translation_id: net-engnet

label: NET translator note

text: Heb “was old, coming into the days” (i.e., advancing in years).


text: Or “garments.”


text: Heb “said to.”


text: Heb “let them seek for my master, the king, a young girl, a virgin.” The third person plural subject of the verb is indefinite (see GKC 460 §144. f ). The appositional expression, “a young girl, a virgin,” is idiomatic; the second term specifically defines the more general first term (see IBHS 230 §12.3b).


text: Heb “and she will stand before the king.” The Hebrew phrase “stand before” can mean “to attend; to serve” (BDB 764 s.v. עָמַד ).


text: Heb “and she will lie down in your bosom.” The expression might imply sexual intimacy (see 2 Sam 12:3 [where the lamb symbolizes Bathsheba] and Mic 7:5 ), though v. 4 b indicates that David did not actually have sex with the young woman.


text: Heb “and my master, the king, will be warm.”


text: Heb “through all the territory of Israel.”


text: Heb “did not know her.”


text: Heb “son of Haggith,” but since this formula usually designates the father (who in this case was David), the translation specifies that David was Adonijah’s father. sn Haggith was one of David’s wives ( 2 Sam 3:4 ; 2 Chr 3:2 ).


text: Heb “lifting himself up.”


text: Heb “saying.”


text: Or “he acquired for himself.”


text: Heb “to run ahead of him.”


text: Or “disciplined.”


text: Heb “did not correct him from his days.” The phrase “from his days” means “from his earliest days,” or “ever in his life.” See GKC 382 §119. w , n. 2.


text: Heb “and she gave birth to him after Absalom.” This does not imply they had the same mother; Absalom’s mother was Maacah, not Haggith ( 2 Sam 3:4 ).


text: Heb “his words were.”


text: Heb “helped after” (i.e., stood by).


text: Heb “Adonijah.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.


text: Or “bodyguard” ( Heb “mighty men”).


text: Heb “were not.”


label: NET textual note

text: The ancient Greek version omits this appositional phrase.


text: Heb “Have you not heard?”


text: Heb “and our master David does not know.”


text: Heb “now, come.” The imperative of הָלַךְ ( halakh ) is here used as an introductory interjection. See BDB 234 s.v. חָלַךְ .


text: Or “so that.”


text: Heb “come, go to.” The imperative of הָלַךְ ( halakh ) is here used as an introductory interjection. See BDB 234 s.v. חָלַךְ .


text: Or “swear an oath to.”


text: In the Hebrew text the sentence is introduced by the particle הִנֵּה ( hinneh , “look”), which here draws attention to Nathan’s concluding word of assurance and support. For this use of the word, see HALOT 252 s.v. הִנֵּה .


text: The Hebrew text reads, “I will come after you.”


text: Heb “fill up [i.e., confirm] your words.”


text: Or “bedroom.”


text: Heb “bowed low and bowed down to.”


text: Instead of עַתָּה (’ attah , “now”) many Hebrew mss , along with the Old Greek, Syriac Peshitta, and Latin Vulgate, have the similar sounding independent pronoun אַתָּה (’ attah , “you”). This reading is followed in the present translation.


text: Heb “you do not know [about it].”


text: Many Hebrew mss have עַתָּה (’ attah , “now”) rather than the similar sounding independent pronoun אַתָּה (’ attah , “you”).


text: Heb “the eyes of all Israel are upon you to declare to them who will sit on the throne of my master the king after him.”


text: The words “if a decision is not made” are added for clarification.


text: Heb “lies down with his fathers.”


text: Heb “I and my son Solomon.” The order has been reversed in the translation for stylistic reasons.


text: Heb “will be guilty”; NASB “considered offenders”; TEV “treated as traitors.”


text: Heb “look.” The particle הִנֵּה ( hinneh ) here draws attention to Nathan’s arrival and invites the audience to view the scene through the eyes of the participants.


text: Heb “ground.” Since this was indoors, “floor” is more appropriate than “ground.”


text: Heb “look.”


text: Heb “eating and drinking.”


text: Heb “let the king, Adonijah, live!”


text: Many Hebrew mss and ancient textual witnesses agree with the Qere in reading this as singular, “your servant.”


text: Heb “From my master the king is this thing done, and you did not make known to your servants who will sit on the throne of my master the king after him?”


text: Heb “answered and said.”


text: Heb “she came before the king and stood before the king.”


text: Or “ransomed my life.”


text: Or “carry out, perform.”


text: Heb “bowed low, face [to] the ground, and bowed down to the king.”


text: Heb “the king.”


text: The plural form is used in the Hebrew text to indicate honor and authority.


text: Heb “mount Solomon my son on the mule that belongs to me and take him down to Gihon.”


text: Or “designate” (i.e., by anointing with oil).


text: Or “commanded.”


text: Or “Amen.”


text: Heb “So may the Lord God of my master the king say.”


text: Heb “and may he make his throne greater than the throne of my master King David.”


text: Heb “the horn of oil.” This has been specified as olive oil in the translation for clarity. sn A horn filled with oil . An animal’s horn was used as an oil flask in the anointing ceremony.


text: Or “anointed.”


text: Heb “and all the people went up after him, and the people were playing flutes and rejoicing with great joy and the ground split open at the sound of them.” The verb בָּקַע ( baqa ’, “to split open”), which elsewhere describes the effects of an earthquake, is obviously here an exaggeration for the sake of emphasis.


text: Heb “And Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard, now they had finished eating.”


text: Heb “Why is the city’s sound noisy?”


text: The Hebrew text has “look” at this point. The particle הִנֵּה ( hinneh ), “look draws attention to Jonathan’s arrival and invites the audience to view the scene through the eyes of the participants.


text: Or “surely.”


text: Heb “you are a man of strength [or “ability”] and you bring a message [that is] good.” Another option is to understand the phrase אִישׁ חַיִל (’ ish khayil ) in the sense of “a worthy man,” that is “loyal.” See also 1 Kgs 1:52 and HALOT 311 s.v. חַיִל .


text: Heb “answered and said.”


text: For a similar use of אֲבָל (’ aval ), see Gen 17:19 , where God rejects Abraham’s proposal and offers an alternative.


text: I.e., designated by anointing with oil.


text: Heb “And also Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom.”


text: Heb “to bless.”


text: Many Hebrew mss agree with the Qere in reading simply “God.”


text: Heb “make the name of Solomon better than your name, and make his throne greater than your throne.” The term שֵׁם ( shem , “name”) is used here of one’s fame and reputation.


text: Or “bowed down; worshiped.”


text: The Hebrew text reads, “and the king said.”


text: Or “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who….” In this blessing formula אֲשֶׁר (’ asher , “who; because”) introduces the reason why the one being blessed deserves the honor.


text: Heb “and my eyes are seeing.”


text: Or “were afraid, trembled.”


text: Heb “King Solomon.” The name and title have been replaced by the pronoun (“you”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.


text: Or “swear an oath to.”


text: Heb “if he is a man of strength [or ability].” In this context, where Adonijah calls himself a “servant,” implying allegiance to the new king, the phrase אִישׁ חַיִל (’ ish khayil ) probably carries the sense of “a worthy man,” that is, “loyal” (see HALOT 311 s.v. חַיִל ).


text: Heb “but if evil is found in him.”


text: Heb “sent and they brought him down.”


text: Heb “Go to your house.”