39 Uriah H223 the Hittite: H2850 thirty H7970 and seven H7651 in all.
And David H1732 sent H7971 to Joab, H3097 saying, Send H7971 me Uriah H223 the Hittite. H2850 And Joab H3097 sent H7971 Uriah H223 to David. H1732 And when Uriah H223 was come H935 unto him, David H1732 demanded H7592 of him how Joab H3097 did, H7965 and how the people H5971 did, H7965 and how the war H4421 prospered. H7965 And David H1732 said H559 to Uriah, H223 Go down H3381 to thy house, H1004 and wash H7364 thy feet. H7272 And Uriah H223 departed out H3318 of the king's H4428 house, H1004 and there followed H310 him a mess H4864 of meat from the king. H4428 But Uriah H223 slept H7901 at the door H6607 of the king's H4428 house H1004 with all the servants H5650 of his lord, H113 and went not down H3381 to his house. H1004 And when they had told H5046 David, H1732 saying, H559 Uriah H223 went not down H3381 unto his house, H1004 David H1732 said H559 unto Uriah, H223 Camest H935 thou not from thy journey? H1870 why then didst thou not go down H3381 unto thine house? H1004 And Uriah H223 said H559 unto David, H1732 The ark, H727 and Israel, H3478 and Judah, H3063 abide H3427 in tents; H5521 and my lord H113 Joab, H3097 and the servants H5650 of my lord, H113 are encamped H2583 in the open H6440 fields; H7704 shall I H589 then go H935 into mine house, H1004 to eat H398 and to drink, H8354 and to lie H7901 with my wife? H802 as thou livest, H2416 and as thy soul H5315 liveth, H2416 I will not do H6213 this thing. H1697 And David H1732 said H559 to Uriah, H223 Tarry H3427 here to day H3117 also, and to morrow H4279 I will let thee depart. H7971 So Uriah H223 abode H3427 in Jerusalem H3389 that day, H3117 and the morrow. H4283 And when David H1732 had called H7121 him, he did eat H398 and drink H8354 before H6440 him; and he made him drunk: H7937 and at even H6153 he went out H3318 to lie H7901 on his bed H4904 with the servants H5650 of his lord, H113 but went not down H3381 to his house. H1004 And it came to pass in the morning, H1242 that David H1732 wrote H3789 a letter H5612 to Joab, H3097 and sent H7971 it by the hand H3027 of Uriah. H223 And he wrote H3789 in the letter, H5612 saying, H559 Set H3051 ye Uriah H223 in the forefront H6440 H4136 of the hottest H2389 battle, H4421 and retire H7725 ye from him, H310 that he may be smitten, H5221 and die. H4191 And it came to pass, when Joab H3097 observed H8104 the city, H5892 that he assigned H5414 Uriah H223 unto a place H4725 where he knew H3045 that valiant H2428 men H582 were. And the men H582 of the city H5892 went out, H3318 and fought H3898 with Joab: H3097 and there fell H5307 some of the people H5971 of the servants H5650 of David; H1732 and Uriah H223 the Hittite H2850 died H4191 also. Then Joab H3097 sent H7971 and told H5046 David H1732 all the things H1697 concerning the war; H4421 And charged H6680 the messenger, H4397 saying, H559 When thou hast made an end H3615 of telling H1696 the matters H1697 of the war H4421 unto the king, H4428 And if so be that the king's H4428 wrath H2534 arise, H5927 and he say H559 unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh H5066 unto the city H5892 when ye did fight? H3898 knew H3045 ye not that they would shoot H3384 from the wall? H2346 Who smote H5221 Abimelech H40 the son H1121 of Jerubbesheth? H3380 did not a woman H802 cast H7993 a piece H6400 of a millstone H7393 upon him from the wall, H2346 that he died H4191 in Thebez? H8405 why went ye nigh H5066 the wall? H2346 then say H559 thou, Thy servant H5650 Uriah H223 the Hittite H2850 is dead H4191 also. So the messenger H4397 went, H3212 and came H935 and shewed H5046 David H1732 all that Joab H3097 had sent H7971 him for. And the messenger H4397 said H559 unto David, H1732 Surely the men H582 prevailed H1396 against us, and came out H3318 unto us into the field, H7704 and we were upon them even unto the entering H6607 of the gate. H8179 And the shooters H3384 shot H3384 from off the wall H2346 upon thy servants; H5650 and some of the king's H4428 servants H5650 be dead, H4191 and thy servant H5650 Uriah H223 the Hittite H2850 is dead H4191 also. Then David H1732 said H559 unto the messenger, H4397 Thus shalt thou say H559 unto Joab, H3097 Let not this thing H1697 displease H3415 H5869 thee, for the sword H2719 devoureth H398 one as well as another: H2090 make thy battle H4421 more strong H2388 against the city, H5892 and overthrow H2040 it: and encourage H2388 thou him. And when the wife H802 of Uriah H223 heard H8085 that Uriah H223 her husband H376 was dead, H4191 she mourned H5594 for her husband. H1167 And when the mourning H60 was past, H5674 David H1732 sent H7971 and fetched H622 her to his house, H1004 and she became his wife, H802 and bare H3205 him a son. H1121 But the thing H1697 that David H1732 had done H6213 displeased H3415 H5869 the LORD. H3068
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.