For the verb tenses, see the comment at verse 38.

The two lines of verse 45 are reversed in the Psa 18 parallel. The order of the lines here in 2 Samuel may be more acceptable in many languages because it makes the subject Foreigners come first and gives a clearer meaning to the words that follow. Foreigners is literally “sons of a foreign land”; but the word “sons of” is an idiom meaning “belonging to a certain class [or group] of beings,” and the meaning is simply “foreigners.”

Came cringing (Good News Translation “bow”) translates a verb that has the idea of forced, unwilling submission. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “cower”; also possible is “wince” or “flinch.” The whole expression came cringing to me must be expressed in some languages as “they squat on the ground in front of me,” “they hold my feet” or “they bend their heads down in my presence.”

As soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me is more literally “At the hearing of the ear they obey me.” Some see this as a reference to an incident like the one related in 8.9-12, where King Toi of Hamath surrendered to King David. The meaning of the English expression they heard of me (Revised Standard Version) is that they heard he was a great and powerful king. This may be the meaning intended by the Hebrew, but Good News Translation “hear me” is also possible (similarly New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, and Bible en français courant).

In verse 46 the verb phrase lost heart (Good News Translation “lose their courage”) translates a Hebrew verb that means to fade away, to wither (in Psa 1.3 it is used of leaves that do not wither). Here the verb is used in a figurative sense. Lost heart is sometimes expressed idiomatically as “the heart grows small,” “heart grows weak,” or “the stomach becomes white.”

The verb translated came trembling occurs only here in the Old Testament. The meaning found in Revised Standard Version is based on a different verb in Hebrew from that in the Masoretic Text, a verb with the same consonants but in a different order. But the precise meaning of the verb in the Masoretic Text is uncertain. It may mean “they gird themselves” or “they limp.” Here Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament recommends the translation “they came limping” or “they came trembling.” New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, and Biblia Dios Habla Hoy say “trembling.” New American Bible has “staggered forth.” Others define the verb simply “to come out, to emerge”; the ancient Greek version translates “they came out limping.”

The word translated fastnesses appears to have two different uses. (1) It may refer to the “rim” of a table or base. So in Exo 25.25, 27; 37.12, 14 it is translated “frame,” and seven times in 1 Kgs 7.28-36 it is translated “panels.” (2) It may also refer to a fortified, strongly held position, often a rocky refuge. It is not an elaborate “fortress” in the modern sense. This term is sometimes rendered “the place where people hide from their enemies” or “the place where people go to for protection from their enemies.” Holladay defines this noun as “dungeon” in this context, and KB defines it as “prison.”

Others, however, understand this Hebrew noun to mean “a collar worn around the neck.” Part of the support for this meaning rests on how one understands the sense of the same word in Psa 142.7. Anchor Bible, for example, has “they came fettered by their collars,” meaning that the conquered foreigners were like captured slaves held as prisoners with collars or stocks around their necks.

While the translation in Anchor Bible certainly fits the context well, it will probably be best to follow the majority of modern translations and say something like “they came trembling with fear out of their hiding places.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The verb phrase gave me vengeance (here literally plural, “vengeances”) refers to retribution. The related verb is often used of God as one who punishes the enemies of Israel because of their evil actions. The idea of “getting even” is not entirely absent from the word but need not necessarily be stressed in translation. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has here “vindicated me”; Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, “avenged me”; Bible en français courant, “gives me my revenge.” The thought here is that the defeat of his enemies in battle (as the next line makes clear) is the way in which David “got even” with them. Gave me vengeance must sometimes be rendered “helps me defeat my enemies.” So Good News Translation translates “He gives me victory over my enemies,” which has essentially the same meaning as the next line, brought down peoples under me. The image in this second line of verse 48 is that of foreign nations becoming subject to David’s rule. Compare Revised English Bible, which retains the Hebrew image of people “under” David: “laying nations prostrate at my feet.” Similarly New Century Version says “He brings people under my rule.”

The verb brought me out in verse 49 seems to have the same meaning as “delivered,” which is used at this point in the parallel psalm and also appears in verse 44.

The psalmist again shifts rather abruptly back to second person references in the middle of verse 49. This is marked graphically in Good News Translation by leaving a space between this section and the previous verses.

Exalt: this reflects the same verb as in verse 47, but the context is different. In this case it is something that God does for the writer instead of something that happens to God. Here God causes David to receive greater honor than his opponents. Or possibly it refers to his victory over those enemies.

Adversaries in verse 49b is “those who rise up against” or “those who attack me” (New Jerusalem Bible). The meaning is the same as in verse 40b, “assailants.”

Men of violence: the Hebrew is singular, “man of violence,” usually interpreted as a collective term. Some commentators, however, take it to be a reference to Saul (who is mentioned in the introduction to this psalm at verse 1). New Jerusalem Bible, and similarly New American Bible, says “you deliver me from the man of violence,” but it is not clear whether the translators intend this as a reference to one man, or intend the singular to be understood as a collective term. It is probably better to represent it as a plural, having a more general meaning. On the word for violence, see the comments on verse 3. The expression men of violence may often be rendered as “men who kill others” or “people who injure others.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The word translated Now in Revised Standard Version is the common Hebrew conjunction, which may be better left untranslated in this context.

It will be appropriate in some languages to change the order of the thoughts in this verse so that the mention of the last words comes at the end of the verse and just before the actual words of poetry.

The words beginning with The oracle of David may be part of David’s words, and if so, they should be enclosed within quotation marks. This is the interpretation found in many translations (for example, New International Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). Other translations, however, such as Revised Standard Version and New Century Version, begin the actual quotation of David’s words in verse 2. If the interpretation found in New International Version is correct, then David begins by referring to himself in the third person in verse 1 and then changes to the first person in verses 2-7. Such changes of person are common in Hebrew poetry. Either interpretation may be followed by translators.

It is improbable that these were literally the very last words spoken by King David before his death, but what is probably meant is that the quotation in verses 2-7 constitutes the last piece of poetry that he composed. More likely the final editor of the books of Samuel and Kings intended the message to Solomon recorded in 1 Kgs 2.2-9 to be the really final words from the mouth of David. Although no major modern translation does so, it should be possible to translate “the last words that David wrote.”

The word oracle refers to a kind of declaration. The same noun in 1 Sam 2.30 is represented in Revised Standard Version by the verb “declares” at that point. In this verse it is translated “saying” (Goldman), “utterance” (New American Bible and Anchor Bible), and by the verb “speaks” (New Jerusalem Bible).

David is further described in three different ways: his family connections (the son of Jesse), his position (raised on high and anointed …), and his musical ability (the sweet psalmist …). The passive expressions raised on high and anointed clearly have God, or more precisely, the God of Jacob, as their agent. In languages where the passive is inappropriate or impossible, it may be best to begin a new sentence with God as the subject of the verbs “raised” and “anointed.” In some cases it will be important to avoid giving the impression that raised on high has to do with some kind of resurrection. The meaning here is that of raising to a position of prominence on earth. Both New Revised Standard Version and New International Version use the verb “exalted,” but the meaning is captured well by the Contemporary English Version rendering, “made him a great king.”

Instead of the words raised on high, a manuscript from Qumran and the Septuagint say “whom God exalted.” This alternate reading is followed by several modern translations (New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible). Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, however, gives an {A} rating to the Masoretic Text. But for the translation reasons noted in the previous paragraph, the reading of the Septuagint may be a better model for expressing the correct meaning in many languages.

Anointed: see the comments on this term at 1.14 as well as 1 Sam 2.10. In some cases it will be more natural to translate this verb before raised on high, since that will provide a better chronological sequence. In this way the idea of “chose to be king” will come before “made great.”

The God of Jacob: refers to the God worshiped by Jacob, and in some languages it will be wise to make this clear.

The sweet psalmist of Israel: literally “the pleasant one of the songs of Israel.” The word here rendered sweet is used in 1.23 to describe the relationship between Jonathan and David. In that context it is rendered “lovely,” and in Psa 16.6 it is translated “pleasant.” The “songs” referred to are songs of praise (such as mentioned in Psa 95.2; Isa 24.16) accompanied by instrumental music. The idea of the sweet psalmist may be better translated in some languages by a verbal phrase like “the one who sings beautiful songs” or “the person who creates pleasant songs of praise.” Revised English Bible says “the singer of Israel’s psalms,” and New Jerusalem Bible says “the singer of the songs of Israel.”

A number of scholars, however, understand these words to have a quite different meaning, that is, that the Hebrew plural noun “songs” may also have the meaning “strength.” That this Hebrew noun has such a meaning seems to be supported by the parallel usage with another noun meaning strength in various Old Testament passages. For example, according to the Revised Standard Version rendering of the parallel nouns in Exo 15.2 and Isaiah 12.2, God is characterized by the words “strength and song,” but New Revised Standard Version translates these same words as “strength” and “might.” The plural form “strengths” will then be a plural of majesty. This interpretation is the basis for the following translations: “the darling of the stronghold of Israel” (Anchor Bible); “the favorite of Israel’s protector” (Anderson); “favorite of the Mighty One of Israel” (New American Bible); “the favorite of the Strong One of Israel” (Nouvelle version Segond révisée); “the Mighty God of Israel loved him” (Contemporary English Version); and “the favored-one of Israel’s Strength” (Fox). This interpretation is based on taking the word usually translated “songs” as being in parallel with the God of Jacob and therefore as a kind of title for God, meaning something like “stronghold.” This position seems to be the one held by the majority of modern interpreters and is recommended here.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Regarding Spirit and “spirit,” see the comments at 1 Sam 10.6, where translators are encouraged to say “spirit of the LORD.”

Speaks by me: it is more natural in English to say that the spirit speaks “through” a person than “by” a person. But in certain other languages this will have to be restructured more radically to say something like “the spirit of the LORD has told me what to say” or “… has given me words to speak.”

The Hebrew noun translated word is not the usual Hebrew noun for “a word.” Rather this noun refers to an “utterance” and not to a single lexical unit. In many languages the plural “words” will be more natural. Others may use a term like “utterance” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “message” (Good News Translation).

Upon my tongue: the Good News Translation rendering is again more idiomatic modern English, but other languages will have idioms that are quite different. Some may say “his words are what I speak” or “the message I speak comes from him.”

In the parallel structure of this verse, the same essential idea is presented twice in somewhat different ways. For this reason some versions have preferred to make a single statement: “The spirit of the LORD has told me what to say.” But the second part of the parallelism focuses more specifically on the actual speaking of the message. Unless it is unnatural to do so, it is probably better to retain the parallelism, using a transition word between the two parts that will indicate that both are presenting the same idea. A possible model is as follows:

• The spirit of the LORD has told me what to say;
Indeed, it is God who gave me the words I speak.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .