Bible Commentary: 1 Samuel 14 - 2 Samuel 7

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Bible Commentary for 1 Samuel 14 thru 2 Samuel 7

1 Samuel Chapter 14

Jonathan shows himself to be more courageous than any other Israelite when he decides to take his armor bearer and attack an outpost of the Philistine army. He did not tell his father what he planned to do, as his father would have discouraged him from doing so. He said to the young man that perhaps Jehovah would act in their behalf as He can save using many as well as using a few. Jonathan showed that he had implicit faith in Jehovah whereas his father was simply sitting under a tree with the six hundred men who had stayed with him and the high priest, Ahijah, possibly contemplating what he should do. No one was aware that Jonathan had left the group.

Jonathan decided that he would let the Philistines see him and if they said, “Wait there until we come to you,” he would not climb up to them, but if they said, “Come on up to us,” this would be the sign from Jehovah that He was backing them and they would climb the rocky crag to them. When they showed themselves, the Philistines mocked them by saying that the Hebrews had come out of their holes and they shouted to Jonathan to come up to them so that they could teach him a lesson. So the two of them climbed up the crag confident that Jehovah would give Israel a victory.

As they engaged the Philistines, Jehovah gave them over to them. They killed twenty men in this first attack. Then panic began to spread throughout the camp of the Philistine army as Jehovah was fighting against the Philistines. The men who were acting as lookouts for Saul’s army saw the Philistines running in all directions. Saul wanted to know who was missing from his camp and he learned that his son Jonathan and his armor bearer were not among them. Saul wanted the priest to bring the ark of God to his camp so that he would know what he should do but as he was talking to the priest, the tumult in the camp of the Philistines grew louder and finally Saul lead his army into their camp. They saw that the Philistines had turned on each other in confusion and were killing each other with their swords. When the remainder of the Israelite army who had deserted Saul heard all of the commotion, they came from their hiding places in the hill country of Ephraim and joined in the fight.

Before joining the fight Saul made the men swear an oath that they would not eat anything until the Philistine army had been routed. Jonathan was not there and had not heard this oath. When the Israelite army went into the woods there was honey spilling onto the ground but they did not taste any of it. Jonathan did eat some of it and some of the soldiers told him about the oath that Saul had made them swear to. Jonathan viewed this oath as an unnecessary encumbrance on the men because they were tiring out quickly because of being hungry. They would have been better able to pursue the enemy and slaughter more Philistines had they been able to regain strength by eating something along the way.

Once the battle was over, the men were so exhausted and hungry that they killed the animals and began eating the meat without draining the blood from it. Saul was told that the men were doing this and he had a large rock placed near him and sent men to tell them to bring their animals to the rock, kill them there and let the blood drain from it before they ate any of the meat. The men obeyed Saul. This is the only reference to Saul building an altar to Jehovah.

Saul is now determined to continue pursuing the Philistines until none were left. The priest wanted Saul to inquire of God first. When he inquired of God and received no response, he concluded that someone must have broken the oath that he had had the men swear to. He again utters an oath than even if it were his own son, he would have to die. No one said a word. Saul then asks for the lot to be cast and he and Jonathan were selected. He then asked for the lot to be cast between him and Jonathan and Jonathan was selected. He asked Jonathan what had he done and Jonathan told him. Then Saul declared that he should die but the people prevented it. They brought to Saul’s attention that had it not been for Jonathan, they would not have achieved the great victory that Jehovah had given them that day. Jonathan was not put to death and the war with the Philistines was not pursued that day.

The major campaigns that Saul fought and gained decisive victories are listed in verses 47 and 48. His war with the Philistines however continued as long as he was king. His royal family consisted of his wife Ahinoam, his three sons at this time, Jonathan, Ishvi (Abinadab), Malki-Shua and his daughters, Merab and Michal. Abner was head of his army. Some scholars believe that Abner was Saul’s uncle, other think they were cousins.

1 Samuel Chapter 15

Jehovah sent Samuel to Saul to give him the assignment to eradicate the Amalekites who had attacked Israel when they were leaving Egypt. Jehovah had vowed then that Amalek would be punished and he was now sending Saul to utterly devote them to destruction, men, women, children, infants, sheep, cattle and donkey. Saul gathered an army of two hundred ten thousand foot soldiers at Telaim. When they came to the city of Amalek, they sat an ambush. The Kenites were living among the Amalekites and they were warned to leave because they might be killed along with the Amalekites. The Kenites were related to Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, and had given aid to Israel when they left Egypt. Saul defeated the Amalekites and put all the people to the sword, but he did not kill Agag, the king. He did not put all of the animals to death either, but saved the best of them to bring back with him. Since we read about Amalekites in later times, Saul was sent to destroy their main settlement and not every single Amalekite alive at that time.

Then Jehovah said to Samuel that He now regretted that he had made Saul king as he had not obeyed Him and carried out all of His commands. Samuel was very disturbed upon hearing this. The next morning he went to meet Saul at Carmel, a city located seven miles south of Hebron in Judah, but was told that after he had built a monument for himself there, he had gone to Gilgal. When Samuel found him, Saul came to him saying that he had done all that Jehovah had commanded. Samuel asked why was he hearing the sounds of animals. Saul said that the people had spared the best of the animals so that these could be used in sacrifices to Jehovah.

Samuel reminds Saul that he had been selected and anointed by Jehovah to be king over Israel. When Jehovah gave him this order, why was he not obedient so as to carry it out to completion? Saul responded that he had obeyed in that he had brought Agag back and he had destroyed all of the people. But the people had, against his better judgement, brought some of the animal’s back to use for sacrifices. Samuel then said to Saul:

“Has the LORD [Jehovah] as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD [Jehovah]? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king.” (Verses 22, 23)

Saul then makes the admission that he was guilty of disobedience but only because he was afraid of the people. He implores Samuel to forgive his sin and to accompany him to worship Jehovah. But Samuel refuses and Saul grabs Samuel’s robe and tears it. Samuel then tells him that Jehovah has now torn the kingdom away from him and has given it to someone else and that He would not change His mind in this matter. Saul now wants to save face before the elders and the people so he asks Samuel to remain with him as he does a public act of worship and Samuel does so. But Samuel knows that their association has come to an end. Afterwards, Samuel tells them to bring Agag to him and he puts him to death. Saul then returns to his home and Samuel returns to Ramar. He did not see Saul again during his lifetime, but he did grieve over him.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary of the Old Testament, page 447, makes this comment regarding this situation. “The rejection of Saul did not force the LORD to a new course of action. Rather, God’s action followed His omniscient plan in such a way as to use Saul’s disobedience as the human occasion for implementing His higher plan. God had permitted the people to have the king of their choice. Now that that king and their mistake in choosing him had been clearly manifested, God proved the superiority of His own wisdom in raising up a king who would come in fulfillment of His perfect will.”

1 Samuel Chapter 16

Jehovah told Samuel that he had grieved long enough over Saul’s being rejected as king. He was now to fill his flask with oil and he would send him to Jesse, the Bethlehemite, to anoint the one He has chosen to be king. But Samuel was reluctant to go because he knew that if Saul heard about this he would surly kill him. Jehovah told him to take a heifer with him and say that he had come to offer a sacrifice. He would invite Jesse to the sacrifice. When he came into the city, the elders were not sure why he was there, but he told them that they were invited to the sacrifice and that they should consecrate themselves. Samuel himself consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

Before the sacrifice began Jesse introduced his sons to Samuel. As he met each of them, Jehovah told him that none of them were his choice. Jehovah told Samuel that he could not determine His choice by looking at the outward appearance of the man because He, Jehovah, looks at the heart. Samuel then asked Jesse if he had any other children to which he replied that there was a younger son who was at this time tending the sheep. Samuel asked Jesse to send for him because the sacrifice could not begin until he was present. When he was brought to the sacrifice, Jehovah said to Samuel that this was the one He had chosen and he was to anoint him. When Samuel poured the oil upon David’s head he immediately left to return home and Jehovah’s spirit came upon David from that day forward.

Jehovah had now removed His spirit from Saul and an evil spirit began to torment him constantly. One of his servants made the suggestion that if they found a person skilled in playing the harp, he could play for Saul and this would be soothing to him. So Saul told them to look for such a man. One young man said that he know of just such a person, a son of Jesse of Bethlehem. He was a skilled musician, a man of valor, a warrior, one who was wise in his words and God’s spirit was with him. Saul sent messengers to Jesse and requested that he send David to him. Jesse put bread, wine and a young goat upon a donkey and had David take them to Saul. David now began to attend Saul and Saul became attached to him. Whenever he would play for him, Saul felt refreshed and the evil spirit would leave him. He wanted to make David his armor bearer and he made a request to Jesse that he let David remain with him. This request was probably made at a later time as the events related in the next chapter will show.

1 Samuel Chapter 17

Since Saul did not complete his rout of the Philistines, they again came into Israel’s territory, this time to the Valley of Elah in Judah. The Philistines were camped on one side of the valley and Israel on the opposite side. The Philistines have brought with them their champion fighter; a 9 foot 9 inch giant named Goliath, who was a descendant of Anak. He was wearing a bronze helmet, a coat of mail weighing about 125 pounds and bronze shin protectors. He carried a bronze javelin and long spear that had a fifteen-pound iron tip. He would continually taunt Israel to send one of their men to fight with him and if the Israelite prevailed and killed him then the Philistines would become slaves to the Hebrews, but if the Israelite was killed then the Israelites would become slaves to the Philistines. Saul and all Israel were very much afraid because they had no one who was willing to face this Philistine giant not even Saul, their tallest man.

Jesse had eight sons and the three oldest had enlisted in Saul’s army and were with him at this time. David, the youngest of the eight, continued to tend his father’s flocks and his father would also send him to take provisions to his three brothers in Saul’s army. On this day he was bringing provisions as the two armies were aligning against each other, he left the provision with the man assigned to watch them and he ran to the battle lines to see how his brothers were doing. About that time Goliath came forward and uttered the words he always did and David heard him. He also saw the Israelite army flee at hearing these words. This had been going on now for forty days.

So David began asking the men near him what would be done for the man who would kill this Philistine and take this reproach away from Israel. David reproachfully said of this Philistine, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should taunt the armies of the living God?” They answered that the king would give this man riches, his father’s house would be exempt of taxation and public service and he would give him his daughter in marriage. David’s brother, Eliab, heard him talking to the men and he thought David conceited to speak so reproachfully of the Philistine when he himself was too afraid to do so. So he accused him of leaving his few sheep in the desert just so that he could see the battle. But he did not allow this to discourage him; he continued talking to the men. Eventually, Saul heard David’s words and he sent for him.

When David came to Saul he told him that his men should not be afraid of this giant that he would go and fight with him. But Saul told him that he was too inexperienced to fight Goliath, as Goliath had been a fighter since his youth. David told Saul that while he was tending his father’s sheep he had faced bears and lions that were trying to kill the sheep. He had with the help of God been able to kill these animals so why should he be afraid of this uncircumcised Philistine who was taunting the armies of the living God. David was sure that God would deliver him in this case also. So Saul agreed to let David face this giant.

David attempted to wear Saul’s armor but he was unable to. So he took five smooth stones from a brook nearby and with his sling and his shepherd’s staff in his hand, he went to face the Philistine. Goliath came toward David and he noticed that he was very young and he despised him. He said: “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” He then cursed David in the name of his gods. David told Goliath that the difference between the two of them was he, David, was relying on the God of Israel and Goliath was relying on his weapons for victory. Jehovah, the God of Israel would be responsible for giving the victory to Israel that day so that all may know that “Jehovah does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD’S [Jehovah’s] and He will give you into our hands.”

As the two move towards each other, David took out a stone, put it into the sling and threw it and it struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead and he fell over dead. Then he ran up to the Philistine, took his sword from its sheath and cut his head off. The Philistines now took to flight and Israel pursued them all the way to Gath and Ekron, causing a great slaughter. Israel then returned and looted the camp of the Philistines. David took the head of Goliath to Jerusalem possibly to display it on the walls of this Jebusite city.

Verses 55-58 seem to indicate that Saul did not recognize David at this time. The footnote for 16:18 in the New American Standard Key Study Bible believes this to be an explanation. “Probably several years had passed when David offered to go out against to Goliath. No statement is made that Saul recognized who David was, even though he had served as the king’s minstrel. Indeed, in 1 Samuel 17:55, Saul asked, after the victory over Goliath, who this young man was. Possibly these few years had completely changed David’s appearance, so that Saul did not recognize him as the youth who had played music for him. It is also possible that Saul might have simply pretended not to know him.”

1 Samuel Chapter 18

After the defeat of the Philistines, Saul took David into his palace and would not let him return to his father’s home. During this time Jonathan became attached to David and they became close friends. He concluded a covenant of friendship with him and he gave him his robe, his armor, his sword, bow and belt. Jehovah prospered David so that he succeeded at whatever Saul sent him to do.

An event occurred after David killed Goliath that caused Saul to be suspicious of David. When they returned from defeating the Philistines, the women came out to greet them and they sang and danced in the streets. In their song they gave David credit for killing tens of thousands but to Saul they gave credit for only thousands killed. This angered Saul and he began to think that because of this adulation David may now began craving the kingdom.

An evil spirit again terrorizes Saul and David plays the harp to calm him down. Saul had a spear in his hand and he threw it at David twice but David escapes. Saul now decided to remove David from his presence by appointing him commander of a thousand troops. David continues to prosper in everything because Jehovah was with him. Saul even offered David the opportunity to marry his oldest daughter, Merab, if he were willing to continue fighting the Philistines. Saul’s motives were duplicitous when he made this offer as he hoped to be able to put David in a situation that would guarantee that the Philistines would kill him. But David felt unworthy to be given such an honor and eventually Saul gave Merab to another man.

Saul learns later that his younger daughter, Michal, loved David and this was pleasing to him. He was sure that if he gave Michal to David that she would become a snare to him. So he devised a scheme to get around David’s reluctance to enter a marital arrangement with his family. He told his servants to speak to David and say that he, Saul, would be honored to have him as a son-in-law. But David countered that he was too poor and could not pay the bridal price. Saul’s servants told him what David had said. Then the king told them to say to David that he did not desire a bridal price other than the foreskins of one hundred Philistines. Saul asked for the foreskins in order to be sure that the men killed were Philistines as they were uncircumcised. He gave this stipulation hoping that if David attempted it he would be killed or at least by doing this he would cause the Philistines to want to get revenge on David personally. After hearing this, David stopped objecting to becoming the king’s son-in-law. He took his men and struck down two hundred Philistines, more than what Saul has asked for, and brought back their foreskins and gave them to Saul. Saul in turn had no choice but to give Michal to David as his wife. He now became even more afraid of David than before because he was sure that Jehovah was with him. David was now his enemy for life.

The NIV Bible Commentary, Volume I, page 413, says this of Saul’s increasing fear of David: “David’s marriage to one or both could not escape the political implication of their being the daughters of the reigning king. If Saul (and Jonathan) should die, David’s claim on the throne of Israel would be all the stronger.”

1 Samuel Chapter 19

Saul now openly shows his animosity to David by telling Jonathan and all his servants that if they find the opportunity they should put David to death. But Jonathan tells David about his father’s threat and he wants him to go into hiding until he can speak to his father on his behalf. Jonathan found his father and he begins to speak well of David saying that the king should not sin against David as David had done him no wrong. All of David’s deeds have been for the king’s best interest. He reminds him of how David took his life into his own hands when he attacked the Philistine giant but Jehovah gave them a victory and he had rejoiced in David at that time. Why would he want to bring bloodguilt upon the nation by putting an innocent man to death? Saul was in one of his more lucid moments and he relented and said that he would not put David to death. Jonathan tells David what his father said and he effected reconciliation between the two of them.

David continues to defeat the Philistines and Saul continues to be tormented by an evil spirit from Jehovah. Again while David plays the harp before Saul, he tries to pin him to the wall with a spear but David escapes from him. Saul now has David’s house watched and his wife becomes aware of it and warns David to flee that night. She helps him to climb through a window and escape. She then put a terraphim idol in his bed and a quilt of goat’s hair at its head and covered it up. The NIV Bible Commentary, Volume I, page 414 writes this: "Michal's dummy is described as "an idol," a Hebrew word that is usually translated "household gods" (GK 9572). Since these gods are presumably always small (Ge 31:19, 34-35; et al.), the dummy was almost certainly not a single, man-sized idol. Michal probably piles clothing, carpets, or the like on David's bed and covered it with a garment, allowing only goats' hair at the head to show."

When Saul sent messengers to bring David to him, Michal said that he was sick. But Saul would not be pacified. He told the messenger to bring him even if they have to bring him still in his bed. When they entered the house they found that David was not in his bed. He had fled to Samuel in Ramar and they went to Naioth, Samuel’s hometown. David wrote Psalm 59 at this time.

When Saul learned of this, he sent men to Naioth to bring David back. When they arrived they came to a company of prophets who were prophesying and Samuel was presiding over them. They then came under the spirit and began to prophesy along with them. Saul was told this and he sent more men a second time and they too prophesied. He sent a third group of men and the same thing happened to them. He decided that he had better go and get David himself. When he came to the company of prophets he himself began to prophesy to the point that he took off his royal raiment and stayed there all that day and night prophesying before Samuel. The people began to repeat the proverb again, “Is Saul also among the prophet?” (10:5)

1 Samuel Chapter 20

David then fled from Naioth and came to Jonathan to ask him why was Saul still trying to kill him. Jonathan was obviously not aware of what his father had been doing because he said that his father did not do anything without telling him about it and he had not said anything to him about killing David. David said that Saul had deliberately not told Jonathan anything because he knew how Jonathan felt about him and he would be grieved if he knew that David was about to die. Jonathan said that he would do whatever David said.

David tells him that he will be absent from his place at Saul’s table for the festival of the new moon and that he will go into hiding. If Saul asks where David is Jonathan is to say that he went home to Bethlehem because it is the time of the yearly sacrifice that his whole family celebrates. If Saul does not become angry, then David is safe, but if he becomes angry then that will let Jonathan know that Saul is bent on killing him. David will wait in his hiding place and on the third day Jonathan is to come and tell him what he has learned. Before David leaves Jonathan, Jonathan has him swear that he will show loving kindness to him and his household when Jehovah elevates him to the kingdom and destroys all of his enemies. They conclude a covenant to this effect.

On the third day, David is to come and hide by a stone named Ezel and Jonathan will use arrows to communicate to David what he should do. If Jonathan shoots three arrows and tells the boy who will pick them up that the arrows are on this side, then David is safe. But if he says to the boy that they arrows are beyond him then David’s life is in danger.

On the new moon the king sat down to dinner and noticed that David’s place was empty. He assumed that David was unclean and hence could not eat the meal. On the second day when David was again not at the table he asked Jonathan why he was not there. Jonathan told him what David had said. The Saul became angry with Jonathan and called him a bastard, a traitor and a fool and he said that Jonathan was siding with David to his and his mother’s shame. He said further said that as long as David lived, Jonathan’s throne would not be secure. Jonathan now asks Saul what had David done that he deserved to die for. Saul then hurled a spear at Jonathan and he now knew that his father planned to kill David.

The next morning he went out into the field as they had planned and he shot an arrow past the boy and said: “Is not the arrow beyond you?” After the boy brought the arrows to Jonathan, he sent him back to the city and he went to talk to David. Jonathan reminded David that the two of them had an agreement of friendship sworn in the name of Jehovah and after weeping together, they parted company. They would meet again at a later time.

1 Samuel Chapter 21

At this time, the tabernacle where the priest officiated is located at Nob although the Ark of the Covenant is still in Kiriath Jearim. Nob, a city located half way between Jerusalem and Gibeah, had a large contingent of priest and they appeared to be carrying on the worship of Jehovah.

David, now on the run, needed food and a weapon. So he went to Nob where the high priest was living. He told him that he was on a secret mission from the king and he was meeting his men at a certain place. He asked the priest what food did he have on hand and the priest said that the only bread he had was the consecrated bread that had been removed from the Table of Presence. David and his men could have this if they were ceremonially clean. David said that neither he nor his men had been with women so he gave him five loaves of the bread. David had also asked for a weapon and the priest told him that the only weapon there was the one he had taken from Goliath, and David took it with him. David now fled to the Philistines at Gath. When the servants of Achish, the king, told him that David wanted to come into the city, he remembered that a man named, David, was the one that the Israelite woman had sang songs about. David overheard the conversation and when in Achish's presence, he pretended to have lost his sanity by scribbling on the doors of the gate and letting his saliva run down into his beard. Achish, after seeing how he was behaving, wanted to know why his servant would bring a madman to him as he had enough of those in his city already. So he sent him away. Psalm 34 was written after this event.

1 Samuel Chapter 22

David left Gath and went to the cave of Adullam whereupon his family, when they learned this, came to him there. Men who were discontent, in debt and in distress began to gather around him. About four hundred men came to him while he was in the cave of Adullam and he became their leader. He also made arrangements for the safety of his family. He went to the king of Moab and asked if he could leave his father and mother in his care until he knew what God would do for him.

The prophet Gad told David to leave Adullam and go into Judah. Saul heard that David had returned to Judah and he was upbraiding his servants because they were not keeping him up-to-date on David’s whereabouts. Doeg, the Edomite, hoping to ingratiate himself into Saul’s good favor informed him that he had seen David in Nob with Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub and the priest had inquired of Jehovah in his behalf and had given him provisions and the sword of Goliath. The king sent for Ahimelech and all the other priests who were in Nob. He asked them why had they conspired against him by helping his enemy who was even now waiting for a chance to ambush him. Of course Ahimelech was not even aware that there was a problem between Saul and David. He believed David when he told him that Saul had sent him on a mission. He told Saul that he was only doing what he would normally do whenever David came to him. But this did not satisfy Saul. He decreed that Ahimelech and all the household of his father should die.

When he told his guards to kill the priests, they refused to do so because they were afraid to do this. But Doeg was not afraid and Saul commanded him to kill them and he killed eighty-five priests. He certainly had no respect for the priests or for Jehovah. But this act was, in part, a fulfillment of Jehovah’s denunciation of Eli’s house. (See 1 Samuel 2:31-33) He then went to Nob and killed everyone and everything in the entire city. Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, managed to escape and fled to David. When he told him what had happened, David remembered seeing Doeg in Nob and he knew that he would tell Saul. He took the blame for the murder of all of Abiathar’s family and he told Abiathar that he would be safe with him. Abiathar would now serve as the designated high priest and he would serve as such until the reign of Solomon. At this time, the high priestly lineage is still in the family of Eli.

David wrote Psalm 52 concerning Doeg after he told Saul that he had seen David in Nob with the priests.

1 Samuel Chapter 23

The Philistines had raided Keilah, a city in Judah near the Philistine border, and David was told about it. He inquired of Jehovah as to whether he should go there and attack the Philistines. He was told to go but his men were afraid. So David inquired again of Jehovah and He told him to go and He would give the Philistines into his hands. This reassured David’s men and they joined him to defeat the Philistines thus liberating Keilah. Word got back to Saul that David was in Keilah and he summoned his army to go to Keilah and besiege David. David, always alert to the schemes of Saul, inquired of Jehovah to learn if the men of Keilah would turn him over to Saul if he came there. David learned that Saul was coming to Keilah and the men of Keilah would turn him over to Saul. So he and his now six hundred men left Keilah and returned to the wilderness of Ziph, a desolate hilly and wooded area between Hebron and the Dead Sea. Saul continued his relentless pursuit of David but Jehovah did not allow him to succeed against David.

While David was in Horesh in the wilderness of Ziph, Jonathan went there to encourage him. He confidently told him that his father would not find him and that he, as well as his father, knew that David would be king over Israel. He would be content being second to him. They conclude a covenant to that effect and Jonathan returned to Gibeah. Psalm 63 may have been written at this time.

The people of Ziph after learning that David was in their territory told Saul and he told them to find out more details about where he was hiding and to make certain that he was there as David was a very cunning person. When Saul came to Ziph, David had moved to the wilderness of Maon and Saul pursued him there. Saul was near to overtaking David when he learned that the Philistines had made a raid in Israel and he had to turn back. No doubt this was at the hand of Jehovah. Because of this, the place became known as the Rock of Escape. David left there and went to hide in a cave in the wilderness of Engedi. David wrote Psalm 54 after the people of Ziph told Saul that David was in their territory.

1 Samuel Chapter 24

After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines he learned that David was in the wilderness of Engedi and he took three thousand men and went in pursuit of David. Saul came to a cave where he decided to go in and relieve himself not realizing that David and his men are hiding in the inner recesses of this cave. David’s men believed this was an omen and that Jehovah had given Saul into his hands. David was close enough to Saul to cut the edge off of Saul’s robe unbeknownst to Saul. Even this bothered David’s conscience because he knew that he could not, in good conscience, do anything against the one that Jehovah had anointed. So he restrained his men from acting against Saul.

When Saul left, David went out of the cave and called to Saul. Saul stopped and David prostrated himself before Saul and asked him why did he listen to others who say that he was seeking to harm Saul. He told Saul that he had had ample opportunity that very day in the cave to kill him if wanted to and he showed him the edge of his robe that he had cut off. He would not harm Saul as he viewed him as Jehovah’s anointed. He wanted to know why Saul was pursuing someone as insignificant as he is. Jehovah will be the judge if he has done anything wrong to Saul and if not then He would plead David’s cause and deliver him from Saul’s hand.

Saul responds to David’s words by weeping. He then says that David is more righteous the he is because he had not killed him when he had the chance to, which a man would not do if he considered this person his enemy. Therefore, may Jehovah reward David with good in kind. Saul also said that he knew that David will become king over Israel and when his kingdom had been established, he implored him to be kind to his descendants and not put them to death nor wipe out Saul’s name from his father’s household. David gives his word that he will honor Saul’s requests and Saul leaves.

1 Samuel Chapter 25

Samuel, the prophet, died and is buried at his home in Ramah. All Israel comes together and mourns him. Meanwhile David moves to the wilderness of Paran.

During David’s stay in the wilderness in Maon, he had been kind to the men who were tending the sheep of Nabal. They had not harassed them nor had they taken anything from them. David now learns that Nabal is shearing his sheep and he sends some of his men to ask for some food, whatever he was willing to spare. David and his men depended upon the generosity of the people they offer protection to for provisions. They approach Nabal with their request and he becomes very insolent towards them. He said that he does not have to share his bread, water and meat with just anyone who asks. He is aware of who David is as he calls him a servant who has run away from his master. So David’s men return and tell him what Nabal has said.

One of Nabal’s servants overheard the conversation and he told Nabal’s wife, Abigail, about it. He told her that David’s men had been very good to them while they were tending the sheep as they had been like a wall around them in that they were protected from any harm. So he urges her to consider what is the best thing to do, as he believes that they are facing disaster from David and his men. The servant is well aware that Nabal is a worthless man or as the marginal reading indicates, a ‘son of Belial.’

Abigail showed herself to be a discerning woman because she took steps to avert this disaster. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two jugs of wine and five sheep already prepared, five measures of roasted grain and a hundred clusters of raisins and two hundred cakes of figs and put them on a donkey. She then told the servant to take the provisions and go on ahead and she would follow. She did not tell Nabal what she was doing.

As she was nearing a ravine in the mountain she met David and his men. She is aware of where they are headed. She immediately bows down to him and accepts the blame for what happened. She begs him not to pay any attention to the worthless man who is her husband. He is as his name suggests, foolish. She says that Jehovah has restrained David from avenging himself by his own hands. She urges him to accept the gift that she has brought for the men with him and to please forgive her transgression in this matter. She said that Jehovah will make an enduring house for David because he is fighting the battles of Jehovah and evil should not be found in him all of his life. If anyone wants to rise up against David Jehovah would keep him safe but his enemies He would destroy. She continues that when Jehovah does all that he had promised to do for David and he appoints him ruler over Israel then he would not want it to be on his conscience that he had shed blood without cause by putting senseless Nabal to death. She also asks that he remember her when Jehovah had dealt well with him.

David admits that Abigail had acted with discernment in holding him back from bloodguilt by bringing the foodstuffs because he was going to kill every male in Nabal’s household. So he accepted her gift and she returned to her home. Nabal was holding a feast and as he was drunk, Abigail did not say anything to him until the following morning. When she told him what would have transpired had she not taken the steps that she did, he became withdrawn and ten days later Jehovah struck him and he died.

David, when he heard about Nabal’s death, sent messengers with a proposal of marriage to Abigail and she accepted. She and the five maidens who attended her followed the messengers to where he was and she became his wife. David had also married Ahinoam from Jezreel and Saul’s daughter, Michal, although Saul had given her in marriage to another man when David fled from him.

1 Samuel Chapter 26

The Ziphites came to Gibeah and told Saul that David was hiding in their territory again. Saul took three thousand men and went to search for David in the wilderness of Ziph. David had heard that he was coming and he sent out spies to make certain. He waited until the army was sleeping and he and Abishai went into their camp under cover of darkness. Saul was sleeping with his spear stuck in the ground at his head and his men were all around him. Abishai tells David that Jehovah has delivered his enemy into his hands therefore David should allow him to strike Saul and kill him. But David again refuses to put his hand out against the anointed of God. He tells him that either Jehovah will strike him down or he will simply die or he may be killed in battle but David will not kill him, as he would not remain guiltless. So he tells Abishai to take his spear and his water jug and they leave. No one heard them or awoke as Jehovah had caused them to sleep a deep sleep.

They get some distance away and David calls out to Abner and Abner responded by asking who is it who called the king. David responds by saying that Abner and the king’s men deserved death because they had not protected their king. Where is Saul’s spear and water jug? Saul awakens and asks if it is David who is speaking and he answers yes. David again asks what evil had he done that Saul continues to pursue him. If he has offended Jehovah then he would repent but if it is men who are urging him to pursue David then they are cursed by God because they have driven him away from his inheritance and as much as told him to go and serve other gods. It was a waste of time for Saul to continue to pursue someone as insignificant as he is.

Saul agrees that he had been very foolish and had sinned. He may now fully realize that David has Jehovah’s full protection and that he is the next ruler over Israel. He urges David to return home, as he no longer will attempt to harm him as David has shown that Saul’s life is precious to him. David then suggests that Saul send someone to get his spear but he does not return the water jug. He concludes his conversation with Saul saying that Jehovah will repay everyone according to his righteousness and faithfulness and David has shown his by refusing to harm Saul. He now wants his life to be as highly prized in Jehovah’s eyes as Saul’s life was in his eyes so that Jehovah will deliver him our of all distresses. Saul ends by saying, “Blessed are you, my son David; you will both accomplish much and surely prevail.” This acknowledgement by Saul virtually assures that David would succeed.

1 Samuel Chapter 27

David does not believe that Saul will not keep his word so he decided to seek refuge in the land of the Philistines where Saul would not continue to pursue him. He went to Achish, king of Gath and lived among them with his two wives. When Saul was told this, he stopped searching for him. David asks Achish for a city that he and his men could live in as they should not be living in the royal city. Achish gave him Ziklag, a city located between Gath and Beersheba in southern Judah. David remained in Ziklag for sixteen months until the death of Saul.

A footnote for verse 5 in The NIV Study Bible tells us why David made this request. It reads: “David desired more independence and freedom of movement than was possible while residing under the very eyes of the king of Gath. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you? David implies that he is not worthy of this honor.”

After he moved to Ziklag, David began making raid on peoples living near Israel’s borders, but he told Achish that he was raiding outlying Israelite cities. He was ingratiating himself to the Philistines so that they would not become suspicious of him. He would kill all of the people living in these towns but he would take all of their belongings with him. When he returned from these raids he would give a share of the booty to Achish. Achish was now certain that David had made himself a stench to his own people and the Philistines could use him in their war against Israel. David was in reality securing the borders of Judah and strengthening his own position as future leader of Israel.

1 Samuel Chapter 28

Saul, who had obeyed Jehovah’s law to kill anyone who practiced sorcery or was a medium (Deuteronomy 18:10), is now seeking to find a medium as he is frightened of the Philistine army. They have again gathered their armies together to fight Israel. Saul sought help from Jehovah but He did not answer him, although it is not stated just how he inquired of Jehovah as Abiathar had the ephod with him and he was with David. Saul is so desperate that he will try to get help from any source available, so he told his servant to find a medium that he might inquire of her. The servant told him about a woman at Endor who was a medium. Saul disguised himself and took two of his servants with him to the woman that night.

When he asks her to “bring up” someone for him, she replied that her life would be in danger if she did what he asked because Saul had decreed that all mediums would be put to death. When he assured her, in Jehovah’s name, that she would suffer no harm, she asked him who should she bring up and he answered ‘Samuel.’ She conjures up an ‘apparition’ and when she saw it, she was surprised. She had not expected anything so definitive to appear. She said she had been deceived in that the man who had asked her to do this was really Saul himself. It is not stated why she believed this. Saul again reassures her that everything is okay and he asks her to describe what she saw. She said that she saw something with the likeness of a god and he asks her to describe the form of this ‘god.’ She said that it was an old man wearing a robe and Saul responds that it is ‘Samuel.’ With so little to go on Saul has made this determination. Saul’s state of mind here is very questionable.

Saul then speaks to this ‘form’ saying that he has been abandoned by Jehovah and he is in dire straits, so he has called upon ‘Samuel’ to tell him what he should do. ‘Samuel’ gives him bad news, he and his sons are going to die and Israel will be given over to the Philistines. Upon hearing this, Saul is even more frightened and falls to the ground. He has very little strength because he had not eaten that day. The woman realizes this and offers to give him some food to revive him. His servants joined her in urging him to eat and he does. Afterwards, he left her and returned to his army camped at Gilboa.

The information provided by the ‘apparition’ was no doubt given by the demon that was behind this apparition. What he said to Saul was already known although he did tell Saul that he and his sons were going to die the next day, something he could also know. Many Bible scholars say that this woman believed that what she saw was the work of God. They also say that Jehovah had intervened and was allowing Saul to talk to Samuel one last time. This goes against all scriptures especially as Jehovah’s specifically forbade such inquiring of the dead. He would have been going against His own word had He done this. It is not a difficult stretch to recognize that Saul was under demonic influence and they were in a position to control his actions, even his life.

1 Samuel Chapter 29

David now finds himself in a precarious position. He has been invited by Achish to join him in the war against Israel because he truly believes that David has turned his back on his countrymen. The Philistines are now gathering their armies together in Aphek, the place where they had captured the Ark of God during the days of Eli some ninety years earlier, and as they march along, David is in the rear with Achish. When the Philistine commanders finally see David and his men in their ranks they are puzzled and want to know why Achish has brought them with him. Achish has confidence in David but these men do not. They only remember how David was immortalized in song for his feats against them. They are sure that he would turn against them in the heat of the battle. So they tell Achish to send them back to wherever he has settled them. Achish does not want to do this but he has no choice. So he calls David to him and commends him for being a faithful ally but tells him that he has to return to Ziklag, as the Philistine lords do not trust him. These words were probably like music to David’s ears although he does not show it. He pretends to be hurt by their decision but he gets up early the next morning and leaves.

1 Samuel Chapter 30

When David returned to Ziklag three days later, he found that the city had been raided and burned to the ground. The raiders had not killed anyone but had taken them captive probably to sell them as slaves in Egypt. David and his men were overwrought with grief. The men began to blame David for the disaster and talked of stoning him but he took refuge in Jehovah. He had Abiathar bring the ephod so that he could inquire of Jehovah to determine what he should do. He asked Jehovah if he should pursue the band of raiders and whether he would overtake them. The answer was that he should pursue them and that he would rescue everyone.

David and his men pursued them as far as the Besor Ravine, about twenty miles from Ziklag, where they had to leave two hundred of the men behind because they were too exhausted to continue. David and the four hundred men continue their pursuit. Eventually they found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David who gave him food and water. When they questioned him they learned that he was the slave of an Amalekite and had been left behind because he had become ill. He also told them that the Amalekites had made a raid on several cities and had burned Ziklag to the ground. David then asked the man if he would lead them to the raiding party. He said that he would do it if they swore not to put him to death or deliver him to his master.

When they found the band of raiders, they were busy celebrating their gain from their raids. David and his men slaughtered all of them except four hundred men who fled on camels. Everything and every person that had been taken from Ziklag was recovered, nothing was missing. Additionally, they took much spoil from the Amalekites.

When they returned to the place where the two hundred men had been left, some of the men who had gone with David did not want them to have a share in the spoils taken from the Amalekites. David knew that this was not right and the decision he made that day eventually became a statute and ordinance in Israel. He said that all should share alike in the spoil whether they went into the battle or whether they stayed behind to guard the supplies. When David returned to Ziklag he sent gifts to the elders of the towns that had treated him and his men hospitably when Saul was pursuing them. He may have also been paving the way for their acceptance of him as their king.

1 Samuel Chapter 31

The Philistines defeated Israel and Saul’s three sons, Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchi-shua, were killed while Saul had been badly wounded by Philistine archers. He told his armor bearer to kill him before the Philistines found him as he believed they would be abusive to him. The armor bearer is afraid to kill him so Saul falls on his own sword and dies, his armor bearer then follows his example and takes his own life also. When the Israelites realized that Saul and his army had perished, they deserted their towns in the valley of Jezreel and the Transjordan and fled to the wilderness.

The next day when the Philistines came to strip the dead they found Saul’s body, cut his head off, stripped him of his weapons and sent them throughout their land to proclaim their victory over Israel. Then they took them to the house of their gods but they fastened Saul’s body and the bodies of his sons to the wall of Bethshan. When the men of Jabesh-Gilead heard what they Philistines had done to Saul, they walked all night until they came to Bethshan and they removed the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall and then returned to Jabesh. There they burned their bodies and buried their bones under a tamarisk tree. They mourned for Saul for seven days. These men showed that they had not forgotten what Saul had done for them when he rescued them from the Ammonites early in his reign.

End of commentary for 1 Samuel

***©2005 by YORWW Congregation

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THE BOOK OF 2 SAMUEL

2 Samuel Chapter 1

On the third day after David’s return to Ziklag, a man with torn clothes and dust on his head came to him there. The man prostrated himself before David and David asked where he had come from. The man said that he had escaped from the camp of Israel. When pressed further by David, he said that Israel had been defeated and Saul and Jonathan were dead. When David wanted to know how he knew that Saul was dead, he told him that Saul had been wounded and had asked him to kill him for he was in agony. He then took the crown and armband from Saul and was now presenting them to David.

David and the people now tore their clothes and began to mourn for Saul and Jonathan until the evening. (Proverbs 24:17, 18) Afterwards, David asked the young man again who he was to which he replied that he was the son of an alien, an Amalekite. Learning that the young man lived in Israel, David asked him how was it that he was not afraid to put his hand out against Jehovah’s anointed. David then had him killed as he had brought his own blood upon his head because he said that he had killed the anointed of Jehovah.

David then composed a lament for Saul and Jonathan called the Song of the Bow. In this song Jonathan and Saul are lamented as the ‘mighty that have fallen.’ The beauty of Israel has been slain and this tragedy should not be proclaimed in the towns of Philistia, as the women would rejoice; the uncircumcised should not rejoice over the disgrace of Jehovah’s people. Gilboa should be cursed for the shield of Saul was defiled there. Saul and Jonathan were valiant men; pleasant to each other in life and together they died in battle. Israel is told to weep over Saul who during his lifetime had enriched them. David is very distressed over the death of Jonathan because he was a man of honor, integrity and loyalty, someone with whom David had a very close relationship.

2 Samuel Chapter 2

David inquired of Jehovah in order to know what he should do now. He was told that he should go up to Hebron in Judah. So he moved his family and all who were with him to Hebron and the men of Judah came there and anointed him king over Judah. When he learned what the men of Jabesh Gilead had done for their lord, Saul, he sent a message to them commending them for showing loving kindness to Saul and expressing a desire that Jehovah would in turn show loving kindness to them as he, himself, intended to do. He also told them that the house of Judah had chosen him as their king.

Abner, who had commanded Saul’s army and had survived the Philistine attack where Saul died, now took steps to continue Saul’s rulership. He took Saul’s son, Ish-Bosheth (Esh-baal) to Mahanaim in Gad and made him king over the eleven tribes. He was forty years old when he began to rule and he ruled for two years. Ish-Bosheth is not listed in the family genealogy of Saul recorded in 1 Samuel 14:49, so he was born after Saul began to rule.

A comment from The Bible Knowledge Commentary of the Old Testament, page 458, may help us to resolve the difference between the seven and one-half year reign and the two-year reign of Ish-Bosheth. It reads: “There may well have been an interregnum of some length between Saul and Ish-Bosheth, and clearly David reigned for some time over Judah from Hebron after Ish-Bosheth’s death.” The NIV Bible Commentary, page 437, adds: “It must have been several years after Saul’s death before Ish-Bosheth had gained enough support to become king over the northern tribes.”

Israel now has two kings with two armies so there is bound to be enmity between them. The two commanders of these armies decided that all out war is not the best solution. Abner and his men met Joab and some of his men at the pool of Gibeon and chose teams of men who would engage in hand to hand combat, twelve men from each side would face each other. The first contest between the two teams may have ended in a draw, that is, all twenty-four men died, each at the hand of the other. The account does not state whether the two camps came up against each after this or if they continued using teams of men but we do learn that many more men died, 360 from Abner’s camp and nineteen from Joab’s. Abner and his men, after this defeat, went towards Benjamin. Asahel, the younger brother of Joab, for some reason not stated decided to pursue Abner. He is described as being ‘as swift-footed as a gazelle’ and he doggedly pursued Abner. When Abner saw him following, he knew that it was Asahel's intention to kill him. He tried to persuade him do battle with one of the younger men but he refused. Finally Abner struck him with down with his spear. Joab and Abishai now bent on revenge began to pursue Abner to a hill where the men of Benjamin gathered with Abner. Abner sought to stop the fighting by saying to Joab that if brothers fight each other, the results would be very bitter. Joab agrees and he tells his men to leave off following Abner. Each camp then goes its own way. Joab buries his brother in their father’s tomb in Bethlehem. He would seek revenge for the death of his brother at another more convenient time.

2 Samuel Chapter 3

There was war continually between David and the house of Saul, however, David grew stronger and the house of Saul weakened. While in Hebron David fathered six sons by his six wives, four of whom he married while in Hebron. Amnon was his firstborn.

Abner meanwhile shows his contempt for Ish-Bosheth by taking one of Saul’s concubines and sleeping with her. This act usually portends a man’s claim to the throne. When Ish-Bosheth spoke to Abner about this, Abner became angry and abused him for making such an accusation. He then tells Ish-Bosheth that he is going to actively work to bring the entire kingdom under David’s rule. Ish-Bosheth was helpless against Abner because he was afraid of him and Abner was an ambitious man. He sent messengers to David asking him to make a covenant with him and he would bring all Israel over to him. David was very pleased at this turn of events and agreed to the covenant on one condition, that his wife, Michal, was returned to him. She was taken from her current husband and brought to David but the situation is different than at first, she no longer loved David as she once had. (2 Samuel 6:16)

Abner consults with the elders of Israel encouraging them to gather together behind David and make him their king as Jehovah had already made known that David was his choice to rule Israel. He especially solicits the backing of Benjamin, Saul’s kin. When he is sure that he has the backing of all the tribes he travels to Hebron to assure David that the rest of the tribes are now ready to make him king. David prepared a feast for Abner and his men and afterwards sent them away in peace.

When Joab returned from a raid, he is told that Abner and David have had an amicable meeting and that David had sent him away in peace. Joab is not happy to learn of this and he accuses Abner of spying on David. Since he is still seeking to get revenge for the killing of his brother, he takes this opportunity to do so. He secretly sent messengers to bring Abner back and when he returns, on the pretense that he had a private message for him, he takes him aside and strikes him down. When David learns of this treachery, he utters a curse against the house of Joab. The curse states that there would always be someone in Joab’s family who has a running sore, who has leprosy, who is a cripple, who falls by the sword and who goes hungry. David now instructs the people to mourn for Abner by putting on sackcloth. Abner was buried in Hebron and David composed a lament for him in which he spoke of the shamefulness of his death. David then fasted for the remainder of the day and the people became convinced that he had had nothing to do with Abner’s death.

Hebron was a city of refuge and Joab had not acted in accordance with God’s law that stated that an avenger of blood could not enter a city of refuge to avenge the death of a relative. (Numbers 35:12) David recognized that Joab had shed innocent blood by killing Abner because his brother, Asahel, had been killed in the course of a battle. But David did not know what to do to Joab, so he said to his servants that Jehovah would repay the evil doer according to his evil. Jehovah acted against Joab by having Solomon put him to death. (1 Kings 2:32, 33) Additionally, it is believed that Joab may have had another motive for killing Abner. He wanted the position of commander of David’s army and he knew that Abner was an older and more experienced commander that he and would have probably gotten the position.

2 Samuel Chapter 4

When Ish-Bosheth learned that Abner had been killed, he and all Israel became disheartened. Then two of Ish-Bosheth’s army commanders came to his house on the pretense of getting wheat and killed him cutting off his head. Traveling all night they brought his head to Hebron to show to David and to tell him that Jehovah had given him vengeance against his enemies, the household of Saul. David’s reaction was the same as it had been earlier when a young man came to him saying that he had killed Saul. David did not believe in rewarding individuals who would kill for the sake of a reward because he considered them to be wicked men. He then had these two men executed and their bodies hung beside a pool in Hebron. He then buried the head of Ish-Bosheth in Abner’s tomb.

Mention is made here for the first time that Jonathan has a son that David will later befriend. His name is Mephibosheth and he is lame in his feet because when the news of Jonathan’s death reached his home, his nurse attempted to flee with him to a safer place but he fell and injured himself. He was five years old at that time.

2 Samuel Chapter 5

After the death of Ish-Bosheth, the elders of Israel came to Hebron to anoint David to be their king. He was thirty years old when he became king at Hebron where he ruled seven and one-half years over Judah. He ruled another thirty-three years over both Judah and Israel.

David now marched against the Jebusites whose stronghold was Jerusalem. The Jebusites believed that their city was so impenetrable that the lame and blind could fight off any attackers. Nevertheless David was able to capture the stronghold of Zion. He had told his men that anyone who could get inside the city would be made commander of his army. Joab found a way to get into the city via the water system. David now settled in this stronghold and began building it up. Hiram, king of Tyre, sent materials and workers to build his palace. “David now realized that Jehovah had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.” (Verse 12)

The Bible Knowledge Commentary of the Old Testament, page 460, adds this: “So galling to David was the Jebusite sarcasm about ‘the blind and lame,’ however, that it became proverbial to speak of his enemies in general as the blind and lame. After the city was captured, Mount Zion and Mount Ophel were consolidated into one entity described here and elsewhere as the City of David.”

When the Philistines heard that David had become king over Israel, they decided to attack him. They encamped in the valley of Rephaim. David inquired of Jehovah about what he should do. Jehovah told him to go and fight the Philistines and He would give them into his hands. David defeated them and he said “The LORD [Jehovah] had broken through my enemies before me like the breakthrough of waters.” (Verse 20) Later they came up again against David at the same place and Jehovah delivered them into his hands.

David now took more wives and concubines after he made Jerusalem his capital and eleven other sons were born to him there.

2 Samuel Chapter 6

David gathered all Israel together to go to Kiriath-Jearim to bring the ark back to Jerusalem as it had been here for nearly a century. They placed the ark on a new cart and two of Abinadab’s sons were leading it. All Israel was celebrating before Jehovah, singing and dancing accompanied by all kinds of instruments. When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen nearly upset the cart and Uzzah put out his hand to steady the ark. When he did this Jehovah struck him down because of this irreverent act. Then David became upset over this occurrence and he would not take the ark to Jerusalem because he recognized that he did not know the proper way to bring it to Jerusalem. Instead it was taken to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite where it remained for three months. In the intervening time since its capture by the Philistines, Israel had forgotten the procedure for carrying the ark.

When the king learned that Jehovah was blessing Obed-Edom, he consulted the priests and they told him what the proper procedure was. So David and all Israel again went to bring the ark to Jerusalem this time the priests carried it on their shoulders using the poles provided for this purpose. (Exodus 25:14) There was much dancing and shouting and the sound of trumpets as the ark arrived in Jerusalem. As Michal, David’s first wife, saw the procession and David dancing in his linen ephod, she despised him in her heart.

They placed the ark into the tent that David had erected for it and he then offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to Jehovah. Then he distributed a cake of bread, one of dates and one of raisins to all the people and they departed for their homes. When he went into his house to bless his family, Michal met him and accused him of lowering himself in the eyes of the maidservants by not wearing his royal raiment. David told her that he was celebrating to Jehovah who had set him up as king rather than her father’s family. Instead of looking down on him, the maidservants that she spoke of would instead honor him. Michal remained childless for the remainder of her life.

2 Samuel Chapter 7

Now that David is settled and Jehovah has given him peace, he expresses concern that the ark of Jehovah dwells in a tent, that it does not have a permanent home. (Psalms 132:1-5) He expresses this concern to Nathan the prophet and Nathan encourages him to do whatever he has in mind to do. The word of Jehovah came to Nathan and he was told to tell David that in all of the time that He has been with the nation, he has not required anyone to build a permanent dwelling for Him. Jehovah called David from tending sheep and made him ruler over His people. (Psalms 78:70- 72) He has cut off David’s enemies and given him a name among the great men on the earth. He will also settle His people in a place of their own and give them rest. They would not be oppressed as they had been when he appointed judges over them. Jehovah is pleased that David wants to build a house for Him but He instead is going to build a house for David. Jehovah will raise up a ‘seed’ from David and will establish his kingdom. He will be the one to build a house for His name. This ‘seed’ will be as a son to Jehovah and he will discipline him when he sins, but He will never leave him. This house that Jehovah will build for David will be an everlasting one. Nathan told all this to David.

These words are prophetic as most scholars recognize but they believe that they apply to all of David’s descendants who succeeded him and sat on his throne as king. But the application is to ‘one’ of his seed not to every man who descended from David. When we consider the typical application, that ‘seed’ was Solomon, as he did build Jehovah’s house. The antitypical Solomon is the Modern Day Servant who Jehovah will also use to build a house for Him in our modern times. It will be one made of ‘human’ stones not literal stones as was the one that Solomon built.

David’s response was one of humility when Nathan spoke to him about the house that Jehovah would build for him. David recognized that his house was insignificant but yet Jehovah had spoken to him about the future of his house. David praised Jehovah as the incomparable Sovereign of the earth, who had redeemed a people to Himself to make a name for Himself and He had given them a land by driving out nations and their gods from it. When Jehovah keeps his promise to David then His name would be great forever and David’s house would remain forever. Because of this great revelation, David now has the courage to offer this prayer to Jehovah. David is absolutely certain that since Jehovah has uttered these words, that they will be fulfilled and David’s house will have Jehovah’s blessings forever.



***©2005 by YORWW Congregation

NOTE: All cited scriptures were taken from the New American Standard version of the bible unless otherwise stated.