2 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 2 SAMUEL 1:1 Story of King David. Most of 2 Samuel 1:1 tells of David’s rise to kingship, first over Judah and then over all Israel. Most of the problems David had to deal with resulted from his own sins. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=im... [ Continue Reading ]
2 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 2 SAMUEL 1:6 SO I STOOD BESIDE HIM AND KILLED HIM (v. 2 Samuel 1:10). The narrator in 1 Samuel 31:1 said that Saul killed himself. This man is lying to gain favor with the person most likely to replace Saul as king. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for [ Continue Reading ]
2 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 2 SAMUEL 1:12 David and his men FASTED in mourning. After this summary statement, the story resumes the actual dialogue between David and the young man who told of Saul’s death. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
2 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 2 SAMUEL 1:14 HOW IS IT YOU WERE NOT AFRAID... TO DESTROY THE LORD’S ANOINTED? See note on 1 Sam. 24:6. As a sojourner subject to the laws of Israel (Leviticus 24:22), the Amalekite should have respected Saul as his king (as did Saul’s armor-bearer; 1 Samuel 31:4). David himself had... [ Continue Reading ]
2 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 2 SAMUEL 1:15 GO, EXECUTE HIM. David believed the Amalekite’s story (but see note on vv. 6–10). On that basis he had him executed. David’s action shows he had no part in Saul’s death. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
2 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 2 SAMUEL 1:16 YOUR BLOOD BE ON YOUR HEAD means that the Amalekite (not David) is responsible for his own death (see Joshua 2:19; 1 Kings 2:32, 1 Kings 2:37; Ezekiel 33:4). ⇐ ⇔... [ Continue Reading ]
2 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 2 SAMUEL 1:17 AND DAVID LAMENTED. Though terribly wronged by Saul, David chose to remember him in a generous way. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
2 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 2 SAMUEL 1:18 IT SHOULD BE TAUGHT refers to the lament that follows. Compare the heading of Psalms 60:1, “A Miktam of David; for instruction.” The BOOK OF JASHAR is a non-biblical written source. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.leng... [ Continue Reading ]
2 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 2 SAMUEL 1:19 HOW THE MIGHTY HAVE FALLEN! This is the theme line of David’s lament for Saul and Jonathan, repeated in vv. 2 Samuel 1:25, 2 Samuel 1:27. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
2 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 2 SAMUEL 1:20 GATH and ASHKELON are Philistine cities. David does not want the Philistines to rejoice over Saul’s death. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
2 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 2 SAMUEL 1:21 LET THERE BE NO DEW OR RAIN... NOR FIELDS OF OFFERINGS! David wishes for lack of blessing on the place where Saul and Jonathan died. The line THE SHIELD OF THE MIGHTY WAS DEFILED is paralleled by the next line, THE SHIELD OF SAUL, NOT ANOINTED WITH OIL (that is, “not i... [ Continue Reading ]
2 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 2 SAMUEL 1:22 BLOOD and FAT are often used as a word pair to refer to the whole of a sacrifice. For BOW OF JONATHAN, see 1 Samuel 20:18. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
2 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 2 SAMUEL 1:23 IN LIFE AND IN DEATH... NOT DIVIDED. In 1 Samuel 14:1 Jonathan acted without his father’s knowledge and readily criticized him, and they disagreed over David (see especially 1 Samuel 22:8). Yet they apparently maintained a relationship, eventually fighting and dying to... [ Continue Reading ]
2 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 2 SAMUEL 1:24 SCARLET cloth, colored with a dye made from the dried bodies of an insect, was a sign of prosperity (Proverbs 31:21). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
2 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 2 SAMUEL 1:26 SURPASSING THE LOVE OF WOMEN. David’s remark does not carry any sexual overtones. Rather, he is calling attention to Jonathan’s self-denial in giving up any right to the throne of Israel (1 Samuel 23:17). Jonathan loved and supported David as the Lord’s choice to succe... [ Continue Reading ]