000 |
Concentration camps and civilians in World War II. |
Hideki Tojo (Japan, 1941-44) |
5,000,000 |
Civilians in World War II |
Pol Pot (Cambodia, 1975-79) |
1,700,000 |
|
Kim Il Sung (North Korea, 1948-94) |
1,600,000 |
Purges and concentration camps. |
Menghitsu (Ethiopia, 1975-78) |
1,500,000 |
|
Ismail Enver (Turkey, 1915) |
1,200,000 |
Armenians |
Yakubu Gowon (Biafra, 1967-1970) |
1,000,000 |
|
Leonid Brezhnev (Afghanistan, 1979-1982) |
900,000 |
|
Jean Kambanda (Rwanda, 1994) |
800,000 |
|
Suharto (East Timor, 1976-98) |
600,000 |
|
Saddam Hussein (Iran 1980-1990 and Kurdistan 1987-88) |
600,000 |
|
(Note: the crimes committed by right-wing dictators have always been easier to track down than the crimes against humanity committed by communist leaders, so the figures for communist leaders like Stalin and Mao increase almost yearly as new secret documents become available. To this day, the Chinese government has not yet disclosed how many people were executed by Mao's red guards during the Cultural Revolution and how many people were killed in Tibet during the Chinese invasion of 1950. We also don't know how many dissidents have been killed by order of Kim Il Sung in North Korea, although presumably many thousands). |
I list these deaths so that you can contrast what has happened during our more enlightened 20th century with what David did with those who supported the one man who could have been seen by him as his chief political rival. |
This list was taken from and is continued on the website http://www.scaruffi.com/politics/dictat.html which was compiled by Piero Scaruffi (the note in the previous paragraph was taken verbatim from that web page. On that page is accompanying documentation and links to similar statistics. |
2Samuel 2:6c |
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Hebrew/Pronunciation |
Common English Meanings |
Notes/Morphology |
BDB and Strong’s Numbers |
ăsher (ר∵שֲא) [pronounced uh-SHER] |
that, so that, in that; for that, since; which; when, at what time; who, whom; where, wherever; the fact that = how; because that, because; as, like as; yea, even, yea even; until that; then, so [in an apodosis] |
relative pronoun |
Strong's #834 BDB #81 |
׳âsâh (הָָע) [pronounced ģaw-SAWH] |
to do, to make, to construct, to fashion, to form, to prepare |
2nd person masculine plural, Qal perfect |
Strong's #6213 BDB #793 |
dâbâr (רָבָ) [pronounced dawb-VAWR] |
word, saying, doctrine, thing, matter, command |
masculine singular noun with the definite article |
Strong's #1697 BDB #182 |
zeh (ה∵ז) [pronounced zeh] |
here, this, this one; thus; possibly another |
masculine singular demonstrative adjective with the definite article |
Strong’s #2088, 2090 (& 2063) BDB #260 |
Translation:...[to those] who have done this thing [for Saul]. David is going to direct gracious treatment toward those who were brave enough to retrieve Saul’s body. These men are seen as heroes and they are portrayed I this way. At no time is there even a hint that David views these men as potential enemies of his, even though another, less gracious person, would have portrayed them as such.
We like to think of ourselves as evolved, that, at one time, we were just monkeys swinging in the trees, and now
we walk upright on the ground and are civilized.
However, between the time of David and the 20th century, some
3000 years have passed. We see how David deals with those who are potentially his political resistance and how
political leaders of the 20th century dealt with their real and potential political enemies. In terms of mercy, there is
no evolution of humanity; it really comes down to individual character. There is no evolutionary difference between
David and, for instance, Pol Pot; however, there is a great difference in their character and integrity.
And now are strong your hands and be to sons of strength for has died your adonai Saul and also me has anointed a house of Judah to king over them.” |
2Samuel 2:7 |
Therefore, [let] your hands be strong and be men of courage [lit., sons of courage] for your lord Saul has died. Furthermore, the house of Judah anointed me to [be] king over them.” |
Therefore, let your hands be strong and remain men of courage, even though your lord Saul has died. Furthermore, the men of Judah anointed me as king over them.” |
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Here is how others have translated this verse:
Ancient texts:
Latin Vulgate Let your hands be strengthened, and be ye men of valour: for although your master Saul be dead, yet the house of Juda hath anointed me to be their king.
Masoretic Text And now are strong your hands and be to sons of strength for has died your adonai Saul and also me has anointed a house of Judah to king over them.”
Septuagint And now let your hands be made strong, and be mighty sons; for your master Saul is dead, and moreover the house of Juda have anointed me to be king over them.
Significant differences: None.
Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:
CEV Saul is dead, but the tribe of Judah has made me their king. So be strong and have courage.
Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):
God’s Word™ Now, be strong and courageous. Because your master Saul is dead, the tribe of Judah has anointed me to be their king."
Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:
MKJV And now let your hands be strengthened, and be brave. For your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.
Young’s Updated LT And now, are your hands strong, and be you for sons of valour, for your lord Saul. is dead, and also—me have the house of Judah anointed for king over them.”
What is the gist of this verse? David comforts the men of Jabesh-gilead and also tells them that the men of Judah have anointed him king over them.
2Samuel 2:7a |
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Hebrew/Pronunciation |
Common English Meanings |
Notes/Morphology |
BDB and Strong’s Numbers |
we (or ve) (ו) [pronounced weh] |
and |
simple wâw conjunction |
No Strong’s # BDB #251 |
׳attâh (ה ָ ַע) [pronounced ģaht-TAWH] |
now, at this time, already |
adverb of time |
Strong’s #6258 BDB #773 |
When followed by an imperative or an interrogative, we + the adverb ׳attâh mean and so, thus, things being so, therefore, now therefore. Sometimes, the concept of time is lost when this combination is used to incite another. |
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châzaq (ק ַז ָח) [pronounced khaw-ZAHK] |
to tie up, to bind; to hold fast, to adhere to, to be stuck to; to be strong, to be firm, to increase in prosperity, to strengthen |
3rd person feminine singular, Qal imperfect |
Strong’s #2388 BDB #304 |
yâd (דָי) [pronounced yawd] |
generally translated hand |
feminine singular noun with the 2nd person masculine plural suffix |
Strong's #3027 BDB #388 |
Translation: Therefore, [let] your hands be strengthened... I am not sure how to take this portion of v. 7. Do we understand this as David saying, “Your hands are strong” or “Let your hands be strong”? In any case, David is recognizing their courage and comforting them. Let me re-emphasize that, these men are potentially David’s enemies, as they have shown such devotion toward Saul; yet his message to them is one of praise; and here he asks that they be given even greater strength.
2Samuel 2:7b |
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Hebrew/Pronunciation |
Common English Meanings |
Notes/Morphology |
BDB and Strong’s Numbers |
we (or ve) (ו) [pronounced weh] |
and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though |
simple wâw conjunction |
No Strong’s # BDB #251 |
hâyâh (ה ָי ָה) [pronounced haw-YAW] |
to be, is, was, are; to become, to come into being; to come to pass |
2nd person masculine plural, Qal imperative |
Strong's #1961 BDB #224 |
lâmed (ל) [pronounced le] |
to, for, towards, in regards to |
directional/relational preposition |
No Strong’s # BDB #510 |
bên (ן ֵ) [pronounced bane] |
son, descendant |
masculine plural construct |
Strong’s #1121 BDB #119 |
chayil (ל̣יַח) [pronounced CHAH-yil] |
army, force; strength, courage, power, might; efficiency; and that which is gotten through strength—wealth, substance |
masculine singular noun |
Strong’s #2428 BDB #298 |
Translation: ...and be men of courage [lit., sons of courage]... David encourages them to be strong. This is his way of comforting them. Obviously, some of the men of Jabesh-gilead are very strong, as they took down Saul’s body from the wall in Beth-shan even though being found out would mean their lives. What David is asking for, is for these men to be strong, even though the army of Saul was defeated and Saul and his sons killed. Given these events, Israel could face a myriad of changes and difficulties in the near future. If what these men did became known to the Philistines, Jabesh Gilead could find itself under attack. David asks these men to face their future with the same strength and bravery that they have shown so far.
2Samuel 2:7c |
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Hebrew/Pronunciation |
Common English Meanings |
Notes/Morphology |
BDB and Strong’s Numbers |
kîy (י̣) [pronounced kee] |
for, that, because; when, at that time, which, what time |
explanatory or temporal conjunction; preposition |
Strong's #3588 BDB #471 |
mûwth (תמ) [pronounced mooth] |
to die; to perish, to be destroyed |
3rd person masculine singular, Qal perfect |
Strong's #4191 BDB #559 |
ădônây (יָנֹדֱא) [pronounced uh-doh-NAY] |
lord, master, owner, superior, sovereign; can refer to the trinity or to an intensification of the noun; transliterated Adonai |
masculine plural noun with the 2nd person masculine plural suffix |
Strong’s #113 BDB #10 |
Shâûwl (לאָש) [pronounced shaw-OOL] |
which is transliterated Saul; it means asked for |
masculine proper noun |
Strong’s #7586 BDB #982 |
Translation: ...for your lord Saul has died. This is David stating the obvious; these men know that Saul has died, as they were the ones who carried his body into Jabesh-gilead for a proper burial. The reason that David emphasizes this is, to make it clear that they are without a king. They are now sheep without a shepherd. David phrases this as, “Be strong, even though your master Saul is dead.” As you may recall, Israel's primary reason for desiring a king was to be able to defend itself against hostile aggressions and outside invaders.
David also states this possibly hoping to gain their same loyalty; however, I don't see that as the primary reason for his saying that. Just because something can be politically advantageous or politically canny, does not mean that the person who did it had that in mind, or that was the primary consideration. If we have learned nothing about David, it is that he is patient and willing to wait on God before acting.
2Samuel 2:7d |
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Hebrew/Pronunciation |
Common English Meanings |
Notes/Morphology |
BDB and Strong’s Numbers |
we (or ve) (ו) [pronounced weh] |
and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though |
simple wâw conjunction |
No Strong’s # BDB #251 |
gam (ם ַ) [pronounced gahm] |
also, furthermore, in addition to, even, moreover |
adverb |
Strong’s #1571 BDB #168 |
Together, the wâw conjunction and the gam particle might mean together with, along with, joined with, and, furthermore, and furthermore. |
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êth (ת ֵא) [pronounced ayth] |
untranslated mark of a direct object; occasionally to, toward |
affixed to a 1st person singular suffix |
Strong's #853 BDB #84 |
mâshach (ח -ש ָמ) [pronounced maw-SHAHKH] |
to smear, to anoint |
3rd person masculine plural, Qal imperfect |
Strong’s #4886 BDB #602 |
bayith (ת̣י ַ) [pronounced BAH-yith] |
house, household, habitation as well as inward |
masculine singular construct |
Strong's #1004 BDB #108 |
Yehûwdâh (הָדהי) [pronounced yehoo-DAW] |
possibly means to praise, to be praised; and is transliterated Judah |
masculine proper noun/location |
Strong’s #3063 BDB #397 |
lâmed (ל) (pronounced le) |
to, for, towards, in regards to, with reference to, as to, with regards to, belonging to |
directional/relational preposition with the 3rd person masculine singular suffix |
No Strong’s # BDB #510 |
The meanings of the lâmed preposition broken down into groups: ➊ to, towards, unto; it is used both to turn one’s heart toward someone as well as to sin against someone; ➋ to, even to; in this sense, it can be used with a number to indicate the upper limit which a multitude might approach (nearly). ➌ Lâmed can be equivalent to the Greek preposition eis (εἰς), meaning into, as in transforming into something else, changing into something else (Gen. 2:7). This use of lâmed after the verb hâyâh (ה ָי ָה) [pronounced haw-YAW] (Strong’s #1961 BDB #224) is one thing becoming another (Gen. 2:7). ➍ Its fourth use is the mark of a dative, after verbs of giving, granting, delivering, pardoning, consulting, sending, etc. This type of dative is broken down into several categories, but one includes the translation by, which would be apropos here. ➎ With regards to, as to. Similar to the Greek preposition eis (εἰς) plus the dative. [Numbering from Gesenius]. ➏ On account of, because, propter, used of cause and reason (propter means because; Gesenius used it). ➐ Concerning, about, used of a person or thing made the object of discourse, after verbs of saying. ➑ On behalf of anyone, for anyone. ➒ As applied to a rule or standard, according to, according as, as though, as if. ➓ When associated with time, it refers to the point of time at which or in which anything is done; or it can refer to the space of time during which something is done (or occurs); at the time of. |
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meleke ( ∵ל ∵מ) [pronounced MEH-lek] |
king, ruler, prince |
masculine singular noun |
Strong’s #4428 BDB #572 |
This time, this is a masculine singular noun in the Greek. The difference between the verb to reign (which is the lâmed preposition and the Qal infinitive construct of to reign) and what we find here to king is a matter of vowel points, and these vowel points were added a millennium or more after the text was written. Why the Masorites chose to render this as a noun as opposed to being a verb is a mystery to me. In terms of the overall meaning, there is none. However, the verb makes for a much smoother Hebrew. |
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Now, when this occurred in v. 4, given that the Greek was a verb and given that there is little difference between the noun and verb, I was ready to pronounce the word there a verb. However, in this verse, the Greek renders this as a noun and, apart from that, everything else is the same. That would suggest to us that this is a noun in the Hebrew in both cases. |
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Do not become concerned over this; the overall meaning is essentially the same. |
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׳al (ל ַע) [pronounced ģahl ] |
upon, beyond, on, against, above, over, by, beside |
preposition of proximity with the 3rd person masculine plural suffix |
Strong’s #5921 BDB #752 |
Translation: Furthermore, the house of Judah anointed me to [be] king over them.” David is speaking to the men of Jabesh-gilead, which is the other side of the Jordan river from the territory of Benjamin. David is looking, in part, to consolidate his power. This is not a power grab; David is not a man who desires great power, as we have seen him twice before refuse to kill Saul, even though Saul stood between him and the throne. David is a man of doctrine and it is important for Israel to remain united under one man. Each of the 12 tribes has its own territory and they often operated independently (e.g., in the early period of the Judges, some of the tribes acted to take the land given them by God and some did not).
What David is doing here is extending the olive branch of peace. Their faithfulness to Saul and their loyalty to Saul is not seen by him as a negative. David functions as though Saul's continual pursuit of him never happened. He realizes that this might be on the minds of some who support Saul; but it is not on David's mind. David is trying to convey that he sees their support of Saul and the rescue of his body as a noble act. David is not threatened by this, but rather encouraged. Therefore, David is both comforting them in their loss and extending his hand to them as king over Judah. Note that David does not arrogantly tell them, “And I am your king as well, like it or not.”
What is interesting is that David's primary focus in this message to them is commendation to them for their bravery and God's blessings to them. Any political aspirations David has (of, for instance, asking them to support him as king over the rest of Israel) are, at most, implied, but not outright stated and definitely not the focus or the objective of his message to them. Allow me to paraphrase his message: “God's blessings and my highest regards to you for your bravery and heroism. Be strong, even though your king has died in battle. I respectfully send this message to you as king of Judah.” If David made any clear political overtures—e.g., “If you guys are interested, then I'll be your king as well”—they have not been recorded herein. If there are any implications to be read into this letter, it would just as likely be that, “If the Philistines ever take action against you, I will come to your rescue.”