And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son:
The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen! Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.
Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away. . . .1:17–21
Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.
Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights; who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel.1:23–24
I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan. . . . Thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.
How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!1:26–27
The Lord directs David to go to Hebron, and there the men of Judah anoint him king; while to the north, Abner, Saul’s commander, makes Saul’s son Ishbosheth king of all Israel. There is a long war between the two houses: the Israelites led by Abner, the men of Judah led by David’s commander, Joab.
DAVID SUCCEEDS SAUL
Abner makes himself strong over the Israelites; and Ishbosheth therefore picks a quarrel with him. In anger, Abner goes to David in Hebron and offers to make a league between Israel and Judah. David bids him go in peace.
But as Abner is leaving, Joab treacherously kills him.
When David hears this he proclaims his own innocence, curses Joab and all his house, and says to his people, Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?3:38
Ishbosheth, who shows himself to be a feeble king, is murdered.
The elders of Israel now go to Hebron and say to David, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.5:1 David makes a league with them; and they anoint him king. He rules for thirty-three years over the united kingdoms of Israel and Judah.
And David went on, and grew great, and the Lord God of hosts was with him.5:10
In his reign the Jebusite fortress of Zion is captured; Jerusalem is taken, and becomes the center and the capital of the united kingdom; the Philistines are defeated in a great battle in the valley of Rephaim, west of Jerusalem. And, with great rejoicing, the Ark of the Lord is brought up to Zion:
And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments. . . .6:5 And David danced before the Lord with all his might. . . .6:14
He plans a tabernacle for the Lord: but Nathan the prophet comes and tells him that not David but his son will build God’s house.
The Lord delivers all the surrounding hostile nations into David’s hands. The Philistines are subdued; Moab is conquered; Syria, the powerful northern nation, is defeated; the Ammonites and the Edomites become vassals of Israel.
David is a good and generous king, who remembers those who were kind to him in his exile. He sends for Jonathan’s son, the lame Mephibosheth, takes him into his household, and restores to him all the land that was Saul’s.
DAVID AND BATH-SHEBA
But while Joab and the army are in the held, engaged in fighting the Ammonites, David is idly walking on the roof of his house one day, when he sees a woman washing herself: And the woman was very beautiful to look upon.11:2 He learns that she is Bath-sheba, the wife of Uriah, a soldier with Joab’s army. David sends for Uriah, and gives him a message to take back to Joab: Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle.11:15 Uriah is killed.
When the period of mourning is over, David sends for Bath-sheba; and she becomes his wife. She bears him a son.
But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.11:27
The Lord sends the prophet Nathan to David with a parable:
There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds. But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up. . . .
And there came a traveler unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock . . . to dress for the wayfaring man . . . but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.12:1–4
David’s anger is kindled against this rich man. He says, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die. Nathan says, Thou art the man.12:5–7
David says, I have sinned against the Lord.12:13
The son of David and Bath-sheba is stricken and is very sick. It is the Lord’s punishment. David lies upon the earth, and fasts and prays. But the child dies. Then David arises, and washes, and worships the Lord. He says, Now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.12:23
In time Bath-sheba bears him another son, whom they call Solomon: And the Lord loved him.12:24
THE REVOLT OF ABSALOM
A son of David’s named Amnon falls in love with his half-sister, Tamar. He forces himself upon the girl, and afterwards puts her out of his house. Tamar’s brother, Absalom, kills Amnon, then flees to the kingdom of Geshur, in Syria.
David grieves for his son Absalom. After punishing him for three years, he gives him permission to return. Instead Absalom goes to Hebron, from where he forms a conspiracy to make himself king. Raising an army, he prepares to march on Jerusalem.
To save the city from destruction, David leaves, with all his household and his people. He sends an army against Absalom, but he says to his officers, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom.18:5
Absalom’s forces are defeated with great slaughter.
When the news is brought to David, he says, Is the young man Absalom safe?18:32 He is told that Absalom is dead.
And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said: O my son Absalom! my son, my son Absalom! Would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!18:33
DAVID, SONG OF THANKSGIVING
And David spake unto the Lord the words of this song, in the day that the Lord had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies. . . .
The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;
The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour. . . .22:1–3
David orders Israel to be numbered: there are in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men, and in Judah five hundred thousand.
But when the count has been made, David knows that in making it he has acted sinfully. The prophet Gad comes to him and, in the name of the Lord, offers him as punishment a choice of evils. David says, Let us now fall into the hand of the Lord; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.24:14
A pestilence falls upon the people, and many thousands die. David says to the Lord, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father’s house.24:17
The prophet Gad tells him to build an altar to the Lord. David buys a threshing-floor on which to build the altar: it is willingly offered by the owner, but David says, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing.24:24 The altar is built; burnt offerings and peace offerings are made; the Lord is entreated, and the plague is stayed from Israel.