Keil and Delitzsch Commentary - 2 Samuel 18:12 - 18:12

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Keil and Delitzsch Commentary - 2 Samuel 18:12 - 18:12


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But the man replied, “And I ... not weighing a thousand shekels in my hand ... might not stretch out my hand to the king's son,” i.e., I could not do it for a reward of a thousand shekels. This is the meaning of the Chethib וְלֹא; the Masoretes, on the other hand, have substituted וְלוּ, which is the reading adopted in most of the ancient versions, and the one preferred by the majority of expositors: “if I weighed ... I would not,” etc. But there is no necessity for this alteration, as the Chethib is quite in accordance with the character of the words. “For before our ears the king commanded” (cf. 2Sa 18:5): מִי שִׁמְרוּ, “take care whoever (it be) of the boy Absalom.” On this use of מִי, see Ewald, §104, d., a. The Keri לִי is merely a conjecture, notwithstanding the fact that all the versions follow it, and that one of the Codices in Kennicott has לִי. “or,” continued the man (2Sa 18:13), “should I have acted deceitfully towards his life (i.e., have slain him secretly, which he calls שֶׁקֶר, cheating, because it was opposed to the king's open command): and nothing remains hidden from the king; ... thou wouldst have set thyself in opposition to me,” i.e., have risen up against me before the king. The middle clause is a circumstantial one, as the fact that וְכָל־דָּבָר is placed first clearly shows; so that it cannot be regarded as introducing the apodosis, which really follows in the clause commencing with וְאַתָּה.