Translation commentary on 2 Samuel 15:3

Would say: the verb form once again indicates a repeated or habitual action.

See: the verb of perception used here invites the hearer to consider the situation. The same verb is used in a similar way later in this chapter (verse 28). It is more natural in English to use the verb “look” as in New International Version, New Century Version, and Good News Translation. Revised English Bible, however, takes this verb as having Absalom as its subject: “I can see that….” And New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh seems to indicate that anyone could see that the claims being made were correct: “It is clear that….”

Your claims are good and right: the traditional Hebrew text has a very general term for “word” or “matter” instead of the plural claims or “arguments,” which is found in some manuscripts. But the point will be essentially the same. Absalom was trying to win the favor of each person who had a complaint by telling them that they were right and that he would certainly support their case.

There is no man deputed by the king to hear you: considerable information has been supplied even in Revised Standard Version, since the text says literally “no one hearing for you from the king.” Anchor Bible translates “you will get no hearing from the king.” The point of Absalom’s statement is, however, clear. He wanted to turn the people against their king by hinting that the king was not only unable or unwilling to hear their cases but also unwilling to appoint anyone else with this authority. Some possible renderings of this clause are “not one of the king’s deputies will listen to you” (New Jerusalem Bible), “there is no one assigned to you by the king to hear it” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), “there is no one to hear you in the king’s name” (New American Bible), or “the king has not appointed anyone to listen to your case.”

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 .

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