2 Samuel 18:12

“And the man said unto Joab, etc.] Disdaining his proposal: though I should receive a thousand [shekels] of silver in mine hand; or such a sum should be offered to me; the Arabic version is a million; [yet] would I not put forth my hand against the king’s son; to smite him, and slay him: for in our hearing the king charged thee, and Abishai, and Ittai; his three generals: saying, beware that none [touch] the young man Absalom; so as to slay him; they were charged to abstain from it themselves, and to watch and observe others, and keep them from doing it.”

“receive: etc. Heb. weigh upon mine hand in our hearing: Sa2 18:5 Beware: etc. Heb. Beware, whosoever ye be, of the, etc 2 Kings (2 Samuel) 18:13”

“But the man replied, "And I ... not weighing a thousand shekels in my hand ... might not stretch out my hand to the king's son," i.e., I could not do it for a reward of a thousand shekels. This is the meaning of the Chethib ולא; the Masoretes, on the other hand, have substituted ולוּ, which is the reading adopted in most of the ancient versions, and the one preferred by the majority of expositors: "if I weighed ... I would not," etc. But there is no necessity for this alteration, as the Chethib is quite in accordance with the character of the words. "For before our ears the king commanded" (cf. Sa2 18:5): מי שׁמרוּ, "take care whoever (it be) of the boy Absalom." On this use of מי, see…”