Study it in the app“Now please let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If YHWH has incited you against me, may he smell an offering; but if it is human beings, cursed be they before YHWH, for they have driven me out today so that I may not join the inheritance of YHWH, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’”
Nowוְעַתָּהpleaseנָאlet my lordאֲדֹנִיthe kingהַמֶּלֶךְhearיִשְׁמַעthe wordsדִּבְרֵיof his servant.עַבְדּוֹIfאִםYHWHיְהוָהhas incited youהֱסִיתְךָagainst me,בִיmay he smellיָרַחan offering;מִנְחָהbut ifוְאִםit is human beings,בְּנֵי הָאָדָםcursed beאֲרוּרִיםtheyהֵםbeforeלִפְנֵיYHWH,יְהוָהforכִּיthey have driven me outגֵרְשׁוּנִיtodayהַיּוֹםso that I may not joinמֵהִסְתַּפֵּחַthe inheritanceבְּנַחֲלַתof YHWH,יְהוָהsaying,לֵאמֹר‘Go,לֵךְserveעֲבֹדotherאֲחֵרִיםgods.’אֱלֹהִים
lord
The one with authority over another; or a respectful title.
Where else “adoni” appearsking
A king who rules a people.
Where else “melech” appearslisten
To pay close attention, or heed a plea.
Where else “yishma” appearsword
What someone says or announces, above all what YHWH says.
Where else “divre” appearsyour servant
"Your servant": a humble way to say "I".
Where else “avd” appearsYHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
Where else “yehva” appearsincite, entice
Incite: push someone to do something, especially evil; entice.
Where else “hesit” appearssmell
To smell something.
Where else “yarach” appearsoffering
An offering to God.
Where else “mincha” appearshuman being
Literally "son of Adam": any person, a mortal.
Where else “bene” appearshuman being
All humankind, men and women, as creatures God formed.
Where else “adam” appearscurse
Curse: declare someone or something under punishment, deprived of blessing. It is the opposite of bless.
Where else “arurim” appearsbefore
Literally "to the face of": in sight of someone, or on account of something.
Where else “fene” appearsdrive out
To force someone out of their home or land.
Where else “gershu” appearstoday
This very day in which one speaks, the present moment.
Where else “yom” appearsjoin
Become part of a group; put one thing into another.
Where else “histapeach” appearsinheritance
Land or goods passed from parents to children.
Where else “nachalat” appearssay
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “mor” appearsgo
To head for a place, to leave where one is in order to reach another.
Where else “lech” appearsworship
To honor and obey God, or other gods, as his people.
Where else “avod” appearsother
Other, another; next.
Where else “acherim” appearsgods
The gods of other peoples.
Where else “elohim” appears“May he smell an offering”: may YHWH accept it with pleasure (Genesis 8:21). David does not claim that YHWH did it; he sets out the two possibilities. “The inheritance of YHWH” is the land and the people of Israel: to drive him out of there was to push him to live among those who served other gods.
18He said, “Why is my lord pursuing after his servant? For what have I done, and what evil is in my hand?
19 · This verse (above)
20Now do not let my blood fall to the ground away from the presence of YHWH; for the king of Israel has come out to seek a single flea, as one pursues the partridge in the mountains.”
