1tn Heb “reigned in his place.”

2tn Heb “do loyalty.”

3tn Heb “did loyalty.”

4tn Heb “and David sent to console him by the hand of his servants concerning his father.”

5tn Heb “Is David honoring your father in your eyes when he sends to you ones consoling?”

6tn Heb “Is it not to explore the city and to spy on it and to overthrow it [that] David has sent his servants to you?”

7tn Heb “and he cut their robes in the middle unto their buttocks.”

8tn Heb “they”; the referent (the messengers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

9tn The words “what had happened” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

10map For location see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1.

11tn Heb “that they were a stench [i.e., disgusting] with David.”

12tn Heb “the Ammonites.”

13tn Or “Arameans of Beth Rehob and Arameans of Zobah.”

14tn Or perhaps “the men of Tob.” The ancient versions (the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate) understand the name to be “Ish-tob.” It is possible that “Ish” is dittographic and that we should read simply “Tob,” a reading adopted by a number of recent English versions.

15tn The words “the news” and “to meet them” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarification.

16tn Heb “and Joab saw that the face of the battle was to him before and behind and he chose from all the best in Israel and arranged to meet Aram.”

17tn Heb “people.”

18tn Heb “he arranged.”

19tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

20tn Heb “if Aram is stronger than me.”

21tn Heb “if the sons of Ammon are stronger than you.”

22tn Heb “and the Lord will do what is good in his eyes.”

23tn Heb “and the army which was with him.”

24tn Heb “and Joab returned from against the sons of Ammon and entered.”

25map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

26tn Heb “were gathered together.”

27tn Heb “and Hadadezer sent and brought out Aram which is.”

28tn Heb “from beyond the River.” The name “Euphrates” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

29tn Heb “was before them.”

30tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

31tn Heb “horsemen” (so KJV, NASB, NCV, NRSV, NLT) but the Lucianic recension of the LXX reads “foot soldiers,” as does the parallel text in 1 Chr 19:18. Cf. NAB, NIV.

32tn Heb “the servants of Hadadezer.”

33tn Heb “and they served them.”