Bible Commentary: 2 Samuel 8-24
Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2005 5:41 pm
Bible Commentary for 2 Samuel 8 thru 24
2 Samuel Chapter 8
Jehovah now begins to give David’s enemies into his hands. He defeated the Philistines and took over their principal city of Gath and its surrounding villages. (1Chronicles 18:1) David defeated the Moabites; then he killed two-thirds of them and left one-third to till the land. They became his subjects and brought tribute to him. Balaam’s prophecy concerning Moab had a typical fulfillment at this time. (See Numbers 24:17-19) He fought with Hadadezer, the king of Zobah, whose territory extended to the Euphrates River in the north. He captured one thousand chariots, seven thousand charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung all of his horses except one hundred. The Arameans from Damascus came to the aid of Hadadezer and David defeated them and they became his subjects and paid tribute to him. The officers of Hadadezer had gold shields and David brought these to Jerusalem with him along with a large quantity of bronze. When the king of Hamath learned about the defeat of his neighbors, he sued for peace by sending his son to David to congratulate him on his victories and to bring him articles of silver, gold and bronze. David subdued the Edomites by striking down eighteen thousand of their soldiers in the Valley of Salt. He then put garrisons in Edom and they became his subjects. All the articles of silver and gold that he took as plunder from these nations, he dedicated to Jehovah. Jehovah gave David victory wherever he went.
David’s reign extended over all of Israel and he judged the people in righteousness and justice. David’s administration consisted of: Joab, his army commander; Jehoshaphat, his record keeper, Zadok and Abimelech, the chief priests; Seraiah, his secretary, Benaiah was over the Kerethites and Pelethites, who comprised his bodyguards, and his sons were his royal advisers.
2 Samuel Chapter 9
David remembered his covenant with Jonathan and he asks his servants if there was anyone left of the house of Saul that he could show kindness to. He was told that the chief steward of Saul’s estate, Ziba, would be able to tell him and David summoned him. He asked him who was left of Saul’s house that he could show kindness to and he was told that Jonathan had a son, Mephibosheth, who was crippled in both feet and was now living in Lo Debar (Debir) in Gilead, east of the Jordan. David sent for him and told him that he wanted to show him kindness for the sake of his father Jonathan and that he would restore to him all of his grandfather’s land and that he would eat at David’s table as his own sons did. Mephibosheth was greatly humbled that David would do this for him. David then told Ziba that Saul’s land would belong to Mephibosheth and Ziba and his fifteen sons and twenty servants were to farm the land and bring in the crops so that Mephibosheth’s family would have provisions. Mephibosheth, by this time, had a son named Mica. But Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem because he ate with David the king.
2 Samuel Chapter 10
Nahash, king of Ammon died and David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to the family. But the nobles said to Hanun, his son, that David was really sending spies to see how he could overthrow their nation. So when David’s delegation came to Hanun, he humiliated them by cutting off a part of their beards, cutting off their garments at the buttock and sending them away. When David heard this, he told the men to stay in Jericho until their beards grew back.
The NIV Bible Commentary, page 453, comments on this event. "Accepting the accessment of his men, Hanun decides to refuse David's cordial overtures and to humilate David messengers. He begins shaving off "half of each man's beard," no doubt vertically rather than horizontally to make them look as foolish as possible. He then cuts off their garments "in the middle at the buttocks" and sends them on their way. Forced exposure of the buttocks was a shameful practice inflicted on prisoners of war (cf Isa 20:4)"
When the Ammonites realized that they had made a huge mistake, they hired an Aramean army comprised of 33,000 men to help defend their country. When David learned of this, he sent Joab and his entire army against them. The Ammonites remained in their cities but the hired men from Beth Rehob, Zobah, Maacah and Tob were out in the open country. So Joab split the army into two sections, one he would command and the other was put under the command of his brother Abishai. They would fight on two fronts and if one army were losing then the other would come to help them. Joab turned to fight the Arameans and they fled from him. When the Ammonites saw the Arameans take to flight, they in turn fled and went inside their city. Although Joab and his men did not press their advantage and attack Rabbah at that time, they would later returned to do so.
The Arameans decided that they would regroup after this defeat and attack Israel. Hadadezer had Arameans brought from across the Euphrates as reinforcements and they met at Helam with Shobach leading them. David learned of this and he and his troops went to Helam, a desert area about forty miles east of the Sea of Chinnereth. The Arameans fell before the Israelites and their commander, Shobach, was killed. After this stunning defeat, all of Hadadezer’s vassal kingdoms decided to make peace with David and became his subjects. David now has control of all the land from Egypt to the river Euphrates although the Israelites did not settle in these areas.
2 Samuel Chapter 11
In the spring when the nation's army under the leadership of their king resumed their military activities, David sent his army under Joab’s command to Ammon to subdue the Ammonites, but David did not go with them. One evening he was walking on the palace roof and he saw a woman bathing in the open. He sent his servant to find out something about her. He was told that she was Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, the Hittite. He is listed among The Thirty chiefs, an elite group of men who were outstanding in their military prowess. Bathsheba was the daughter of Eliam, who is also listed among The Thirty chiefs and his father was Ahithophel, David’s counselor. (2 Samuel 23: 34, 39) He sent for her anyway and had relations with her and she became pregnant.
Now David has to take drastic measures to try and rectify this situation. He tells Joab to send Uriah to him and when Uriah arrived, David asked him some general questions about the course of the battle. He then casually told Uriah to go to his home and clean himself up. But Uriah did not go to his home, instead he slept at the entrance of the palace gate with all the servants of the palace. When David learned that Uriah had remained at the palace, he asked him why hadn’t he gone home since he had traveled such a long distance. Uriah replied that he could not eat and enjoy himself with his wife while the army was camped out in the open and the ark was in a tent. David then got him drunk hoping that he would go home in that state but he did not. David then told him to stay in Jerusalem one more day and he would send him back to the battle lines.
When David sent Uriah back, he gave him a note to give to Joab in which he told Joab to put Uriah on the front line where the fighting was fiercest and then withdraw from him so that he would be killed. When the Ammonites came out and fought Israel, some of the army fell including Uriah. Joab then sent a full account of the battle by a messenger. He told the messenger that if the king became angry when he reported how close to the wall the men were when they had been killed, then he was to tell him that Uriah, the Hittite had been killed also.
When David heard the report about Uriah’s death, he told the messenger to tell Joab that ‘the sword devours one as well as another. He was to press the attack against the city and destroy it.’ When Bathsheba heard that her husband was dead, she mourned the appropriate time and David, afterward, had her brought to his house to become his wife and she bore him a son. Jehovah however was very displeased with what David had done.
2 Samuel Chapter 12
Jehovah sent Nathan to David to bring to his mind the gravity of what he had done. Nathan gave David an illustration about two men in a certain town; one man was rich and had a very large number of sheep and cattle, the other man was poor and had only one ewe lamb that was very precious to him. When a traveler came to stay with the rich man, instead of preparing one of his many sheep, he took the ewe lamb from the poor man and used it to feed his guest. David became angry with the rich man and declared that he should die! Then Nathan told David that he was the rich man. Jehovah’s word to him was that He had given to David Saul’s house and his wives, he had put him over the house of both Judah and Israel, He would have given him more if all of this had not been enough. But he despised God’s word by committing evil before Him in that he had Uriah killed because he wanted his wife. Therefore, the sword would not depart from his house. Other calamities would also befall him. Someone close to David would have relations with his wives and he would do it before all Israel, not in secret as David had done with Bathsheba. The words of Psalm 51 echoes David’s repentant attitude after Jehovah sent Nathan to counsel him.
Then David confessed that he had sinned before Jehovah. Nathan told him that Jehovah had taken his sin away and he would not die, but the son born to him would die. David was guilt of adultery and murder, both of which are punishable by death. After Nathan left, Jehovah struck the child and he became ill. David fasted and pleaded with Jehovah to heal the child but seven days later the child died. David’s servants were afraid to tell him because they were not sure what he would do. But David, sensing that the child had died, asked his servants if it were so. They told him that it was true and David got up from the ground and cleaned himself up and he went into went to the house of Jehovah to worship there. He then went home and had food brought to him. His servants wanted an explanation of his actions, which to them seemed odd. He told them that while the child was alive there was hope that Jehovah would heal him, but now that the child was dead, he was not coming back to life but he would be going to where this child was.
For a more indepth explanation on why Jehovah spared David's life after this incident, see the article entitled "Divine Mercy Triumphs over Judgment" at the address given below.
http//www.livingwatersforum/forum/viewtopic.php?t=306
Then David had relations with Bathsheba and she became pregnant and gave birth to another son that they named Solomon, which means ‘peace.’ Jehovah loved this child and he sent Nathan to David to tell him to call the child Jedidiah, which means ‘loved by Jehovah.’
Joab has all but brought the Ammonites to theirs knees by capturing the water supply of the capital city, Rabbah. He sent word to David that if he wanted the credit for the fall of the Ammonites he should lead the final attack against the city. David brings the entire army against Rabbah and they capture it and its king. They took the crown from the head of the Ammonite king and put it on David’s head. It weighed a talent of gold, or about seventy-five pounds, and was set with precious stones. He took much plunder from the city and forced all of the Ammonites to do slave labor.
2 Samuel Chapter 13
Jehovah’s words to David concerning calamity in his household are beginning to be fulfilled. Amnon, David’s firstborn son, believed himself to be in love with his half-sister Tamar, who is a virgin. The situation seemed impossible until he asked the advice of his cousin, Jonadab. Jonadab told him to pretend to be ill and when his father came to see him, he was to say that he wanted his sister to prepare some special bread for him and he wanted to eat it from her hands. David sent word to Tamar that she was to go to Amnon’s house to prepare some food for him, which she did. When she finished baking the bread, he refused to eat it. He ordered everyone out of his house and he told Tamar to bring the bread into the bedroom. When she did, he grabbed her and said to her “Come to bed with me, my sister.” But she refused because she knew it to be a wicked thing to do and it would bring disgrace on her. (Deuteronomy 22:28, 29) She told him that he would be no better than any other wicked fool in Israel if he did this. She was sure that if he would only asked their father, he would allow them to marry. But this not what Amnon wants. So he overpowers her and rapes her. Afterward he loathed her as intensely as he thought he loved her. He had her put out of his house and she, because of the shame she felt, tore her royal robe and put ashes on her head. She left weeping aloud with her hand on her head. She was now disgraced and would probably never marry.
When she saw her brother, Absalom, he asked her if Amnon had been with her. He then told her not to be anxious and not to say anything to anyone. He did not say this to her but he was already planning what steps he would take to avenge his sister. But he never said one word to Amnon to let him know exactly how he felt although he hated him. So Tamar lived in his house in a desolate condition. When David heard about it, he was furious but he did not do anything to Amnon.
Two years later at sheep shearing time, Absalom held a festival and invited all of his brothers, his father and his father’s officials to come and celebrate with him. But David refused on the grounds that it would be too many people for him to feed. Then he asked if Amnon and his brothers could join him and eventually David agreed to this. Absalom had already told his servants that when Amnon was filled with wine, they were to kill him when he gave the order. His men obeyed him and they killed Amnon. All of David’s other sons fled but before they arrived at the palace, word had already come to David saying that Absalom had killed all of his sons. David tore his garments and fell on the ground in mourning.
But Jonadab (this is the same person who gave Amnon bad advice) said to David that not all of his sons had been killed but only Amnon because he had raped Absalom’s sister, Tamar. When David’s sons returned, they were all weeping because Amnon had been killed. Absalom now fled to Geshur, where his mother’s family lived. She was the daughter of the king of Geshur and he stayed there three years. When David was reconciled to the death his son Amnon, he longed to see Absalom.
2 Samuel Chapter 14
Joab is aware that the king is longing to see his son Absalom but no one knows how to bring about reconciliation between the two. Joab devises a scheme whereby he would fabricate a story and have a wise woman present this story to the king; someone the king could not lightly dismiss. After he renders a decision relative to the problem presented by the woman she is to tactfully bring Absalom into conversation intimating that David’s problem is similar to hers.
The woman was to go before the king in mourning clothes, to prostrate herself before him and ask for his help. She tells him that she is a widow who had two sons. The sons got into a fight and one killed the other. There was no malice or hatred between them before this happened, it was an accident. The whole family is now demanding that the living son be turned over to them so that they may avenge the death of the other son. But she says him that the real reason that they want to kill her remaining son is so that they can take his inheritance. If they are allowed to do this then her husband will have no one left to carry on his name. David tells her that he will issue an order concerning her son. But she presses further because she wants a full pardon for her son. She says further to David to "invoke Jehovah your God to prevent the avenger of blood from killing her remaining son." David then promises her that ‘not a hair of his head will fall to the ground.’
The woman now comes to the real reason that she has come before David. Since he has agreed to pardon her son for his error, shouldn’t he do likewise for his own son who had been banished for killing his brother? The problem with this analogy is that Absalom did plot to kill his brother but David may not have been aware of this. To keep David from realizing her real reason for coming to him, the woman then says that she was afraid of being cheated out of her and her son’s inheritance, so she came to the king because he might perhaps listen to her and help her. She knows what a wise person he is and that God is with him. For some reason at this juncture, David realized that she really wants something else from him. So he asks her if Joab had anything to do with her coming to him. She tells him that he did as he instructed her in what to say to him. David does see her point and he tells Joab to bring Absalom back but he must stay at his own house, he was not to try to see David.
Absalom was a very handsome man with very thick and luxuriant hair that he only cut once a year even though it was very heavy when it grew long. He had three sons and one daughter. His daughter’s name was Tamar, probably in honor of his sister. It is thought that his sons died in infancy. (2 Samuel 18:18) When he returned to Jerusalem, he stayed at his own house for two years without seeing his father. He then requested that Joab come to see him but twice he refused to do so. So Absalom retaliated by having his servants burn Joab’s barley field which was next to his field. Joab then went to see him to ask why he had burned his barley field. Absalom asked him why had he been sent for if he was not to see his father at all, it would have been better if he had remained in Geshur. He then demanded that Joab tell David that if he is guilty of anything, then David should put him to death. Joab told this to David and David agreed to see his son.
2 Samuel Chapter 15
During the two years that David had refused to see Absalom, he began to develop animosity towards his father and to covet the kingship before his father died. Even when David welcomed him back he did not change. Instead he now begins to actively divert the people’s attention from David to himself. He provided himself with a chariot and fifty men to run ahead of him. As the people came to see the king to get justice for some grievance they had, he would stand by the side of the road and say to them: “Where are you from?” When they told him he would say that he knew that they had a legitimate claim but the king was not really interested in hearing them. But if he were judge, he would take the time to hear everyone. Any one who came and bowed before him, he would give them a kiss to show how much he cared for them. The fact is that he was very conceited but he succeeded in drawing the people to himself.
A footnote to verse 4 in the NIV Study Bible says this of Absalom: “Absalom presents himself as the solution to the people’s legal grievances. In the case of Amnon, he had taken matters into his own hands because of his father’s laxity. He has found, he believes, the weakness in his father’s reign, and he capitalized on it with political astuteness.”
When he was ready to put his plan into action, he told David that he wanted to go to Hebron in order to fulfill a vow that he had made while he was in Geshur. David sent him away in peace. He went to Hebron accompanied by two hundred men who were not aware of what his plans were. No doubt he used them to give legitimacy to his rebellion. When he arrived in Hebron, he sent messengers secretly throughout Israel telling the people that as soon as they heard the trumpets sound, they were to say that ‘Absalom is king in Hebron.’ While he was offering sacrifices, he sent for David’s own trusted counselor, Ahithophel. Why would Ahithophel desert David after having served him so faithfully?
The NIV Study Bible offers this comment: “Ahithophel. Bathsheba’s grandfather and a wise and respected counselor. He appears to have secretly aligned himself with Absalom’s rebellion in its planning stage, perhaps in retaliation against David for his treatment of Bathsheba and Uriah. This unsuspected betrayal by a trusted friend may have prompted David’s statements in Ps 41:9; 55:12-14.”
David is now told about Absalom’s rebellion and he tells all of his officials that they must leave Jerusalem quickly or Absalom may return to Jerusalem and put everyone to death and destroy the city. He prepares to go and leaves ten of his concubines behind to take care of the palace. He takes the remainder of his household and his bodyguards and they leave Jerusalem. Itai, the Gittite and the six hundred Gittites follow him but David thinks that these men should not involve themselves in this matter, as they are foreigners and Itai had only arrived in Jerusalem the day before. He urges them to go back and serve the new king, but Itai tells him that he is his servant and wherever he is there they should be also. David allows them to continue with him. The people along the way were weeping as David and his contingent crossed the Kidron Valley going to the desert.
Zadok, Abiathar and the Levites were with David and they had the Ark of God with them. They set it down and began offering sacrifices until the people had all left Jerusalem. David told Zadok to take the ark back to Jerusalem. If it were Jehovah’s will for him to return to Jerusalem, then he would see it again. David wanted Zadok to be in a position to apprise him of any word that might come from Jehovah. Zadok and Abiathar’s sons, Ahimaaz and Jonathan, could be dispatched if they need to get a message to him.
David and the people continued up the Mount of Olives with their heads covered and they wept as they went. David was told that Ahithophel was with Absalom and he prayed to Jehovah that he would make his counsel seem foolish. Then Hushai met David on the summit and David saw this as an answer to his prayer. He told Hushai that it would be better if he returned to Jerusalem because he could be useful in frustrating Ahithophel’s counsel. He could also tell what he hears in the palace to Zadok and Zadok could get the information to him. Hushai returned to Jerusalem just as Absalom was entering the city.
2 Samuel Chapter 16
Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, met David bringing with him many provision for all the people. When David asked where Mephibosheth was, Ziba told him that he had stayed behind in Jerusalem because he hoped that Jehovah might restore the kingdom to Saul’s descendants. This is not true but Ziba will use any excuse to gain control of Saul’s property for himself and his family. Because David could not be sure that this statement was not true and since Ziba had been considerate enough to bring them provisions, he then told Ziba that he could have all that belonged to Mephibosheth, which is exactly what Ziba wanted to hear.
As they reached Bahurim, Shimei, a Benjamite came out to where they were and he began cursing and throwing stones and dirt on David and the people. He accuses David of shedding the blood of Saul’s household and now Jehovah has repaid him by taking the kingdom away from him and giving it to his son. Abishai wanted to kill him but David would not allow it. It may have been Jehovah who told him to do this, and if David accepted this cursing then Jehovah might repay him with good later. Shemei continued this activity until David and the people arrived at their destination.
When Hushai came to Absalom he shouted: “Long live the king! Long live the king!” Then Absalom intimated that Hushai was not much of a friend to David because he had not gone with him. Hushai answered that whoever was chosen by God and by the people was the one that he would serve. Absalom then asked Ahithophel what should he do first. Ahithophel told him that he should sleep with the ten concubines that David left at the palace so that all of the people would know that he was in contention for the kingship of Israel. He was now advertising that he was taking over the kingship. So a tent was pitched on the roof for Absalom and he lay with his father’s concubines. It happened just as Jehovah had told David it would. (12:11) Both David and Absalom viewed the advice of Ahithophel as one would view the advice of someone who inquired of God.
2 Samuel Chapter 17
Then Ahithophel gave Absalom advice on how to kill David and restore the people who were with him to Absalom. He should choose twelve thousand troops and set out immediately in pursuit of David. He would fall on him while he was tired and weary and all the people would flee from him. Then he should kill the king but leave the rest of the people unharmed. This was good advice to Absalom but he wanted another opinion. So he sent for Hushai and told him what Ahithophel had advised and wanted to know what advice he would give.
Hushai gave the opposite advice. He said that since David and his men were fierce and experienced fighters, they would need all Israel to gather together against them and Absalom should lead them. Then no matter where David might hide there would be enough Israelites to find him and kill him and all of his troops even if they were hiding in a city. Then they would use ropes to pull down the city and drag its walls into a valley so that it no longer existed. Hushai gave a very grandiose scenario and this probably appealed to the vanity of Absalom and he accepted it as being better advice than what Ahithophel had given. Of course, this was all Jehovah’s doing as he was determined to bring Absalom down.
But Hushai wasted no time getting a message to David for he did not know whether Absalom would change his mind and leave immediately to pursue David or if he would gather all Israel to him first as he had counseled. He went to Zadok and told him what had been said and he told him to get a message to David to cross the Jordan immediately or Absalom might catch up with him. A servant girl was sent to Jonathan and Ahimaaz to give them this message. They were living outside of Jerusalem because they did not want to be seen by Absalom or his men. But they were seen and they had to flee to a house in Bahurim where they were allowed to go down into a well to hide. A covering was put on top of the well and grain was put on top of that. When Absalom’s men came to the house looking for the two, the woman told them that they had gone in the direction of the brook. The men searched for them but did not find them so they returned to Jerusalem. Jonathan and Ahimaaz came out of the well, found David and warned him to cross the Jordan immediately because of the advice of Ahithophel.
Ahithophel knew that the advice given by Hushai was not the best and therefore he believed that Absalom would fail and he, himself, would be tried for treason. So he went home, put his affairs in order, then he hanged himself. Neither Ahithophel nor Absalom gave any consideration to Jehovah and to whether He would take a hand in this affair.
David and his men crossed the Jordan River and came to Mahanaim, a fortified city in Gilead that had served as the capital city of Ish-Bosheth’s government. (2:8) Supplies were brought to him while there by Shobi, an Ammonite, Makir from Lo Debar, the same person who gave shelter to Mephibosheth, and Barzillai, a wealthy Gileadite from Rogelim.
2 Samuel Chapter 18
David divided the fighting men with him into three divisions. He put Joab over one division, Abishai over another and the third one under Itai and he was prepared to lead them. But they did not want him to do this as they knew that the entire army of Absalom would be after him and would not pursue anyone else. So he remained in the city and as they were about to leave to engage the army of Absalom David specifically told them not to harm his son.
The fighting took place in the forests of Ephraim, evidently thick forests that were east of the Jordan. David’s men defeated Absalom’s army and about twenty thousand men died that day. It is said though that the forest took more lives that the sword did. Absalom himself became a victim of this forest. As he was trying to escape his mule went under an oak tree with thick branches, Absalom’s hair became entangled in the branches and his mule went on leaving him hanging there. One of David’s men saw him and reported it to Joab. Joab was incensed that the man had not killed Absalom. But the man reminded him that he had heard what David said about them not hurting his son and he would not kill him for any amount of money. David would hear about it and he would probably be killed and Joab would have distanced himself from him. So Joab, bent on violence, took three javelins and plunged them into Absalom and ten of his aids likewise did so and he died.
Joab sounded the trumpet to end the fighting and Absalom’s troops fled to their homes. They took Absalom down from the tree and threw his body into a pit and piled a lot of rocks over him. Absalom had built a monument to himself near Jerusalem because he had no sons to carry on his name. He called it Absalom’s Monument and had probably intended to be buried there. But Joab and his men treated him as they would any traitor and gave him an ignominious burial. Nothing is written concerning what happened to the three sons that Absalom was said to have fathered. (14:27)
Ahimaaz wanted to run and tell the king that Jehovah had delivered his enemies into his hand. But Joab did not want him to take the news as he was not sure how David would react. He chose a Cushite and sent him to tell David what had occurred. Ahimaaz still wanted to run and finally Joab allowed him to do so. He took a different route and got to David before the Cushite did. He told David that Jehovah had given him the victory. When David asked about Absalom, he said he did not know anything about him. So they waited for the Cushite to get there. When he arrived, David asked him about Absalom and he said that Absalom had been killed.
David then went into the room over the gateway and wept over Absalom saying: “if only I had died instead of Absalom.”
2 Samuel Chapter 19
When Joab was told that the king was weeping over Absalom, he went in to him and told him that he had made his troops feel humiliated. They had fought to save his household and he was grieving over the enemy. It seemed that he would have preferred to have Absalom alive and all of them dead, at least that was the impression he was giving. Then Joab threatened to take all of the troops away by nightfall and leave him alone if he did not go out and encourage them. So he got up and sat in the gateway and when the men heard this they all came before him.
After the death of Absalom, the people of Israel began to argue about whether they should bring David back to the throne and David heard about this. David sent a message to the priests to be deliver to the elders of Judah asking them why weren’t they the first to come and bring him back to his palace. Since they are flesh and blood brothers why should they be last in bringing him back. They are also to tell Amasa that David has sworn that he will make him commander of his army instead of Joab. Now Amasa had commanded the army of Absalom. This was pleasing to the elders of Judah and they went to the Jordan to meet David and to escort him to Jerusalem.
Shimei, who had cursed David as he fled from Absalom, also came to meet David and he begged him to forgive him for what he had done. To show that he had a change of heart about David, he was now the first of the house of Joseph to come and welcome him back. Abishai stills believes that Shimei should be put to death because he cursed the anointed of Jehovah but David insists that this is not the day for putting anyone to death as it a day to celebrate his regaining his kingship. So he tells Shimei on oath that he would not put him to death.
Mephibosheth also came to meet David and he had remained unkempt the entire time that David was away. David wanted to know why had he not gone with him and he told him that because he was lame in both feet, he was unable to saddle his own donkey and Ziba had betrayed him. He had also slandered him before David in saying that he was hoping that the kingship would be restored to Saul’s house. Since the king possessed great powers of discernment, he should do whatever pleases him. Mephibosheth recognized that being a descendant of Saul gave him no rights at all. David then ordered them to divide the property between them but Mephibosheth said that Ziba could have it all now that David was back as king. Nothing is said further as to what happened to the property although David now knows that Ziba had lied to him.
Barzillai also came to cross over the Jordan with David and David, being grateful to him for supplying him with food, wants him to come to Jerusalem and be a guest at his table. But Barzillai begs off because he is old and wants to remain at him home to die. But he asks if his son, Kimam, can take his place and David accepts his offer. After they crossed over the Jordan, David kissed Barzillai, blessed him and he returned to his home. When they reached Gilgal, dissention developed between the men of Israel and the men of Judah over who had the most right to bring the king back. The men of Israel argued that since they were ten tribes, they had the greater claim on David. The men of Judah argued that they were close family and so had the greater claim on David. Their argument continued and became more heated.
2 Samuel Chapter 20
Sheba, a Benjamite, known as a troublemaker ended the argument by calling for all of Israel to leave the king and to go to their homes since they had no part in David. All Israel followed him and only Judah remained with David. David is now going to be faced with another insurrection if he does not act quickly to dispel it. When they arrived in Jerusalem, David put the ten concubines in a house and posted a guard at the door. Although he fed them, he did not have relations with them again. They lived as widows until their death. David then summoned Amasa and told him to gather the men of Judah together and bring them to him in three days. But he took longer than expected to do this so David told Abishai to take charge of his army and chase after Sheba because he believed that Sheba would cause more harm to him than Absalom had. When they reached Gibeon, Amasa met them and Joab on pretense of greeting him, killed him with a dagger. Then they resumed their search for Sheba.
Sheba traveled through Israel and reached Abel Beth Maacah at the northern end of the country. From all of Israel he was only able to recruit the Berites to join with him. Joab and the army came to Abel and began to besiege it. They built a siege ramp to use to bring the walls of the city down. As they were attacking the walls a wise woman asked to speak to Joab. When he went to her she reminded him that the city of Abel was well known in Israel as a place where wisdom could be found. Why was Joab trying to destroy a peaceful city as Abel was? Joab objected to this accusation and told her that he was there to find Sheba who had defied the king. If Abel would turn him over to them, he would leave the city alone. The woman then talked to the people of the city and they cut Sheba’s head off and threw it over the city walls and Joab and his army withdrew from the city. Joab returned to Jerusalem to David. It appears that he would still be commander of David’s army.
2 Samuel Chapter 21
There was a three-year famine in Israel and David went to Jehovah in prayer to find out the reason for it. Jehovah told him that it was because Saul had tried to annihilate the Gibeonites. We remember the Gibeonites were Amorites who were slated for destruction but had succeeded in tricking Joshua into making a covenant with them that they would not be put to death. (Joshua 9:15) Saul had completely ignored this covenant in his zeal to remove from Israel all who were not of the twelve tribes. David summoned the Gibeonites and asked them what did they require to be done to atone for the wrong done to them by Saul. They asked David to give them seven male members of Saul’s family to be killed and exposed before Jehovah at Gibeah of Saul. David agreed to do this.
David did not choose Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son as one of the seven because of the covenant of friendship he had made with Jonathan. He took the two sons that Rizpah, Saul’s concubine, bore to him, along with five sons of Saul’s daughter, Merob. They were killed and exposed on a hill at the beginning of barley harvesting season. Rizpah kept watch over the bodies day and night not letting the birds or wild animals touch them. She did so up to the time that Jehovah ended the drought. When David learned what Rizpah was doing, he had Saul and Jonathan’s bones brought from Jabesh Gilead and together with the bones of the seven men, he had them buried in the tomb of Saul’s father, Kish. After this, Jehovah caused it to rain in Israel.
The latter part of this chapter list the last wars that David and his army fought with the Philistines. In one particular engagement with them, David led his army against them but he became exhausted and Ishbi-Benob, a descendant of Rapha, whose spearhead weighed seven and one-half pounds, threatened to kill him but Abishai came to his rescue and killed the Philistine. David’s men then told him that he was never to lead the army in battle again as he might be killed and the lamp of Israel would be extinguished. The expression ‘the lamp of Israel’ probably refers to David as the wise and enlightened leader through whom Jehovah’s blessings came. Later in another battle with the Philistines at Gob, another descendant of Rapha, Saph, was killed by Sibbecai the Hushathite. The Philistines brought to fore another of their champions, this time the brother of Goliath whom David had killed, Lahmi, who Elhanan, a Bethlehemite, killed. (See 1 Chronicles 20:5) In another battle fought in Gath, Israel faced another descendant of Rapha, a very large man, who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. David’s nephew, Jonathan, killed him. With the death of these four giants, the Philistines had no more leaders to do battle for them.
2 Samuel Chapter 22
This song was composed and sung by David after Jehovah had given all of his enemies into his hands (7:1) and before his affair with Bathsheba. It is also the song recorded at Psalm 18. David begins this song with praise to Jehovah describing Him as his fortress, his deliverer, his rock, his shield, the horn of his salvation, his refuge and his savior. When David found himself confronted by death, he called to Jehovah and from his temple, He heard him. Then Jehovah acted, He parted the heavens and came down with dark clouds under His feet, mounted on the cherubim and soaring on the wings of the wind. He thundered from heaven His voice resounding, He shot arrows and scattered the enemy, and with bolts of lightening He routed them. David gives all credit to Jehovah for the victories he won. He gives Jehovah credit for removing him from situations over which he had no control.
David believes that Jehovah helped him because He delighted in him and He dealt with him because of his righteousness; because of the cleanness of his hands. David is not bragging but realizes that Jehovah delights in those who obey Him, keeps his covenant and who refrain from evil by not turning away from Him. To those who are faithful, Jehovah shows himself faithful, but to those who act crookedly, He shows Himself to be shrewd. He exalts the humble but brings down the haughty. Here David refers to Jehovah as his lamp, the One who guides him, and the one who shows him how to accomplish things that may seem impossible to men.
Jehovah’s way is perfect, His word flawless and those who take refuge in Him, He will shield. He arms His anointed with strength, gives him the light-footedness of a deer, trains his hands for battle and strengthens his arms. He widens his pathway so that David will not stumble. When he pursues his enemies, he will do a thorough job of defeating them because Jehovah had strengthened him. His enemies may cry out for help but there is no one to save them. They will be as dust on the earth or as mud that people trample in the streets. (8:2; 12:31)
The NIV Bible Commentary, page 481 has this to say about verses 38-43 of this chapter. "As he (David) describes the thoroughness of his triumph, he virtually exhausts the lexicon of Hebrew verbs that have to do with annihilation."
David has been delivered from attacks by his own people and has been made head of nations. People from everywhere become subject to him when they hear about what Jehovah has done for him. (8:9, 10; 15:18)
Isaiah 55:4, 5 where verses 44-46 of this chapter are partially quoted, show that these verses have a broader fulfillment than what happened in David’s day. The antitypical fulfillment will occur in our modern time when Jehovah reveals to the world His modern-day David, His anointed one.
David ends his song by offering the highest praise to Jehovah who is exalted; who has put nations under him and freed him from all his enemies. David therefore vows to praise Jehovah among the nations, to sing praises to his great name as He has shown unfailing kindness to his anointed one and to his descendants. (See 1 Kings 11:13, 36; 15:4; 2 Kings 8:19; 2 Chronicles 21:7)
2 Samuel Chapter 23
The statement: “These are the last words of David” has to do with his final literary composition not his last spoken words. It is called an oracle, which is a message from God. David identifies himself as the one who had been anointed and exalted by God and as Israel’s beloved singer of songs. He acknowledges that the spirit of God spoke to through him and His word was on his tongue. The God of Israel said to David this: “When one rules over men in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, his is like the light of morning at sunrise, on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth.” Jehovah here is describing the descendant of David who will be the fulfillment of His covenant with David. David refers to this covenant as an ‘everlasting covenant arranged and secured in every part.’ (7:12, 28, 29) David is also confident that Jehovah will bring him salvation and grant him his desires. Wicked men will be cast aside as thorns are which are not gathered by hand but are burned where they lay.
The mighty men who surrounded and supported David and some of their exploits are given next. Josheb-Bassheeth, one of the Three, killed eight hundred men with a spear in one encounter. Eleazar, another member of the Three, had stood his ground when his fellow soldiers retreated and he struck down so many Philistines that his hand froze to his spear. Shammah stood in a field of lentils and defended it from the Philistines even though the army had fled and Jehovah gave the Philistines over to them.
When David was hiding in the cave of Adullam and while doing some wishful thinking made the statement that he longed for a drink of water from a well near the gate of Bethlehem. He was not asking anyone to go and get the water, but three of his thirty mighty men heard him and decided to get the water for him. There was a Philistine garrison stationed in Bethlehem and these three men broke through the Philistine lines and brought the water back to David. David took the water and poured it out because he knew that they had risked their lives in order to get the water.
Abishai became the chief of the Three but he was not included among them. He himself had stuck down three hundred men and had become as famous as they were. Benaiah, who also was not included in the Three, had killed two of Moab’s best fighters; he also killed a lion and had taken the spear that belonged to an Egyptian giant and had killed him with it. Benaiah was armed only with a club when he did this. David’s Thirty mighty men are listed and notable among them are Elaim, the son of Ahithophel and father of Bathsheba, and Uriah, the Hittite, husband of Bathsheba.
2 Samuel Chapter 24
Verse one appears to intimate that it was Jehovah who incited David to number the nation to learn what his military strength was. The account in 1 Chronicles 21:1 says that it was Satan who incited David to do this. The specified time that he ordered this to be done is not given nor is a reason given as to why he needed to have this information. He ordered Joab and the other commanders of the army to go from Dan to Beersheba and take this census. Joab did not want David to do this and he tells him that Jehovah could multiply the troops a hundred-fold and David would know it. Joab knew that David’s action would bring guilt on the nation. But he was overruled and he had to do what David wanted him to.
David had obviously forgotten what Jehovah told Moses to do at Exodus 30:11, 12 when taking a census of the people. It reads: "Then the LORD said to Moses, When you take a census of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the LORD a ransom for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague will come on them when you number them."
After traveling nine months and twenty days throughout Israel, he reported to the king that there were eight hundred thousand able-bodied men in Israel and five hundred thousand able-bodied men in Judah. (Other accounts give different numbers.) After receiving this information David’s conscience now begin to bother him because he knew that he had done wrong. He approached Jehovah in prayer and begged him to forgive him because he had done a foolish thing. Jehovah answered him by sending Gad to him. He told David that he had three choices of punishment and he could decide which one he preferred the nation to undergo, as the nation was certainly going to suffer for what he had done. The choices were 1) three years of famine, 2) three months of fleeing from their enemy, or 3) three days of plague in the land. Each one of these is mentioned in Deuteronomy as punishment for disobedience to the covenant. (See Deuteronomy 28:21, 24, 25) The one thing that David did not want to happen was that they should fall into the hands of their enemies.
So Jehovah sent three days of plagues upon Israel and seventy thousand people died. When the angel stretched out his hand towards Jerusalem to plague it Jehovah stopped him and told him to withdraw his hand. This event occurred at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite located on Mount Moriah. David was very distressed by the destruction of so many people and he said that these people had done no wrong, he was the one who had sinned and that his family should have been the ones who suffered because of this sin.
Gad went to David that day and told him to build an altar to Jehovah on the threshing floor of Araunah. David went up to the threshing floor and Araunah saw him coming and he asked why had he come to him. David told him he wanted to buy his threshing floor where he could build an altar to sacrifice to Jehovah so that the plague would stop. Araunah offered to give him the threshing floor as well as the oxen and the wood to use for the sacrifices. But David would not accept this gift as he said that he would not offer sacrifices to Jehovah that had cost him nothing. So he purchased the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. He built an altar there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then Jehovah answered David’s prayer and He stopped the plague on Israel.
NOTE: All cited scriptures are taken from the New International Version unless otherwise stated.
***©2005 by YORWW Congregation
2 Samuel Chapter 8
Jehovah now begins to give David’s enemies into his hands. He defeated the Philistines and took over their principal city of Gath and its surrounding villages. (1Chronicles 18:1) David defeated the Moabites; then he killed two-thirds of them and left one-third to till the land. They became his subjects and brought tribute to him. Balaam’s prophecy concerning Moab had a typical fulfillment at this time. (See Numbers 24:17-19) He fought with Hadadezer, the king of Zobah, whose territory extended to the Euphrates River in the north. He captured one thousand chariots, seven thousand charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung all of his horses except one hundred. The Arameans from Damascus came to the aid of Hadadezer and David defeated them and they became his subjects and paid tribute to him. The officers of Hadadezer had gold shields and David brought these to Jerusalem with him along with a large quantity of bronze. When the king of Hamath learned about the defeat of his neighbors, he sued for peace by sending his son to David to congratulate him on his victories and to bring him articles of silver, gold and bronze. David subdued the Edomites by striking down eighteen thousand of their soldiers in the Valley of Salt. He then put garrisons in Edom and they became his subjects. All the articles of silver and gold that he took as plunder from these nations, he dedicated to Jehovah. Jehovah gave David victory wherever he went.
David’s reign extended over all of Israel and he judged the people in righteousness and justice. David’s administration consisted of: Joab, his army commander; Jehoshaphat, his record keeper, Zadok and Abimelech, the chief priests; Seraiah, his secretary, Benaiah was over the Kerethites and Pelethites, who comprised his bodyguards, and his sons were his royal advisers.
2 Samuel Chapter 9
David remembered his covenant with Jonathan and he asks his servants if there was anyone left of the house of Saul that he could show kindness to. He was told that the chief steward of Saul’s estate, Ziba, would be able to tell him and David summoned him. He asked him who was left of Saul’s house that he could show kindness to and he was told that Jonathan had a son, Mephibosheth, who was crippled in both feet and was now living in Lo Debar (Debir) in Gilead, east of the Jordan. David sent for him and told him that he wanted to show him kindness for the sake of his father Jonathan and that he would restore to him all of his grandfather’s land and that he would eat at David’s table as his own sons did. Mephibosheth was greatly humbled that David would do this for him. David then told Ziba that Saul’s land would belong to Mephibosheth and Ziba and his fifteen sons and twenty servants were to farm the land and bring in the crops so that Mephibosheth’s family would have provisions. Mephibosheth, by this time, had a son named Mica. But Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem because he ate with David the king.
2 Samuel Chapter 10
Nahash, king of Ammon died and David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to the family. But the nobles said to Hanun, his son, that David was really sending spies to see how he could overthrow their nation. So when David’s delegation came to Hanun, he humiliated them by cutting off a part of their beards, cutting off their garments at the buttock and sending them away. When David heard this, he told the men to stay in Jericho until their beards grew back.
The NIV Bible Commentary, page 453, comments on this event. "Accepting the accessment of his men, Hanun decides to refuse David's cordial overtures and to humilate David messengers. He begins shaving off "half of each man's beard," no doubt vertically rather than horizontally to make them look as foolish as possible. He then cuts off their garments "in the middle at the buttocks" and sends them on their way. Forced exposure of the buttocks was a shameful practice inflicted on prisoners of war (cf Isa 20:4)"
When the Ammonites realized that they had made a huge mistake, they hired an Aramean army comprised of 33,000 men to help defend their country. When David learned of this, he sent Joab and his entire army against them. The Ammonites remained in their cities but the hired men from Beth Rehob, Zobah, Maacah and Tob were out in the open country. So Joab split the army into two sections, one he would command and the other was put under the command of his brother Abishai. They would fight on two fronts and if one army were losing then the other would come to help them. Joab turned to fight the Arameans and they fled from him. When the Ammonites saw the Arameans take to flight, they in turn fled and went inside their city. Although Joab and his men did not press their advantage and attack Rabbah at that time, they would later returned to do so.
The Arameans decided that they would regroup after this defeat and attack Israel. Hadadezer had Arameans brought from across the Euphrates as reinforcements and they met at Helam with Shobach leading them. David learned of this and he and his troops went to Helam, a desert area about forty miles east of the Sea of Chinnereth. The Arameans fell before the Israelites and their commander, Shobach, was killed. After this stunning defeat, all of Hadadezer’s vassal kingdoms decided to make peace with David and became his subjects. David now has control of all the land from Egypt to the river Euphrates although the Israelites did not settle in these areas.
2 Samuel Chapter 11
In the spring when the nation's army under the leadership of their king resumed their military activities, David sent his army under Joab’s command to Ammon to subdue the Ammonites, but David did not go with them. One evening he was walking on the palace roof and he saw a woman bathing in the open. He sent his servant to find out something about her. He was told that she was Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, the Hittite. He is listed among The Thirty chiefs, an elite group of men who were outstanding in their military prowess. Bathsheba was the daughter of Eliam, who is also listed among The Thirty chiefs and his father was Ahithophel, David’s counselor. (2 Samuel 23: 34, 39) He sent for her anyway and had relations with her and she became pregnant.
Now David has to take drastic measures to try and rectify this situation. He tells Joab to send Uriah to him and when Uriah arrived, David asked him some general questions about the course of the battle. He then casually told Uriah to go to his home and clean himself up. But Uriah did not go to his home, instead he slept at the entrance of the palace gate with all the servants of the palace. When David learned that Uriah had remained at the palace, he asked him why hadn’t he gone home since he had traveled such a long distance. Uriah replied that he could not eat and enjoy himself with his wife while the army was camped out in the open and the ark was in a tent. David then got him drunk hoping that he would go home in that state but he did not. David then told him to stay in Jerusalem one more day and he would send him back to the battle lines.
When David sent Uriah back, he gave him a note to give to Joab in which he told Joab to put Uriah on the front line where the fighting was fiercest and then withdraw from him so that he would be killed. When the Ammonites came out and fought Israel, some of the army fell including Uriah. Joab then sent a full account of the battle by a messenger. He told the messenger that if the king became angry when he reported how close to the wall the men were when they had been killed, then he was to tell him that Uriah, the Hittite had been killed also.
When David heard the report about Uriah’s death, he told the messenger to tell Joab that ‘the sword devours one as well as another. He was to press the attack against the city and destroy it.’ When Bathsheba heard that her husband was dead, she mourned the appropriate time and David, afterward, had her brought to his house to become his wife and she bore him a son. Jehovah however was very displeased with what David had done.
2 Samuel Chapter 12
Jehovah sent Nathan to David to bring to his mind the gravity of what he had done. Nathan gave David an illustration about two men in a certain town; one man was rich and had a very large number of sheep and cattle, the other man was poor and had only one ewe lamb that was very precious to him. When a traveler came to stay with the rich man, instead of preparing one of his many sheep, he took the ewe lamb from the poor man and used it to feed his guest. David became angry with the rich man and declared that he should die! Then Nathan told David that he was the rich man. Jehovah’s word to him was that He had given to David Saul’s house and his wives, he had put him over the house of both Judah and Israel, He would have given him more if all of this had not been enough. But he despised God’s word by committing evil before Him in that he had Uriah killed because he wanted his wife. Therefore, the sword would not depart from his house. Other calamities would also befall him. Someone close to David would have relations with his wives and he would do it before all Israel, not in secret as David had done with Bathsheba. The words of Psalm 51 echoes David’s repentant attitude after Jehovah sent Nathan to counsel him.
Then David confessed that he had sinned before Jehovah. Nathan told him that Jehovah had taken his sin away and he would not die, but the son born to him would die. David was guilt of adultery and murder, both of which are punishable by death. After Nathan left, Jehovah struck the child and he became ill. David fasted and pleaded with Jehovah to heal the child but seven days later the child died. David’s servants were afraid to tell him because they were not sure what he would do. But David, sensing that the child had died, asked his servants if it were so. They told him that it was true and David got up from the ground and cleaned himself up and he went into went to the house of Jehovah to worship there. He then went home and had food brought to him. His servants wanted an explanation of his actions, which to them seemed odd. He told them that while the child was alive there was hope that Jehovah would heal him, but now that the child was dead, he was not coming back to life but he would be going to where this child was.
For a more indepth explanation on why Jehovah spared David's life after this incident, see the article entitled "Divine Mercy Triumphs over Judgment" at the address given below.
http//www.livingwatersforum/forum/viewtopic.php?t=306
Then David had relations with Bathsheba and she became pregnant and gave birth to another son that they named Solomon, which means ‘peace.’ Jehovah loved this child and he sent Nathan to David to tell him to call the child Jedidiah, which means ‘loved by Jehovah.’
Joab has all but brought the Ammonites to theirs knees by capturing the water supply of the capital city, Rabbah. He sent word to David that if he wanted the credit for the fall of the Ammonites he should lead the final attack against the city. David brings the entire army against Rabbah and they capture it and its king. They took the crown from the head of the Ammonite king and put it on David’s head. It weighed a talent of gold, or about seventy-five pounds, and was set with precious stones. He took much plunder from the city and forced all of the Ammonites to do slave labor.
2 Samuel Chapter 13
Jehovah’s words to David concerning calamity in his household are beginning to be fulfilled. Amnon, David’s firstborn son, believed himself to be in love with his half-sister Tamar, who is a virgin. The situation seemed impossible until he asked the advice of his cousin, Jonadab. Jonadab told him to pretend to be ill and when his father came to see him, he was to say that he wanted his sister to prepare some special bread for him and he wanted to eat it from her hands. David sent word to Tamar that she was to go to Amnon’s house to prepare some food for him, which she did. When she finished baking the bread, he refused to eat it. He ordered everyone out of his house and he told Tamar to bring the bread into the bedroom. When she did, he grabbed her and said to her “Come to bed with me, my sister.” But she refused because she knew it to be a wicked thing to do and it would bring disgrace on her. (Deuteronomy 22:28, 29) She told him that he would be no better than any other wicked fool in Israel if he did this. She was sure that if he would only asked their father, he would allow them to marry. But this not what Amnon wants. So he overpowers her and rapes her. Afterward he loathed her as intensely as he thought he loved her. He had her put out of his house and she, because of the shame she felt, tore her royal robe and put ashes on her head. She left weeping aloud with her hand on her head. She was now disgraced and would probably never marry.
When she saw her brother, Absalom, he asked her if Amnon had been with her. He then told her not to be anxious and not to say anything to anyone. He did not say this to her but he was already planning what steps he would take to avenge his sister. But he never said one word to Amnon to let him know exactly how he felt although he hated him. So Tamar lived in his house in a desolate condition. When David heard about it, he was furious but he did not do anything to Amnon.
Two years later at sheep shearing time, Absalom held a festival and invited all of his brothers, his father and his father’s officials to come and celebrate with him. But David refused on the grounds that it would be too many people for him to feed. Then he asked if Amnon and his brothers could join him and eventually David agreed to this. Absalom had already told his servants that when Amnon was filled with wine, they were to kill him when he gave the order. His men obeyed him and they killed Amnon. All of David’s other sons fled but before they arrived at the palace, word had already come to David saying that Absalom had killed all of his sons. David tore his garments and fell on the ground in mourning.
But Jonadab (this is the same person who gave Amnon bad advice) said to David that not all of his sons had been killed but only Amnon because he had raped Absalom’s sister, Tamar. When David’s sons returned, they were all weeping because Amnon had been killed. Absalom now fled to Geshur, where his mother’s family lived. She was the daughter of the king of Geshur and he stayed there three years. When David was reconciled to the death his son Amnon, he longed to see Absalom.
2 Samuel Chapter 14
Joab is aware that the king is longing to see his son Absalom but no one knows how to bring about reconciliation between the two. Joab devises a scheme whereby he would fabricate a story and have a wise woman present this story to the king; someone the king could not lightly dismiss. After he renders a decision relative to the problem presented by the woman she is to tactfully bring Absalom into conversation intimating that David’s problem is similar to hers.
The woman was to go before the king in mourning clothes, to prostrate herself before him and ask for his help. She tells him that she is a widow who had two sons. The sons got into a fight and one killed the other. There was no malice or hatred between them before this happened, it was an accident. The whole family is now demanding that the living son be turned over to them so that they may avenge the death of the other son. But she says him that the real reason that they want to kill her remaining son is so that they can take his inheritance. If they are allowed to do this then her husband will have no one left to carry on his name. David tells her that he will issue an order concerning her son. But she presses further because she wants a full pardon for her son. She says further to David to "invoke Jehovah your God to prevent the avenger of blood from killing her remaining son." David then promises her that ‘not a hair of his head will fall to the ground.’
The woman now comes to the real reason that she has come before David. Since he has agreed to pardon her son for his error, shouldn’t he do likewise for his own son who had been banished for killing his brother? The problem with this analogy is that Absalom did plot to kill his brother but David may not have been aware of this. To keep David from realizing her real reason for coming to him, the woman then says that she was afraid of being cheated out of her and her son’s inheritance, so she came to the king because he might perhaps listen to her and help her. She knows what a wise person he is and that God is with him. For some reason at this juncture, David realized that she really wants something else from him. So he asks her if Joab had anything to do with her coming to him. She tells him that he did as he instructed her in what to say to him. David does see her point and he tells Joab to bring Absalom back but he must stay at his own house, he was not to try to see David.
Absalom was a very handsome man with very thick and luxuriant hair that he only cut once a year even though it was very heavy when it grew long. He had three sons and one daughter. His daughter’s name was Tamar, probably in honor of his sister. It is thought that his sons died in infancy. (2 Samuel 18:18) When he returned to Jerusalem, he stayed at his own house for two years without seeing his father. He then requested that Joab come to see him but twice he refused to do so. So Absalom retaliated by having his servants burn Joab’s barley field which was next to his field. Joab then went to see him to ask why he had burned his barley field. Absalom asked him why had he been sent for if he was not to see his father at all, it would have been better if he had remained in Geshur. He then demanded that Joab tell David that if he is guilty of anything, then David should put him to death. Joab told this to David and David agreed to see his son.
2 Samuel Chapter 15
During the two years that David had refused to see Absalom, he began to develop animosity towards his father and to covet the kingship before his father died. Even when David welcomed him back he did not change. Instead he now begins to actively divert the people’s attention from David to himself. He provided himself with a chariot and fifty men to run ahead of him. As the people came to see the king to get justice for some grievance they had, he would stand by the side of the road and say to them: “Where are you from?” When they told him he would say that he knew that they had a legitimate claim but the king was not really interested in hearing them. But if he were judge, he would take the time to hear everyone. Any one who came and bowed before him, he would give them a kiss to show how much he cared for them. The fact is that he was very conceited but he succeeded in drawing the people to himself.
A footnote to verse 4 in the NIV Study Bible says this of Absalom: “Absalom presents himself as the solution to the people’s legal grievances. In the case of Amnon, he had taken matters into his own hands because of his father’s laxity. He has found, he believes, the weakness in his father’s reign, and he capitalized on it with political astuteness.”
When he was ready to put his plan into action, he told David that he wanted to go to Hebron in order to fulfill a vow that he had made while he was in Geshur. David sent him away in peace. He went to Hebron accompanied by two hundred men who were not aware of what his plans were. No doubt he used them to give legitimacy to his rebellion. When he arrived in Hebron, he sent messengers secretly throughout Israel telling the people that as soon as they heard the trumpets sound, they were to say that ‘Absalom is king in Hebron.’ While he was offering sacrifices, he sent for David’s own trusted counselor, Ahithophel. Why would Ahithophel desert David after having served him so faithfully?
The NIV Study Bible offers this comment: “Ahithophel. Bathsheba’s grandfather and a wise and respected counselor. He appears to have secretly aligned himself with Absalom’s rebellion in its planning stage, perhaps in retaliation against David for his treatment of Bathsheba and Uriah. This unsuspected betrayal by a trusted friend may have prompted David’s statements in Ps 41:9; 55:12-14.”
David is now told about Absalom’s rebellion and he tells all of his officials that they must leave Jerusalem quickly or Absalom may return to Jerusalem and put everyone to death and destroy the city. He prepares to go and leaves ten of his concubines behind to take care of the palace. He takes the remainder of his household and his bodyguards and they leave Jerusalem. Itai, the Gittite and the six hundred Gittites follow him but David thinks that these men should not involve themselves in this matter, as they are foreigners and Itai had only arrived in Jerusalem the day before. He urges them to go back and serve the new king, but Itai tells him that he is his servant and wherever he is there they should be also. David allows them to continue with him. The people along the way were weeping as David and his contingent crossed the Kidron Valley going to the desert.
Zadok, Abiathar and the Levites were with David and they had the Ark of God with them. They set it down and began offering sacrifices until the people had all left Jerusalem. David told Zadok to take the ark back to Jerusalem. If it were Jehovah’s will for him to return to Jerusalem, then he would see it again. David wanted Zadok to be in a position to apprise him of any word that might come from Jehovah. Zadok and Abiathar’s sons, Ahimaaz and Jonathan, could be dispatched if they need to get a message to him.
David and the people continued up the Mount of Olives with their heads covered and they wept as they went. David was told that Ahithophel was with Absalom and he prayed to Jehovah that he would make his counsel seem foolish. Then Hushai met David on the summit and David saw this as an answer to his prayer. He told Hushai that it would be better if he returned to Jerusalem because he could be useful in frustrating Ahithophel’s counsel. He could also tell what he hears in the palace to Zadok and Zadok could get the information to him. Hushai returned to Jerusalem just as Absalom was entering the city.
2 Samuel Chapter 16
Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, met David bringing with him many provision for all the people. When David asked where Mephibosheth was, Ziba told him that he had stayed behind in Jerusalem because he hoped that Jehovah might restore the kingdom to Saul’s descendants. This is not true but Ziba will use any excuse to gain control of Saul’s property for himself and his family. Because David could not be sure that this statement was not true and since Ziba had been considerate enough to bring them provisions, he then told Ziba that he could have all that belonged to Mephibosheth, which is exactly what Ziba wanted to hear.
As they reached Bahurim, Shimei, a Benjamite came out to where they were and he began cursing and throwing stones and dirt on David and the people. He accuses David of shedding the blood of Saul’s household and now Jehovah has repaid him by taking the kingdom away from him and giving it to his son. Abishai wanted to kill him but David would not allow it. It may have been Jehovah who told him to do this, and if David accepted this cursing then Jehovah might repay him with good later. Shemei continued this activity until David and the people arrived at their destination.
When Hushai came to Absalom he shouted: “Long live the king! Long live the king!” Then Absalom intimated that Hushai was not much of a friend to David because he had not gone with him. Hushai answered that whoever was chosen by God and by the people was the one that he would serve. Absalom then asked Ahithophel what should he do first. Ahithophel told him that he should sleep with the ten concubines that David left at the palace so that all of the people would know that he was in contention for the kingship of Israel. He was now advertising that he was taking over the kingship. So a tent was pitched on the roof for Absalom and he lay with his father’s concubines. It happened just as Jehovah had told David it would. (12:11) Both David and Absalom viewed the advice of Ahithophel as one would view the advice of someone who inquired of God.
2 Samuel Chapter 17
Then Ahithophel gave Absalom advice on how to kill David and restore the people who were with him to Absalom. He should choose twelve thousand troops and set out immediately in pursuit of David. He would fall on him while he was tired and weary and all the people would flee from him. Then he should kill the king but leave the rest of the people unharmed. This was good advice to Absalom but he wanted another opinion. So he sent for Hushai and told him what Ahithophel had advised and wanted to know what advice he would give.
Hushai gave the opposite advice. He said that since David and his men were fierce and experienced fighters, they would need all Israel to gather together against them and Absalom should lead them. Then no matter where David might hide there would be enough Israelites to find him and kill him and all of his troops even if they were hiding in a city. Then they would use ropes to pull down the city and drag its walls into a valley so that it no longer existed. Hushai gave a very grandiose scenario and this probably appealed to the vanity of Absalom and he accepted it as being better advice than what Ahithophel had given. Of course, this was all Jehovah’s doing as he was determined to bring Absalom down.
But Hushai wasted no time getting a message to David for he did not know whether Absalom would change his mind and leave immediately to pursue David or if he would gather all Israel to him first as he had counseled. He went to Zadok and told him what had been said and he told him to get a message to David to cross the Jordan immediately or Absalom might catch up with him. A servant girl was sent to Jonathan and Ahimaaz to give them this message. They were living outside of Jerusalem because they did not want to be seen by Absalom or his men. But they were seen and they had to flee to a house in Bahurim where they were allowed to go down into a well to hide. A covering was put on top of the well and grain was put on top of that. When Absalom’s men came to the house looking for the two, the woman told them that they had gone in the direction of the brook. The men searched for them but did not find them so they returned to Jerusalem. Jonathan and Ahimaaz came out of the well, found David and warned him to cross the Jordan immediately because of the advice of Ahithophel.
Ahithophel knew that the advice given by Hushai was not the best and therefore he believed that Absalom would fail and he, himself, would be tried for treason. So he went home, put his affairs in order, then he hanged himself. Neither Ahithophel nor Absalom gave any consideration to Jehovah and to whether He would take a hand in this affair.
David and his men crossed the Jordan River and came to Mahanaim, a fortified city in Gilead that had served as the capital city of Ish-Bosheth’s government. (2:8) Supplies were brought to him while there by Shobi, an Ammonite, Makir from Lo Debar, the same person who gave shelter to Mephibosheth, and Barzillai, a wealthy Gileadite from Rogelim.
2 Samuel Chapter 18
David divided the fighting men with him into three divisions. He put Joab over one division, Abishai over another and the third one under Itai and he was prepared to lead them. But they did not want him to do this as they knew that the entire army of Absalom would be after him and would not pursue anyone else. So he remained in the city and as they were about to leave to engage the army of Absalom David specifically told them not to harm his son.
The fighting took place in the forests of Ephraim, evidently thick forests that were east of the Jordan. David’s men defeated Absalom’s army and about twenty thousand men died that day. It is said though that the forest took more lives that the sword did. Absalom himself became a victim of this forest. As he was trying to escape his mule went under an oak tree with thick branches, Absalom’s hair became entangled in the branches and his mule went on leaving him hanging there. One of David’s men saw him and reported it to Joab. Joab was incensed that the man had not killed Absalom. But the man reminded him that he had heard what David said about them not hurting his son and he would not kill him for any amount of money. David would hear about it and he would probably be killed and Joab would have distanced himself from him. So Joab, bent on violence, took three javelins and plunged them into Absalom and ten of his aids likewise did so and he died.
Joab sounded the trumpet to end the fighting and Absalom’s troops fled to their homes. They took Absalom down from the tree and threw his body into a pit and piled a lot of rocks over him. Absalom had built a monument to himself near Jerusalem because he had no sons to carry on his name. He called it Absalom’s Monument and had probably intended to be buried there. But Joab and his men treated him as they would any traitor and gave him an ignominious burial. Nothing is written concerning what happened to the three sons that Absalom was said to have fathered. (14:27)
Ahimaaz wanted to run and tell the king that Jehovah had delivered his enemies into his hand. But Joab did not want him to take the news as he was not sure how David would react. He chose a Cushite and sent him to tell David what had occurred. Ahimaaz still wanted to run and finally Joab allowed him to do so. He took a different route and got to David before the Cushite did. He told David that Jehovah had given him the victory. When David asked about Absalom, he said he did not know anything about him. So they waited for the Cushite to get there. When he arrived, David asked him about Absalom and he said that Absalom had been killed.
David then went into the room over the gateway and wept over Absalom saying: “if only I had died instead of Absalom.”
2 Samuel Chapter 19
When Joab was told that the king was weeping over Absalom, he went in to him and told him that he had made his troops feel humiliated. They had fought to save his household and he was grieving over the enemy. It seemed that he would have preferred to have Absalom alive and all of them dead, at least that was the impression he was giving. Then Joab threatened to take all of the troops away by nightfall and leave him alone if he did not go out and encourage them. So he got up and sat in the gateway and when the men heard this they all came before him.
After the death of Absalom, the people of Israel began to argue about whether they should bring David back to the throne and David heard about this. David sent a message to the priests to be deliver to the elders of Judah asking them why weren’t they the first to come and bring him back to his palace. Since they are flesh and blood brothers why should they be last in bringing him back. They are also to tell Amasa that David has sworn that he will make him commander of his army instead of Joab. Now Amasa had commanded the army of Absalom. This was pleasing to the elders of Judah and they went to the Jordan to meet David and to escort him to Jerusalem.
Shimei, who had cursed David as he fled from Absalom, also came to meet David and he begged him to forgive him for what he had done. To show that he had a change of heart about David, he was now the first of the house of Joseph to come and welcome him back. Abishai stills believes that Shimei should be put to death because he cursed the anointed of Jehovah but David insists that this is not the day for putting anyone to death as it a day to celebrate his regaining his kingship. So he tells Shimei on oath that he would not put him to death.
Mephibosheth also came to meet David and he had remained unkempt the entire time that David was away. David wanted to know why had he not gone with him and he told him that because he was lame in both feet, he was unable to saddle his own donkey and Ziba had betrayed him. He had also slandered him before David in saying that he was hoping that the kingship would be restored to Saul’s house. Since the king possessed great powers of discernment, he should do whatever pleases him. Mephibosheth recognized that being a descendant of Saul gave him no rights at all. David then ordered them to divide the property between them but Mephibosheth said that Ziba could have it all now that David was back as king. Nothing is said further as to what happened to the property although David now knows that Ziba had lied to him.
Barzillai also came to cross over the Jordan with David and David, being grateful to him for supplying him with food, wants him to come to Jerusalem and be a guest at his table. But Barzillai begs off because he is old and wants to remain at him home to die. But he asks if his son, Kimam, can take his place and David accepts his offer. After they crossed over the Jordan, David kissed Barzillai, blessed him and he returned to his home. When they reached Gilgal, dissention developed between the men of Israel and the men of Judah over who had the most right to bring the king back. The men of Israel argued that since they were ten tribes, they had the greater claim on David. The men of Judah argued that they were close family and so had the greater claim on David. Their argument continued and became more heated.
2 Samuel Chapter 20
Sheba, a Benjamite, known as a troublemaker ended the argument by calling for all of Israel to leave the king and to go to their homes since they had no part in David. All Israel followed him and only Judah remained with David. David is now going to be faced with another insurrection if he does not act quickly to dispel it. When they arrived in Jerusalem, David put the ten concubines in a house and posted a guard at the door. Although he fed them, he did not have relations with them again. They lived as widows until their death. David then summoned Amasa and told him to gather the men of Judah together and bring them to him in three days. But he took longer than expected to do this so David told Abishai to take charge of his army and chase after Sheba because he believed that Sheba would cause more harm to him than Absalom had. When they reached Gibeon, Amasa met them and Joab on pretense of greeting him, killed him with a dagger. Then they resumed their search for Sheba.
Sheba traveled through Israel and reached Abel Beth Maacah at the northern end of the country. From all of Israel he was only able to recruit the Berites to join with him. Joab and the army came to Abel and began to besiege it. They built a siege ramp to use to bring the walls of the city down. As they were attacking the walls a wise woman asked to speak to Joab. When he went to her she reminded him that the city of Abel was well known in Israel as a place where wisdom could be found. Why was Joab trying to destroy a peaceful city as Abel was? Joab objected to this accusation and told her that he was there to find Sheba who had defied the king. If Abel would turn him over to them, he would leave the city alone. The woman then talked to the people of the city and they cut Sheba’s head off and threw it over the city walls and Joab and his army withdrew from the city. Joab returned to Jerusalem to David. It appears that he would still be commander of David’s army.
2 Samuel Chapter 21
There was a three-year famine in Israel and David went to Jehovah in prayer to find out the reason for it. Jehovah told him that it was because Saul had tried to annihilate the Gibeonites. We remember the Gibeonites were Amorites who were slated for destruction but had succeeded in tricking Joshua into making a covenant with them that they would not be put to death. (Joshua 9:15) Saul had completely ignored this covenant in his zeal to remove from Israel all who were not of the twelve tribes. David summoned the Gibeonites and asked them what did they require to be done to atone for the wrong done to them by Saul. They asked David to give them seven male members of Saul’s family to be killed and exposed before Jehovah at Gibeah of Saul. David agreed to do this.
David did not choose Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son as one of the seven because of the covenant of friendship he had made with Jonathan. He took the two sons that Rizpah, Saul’s concubine, bore to him, along with five sons of Saul’s daughter, Merob. They were killed and exposed on a hill at the beginning of barley harvesting season. Rizpah kept watch over the bodies day and night not letting the birds or wild animals touch them. She did so up to the time that Jehovah ended the drought. When David learned what Rizpah was doing, he had Saul and Jonathan’s bones brought from Jabesh Gilead and together with the bones of the seven men, he had them buried in the tomb of Saul’s father, Kish. After this, Jehovah caused it to rain in Israel.
The latter part of this chapter list the last wars that David and his army fought with the Philistines. In one particular engagement with them, David led his army against them but he became exhausted and Ishbi-Benob, a descendant of Rapha, whose spearhead weighed seven and one-half pounds, threatened to kill him but Abishai came to his rescue and killed the Philistine. David’s men then told him that he was never to lead the army in battle again as he might be killed and the lamp of Israel would be extinguished. The expression ‘the lamp of Israel’ probably refers to David as the wise and enlightened leader through whom Jehovah’s blessings came. Later in another battle with the Philistines at Gob, another descendant of Rapha, Saph, was killed by Sibbecai the Hushathite. The Philistines brought to fore another of their champions, this time the brother of Goliath whom David had killed, Lahmi, who Elhanan, a Bethlehemite, killed. (See 1 Chronicles 20:5) In another battle fought in Gath, Israel faced another descendant of Rapha, a very large man, who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. David’s nephew, Jonathan, killed him. With the death of these four giants, the Philistines had no more leaders to do battle for them.
2 Samuel Chapter 22
This song was composed and sung by David after Jehovah had given all of his enemies into his hands (7:1) and before his affair with Bathsheba. It is also the song recorded at Psalm 18. David begins this song with praise to Jehovah describing Him as his fortress, his deliverer, his rock, his shield, the horn of his salvation, his refuge and his savior. When David found himself confronted by death, he called to Jehovah and from his temple, He heard him. Then Jehovah acted, He parted the heavens and came down with dark clouds under His feet, mounted on the cherubim and soaring on the wings of the wind. He thundered from heaven His voice resounding, He shot arrows and scattered the enemy, and with bolts of lightening He routed them. David gives all credit to Jehovah for the victories he won. He gives Jehovah credit for removing him from situations over which he had no control.
David believes that Jehovah helped him because He delighted in him and He dealt with him because of his righteousness; because of the cleanness of his hands. David is not bragging but realizes that Jehovah delights in those who obey Him, keeps his covenant and who refrain from evil by not turning away from Him. To those who are faithful, Jehovah shows himself faithful, but to those who act crookedly, He shows Himself to be shrewd. He exalts the humble but brings down the haughty. Here David refers to Jehovah as his lamp, the One who guides him, and the one who shows him how to accomplish things that may seem impossible to men.
Jehovah’s way is perfect, His word flawless and those who take refuge in Him, He will shield. He arms His anointed with strength, gives him the light-footedness of a deer, trains his hands for battle and strengthens his arms. He widens his pathway so that David will not stumble. When he pursues his enemies, he will do a thorough job of defeating them because Jehovah had strengthened him. His enemies may cry out for help but there is no one to save them. They will be as dust on the earth or as mud that people trample in the streets. (8:2; 12:31)
The NIV Bible Commentary, page 481 has this to say about verses 38-43 of this chapter. "As he (David) describes the thoroughness of his triumph, he virtually exhausts the lexicon of Hebrew verbs that have to do with annihilation."
David has been delivered from attacks by his own people and has been made head of nations. People from everywhere become subject to him when they hear about what Jehovah has done for him. (8:9, 10; 15:18)
Isaiah 55:4, 5 where verses 44-46 of this chapter are partially quoted, show that these verses have a broader fulfillment than what happened in David’s day. The antitypical fulfillment will occur in our modern time when Jehovah reveals to the world His modern-day David, His anointed one.
David ends his song by offering the highest praise to Jehovah who is exalted; who has put nations under him and freed him from all his enemies. David therefore vows to praise Jehovah among the nations, to sing praises to his great name as He has shown unfailing kindness to his anointed one and to his descendants. (See 1 Kings 11:13, 36; 15:4; 2 Kings 8:19; 2 Chronicles 21:7)
2 Samuel Chapter 23
The statement: “These are the last words of David” has to do with his final literary composition not his last spoken words. It is called an oracle, which is a message from God. David identifies himself as the one who had been anointed and exalted by God and as Israel’s beloved singer of songs. He acknowledges that the spirit of God spoke to through him and His word was on his tongue. The God of Israel said to David this: “When one rules over men in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, his is like the light of morning at sunrise, on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth.” Jehovah here is describing the descendant of David who will be the fulfillment of His covenant with David. David refers to this covenant as an ‘everlasting covenant arranged and secured in every part.’ (7:12, 28, 29) David is also confident that Jehovah will bring him salvation and grant him his desires. Wicked men will be cast aside as thorns are which are not gathered by hand but are burned where they lay.
The mighty men who surrounded and supported David and some of their exploits are given next. Josheb-Bassheeth, one of the Three, killed eight hundred men with a spear in one encounter. Eleazar, another member of the Three, had stood his ground when his fellow soldiers retreated and he struck down so many Philistines that his hand froze to his spear. Shammah stood in a field of lentils and defended it from the Philistines even though the army had fled and Jehovah gave the Philistines over to them.
When David was hiding in the cave of Adullam and while doing some wishful thinking made the statement that he longed for a drink of water from a well near the gate of Bethlehem. He was not asking anyone to go and get the water, but three of his thirty mighty men heard him and decided to get the water for him. There was a Philistine garrison stationed in Bethlehem and these three men broke through the Philistine lines and brought the water back to David. David took the water and poured it out because he knew that they had risked their lives in order to get the water.
Abishai became the chief of the Three but he was not included among them. He himself had stuck down three hundred men and had become as famous as they were. Benaiah, who also was not included in the Three, had killed two of Moab’s best fighters; he also killed a lion and had taken the spear that belonged to an Egyptian giant and had killed him with it. Benaiah was armed only with a club when he did this. David’s Thirty mighty men are listed and notable among them are Elaim, the son of Ahithophel and father of Bathsheba, and Uriah, the Hittite, husband of Bathsheba.
2 Samuel Chapter 24
Verse one appears to intimate that it was Jehovah who incited David to number the nation to learn what his military strength was. The account in 1 Chronicles 21:1 says that it was Satan who incited David to do this. The specified time that he ordered this to be done is not given nor is a reason given as to why he needed to have this information. He ordered Joab and the other commanders of the army to go from Dan to Beersheba and take this census. Joab did not want David to do this and he tells him that Jehovah could multiply the troops a hundred-fold and David would know it. Joab knew that David’s action would bring guilt on the nation. But he was overruled and he had to do what David wanted him to.
David had obviously forgotten what Jehovah told Moses to do at Exodus 30:11, 12 when taking a census of the people. It reads: "Then the LORD said to Moses, When you take a census of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the LORD a ransom for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague will come on them when you number them."
After traveling nine months and twenty days throughout Israel, he reported to the king that there were eight hundred thousand able-bodied men in Israel and five hundred thousand able-bodied men in Judah. (Other accounts give different numbers.) After receiving this information David’s conscience now begin to bother him because he knew that he had done wrong. He approached Jehovah in prayer and begged him to forgive him because he had done a foolish thing. Jehovah answered him by sending Gad to him. He told David that he had three choices of punishment and he could decide which one he preferred the nation to undergo, as the nation was certainly going to suffer for what he had done. The choices were 1) three years of famine, 2) three months of fleeing from their enemy, or 3) three days of plague in the land. Each one of these is mentioned in Deuteronomy as punishment for disobedience to the covenant. (See Deuteronomy 28:21, 24, 25) The one thing that David did not want to happen was that they should fall into the hands of their enemies.
So Jehovah sent three days of plagues upon Israel and seventy thousand people died. When the angel stretched out his hand towards Jerusalem to plague it Jehovah stopped him and told him to withdraw his hand. This event occurred at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite located on Mount Moriah. David was very distressed by the destruction of so many people and he said that these people had done no wrong, he was the one who had sinned and that his family should have been the ones who suffered because of this sin.
Gad went to David that day and told him to build an altar to Jehovah on the threshing floor of Araunah. David went up to the threshing floor and Araunah saw him coming and he asked why had he come to him. David told him he wanted to buy his threshing floor where he could build an altar to sacrifice to Jehovah so that the plague would stop. Araunah offered to give him the threshing floor as well as the oxen and the wood to use for the sacrifices. But David would not accept this gift as he said that he would not offer sacrifices to Jehovah that had cost him nothing. So he purchased the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. He built an altar there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then Jehovah answered David’s prayer and He stopped the plague on Israel.
NOTE: All cited scriptures are taken from the New International Version unless otherwise stated.
***©2005 by YORWW Congregation