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2 SAMUEL 16

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Bible Interpretation Seminar")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph
2. Second paragraph
3. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 16:1-4
  ¹Now when David had passed a little beyond the summit, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him with a couple of saddled donkeys, and on them were two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred clusters of raisins, a hundred summer fruits, and a jug of wine. ²The king said to Ziba, "Why do you have these?" And Ziba said, "The donkeys are for the king's household to ride, and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine, for whoever is faint in the wilderness to drink." ³Then the king said, "And where is your master's son?" And Ziba said to the king, "Behold, he is staying in Jerusalem, for he said, 'Today the house of Israel will restore the kingdom of my father to me.'" ⁴So the king said to Ziba, "Behold, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours." And Ziba said, "I prostrate myself; let me find favor in your sight, O my lord, the king!"

16:1 "a little beyond the summit" This would refer to the Mount of Olives (cf. 2 Sam. 15:30).

▣ "Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth" The first time Ziba is mentioned is 2 Samuel 9. He was a steward of Saul's properties. When David gave them to Mephibosheth this servant lost his special place. This apparently caused him to lie to David in order to have Saul's property restored to him. 2 Samuel 19:24-30 reveals Ziba as a manipulative liar (cf. v. 3).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 16:5-8
  ⁵When King David came to Bahurim, behold, there came out from there a man of the family of the house of Saul whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera; he came out cursing continually as he came. ⁶He threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David; and all the people and all the mighty men were at his right hand and at his left. ⁷Thus Shimei said when he cursed, "Get out, get out, you man of bloodshed, and worthless fellow! ⁸The Lord has returned upon you all the bloodshed of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. And behold, you are taken in your own evil, for you are a man of bloodshed!"

16:5-8 There were festering wounds in the tribe of Benjamin over David replacing Saul. Shimei accuses David of being

1. a man of bloodshed, vv. 7,8 (possibly accusing David of Abner's and Ishbosheth's murders)
2. a worthless fellow, v. 7 (BDB 116, cf. 1 Sam. 25:25; see full note at 2 Sam. 20:1)
3. taken in your own evil, v. 8

His tribal anger was so deep (cf. v. 13) that he had no fear of David or his mighty men (vv. 9-10).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 16:9-14
  ⁹Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over now and cut off his head." ¹⁰But the king said, "What have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah? If he curses, and if the Lord has told him, 'Curse David,' then who shall say, 'Why have you done so?'" ¹¹Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, "Behold, my son who came out from me seeks my life; how much more now this Benjamite? Let him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him. ¹²Perhaps the Lord will look on my affliction and return good to me instead of his cursing this day." ¹³So David and his men went on the way; and Shimei went along on the hillside parallel with him and as he went he cursed and cast stones and threw dust at him. ¹⁴The king and all the people who were with him arrived weary and he refreshed himself there.

16:10-12 David's faith in YHWH is again (i.e., 2 Sam. 15:25-26) expressed. It is interesting that v. 10 expresses it as "if," while v. 11 expresses it as "for the Lord has told him." David simply did not know YHWH's will in this matter but trusted He would do the right and appropriate thing. We must remember that circumstances do not always reveal God's will. One of my favorite books in this area that has encouraged me so much is Hannah Whithall Smith's, The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life!

16:11 "life" This is the Hebrew nephesh, which denotes an air-breathing animal or human. For full notes see Gen. 35:18, Lev. 17:11 online.

The MT has (BDB 730, עון) "iniquity," "guilt," or "punishment of iniquity" (i.e., referring to 2 Sam. 12:11-12), but scholars suggest another similar root, "affliction" (BDB 777, עני). The UBS Text Project, p. 245, suggests "affliction" with a "C" rating (considerable doubt).

The Qere is "on his eye," possibly meaning "tears," but no modern translation follows this suggestion.

16:14 The JB footnote, p. 403, suggests a place name was dropped out of the MT.

"Arrived exhausted at ________ where he refreshed himself."

The UBS Handbook, p. 964, also asserts the possibility of "weary" being a place name or a root similar to it.

Some modern translations follow some LXX MSS which add "at the Jordan" (NRSV, REB).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 16:15-19
  ¹⁵Then Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, entered Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. ¹⁶Now it came about when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, came to Absalom, that Hushai said to Absalom, "Long live the king! Long live the king!" ¹⁷Absalom said to Hushai, "Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?" ¹⁸Then Hushai said to Absalom, "No! For whom the Lord, this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his I will be, and with him I will remain. ¹⁹Besides, whom should I serve? Should I not serve in the presence of his son? As I have served in your father's presence, so I will be in your presence."

16:16 "Long live the king! Long live the king!" This was an affirmation of a long and successful reign. It was like a pledge of loyalty!

16:18 Hushai claims his loyalty (hesed, see SPECIAL TOPIC: LOVINGKINDNESS) was not to a personal friend but to the democratic choice of the men of Israel.

16:19 Hushai claims his place was with the current king!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 16:20-23
  ²⁰Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give your advice. What shall we do?" ²¹Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Go in to your father's concubines, whom he has left to keep the house; then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself odious to your father. The hands of all who are with you will also be strengthened." ²²So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel. ²³The advice of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if one inquired of the word of God; so was all the advice of Ahithophel regarded by both David and Absalom.

16:20-21 Ahithophel's initial advice was designed to

1. confirm Absalom as the new king (i.e., having sex with David's concubines in public view, v. 22), which was predicted in 2 Sam. 12:11-12
2. publicly show his separation from his father David (i.e., "have made yourself odious to your father") thereby encouraging his supporters that he could not be reconciled with his father David

16:21 "concubines" These were second tier wives with limited inheritance rights. See NIDOTTE, vol. 3, pp. 618-619.

16:22 "on the roof" This is the roof of the royal palace. The very same roof where David saw and took Bathsheba! The curse of 2 Sam. 12:11-12 comes to fruition.

16:23 "as if one inquired of the word of God" This phrase describes the esteem that Ahithophel had among the men of Israel and the royal court. His advice was analogous to a prophet's message.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. What were Ziba's motives in bringing David food?
2. What did Shimei accuse David of doing?
3. Why does David allow Shimei to live and continue to curse him?
4. How did Hushai convince Absalom of his loyalty?
5. Why did Absalom go into David's concubines?

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