‏ 2 Samuel 21

Summary for 2Sam 21:1-24:25: 21:1–24:25  ^a The final chapters of 2 Samuel are a coda, a concluding section that summarizes the important themes from the preceding material. These chapters are thematic, not chronological, and not all the events described here happened at the end of David’s reign (e.g., 22:1  ^b). The materials are arranged according to a common Hebrew literary device, a chiasm (mirror-image): A: Saul’s sin against the Gibeonites and its collective punishment (21:1-14  ^c); B: David’s heroes and their exploits (21:15-22  ^d); C: David’s Psalm (22:1-51  ^e); C′: David’s Psalm (23:1-7  ^f); B′: David’s heroes and their exploits (23:8-39  ^g); A′: David’s sin against the census taboo and its collective punishment (24:1-25  ^h). A chiasm highlights the central section—here David’s hymns, which focus not on David but on David’s God. 21:1  ⁱ asked the Lord: The Hebrew verb is the same as that used when David “begged” for the life of Bathsheba’s child (12:16  ^j). On these two occasions, “seeking” was in the desperation of a moment of crisis. However, most often in the Old Testament, “seeking God” refers not to a specific prayer of petition but to the dynamics of daily devotion and obedience to God (e.g., Pss 40:16  ^k; 105:4  ^l; Prov 28:5  ^m).

• Saul and his family are guilty: The famine resulted from violating an oath taken before the Lord (Josh 9:19-20  ⁿ).

• murdering the Gibeonites: This incident is not elsewhere recorded. Illicit bloodshed had polluted the land, making it sterile and unfruitful (cp. Gen 4:10-12  ^o; Num 35:30-34  ^p).
21:2  ^q Though the Amorites were a specific people group (Gen 10:16  ^r), here it is a general term for the pre-Israelite inhabitants of Canaan.

• When properly directed, zeal is commendable (e.g., Num 25:11  ^s; 1 Kgs 19:10  ^t). Saul’s misdirected zeal, however, involved blatant disregard for Israel’s covenant with the Gibeonites.
21:3  ^u Saul’s actions had caused the Gibeonites to curse Israel (cp. Rom 2:24  ^v); once David had made amends, the Gibeonites would bless the Lord’s people again.
21:6  ^w seven of Saul’s sons: Although the law codes of other ancient Near Eastern nations sometimes permitted members of a family to be punished for crimes a guilty individual had committed, Deut 24:16  ^x prohibited such punishment among the Israelites. This penalty was God’s prerogative alone (Deut 5:9  ^y). The few instances in the Bible when offspring were punished were not regular criminal cases. Rather, they involved offenses against God, such as violation of the kherem (the taboo on goods in wars of total destruction ordered by God; Josh 7:24-25  ^z) or of national oaths (as here).

• at Gibeon, on the mountain of the Lord: This probably refers to the high place at Gibeon that Solomon later visited (1 Kgs 3:3-4  ^aa; 2 Chr 1:3  ^ab). If the Hebrew reading is correct (see NLT note), the Gibeonites were sarcastically referring to Saul as “the chosen of the Lord.”
21:7  ^ac the oath: See 1 Sam 20:14-15  ^ad. In contrast to Saul, David was honoring his oath while dealing with the deadly fallout of Saul’s violation of an oath.
21:8  ^ae Armoni and Mephibosheth were Saul’s only two remaining sons.

• Saul’s daughter Merab: See NLT note; the NLT follows the Greek here because Michal remained childless (6:22-23  ^af). Also, Merab was married to Adriel (1 Sam 18:19  ^ag), whereas Michal’s other husband was Palti (2 Sam 3:15  ^ah).

• Barzillai from Meholah (cp. 1 Sam 18:19  ^ai) should not be confused with Barzillai of Gilead (2 Sam 19:31  ^aj).
21:9  ^ak The beginning of the barley harvest was in April.

• Before the Lord means “before the Lord’s altar” (see study note on 21:6).
21:10  ^al Because the Gibeonites were not Israelites (21:2  ^am), they had no law such as the Israelite one in Deut 21:22-23  ^an requiring the quick and proper burial of a criminal. Rizpah was intent that her sons not be further shamed after their death.
Summary for 2Sam 21:11-13: 21:11-13  ^ao Rizpah’s action shamed David into likewise honoring the dead of Saul’s family.
21:14  ^ap The precise location of Zela is unknown.

• the famine: See 21:1-2  ^aq.
Summary for 2Sam 21:15-22: 21:15-22  ^ar The extended account of battles with the Philistines highlights some notable accomplishments of David’s mighty warriors (see also 23:8-39  ^as). 21:15  ^at The description of David as weak and exhausted helps shift the focus from his ability and accomplishments to God as the source of his success (ch 22  ^au).
21:16  ^av a descendant of the giants: Cp. Gen 14:5  ^aw; Deut 2:10-11  ^ax, 20-21  ^ay; 3:11  ^az.
21:17  ^ba Abishai was an accomplished warrior and fiercely loyal to David, whom he heroically rescued (see profile for Abishai at end of chapter).

• the light of Israel? Cp. 18:3  ^bb. Both passages reflect the glowing adoration that David’s men had for him.
21:18  ^bc The location of Gob is uncertain.
21:19  ^bd Some traditions identify Elhanan as David, principally because Elhanan was also from Bethlehem and because David killed Goliath (1 Sam 17:48-51  ^be). But it is more likely that the words brother of were omitted from the Masoretic Text by scribal error.

Profile: Abishai
Abishai was a powerful and successful warrior and a leader in David’s army. He was David’s nephew, a son of David’s sister Zeruiah and the brother of Joab and Asahel (1 Chr 2:13-16  ^bf).
Abishai was completely devoted to David and quick to suggest violence against David’s enemies. When God allowed David and Abishai to penetrate Saul’s war camp while the troops were sleeping, Abishai wanted to assassinate Saul, but David restrained him. Later, when the revolt of Absalom required that David leave Jerusalem, the king was cursed by Shimei, a member of Saul’s family, and Abishai wanted to execute Shimei (2 Sam 16:5-9  ^bg). David twice rejected that proposal (2 Sam 16:10-13  ^bh; 19:18-23  ^bi). The vengeful spirit of Abishai and his brothers also came out in an earlier conflict: After Saul’s general, Abner, killed Abishai’s brother Asahel in self-defense, Joab and Abishai took revenge by killing Abner (3:22-30  ^bj).
Abishai was brave and very capable. He once killed three hundred soldiers in a single battle. For this, he was made leader of the Thirty, a group of especially skillful warriors surpassed only by the Three (1 Chr 11:20-21  ^bk). Abishai also won a major victory over the Edomites (1 Chr 18:12-13  ^bl). In a battle with the Philistines, Abishai saved David’s life by killing the giant Ishbi-benob (2 Sam 21:15-17  ^bm). Abishai also led the army, and when it divided for strategic purposes, Abishai led one group while his brother Joab led the other (10:1-19  ^bn; 18:1-18  ^bo). Their military efforts were usually very successful.
Though Joab’s actions eventually led to his death, we nowhere read about the same fate befalling Abishai, who, like Joab, was a violently impulsive military leader.


Passages for Further Study
1 Sam 26:6-12  ^bp; 2 Sam 2:18  ^bq; 3:30  ^br, 39  ^bs; 10:10-14  ^bt; 16:9-12  ^bu; 18:1-8  ^bv; 19:21-23  ^bw; 20:6-10  ^bx; 21:17  ^by; 23:18-19  ^bz; 1 Chr 2:16  ^ca; 11:20-21  ^cb; 18:12-13  ^cc; 19:11-15  ^cd

‏ 2 Samuel 22

Summary for 2Sam 22:1-51: 22:1-51  ^ce Although this prayer of thanksgiving (also recorded in Ps 18  ^cf) is placed near the end of David’s story, David probably offered it to God much earlier in his life. This prayer and Hannah’s (1 Sam 2:1-10  ^cg) together enclose the book of Samuel with an inclusio (literary bookends). Hannah was saved from barrenness; David was saved from his enemies. The placement of this hymn also provides a parallel to Moses. The stories of both Moses and David end with a song or hymn giving lavish praise to God (see also Deut 31:30–32:43  ^ch). Both highlight God as a “Rock” (Deut 32:4  ^ci, 15  ^cj, 18  ^ck, 30  ^cl, 31  ^cm; 2 Sam 22:2  ^cn, 3  ^co, 32  ^cp, 47  ^cq). Both are followed by second and shorter poetic pieces—Moses’ final blessing to the Israelite tribes (Deut 33  ^cr), and David’s last words (2 Sam 23:1-7  ^cs).
22:2  ^ct Hannah had said, “there is no Rock like our God” (1 Sam 2:2  ^cu), while David said, the Lord is my rock, which recalls God’s rescue of David from Saul at the Rock of Escape (1 Sam 23:28  ^cv). The Hebrew word translated “rock” in 22:3  ^cw (different from 22:2  ^cx) refers in 1 Sam 24:2  ^cy to “the rocks of the wild goats,” where Saul suspected that David was hiding.

• fortress: The same word referred to David’s physical “stronghold” (1 Sam 22:4  ^cz), where David and his men sought refuge from Saul.
22:3  ^da The phrase the power that saves me (literally the horn that has saved me) is similar to Hannah’s “the Lord has made me strong!,” (literally the Lord has exalted my horn, 1 Sam 2:1  ^db).
22:7  ^dc Although his sanctuary sometimes refers to the Tabernacle or Temple, here it refers to God’s heavenly dwelling; neither the Tabernacle nor the Temple were in existence at this time.
Summary for 2Sam 22:8-20: 22:8-20  ^dd David vividly expands on how God heard him (22:7  ^de). David describes God’s rescue as a theophany (manifestation of God’s presence; see study notes on Exod 19:16-25; Deut 1:33) that recalls God’s manifestation at Sinai (Exod 19:16-20  ^df; cp. Judg 5:4-5  ^dg).
22:14  ^dh The Lord thundered from heaven: Cp. 1 Sam 2:10  ^di.
Summary for 2Sam 22:21-30: 22:21-30  ^dj David’s divine rescue and success were related to his own obedient walk with God. God honors those who order their lives in a way that pleases him (see also Lev 26:1-13  ^dk; Deut 28:1-14  ^dl; Ps 1  ^dm).
Summary for 2Sam 22:22-24: 22:22-24  ^dn David composed these words much earlier (22:1  ^do), before his sin with Bathsheba. Still, his claim to being blameless should not be construed as a claim to perfection. David was simply noting that he had kept the covenant and followed its law.
Summary for 2Sam 22:31-51: 22:31-51  ^dp David glorifies God for rescue in the past and for his promises to David’s house for coming generations (see 7:8-16  ^dq).
22:32  ^dr See Isa 43:11  ^ds; 44:6  ^dt, 8  ^du; 45:5  ^dv, 21  ^dw.
22:34  ^dx David probably encountered deerduring his many days of hiding out in hilly terrain and caves (1 Sam 19:11–27:12  ^dy).
Summary for 2Sam 22:38-40: 22:38-40  ^dz David’s military accomplishments before he became king were impressive (see 1 Sam 17:12-58  ^ea; 18:17-30  ^eb; 23:1-5  ^ec; 30:1-31  ^ed). Yet rather than exalting himself, David glorified God and gave him the credit.
22:51  ^ee Cp. 7:5-29  ^ef; 1 Sam 2:10  ^eg.

‏ 2 Samuel 23

Summary for 2Sam 23:1-7: 23:1-7  ^eh This passage comes from the end of David’s career and reflects on his experience as king, even as ch 22  ^ei reflects on his experience before becoming king. 23:1  ^ej David’s last words were not necessarily the last words he actually spoke (see 1 Kgs 1:16  ^ek, 29-30  ^el, 33-35  ^em; 2:1-9  ^en) but his final public expression of worship to God as king (cp. 1 Sam 12:1-25  ^eo).

• David ... speaks: The language indicates that he was about to utter an oracle, a revelation from God (2 Sam 23:2  ^ep).

• the sweet psalmist of Israel: For other references to David as musician and poet, see 1 Chr 23:5  ^eq; 2 Chr 29:26  ^er, 27  ^es; Neh 12:36  ^et; Amos 6:5  ^eu.
23:2  ^ev The Spirit of the Lord speaks through me: David spoke of God, and in the process, God spoke through David.
23:5  ^ew my family ... everlasting covenant: David is referring to the prophecy Nathan made about David and his descendants (7:12-16  ^ex). Jesus is the everlasting king who is the “descendant of David” (Matt 1:1  ^ey).
23:6  ^ez Cp. Ps 1:4-5  ^fa.
Summary for 2Sam 23:8-39: 23:8-39  ^fb This section is a listing of David’s elite warriors by name, the most prominent of whom are listed with a notable accomplishment. These warriors were some of the “iron tools” that God used to “chop down” the godless (23:7  ^fc).

• The list divides into the Three and the Thirty. Some Hebrew scholars have suggested that the Thirty be translated as “Officers.” If that is correct, then it is possible that the Three was originally a term for a specific military office.
23:10  ^fd to collect the plunder: Cp. 1 Sam 30:9-10  ^fe, 21-25  ^ff.
23:13  ^fg The cave of Adullam was a place of refuge for David from Saul (see 1 Sam 22:1  ^fh).

• The valley of Rephaim was located between Bethlehem and Jerusalem (see 2 Sam 5:17-25  ^fi).
Summary for 2Sam 23:15-16: 23:15-16  ^fj remarked longingly: This Hebrew verb elsewhere carries the idea of excessive desire (see Num 11:4  ^fk, “began to crave”; Ps 106:14  ^fl, “desires ran wild”). It is unclear whether David’s craving for water was excessive, but it certainly led to dangerous exploits.

• well by the gate: David had memories from his younger days of growing up in Bethlehem. The location of the well is unknown.
23:17  ^fm This water ... these men: When David poured the hard-won water on the ground, it did not signal ingratitude. Rather, he regarded the water as equivalent to the warriors’ blood; it represented life that only God was worthy to receive (Lev 17:10-13  ^fn; Deut 12:23-24  ^fo).
Summary for 2Sam 23:18-23: 23:18-23  ^fp Here are examples of the prowess of Abishai and Benaiah. Elsewhere, Abishai was intensely combative toward David’s enemies, especially Saul (1 Sam 26:6-9  ^fq) and Saul’s kinsman Shimei (2 Sam 16:9-11  ^fr). Abishai had saved David’s life during one of the Philistine wars (21:16-17  ^fs).

• Benaiah appeared first as the commander of the mercenaries who served as David’s bodyguard, independent of the regular army (8:18  ^ft; 20:23  ^fu). He was also the leader of a 24,000-man division of the regular army that served the king in the third month of every year (1 Chr 27:5-6  ^fv). He played a major role in Solomon’s ascension to the throne (1 Kgs 1:32-49  ^fw) and became the commander of Solomon’s army, as Joab was for David.
23:24  ^fx Asahel, David’s nephew, was killed by Abner during the war between David and Ishbosheth (2:18-32  ^fy). Asahel’s inclusion here suggests that parts of these lists go back to the beginning of David’s career.

• Elhanan son of Dodo should not be confused with Elhanan son of Jair (21:19  ^fz; 1 Chr 20:5  ^ga).
23:39  ^gb The very last name mentioned is Uriah the Hittite. There is an earlier reference to his father-in-law, Eliam, father of Bathsheba (23:34  ^gc; see 11:3  ^gd). By contrast, the Chronicler, who never mentioned David’s sins against Bathsheba and Uriah, placed Uriah’s name inconspicuously in the middle of the list of David’s mighty men (1 Chr 11:10-47  ^ge). This author not only described the sins (2 Sam 11:1-27  ^gf) but puts emphasis on Uriah’s name by placing it at the end of this list. Uriah was no ordinary conscript but a loyal member of David’s elite guard, which makes David’s treachery against him all the worse.

• There were thirty-seven in all: Only thirty-six names are mentioned, assuming that “Shammah ... from Harar” (23:11  ^gg) is different from “Shammah from Harod” (23:25  ^gh), and that “Benaiah son of Jehoiada” (23:20  ^gi) is different from “Benaiah from Pirathon” (23:30  ^gj). Perhaps the thirty-seventh warrior was Joab, who is mentioned only peripherally (23:18  ^gk, 37  ^gl) and is absent from the list of names. Many commentators say that he is excluded because he was David’s chief military leader and did not need to be included. The omission could also represent David’s long and troubled association with Joab, who was eventually executed when Solomon carried out David’s deathbed command (1 Kgs 2:5-6  ^gm, 28-34  ^gn).

‏ 2 Samuel 24

24:1  ^go The reason God’s anger ... burned against Israel is unknown (but see Deut 4:25  ^gp; 6:14-15  ^gq; 29:22-28  ^gr; 31:16-18  ^gs).

• Caused ... to harm reflects a Hebrew verb (suth) used elsewhere in the sense of enticing or inciting someone to do wrong (1 Sam 26:19  ^gt, “stirred you up against me”). Census-taking was usually unpopular with citizens, who resented it as an intrusion into their private affairs. They regarded it as a prelude to taxation or forced military service (see study note on 2 Sam 24:9). If David was motivated by pride or was preparing for an illegitimate war (as 24:9  ^gu might suggest), this might explain why it was a sin for him (24:10  ^gv).
24:2  ^gw Dan and Beersheba were the traditional northern and southern boundaries of Israel. This phrase meant the entire land of Israel.
24:3  ^gx why ... do you want to do this? Joab either realized that such a move would be unpopular among the people, or he believed that it was wrong before God.
24:9  ^gy The phrase capable warriors shows that the census focused largely on those fit for military service. The total for Judah here might be rounded up from the total in 1 Chr 21:5  ^gz; the different number for Israel in 1 Chr 21:5  ^ha (1,100,000) might come from combining a regular standing army of 300,000 (elsewhere unrecorded) with the 800,000 discovered through the census.
24:10  ^hb I have sinned: See study note on 24:1. David believed his sin was the cause of the plague and that the removal of his sin would make things right (see also 24:17  ^hc). It is clear, however, that Israel rather than David was the true object of God’s wrath (24:1  ^hd).
24:11  ^he Gad ... David’s seer appears only here and in 1 Sam 22:5  ^hf. Seer is an early name for a prophet (1 Sam 9:9  ^hg, 19  ^hh). Unlike pagan magicians or sorcerers, biblical seers had divinely inspired visions (see also 2 Kgs 17:13  ^hi; Isa 29:10  ^hj; 30:9-10  ^hk; Amos 7:12  ^hl; Mic 3:7  ^hm) and functioned as God’s messengers.
24:13  ^hn David had already experienced the first two options—fleeing from Saul and Absalom, and famine because Saul had murdered the Gibeonites (21:1  ^ho). While three days of severe plague sounded less traumatic, 70,000 people perished (24:15  ^hp).
24:16  ^hq the Lord relented: God might stop his judgment when a third party intercedes for the intended target (Exod 32:12-14  ^hr), when the sinful person repents (Jer 18:8  ^hs), or simply because he decides to do so.

• the death angel: Cp. Exod 12:23  ^ht.

• A threshing floor was an unwalled space where harvested grain was threshed and winnowed to separate the kernels from the chaff. Gideon encountered God at a threshing floor (Judg 6:37  ^hu). Araunah’s threshing floor later became the site of the Temple (1 Chr 21:18–22:1  ^hv; 2 Chr 3:1  ^hw).

• Araunah the Jebusite: Even though David had taken Jerusalem from the Jebusites (2 Sam 5:6-9  ^hx), he had not eliminated them or driven them away.
24:17  ^hy I am the one who has sinned: David’s earlier confession of sin was limited to his circumstances (“forgive my guilt,” 24:10  ^hz); now he prayed for those he considered innocent (but see 24:1  ^ia) and offered to die in their place.

• as sheep: David was the shepherd of Israel (see study note on 7:8).
24:21  ^ib so that he will stop the plague: David did not know that God had already announced the end of the plague to the angel (24:16  ^ic).
24:25  ^id David performed priestly functions when he built an altar, offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and prayed for his people; in response, the Lord answered his prayer (cp. 21:14  ^ie).