3 The God H430 of Israel H3478 said, H559 the Rock H6697 of Israel H3478 spake H1696 to me, He that ruleth H4910 over men H120 must be just, H6662 ruling H4910 in the fear H3374 of God. H430
For who is God, H410 save H1107 the LORD? H3068 and who is a rock, H6697 save H1107 our God? H430
And he said, H559 The LORD H3068 is my rock, H5553 and my fortress, H4686 and my deliverer; H6403 The God H430 of my rock; H6697 in him will I trust: H2620 he is my shield, H4043 and the horn H7161 of my salvation, H3468 my high tower, H4869 and my refuge, H4498 my saviour; H3467 thou savest H3467 me from violence. H2555
Moreover thou shalt provide H2372 out of all the people H5971 able H2428 men, H582 such as fear H3373 God, H430 men H582 of truth, H571 hating H8130 covetousness; H1215 and place H7760 such over them, to be rulers H8269 of thousands, H505 and rulers H8269 of hundreds, H3967 rulers H8269 of fifties, H2572 and rulers H8269 of tens: H6235
Rejoice H1523 greatly, H3966 O daughter H1323 of Zion; H6726 shout, H7321 O daughter H1323 of Jerusalem: H3389 behold, thy King H4428 cometh H935 unto thee: he is just, H6662 and having salvation; H3467 lowly, H6041 and riding H7392 upon an ass, H2543 and upon a colt H5895 the foal H1121 of an ass. H860
And there shall come forth H3318 a rod H2415 out of the stem H1503 of Jesse, H3448 and a Branch H5342 shall grow H6509 out of his roots: H8328 And the spirit H7307 of the LORD H3068 shall rest H5117 upon him, the spirit H7307 of wisdom H2451 and understanding, H998 the spirit H7307 of counsel H6098 and might, H1369 the spirit H7307 of knowledge H1847 and of the fear H3374 of the LORD; H3068 And shall make him of quick understanding H7306 in the fear H3374 of the LORD: H3068 and he shall not judge H8199 after the sight H4758 of his eyes, H5869 neither reprove H3198 after the hearing H4926 of his ears: H241 But with righteousness H6664 shall he judge H8199 the poor, H1800 and reprove H3198 with equity H4334 for the meek H6035 of the earth: H776 and he shall smite H5221 the earth H776 with the rod H7626 of his mouth, H6310 and with the breath H7307 of his lips H8193 shall he slay H4191 the wicked. H7563 And righteousness H6664 shall be the girdle H232 of his loins, H4975 and faithfulness H530 the girdle H232 of his reins. H2504
And he erected H5324 there an altar, H4196 and called it H7121 Elelohe-Israel. H415
Moreover from the time H3117 that I was appointed H6680 to be their governor H6346 in the land H776 of Judah, H3063 from the twentieth H6242 year H8141 even unto the two H8147 and thirtieth H7970 year H8141 of Artaxerxes H783 the king, H4428 that is, twelve H8147 H6240 years, H8141 I and my brethren H251 have not eaten H398 the bread H3899 of the governor. H6346
Wherefore now let the fear H6343 of the LORD H3068 be upon you; take heed H8104 and do H6213 it: for there is no iniquity H5766 with the LORD H3068 our God, H430 nor respect H4856 of persons, H6440 nor taking H4727 of gifts. H7810 Moreover in Jerusalem H3389 did Jehoshaphat H3092 set H5975 of the Levites, H3881 and of the priests, H3548 and of the chief H7218 of the fathers H1 of Israel, H3478 for the judgment H4941 of the LORD, H3068 and for controversies, H7379 when they returned H7725 to Jerusalem. H3389 And he charged H6680 them, saying, H559 Thus shall ye do H6213 in the fear H3374 of the LORD, H3068 faithfully, H530 and with a perfect H8003 heart. H3824
How should one H259 chase H7291 a thousand, H505 and two H8147 put ten H7233 thousand H505 to flight, H5127 except H3808 their Rock H6697 had sold H4376 them, H3588 and the LORD H3068 had shut them up? H5462 For their rock H6697 is not as our Rock, H6697 even our enemies H341 themselves being judges. H6414
Judges H8199 and officers H7860 shalt thou make H5414 thee in all thy gates, H8179 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 giveth H5414 thee, throughout thy tribes: H7626 and they shall judge H8199 the people H5971 with just H6664 judgment. H4941 Thou shalt not wrest H5186 judgment; H4941 thou shalt not respect H5234 persons, H6440 neither take H3947 a gift: H7810 for a gift H7810 doth blind H5786 the eyes H5869 of the wise, H2450 and pervert H5557 the words H1697 of the righteous. H6662 That which is altogether H6664 just H6664 shalt thou follow, H7291 that thou mayest live, H2421 and inherit H3423 the land H776 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 giveth H5414 thee.
Thou shalt not wrest H5186 the judgment H4941 of thy poor H34 in his cause. H7379 Keep thee far H7368 from a false H8267 matter; H1697 and the innocent H5355 and righteous H6662 slay H2026 thou not: for I will not justify H6663 the wicked. H7563 And thou shalt take H3947 no gift: H7810 for the gift H7810 blindeth H5786 the wise, H6493 and perverteth H5557 the words H1697 of the righteous. H6662
Now therefore, if ye will obey H8085 my voice H6963 indeed, H8085 and keep H8104 my covenant, H1285 then ye shall be a peculiar treasure H5459 unto me above all people: H5971 for all the earth H776 is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom H4467 of priests, H3548 and an holy H6918 nation. H1471 These are the words H1697 which thou shalt speak H1696 unto the children H1121 of Israel. H3478
And God H430 said H559 moreover H5750 unto Moses, H4872 Thus shalt thou say H559 unto the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 The LORD H3068 God H430 of your fathers, H1 the God H430 of Abraham, H85 the God H430 of Isaac, H3327 and the God H430 of Jacob, H3290 hath sent H7971 me unto you: this is my name H8034 for ever, H5769 and this is my memorial H2143 unto all H1755 generations. H1755
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 2 Samuel 23
Commentary on 2 Samuel 23 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 23
The historian is now drawing towards a conclusion of David's reign, and therefore gives us an account here,
2Sa 23:1-7
We have here the last will and testament of king David, or a codicil annexed to it, after he had settled the crown upon Solomon and his treasures upon the temple which was to be built. The last words of great and good men are thought worthy to be in a special manner remarked and remembered. David would have those taken notice of, and added either to his Psalms (as they are here to that in the foregoing chapter) or to the chronicles of his reign. Those words especially in v. 5, though recorded before, we may suppose he often repeated for his own consolation, even to his last breath, and therefore they are called his last words. When we find death approaching we should endeavor both to honour God and to edify those about us with our last words. Let those that have had long experience of God's goodness and the pleasantness of wisdom, when they come to finish their course, leave a record of that experience and bear their testimony to the truth of the promise. We have upon record the last words of Jacob and Moses, and here of David, designed, as those, for a legacy to those that were left behind. We are here told,
2Sa 23:8-39
Christ, the Son of David, has his worthies too, who like David's, are influenced by his example, fight his battles against the spiritual enemies of his kingdom, and in his strength are more than conquerors. Christ's apostles were his immediate attendants, did and suffered great things for him, and at length came to reign with him. They are mentioned with honour in the New Testament, as these in the Old, especially, Rev. 21:14. Nay, all the good soldiers of Jesus Christ have their names better preserved than even these worthies have; for they are written in heaven. This honour have all his saints.