Notes

CHAPTER 1

1. It’s interesting that 1 Samuel records the scene of a messenger bringing bad news of defeat to Eli the priest (1 Sam. 4), and here a similar messenger brings what he thought was good news to David the king. Eli keeled over and died, but here the messenger was slain. In 1 Samuel, the ark was taken by the enemy, but later recovered by Israel; here the bodies of the royal family were taken and later recovered and buried.

2. Saul’s death reminds us of Revelation 3:11: “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown” (NKJV).

3. King Saul’s namesake, Saul of Tarsus, began his ministry by falling (Acts 9:4; 22:7; 26:14), but at the end of his life, we see him standing boldly with his Lord (2 Tim. 4:16–17).

4. The KJV gives the impression that David wrote this song to encourage young men to learn how to use the bow, but the Hebrew text doesn’t support this. The elegy was called “The Song of the Bow” possibly because of the reference to Jonathan’s bow in verse 22. The name identified the tune that was used to sing the song. Certainly David wasn’t encouraging the archers to practice more because Saul and Jonathan lost the battle, because his song extols their military prowess.

5. The Hebrew word translated “glory” can also be translated “gazelle.” David saw Saul as a majestic deer that had been slain on the mountain.

6. “The sword devours” (i.e., eats, drinks) is a familiar metaphor in the Old Testament (Deut. 32:42; 2 Sam. 2:26; 11:25; Isa. 31:8; Jer. 12:12). Saul’s sword devoured much blood and was satisfied.

7. It appears that the tribe of Judah, while cooperating with Saul and the other tribes, had been maintaining somewhat of a “separated” posture in those days (see 1 Sam. 11:8; 15:4; 17:52; 18:16; 30:26).

8. David was anointed three times: first privately by Samuel (1 Sam. 16:13), then publicly by the elders and people of Judah (2 Sam. 2:4), and finally publicly by the whole nation (5:3).

CHAPTER 2

1. The name “baal” also belonged to Saul’s granduncle (1 Chron. 9:36); and Jonathan’s lame son, Mephibosheth, was also called “Merib-Baal” (1 Chron. 8:34).

2. Joab was David’s nephew, but David didn’t seem to have much control over him (see 2 Sam. 3:39; 18:5, 14.) At the end of David’s reign, Joab conspired to make David’s son Adonijah the next king; when Solomon took the throne, he had Joab executed for treason (1 Kings 2).

3. According to 2 Samuel 17:25, Zeruiah was either David’s half sister or stepsister. Whoever she was, Zeruiah certainly was the mother of three remarkable men.

4. First Chronicles 27:7 tells us that Asahel’s son Zebadiah succeeded his father as commander of his division.

5. There’s an interesting pattern in 2 Samuel in which you find a list of names (children or officials) at the end of historical sections: 1:1—3:5; 3:6—5:16; 5:17—8:18; 9:1—20:26.

6. The situation reminds us of the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–32). Abner, the “prodigal soldier,” was coming home, and David gave him a banquet. Joab, the faithful “elder brother,” might say to David, “I’ve been faithful to you and risked my life, and yet you never gave me a banquet!”

CHAPTER 3

1. How could this many people converge on Hebron and eat and drink for three days without upsetting the town and its economy? Where would all the food come from? First Chronicles 13:1 may give us the answer. While the chronicler gives us the totals of the military units loyal to David, perhaps only the officers of these military units attended the coronation, a total of about 3,750 men. Not every soldier was present, but every soldier was represented and through his officer gave his allegiance to the new king.

2. The name “Eliphelet” is found twice in the list and is also given as “Elpelet.”

3. If the brave deed of the three mighty men occurred at this time, then David was in the cave of Adullam (2 Sam. 23:13).

4. Some Old Testament scholars put this event later in David’s career, after David’s sin with Bathsheba and his numerous battles against his enemies (2 Sam. 8—12). See A Harmony of the Books of Samuel, Kings and Chronicles by William Day Crockett (Baker Book House, 1964).

5. It’s not likely that these sacrifices were offered after every six steps as the procession moved toward Jerusalem. That would have made for a very long journey and would have required a great number of sacrifices. Once David was sure of God’s approval, they marched on with confidence.

CHAPTER 4

1. The word “covenant” isn’t used in 2 Samuel 7 but David used it in 23:5 when referring to the revelation given to him through Nathan.

2. Most scholars have concluded that Bathshua and Bathsheba were the same person. It was not unusual for a person in the ancient world to have more than one name, or the name have more than one spelling.

3. First Chronicles 22:8 and 28:1–3 inform us that the fact that David shed much blood was another reason why God chose Solomon to build the temple.

4. In His covenant with Abraham, God promised him many descendants and later compared their number to the dust of the earth (Gen. 13:16) and the stars of the heaven (Gen. 15:1–6), suggesting an earthly people and a heavenly people. The Jews are God’s earthly people and are promised an earthly kingdom, but all who trust Christ are of the seed of Abraham (Gal. 3:1–18) because all of us are saved by faith, not by obeying the law.

5. This is the third of four “official lists” found in 2 Samuel, and each one closes a major division of the book: 1:1—3:5 (David’s sons in Hebron); 3:6—5:16 (David’s sons in Jerusalem); 5:17—8:18 (David’s officers in Jerusalem); and 9:1—20:26 (David’s officers later in his reign). See also note 5 in chapter 2.

6. One school of interpreters feels that David was only putting Mephibosheth under “house arrest” to make certain that he didn’t create any problems in the kingdom. Subsequent events proved that it was Ziba the manager who needed to be watched. And how much damage could a crippled young man do to Israel’s greatest king? David brought Mephibosheth to his palace table, not to protect himself but to show his love to him for his father’s sake.

7. Kindness (mercy) is sometimes connected with the making of a covenant. (See Deut. 7:9, 12; Josh. 2:12; 1 Sam. 20:8, 14–17; Dan. 9:4.)

8. Keep in mind that 2 Samuel wasn’t written in chronological order, and verses like 8:12 are summaries of wars that the writer describes later.

9. In a prior battle, David was nearly killed by a giant named Ishbi-benob, and his nephew Abishai rescued him. At that time, the military leaders told David not to go to war anymore (2 Sam. 21:15–17), and he complied. His appearance at the Syrian campaign (10:15–19) was to take charge of troop movements but not to engage in hand-to-hand combat.

CHAPTER 5

1. There is no account of David’s great sins found in 1 Chronicles. The book was written from the viewpoint of the priesthood; the emphasis is on the greatness of the kings, not their sins. David and Solomon are described as “ideal rulers.”

2. Isaac Watts, “Divine Songs for Children” (1715).

3. The word sent is repeated often in chapters 11 and 12. See 11:1, 3, 4, 5, 6 (twice), 14, 18, 22, 27; 12:1, 25, 27. David’s sins kept a lot of people on the move!

4. Professor Blaiklock’s Handbook of Bible People, by E. M. Blaiklock (London: Scripture Union, 1979), 210.

5. Joseph Butler, Fifteen Sermons (Charlottesville, VA: Ibis Publishing, 1987), 114.

6. Saul used the words “I have sinned” three times, but didn’t mean them (1 Sam. 15:24, 30; 26:21). David said “I have sinned” seven times (2 Sam. 12:13; 24:10, 17; 1 Chron. 21:8, 17; Ps. 41:4; 51:4). David was the Prodigal Son of the Old Testament, who repented and “came home” to find forgiveness (Luke 15:18, 21). For others who used these words, see Exodus 9:27; Numbers 22:34; Joshua 7:20; 2 Samuel 19:20; and Matthew 27:4.

7. As with Jonah and the city of Nineveh, God’s decree of judgment can be interrupted by the repentance of the people involved. (Nineveh didn’t fall until over a century later.) The prediction that Bathsheba’s baby would die was fulfilled that week because God chose to act at that time. God’s character and purposes don’t change, but He does change His timing and His methods to accomplish His purposes.

8. Since Scripture gives no definitive revelation on the subject of infant salvation, theologians have wrestled with the problem and good and godly believers disagree. For a balanced and compassionate theological study, see When a Baby Dies by Ronald H. Nash (Zondervan, 1999).

CHAPTER 6

1. Even after his death, Absalom’s name and memory reminded people of evil (2 Sam. 20:6; 1 Kings 2:7, 28; 15:2, 10; 2 Chron. 11:20–21).

2. It’s likely that David’s second son, Chileab (or Daniel), died young, for apart from the royal genealogy, he is not mentioned in the biblical account (1 Chron. 3:1).

3. Perhaps she was thinking of Abraham and Sarah (Gen. 20:12), but that was before the law of Moses.

4. When Dinah was raped (Gen. 34), it was her full brothers Simeon and Levi who avenged her (see Gen. 29:32–35; 30:17–21).

5. The Hebrew for “Amnon” is a diminutive form: “Has that little Amnon been with you?” Absalom didn’t hide his utter dislike for his half brother.

6. Did anybody know that Solomon was God’s choice for the next king? Perhaps not, for the Lord hadn’t revealed it. According to some chronologists, Solomon’s birth occurred before Amnon’s sin against Tamar, but Bathsheba had given birth to three other sons before she gave birth to Solomon (2 Sam. 5:14; 1 Chron. 3:5; 14:4). God promised David that one of his sons would succeed him and build the temple (2 Sam. 7:12–15), but it isn’t recorded that He announced the name of the son at that time. Amnon and Absalom had already been born, and the announcement sounds as if the designated son would be born in the future. First Chronicles 22:6–10 indicates that at some point the Lord had told David that Solomon would be his successor (see 28:6–10; 29:1). Whether they knew it or not, both Amnon and Absalom were fighting a losing battle.

7. It seems strange that Jonadab would make this announcement, because by doing so, he was almost confessing that he knew something about the plot. However, David and his servants knew that Jonadab was Amnon’s confidant, and no doubt they concluded that he and Amnon had discussed Absalom’s attitude and concluded that there was danger in the air. Jonadab was too shrewd a man to implicate himself before the king.

8. See “Of Revenge” in The Essays of Francis Bacon.

9. God solved this problem for lost sinners by sending His Son to die on the cross, and thus He upheld the law but at the same time provided salvation for all who trust Christ. See Romans 3:19–31.

10. How heavy was the hair that Absalom’s barber cut from his head? It all depends on the weight of the “royal shekel” (v. 26). If it was 11.5 grams, then the haircut produced about five pounds of hair. Baldness was ridiculed in Israel (2 Kings 2:23).

11. The parallels between Absalom and Samson are interesting. Both were distinguished by their hair, for Samson was a Nazirite (Judg. 13:1–5), and both set fields on fire (Judg. 15:4–5). The loss of his hair caused Samson’s defeat (Judg. 16:17ff.), and it’s probable that Absalom’s thick hair helped to trap his head in the tree branches, where Joab found him and killed him (2 Sam. 18:9–17).

CHAPTER 7

1. The word “demagogue” comes from two Greek words: demos (people) and agogos (guiding). A true leader uses his authority to help people, but a demagogue uses people to gain authority. Demagogues pretend to be concerned about the needs of the people, but their only concern is to get into power and enjoy the fruits of their dishonesty.

2. Hebrew texts vary from “four” to “forty.” If forty is the correct number, we don’t know the starting point—forty years from what event? Some chronologists date Absalom’s rebellion at between 1023 and 1027 BC. This would be approximately forty years from David’s anointing by Samuel, but why select that event? It seems reasonable to accept “four” as the correct number and date it from Absalom’s reconciliation with his father (14:33).

3. Most students identify Psalms 3, 4, 41, 55, 61–63, and 143 as “exile psalms,” and some add Psalms 25, 28, 58, and 109. Both Psalms 41 and 55 indicate that David was not well, and see 61:6–7. If indeed David was ill, then he was unable to meet the people and hear their problems; and Absalom took advantage of this situation.

4. David once lied about attending a feast as a device to deceive King Saul (1 Sam. 20:6). Thus do our sins find us out.

5. David faced a similar test when he was serving as commander of the bodyguard of Achish, king of the Philistines (1 Sam. 29).

6. David’s statement “Behold, here am I” reminds us of Abraham (Gen. 22:1, 11), Jacob (Gen. 31:11; 46:2), Moses (Ex. 3:4), Samuel (1 Sam. 3:4, 16), and Isaiah (Isa. 6:8). It is a statement of surrender.

7. God Tells the Man Who Cares (Christian Publications, 1970), 9.

8. It was at Bahurim that David’s wife Michal said good-bye to her second husband as she was returned to David, and the man wept bitterly (3:13–16). Now it was David who was weeping.

CHAPTER 8

1. In 279 BC, the army of Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, defeated the Romans at Asculum at such great cost that he said, “One more such victory and we are lost.”

2. For a detailed study of the speeches of Ahithophel and Hushai, and why God used Hushai’s counsel, see chapters 1–4 of my book Preaching and Teaching with Imagination (Baker Books).

3. The word in 18:14 translated “darts” in the KJV and “javelins” in the NIV can mean rod, staff, or even scepter. They were probably javelins sharpened at one end. Joab thrust them into Absalom’s body, and then the ten men around the tree finished the job.

4. The scene reminds us of Eli the priest waiting at the gate for news concerning the ark of the covenant (1 Sam. 4:12ff.).

5. This is the familiar Hebrew word shalom, which among other things means “peace, health, well-being.” David uses the word in his questions: “Is the young man Absalom shalom?” (vv. 29, 32).

6. The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, vol. 24, 505.

CHAPTER 9

1. “The people” in 2 Samuel is a phrase that identifies David’s followers, especially his army. See 15:17, 23–24, 30; 16:14; 17:2–3, 16, 22; 18:1–4, 6, 16; 19:2–3, 8–9, 39. Another term for his army is “the servants of David” (2:13, 15, 17, 30–31; 3:22; 8:2, 6, 14; 10:2, 4; 11:9, 11, 13, 17; 12:18; 15:15; 16:6; 18:7, 9; 19:6; 20:6).

2. Shimei identified himself with “the house of Joseph” (v. 20), and this is the first time this phrase is used in the Old Testament. It refers to the ten tribes headed by Ephraim, Joseph’s younger son. The ten northern tribes were often called “Ephraim” or “sons of Joseph.”

3. The KJV translation “to Jerusalem” in verse 25 should read, “from Jerusalem.”

4. The “Absalom episode” began with David kissing Absalom after his son’s two years of house arrest (14:33), and ended with David kissing Barzillai.

5. Henry IV, Part 2, act 3, scene 1.

CHAPTER 10

1. Joab killed Abner because Abner had killed Joab’s brother Asahel, and it was done near Gibeon, where Joab met Amasa (2:12ff.). Perhaps the memory of his brother’s murder aroused Joab, even though Amasa had nothing to do with it.

2. Why the Gibeonites didn’t bring the matter before David much earlier is a mystery, for as resident aliens in the land, they had their civil rights. During the first part of his reign, David was securing and extending the kingdom, and in the last years he was dealing with the troubles caused by his own sins, so perhaps it took time to get the king’s ear. By sending drought and famine, the Lord kept the terms of the covenant (Lev. 26:18–20; Deut. 28:23–24).

3. The law of Moses gave resident aliens certain rights, and Israel was warned not to oppress the strangers in the land (Ex. 22:21; Lev. 19:34; Deut. 24:17). Apparently neither Joshua’s vow nor the law of Moses restrained Saul from trying to liquidate the Gibeonites.

4. But David also made a similar promise to Saul (1 Sam. 24:20–22), and here he was having Saul’s descendants slain. However, the killing of five men wasn’t the equivalent of wiping out all of a man’s family.

5. We’re told in 6:23 that Michal died without having any children, so the text should read Merab (see NIV). She was Saul’s daughter by Ahinoam (1 Sam. 14:49) and was married to Adriel (1 Sam. 18:17–19).

6. The Hebrew text reads “descendants of Rapha.” The word means “giant” (Deut. 2:11, 20; Josh. 12:4; 13:12; 17:15; 1 Chron. 20:4, 6, 8).

CHAPTER 11

1. In Ezekiel 1, the prophet saw God’s glorious throne on a magnificent crystal platform, with cherubim at each corner, like “wheels” carrying the throne from place to place. The image of God’s throne like a chariot reminds us that He can come down from heaven to help His people and nothing can thwart Him.

2. Light as an image of God is frequently found in Scripture (Ps. 84:11; Isa. 60:19–20; Ezek. 1:4, 27; Dan. 2:22; Mic. 7:8; Mal. 4:2; Luke 2:32; John 8:12; 1 Tim. 6:16; 1 John 1:5; Rev. 21:23).

CHAPTER 12

1. In the Old Testament, God viewed the rulers of Israel as shepherds, which explains passages like Jeremiah 10:21, 12:10, 23:1–8, 25:36; Ezekiel 34:1–18; Zechariah 10:2, 11:15–17. The word “pastor” means “shepherd.”

2. Second Samuel 8:13 gives David credit for the great victory against the Edomites, while 1 Chronicles 18:12 attributes the victory to Abishai. The inscription of Psalm 60 states that Joab was also a part of the event. It’s likely that David was in charge and Joab and his brother Abishai commanded the field forces. It was customary in those days for the king to get the credit for such victories (see 2 Sam. 12:26–31).

3. For an excellent comparative chart of David’s mighty men, see pages 478–479 of the Old Testament volume of The Bible Knowledge Commentary, edited by John Walvoord and Roy Zuck (Victor).

4. Some students think that the three who brought the water from the Bethlehem well were the men named in verses 8–12, but verse 13 seems to indicate they were a different trio, a part of “The Thirty.”

5. The two terms “The Three” and “The Thirty” are found frequently in this chapter. For “The Three” see verses 9, 13, 16–19, 22, 23; for “The Thirty” see verses 13, 23–24. In 1 Chronicles 11, “The Three” are mentioned in verses 12, 15, 18–21, 24, 25; and “The Thirty” in verses 15, 25, and 42.

6. For a study of these four appearances of Satan and how they apply to believers today, see my book The Strategy of Satan (Tyndale House).

7. First Chronicles 21:5 records 1,100,000 men, but we need to remember that Joab didn’t complete the census (1 Chron. 27:23–24) and different sums were recorded at different times during the nine months of the survey. Also, note that 2 Samuel 24:9 specifies “800,000 valiant men,” that is, an experienced standing army, while there could have been another 300,000 men who were of age but not seasoned in battle. This gives us the 1,100,000 total of 1 Chronicles 21:5.

8. The prophet Gad first appears in Scripture after David fled from Saul (1 Sam. 22:5). He must have been an expert on Jewish liturgy because he assisted David in organizing the Levites for their part in the temple worship services. He also kept an official record of the events of David’s reign (1 Chron. 29:29).

9. More than once God sent plagues to Israel to chasten His people (Num. 11:31–34; 14:36–38; 16:46–50; 21:4–9; 26:9–10). Of course, this was in agreement with His covenant, which the people had broken.

CHAPTER 13

1. It’s too bad that many well-meaning preachers misinterpret 1 Corinthians 3:9–23 and preach about “building your life.” You can make that application, but the basic interpretation has to do with building the local church. For an exposition of this passage, see my book Be Wise (Victor).

2. The psalm certainly fits David’s experiences described in 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21. His pride led him to sin and the nation was under the penalty of death. But God answered his plea for deliverance, and His anger lasted for a short time.

3. Adoram wasn’t a popular man. After Solomon’s death, Solomon’s son Rehoboam took the throne. The people were tired of Solomon’s taxes and vast building programs, and they stoned Adoram to death (2 Kings 11:18).

4. First Chronicles 26:18 in the KJV has been a popular verse with people who like to criticize the Scriptures: “At Parbar westward, four at the causeway, and two at Parbar.” What does “Parbar” mean? Many Hebrew scholars say it means “colonnade” and refers to an area west of the temple proper. The NLT reads, “Six were assigned each day to the west gate, four to the gateway leading up to the Temple, and two to the courtyard.” A footnote says that “courtyard” could also be translated “colonnade,” but “the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.”

5. Forgive a personal note at this point. Back in the fifties, when I was pastoring my first church, the Lord led us into a building program. I’m not a builder and I have a problem even reading a blueprint, and I was very worried. One day in my personal devotional time, during the course of my regular Bible reading, I came to 1 Chronicles 28:20, and the Lord gave it to me as His promise of success. It carried me through.