Day 95: 2 Samuel 22-24

(The previous post covered David's concluding of the "Absalom situation," Joab killing David's General (Amasa), and David being too old to go to war.)

2 Samuel 22

(The song contained in this chapter was the same as Psalm 18. There were some very minor variations in the language of the song here from the version in the Book of Psalms. Some people believed this was because the copy in 2 Samuel 22 was the first copy and that David may have revised the song while writing it in the Book of Psalms.)

(Verses 1-4: the introduction and praise to God for deliverance.)

¹ And David spake unto Jehovah the words of this song in the day that Jehovah delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul:
² and he said, Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, even mine;
³ God, my rock, in him will I take refuge; My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge; My saviour, thou savest me from violence.

(David recognized God was his protection, his refuge, through his battles.)

⁴ I will call upon Jehovah, who is worthy to be praised: So shall I be saved from mine enemies.

(Verses 5-20: David gave God the credit for his deliverance.)

⁵ For the waves of death compassed me; The floods of ungodliness made me afraid:
⁶ The cords of Sheol were round about me; The snares of death came upon me.
⁷ In my distress I called upon Jehovah; Yea, I called unto my God: And he heard my voice out of his temple, And my cry came into his ears.

(David knew to call on God when he was in trouble. He also knew to inquire of the Lord when things were going well, which was one of the reasons he was considered a man after God's own Heart.)

⁸ Then the earth shook and trembled, The foundations of heaven quaked And were shaken, because he was wroth.
⁹ There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, And fire out of his mouth devoured: Coals were kindled by it.
¹⁰ He bowed the heavens also, and came down; And thick darkness was under his feet.
¹¹ And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly; Yea, he was seen upon the wings of the wind.

(David pictured God coming to meet his need so quickly that it was as if God traveled "upon the wings of the wind.")

¹² And he made darkness pavilions round about him, Gathering of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
¹³ At the brightness before him Coals of fire were kindled.
¹⁴ Jehovah thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered his voice.
¹⁵ And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; Lightning, and discomfited them.
¹⁶ Then the channels of the sea appeared, The foundations of the world were laid bare, By the rebuke of Jehovah, At the blast of the breath of his nostrils.
¹⁷ He sent from on high, he took me; He drew me out of many waters;
¹⁸ He delivered me from my strong enemy, From them that hated me; for they were too mighty for me.

(David knew his enemies were too strong for him if he did not rely on God.)

¹⁹ They came upon me in the day of my calamity; But Jehovah was my stay.
²⁰ He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because he delighted in me.

(Verses 21-30: the reason why God delivered David.)

²¹ Jehovah rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

(David understood the Doctrine of Reward. We receive Reward for our works. We receive Salvation by allowing God’s works to flow through us: Grace.)

²² For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, And have not wickedly departed from my God.
²³ For all his ordinances were before me; And as for his statutes, I did not depart from them.
²⁴ I was also perfect toward him; And I kept myself from mine iniquity.
²⁵ Therefore hath Jehovah recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to my cleanness in his eyesight.
²⁶ With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; With the perfect man thou wilt show thyself perfect;
²⁷ With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; And with the perverse thou wilt show thyself froward.

(These last three verses showed God's actions were guided by Justice. David recognized that he would be held to the standard he held others to (Matthew 7:1-2).)

²⁸ And the afflicted people thou wilt save; But thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down.

(God would bring down the proud.)

²⁹ For thou art my lamp, O Jehovah; And Jehovah will lighten my darkness.
³⁰ For by thee I run upon a troop; By my God do I leap over a wall.

(Verses 31-46: more focus on God being the cause of David's deliverance.)

³¹ As for God, his way is perfect: The word of Jehovah is tried; He is a shield unto all them that take refuge in him.

(God's way was perfect. God's "way" was His how. Perfect meant "maximum profitability." God's how, His actions, contained the maximum profitability!)

³² For who is God, save Jehovah? And who is a rock, save our God?
³³ God is my strong fortress; And he guideth the perfect in his way.
³⁴ He maketh his feet like hinds' feet, And setteth me upon my high places.
³⁵ He teacheth my hands to war, So that mine arms do bend a bow of brass.
³⁶ Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation; And thy gentleness hath made me great.
³⁷ Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; And my feet have not slipped.
³⁸ I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them; Neither did I turn again till they were consumed.
³⁹ And I have consumed them, and smitten them through, so that they cannot arise: Yea, they are fallen under my feet.
⁴⁰ For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle; Thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.

(David knew it was God who destroyed his enemies through him.)

⁴¹ Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me, That I might cut off them that hate me.
⁴² They looked, but there was none to save; Even unto Jehovah, but he answered them not.
⁴³ Then did I beat them small as the dust of the earth, I did crush them as the mire of the streets, and did spread them abroad.
⁴⁴ Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people; Thou hast kept me to be the head of the nations: A people whom I have not known shall serve me.
⁴⁵ The foreigners shall submit themselves unto me: As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me.
⁴⁶ The foreigners shall fade away, And shall come trembling out of their close places.

(Verses 47-51: David praised God.)

⁴⁷ Jehovah liveth; And blessed be my rock; And exalted be God, the rock of my salvation,
⁴⁸ Even the God that executeth vengeance for me, And that bringeth down peoples under me,
⁴⁹ And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies: Yea, thou liftest me up above them that rise up against me; Thou deliverest me from the violent man.
⁵⁰ Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah, among the nations, And will sing praises unto thy name.

(David gave thanks to God because God avenged and delivered David from his enemies.)

⁵¹ Great deliverance giveth he to his king, And showeth lovingkindness to his anointed, To David and to his seed, for evermore.




2 Samuel 23

(Verses 1-7: the last words of David. Not considered the last spoken words but the words that were the summation of the end of his life.)

¹ Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse saith, And the man who was raised on high saith, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel:

(David was referred to as "the sweet psalmist of Israel.")

² The Spirit of Jehovah spake by me, And his word was upon my tongue.
³ The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spake to me: One that ruleth over men righteously, That ruleth in the fear of God,

(He that ruled over men must be Right and Just, ruling in the fear of God. The fear of God was the beginning of wisdom, the ability to make profitable decisions. This was the cause for ruling Justly.)

⁴ He shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, A morning without clouds, When the tender grass springeth out of the earth, Through clear shining after rain.
⁵ Verily my house is not so with God; Yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, Ordered in all things, and sure: For it is all my salvation, and all my desire, Although he maketh it not to grow.
⁶ But the ungodly shall be all of them as thorns to be thrust away, Because they cannot be taken with the hand;
⁷ But the man that toucheth them Must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear: And they shall be utterly burned with fire in their place.

(Verses 8-39: the "mighty men of David.")

⁸ These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite, against eight hundred slain at one time.

(The leader among David's mighty men, known as Adino, was noted for having killed eight hundred men at one time.)

⁹ And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodai the son of an Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away.
¹⁰ He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword; and Jehovah wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to take spoil.

(Another leader among David's mighty named Eleazar was known for fighting with David against the Philistines. One time in particular, Eleazar fought so long, longer than any man could. His hand "clave" to the sword as if it had become one with the sword.)

¹¹ And after him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Philistines.
¹² But he stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philistines; and Jehovah wrought a great victory.

(The third leader of the mighty men was Shammah. He single-handedly held off a group of Philistines.)

¹³ And three of the thirty chief men went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam; and the troop of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim.
¹⁴ And David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth-lehem.
¹⁵ And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me water to drink of the well of Beth-lehem, which is by the gate!
¹⁶ And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto Jehovah.
¹⁷ And he said, Be it far from me, O Jehovah, that I should do this: shall I drink the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.

(The first three mighty men named were: Adino, Eleazar, and Shammah. These three men, at great personal risk, fulfilled David's desire. In return, David gave a great and honorable offering to the Lord.)

¹⁸ And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred and slew them, and had a name among the three.
¹⁹ Was he not most honorable of the three? therefore he was made their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three.

(Many translations referred to Abishai as the captain of the thirty, not three, which may be concerned with Abishai being the leader of the following men…)

²⁰ And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, he slew the two sons of Ariel of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow.
²¹ And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.
²² These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had a name among the three mighty men.

(Benaiah was as famous as the first three mighty men.)

²³ He was more honorable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him over his guard.

(-The three "chief" of David's mighty men were: Adino, Eleazar, and Shammah.
-Two more notable mighty men, as famous at the chief three were: Abishai and Benaiah.
-The rest of the mighty men were listed in verses 24-39.)

²⁴ Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem,
²⁵ Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,
²⁶ Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,
²⁷ Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,
²⁸ Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,
²⁹ Heleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,
³⁰ Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash.
³¹ Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,
³² Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,
³³ Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite,
³⁴ Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maacathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,
³⁵ Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,
³⁶ Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,
³⁷ Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armorbearers to Joab the son of Zeruiah,
³⁸ Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,
³⁹ Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all.

(There were thirty-seven mighty men of David. Notice, Uriah, Bath-sheba’s first husband, was one of David’s mighty men.)




2 Samuel 24
¹ And again the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them, saying, Go, number Israel and Judah.

(David numbered Israel and Judah. Satan actually moved David to do this (1 Chronicles 21:1) so God used Satan to bring about His Justice because God was angry with Israel.)

² And the king said to Joab the captain of the host, who was with him, Go now to and fro through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the sum of the people.
³ And Joab said unto the king, Now Jehovah thy God add unto the people, how many soever they may be, a hundredfold; and may the eyes of my lord the king see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?

(General Joab tried to convince David to not number the people. Joab asked David why he was focused on this effect.)

⁴ Notwithstanding, the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.

(It appeared that not only Joab was trying to convince David not to number the people. David's word prevailed against Joab's, as well as the other captains.)

⁵ And they passed over the Jordan, and encamped in Aroer, on the right side of the city that is in the middle of the valley of Gad, and unto Jazer:
⁶ then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi; and they came to Dan-jaan, and round about to Sidon,
⁷ and came to the stronghold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites; and they went out to the south of Judah, at Beer-sheba.
⁸ So when they had gone to and from through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

(Joab and the other captains obeyed David’s command. Nine months and twenty days later, they came to Jerusalem.)

⁹ And Joab gave up the sum of the numbering of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

(Israel had 800,000 men of war and Judah had 500,000 men of war.)

¹⁰ And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto Jehovah, I have sinned greatly in that which I have done: but now, O Jehovah, put away, I beseech thee, the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

(David felt guilt in his heart and immediately confessed to God. David didn't try to rationalize or justify this wrong action.)

¹¹ And when David rose up in the morning, the word of Jehovah came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,
¹² Go and speak unto David, Thus saith Jehovah, I offer thee three things: choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.

(God offered David three choices for his punishment.)

¹³ So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thy foes while they pursue thee? or shall there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise thee, and consider what answer I shall return to him that sent me.

(The choices were:
1) Seven years famine
2) Flee three months before your enemies
3) Three days plague in your land.)

¹⁴ And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of Jehovah; for his mercies are great; and let me not fall into the hand of man.
¹⁵ So Jehovah sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed; and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men.

(David chose pestilence because it was done by the Hand of the Lord and He was Merciful. Again, David had a great understanding of God.)

¹⁶ And when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, Jehovah repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough; now stay thy hand. And the angel of Jehovah was by the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

(God repented (turn away) of the evil (destruction) that the angel did.)

¹⁷ And David spake unto Jehovah when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done perversely; but these sheep, what have they done? let thy hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house.
¹⁸ And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto Jehovah in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

(Gad was the last in a line of prophets to talk to David. Gad told David to make an altar in a specific site because of the pestilence.)

¹⁹ And David went up according to the saying of Gad, as Jehovah commanded.
²⁰ And Araunah looked forth, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.
²¹ And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshing-floor of thee, to build an altar unto Jehovah, that the plague may be stayed from the people.
²² And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, the oxen for the burnt-offering, and the threshing instruments and the yokes of the oxen for the wood:
²³ all this, O king, doth Araunah give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, Jehovah thy God accept thee.
²⁴ And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will verily buy it of thee at a price. Neither will I offer burnt-offerings unto Jehovah my God which cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

(David would not offer to God something that cost him nothing. He would not accept the offerings of Araunah for free. David wanted value for value.)

²⁵ And David built there an altar unto Jehovah, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings. So Jehovah was entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.

(While 2 Samuel was the fifth of the twelve books that made up the portion of the Old Testament known as the historical section, it really ought to be treated as the same book as 1 Samuel. It was believed Isaiah compiled this book (around 700 BC) from records kept by Samuel, David, Nathan, and Gad. This book was not separated out into two books until around 289-294 BC during the Septuagint translation. The previous half of this book documented the transition from God leading Israel through Judges to Saul (the first Israelite king) leading Israel. This book documented David's rule (second king) over Israel. He was a man after God's own Heart. David immediately confessed/repented when he was proven wrong. He was a master with words and had great faith. He was quick to reward people for the good they did and seemed to avoid punishing people for the bad they did. David's adultery with Bath-sheba brought three curses on David that were all fulfilled within this book. David's General, Joab, appeared to be replaced by Amasa because Joab went against David's instructions and killed Absalom. However, Joab appeared to be reinstated as General after he killed Amasa.)

Day 96