2 Samuel 18:13

13 And if I had put my life in jeopardy^[a] —and nothing is hidden from the king—you would have kept your distance from me.”

2 Samuel 18:13 in Other Translations

13 Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me.

13 On the other hand, if I had dealt treacherously against his life (and there is nothing hidden from the king), then you yourself would have stood aloof."

13 And if I had betrayed the king by killing his son—and the king would certainly find out who did it—you yourself would be the first to abandon me.”

13 Why, I'd be risking my life, for nothing is hidden from the king. And you would have just stood there!"

13 Otherwise if I had dealt falsely against his life (and there is no matter hid from the king), then thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against [me].

13 If I had done something treacherous to him, would you have stood by me? Like everything else, it wouldn't stay hidden from the king."

13 If I had jeopardized my own life-and nothing is hidden from the king-you would have abandoned me."

13 Suppose I had put my life in danger by killing him. The king would have found out about it. Nothing is hidden from him. And you wouldn't have stood up for me."

2 Samuel 18:13 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 18:13

Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own
life
Or "soul"; he should not only have exposed his life to danger, but acted falsely to the king, by going contrary to his orders; yea, would have done that which was contrary to his own conscience; and if he had buoyed himself up with the hope of impunity, or of a reward, he should have found himself mistaken; the textual reading is, "against his life" ^F12, or "soul", the life of Absalom, by taking it away:

for there is no matter hid from the king;
this, though done ever so secretly, would have come to his knowledge by some means or another, and then I should have incurred his displeasure, and suffered for it:

and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against [me];
to accuse and bring him to justice; he would have been so far from protecting him, that he would have been the first man that would have insisted on it that he should be punished for it; or why dost not thou thyself set thyself against him, and smite him? thou mayest if thou pleasest, yonder he hangs, go and smite him.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F12 (wvpnb) (en th quch autou) , Sept. "contra animam illius", Piscator.

2 Samuel 18:13 In-Context

11 Joab said to the man who had told him this, “What! You saw him? Why didn’t you strike him to the ground right there? Then I would have had to give you ten shekels of silver and a warrior’s belt.”

12 But the man replied, “Even if a thousand shekels were weighed out into my hands, I would not lay a hand on the king’s son. In our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake. ’

13 And if I had put my life in jeopardy —and nothing is hidden from the king—you would have kept your distance from me.”

14 Joab said, “I’m not going to wait like this for you.” So he took three javelins in his hand and plunged them into Absalom’s heart while Absalom was still alive in the oak tree.

15 And ten of Joab’s armor-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck him and killed him.

Cross References

• 1. 2 Samuel 14:19-20

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "Otherwise, if I had acted treacherously toward him"