Second Samuel includes some of the most well-known and theologically layered episodes in the Old Testament, such as the Lord’s establishment of an eternal covenant with David, David’s sin with Bathsheba, and the subsequent account of Absalom’s rebellion. In this second part of an ambitious two-volume commentary on the books of Samuel, David Toshio Tsumura elucidates the rich text of 2 Samuel with special attention to literary and textual issues. Tsumura interprets the book in light of the meaning of the original composition, and he provides a fresh new translation based on careful analysis of the Hebrew text.

David Toshio Tsumura is professor of Old Testament at Japan Bible Seminary, Tokyo, chairman of the Tokyo Museum of Biblical Archaeology, author of The First Book of Samuel (NICOT), and editor of Exegetica: Studies in Biblical Exegesis. He was also the chairman of the Translation Committee for the New Japanese Bible, Shinkaiyaku 2017.