2 Samuel 23:1-39
1 Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,
2 The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.
3 The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.
4 And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.
5 Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.
6 But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:
7 But the man that shall touch them must be fenceda with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place.
8 These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmoniteb that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.
9 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away:
10 He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.
11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines.
12 But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.
13 And threec of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim.
14 And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.
15 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!
16 And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD.
17 And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.
18 And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred, and slew them, and had the name among three.
19 Was he not most honourable of three? therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three.
20 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow:
21 And he slew an Egyptian, a goodlyd man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.
22 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men.
23 He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him over his guard.
24 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,
26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,
27 Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,
28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,
29 Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,
30 Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brookse of Gaash,
31 Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,
32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,
33 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite,
34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,
35 Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,
36 Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,
37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armourbearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah,
38 Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite,
39 Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all.
2 Samuel 23:1. The last words of David; that is, the last song of an expiring muse; a bright spark rekindled before it burned out. All his hope was concentrated on Christ, called by Isaiah the sure mercies of David: Isaiah 55:4. This consoled him when he saw his walk defective: and in all our troubles the Redeemer is our only hope.
2 Samuel 23:5. Although my house be not so with God. Since the reformation, several commentators, biassed by peculiar opinions, have attempted to give a gloss on this text very repugnant to the sanctity of God. They would suggest, that although David and his house, (including all his future posterity) were not pure and holy before God, as they ought to be; yet in defiance of sin, he had made with them an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure. This is very extraordinary: and it ill assorts with what is proved in the notes on the second chapter of the first of Samuel, viz. that every covenant God has contracted with man, has its conditions either expressed or implied. And it is more extraordinary still to force this gloss on the texts where the readings vary so much. The Septuagint, which was the copy generally quoted by the apostles, reads, “my house is not of that account with God, that he should make with me an everlasting covenant.” This appears to be the true reading, as it best agrees with the scope of the song, which professedly magnifies grace by speaking of the obscurity of Jesse's house: and the reading of the Septuagint here is preferred by several of the more ancient critics.
2 Samuel 23:8. These be the names of the mighty men whom David had. Both the names and the number vary here from 1 Chronicles 11., and this variation is common to the Hebrew names and chronologies. We often find that one man has two names, and that grandfathers are often called fathers; but the list here might be taken at a different time from that in the Chronicles, or that some omitted here, feeling themselves aggrieved, might afterwards get enrolled in the tablet of honour.
2 Samuel 23:20. Slew a lion. Such an action always placed a man in the list of heroes.
REFLECTIONS.
We have now followed the hero of Israel to about the seventieth year of his life, and surely few princes called to sway the sceptre in difficult times, had either more distinguished virtues or fewer faults. As to his piety and prophetic character, still making the allowance due to a king, grace and talents shone in him with a most distinguished lustre. Inspired while young to pour forth the effusions of his heart in sacred songs, the divine endowments continued to old age. But in adversity, piety and confidence sustaining his soul, his compositions possess the most impressive excellence. When pursued by Saul, and when fleeing from Absalom, he uttered the sorrows of his heart in the best of psalms; and transferring all his hopes to a full deliverance by the Messiah, he frequently paints the sufferings of the Saviour more clearly than he himself was then able to comprehend. 1 Peter 1:10; 1 Peter 1:12. This divine endowment, the glory of his youth and the guide of his life, did not forsake him in hoary age. We have here his last psalm: and whether we consider the simplicity of the ideas, the beauty of the diction, or its close connection with the past life and future hopes of this illustrious man, it is a worthy close of sacred merit. He begins by avowing the obscurity of his birth, that he might ascribe the greater glory to God; but he regards his call to the throne as a link in the chain of mercies flowing from the covenant of Jacob's God. Learn then, oh my soul, anointed of the Lord, to make his covenant promises the basis of thy faith, the support of thy life, and the refuge and retreat of thy retiring days.
David here bears testimony to his own inspiration. “The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was on my tongue:” and the testimony of the servant is confirmed by the Master. “All things must be fulfilled,” said Jesus, “which are written of me in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms.” Hence though many things in the psalms might be written without inspiration; yet we are here taught to regard the whole as composed under a sacred influence; and something of that sacred influence is still felt by the pious soul in reading the sacred page. May our hearts ever burn within us, while those things are expounded in our ears.
The first charge which God gave to David was to be just, and to rule in the fear of the Lord. Righteousness is both the glory of God, and of a king. National justice must never sustain a blot: bribery, partiality, and party decisions must never be known there. The ministers of justice, as well as the ministers of religion, must be able to look all mankind in the face. It is equally the interest of the wicked and of the righteous, of the prince and of the poor, that perfect purity should exist in the administration of equity and justice.
If these words be applied to the Messiah, of whom the victorious kingdom of David and the peaceful reign of Solomon were types, they are most strikingly true, and everywhere illustrated in his reign and government. He arose on the world as the sun shining without a cloud; and his church being watered with the grace of pentecost, flourished under his influence, just as the grass rapidly grows after the rain, when acted upon by the solar warmth. God is as the dew unto Israel, and the people flourish as the herb. Thus also he confirms his covenant with David, and with the faithful, while all their enemies, the sons of Belial, melt away.
While David retired with songs of triumph, and with all the glory of conquest, his worthies or generals shared his fame. Riches, honour, and happiness crowned their glorious career. So those who fight the good fight of faith, and endure to the end, shall sit on thrones in the presence of their Lord. God is not unrighteous to forget their work of faith and labour of love. The little efforts we make to resemble him and to advance his glory, shall one day be crowned with the fairest honours which heaven can give.