Core Glossary
2 Samuel — Core Glossary
Destination Language: German | Per-Term Translation Risk Reference
Curriculum: 2 Samuel
Core passage: 2 Samuel 7:1–17
Companion document: analysis/07_semantic_analysis.md
This glossary consolidates every load-bearing term identified across the full-book semantic analysis (chapters 1–24), citing the original Hebrew, transliteration, established or proposed German rendering, doctrine risk tier (per the baseline’s Critical/High/Medium/Low framework), rejected alternatives, and review routing. Terms already fixed in the baseline translation_memory.json are marked [REUSE] and MUST NOT be altered. New terms required by this curriculum are marked [NEW] and are proposed here for addition to translation memory at Phase 2.
A. Reused Baseline Terms (Exact Reuse Required)
| Term | Hebrew / Note | German | Risk | Primary 2 Samuel passages | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| covenant | בְּרִית berith | Bund | High | 3:12-13; 5:3; 7 (implicit); 23:5 | Reuse exactly. Distinguish human bilateral covenants (ch.3, 5) from God’s unilateral covenant with David (ch.7, 23:5). |
| david | דָּוִד David | David | Low | throughout | Reuse exactly. |
| israel | יִשְׂרָאֵל Yisra’el | Israel | Medium | throughout | Reuse exactly; note the baseline’s caution re: contemporary political conflation remains applicable. |
| god | אֱלֹהִים Elohim | Gott | Critical | throughout | Reuse exactly. |
| lord | יהוה / אֲדֹנָי YHWH / Adonai | Herr / HERR (Tetragrammaton) | Critical | throughout, esp. ch.7 | See new “yhwh_divine_name” entry below — the Tetragrammaton small-caps convention is a DISTINCT rendering issue from the baseline’s general “Herr” = kyrios entry and requires its own enforcement rule. |
| sin | חָטָא chata | Sünde / sündigen | Medium→High in context | 11-12 (David’s confession); 24 | Reuse exactly; in 12:13 the confession formula requires the fuller phrase “Ich habe gegen den HERRN gesündigt,” not a bare noun. |
| prophet | נָבִיא nabi | Prophet | Low | 7:2; 12; 24:11 | Reuse exactly (Nathan, Gad). |
| messiah | מָשִׁיחַ mashiach (title root) | Messias | Critical | conceptual background to 1:14,16; 22:51; 23:1 | Reuse “Messias” ONLY for the later technical eschatological title; the historical-royal anointing title itself is rendered “der Gesalbte des HERRN” (see new entry below) to avoid anachronism. |
| election | בָּחַר / conceptual bachar | Erwählung | High | 7:8 (“I took you…”); implicit throughout | Reuse exactly for David’s sovereign, unearned selection as king. |
| providence | conceptual, cf. 8:6,14 “the LORD gave David victory everywhere” | Vorsehung | Medium | 8; 22 | Reuse exactly for God’s personal, purposive governance of David’s affairs; must not read as impersonal fate. |
| glory | כָּבוֹד kavod (conceptual) | Herrlichkeit | Medium | 7:23 (implicit, God’s great acts); 22 | Reuse exactly. |
| grace | חֵן chen (favor-sought sense) | Gnade | Critical | 15:25 (“if I find favor…”) | Reuse baseline “Gnade” ONLY where the sense is unmerited favor sought from a superior (closer to NT charis); see distinction from chesed below. |
| salvation | יְשׁוּעָה yeshuah | Rettung | High | 22:1-51 (David’s song) | Reuse exactly; ch.22 is a legitimate poetic/liturgical context where “Heil” also appears (Luther’s “Horn meines Heils”) — flag per the baseline’s existing Heil sign-off rule, do not treat as automatic license to use “Heil” elsewhere. |
| righteousness | צְדָקָה tsedaqah | Gerechtigkeit | Critical | 8:15; 22:21,25 | Reuse exactly; in 8:15 and 22 this is royal-governance / covenant-relational integrity, NOT the NT forensic-imputed sense — mandatory disambiguating note on each occurrence. |
| holy | קָדוֹשׁ qadosh | heilig | High | 6 (the ark) | Reuse exactly; ch.6 illustrates the OT’s ritual-danger dimension of holiness, to be taught alongside (not against) the baseline’s moral/relational definition. |
| intercession | conceptual, waye’ather | Fürbitte | Medium | 21:14 | Reuse exactly. |
| gentiles | גּוֹיִם goyim (general sense) | Heiden | Medium | 10 (Ammonites and allies) | Reuse with caution: here denotes surrounding political nations generally, not yet the NT Jew/Gentile theological unity category; avoid importing that later doctrinal freight. |
| father | אָב ab | Vater | Critical | 7:14 | Reuse exactly, but see new “davidic_sonship” entry — the 7:14 father-son formula must be sharply distinguished from the baseline’s Sohn Gottes eternal-Sonship doctrine. |
| holy_spirit | רוּחַ יְהוָה ruach YHWH (precursor) | Geist des HERRN / Heiliger Geist | High | 23:2 | Use “Geist des HERRN” for this OT progressive-revelation occurrence rather than the full “Heiliger Geist” Trinitarian title, with a teaching note on the relationship. |
| seed_of_david (related) | זֶרַע zera | Nachkomme | High | 7:12 | Directly related to, but distinct from, the baseline’s NT “seed_of_david” = Nachkomme Davids (which describes Christ’s descent FROM David); here the referent is the promised descendant(s) OF David going forward — note the directional distinction. |
B. New Terms Required for This Curriculum
| Term (key) | Hebrew / Translit. | German rendering | Doctrine | Risk | Alternatives rejected | Notes | Primary passages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| house_dynasty | בַּיִת / bayith | Haus | Davidic Covenant | Critical | ”Gebäude” (loses dynastic sense); “Dynastie” (loses temple-building sense, breaks the pun) | The chapter’s central wordplay (temple vs. dynasty) hinges on this single word; mandatory teaching note on both senses at every occurrence in ch.7. | 7:1,2,5,6,11,13,16; 3; 6 |
| kingdom_davidic | מַמְלָכָה / mamlakah | Königtum / Königreich | Davidic Covenant | High | Silently equating with “Reich Gottes” (would erase the OT/NT distinction) | Must be kept typologically related to but textually distinct from the baseline’s Reich Gottes. | 7:12,13,16 |
| throne_eternal | כִּסֵּא + עוֹלָם / kisse + olam | Thron / ewig | Davidic Covenant | Critical | ”für lange Zeit” alone (understates); unqualified “ewig” without a fulfillment note (may overstate in isolation) | Requires a mandatory teaching note connecting OT semantic flexibility of olam to the doctrine’s ultimate NT/Christological fulfillment. | 7:13,16; 23:5 |
| everlasting_covenant | בְּרִית עוֹלָם / berith olam | ewiger Bund | Davidic Covenant; Messianic Hope | Critical | — | Combines two Critical-risk baseline/new terms (Bund + olam); consistency with 7:13/16 rendering of olam is mandatory. | 23:5 |
| davidic_sonship | אָב / בֵּן (7:14) | Vater / Sohn (adoptive-royal formula) | Davidic Covenant; Messianic Hope | Critical | Using “Sohn Gottes” language interchangeably (would conflate adoptive royal sonship with Christ’s unique eternal Sonship) | Hebrews 1:5 cites this verse messianically; must be taught as typological/enthronement sonship, distinct from and never diluting the baseline’s Sohn Gottes doctrine. Mandatory theologian review whenever cross-referenced to Hebrews 1. | 7:14 |
| steadfast_love | חֶסֶד / chesed | Gnade (primary); Güte / beständige Liebe (disambiguating alternatives in exposition) | God’s Steadfast Love despite Human Failure | Critical | ”Barmherzigkeit” alone (loses covenant-loyalty nuance; also already rejected for baseline “grace”) | THE central collision term of this curriculum: theologically related to but conceptually distinct from the baseline’s reserved NT charis-Gnade (unmerited, initiating favor). Chesed = persevering loyalty within an already-established covenant relationship. Mandatory translator/teacher note distinguishing the two senses on every occurrence. | 7:15; 9; 22:51 |
| favor_sought | חֵן / chen | Gunst / Gnade finden | God’s Steadfast Love | High | — | Closer to NT charis than chesed is (favor sought by a subordinate from a superior in a specific instance); distinguish from chesed in teaching material even where both render “Gnade” in running text. | 15:25 |
| divine_relenting | נִחַם / nicham | ”es tat dem HERRN leid” / (Gott) liess sich das Unheil leidtun | God’s Steadfast Love; Consequences of Sin | Critical | ”Gott bereute” unqualified (risks implying error or moral change); silently omitting the anthropopathism | Must never imply divine mutability of character/purpose (cf. 7:16’s ne’eman, “made sure”); teach as covenant-responsive relational language. Mandatory theologian framing. | 24:16 |
| atonement_kipper | כִּפֶּר / kipper | Sühne leisten / entsühnen | God’s Steadfast Love; Messianic Hope (typological) | Critical | Presenting as identical to full NT atonement without a typological note | Genuine OT root of, but not identical to, the baseline’s NT atonement/propitiation doctrine (Romans 3:25). | 21:1-14; 24:25 |
| yhwh_divine_name | יהוה (Tetragrammaton) | HERR (small capitals, per Luther 2017 / Einheitsübersetzung convention) | Davidic Covenant (oracle authority); all doctrines | Critical | Rendering identically to ordinary “Herr” without the capitalization convention (erases the name/title distinction unique to German Bible tradition) | Distinct enforcement rule from the baseline’s general “lord” = Herr entry; format-dependent — non-typographic media require an explicit first-occurrence gloss per chapter. | throughout, esp. 7 |
| anointed_one | מְשִׁיחַ יְהוָה / meshiach YHWH | der Gesalbte des HERRN | Messianic Hope | High | Rendering as “Messias” (anachronistic collapse of the historical-royal title into the later eschatological technical term) | Root of, but historically prior to and distinct from, the baseline’s “Messias.” | 1:14,16; 19:21; 22:51; 23:1 |
| anoint_act | מָשַׁח / mashach | salben | Messianic Hope | Medium | — | The ritual act behind mashiach/“Messias”; flag the etymological link for teaching material. | 2:4; 5:3; 12:7 |
| ark_of_covenant | אֲרוֹן הַבְּרִית / aron habberith | die Bundeslade | Davidic Covenant (contextual background) | Critical | Generic “heiliger Kasten” (loses covenantal/theological force) | The concrete sign of covenant presence that both motivates and complicates David’s temple-building desire in ch.7. | 6; 7:2 |
| wrath_of_god | חָרָה אַף יְהוָה / charah aph YHWH | der Zorn des HERRN (entbrannte) | Consequences of Sin; God’s Steadfast Love (contrast) | High | Softening to “Unmut” or “Missfallen” (loses judicial-holiness force) | Frames the book (ch.6 and ch.24); teach as purposive, holiness-consistent judgment, not caprice. | 6:7; 24:1 |
| justice_and_righteousness | מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה / mishpat u-tsedaqah | Recht und Gerechtigkeit | Davidic Covenant (royal fruit) | Medium/High | — | Royal-governance fruit of covenant relationship; must not be silently read as the baseline’s NT forensic-imputed righteousness. | 8:15 |
| covenant_loyalty_act | חֶסֶד / chesed (as verb-object, “show kindness”) | Gnade/Güte erweisen | God’s Steadfast Love | Critical | — | Narrative enactment of the 7:15 doctrine; recommended primary illustrative text for teaching. | 9:1,3,7 |
| adultery | נָאַף / na’aph | Ehebruch (begehen) | David’s Sin and Repentance | High | Euphemistic softening (e.g., “Verhältnis,” “Affäre”) | Must not be softened; the narrative itself names it precisely. | 11:4,27 |
| divine_displeasure | וַיֵּרַע בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה / wayera be’einei YHWH | ”Es missfiel dem HERRN” | David’s Sin and Repentance | High | Paraphrasing away the verdict-formula | Bridges chs.11-12; must be retained as an explicit narrative verdict. | 11:27 |
| royal_confession | חָטָאתִי לַיהוָה / chatati la-YHWH | ”Ich habe gegen den HERRN gesündigt” | David’s Sin and Repentance | Critical | Bare “Ich habe gesündigt” (loses the relational, covenant-name-directed object) | The OT’s paradigmatic model of unqualified royal repentance (contrast Saul, 1 Sam 15). | 12:13 |
| sin_removed | הֶעֱבִיר חֲטָאתְךָ / he’evir chatathekha | ”Der HERR hat deine Sünde weggenommen/vergeben” | David’s Sin and Repentance; Consequences of Sin | Critical | Presenting as eliminating all consequence (contradicts the same passage’s own consequence-announcement) | Must be taught paired with 12:10-14’s consequence language — forgiveness and consequence coexist. | 12:13 |
| consequence_sword | חֶרֶב / cherev | Schwert | Consequences of Sin within the Covenant Family | Medium | — | Standing metaphor for recurring household violence, fulfilled across chs.13,18,20. | 12:10 |
| household_violation | עִנָּה / ‘innah | vergewaltigen / entehren | Consequences of Sin within the Covenant Family | High | Euphemism or narrative sensationalizing | Requires the same pastoral-sensitivity discipline as other high-sensitivity biblical sexual-violence material; teach within its consequence-function, not as isolated scandal. | 13:14 |
| disgraceful_act | נְבָלָה / nebalah | Schandtat | Consequences of Sin within the Covenant Family | High | Weak “Torheit” alone (loses covenant-violation weight) | 13:12 | |
| conspiracy | מִרְמָה / mirmah | Verrat / Aufstand | Consequences of Sin within the Covenant Family | Medium | — | 15:1-12 | |
| curse_verbal | קָלַל / qalal | verfluchen / verhöhnen | Consequences of Sin within the Covenant Family | Medium | — | 16:5-13 | |
| blood_avenger | גֹּאֵל הַדָּם / go’el hadam | Bluträcher | Consequences of Sin within the Covenant Family (background) | Medium | ”Rächer” alone (loses the specific kinship-legal institution) | Requires brief cultural-historical framing. | 3:27; 14 |
| shepherd_king | רָעָה / ra’ah | weiden / Hirte (sein) | Messianic Hope | Medium | — | Royal-pastoral metaphor; cross-reference (without collapsing) to the baseline’s John “I am the good shepherd” material. | 5:2; 7:7 |
| divine_name_title | שֵׁם / shem | Name | Davidic Covenant; Messianic Hope | Medium | — | “Great name” for David (7:9) contrasted with “house for my Name” (7:13) — a deliberate escalation within the passage. | 7:9,13 |
| iniquity_crookedness | עָוֹן / avon | Verfehlung / Schuld | Consequences of Sin within the Covenant Family | Medium | Bare “Sünde” (loses the “bent/crooked” nuance distinct from chata) | 7:14 | |
| discipline_rod | שֵׁבֶט אֲנָשִׁים / shevet anashim | mit der Rute der Menschen strafen/züchtigen | Consequences of Sin within the Covenant Family | High | Presenting as covenant-destroying rejection | Must be taught as corrective, historical, proportionate discipline — contrast explicitly with Saul’s rejection (7:15). | 7:14 |
| made_sure | נָאְמָן (root אמן) / ne’eman | beständig sein / Bestand haben | Davidic Covenant; God’s Steadfast Love | High | — | Root-linked to “Amen” (already an established transliteration in the baseline); worth a cross-reference teaching note. | 7:16 |
| word_of_the_lord | דְּבַר־יְהוָה / devar-YHWH | das Wort des HERRN | Davidic Covenant (revelatory authority) | High | ”eine Botschaft” alone (loses technical revelatory force) | 7:4; 12; 24:11 | |
| servant_title | עֶבֶד / ebed | Knecht | Davidic Covenant | Medium | Demeaning-register alternatives | Honorific covenant-title, not literal bondage; cross-reference the baseline’s Ephesians/Colossians “Sklaven/Herren” historical-distancing discipline for contrast. | 7:5,8,19-29 |
| lord_of_hosts | יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת / YHWH tseva’ot | HERR der Heerscharen | Davidic Covenant | High | — | Established German liturgical rendering (Luther; hymn tradition “Herr Zebaoth”). | 5:10; 7:8,26,27 |
| prince_appointed | נָגִיד / nagid | Fürst | Davidic Covenant (election emphasis) | Medium | — | Emphasizes divine appointment over dynastic entitlement. | 7:8 |
| rock_fortress_imagery | צוּר / מְצוּדָה / tsur / metsudah | Fels / Festung | Messianic Hope; God’s Steadfast Love | Medium | — | Poetic testimony reinforcing covenant reliability. | 22 |
| horn_of_salvation | קֶרֶן יִשְׁעִי / qeren yish’i | das Horn meines Heils | Messianic Hope | Critical | Automatic substitution of “Rettung” without reviewer sign-off | Rare theologically appropriate liturgical use of “Heil”; mandatory sign-off per the baseline’s existing Heil rule, parallel to Ephesians 6’s “Helm des Heils.” | 22:3 |
| blameless_integrity | תָּם / תָּמִים / tam / tamim | untadelig / lauter | Messianic Hope; David’s Sin and Repentance (consistency) | High | Unqualified “sündlos” (would contradict chs.11-12) | Must be reconciled in teaching material with David’s own confessed sin elsewhere. | 22:21,24 |
| faithfulness | אֱמוּנָה / ‘emunah | Treue | Davidic Covenant; God’s Steadfast Love | Medium | — | Same root as ne’eman/“Amen”; reinforces 7:16. | 22:26 |
| spirit_of_the_lord | רוּחַ יְהוָה / ruach YHWH | Geist des HERRN | Messianic Hope (progressive revelation) | High | Full “Heiliger Geist” Trinitarian title without a progressive-revelation note | See also reused-term table above. | 23:2 |
| plague_pestilence | דֶּבֶר / dever | Pest / Seuche | Consequences of Sin within the Covenant Family | Medium | — | 24:13-15 | |
| altar | מִזְבֵּח / mizbeach | Altar | Messianic Hope (typological); God’s Steadfast Love | Medium | — | Future Temple site (2 Chron 3:1); fulfills 7:13’s “house for my name.” | 24:18-25 |
| burnt_and_peace_offerings | עֹלָה וְשְׁלָמִים / olah ve-shelamim | Brandopfer und Friedopfer | Messianic Hope (typological atonement) | High | Collapsing fully into NT fulfilled-atonement language within the translated text itself | Cross-reference (in teaching material only) to the baseline’s Colossians Schuldschein/atonement discipline. | 24:25 |
C. Reviewer Routing Summary (for Doctrine Risk Registry construction)
| Risk tier | Count (new + reused-in-context) | Routing |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | 16 | Human theologian — mandatory for every occurrence |
| High | 15 | Human theologian |
| Medium | 15 | Native speaker review |
| Low | 4 (qinah, gibborim, chokmah [narrative sense], mishkan) | Automated review |
Note for Phase 2: All Critical-risk terms in Section B (especially steadfast_love/Gnade, house_dynasty/Haus, davidic_sonship, yhwh_divine_name, divine_relenting, throne_eternal) require the same mandatory theologian-authored framing discipline already established in the baseline for comparably sensitive terms (cf. “his_blood_be_on_us,” “submission,” “kenosis”). None of these may be marked “approved” by automated or native-speaker-only review.
Critical Risk Terms
Lord
Approved rendering: Herr
Transliteration: Herr
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: Meister, Chef
Inherited from Romans package. In 2 Samuel, regular-case ‘Herr’ renders Adonai/adoni in human-address contexts (‘mein Herr, der König’) and must be kept typographically and conceptually distinct from the new yhwh_divine_name entry’s small-capitals ‘HERR’ for the Tetragrammaton — a double flattening risk unique to this book.
Righteousness
Approved rendering: Gerechtigkeit
Transliteration: Gerechtigkeit
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: Tugend
Original: צְדָקָה
Category: Kingship
Inherited from Romans package. Reserved for Luther’s forensic, imputed, faith-alone Turmerlebnis sense. In 2 Samuel 8:15 and 22:21,25 the same German word renders tsedaqah in its royal-governance / covenant-relational-integrity sense (see new term justice_and_righteousness), which is NOT the forensic-imputed NT sense; mandatory disambiguating note on every 2 Samuel occurrence. Flagged as the single highest collision risk for this term across the whole pipeline.
Son Of God
Approved rendering: Sohn Gottes
Transliteration: Sohn Gottes
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ
Inherited from Romans package: Christ’s eternal, unique, co-equal divine Sonship. MUST be sharply distinguished from 2 Samuel 7:14’s adoptive, conditional, royal-office father_son_formula, which explicitly anticipates the son’s capacity to sin — inapplicable to Christ except typologically (Hebrews 1:5). Never let the two vocabulary sets bleed into each other.
Yhwh Divine Name
Approved rendering: HERR
Transliteration: YHWH
Doctrine: The Davidic Covenant and the Promise of an Eternal Throne
Rejected alternatives: Jahwe (breaks with established German Bible tradition; also a documented Jehovah’s-Witness-adjacent divergence pattern), Herr (loses the name/title distinction entirely)
Original: יהוה
Category: God
NEW. The personal covenant name of God, rendered via the small-capitals typographic convention ‘HERR’ per Luther 2017 / Einheitsübersetzung tradition, distinct from ordinary ‘Herr’ (Adonai/human address). German has no separate lexical word for the Tetragrammaton and relies entirely on this convention. Non-typographic formats (audio, plain text) require an explicit first-occurrence-per-chapter gloss: ‘der HERR, der Bundesgott Israels.’ Densest concentration in ch. 7.
House Dynasty
Approved rendering: Haus
Transliteration: bayith
Doctrine: The Davidic Covenant and the Promise of an Eternal Throne
Rejected alternatives: Gebäude (loses dynastic sense), Dynastie (loses temple-building sense, breaks the pun)
Original: בַּיִת
Category: Covenant
NEW. The chapter 7 wordplay-word meaning both literal house/temple and royal dynasty/lineage. German ‘Haus’ happily preserves both senses natively (‘das Haus Habsburg’), making the pun recoverable — but low-OT-literacy readers will not spot it unaided. Mandatory teaching note at every occurrence in 7:1-16 walking through the reversal: David wants to build God a house (temple) -> God will build David a house (dynasty).
Throne Eternal
Approved rendering: Thron … ewig
Transliteration: kisse … olam
Doctrine: The Davidic Covenant and the Promise of an Eternal Throne
Rejected alternatives: für lange Zeit (understates), unqualified ‘ewig’ with no fulfillment note (may overstate in isolation)
Original: כִּסֵּא … עוֹלָם
Category: Covenant
NEW. The load-bearing term for the doctrine title ‘eternal throne’ (7:13,16). Recommended rendering ‘auf ewig’ with a MANDATORY teaching note on every occurrence connecting OT olam’s semantic flexibility (indefinitely long era to absolute eternity) to its ultimate Christological fulfillment (Luke 1:32-33). Never presented as isolated philosophical eternity nor as merely ‘a long time.‘
Everlasting Covenant
Approved rendering: ewiger Bund
Transliteration: berith olam
Doctrine: The Davidic Covenant and the Promise of an Eternal Throne
Original: בְּרִית עוֹלָם
Category: Covenant
NEW. David’s dying restatement (23:5) of the chapter 7 covenant’s perpetual character — the clearest single-verse bridge between the Davidic Covenant and Messianic Hope doctrines. Combines two Critical-risk terms (Bund + olam); the ‘ewig’ component MUST match the rendering discipline fixed for throne_eternal exactly.
Father Son Formula
Approved rendering: Vater / Sohn
Transliteration: ab / ben
Doctrine: The Davidic Covenant and the Promise of an Eternal Throne
Rejected alternatives: Interchangeable use of ‘Sohn Gottes’ vocabulary (would conflate adoptive royal sonship with Christ’s unique eternal Sonship)
Original: אָב / בֵּן
Category: Christology
NEW. The adoptive, covenantal royal father-son formula of 7:14, applied first to Solomon, who can ‘commit iniquity’ (v.14b) — inapplicable to the sinless Christ except typologically (cited messianically in Hebrews 1:5). No lexical fence is available in German (identical words to son_of_god); only mandatory theologian-authored exposition prevents conflation. Mandatory theologian review whenever cross-referenced to Hebrews 1:5.
Steadfast Love
Approved rendering: Gnade
Transliteration: chesed
Doctrine: God’s Steadfast Love despite Human Failure
Rejected alternatives: Barmherzigkeit allein (loses covenant-loyalty nuance)
Original: חֶסֶד
Category: Salvation
NEW. THE central collision term of this curriculum. Persevering covenant loyalty WITHIN an already-established relationship (7:15; ch. 9; 22:51) — theologically related to but conceptually distinct from the baseline’s reserved, INITIATING NT charis-Gnade. Primary text retains ‘Gnade’ (matching Luther/Einheitsübersetzung OT practice), but EVERY occurrence requires an explicit disambiguating note distinguishing ‘covenant-faithfulness love’ from ‘unmerited initiating grace,’ so the doctrine of ongoing assurance is never confused with the doctrine of initial justification. ‘Güte’ or ‘beständige Liebe’ may be used in exposition/footnotes only, never displacing ‘Gnade’ in the primary translated text.
Divine Relenting
Approved rendering: “es tat dem HERRN leid” / (Gott) liess sich das Unheil leidtun
Transliteration: nicham
Doctrine: God’s Steadfast Love despite Human Failure
Rejected alternatives: Gott bereute (unqualified; risks implying error or moral change), änderte seine Meinung (flattens into capricious fickleness)
Original: נִחַם
Category: God
NEW. Anthropopathic language describing God’s relational, responsive change of action during the plague (24:16) — NOT a change in his unchanging character or purpose (cf. 7:16’s ne’eman/faithfulness). Mandatory theologian framing distinguishing biblical anthropopathism from divine mutability, cross-referenced explicitly to 7:16.
Atonement Kipper
Approved rendering: Sühne leisten / entsühnen
Transliteration: kipper
Doctrine: God’s Steadfast Love despite Human Failure
Rejected alternatives: Presenting as identical to full NT atonement without a typological note
Original: כִּפֶּר
Category: Salvation
NEW. Ritual/judicial removal of bloodguilt (21:1-14; 24:25). Genuine OT root of, but not identical to, the baseline’s Critical NT atonement/propitiation doctrine (Romans 3:25). Keep OT ritual/judicial vocabulary historically distinct from NT fulfillment language within the translated text itself; teaching material only may draw the typological line to Christ.
Ark Of Covenant
Approved rendering: die Bundeslade
Transliteration: aron habberith / aron ha’elohim
Doctrine: The Davidic Covenant and the Promise of an Eternal Throne
Rejected alternatives: heiliger Kasten (generic, loses covenantal/theological force)
Original: אֲרוֹן הַבְּרִית / אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים
Category: Worship
NEW. The sacred chest containing the tablets of the covenant, the concrete sign of God’s covenant presence (ch. 6; 7:2). Requires explicit exposition given very low OT-narrative literacy among the target audience, since it is the load-bearing background image for the entire ch. 7 oracle.
Covenant Loyalty Act
Approved rendering: Gnade/Güte erweisen
Transliteration: chesed (verbal use, ‘show kindness’)
Doctrine: God’s Steadfast Love despite Human Failure
Original: חֶסֶד (verbal use, ‘show kindness’)
Category: Salvation
NEW. David’s narrative enactment of chesed toward Mephibosheth (9:1,3,7), restoring him to royal-table fellowship purely ‘for Jonathan’s sake.’ The clearest single human-level illustration of steadfast_love; recommended as the primary teaching text preceding the more abstract 7:15 formulation. Same Critical-risk ‘Gnade’ collision caution applies.
Royal Confession
Approved rendering: “Ich habe gegen den HERRN gesündigt”
Transliteration: chatati la-YHWH
Doctrine: David’s Sin and Repentance
Rejected alternatives: Ich habe gesündigt (bare form; drops the covenant-relational object), Ich habe gefehlt (softening)
Original: חָטָאתִי לַיהוָה
Category: Sin
NEW. David’s unqualified, undefended confession (12:13), the OT’s paradigmatic model of genuine royal repentance, in explicit contrast to Saul’s excuse-making (1 Samuel 15). Must retain the specific covenant-name object (‘gegen den HERRN’), never abbreviated.
Sin Removed
Approved rendering: “Der HERR hat deine Sünde weggenommen/vergeben”
Transliteration: he’evir chatathekha
Doctrine: Consequences of Sin within the Covenant Family
Rejected alternatives: Presenting as eliminating all consequence (contradicts the same passage’s own consequence-announcement)
Original: הֶעֱבִיר חֲטָאתְךָ
Category: Salvation
NEW. God’s active removal of guilt-consequence (12:13). MUST be taught paired with 12:10-14’s immediately following consequence-announcement so forgiveness never reads as eliminating temporal covenant-family consequence — a cheap-grace misreading symmetrical to, but the mirror image of, the baseline’s Werkgerechtigkeit caution.
Horn Of Salvation
Approved rendering: das Horn meines Heils
Transliteration: qeren yish’i
Doctrine: The Messianic Hope Rooted in David’s Line
Rejected alternatives: automatic substitution of ‘Rettung’ without reviewer sign-off
Original: קֶרֶן יִשְׁעִי
Category: Salvation
NEW. Vivid image of saving strength (22:3), the established Luther-tradition rendering. One of the rare theologically appropriate liturgical uses of ‘Heil’ the baseline’s Nazi-era-contamination caution anticipates, parallel to Ephesians 6’s ‘Helm des Heils.’ Mandatory reviewer sign-off before use; not license for broader ‘Heil’ use elsewhere in ch. 22’s prose.
High Risk Terms
Election
Approved rendering: Erwählung
Transliteration: Erwählung
Doctrine: Effectual Calling
Original: בָּחַר (conceptual)
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. In 2 Samuel 7:8, 5:1-3, and 12:7, applies to God’s sovereign, unearned selection of David for royal office — analogous to, but not identical with, the baseline’s soteriological election doctrine; note the distinction between royal-office election and personal-salvation election.
Grace
Approved rendering: Gnade
Transliteration: Gnade
Doctrine: Grace
Rejected alternatives: Barmherzigkeit, Wohlwollen
Inherited from Romans package. Reserved for unmerited, initiating NT charis ‘apart from any human or ecclesial cooperation.’ THE central collision point of this curriculum: 2 Samuel’s chesed (steadfast_love) and chen (favor_sought) both also render as ‘Gnade’ in running German text but are conceptually distinct OT categories — see the mandatory disambiguation notes on those two new entries. Never let a reader conclude the three senses are simply identical.
Salvation
Approved rendering: Rettung
Transliteration: Rettung
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: Heil (Nazi-era contamination risk), Erlösung (more existential/liberation-flavored)
Original: יְשׁוּעָה
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Applies to yeshuah, concrete historical-military deliverance in David’s song of deliverance (ch. 22). Chapter 22 also contains the one legitimate poetic/liturgical ‘Heil’ candidate in this curriculum (see horn_of_salvation); this remains a case-by-case reviewer decision, not license to use ‘Heil’ freely elsewhere.
Gentiles
Approved rendering: Heiden
Transliteration: Heiden
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
Inherited from Romans package. In 2 Samuel 10 (and see the new term gentiles_nations), goyim denotes surrounding political nations generally (Ammonites, Philistines, Arameans), NOT yet the NT Jew/Gentile theological unity category; avoid importing that later doctrinal freight into this pre-Christian narrative usage.
Lord Adonai
Approved rendering: Herr
Transliteration: Adonai
Doctrine: The Davidic Covenant and the Promise of an Eternal Throne
Original: אֲדֹנָי / אֲדֹנִי
Category: God
NEW. The ordinary title ‘lord/master’ used of God (Adonai) and, far more frequently in 2 Samuel’s court dialogue, of David as human superior (‘mein Herr, der König’). Must be kept visually/typographically distinct from yhwh_divine_name’s small-capital ‘HERR’ so readers never confuse court etiquette toward David with the covenant name of God.
Anointed One
Approved rendering: der Gesalbte des HERRN
Transliteration: meshiach YHWH
Doctrine: The Messianic Hope Rooted in David’s Line
Rejected alternatives: Messias (anachronistic collapse of historical-royal title into the reserved eschatological title)
Original: מְשִׁיחַ יְהוָה
Category: Kingship
NEW. The sacral-royal title ‘the LORD’s anointed,’ given to Saul and then David, marking the office as divinely conferred and inviolable (1:14,16; 19:21; 22:51; 23:1). Historical root of, but distinct from, the baseline’s reserved ‘Messias.‘
Kingdom Davidic
Approved rendering: Königtum / Königreich
Transliteration: mamlakah
Doctrine: The Davidic Covenant and the Promise of an Eternal Throne
Rejected alternatives: Reich (would crowd/conflate with Reich Gottes)
Original: מַמְלָכָה
Category: Kingship
NEW. The concrete, historical, earthly royal rule of the Davidic dynasty (7:12,13,16), the OT root of but textually distinct from Reich Gottes. Forbid any bare ‘Reich’ construction, and especially forbid ‘Reich Davids,’ which sits uncomfortably close to Reich Gottes both visually and conceptually.
Favor Sought
Approved rendering: Gunst / Gnade finden
Transliteration: chen
Doctrine: God’s Steadfast Love despite Human Failure
Original: חֵן
Category: Salvation
NEW. Favor sought by a subordinate from a superior in a specific instance (15:25, David submitting the ark’s and his own fate to God’s will) — closer to NT charis than chesed is. Distinguish explicitly from steadfast_love in teaching material even where both may render ‘Gnade’ in running text. Prefer ‘Gunst finden’ to create a minimal lexical fence from chesed’s ‘Gnade’ wherever the syntax allows.
Wrath Of God
Approved rendering: der Zorn des HERRN (entbrannte)
Transliteration: charah aph YHWH
Doctrine: Consequences of Sin within the Covenant Family
Rejected alternatives: Unmut (softens; loses judicial-holiness force), Missfallen (softens; loses judicial-holiness force)
Original: חָרָה אַף יְהוָה
Category: God
NEW. The idiom for divine anger breaking out against a specific violation, framing the book at both the ark’s arrival (6:7, Uzzah) and its close (24:1, census). Must be taught as righteous, purposive, holiness-consistent judgment, never capricious temper.
Justice And Righteousness
Approved rendering: Recht und Gerechtigkeit
Transliteration: mishpat u-tsedaqah
Doctrine: The Davidic Covenant and the Promise of an Eternal Throne
Original: מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה
Category: Kingship
NEW. The paired formula for ideal royal governance (8:15), the fruit, not the ground, of David’s covenant relationship with God. ‘Gerechtigkeit’ here must NOT be silently read back into the baseline’s forensic-imputed NT sense — mandatory disambiguating note, mirroring the baseline’s own Romans 4:4-5 caution in the opposite historical direction.
Adultery
Approved rendering: Ehebruch (begehen)
Transliteration: na’aph
Doctrine: David’s Sin and Repentance
Rejected alternatives: Verhältnis (euphemistic softening), Affäre (euphemistic softening)
Original: נָאַף
Category: Sin
NEW. The specific Decalogue sexual-covenant violation David commits with Bathsheba (11:4,27), named precisely, not softened as a private romantic lapse. Must not be euphemized; the narrative itself refuses to minimize it.
Divine Displeasure
Approved rendering: “Es missfiel dem HERRN”
Transliteration: wayera hadavar be’einei YHWH
Doctrine: David’s Sin and Repentance
Rejected alternatives: Gott war unzufrieden (understates), Gott zürnte (overstates; conflates with wrath_of_god)
Original: וַיֵּרַע הַדָּבָר בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה
Category: Sin
NEW. The narrative’s own moral verdict (11:27), bridging directly into Nathan’s confrontation in ch. 12. Must be retained as an explicit narrative verdict, calibrated between mild displeasure and full wrath; do not conflate with wrath_of_god, a lexically and theologically stronger idiom in the same book.
Household Violation
Approved rendering: vergewaltigen / entehren
Transliteration: ‘innah
Doctrine: Consequences of Sin within the Covenant Family
Rejected alternatives: sanftere Umschreibungen ohne Namensnennung (euphemism)
Original: עִנָּה
Category: Consequences
NEW. Amnon’s sexual violation of Tamar (13:14), the direct fulfillment of 12:10-11. Requires the same pastoral-sensitivity discipline the baseline mandates for other historical sexual-violence material; name accurately without euphemism or exploitative detail, taught within its consequence-function, not as isolated scandal.
Disgraceful Act
Approved rendering: Schandtat
Transliteration: nebalah
Doctrine: Consequences of Sin within the Covenant Family
Rejected alternatives: Torheit allein (too weak; loses covenant-violation weight)
Original: נְבָלָה
Category: Consequences
NEW. Tamar’s own naming of Amnon’s act (13:12) as a grave covenant-violating outrage (cf. Genesis 34:7; Judges 19-20). Resist minimization consistent with the narrative’s own moral seriousness.
Discipline Rod
Approved rendering: mit der Rute der Menschen strafen / züchtigen
Transliteration: shevet anashim
Doctrine: Consequences of Sin within the Covenant Family
Rejected alternatives: bare ‘züchtigen’ alone (imports modern German child-discipline/‘Züchtigungsverbot’ controversy)
Original: שֵׁבֶט אֲנָשִׁים
Category: Consequences
NEW. Ordinary, historical, human instruments of corrective discipline for the promised son’s future iniquity (7:14), explicitly contrasted with covenant-terminating rejection (7:15, Saul). Prefer the fuller phrase over the bare verb; add historical-distancing note per the baseline’s Ephesians 6 slaves/masters discipline.
Made Sure
Approved rendering: beständig sein / Bestand haben
Transliteration: ne’eman
Doctrine: The Davidic Covenant and the Promise of an Eternal Throne
Original: נָאְמָן
Category: Covenant
NEW. The dynasty’s permanence grounded in God’s own faithful character (7:16), same root as ‘Amen’/‘emunah.’ Worth a teaching note on the root-connection to the baseline’s established ‘Amen’ transliteration.
Word Of The Lord
Approved rendering: das Wort des HERRN
Transliteration: devar-YHWH
Doctrine: The Davidic Covenant and the Promise of an Eternal Throne
Rejected alternatives: eine Idee (loses technical revelatory force), ein Gedanke (loses technical revelatory force)
Original: דְּבַר־יְהוָה
Category: Covenant
NEW. The technical formula introducing authoritative divine revelation (7:4; 12; 24:11), marking the oracle as revealed speech, not royal or prophetic invention. Note Nathan’s own initial uncorrected opinion (7:3) is narratively overturned by the actual oracle (7:4ff).
Lord Of Hosts
Approved rendering: HERR der Heerscharen
Transliteration: YHWH tseva’ot
Doctrine: The Davidic Covenant and the Promise of an Eternal Throne
Original: יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת
Category: God
NEW. Title of sovereign military supremacy (5:10; 7:8,26,27). Established German liturgical rendering (Luther; hymn ‘Ein feste Burg’: ‘Herr Zebaoth’); must retain the yhwh_divine_name capitalization convention.
Blameless Integrity
Approved rendering: untadelig / lauter
Transliteration: tam / tamim
Doctrine: The Messianic Hope Rooted in David’s Line
Rejected alternatives: sündlos (unqualified; would contradict chs. 11-12)
Original: תָּם / תָּמִים
Category: Sin
NEW. Covenant-relational integrity in a specific conflict (22:21,24), not absolute sinless perfection. Requires an explicit teaching note reconciling this self-description with David’s own confessed sin elsewhere.
Spirit Of The Lord
Approved rendering: Geist des HERRN
Transliteration: ruach YHWH
Doctrine: The Messianic Hope Rooted in David’s Line
Rejected alternatives: Heiliger Geist (full Trinitarian title, premature for this OT progressive-revelation text)
Original: רוּחַ יְהוָה
Category: God
NEW. David’s own claim to Spirit-empowered speech (23:2). A genuine progressive-revelation precursor to the baseline’s Heiliger Geist doctrine, but must not be taught with full Trinitarian personhood language this OT text does not yet disclose.
Burnt And Peace Offerings
Approved rendering: Brandopfer und Friedopfer
Transliteration: olah ve-shelamim
Doctrine: The Messianic Hope Rooted in David’s Line
Rejected alternatives: Collapsing fully into NT fulfilled-atonement language within the translated text itself
Original: עֹלָה וְשְׁלָמִים
Category: Worship
NEW. The two principal sacrificial categories closing the book (24:25). Cross-reference in teaching material only (not in the translated text itself) to the baseline’s Colossians Schuldschein/atonement discipline.
Seed Of David Forward
Approved rendering: Nachkomme
Transliteration: zera
Doctrine: The Davidic Covenant and the Promise of an Eternal Throne
Rejected alternatives: Forcing a premature either/or resolution toward only-Solomon or only-Messiah
Original: זֶרַע
Category: Covenant
NEW. The promised descendant(s) proceeding FORWARD from David (7:12), directionally distinct from the baseline’s ‘Nachkomme Davids’ (Christ’s descent backward FROM David). Collective-singular grammar permits both a near referent (Solomon) and a far referent (Messiah), exactly paralleling the baseline’s caution about Galatians’ ‘Same’ — do not force premature resolution.
Medium Risk Terms
Covenant
Approved rendering: Bund
Transliteration: Bund
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Original: בְּרִית
Category: Covenant
Relational covenant bond, established biblical German usage since Luther. Inherited from Romans package. In 2 Samuel, distinguish David’s bilateral human treaty-covenants (3:12-13 with Abner; 5:3 with Israel’s elders) from God’s unilateral, unconditional covenant with David’s house (ch. 7; 23:5) — the same German word covers both but the distinction is theologically important and must be surfaced in teaching material.
Israel
Approved rendering: Israel
Transliteration: Israel
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
Original: יִשְׂרָאֵל
Category: Covenant
Germany’s post-Holocaust Staatsräson conflation risk applies throughout 2 Samuel, intensified in the messianic-hope material of ch. 7, 22-23; keep theological usage unambiguous and avoid contemporary political reading. Inherited from Romans package.
God
Approved rendering: Gott
Transliteration: Gott
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Original: אֱלֹהִים
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Reused exactly for Elohim throughout 2 Samuel.
Sin
Approved rendering: Sünde
Transliteration: Sünde
Doctrine: Universal Human Accountability
Original: חָטָא / חֵטְא
Category: Sin
Inherited from Romans package. In 2 Samuel 12:13 the confession requires the fuller relational formula (see new term royal_confession) rather than a bare noun; colloquial trivialization risk is especially acute given the severity of David’s named sin in chs. 11-12.
Messiah
Approved rendering: Messias
Transliteration: Messias
Doctrine: Messianic Promise
Original: מָשִׁיחַ
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. RESERVE STRICTLY for the later, fully eschatological title as fixed in the Romans package. Do NOT use to render any 2 Samuel historical-anointing text (1:14,16; 19:21; 22:51; 23:1) — use the new term anointed_one (‘der Gesalbte des HERRN’) there instead, to avoid anachronistic collapse of the historical-royal title into the fuller NT title.
Providence
Approved rendering: Vorsehung
Transliteration: Vorsehung
Doctrine: Providence
Original: conceptual (cf. 8:6,14)
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Applies to God’s personal, purposive governance of David’s military and political affairs (8:6,14; ch. 22); must not read as an impersonal governing force.
Glory
Approved rendering: Herrlichkeit
Transliteration: Herrlichkeit
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Original: כָּבוֹד (conceptual)
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Applies conceptually to God’s radiant presence and honor displayed in his acts on David’s behalf (7:23; ch. 22).
Holy
Approved rendering: heilig
Transliteration: heilig
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: rein
Original: קָדוֹשׁ
Category: Sanctification
Inherited from Romans package. In 2 Samuel 6, illustrates the OT’s visibly dangerous, ritual-purity dimension of holiness (Uzzah’s death) — to be taught alongside, not against, the baseline’s moral/relational definition.
Intercession
Approved rendering: Fürbitte
Transliteration: Fürbitte
Doctrine: Prayer and Intercession
Original: וַיֵּעָתֵר (conceptual)
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. Applies to national intercessory prayer resolving the Gibeonite famine (21:14).
Father
Approved rendering: Vater
Transliteration: Vater
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Inherited from Romans package. In 2 Samuel 7:14, forms half of the adoptive royal father-son covenant formula — see the new term father_son_formula for the mandatory Critical-risk disambiguation from the baseline’s son_of_god doctrine.
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: Heiliger Geist
Transliteration: Heiliger Geist
Doctrine: Sanctification
Inherited from Romans package, reserved for the fully Trinitarian third Person. In 2 Samuel 23:2 the OT precursor phrase is rendered with the distinct new term spirit_of_the_lord (‘Geist des HERRN’), NOT this full Trinitarian title, since the OT text does not yet disclose full Trinitarian personhood.
Seed Of David
Approved rendering: Nachkomme Davids
Transliteration: Nachkomme Davids
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Rejected alternatives: Same Davids (archaic/crude register)
Inherited from Romans package, describing Christ’s descent FROM David, looking backward. In 2 Samuel 7:12, the promised descendant proceeding FORWARD from David is a directionally distinct concept — see the new term seed_of_david_forward (‘Nachkomme’) — do not conflate the two directions of reference.
Kingdom Of God
Approved rendering: Reich Gottes
Transliteration: Reich Gottes
Doctrine: Kingdom Mission
Inherited from Romans package. MUST NOT be silently merged with 2 Samuel’s concrete, historical, earthly Davidic dynasty (see new term kingdom_davidic, ‘Königtum/Königreich’). Forbid any bare, unqualified ‘Reich’ in 2 Samuel translation output to avoid visual/conceptual crowding of this term.
Anoint Act
Approved rendering: salben
Transliteration: mashach
Doctrine: The Messianic Hope Rooted in David’s Line
Original: מָשַׁח
Category: Kingship
NEW. The ritual act of anointing with oil (2:4; 5:3; 12:7) conferring sacral-royal office; root action behind ‘Messias’/‘Gesalbter’ — flag the etymological link for teaching material without collapsing the senses.
Consequence Sword
Approved rendering: Schwert
Transliteration: cherev
Doctrine: Consequences of Sin within the Covenant Family
Rejected alternatives: Unglück/Leid (abstracts away from the concrete image)
Original: חֶרֶב
Category: Consequences
NEW. Standing metaphor for recurring household violence, announced 12:10, fulfilled across chs. 13, 18, 20. Keep concrete in every occurrence; requires a structural cross-reference note connecting all occurrences as one unfolding oracle-fulfillment.
Conspiracy
Approved rendering: Verrat / Aufstand
Transliteration: mirmah
Doctrine: Consequences of Sin within the Covenant Family
Original: מִרְמָה
Category: Consequences
NEW. Absalom’s calculated betrayal and rebellion (ch. 15), escalating private family sin into a full covenant-kingdom crisis.
Curse Verbal
Approved rendering: verfluchen / verhöhnen
Transliteration: qalal
Doctrine: Consequences of Sin within the Covenant Family
Original: קָלַל
Category: Consequences
NEW. Shimei’s verbal malediction against the fleeing David (16:5-13). David’s refusal to silence Shimei models submission to God’s sovereign use of hostile consequence.
Blood Avenger
Approved rendering: Bluträcher
Transliteration: go’el hadam
Doctrine: Consequences of Sin within the Covenant Family
Rejected alternatives: Rächer allein (loses the specific kinship-legal institution)
Original: גֹּאֵל הַדָּם
Category: Consequences
NEW. The culturally mandated kinsman obligated to avenge a relative’s murder (3:27; ch. 14). Requires brief historical-cultural framing to avoid a modern misreading as simple vigilantism.
Shepherd King
Approved rendering: weiden / Hirte (sein)
Transliteration: ra’ah
Doctrine: The Messianic Hope Rooted in David’s Line
Original: רָעָה
Category: Kingship
NEW. Royal governance imagery linking David’s shepherd-boy past to his royal office (5:2; 7:7-8). Cross-reference (without collapsing) to the baseline’s John Gospel ‘I am the good shepherd’ material.
Divine Name Title
Approved rendering: Name
Transliteration: shem
Doctrine: The Davidic Covenant and the Promise of an Eternal Throne
Original: שֵׁם
Category: Covenant
NEW. God’s gift of a ‘great name’ (renown) to David (7:9), deliberately escalated by the later promise of a ‘house for my Name’ (7:13). Note the escalation in teaching material.
Iniquity Crookedness
Approved rendering: Verfehlung / Schuld
Transliteration: avon
Doctrine: Consequences of Sin within the Covenant Family
Rejected alternatives: bare ‘Sünde’ (loses the ‘bent/crooked’ nuance)
Original: עָוֹן
Category: Sin
NEW. Moral guilt with a ‘bent, twisted’ nuance distinct from chata (7:14), anticipating future moral failures of David’s dynasty; grounds the Consequences of Sin doctrine within the covenant text itself.
Servant Title
Approved rendering: Knecht
Transliteration: ebed
Doctrine: The Davidic Covenant and the Promise of an Eternal Throne
Rejected alternatives: demeaning-register alternatives
Original: עֶבֶד
Category: Covenant
NEW. Royal-court honorific title ‘my servant David’ (7:5,8,19-29), not literal bondage. Cross-reference the baseline’s Ephesians/Colossians slaves/masters historical-distancing discipline for contrast — this is explicitly NOT that category.
Prince Appointed
Approved rendering: Fürst
Transliteration: nagid
Doctrine: The Davidic Covenant and the Promise of an Eternal Throne
Original: נָגִיד
Category: Kingship
NEW. A divinely appointed ruler-designate, distinct from melek (‘king’), emphasizing divine appointment over dynastic entitlement (7:8).
Rock Fortress Imagery
Approved rendering: Fels / Festung
Transliteration: tsur / metsudah
Doctrine: The Messianic Hope Rooted in David’s Line
Original: צוּר / מְצוּדָה
Category: God
NEW. Concrete, non-abstract images of God’s reliability and strength in David’s song of deliverance (ch. 22).
Faithfulness
Approved rendering: Treue
Transliteration: ‘emunah
Doctrine: The Davidic Covenant and the Promise of an Eternal Throne
Original: אֱמוּנָה
Category: Covenant
NEW. Reliability/trustworthiness, same root as ne’eman/‘Amen’ (22:26), reinforcing the made_sure vocabulary of 7:16.
Plague Pestilence
Approved rendering: Pest / Seuche
Transliteration: dever
Doctrine: Consequences of Sin within the Covenant Family
Original: דֶּבֶר
Category: Consequences
NEW. The specific national judgment/disaster from David’s census sin (24:13-15), resolved only through intercession and sacrifice — the final large-scale illustration of Consequences of Sin operating at the level of the whole nation.
Altar
Approved rendering: Altar
Transliteration: mizbeach
Doctrine: The Messianic Hope Rooted in David’s Line
Original: מִזְבֵּח
Category: Worship
NEW. The structure for sacrifice David builds on Araunah’s threshing floor (24:18-25), the future Temple site, fulfilling 7:13’s ‘house for my name.‘
Rest Given
Approved rendering: Ruhe geben / zur Ruhe kommen lassen
Transliteration: nuach (hiphil)
Doctrine: The Davidic Covenant and the Promise of an Eternal Throne
Original: נוּחַ (הניח)
Category: Covenant
NEW. God’s active provision of security from military threat (7:1), the narrative occasion for David’s temple-building impulse. Not mere psychological calm.
Gentiles Nations
Approved rendering: Heiden
Transliteration: goyim
Doctrine: God’s Sovereignty over the Nations
Original: גּוֹיִם
Category: Church
NEW (distinct occurrence-note for the baseline’s reused ‘gentiles’ entry). Surrounding political nations in a general ethnic-political sense (ch. 10), not yet the NT Jew/Gentile theological-unity category. Avoid importing the baseline’s later doctrinal freight into this pre-Christian narrative usage.
Sheol Totenreich
Approved rendering: Totenreich
Transliteration: sheol
Doctrine: Consequences of Sin within the Covenant Family
Rejected alternatives: transliteration ‘Scheol’ (no established German transliteration tradition, unlike Abba)
NEW. Background death-and-judgment vocabulary underlying David’s song (ch. 22) and the book’s broader mortality themes. Paraphrase as ‘Totenreich’ (or ‘die Grube’), matching the Lutherbibel’s own standard solution; never transliterate.
Low Risk Terms
David
Approved rendering: David
Transliteration: David
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Original: דָּוִד
Category: Covenant
Standard proper name form across all German traditions. Inherited from Romans package.
Prophet
Approved rendering: Prophet
Transliteration: Prophet
Doctrine: Inspiration of Scripture
Original: נָבִיא
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Applies to Nathan (ch. 7, 12) and Gad (ch. 24) as covenant guardians.
Jesus
Approved rendering: Jesus
Transliteration: Jesus
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Inherited from Romans package. Does not occur in the 2 Samuel source text itself; retained here for teaching-material cross-reference to the Messianic Hope doctrine’s NT fulfillment (Luke 1:32-33; Acts 2:30; Hebrews 1:5).
Tent Tabernacle
Approved rendering: Zelt / Stiftshütte
Transliteration: ohel / mishkan
Doctrine: The Davidic Covenant and the Promise of an Eternal Throne
Original: אֹהֶל / מִשְׁכָּן
Category: Worship
NEW. The temporary, mobile tent-dwelling of God during Israel’s wilderness/early-monarchic period, contrasted with David’s cedar palace (chs. 6-7).
Judges Office
Approved rendering: Richter
Transliteration: shophetim
Doctrine: The Davidic Covenant and the Promise of an Eternal Throne
Original: שׁוֹפְטִים
Category: Covenant
NEW. The tribal, military-charismatic leaders of the pre-monarchic period (7:7), the historical stage the Davidic covenant permanently supersedes.
Vision Revelation
Approved rendering: Gesicht / Offenbarung
Transliteration: chizzayon
Doctrine: The Davidic Covenant and the Promise of an Eternal Throne
Original: חִזָּיוֹן
Category: Covenant
NEW. A mode of prophetic revelation (7:17), confirming the whole oracle as one integrated revelatory event.
Lament Genre
Approved rendering: Klagelied
Transliteration: qinah
Doctrine: The Messianic Hope Rooted in David’s Line
Original: קִינָה
Category: Christian Life
NEW. A formal poetic genre of mourning, David’s ‘Song of the Bow’ over Saul and Jonathan (ch. 1).
Mighty Men
Approved rendering: die Helden
Transliteration: gibborim
Doctrine: The Davidic Covenant and the Promise of an Eternal Throne
Original: גִּבּוֹרִים
Category: Kingship
NEW. The elite roster of David’s champions (23:8-39), honoring the human agents of David’s reign without divinizing them.
Sela Marker
Approved rendering: Sela
Transliteration: selah
Doctrine: The Messianic Hope Rooted in David’s Line
NEW. Hebrew liturgical marker occurring in poetic material closely paralleling Psalm 18 (2 Samuel 22 background). Transliterate as ‘Sela’ with a footnote, matching the established Lutherbibel Psalter convention, for cross-reference consistency with hymnal/liturgical use.
Referenced passages