Lectionary Year B
August 3, 2003
II Samuel 11:26-12:13a

Step I: Initial Acquaintance/Rough Translation

A. Comparing Translations

(JFC) The New English Translation and the New Revised Standard Version differ some:

11:27 David had her brought to his palace. - NET
David sent and brought her to his house, - NRSV

12:4 When a traveler came to the rich man, he did not want t use one - NET
Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was loath to take one - NRSV

6 Because he committed this cold-hearted crime, he must pay for the lamb four times over - NET
he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. - NRSV

8c And if all that seems insignificant, I would have given so much more as well! - NET
and if that had been too little, I would have added as much more. - NRSV

11 'I am about to bring disaster on you - NET
I will raise up trouble against you - NRSV

B. Textural Criticism

(JFC) 12:1 Between !t'n"-ta, and dwID'-la,, it is suggested we add, with 3 Manuscripts of Septuagint and Syriac, the word aybiN"h;, sort of adding to the weight of Nathan's credibility, it is supposed. Also, a few Manuscripts of the Latin Septuagint add avna,ggelein dh, moi th.n kri,sin tau,thn, "shall announce necessarily to me the decision to this (matter)", meaning that a judgment about the story about to be told expects an opinion. Could be original, but very little evidence that it is. 9 One Septuagint Manuscript omits rb;D>, making it God rather than God's Word that is disrespected by David's adultery, which could have been the original meaning of the accusation, to be sure, even without more evidence, perhaps. Then, it is pointed out that the phrase, !AM[; ynEB. br,x,B. T'g>r;h' Ataow>, might be a later addition to the original text. It can seem like a later attempt to get the Ammonites in on the blame for the misdeed. 11 For ^yv,n"-ta, "before your wives", many Manuscripts read ^[,rel.-ta, "before your wickedness", making it more of a metaphor, like the whole story seems to be.

C. Rough Translation

(JFC) 11:26 And heard the wife of Uriah that had died [qal perfect] Uriah her husband and she mourned for her husband. 27 And passed the mourning and sent away David and received/gathered unto his house and it happened unto him and she brought forth unto him a child and was bad/evil the thing which had done David in the sight of Yahweh. 12:1 And sent Yahweh Nathan to David and said to him, "Two men have been [qal perfect] in a city one, one (was) wealthy, one (was) poor. 2 Unto the wealthy there have been cattle and a herd great exceedingly. 3 And unto the one being poor [qal participle] (there was) nothing at all except a ewe-lamb only one little/young/small which he had gotten/bought [qal perfect] and had kept alive [piel perfect] and it grew up with him and with his sons together and from his food it ate and from his cup it drank and in his bosom it lay down and it became for him as a daughter. 4 And came a traveler unto the man the rich/wealthy and he had pity/compassion/spare from his flocks and from his herd to do/make for the wanderer/traveler who came to him and he took the ewe-lamb of the man the one being poor and he took it for the man having come to him." 5 And burned the anger of David upon the man exceedingly and he said unto Nathan, "As lives Yahweh the son of death (is) the man who does this thing 6 and the ewe-lamb he shall repay [piel imperfect] fourfold as a consequence of which he has done the thing this and upon which he had no compassion/pity/spare." 7 And said Nathan unto David, "You (are) the man thus said Yahweh Elohim of Israel, 'I have anointed you King over Israel and I delivered you from the hand of Saul 8 and I gave to you the house of your lords and the women/wives of your lords into your bosom and I gave unto you the house of Israel and of Judah and if little/few I shall add/cause to increase [hiphil imperfect] similarly in proportion of the same things. 9 Why have you despised/disdained the Word of Yahweh to do evil in His eyes unto Uriah the Hittite you have struck/beaten/scalped with a sword and the wife of his you took unto yourself to be a wife unto you and you murdered the son of Ammon. 10 And now not will turn a sword from your house until eternity because that you despised me and you took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be unto you a wife 11 thus has said Yahweh, "Behold, I am causing to arise [hiphil participle] evil from your house and have taken your wives in your eyesight and I have given them to your neighbor and he has lain with them in the openness/openly this. 12 for you have done in secret and I do the thing this before all Israel and before openly. 13a And said David unto Nathan, "I have sinned against Yahweh."



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