2 Samuel 18:13

13 Autrement je mentirais au péril de ma vie, car rien ne serait caché au roi, et toi-même tu te lèverais contre moi.

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.

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FOOTNOTES:

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

2 Samuel 18:13 In-Context

11 Et Joab répondit à l'homme qui lui rapportait cela: Quoi! tu l'as vu? Et pourquoi ne l'as-tu pas abattu là, par terre? C'eût été à moi de te donner dix pièces d'argent et un baudrier.

12 Mais cet homme dit à Joab: Quand je pèserais dans ma main mille pièces d'argent, je ne mettrais point la main sur le fils du roi; car nous avons entendu ce que le roi vous a commandé, à toi, à Abishaï et à Itthaï, disant: Prenez garde chacun à ce jeune homme, à Absalom.

13 Autrement je mentirais au péril de ma vie, car rien ne serait caché au roi, et toi-même tu te lèverais contre moi.

14 Et Joab répondit: Je n'attendrai pas tant devant toi! Et, ayant pris trois dards en sa main, il les enfonça dans le cœur d'Absalom, qui était encore vivant au milieu du chêne.

15 Puis dix jeunes hommes, qui portaient les armes de Joab, environnèrent Absalom, le frappèrent, et l'achevèrent.