2 Samuel
וַתִּקְרָא אֶת־שְׁמוֹ שְׁמוּאֵל כִּי מֵיְהוָה שְׁאִלְתִּיו
I have asked him from YHWH because Samuel his name and she called
The name "Samuel" has two possible meanings.
שֵׁם־אֱלֹהִים "name of God"
שָׁמַע־אֱלֹהִים "God heard"
Samuel was the last of the ruling judges in the Old Testament.
He anointed Saul to be the first King of Israel and later anointed David.
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Introduction
Refer to the page 1 Samuel for notes on both the books of Samuel.
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2 Samuel 3:29c
(An extract from BHFA Volume 5.)
וּמַחֲזִיק בַּפֶּלֶךְ
on a crutch and one who leans on
KJB that leaneth on a staff,
NASB who takes hold of a distaff,
ESV who holds a spindle
NLT who walks on crutches
NIV who leans on a crutch
There are two ways in which the noun could be used to describe this curse.
a) This noun has now been identified from Ugaritic and Akkadian as the word for "spindle" or "distaff" (a stick or spindle onto which wool or flax is wound for spinning). The phrase used here was the common description of a woman involved in menial tasks. Should a Hittite soldier break his oath, it would result in the loss of his manhood. The oath describes this penalty in terms of the violator holding the spindle and mirror. This second curse in this verse then threatens Joab's house with decreased virility.
b) The second interpretation is that "distaff" is a derogatory euphemism for a cripple who requires a crutch. This is consistent with word "agad" ("staff") used to translate the noun in the Aramaic Targum attributed to Onkelos.
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