2 The Spirit H7307 of the LORD H3068 spake H1696 by me, and his word H4405 was in my tongue. H3956
For G1063 David G1138 speaketh G3004 concerning G1519 him, G846 I foresaw G4308 the Lord G2962 always G1223 G3956 before G1799 my G3450 face, for G3754 he is G2076 on G1537 my G3450 right hand, G1188 that G3363 I should G4531 not G3363 be moved: G4531 Therefore G1223 G5124 did G2165 my G3450 heart G2588 rejoice, G2165 and G2532 my G3450 tongue G1100 was glad; G21 moreover G1161 G2089 also G2532 my G3450 flesh G4561 shall rest G2681 in G1909 hope: G1680 Because G3754 thou wilt G1459 not G3756 leave G1459 my G3450 soul G5590 in G1519 hell, G86 neither G3761 wilt thou suffer G1325 thine G4675 Holy One G3741 to see G1492 corruption. G1312 Thou hast made known G1107 to me G3427 the ways G3598 of life; G2222 thou shalt make G4137 me G3165 full G4137 of joy G2167 with G3326 thy G4675 countenance. G4383 Men G435 and brethren, G80 let G2036 me G1832 freely G3326 G3954 speak G2036 unto G4314 you G5209 of G4012 the patriarch G3966 David, G1138 that G3754 he is G5053 both G2532 dead G5053 and G2532 buried, G2290 and G2532 his G846 sepulchre G3418 is G2076 with G1722 us G2254 unto G891 this G5026 day. G2250 Therefore G3767 being G5225 a prophet, G4396 and G2532 knowing G1492 that G3754 God G2316 had sworn G3660 with an oath G3727 to him, G846 that of G1537 the fruit G2590 of his G846 loins, G3751 according to G2596 the flesh, G4561 he would raise up G450 Christ G5547 to sit G2523 on G1909 his G846 throne; G2362 He seeing this before G4275 spake G2980 of G4012 the resurrection G386 of Christ, G5547 that G3754 his G846 soul G5590 was G2641 not G3756 left G2641 in G1519 hell, G86 neither G3761 his G846 flesh G4561 did see G1492 corruption. G1312
Wherefore G1352 (as G2531 the Holy G40 Ghost G4151 saith, G3004 To day G4594 if G1437 ye will hear G191 his G846 voice, G5456 Harden G4645 not G3361 your G5216 hearts, G2588 as G5613 in G1722 the provocation, G3894 in G2596 the day G2250 of temptation G3986 in G1722 the wilderness: G2048
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 2 Samuel 23
Commentary on 2 Samuel 23 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 23
2Sa 23:1-7. David Professes His Faith in God's Promises.
1. Now these be the last words of David—Various opinions are entertained as to the precise meaning of this statement, which, it is obvious, proceeded from the compiler or collector of the sacred canon. Some think that, as there is no division of chapters in the Hebrew Scriptures, this introduction was intended to show that what follows is no part of the preceding song. Others regard this as the last of the king's poetical compositions; while still others consider it the last of his utterances as an inspired writer.
raised up on high—from an obscure family and condition to a throne.
the anointed of the God of Jacob—chosen to be king by the special appointment of that God, to whom, by virtue of an ancient covenant, the people of Israel owed all their peculiar destiny and distinguished privileges.
the sweet psalmist of Israel—that is, delightful, highly esteemed.
2. The Spirit of the Lord spake by me—Nothing can more clearly show that all that is excellent in spirit, beautiful in language, or grand in prophetic imagery, which the Psalms of David contain, were owing, not to his superiority in natural talents or acquired knowledge, but to the suggestion and dictates of God's Spirit.
3. the Rock of Israel—This metaphor, which is commonly applied by the sacred writers to the Almighty, was very expressive to the minds of the Hebrew people. Their national fortresses, in which they sought security in war, were built on high and inaccessible rocks.
spake to me—either preceptively, giving the following counsels respecting the character of an upright ruler in Israel, or prophetically, concerning David and his royal dynasty, and the great Messiah, of whom many think this is a prophecy, rendering the words, "he that ruleth"—"there shall be a ruler over men."
4. as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain—Little patches of grass are seen rapidly springing up in Palestine after rain; and even where the ground has been long parched and bare, within a few days or hours after the enriching showers begin to fall, the face of the earth is so renewed that it is covered over with a pure fresh mantle of green.
5. Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure—"the light of the morning," that is, the beginning of David's kingdom, was unlike the clear brilliant dawn of an Eastern day but was overcast by many black and threatening clouds; neither he nor his family had been like the tender grass springing up from the ground and flourishing by the united influences of the sun and rain; but rather like the grass that withereth and is prematurely cut down. The meaning is: although David's house had not flourished in an uninterrupted course of worldly prosperity and greatness, according to his hopes; although great crimes and calamities had beclouded his family history; some of the most promising branches of the royal tree had been cut down in his lifetime and many of his successors should suffer in like manner for their personal sins; although many reverses and revolutions may overtake his race and his kingdom, yet it was to him a subject of the highest joy and thankfulness that God will inviolably maintain His covenant with his family, until the advent of his greatest Son, the Messiah, who was the special object of his desire, and the author of his salvation.
6. But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns—that is, the wicked enemies and persecutors of this kingdom of righteousness. They resemble those prickly, thorny plants which are twisted together, whose spires point in every direction, and which are so sharp and strong that they cannot be touched or approached without danger; but hard instruments and violent means must be taken to destroy or uproot them. So God will remove or destroy all who are opposed to this kingdom.
2Sa 23:8-39. A Catalogue of His Mighty Men.
8. These be the names of the mighty men whom David had—This verse should be translated thus: He who sits in the seat of the Tachmonite (that is, of Jashobeam the Hachmonite), who was chief among the captains, the same is Adino the Eznite; he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time. The text is corrupt in this passage; the number eight hundred should be three hundred [Davidson, Hermeneutics]. Under Joab he was chief or president of the council of war. The first or highest order was composed of him and his two colleagues, Eleazar and Shammah. Eleazar seems to have been left to fight the Philistines alone; and on his achieving the victory, they returned to the spoil. In like manner Shammah was left to stand alone in his glory, when the Lord, by him, wrought a great victory. It is not very easy to determine whether the exploits that are afterwards described were performed by the first or the second three.
15, 16. the well of Beth-lehem—An ancient cistern, with four or five holes in the solid rock, at about ten minutes distance to the north of the eastern corner of the hill of Beth-lehem, is pointed out by the natives as Bir-Daoud; that is, David's well. Dr. Robinson doubts the identity of the well; but others think that there are no good grounds for doing so. Certainly, considering this to be the ancient well, Beth-lehem must have once extended ten minutes further to the north, and must have lain in times of old, not as now, on the summit, but on the northern rise of the hill; for the well is by or (1Ch 11:7) at the gate. I find in the description of travellers, that the common opinion is, that David's captains had come from the southeast, in order to obtain, at the risk of their lives, the so-much-longed-for water; while it is supposed that David himself was then in the great cave that is not far to the southeast of Beth-lehem; which cave is generally held to have been that of Adullam. But (Jos 15:35) Adullam lay "in the valley"; that is, in the undulating plain at the western base of the mountains of Judea and consequently to the southwest of Beth-lehem. Be this as it may, David's men had in any case to break through the host of the Philistines, in order to reach the well; and the position of Bir-Daoud agrees well with this [Van De Velde].
19-39. the first three—The mighty men or champions in David's military staff were divided into three classes—the highest, Jashobeam, Eleazar, and Shammah; the second class, Abishai, Benaiah, and Asahel; and the third class, the thirty, of which Asahel was the chief. There are thirty-one mentioned in the list, including Asahel; and these added to the two superior orders make thirty-seven. Two of them, we know, were already dead; namely, Asahel [2Sa 3:30] and Uriah [2Sa 11:17]; and if the dead, at the drawing up of the list, amounted to seven, then we might suppose a legion of honor, consisting of the definite number thirty, where the vacancies, when they occurred, were replaced by fresh appointments.