The biblical story of David does not record this promise that David made to Bathsheba (see also verse 30). It is not clear whether Nathan is making up this promise to fool a senile king or whether he is simply reminding Bathsheba of something that she already knew. Some scholars think that the name “Bathsheba” means “daughter of an oath,” in which case there may be an intentional play on words here with the Hebrew verb translated swear.
This verse contains several layers of direct quotation. Nathan began speaking in verse 11, so a quotation began there. Now in verse 13, Nathan tells Bathsheba what to say. Within the words that she is to say is another quotation of the words that David said to Bathsheba. Good News Translation restructures verse 13 so that it contains only one embedded quotation rather than two as in Revised Standard Version. In some cases, however, it will be necessary to translate in such a way as to avoid embedded quotations altogether (refer to the discussion on embedded quotations in “Translating 1–2 Kings,” pages 10-11). The following model may be helpful:
• Go immediately to King David and respectfully remind him that he definitely promised you that your son Solomon would replace him as king. Ask him how it is possible that Adonijah is calling himself king.
Go in at once to King David: Go in at once is literally “come, go to.” The imperative “come” is used here in the Hebrew as an introductory interjection. Anchor Bible translates this clause rather literally as “Go and come to the King David,” but such a translation is not recommended.
Did you not, my lord the king, swear to your maidservant: In the initial words that Bathsheba is to speak, she speaks of herself and the king in the third person as my lord the king and your maidservant. Good News Translation changes this to the second person but maintains the respectful attitude with the words “Your Majesty.” Some languages translate the latter phrase as “me, your maidservant.” The presence of the independent pronoun for you in the Masoretic Text may suggest that it is slightly emphatic. Anchor Bible, for example, uses italic font for the pronoun: “Did not you my lord…?”
The verb swear in this context should not be understood to mean “to curse” or “to use vulgar language,” as the English verb “to swear” sometimes means. The Hebrew verb here means “to take an oath.” The person who took an oath received a curse upon himself if he failed to keep his word or his promise. In Good News Translation the idea of this kind of swearing is contained in the expression “solemnly promise.”
Solomon your son …: The text has Bathsheba quoting David’s words in which he called Solomon your son, placing the emphasis on the fact that he is Bathsheba’s son (the pronoun your is feminine in Hebrew). But Good News Translation, changing to indirect discourse, has “my son.” In some languages, however, the most natural way of referring to the son of David and Bathsheba in a conversation between them may be to say “our son” if direct discourse is used.
The phrases shall reign after me and shall sit upon my throne in David’s words to Bathsheba are parallel in meaning. In some cases it may be wise to translate the words after me in such a way as to make it clear that this refers to the time after the death of David. Often in 1 Kings, the noun throne is used in the sense of “kingship.”
Contemporary English Version treats the first question in this verse as rhetorical by translating “You promised me that Solomon would be the next king.” In languages where rhetorical questions are problematic, this may be a good model to follow.
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .