Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed for doing comparisons of different translations. Click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.
Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clearImportance=normal (All still tentative.)
OET (OET-RV)“While the child was stillalive,” David replied, “I fasted and I wept, because I thought, ‘Who knows? Yahweh might be gracious to me and let him live.’
Key: khaki:verbs, green:YHWH.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).
Q וְחַנַּ֥נִי
BrLXXΚαὶ εἶπε Δαυὶδ, ἐν τῷ τὸ παιδάριον ἔτι ζῇν ἐνήστευσα καὶ ἔκλαυσα, ὅτι εἶπα, τίς οἶδεν εἰ ἐλεήσει με Κύριος, καὶ ζήσεται τὸ παιδάριον; (Kai eipe Dawid, en tōi to paidarion eti zaʸn enaʸsteusa kai eklausa, hoti eipa, tis oiden ei eleaʸsei me Kurios, kai zaʸsetai to paidarion; )
BrTrAnd David said, While the child yet lived, I fasted and wept; for I said, Who knows if the Lord will pity me, and the child live?
ULTAnd he said, “When yet the child was alive, I fasted, and I wept, because I said, ‘Who knows? Yahweh may be gracious to me, so that the child lives.’
USTHe replied, “While the baby was still alive I fasted and cried. I thought, ‘Perhaps Yahweh will act mercifully toward me and not allow the baby to die.’
BSB § David answered, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let him live.’
OEBAnd he said, ‘While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, “Who knows whether Jehovah will have mercy, so that the child will live?”
WEBBEHe said, “While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows whether the LORD will not be gracious to me, that the child may live?’
NETHe replied, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept because I thought, ‘Perhaps the Lord will show pity and the child will live.
LSVAnd he says, “While the boy is alive I have fasted and I weep, for I said, Who knows [if] YHWH pities me and the boy has lived?
FBVDavid replied, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and cried aloud, for I thought to myself, ‘Who knows? Maybe the Lord will be gracious to me and let him live.’
T4TDavid replied, “While the baby was still alive, I fasted and cried. I thought, ‘Who knows? Yahweh may be merciful to me and not allow the baby to die’.
LEBHe said, “When the child was still alive, I fasted and I wept because I thought, ‘Who knows? Yahweh may have mercy on me that the child will live.’
BBEAnd he said, While the child was still living I went without food and gave myself up to weeping: for I said, Who is able to say that the Lord will not have mercy on me and give the child life?
JPSAnd he said: 'While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept; for I said: Who knoweth whether the LORD will not be gracious to me, that the child may live?
ASVAnd he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who knoweth whether Jehovah will not be gracious to me, that the child may live?
DRAAnd he said: While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept for him: for I said: Who knoweth whether the Lord may not give him to me, and the child may live?
YLTAnd he saith, 'While the lad is alive I have fasted, and weep, for I said, Who knoweth? — Jehovah doth pity me, and the lad hath lived;
DrbyAnd he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept; for I thought, Who knows? [perhaps] Jehovah will be gracious to me, that the child may live.
RVAnd he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who knoweth whether the LORD will not be gracious to me, that the child may live?
WbstrAnd he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted, and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live?
KJB-1769And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whetherGOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?
KJB-1611And he said, While the child was yet aliue, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell, whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may liue? (And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell, whetherGod will be gracious to me, that the child may liue?)
BshpsHe said: While the childe was yet ailue I fasted and wept: for this I thought, Who can tell whether God wyll haue mercy on me, that the childe may lyue? (He said: While the child was yet ailue I fasted and wept: for this I thought, Who can tell whether God will have mercy on me, that the child may lyue?)
GnvaAnd he sayde, While the childe was yet aliue, I fasted, and wept: for I sayde, Who can tell whether God will haue mercy on me, that the childe may liue? (And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted, and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether God will have mercy on me, that the child may liue? )
CvdlHe sayde: I fasted and wepte for the childe whan it was yet a lyue, for I thoughte: Who knoweth, peraduenture the LORDE maye be gracious vnto me, that the childe maye lyue. (He said: I fasted and wept for the child when it was yet a live, for I thought: Who knoweth, peradventure/perhaps the LORD may be gracious unto me, that the child may live.)
WyclAnd Dauid seide, Y fastide and wepte for the yong child, whanne he lyuyde yit; for Y seide, Who woot, if perauenture the Lord yyue hym to me, and the yong child lyue? (And David said, I fastide and wept for the young child, when he lyuyde yit; for I said, Who woot, if peradventure/perhaps the Lord give him to me, and the young child lyue?)
LuthEr sprach: Um das Kind fastete ich und weinete, da es lebte; denn ich gedachte: Wer weiß, ob mir der HErr gnädig wird, daß das Kind lebendig bleibe. (He spoke: Um the Kind fastete I and weinete, there it lebte; because I thought: Who weiß, ob to_me the/of_the LORD gnädig wird, that the Kind lifedig bleibe.)
ClVgQui ait: Propter infantem, dum adhuc viveret, jejunavi et flevi: dicebam enim: Quis scit si forte donet eum mihi Dominus, et vivat infans? (Who he_said: Because infantem, dum adhuc viveret, yeyunavi and flevi: dicebam because: Who scit when/but_if forte donet him to_me Master, and he_lives infans? )
(Occurrence 0) Who knows whether or not Yahweh will be gracious to me, that the child may live?
(Some words not found in UHB: and=he/it_said in/on/at/with,still the,child he/it_lived fasted and,wept that/for/because/then/when thought who? knows now,gracious YHWH and,live the,child )
David asked this rhetorical question to empathize that no one knew if Yahweh would let the child live. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this question as a statement. Alternate translation: “No one knows whether or not Yahweh will be gracious to me so that the child may live.”
2 Samuel 8:1-8; 10:1-19; 12:21-31; 1 Chronicles 18:2-11; 19:1-19; 20:1-3
The accounts of David’s greatest military victories stand like bookends around the record of David’s most grievous sins. Sometime after David brought the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem and the Lord promised to establish his dynasty over Israel, David achieved a series of victories over virtually all of Israel’s neighboring nations. These began with David’s capture of Metheg-ammah (likely Gath) and all of Philistia and was followed by his victory over Moab. Then Nahash king of Ammon died, and David sent envoys to express his condolences to Nahash’s son Hanun, who had now become king. Hanun, however, intentionally humiliated David’s envoys, shaving off half their beards and cutting off the bottom half of their garments before sending them back to Israel. When David heard of it, he sent word to his envoys to remain at Jericho until their beards grew back. In the meantime, the Ammonites called upon several Aramean nations to help them fight against Israel, which was likely their original intent for humiliating David’s envoys. Warriors came from Beth-rehob and Zobah, which lay between Israel and Hamath farther north, as well as from Maacah (see “Geshur and Maacah” map) and Tob. The writer of 1 Chronicles also notes that soldiers came from Mesopotamia as well. David sent his commander Joab to fight this coalition at Rabbah. The writer of 1 Chronicles consistently speaks of the battle occurring at Medeba, rather than Rabbah, but the town of Medeba south of Heshbon seems an unlikely location for the battle. Perhaps Rabbah was also referred to at times as Medeba. In any case, Joab and his brother Abishai divided their forces into two groups, with Joab leading the fight against the Arameans to the north and Abishai leading the fight against the Ammonites just outside the gates of Rabbah. As Joab advanced, the Arameans fled, which in turn led the Ammonites to retreat behind the walls of Rabbah. After this Joab (and probably his forces) returned home to Israel. But the Arameans regrouped and added more troops from Aramean nations beyond the Euphrates River. David met them in battle at Helam (likely modern Alma) and won a great victory over them, even killing their commander Shobah (or Shophach). After this the Arameans made peace with Israel. Sometime later David also subjugated the Edomites, who lived to the south of Moab. It was likely sometime after this that David engaged in adultery with the wife of Uriah, one of his own valiant warriors (see “David’s Mighty Men” map), and then he tried to cover up his sin by arranging for Uriah’s death in battle. His sin was later exposed by Nathan the prophet, and David repented. After this Joab returned to Rabbah to finish capturing the city, and when victory was close at hand he called for David to come and finish taking the city. Thus the Ammonites became subject to Israel as well. From all these conquered nations David took many spoils and dedicated them to the Lord’s service, including great amounts of bronze from the towns of Tebah (also called Betah and Tibhath), Berothai, and Cun.
2 Samuel 8:1-8; 10:1-19; 12:21-31; 1 Chronicles 18:2-11; 19:1-19; 20:1-3
The accounts of David’s greatest military victories stand like bookends around the record of David’s most grievous sins. Sometime after David brought the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem and the Lord promised to establish his dynasty over Israel, David achieved a series of victories over virtually all of Israel’s neighboring nations. These began with David’s capture of Metheg-ammah (likely Gath) and all of Philistia and was followed by his victory over Moab. Then Nahash king of Ammon died, and David sent envoys to express his condolences to Nahash’s son Hanun, who had now become king. Hanun, however, intentionally humiliated David’s envoys, shaving off half their beards and cutting off the bottom half of their garments before sending them back to Israel. When David heard of it, he sent word to his envoys to remain at Jericho until their beards grew back. In the meantime, the Ammonites called upon several Aramean nations to help them fight against Israel, which was likely their original intent for humiliating David’s envoys. Warriors came from Beth-rehob and Zobah, which lay between Israel and Hamath farther north, as well as from Maacah (see “Geshur and Maacah” map) and Tob. The writer of 1 Chronicles also notes that soldiers came from Mesopotamia as well. David sent his commander Joab to fight this coalition at Rabbah. The writer of 1 Chronicles consistently speaks of the battle occurring at Medeba, rather than Rabbah, but the town of Medeba south of Heshbon seems an unlikely location for the battle. Perhaps Rabbah was also referred to at times as Medeba. In any case, Joab and his brother Abishai divided their forces into two groups, with Joab leading the fight against the Arameans to the north and Abishai leading the fight against the Ammonites just outside the gates of Rabbah. As Joab advanced, the Arameans fled, which in turn led the Ammonites to retreat behind the walls of Rabbah. After this Joab (and probably his forces) returned home to Israel. But the Arameans regrouped and added more troops from Aramean nations beyond the Euphrates River. David met them in battle at Helam (likely modern Alma) and won a great victory over them, even killing their commander Shobah (or Shophach). After this the Arameans made peace with Israel. Sometime later David also subjugated the Edomites, who lived to the south of Moab. It was likely sometime after this that David engaged in adultery with the wife of Uriah, one of his own valiant warriors (see “David’s Mighty Men” map), and then he tried to cover up his sin by arranging for Uriah’s death in battle. His sin was later exposed by Nathan the prophet, and David repented. After this Joab returned to Rabbah to finish capturing the city, and when victory was close at hand he called for David to come and finish taking the city. Thus the Ammonites became subject to Israel as well. From all these conquered nations David took many spoils and dedicated them to the Lord’s service, including great amounts of bronze from the towns of Tebah (also called Betah and Tibhath), Berothai, and Cun.
