Text -- 2 Samuel 5:16 (NET)

5:16 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)

TSK: 2Sa 5:16

Eliada : or, Beeliada, 1Ch 14:7

Eliphalet : Eliphelet, 1Ch 3:8

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)

Haydock: 2Sa 5:16

Eliphaleth. Septuagint reckon twenty instead of eleven. (Calmet) ---

The Vatican copy has twenty-four, as some of the names have been read differently, so as to make two persons, and thus frequently a double translation occurs in the Septuagint; the one being taken either from Aquila, &c., or from some more early version, of which we know not the author. (Grabe) (Kennicott, Diss. ii. p. 404.)

Gill: 2Sa 5:16

And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphalet. Seven more by some other wife or wives; nine are mentioned in 1Ch 3:6; there being in that account two Eliphalets, and another called Nogah; which two, one of the Eliphalets, and Nogah, might die without sons, as Kimchi thinks, and so are not mentioned here.

Commentary -- Verse Range Notes

TSK Synopsis: 2Sa 5:1-25

1 The tribes come to Hebron and anoint David over Israel.

4 David's age.

6 He taking Zion from the Jebusites, dwells in it.

11 Hiram sends to David.

13 Eleven sons are born to him in Jerusalem.

17 David, directed by God, smites the Philistines at Baal-perazim;

22 and again at the mulberry trees.

MHCC: 2Sa 5:11-16

David's house was not the worse, nor the less fit to be dedicated to God, for being built by the sons of the stranger. It is prophesied of the gospel church, The sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee, Isa 60:10. David's government was rooted and built up. David was established king; so is the Son of David, and all who, through him, are made to our God kings and priests. Never had the nation of Israel appeared so great as it began now to be. Many have the favour and love of God, yet do not perceive it, and so want the comfort of it; but to be exalted to that, and to perceive it, is happiness. David owned it was for his people's sake God had done great things for him; that he might be a blessing to them, and that they might be happy under him.

Matthew Henry: 2Sa 5:11-16

Here is, I. David's house built, a royal palace, fit for the reception of the court he kept and the homage that was paid to him, 2Sa 5:11. The Jews were husbandmen and shepherds, and did not much addict themselves either to merchandise or manufactures; and therefore Hiram, king of Tyre, a wealthy prince, when he sent to congratulate David on his accession to the throne, offered him workmen to build him a house. David thankfully accepted the offer, and Hiram's workmen built David a house to his mind. Many have excelled in arts and sciences who were strangers to the covenants of promise. Yet David's house was never the worse, nor the less fit to be dedicated to God, for being built by the sons of the stranger. It is prophesied of the gospel church, The sons of the strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee, Isa 60:10.

II. David's government settled and built up, 2Sa 5:12. 1. His kingdom was established, there was nothing to shake it, none to disturb his possession or question his title. He that made him king established him, because he was to be a type of Christ, with whom God's hand should be established, and his covenant stand fast, Psa 89:21-28. Saul was made king, but not established; so Adam in innocency. David was established king, so is the Son of David, with all who through him are made to our God kings and priests. 2. It was exalted in the eyes both of its friends and enemies. Never had the nation of Israel looked so great or made such a figure as it began now to do. Thus it is promised of Christ that he shall be higher than the kings of the earth, Psa 89:27. God has highly exalted him, Phi 2:9. 3. David perceived, by the wonderful concurrence of providences to his establishment and advancement, that God was with him. By this I know that thou favourest me, Psa 41:11. Many have the favour of God and do not perceive it, and so want the comfort of it: but to be exalted to that and established in it, and to perceive it, is happiness enough. 4. He owned that it was for his people Israel's sake that God had done great things for him, that he might be a blessing to them and they might be happy under his administration. God did not make Israel his subjects for his sake, that he might be great, and rich, and absolute: but he made him their king for their sake, that he might lead, and guide, and protect them. Kings are ministers of God to their people for good, Rom 13:4.

III. David's family multiplied and increased. All the sons that were born to him after he came to Jerusalem are here mentioned together, eleven in all, besides the six that were born to him before in Hebron, 2Sa 3:2, 2Sa 3:5. There the mothers are mentioned, not here; only, in general, it is said that he took more concubines and wives, 2Sa 5:13. Shall we praise him for this? We praise him not; we justify him not; nor can we scarcely excuse him. The bad example of the patriarchs might make him think there was no harm in it, and he might hope it would strengthen his interest, by multiplying his alliances, and increasing the royal family. Happy is the man that has his quiver full of these arrows. But one vine by the side of the house, with the blessing of God, may send boughs to the sea and branches to the rivers. Adam, by one wife, peopled the world, and Noah re-peopled it. David had many wives, and yet that did not keep him from coveting his neighbour's wife and defiling her; for men that have once broken the fence will wander endlessly. Of David's concubines, see 2Sa 15:16; 2Sa 16:22; 2Sa 19:5. Of his sons, see 1Ch 3:1-9.

Keil-Delitzsch: 2Sa 5:11-16

David's Palace, Wives and Children (comp. 1Ch 14:1-7). - King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, and afterwards, by the express desire of the latter, cedar-wood and builders, carpenters and stone-masons, who built him a house, i.e., a palace. Hiram ( Hirom in 1Ki 5:2; Huram in the Chronicles; lxx Χειράμ ; Josephus, Εἴραμος and Εἴρωμος ), king of Tyre, was not only an ally of David, but of his son Solomon also. He sent to the latter cedar-wood and builders for the erection of the temple and of his own palace (1Ki 5:8.; 2Ch 2:2.), and fitted out a mercantile fleet in conjunction with him (1Ki 9:27-28; 2Ch 9:10); in return for which, Solomon not only sent him an annual supply of corn, oil, and wine (1Ki 5:11; 2Ch 2:9), but when all the buildings were finished, twenty years after the erection of the temple, he made over to him twenty of the towns of Galilee (1Ki 9:10.). It is evident from these facts that Hiram was still reigning in the twenty-fourth, or at any rate the twentieth, year of Solomon's reign, and consequently, as he had assisted David with contributions of wood for the erection of his palace, that he must have reigned at least forty-five or fifty years; and therefore that, even in the latter case, he cannot have begun to reign earlier than the eighth year of David's reign over all Israel, or from six to ten years after the conquest of the Jebusite citadel upon Mount Zion. This is quite in harmony with the account given here; for it by no means follows, that because the arrival of an embassy from Hiram, and the erection of David's palace, are mentioned immediately after the conquest of the citadel of Zion, they must have occurred directly afterwards. The arrangement of the different events in the chapter before us is topical rather than strictly chronological. Of the two battles fought by David with the Philistines (2Sa 5:17-25), the first at any rate took place before the erection of David's palace, as it is distinctly stated in 2Sa 5:17 that the Philistines made war upon David when they heard that he had been anointed king over Israel, and therefore in all probability even before the conquest of the fortress of the Jebusites, or at any rate immediately afterwards, and before David had commenced the fortification of Jerusalem and the erection of a palace. The historian, on the contrary, has not only followed up the account of the capture of the fortress of Zion, and the selection of it as David's palace, by a description of what David gradually did to fortify and adorn the new capital, but has also added a notice as to David's wives and the children that were born to him in Jerusalem. Now, if this be correct, the object of Hiram's embassy cannot have been "to congratulate David upon his ascent of the throne,"as Thenius maintains; but after he had ascended the throne, Hiram sent ambassadors to form an alliance with this powerful monarch; and David availed himself of the opportunity to establish an intimate friendship with Hiram, and ask him for cedar-wood and builders for his palace.

(Note: The statements of Menander of Ephesus in Josephus (c. Ap. i. 18), that after the death of Abibal his son Hirom ( Εἴρωμος ) succeeded him in the government, and reigned thirty-four years, and died at the age of fifty-three, are at variance with the biblical history. For, according to these statements, as Hiram was still reigning "at the end of twenty years"(according to 1Ki 9:10-11), when Solomon had built his palaces and the house of the Lord, i.e., twenty-four years after Solomon began to reign, he cannot have ascended the throne before the sixty-first year of David's life, and the thirty-first of his reign. But in that case the erection of David's palace would fall somewhere within the last eight years of his life. And to this we have to add the repeated statements made by Josephus ( l.c. and Ant . viii. 3, 1), to the effect that Solomon commenced the building of the temple in Hiram's twelfth year, or after he had reigned eleven years; so that Hiram could only have begun to reign seven years before the death of David (in the sixty-third year of his life), and the erection of the palace by David must have fallen later still, and his determination to build the temple, which he did not form till he had taken possession of his house of cedar, i.e., the newly erected palace (2Sa 7:2), would fall in the very last years of his life, but a very short time before his death. As this seems hardly credible, it has been assumed by some that Hiram's father, Abibal, also bore the name of Hiram, or that Hiram is confounded with Abibal in the account before us (Thenius), or that Abibal's father was named Hiram, and it was he who formed the alliance with David (Ewald, Gesch. iv. 287). But all these assumptions are overthrown by the fact that the identity of the Hiram who was Solomon's friend with the contemporary and friend of David is expressly affirmed not only in 2Ch 2:2 (as Ewald supposes), but also in 1Ki 5:15. For whilst Solomon writes to Hiram in 2Ch 2:3, "as thou didst deal with David my father, and didst send him cedars to build him an house to dwell therein,"it is also stated 1Ki 5:1 that "Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants unto Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father: for Hiram was a lover of David all days (all his life)."Movers ( Phönizier ii. 1, p. 147ff.) has therefore attempted to remove the discrepancy between the statements made in Josephus and the biblical account of Hiram's friendship with David and Solomon, by assuming that in the narrative contained in the books of Samuel we have a topical and not a chronological arrangement, and that according to this arrangement the conquest of Jerusalem by David is followed immediately by the building of the city and palace, and this again by the removal of the holy ark to Jerusalem, and lastly by David's resolution to build a temple, which really belonged to the close of his reign, and indeed, according to 2Sa 7:2, to the period directly following the completion of the cedar palace. There is a certain amount of truth at the foundation of this, but it does not remove the discrepancy; for even if David's resolution to build a temple did not fall within the earlier years of his reign at Jerusalem, as some have inferred from the position in which it stands in the account given in this book, it cannot be pushed forward to the very last years of his life and reign. This is decidedly precluded by the fact, that in the promise given to David by God, his son and successor upon the throne is spoken of in such terms as to necessitate the conclusion that he was not yet born. This difficulty cannot be removed by the solution suggested by Movers (p. 149), "that the historian necessarily adhered to the topical arrangement which he had adopted for this section, because he had not said anything yet about Solomon and his mother Bathsheba:"for the expression "which shall proceed out of thy bowels"(2Sa 7:12) is not the only one of the kind; but in 1Ch 22:9, David says to his son Solomon, "The word of the Lord came to me, saying, A son shall be born to thee - Solomon - he shall build an house for my name;"from which it is very obvious, that Solomon was not born at the time when David determined to build the temple and received this promise from God in consequence of his intention.

To this we have also to add 2Sa 11:2, where David sees Bathsheba, who gave birth to Solomon a few years later, from the roof of his palace. Now, even though the palace is simply called "the king's house"in this passage, and not the "house of cedar,"as in 2Sa 7:2, and therefore the house intended might possibly be the house in which David lived before the house of cedar was built, this is a very improbable supposition, and there cannot be much doubt that the "king's house"is the palace (2Sa 5:11; 2Sa 7:1) which he had erected for himself. Lastly, not only is there not the slightest intimation in the whole of the account given in 2 Samuel 7 that David was an old man when he resolved to build the temple, but, on the contrary, the impression which it makes throughout is, that it was the culminating point of his reign, and that he was at an age when he might hope not only to commence this magnificent building, but in all human probability to live to complete it. The only other solution left, is the assumption that there are errors in the chronological date of Josephus, and that Hiram lived longer than Menander affirms. The assertion that Solomon commenced the erection of the temple in the eleventh or twelfth year of Hiram's reign was not derived by Josephus from Phoenician sources; for the fragments which he gives from the works of Menander and Dius in the Antiquities (viii. 5, 3) and c. Apion (i. 17, 18), contain nothing at all about the building of the temple (vid., Movers, p. 141), but he has made it as the result of certain chronological combinations of his own, just as in Ant . viii. 3, 1, he calculates the year of the building of the temple in relation both to the exodus and also to the departure of Abraham out of Haran, but miscalculates, inasmuch as he places it in the 592nd year after the exodus instead of the 480th, and the 1020th year from Abraham's emigration to Canaan instead of the 1125th. And in the present instance his calculation of the exact position of the same event in relation to Hiram's reign was no doubt taken from Menander; but even in this the numbers may be faulty, since the statements respecting Balezorus and Myttonus in the very same extract from Menander, as to the length of the reigns of the succeeding kings of Tyre, can be proved to be erroneous, and have been corrected by Movers from Eusebius and Syncellus; and, moreover, the seven years of Hiram's successor, Baleazar , do not tally with Eusebius and Syncellus, who both give seventeen years. Thus the proof which Movers adduces from the synchronism of the Tyrian chronology with the biblical, the Egyptian, and the Assyrian, to establish the correctness of Menander's statements concerning Hiram's reign, is rendered very uncertain, to say nothing of the fact that Movers has only succeeded in bringing out the synchronism with the biblical chronology by a very arbitrary and demonstrably false calculation of the years that the kings of Judah and Israel reigned.)

2Sa 5:12-14

"And David perceived (sc., from the success of his enterprises) that Jehovah had firmly established him king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for His people Israel's sake,"i.e., because He had chosen Israel as His people, and had promised to make it great and glorious.

To the building of David's palace, there is appended in 2Sa 5:13-15 the account of the increase of his house by the multiplication of his wives and concubines, and of the sons who were born to him at Jerusalem (as in 1Ch 14:3.). Taking many wives was indeed prohibited in the law of the king in Deu 17:17; but as a large harem was considered from time immemorial as part of the court of an oriental monarch, David suffered himself to be seduced by that custom to disregard this prohibition, and suffered many a heartburn afterwards in consequence, not to mention his fearful fall in consequence of his passion for Bathsheba. The concubines are mentioned before the wives, probably because David had taken many of them to Jerusalem, and earlier than the wives. In the Chronicles the concubines and omitted, though not "intentionally,"as they are mentioned in 1Ch 3:9; but as being of no essential importance in relation to the list of sons which follows, because no difference was made between those born of concubines and those born of wives. "Out of Jerusalem,"i.e., away from Jerusalem: not that the wives were all born in Jerusalem, as the words which follow, "after he was come from Hebron,"clearly show. In the Chronicles, therefore, it is explained as meaning "in Jerusalem."The sons are mentioned again both in 1Ch 14:5-7 and in the genealogy in 1Ch 3:5-8. Shammua is called Shimea in 1Ch 3:5, according to a different pronunciation. Shammua , Shobab , Nathan , and Solomon were sons of Bathsheba according to 1Ch 3:5.

2Sa 5:15-16

Elishua is written incorrectly in 1Ch 3:6 as Elishama , because Elishama follows afterwards. There are two names after Elishua in 1Ch 3:6-7, and 1Ch 14:6-7, viz., Eliphalet and Nogah , which have not crept into the text from oversight or from a wrong spelling of other names, because the number of the names is given as nine in 1Ch 3:8, and the two names must be included in order to bring out that number. And, on the other hand, it is not by the mistake of a copyist that they have been omitted from the text before us, but it has evidently been done deliberately on account of their having died in infancy, or at a very early age. This also furnishes a very simple explanation of the fact, that the name Eliphalet occurs again at the end of the list, namely, because a son who was born later received the name of his brother who had died young. Eliada , the last but one, is called Beeliada in 1Ch 14:7, another form of the name, compounded with Baal instead of El . David had therefore nineteen sons, six of whom were born in Hebron (2Sa 3:2.), and thirteen at Jerusalem. Daughters are not mentioned in the genealogical accounts, because as a rule only heiresses or women who acquired renown from special causes were included in them. There is a daughter named Thamar mentioned afterwards in 2Sa 13:1.

Constable: 2Sa 1:1--8:18

V. DAVID'S TRIUMPHS chs. 1--8

The first 20 chapters of 2 Samuel are divisible into four units each of which ends with a list of names that is four verses long (1:1-3:5; 3:6-5:16; 5:17-8:18; 9:1-20:26).² The first two units conclude with lists of David's sons that were born to him first in Hebron and then in Jerusalem. The second two units end with lists of David's officials. This structural division is helpful to observe because it clarifies the writer's intent in 2 Samuel: to provide a record of the consolidation of Israel's monarchy. The first three units are generally positive and describe David's triumphs whereas the last unit is generally negative and relates David's troubles.

In chapters 1-8 the writer's fertility motif reaches a climax in his description of David's reign. 1:1 and 8:13 form an inclusio that surrounds this section.³

"The thesis of the author--that Israel is blessed with fertility when the nation (and the epitome of the nation, the king) is following the [Mosaic] covenant--is demonstrated in these chapters."⁴

Constable: 2Sa 3:6--5:17

B. The Unification of the Kingdom 3:6-5:16

The writer also documented God's blessing on David in this record of how David wisely unified the nation of Israel and became the leader of all 12 tribes.

"The story of how David became king of all Israel follows, in most essentials, the same outline already established in the account of his accession to kingship over Judah (1:1-3:5). Both begin with a warrior trying to curry David's favor (an unnamed Amalekite, 1:1-13; Saul's army commander Abner, 3:6-21) and continue with the execution or murder of the warrior (1:14-16; 3:22-32), which is followed by a lament uttered by David (over Saul and Jonathan, 1:17-27; over Abner, 3:33-34). Near the center of each literary unit is a brief report of the anointing of David as king (over Judah, 2:1-7; over Israel, 5:1-5). David and his men are then successful in defeating their enemies (2:8-3:1; 5:6-12), and each unit concludes with a list of sons/children born to David (in Hebron, 3:2-5; in Jerusalem, 5:13-16). The similarities between the two sections point to the careful craftsmanship of a single author, who now sets about to tell his readers that just as the house of David has replaced Saul and his house in southern Canaan (1:1-3:5), so also David's house is about to replace that of Saul in the rest of the land as well (3:6-5:16)."³⁵

Constable: 2Sa 5:13-16

4. David's additional children 5:13-16

Again David sinned by multiplying wives (Deut. 17:17). Nevertheless in spite of this sin God continued to bless him with fertility because he was God's elect and, for the most part, God's obedient servant. Fortunately God does not cut off all His blessings because His servants are less than perfect.

"This is the first time that concubines are mentioned in connection with David (cf. also 1 Chron 11:21)--and it is also the only time that the phrase concubines and wives' occurs in the Bible (the usual order is wives and concubines'; cf. 19:5; 1 Kings 11:3; 2 Chron 11:21; Dan 5:2-3, 23). By placing the word concubines' in emphatic position, the narrator is perhaps deploring David's proclivity for the trappings of a typical Oriental monarch, including a harem."⁶⁷

In all parts of this section (3:6-5:16) the writer placed emphasis on God's blessing of David and the nation that came about as Judah and Israel united under David's anointed leadership.

Guzik: 2Sa 5:1-25

2 Samuel 5 - David Made King Over a United Israel

A. David reigns over all Israel.

1. (1-3) The elders of Israel recognize David as king over Israel.

Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and spoke, saying, "Indeed we are your bone and your flesh. Also, in time past, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the LORD said to you, 'You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over Israel.' " Therefore all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD. And they anointed David king over Israel.

a. Then all the tribes of Israel came to David: Prior to this, only one of the tribes of Israel recognized David as king. The other tribes recognized the pretend king Ishbosheth, a son of Saul. Ishbosheth was murdered is recorded in 2 Samuel 4 - so now the tribes turn to David.

i. It's sad that the tribes only turned to David when their previous choice was taken away. On the same principle, it's sad when Christians only really recognized Jesus as king when other choices crumble. We should choose Jesus outright, not just when other options fail.

b. We are your bone and your flesh: The elders of Israel received David's leadership because he was an Israelite himself. This was significant because for a period of time David lived as a Philistine among the Philistines. The elders of Israel put that away and embrace David as one of their own.

c. You were the one who led Israel out and brought them in: The elders of Israel received David's leadership because he already had displayed his ability to lead.

d. The LORD said to you, "You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over Israel": The elders of Israel received David's leadership because it was evident God called him to lead.

i. These three characteristics should mark anyone who leads God's people.

· A leader must belong to God's people in heritage and heart

· A leader must demonstrate capability to lead

· A leader must have an evident call from God

ii. The elders of Israel received David's leadership when they saw these things in David. When we see these same things in leaders we should also receive their leadership.

e. And they anointed David king over Israel: 1 Chronicles 12:23-40 describes the great assembly that gathered in Hebron to recognize David as king over all Israel. Chronicles describes the impressive army that came to Hebron, and numbers the ranks at over 340,000 men. It then describes the scene: All these men of war, who could keep ranks, came to Hebron with a loyal heart, to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest of Israel were of one mind to make David king. And they were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their brethren had prepared for them . . . for there was joy in Israel. (1 Chronicles 12:38-40)

2. (4-5) The duration of David's reign.

David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

a. David was thirty years old: This is a good measuring point for David's life. Samuel anointed David when he was about 15, and he did not take the throne until 30. David spent at least 15 years in preparation for the throne of Israel.

b. In Hebron he reigned . . . in Jerusalem he reigned: All told, David reigned 40 years. As long as his preparation time was, it wasn't too long compared to his reign. God uses great preparation when the task is great.

B. David captures Jerusalem.

1. (6-8) The capture of Jerusalem.

And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, "You shall not come in here; but the blind and the lame will repel you," thinking, "David cannot come in here." Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David). Now David said on that day, "Whoever climbs up by way of the water shaft and defeats the Jebusites (the lame and the blind, who are hated by David's soul), he shall be chief and captain." Therefore they say, "The blind and the lame shall not come into the house."

a. The king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites: To this point Jerusalem was a small Canaanite city in the center of Israel. Some 400 years after God commanded Israel to take the whole land, this city was till in Canaanite hands.

b. You shall not come in here; but the blind and the lame will repel you: Because of its location, Jerusalem was an easily defended city. This made the Jebusites overconfident and quick to mock David and his troops.

c. Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion: Despite the difficulty, David and his men took the city. Since the water shaft is mentioned, some think that David sent his men through what is called "Warren's Shaft." Whatever exactly their tactics, David and his men persisted through difficult circumstances to defeat an overconfident enemy.

i. On the same principle, King Jesus conquers old strongholds when he becomes king over our life. Territory that should have been given to Him long ago is now conquered. "I want to say to you in the name of the Lord Jesus that there is no habit that has gone so deep but that the power of the blood of Jesus can go deeper, and there is no entrenchment of sin that has gone so far but the power of the risen Lord, by His Holy Spirit, can go further." (Redpath)

2. (9-10) Jerusalem is David's new capital city.

Then David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the City of David. And David built all around from the Millo and inward. So David went on and became great, and the LORD God of hosts was with him.

a. David dwelt in the stronghold: Jerusalem became the capital city of David's kingdom. It was a good choice because:

· It has no prior tribal association and was therefore good for a unified Israel

· The geography of the city made it easy to defend against a hostile army

b. So David went on and became great: David knew greatness, but he was by no means an "overnight success." David was long prepared for the greatness he later enjoyed, and he came to the place of greatness because the LORD God of hosts was with him.

i. In God's plan there is almost always a hidden price of greatness. Often those who become great among God's people experience much pain and difficulty in God's training process.

3. (11-12) David's palace and greatness.

Then Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters and masons. And they built David a house. So David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted His kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.

a. They built David a house: This shows David's influence and importance. Neighboring kings honor him with the finest craftsmen and wood to build him a palace. This relationship with Hiram king of Tyre also shows that David was more than a man of war. He knew how to build important political alliances.

b. So David knew: David knew three things that made his reign great. Every godly leader should know these three things very well.

i. David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel: David knew that God called him and established him over Israel.

ii. He had exalted His kingdom: David knew that the kingdom belonged to God - it was His kingdom.

iii. For the sake of His people Israel: David knew God wanted to use him as a channel to bless His people. It was not for David's sake that he was lifted up, but for the sake of His people Israel.

4. (13-16) David's many wives.

And David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he had come from Hebron. Also more sons and daughters were born to David. Now these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

a. David took more concubines and wives: This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 17:17: Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away.

b. More sons and daughters were born to David: Certainly David (and everyone else) saw these many children as God's sign of blessing upon David and his many wives. Yet most of the trouble to come in David's life comes from his relationship with women and from his children.

i. It is often true that the seeds to our future trouble are sown in times of great success and prosperity. In some ways, David handled trials better than success.

C. David defeats the Philistines.

1. (17-19) David fights against Israel's old enemies.

Now when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. And David heard of it and went down to the stronghold. The Philistines also went and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim. So David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?" And the LORD said to David, "Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand."

a. The Philistines also went and deployed themselves: David's success brought new challenges from the outside. As God worked mightily in David's life, the devil also got to work and brought opposition against David.

b. David inquired of the LORD: As David seeks God and looks to Him for guidance he is blessed. God honored David's dependence on Him and gave him the promise of victory.

2. (20-21) David defeats the Philistines at Baal Perazim.

So David went to Baal Perazim, and David defeated them there; and he said, "The LORD has broken through my enemies before me, like a breakthrough of water." Therefore he called the name of that place Baal Perazim. And they left their images there, and David and his men carried them away.

a. The LORD has broken through my enemies before me: At the battle of Baal Perazim David defeated the Philistines with an overwhelming force, like a breakthrough of water.

b. They left their images there, and David and his men carried them away: The Philistines brought their idols to the battle, thinking they would help defeat the Israelites. Because David inquired of God and obeyed God, they carried away the Philistine idols.

3. (22-25) David defeats the Philistines at the Valley of Rephaim.

Then the Philistines went up once again and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim. Therefore David inquired of the LORD, and He said, "You shall not go up; circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the LORD will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines." And David did so, as the LORD commanded him; and he drove back the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer.

a. David inquired of the LORD: After the first victory over the Philistines, David was wise enough to wait on the LORD before the second battle. It is easy for many in the same situation to say, "I've fought this battle before. I know how to win. This will be easy." David always triumphed when he sought and obeyed God.

b. You shall not go up; circle around them: God directed David differently in this battle. Even against the same enemy, not every battle is the same.

i. In his commentary on this passage, Adam Clarke noted the remarkable guidance of God in David's life and asked a good question. "How is it that such supernatural directions and assistances are not communicated now? Because they are not asked for; and they are not asked for because they are not expected; and they are not expected because men have not faith; and they have not faith because they are under a refined spirit of atheism, and have no spiritual intercourse with their Maker." (Clarke)

c. The LORD will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines: At the battle of Rephaim David waited for the LORD to strike the camp of the enemy first. The sign of the LORD's work was the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees.

i. "As the Rabbis have it, and it is a very pretty conceit if it be true, the footsteps of angels walking along the tops of the mulberry trees make them rustle; that was the sign for them to fight, when God's cherubim were going with them, when they should come, who can walk through the clouds and fly through the air, led by the great Captain himself, walking along the mulberry trees, and so make a rustle by their celestial footsteps." (Spurgeon)

ii. At the signal that the LORD was at work, David and his troops rushed forward to victory. This principle is true in our every-day walk with God. When we sense that the Lord is at work, we must advance quickly and we will see a great victory won. "We must also, in the spiritual warfare, observe and obey the motions of the Spirit, when he setteth up his standard; for those are the sounds of God's goings, the footsteps of his anointed." (Trapp)

iii. There is something wonderful about the King James Version translation of 2 Samuel 5:24: when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself. When you hear the work of God happening, bestir thyself - advance quickly. Spurgeon liked to point out that it said bestir thyself - often we think we must stir others up. That often just becomes hype and emotionalism. Instead, stir yourself.

iv. When we see the work of God happening around us, it is like the sound in the mulberry trees - the rustling sound should awaken us to prayer and devotion. A time of crisis or tragedy is also like the sound in the mulberry trees - the rustling sound should awaken us to confession and repentance. "Now, what should I do? The first thing I will do is, I will bestir myself. But how shall I do it? Why, I will go home this day, and I will wrestle in prayer more earnestly than I have been wont to do that God will bless the minister, and multiply the church." (Spurgeon)

© 2002 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

Introduction / Outline

JFB: 2 Samuel (Book Introduction)

THE FIRST AND SECOND BOOKS OF SAMUEL. The two were, by the ancient Jews, conjoined so as to make one book, and in that form could be called the Book of Samuel with more propriety than now, the second being wholly occupied with the relation of transactions that did not take place till after the death of that eminent judge. Accordingly, in the Septuagint and the Vulgate, it is called the First and Second Books of Kings. The early portion of the First Book, down to the end of the twenty-fourth chapter, was probably written by Samuel; while the rest of it and the whole of the Second, are commonly ascribed to Nathan and Gad, founding the opinion on 1Ch 29:29. Commentators, however, are divided about this, some supposing that the statements in 1Sa 2:26; 1Sa 3:1, indicate the hand of the judge himself, or a contemporary; while some think, from 1Sa 6:18; 1Sa 12:5; 1Sa 27:6, that its composition must be referred to a later age. It is probable, however, that these supposed marks of an after-period were interpolations of Ezra. This uncertainty, however, as to the authorship does not affect the inspired authority of the book, which is indisputable, being quoted in the New Testament (1Sa 13:14 in Act 13:22, and 2Sa 7:14 in Heb 1:5), as well as in many of the Psalms.

JFB: 2 Samuel (Outline)

• AN AMALEKITE BRINGS TIDINGS OF SAUL'S DEATH. (2Sa. 1:1-16)
• DAVID LAMENTS SAUL AND JONATHAN. (2Sa 1:17-27)
• DAVID, BY GOD'S DIRECTION, GOES UP TO HEBRON, AND IS MADE KING OVER JUDAH. (2Sa 2:1-7)
• SIX SONS BORN TO DAVID. (2Sa 3:1-5)
• ABNER REVOLTS TO DAVID. (2Sa 3:6-12)
• JOAB KILLS ABNER. (2Sa 3:22-30)
• BAANAH AND RECHAB SLAY ISH-BOSHETH, AND BRING HIS HEAD TO HEBRON. (2Sa 4:1-2)
• DAVID CAUSES THEM TO BE PUT TO DEATH. (2Sa 4:10-12)
• THE TRIBES ANOINT DAVID KING OVER ISRAEL. (2Sa 5:1-5)
• HE TAKES ZION FROM THE JEBUSITES. (2Sa 5:6-12)
• ELEVEN SONS BORN TO HIM. (2Sa 5:13-16)
• HE SMITES THE PHILISTINES. (2Sa 5:17-25)
• DAVID FETCHES THE ARK FROM KIRJATH-JEARIM ON A NEW CART. (2Sa 6:1-5)
• UZZAH SMITTEN. (2Sa 6:6-11)
• DAVID AFTERWARDS BRINGS THE ARK TO ZION. (2Sa 6:12-19)
• MICHAL'S BARRENNESS. (2Sa 6:20-23)
• NATHAN APPROVES THE PURPOSE OF DAVID TO BUILD GOD A HOUSE. (2Sa 7:1-3)
• DAVID'S PRAYER AND THANKSGIVING. (2Sa 7:18-29)
• DAVID SUBDUES THE PHILISTINES, AND MAKES THE MOABITES TRIBUTARY. (2Sa 8:1-2)
• HE SMITES HADADEZER AND THE SYRIANS. (2Sa 8:3-14)
• HIS REIGN. (2Sa 8:15-18)
• DAVID SENDS FOR MEPHIBOSHETH. (2Sa 9:1-12)
• DAVID'S MESSENGERS, SENT TO COMFORT HANUN, ARE DISGRACEFULLY TREATED. (2Sa 10:1-5)
• THE AMMONITES OVERCOME. (2Sa 10:6-14)
• THE SYRIANS DEFEATED. (2Sa 10:15-19)
• JOAB BESIEGES RABBAH. (2Sa 11:1)
• DAVID COMMITS ADULTERY WITH BATH-SHEBA. (2Sa 11:2-12)
• URIAH SLAIN. (2Sa 11:14-27)
• NATHAN'S PARABLE. (2Sa 12:1-6)
• HE APPLIES IT TO DAVID, WHO CONFESSES HIS SIN, AND IS PARDONED. (2Sa 12:7-23)
• SOLOMON IS BORN. (2Sa 12:24-25)
• RABBAH IS TAKEN. (2Sa 12:26-31)
• AMNON LOVES TAMAR. (2Sa 13:1-5)
• HE DEFILES HER. (2Sa. 13:6-27)
• AMNON IS SLAIN. (2Sa 13:28-36)
• ABSALOM FLEES TO TALMAI. (2Sa 13:37-39)
• JOAB BRINGS ABSALOM TO JERUSALEM. (2Sa 14:22-33)
• ABSALOM STEALS THE HEARTS OF ISRAEL. (2Sa 15:1-9)
• HE FORMS A CONSPIRACY. (2Sa 15:10-12)
• DAVID FLEES FROM JERUSALEM. (2Sa. 15:13-37)
• ZIBA, BY FALSE SUGGESTIONS, CLAIMS HIS MASTER'S INHERITANCE. (2Sa 16:1-4)
• SHIMEI CURSES DAVID. (2Sa 16:5-19)
• AHITHOPHEL'S COUNSEL. (2Sa 16:20-23)
• SECRET INTELLIGENCE SENT TO DAVID. (2Sa 17:15-22)
• AHITHOPHEL HANGS HIMSELF. (2Sa 17:23-29)
• DAVID REVIEWING THE ARMIES. (2Sa 18:1-4)
• GIVES THEM CHARGE OF ABSALOM. (2Sa 18:5-13)
• HE IS SLAIN BY JOAB. (2Sa. 18:14-32)
• JOAB CAUSES THE KING TO CEASE MOURNING. (2Sa 19:1-8)
• THE ISRAELITES BRING THE KING BACK. (2Sa. 19:9-43)
• SHEBA MAKES A PARTY IN ISRAEL. (2Sa 20:1-9)
• AMASA IS SLAIN. (2Sa 20:10-13)
• JOAB PURSUES SHEBA UNTO ABEL. (2Sa 20:14-15)
• A WISE WOMAN SAVES THE CITY BY SHEBA'S HEAD. (2Sa 20:16-22)
• DAVID'S GREAT OFFICERS. (2Sa 20:23-26)
• THE THREE YEARS' FAMINE FOR THE GIBEONITES CEASE BY HANGING SEVEN OF SAUL'S SONS. (2Sa 21:1-9)
• RIZPAH'S KINDNESS UNTO THE DEAD. (2Sa 21:10-11)
• DAVID BURIES THE BONES OF SAUL AND JONATHAN IN THEIR FATHER'S SEPULCHER. (2Sa 21:12-22)
• DAVID PROFESSES HIS FAITH IN GOD'S PROMISES. (2Sa 23:1-7)
• A CATALOGUE OF HIS MIGHTY MEN. (2Sa. 23:8-39)
• DAVID NUMBERS THE PEOPLE. (2Sa 24:1-9)
• HE, HAVING THREE PLAGUES PROPOUNDED BY GAD, REPENTS, AND CHOOSES THREE DAYS' PESTILENCE. (2Sa 24:10-14)
• HIS INTERCESSION TO GOD; THE PLAGUE CEASES. (2Sa 24:15-25)

TSK: 2 Samuel 5 (Chapter Introduction)

Overview

2Sa 5:1, The tribes come to Hebron and anoint David over Israel; 2Sa 5:4, David’s age; 2Sa 5:6, He taking Zion from the Jebusites, dwells in it; 2Sa 5:11, Hiram sends to David; 2Sa 5:13, Eleven sons are born to him in Jerusalem; 2Sa 5:17, David, directed by God, smites the Philistines at Baal-perazim; 2Sa 5:22, and again at the mulberry trees.

Poole: 2 Samuel 5 (Chapter Introduction)

SAMUEL CHAPTER 5

The tribes come to Hebron to anoint David king over all Israel: the years of his reign at Hebron and Jerusalem: his age, 2Sa 5:1-5 . He taketh the strong hold of Zion from the Jebusites, and dwelleth there, 2Sa 5:6-10 . Hiram maketh a league with David, and sendeth wood and workmen to build a house, 2Sa 5:11,12 . He taketh more wives, and eleven sons are born to him at Jerusalem, 2Sa 5:13-16 . David, directed by God, smiteth the Philistines at Baal-perazin, 2Sa 5:17-21 ; and again at the mulberry trees, 2Sa 5:22-25 .

To wit, by their ambassadors, Ish-bosheth and Abner being now dead, and that without David’ s concurrence.

MHCC: 2 Samuel (Book Introduction)

This book is the history of the reign of king David. It relates his victories, the growth of the prosperity of Israel, and his reformation of the state of religion. With these events are recorded the grievous sins he committed, and the family as well as public troubles with which he was punished. We here meet with many things worthy of imitation, and many that are written for our warning. The history of king David is given in Scripture with much faithfulness, and from it he appears, to those who fairly balance his many virtues and excellent qualities against his faults, to have been a great and good man.

MHCC: 2 Samuel 5 (Chapter Introduction)

(2Sa 5:1-5) David king over all Israel.

(2Sa 5:6-10) He takes the strong-hold of Zion.

(2Sa 5:11-16) David's kingdom established.

(2Sa 5:17-25) He defeats the Philistines.

Matthew Henry: 2 Samuel (Book Introduction)

An Exposition, with Practical Observations, of The Second Book of Samuel

This book is the history of the reign of king David. We had in the foregoing book an account of his designation to the government, and his struggles with Saul, which ended at length in the death of his persecutor. This book begins with his accession to the throne, and is entirely taken up with the affairs of the government during the forty years he reigned, and therefore is entitled by the Septuagint. The Third Book of the Kings. It gives us an account of David's triumphs and his troubles. I. His triumphs over the house of Saul (ch. 1-4), over the Jebusites and Philistines (ch. 5), at the bringing up of the ark (ch. 6 and 7), over the neighbouring nations that opposed him (ch. 8-10); and so far the history is agreeable to what we might expect from David's character and the choice made of him. But his cloud has a dark side. II. We have his troubles, the causes of them, his sin in the matter of Uriah (ch. 11 and 12), the troubles themselves from the sin of Amnon (ch. 13), the rebellion of Absalom (ch. 14-19) and of Sheba (ch. 20), and the plague in Israel for his numbering the people (ch. 24), besides the famine of the Gibeonites (ch. 21). His son we have (ch. 22), and his words and worthies (ch. 23). Many things in his history are very instructive; but for the hero who is the subject of it, though in many instances he appears here very great, and very good, and very much the favourite of heaven, yet it must be confessed that his honour shines brighter in his Psalms than in his Annals.

Matthew Henry: 2 Samuel 5 (Chapter Introduction)

How far Abner's deserting the house of Saul, his murder, and the murder of Ish-bosheth, might contribute to the perfecting of the revolution, and the establishing of David as king over all Israel, does not appear; but, it should seem, that happy change followed presently thereupon, which in this chapter we have an account of. Here is, I. David anointed king by all the tribes (2Sa 5:1-5). II. Making himself master of the strong-hold of Zion (2Sa 5:6-10). III. Building himself a house and strengthening himself in his kingdom (2Sa 5:11, 2Sa 5:12). IV. His children that were born after this (2Sa 5:13-16). V. His victories over the Philistines (2Sa 5:17-25).

Constable: 2 Samuel (Book Introduction)

Introduction

Second Samuel continues the history begun in 1 Samuel. Please see my comments regarding 2 Samuel's title, date, authorship, and scope in the introductory section of the 1 Samuel notes.

Message¹

First Samuel records David's preparation. Second Samuel records his service namely his reign. In our study of 1 Samuel I mentioned three aspects of his preparation: as shepherd, as courtier, and as "outlaw." In 2 Samuel we see those aspects of his preparation put to work. He became the shepherd of his people, the center of his court, and the strong ruler of his nation. He fulfilled the office of king successfully under God's leadership.

The message of 2 Samuel is that man's attitude toward God creates an opportunity for God, and God's attitude toward man creates an opportunity for man.

First, man's attitude toward God creates an opportunity for God.

We find this principle stated in 22:26-28. Compare Hannah's prayer of praise in 1 Sam. 2:1-10. God is to each person what that person is to God.

We find the principle illustrated in David's attitudes toward God. David had four convictions about God. We see these in his thanksgiving psalm in chapter 22, which is also Psalm 18. David evidently wrote it early in his life.

1. He believed God was Israel's supreme Ruler. He never doubted this or presumed to elevate himself to God's place as Head of the nation. This is clear in 22:2-16. Contrast David's view with Saul's. Some local church leaders follow Saul's example rather than David's.

2. He believed God was consistently and completely righteous (right) in His dealings. David confessed his sin when charged with it rather than trying to deny it. In 22:17-27 this comes through clearly. Contrast Saul.

3. He believed God was always merciful. He was willing to let God determine His punishment because he believed God would be merciful (cf. 22:28-46). Contrast Saul.

4. He believed God's will was always best. His greatest desire was for God's will in his own life and in Israel (cf. 22:47-51). Contrast Saul.

David's convictions created opportunities for God.

1. Because David really believed in God's sovereignty God could and did set David over the throne of Israel and direct him to govern God's people (cf. 22:2-3). Even today loyal employees are the ones that employers promote to positions of greater responsibility.

2. Because David acknowledged God's righteousness God was able to bless David for his righteousness (cf. 22:21-28).

3. Because David appreciated God's mercy God was able to be merciful with him (cf. 22:35-36).

4. Because David viewed God's will as superior God was able to bring His will for David and Israel to pass (cf. 22:51).

With these attitudes David became God's instrument through whom God accomplished His larger plans and purposes. Even though David sinned greatly, his deepest convictions lay in these truths. God based His dealings with David on David's deepest convictions. He was the man after God's own heart. God did not base His dealings with David primarily on David's momentary failings. This is a great encouragement. Your deep underlying attitude toward God provides a foundation on which God can build and use you in some way. Your presence here at DTS is encouraging to me. The direction you are heading is more important than how far you have advanced in Christian growth.

The other side of this coin is that God's attitude toward a person creates an opportunity for that person. John wrote, "We love Him because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19).

We find this principle stated in 23:1-5. David evidently wrote this chapter later in his life.

We find the principle illustrated in God's attitudes toward David. What were these?

1. God purposed for David to be king (cf. 23:1). This knowledge affected David's attitude toward God. He just needed to consent to God's purpose for him. God has purposed to bless you. This is the revelation of the whole Bible.

2. God's power would be adequate for David's needs (cf. 23:2). The power for all of David's life, including the inspiration for his words, came from God. David could simply cooperate with it. We too have the Spirit. We too need just to cooperate with God.

3. God's pattern for David's kingship was God's own rule (cf. 23:3-4). David could conform to God's example as Sovereign to fulfill his destiny. We have Jesus Christ's example as well as God's pattern.

4. God's persistence would result in the fulfillment of all His promises to David (cf. 23:5). This gave David confidence in God in the present. God has promised never to leave us (Matt. 28:20). He has proved Himself faithful.

In 1 Samuel we learned that God's ultimate victory does not depend on people's attitudes toward Him. His people can be loyal or rebellious, and this will not affect His ultimate victory.

In 2 Samuel we learn that our ultimate victory in life depends on our attitude toward God. Conformity to the will of God creates fitness for service. Conformity to the will of God depends wholly on our attitude toward God. It does not depend on our ability, or on our ability to persuade God to do something. It depends on our abandonment to Him, and on our willingness to let God persuade us to do something. It depends on our commitment to Him and our faithfulness to Him.

God does not measure us as other people do. We measure each other by external actions. God measures us by internal attitudes. What is your attitude toward God? Do you really want to please God, or do you obey God simply because of your background and environment? Would you live a filthy life if you could get away with it? What is your real attitude toward God? Do you really want to do right? David was a man after God's own heart because he really wanted what God wanted. What do you really want?

Be careful, because God will give you what you really want. Do you want to run your own life? God will let you do it, but He may let you run your life into a brick wall.

Constable: 2 Samuel (Outline)

Outline

(Continued from notes on 1 Samuel)

V. David's triumphs chs. 1-8

A. The beginning of David's kingdom 1:1-3:5

1. David's discovery of Saul and Jonathan's deaths ch. 1

2. David's move to Hebron 2:1-4a

3. David's overtures to Jabesh-gilead 2:4b-7

4. Ish-bosheth's coronation over Israel 2:8-11

5. The conflict between Abner and Joab 2:12-32

6. The strengthening of David's position 3:1-5

B. The unification of the kingdom 3:6-5:16

1. David's acceptance of Abner 3:6-39

2. David's punishment of Ish-bosheth's murderers ch. 4

3. David's acceptance by all Israel 5:1-12

4. David's additional children 5:13-16

C. The establishment of the kingdom 5:17-8:18

1. David's victories over the Philistines 5:17-25

2. David's moving of the ark to Jerusalem ch. 6

3. The giving of the Davidic Covenant ch. 7

4. The security of David's kingdom ch. 8

VI. David's troubles chs. 9-20

A. David's faithfulness ch. 9

B. God's faithfulness despite David's unfaithfulness chs. 10-12

1. The Ammonite rebellion ch. 10

2. David's unfaithfulness to God chs. 11-12

C. David's rejection and return chs. 13-20

1. Events leading up to Absalom's rebellion chs. 13-14

2. Absalom's attempt to usurp David's throne chs. 15-20

VII. Summary illustrations chs. 21-24

A. Famine from Saul's sin 21:1-14

1. Saul's broken treaty with the Gibeonites 21:1-6

2. David's justice and mercy 21:7-9

3. David's honoring of Saul and Jonathan 21:10-14

B. Four giant killers 21:15-22

C. David's praise of Yahweh ch. 22

D. David's last testament 23:1-7

E. Thirty-seven mighty men 23:8-39

1. Selected adventures of outstanding warriors 23:8-23

2. A list of notable warriors among The Thirty 23:24-39

F. Pestilence from David's sin ch. 24

1. David's sin of numbering the people 24:1-9

2. David's confession of his guilt 24:10-14

3. David's punishment 24:15-17

4. David's repentance 24:18-25

Constable: 2 Samuel

2 Samuel

Bibliography

Achtemeier, Paul J., and Elizabeth Achtemeier. The Old Testament Roots of Our Faith. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1979.

Ackerman, James S. "Knowing Good and Evil: A Literary Ananysis of the Court History in 2 Samuel 9-20 and 1 Kings 1-2." Journal of Biblical Literature 109:1 (Spring 1990):41-60.

Ackroyd, Peter R. "The Succession Narrative (so-called)." Interpretation 35:4 (1980):383-96.

Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonah. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. Revised ed., New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1977.

Albright, William F. The Archaeology of Palestine. 1949. Revised ed. Pelican Archaeology series. Harmondsworth, Middlesex, Eng.: Penguin Books, 1956.

Alter, Robert. The Art of Biblical Narrative. New York: Basic, 1981.

Anderson, A. A. 2 Samuel. Word Biblical Commentary series. Dallas: Word Books, 1989.

Archer, Gleason L., Jr. Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties. Regency Reference Library series. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1982.

_____. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction. Revised ed. Chicago: Moody Press, 1974.

Armerding, Carl Edwin. "Were David's Sons Really Priests?" In Current Issues in Biblical and Patristic Interpretation: Studies in Honor of Merrill C. Tenney Presented by His Former Students, pp. 75-86. Ed. Gerald F. Hawthorne. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1975.

Arnold, Bill T. "The Amalekite's Report of Saul's Death: Political Intrigue or Incompatible Sources?" Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 32:3 (1989):289-98.

Bailey, Randall C. David in Love and War: The Pursuit of Power in 2 Samuel 10-12. Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement 75. Sheffield, Eng.: JSOT, 1990.

Baldwin, Joyce G. 1 & 2 Samuel. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries series. Leicester, Eng., and Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1988.

Battenhouse, Roy. "The Tragedy of Absalom: A Literary Analysis." Christianity and Literature 31:3 (Spring 1982):53-57.

Baxter, J. Sidlow. Explore the Book. 6 vols. London: Marshall, Morgan, and Scott, 1965.

Beal, Richard H. "The Hittites After the Empire's Fall." Biblical Illustrator 10:1 (Fall 1983):72-81.

Bellefontaine, Elizabeth. "Customary Law and Chieftanship: Judicial Aspects of 2 Samuel 14:4-21." Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 38 (1987):47-72.

Bendavid, Abba. Parallels in the Bible. Jerusalem: Carta, 1972.

Bentzen, Aage. "The Cultic Use of the Story of the Ark in Samuel." Journal of Biblical Literature 67 (1948):37-53.

Berlin, Adele. "Characterization in Biblical Narrative: David's Wives." Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 23 (July 1982):69-85.

Blaikie, William G. The Second Book of Samuel. 1893; reprint ed. Minneapolis: Klock and Klock, 1978.

Blenkinsopp, Joseph. "Did Saul Make Gibeon His Capital?" Vetus Testamentum 24:1 (January 1974):1-7.

_____. "Kiriath-jearim and the Ark." Journal of Biblical Literature 88 (1969):143-56.

Bright, John A. A History of Israel. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1959.

Brueggemann, Walter. "2 Samuel 21-24: An Appendix of Deconstruction?" Catholic Biblical Quarterly 50:3 (July 1988):383-97.

_____. First and Second Samuel. Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching series. Louisville: John Knox Press, 1990.

_____. "Of the Same Flesh and Bone (Gn 2, 23a)." Catholic Biblical Quarterly 32:4 (September 1970):532-42.

Bury, J. B.; S. A. Cook; and F. E. Adcock, eds. The Cambridge Ancient History. 12 vols. 2nd ed. reprinted. Cambridge, Eng.: University Press, 1928.

Calderone, Philip J. Dynastic Oracle and Suzerainty Treaty. Manila: Ateneo University, 1966.

Camp, Claudia V. "The Wise Women of 2 Samuel: A Role Model for Women in Early Israel." Catholic Biblical Quarterly 43:1 (January 1981):14-29.

Campbell, Anthony F. Of Prophets and Kings: A Late Ninth-Century Document (1 Samuel 1-2Kings 10). Catholic Biblical Quarterly Monograph 17. Washington: Catholic Biblical Association of America, 1986.

Carlson, R. A. David the Chosen King. Translated by Eric J. Sharpe and Stanley Rudman (notes). Stockholm: Almquist and Wiksell, 1964.

Carter, Leslie. Warring Faith. London: Victory Press, 1961.

Chafin, Kenneth L. 1, 2 Samuel. The Communicator's Commentary series. Dallas: Word Books, 1989.

Childs, Brevard S. Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1979.

Chisholm, Robert B., Jr. "Does God Deceive?" Bibliotheca Sacra 155:617 (January-March 1998):11-28.

Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. "Youth and Age." In Poems That Live Forever. Selected by Hazel Fellman. New York: Doubleday, 1965.

Conroy, Charles. Absalom Absalom! Narrative and Language in 2 Sam 13-20. Rome: Pontifical Biblical Institute, 1978.

Constable, Thomas L. "Analysis of Bible Books--Old Testament." Paper submitted for course 685 Analysis of Bible Books--Old Testament. Dallas Theological Seminary, January 1967.

Cooke, Gerald. "The Israelite King as Son of God." Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 73:2 (June 1961):202-25.

Coxon, Peter W. "A Note on Bathsheba' in 2 Samuel 12, 1-6." Biblica 62:2 (1981):247-50.

Crockett, William Day. A Harmony of the Books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1973.

Cross, Frank M., Jr. Canaanite Myth and the Hebrew Bible. Cambridge and London: Harvard University Press, 1973.

_____. "An Interpretation of the Nora Stone." Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 208 (December 1972):13-19.

Cross, Frank Moore, Jr. and David Noel Freedman. "A Royal Song of Thanksgiving--II Samuel 22 = Psalm 18." Journal of Biblical Literature 72:1 (1953):15-34.

Curtis, John Briggs. "East is East . . ..'" Journal of Biblical Literature 80:4 (1961):356-63.

Darby, John Nelson. Synopsis of the Books of the Bible. 5 vols. Revised ed. New York: Loizeaux Brothers Publishers, 1942.

Davis, John J., and John C Whitcomb. A History of Israel. Reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1980.

Day, Peggy L. "Abishai and satan in 2 Samuel 19:17-22." Catholic Biblical Quarterly 49:4 (October 1987):543-47.

de Vaux, Roland. Ancient Israel: Its Life and Institutions. 2 vols. Translated by John McHugh. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1961.

DeVries, LaMoine. "The Forest of Ephraim." Biblical Illustrator 10:1 (1983):82-85.

Damrosch, David. The Narrative Covenant: Transformations of Genre in the Growth of Biblical Literature. San Francisco: Harper, 1987.

Dillard, Raymond B. "David's Census: Perspectives on II Samuel 24 and I Chronicles 21." In Through Christ's Word: A Festschrift for Dr. Philip E. Hughes, pp. 94-107. Edited by Robert W. Godfrey and Jesse L. Boyd III. Phillipsburg, N.J.: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1985.

Driver, S. R. Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel. 1913; 2nd ed. revised, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1966.

Dumbrell, William J. Covenants and Creation. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1984.

Eskhult, Mats. Studies in Verbal Aspect and Narrative Technique in Biblical Hebrew Prose. Uppsala, Sweden: Uppsala University, 1990.

Fensham, F. Charles. "The Battle Between the Men of Joab and Abner as a Possible Ordeal by Battle?" Vetus Testamentum 20:3 (July 1970):356-57.

_____. "Clauses of Protection in Hittite Vassal-Treaties and the Old Testament." Vetus Testamentum 13 (1963):133-43.

_____. "The Treaty between Israel and the Gibeonites." Biblical Archaeologist 27:3 (1964):96-100.

Flanagan, James W. "Court History or Succession Document? A Study of 2 Samuel 9-20; 1 Kings 1-2." Journal of Biblical Literature 91:2 (1972):172-81.

Fokkelman, J. P. Narrative Art and Poetry in the Books of Samuel. Vol. 1: King David. Assen: Von Gorcum & Co., 1981.

Freedman, David Noel. "The Refrain in David's Lament Over Saul and Jonathan." In Ex Orbe Religionum: Studia Geo Widengren Oblata. pp. 115-26. Leiden, Netherlands: Brill, 1972.

Gaebelein, Arno C. The Annotated Bible. 4 vols. Reprint ed. Chicago: Moody Press, and New York: Loizeaux Brothers, Inc., 1970.

Garnet, Paul. "Atonement Constructions in the Old Testament and the Qumran Scrolls." Evangelical Quarterly 46:3 (July-September 1974):131-63.

Garsiel, Moshe. The First Book of Samuel: A Literary Study of Comparative Structures, Analogies, and Parallels. Ramat-Gan: Revivim, 1985.

Gehrke, R. O. I and II Samuel. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1968.

Gevirtz, Stanley. "David's Lament Over Saul and Jonathan." In Patterns in the Early Poetry of Israel, pp. 72-96. Studies in Ancient Oriental Civilization series, number 32. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1963.

Gileadi, Avraham. "The Davidic Covenant: A Theological Basis for Corporate Protection." In Israel's Apostasy and Restoration: Essays in Honor of Roland K. Harrison, pp. 157-63. Edited by Avraham Gileadi. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988.

Goldingay, John. Theological Diversity and the Authority of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1987.

Goldman, S. Samuel. London: Soncino Press, 1951.

Gordon, Robert P. I & II Samuel: A Commentary. Library of Biblical Interpretation series. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, Regency Reference Library, 1986.

Gunn, David M. "David and the Gift of the Kingdom (2 Samuel 2-4, 9-20, 1 Kings 1-2)." Semeia 3 (1975):14-45.

_____. "From Jerusalem to the Jordan and Back: Symmetry in 2 Samuel XV-XX." Vetus Testamentum 30:1 (January 1980):109-13.

_____. The Story of King David: Genre and Interpretation. Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement 6. Sheffield, Eng.: JSOT, 1978.

_____. "Traditional Composition in the Succession Narrative'." Vetus Testamentum 26:2 (April 1976):214-29.

Harton, George M. "Fulfillment of Deuteronomy 28-30 in History and in Eschatology." ThD dissertation, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1981.

Hays, J. Daniel. "The Cushites: A Black Nation in the Bible." Bibliotheca Sacra 153:612 (October-December 1996):396-409.

Heater, Homer, Jr. "A Theology of Samuel and Kings." In A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament, pp. 115-55. Edited by Roy B. Zuck. Chicago: Moody Press, 1991.

Hertzberg, Hans Wilhelm. I and II Samuel. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1976.

Hill, Andrew E. "A Jonadab Connection in the Absalom Conspiracy." Journal of Biblical Literature 30:4 (December 1987):387-90.

Hillers, Delbert R. "A Note on Some Treaty Terminology in the Old Testament." Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 176 (1964):46-47.

Hodges, Zane C. "Conflicts in the Biblical Account of the Ammonite-Syrian War." Bibliotheca Sacra 119:475 (July-September 1962):238-43.

Hoftijzer, J. "David and the Tekoite Woman." Vetus Testamentum 20:4 (October 1970):419-44.

Holladay, William L. "Form and Word-Play in David's Lament over Saul and Jonathan." Vetus Testamentum 20:2 (April 1970):153-89.

Holloway, Steven W. "Distaff, Crutch or Chain Gang: The Curse of the House of Joab in 2 Samuel III 29." Vetus Testamentum 37:3 (July 1987):370-75.

Horn, Siegfried H. "The Crown of the King of the Ammonites." Andrews University Seminary Bulletin 11:2 (1973):170-80.

Jackson, Jared J. "David's Throne: Patterns in the Succession Story." Canadian Journal of Theology 11:3 (July 1965):183-95.

Jones, Gwilym H. The Nathan Narratives. Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement 80. Sheffield, Eng.: JSOT, 1990.

Josephus, Flavius. The Works of Flavius Josephus. Translated by William Whiston. Antiquities of the Jews. London: T. Nelson and Sons, 1866.

Kallai, Zechariah. "Judah and Israel--A Study in Israelite Historiography." Israel Exploration Journal 28:4 (1978):251-61.

Keil, C. F. and Franz Delitzsch. Biblical Commentary on the Books of Samuel. Translated by James Martin. Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament. Reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1960.

Kennedy, James. "David's Lament over Saul and Jonathan: II Sam. 1:19-27." American Journal of Semitic Languages 32 (1916):118-25.

Kirkpatrick, A. F. The Second Book of Samuel. Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges series. Cambridge, Eng.: University Press, 1886.

Kitchen, K. A. The Bible In Its World. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1977.

Laney, J. Carl. First and Second Samuel. Everyman's Bible Commentary series. Chicago: Moody Press, 1982.

Lange, John Peter, ed. Commentary on the Holy Scriptures. 12 vols. Reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1960. Vol. 3: Samuel-Kings, by Chr. Fr. David Erdmann and Karl Chr. W. T. Bahr. Translated, enlarged, and edited by C. H. Toy, John A. Broadus, Edwin Harwood, and W. G. Sumner.

Lasine, Stuart. "Melodrama as Parable: The Story of the Poor Man's Ewe-Lamb and the Unmasking of David's Topsy-Turvy Emotions." Hebrew Annual Review 8 (1984):101-24.

LaSor, William Sanford. "The Prophets during the Monarchy: Turning Points in Israel's Decline." In Israel's Apostasy and Restoration, pp. 59-70. Edited by Avraham Gileadi. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988.

Lawlor, John I. "Theology and Art in the Narrative of the Ammonite War (2 Samuel 10-12)." Grace Theological Journal 3:2 (1982):193-205.

Lawrence, John W. Life's Choices. Portland: Multnomah Press, 1975.

Lemche, Niels Peter. "David's Rise." Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 10 (November 1978):2-25.

Levenson, Jon D. "The Davidic Covenant and Its Modern Interpreters." Catholic Biblical Quarterly 41:2 (1979):205-19.

Levenson, Jon D., and Baruch Halpern. "The Political Import of David's Marriages." Journal of Biblical Literature 99:4 (1980):507-18.

Mabee, Charles. "David's Judicial Exoneration." Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 92:1 (1980):92-107.

Malamat, Abraham. "Aspects of the Foreign Policies of David and Solomon." Journal of Near Eastern Studies 22:1 (January 1963):1-17.

_____. "The Kingdom of David & Solomon in Its Contact With Egypt and Aram Naharaim." Biblical Archaeologist 21:4 (1958):96-102.

Mare, W. Harold. The Archaeology of the Jerusalem Area. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1987.

Martin, John A. "Studies in 1 and 2 Samuel." Bibliotheca Sacra 141:561 (January-March 1984):28-42; 562 (April-June 1984):131-45; 563 (July-September):209-22; 564 (October-December):303-14.

Mazar, B. "The Military Elite of King David." Vetus Testamentum 13 (1963):310-20.

McCarter, P. Kyle, Jr. II Samuel. Anchor Bible series. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday and Co., 1984.

_____. "The Apology of David." Journal of Biblical Literature 99:4 (1980):489-504.

_____. "Plots, True or False': The Succession Narrative as Court Apologetic." Interpretation 35:4 ( October 1981):355-67.

_____. "The Ritual Dedication of the City of David in 2 Samuel 6." In The Word of the Lord Shall Go Forth: Essays in Honor of David Noel Freedman in Celebration of His Sixtieth Birthday, pp. 273-78. Edited by Carol L. Meyers and M. O'Connor. Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, 1983.

McCarthy, Dennis J. "II Samuel 7 and the Structure of the Deuteronomic History." Journal of Biblical Literature 84 (1965):136.

McKane, William. I and II Samuel. London: SCM Press, 1963.

Merrill, Eugene H. "2 Samuel." In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament, pp. 457-82. Edited by John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck. Wheaton: Scripture Press Publications, Victor Books, 1985.

_____. Kingdom of Priests. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1987.

_____. "Royal Priesthood: An Old Testament Messianic Motif." Bibliotheca Sacra 150:597 (January-March 1993):50-61.

Meyer, F. B. David: Shepherd and King. Condensed Christian Books series. Westchester, Ill.: Good News Publishers, 1960.

_____. Samuel the Prophet. Chicago: Fleming H. Revell, n.d.

Millard, A. R. "Saul's Shield Not Anointed With Oil." Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 230 (April 1978):70.

Monson, James M. The Land Between. Jerusalem: By the author, P.O. Box 1276, 1983.

Morgan, G. Campbell. Living Messages of the Books of the Bible. 2 vols. New York: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1912.

Murray, Donald. "Once Again t hd Sbty Ysr'l in II Samuel 7:7." Revue Biblique 94:3 (July 1987):389-96.

Na'aman, Nadav. "The List of David's Officers (Salisim)." Vetus Testamentum 38:1 (1988):71-79.

Neiderhiser, Edward A. "2 Samuel 20:8-10: A Note for a Commentary." Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 24:3 (September 1981):209-10.

New Bible Dictionary, 1962 ed. S. v. "Cherethites," by T. C. Mitchell.

New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology. Edited by C. Brown. 1975, 1976 and 1978 ed. S. v. "Shepherd," by E. Beyreuther.

Newsome, James D., Jr. ed. A Synoptic Harmony of Samuel, Kings and Chronicles. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1986.

Nicol, George G. "The Wisdom of Joab and the Wise Woman of Tekoa." Studia Theologica 36 (1982):97-104.

North, Robert. "Social Dynamics From Saul to Jehu." Biblical Theology Bulletin 12:4 (1982):109-19.

O'Ceallaigh, G. C. "And So David Did to All the Cities of Ammon.'" Vetus Testamentum 12 (1962):179-89.

Ockinga, Boyu G. "A Note on 2 Samuel 18.18." Biblische Notizen 31 (1986):31-34.

Oppenheim, A. Leo. Ancient Mesopotamia. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1964.

Ota, Michiko. "A Note on 2 Sam 7." In A Light Unto My Path: Old Testament Studies in Honor of Jacob M. Myers, pp. 403-7. Edited by Howard N. Bream, Ralph D. Heim, and Carey A. Moore. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1974.

Patrick, Symon. A Commentary Upon the Two Books of Samuel. London: Chiswell, 1703.

Payne, David F. I & II Samuel. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1982.

Payne, J. Barton. "1, 2 Chronicles." In I Kings-Job. Vol. 4 of The Expositor's Bible Commentary. 12 vols. Edited by Frank E. Gaebelein and Richard D. Polcyn. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1988.

Pentecost, J. Dwight. Things to Come. Findlay, Ohio: Dunham Publishing Co., 1958.

_____. Thy Kingdom Come. Wheaton: Scripture Press Publications, Victor Books, 1990.

Perdue, Leo G. "Is There Anyone Left of the House of Saul . . . ?' Ambiguity and the Characterization of David in the Succession Narrative." Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 30 (October 1984):67-84.

Peters, F. E. Jerusalem. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1985.

Pfeiffer, Charles F., and Howard F Vos. The Wycliffe Historical Geography of Bible Lands. Chicago: Moody Press, 1967.

Pfeiffer, Robert H. Introduction to the Old Testament. Revised ed. New York: Harper, 1948.

Phillips, Anthony. "David's Linen Ephod." Vetus Testamentum 19:4 (October 1967):485-87.

_____. "The Interpretation of 2 Samuel xii 5-6." Vetus Testamentum 16 (1966):242-44.

_____. "NEBALAH--a term for serious disorderly and unruly conduct." Vetus Testamentum 25:2 (April 1975):237-41.

Porter, J. R. "The Interpretation of 2 Samuel VI and Psalm CXXXII." Journal of Theological Studies N.S. 5 (1954):161-73.

Pritchard, James B., ed. Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament. 3rd ed. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1969.

Rasmussen, Carl G. Zondervan NIV Atlas of the Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1989.

Reid, Patrick V. "Sbty in 2 Samuel 7:7." Catholic Biblical Quarterly 37:1 (January 1975):17-20.

Richardson, H. Neil. "The Last Words of David: Some Notes on II Samuel 23:1-7." Journal of Biblical Literature 90:3 (1971):257-66.

Ridout, George P. Prose Compositional Techniques in the Succession Narrative [2 Samuel 7, 9-20; 1 Kings 1-2]. Ann Arbor: University Microfilms, 1985.

Rogers, Cleon L., Jr. "The Davidic Covenant in the New Testament." Bibliotheca Sacra 150:600 (October-December 1993):458-78; and 150:601 (January-March 1994):71-84.

_____. "The Promises to David in Early Judaism." Bibliotheca Sacra 150:599 (July-September 1993:285-302.

Rosenberg, Joel. King and Kin: Political Allegory in the Hebrew Bible. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1986.

Rost, Leonhard. The Succession to the Throne of David. Sheffield. Eng.: Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Press, 1982.

Roth, Wolfgang. "The Deuteronomic Rest Theology: A Redaction-Critical Study." Biblical Research 21 (1976):5-14.

____. "You Are the Man! Structural Interaction in 2 Samuel 10-12." Semeia 8 (1977):1-13.

Sanders, J. Oswald. Spiritual Leadership. Chicago: Moody Press, 1969.

Saucy, Robert L. The Case for Progressive Dispensationalism. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1993.

Segal, M. H. "The Composition of the Books of Samuel." Jewish Quarterly Review 55 (1964-65):318-39; 56 (1965-66):32-50.

Schwantes, Siegfried J. A Short History of the Ancient Near East. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1965.

Shea, William H. "Chiasmus and the Structure of David's Lament." Journal of Biblical Literature 105:1 (1986):13-25.

_____. "David's Lament." Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 221 (February 1976):141-44.

Simon, Uriel. "The Poor Man's Ewe-Lamb." Biblica 48 (1967):207-42.

Skehan, Patrick W. "Joab's Census: How Far North (2 Sm 24, 6)?" Catholic Biblical Quarterly 31:1 (January 1969):42-49.

Smith, George Adam. The Historical Geography of the Holy Land. 22nd ed. London: Hodder and Stoughton, n.d.

Smith, H. P. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Books of Samuel. International Critical Commentary series. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1904.

Smith, J. M. P. "The Character of King David." Journal of Biblical Literature 52 (1933):1-11.

Smith, Morton. "The So-Called Biography of David' in the Books of Samuel and Kings." Harvard Theological Review 44 (1951):167-69.

Smith, Sidney. "The Practice of Kingship in Early Semitic Kingdoms." In Myth, Ritual, and Kingship, pp. 22-73. Edited by Samuel H. Hooke. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1958.

Sternberg, Meir. The Poetics of Biblical Narrative: Ideological Literature and the Drama of Reading. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1987.

Student Map Manual. Jerusalem: Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est., 1979.

Swindoll, Charles R. David: A Man of Passion and Destiny. Great Lives from God's Word series. Dallas: Word Publishing, 1997.

Tadmor, Hayim. "Traditional Institutions and the Monarchy: Social and Political Tensions in the Time of David and Solomon." In Studies in the Period of David and Solomon and Other Essays, pp. 237-57. Edited by Tomoo Ishida. Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, 1982.

Talmon, Shemaryahu. King, Cult, and Calendar in Ancient Israel: Collected Studies. Jerusalem: Magnes Press, 1986.

Thiele, Edwin R. The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1965.

Thompson, J. A. 1, 2 Chronicles. New American Commentary series. N.c.: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994.

Tidwell, N. L. "The Linen Ephod: 1 Sam. II 18 and 2 Sam. VI 14." Vetus Testamentum 24:4 (October l974):505-7.

Tsevat, Matitiahu. "The House of David in Nathan's Prophecy." Biblica 46 (1965):353-56.

_____. "Studies in the Book of Samuel," Hebrew Union College Annual 34 (1963):71-82; 36 (1965):49-58.

Tucker, Stanley D. "The Theology of the Book of Samuel: A Study of God's Humiliation or Exaltation of Leaders." Biblical Viewpoint 12:2 (1978):152-59.

Vanderkam, James C. "Davidic Complicity in the Deaths of Abner and Eshbaal: A Historical and Redactional Study." Journal of Biblical Literature 99:4 (1980):521-39.

Vogels, Walter. "David's Greatness in His Sin and Repentance." The Way 15:4 (1975):243-54.

Waltke, Bruce K. "The Phenomenon of Conditionality Within Unconditional Covenants." In Israel's Apostasy and Restoration: Essays in Honor of Roland K. Harrison, pp. 123-39. Edited by Avraham Gileadi. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988.

Walvoord, John F. "The New Covenant." In Integrity of Heart, Skillfulness of Hands, pp. 186-200. Edited by Charles H. Dyer and Roy B. Zuck. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1994.

Weinfeld, Moshe. "The Covenant of Grant in the Old Testament and in the Ancient Near East." Journal of the American Oriental Society 90:2 (1970):184-203.

Wenham, G. J. "Were David's Sons Priests?" Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 87:1 (1975):79-82.

Wharton, James A. "A Plausible Tale: Story and Theology in II Samuel 9-20, I Kings 1-2." Interpretation 35:4 (October 1981):341-54.

Whitelam, Keith W. "The Defence of David." Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 29 (June 1984):61-87.

Whyte, Alexander. Bible Characters. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1952.

Wood, Leon. Israel's United Monarchy. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1979.

_____. A Survey of Israel's History. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1970.

Yadin, Yigael. The Art of Warfare in Biblical Lands in the Light of Archaeological Discovery. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1963.

Yee, Gale A. "The Anatomy of Biblical Parody: The Dirge Form in 2 Samuel 1 and Isaiah 14." Catholic Biblical Quarterly 50:4 (October 1988):565-86.

_____. "Fraught With Background': Literary Ambiguity in II Samuel 11." Interpretation 42:3 (July 1988):240-53.

Young, Fred E. "First and Second Samuel." In The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, pp. 273-305. Edited by Charles F. Pfeiffer and Everett F. Harrison. Chicago: Moody Press, 1962.

Youngblood, Ronald F. "1, 2 Samuel." In Deuteronomy-2 Samuel. Vol. 3 of The Expositor's Bible Commentary. 12 vols. Edited by Frank E. Gaebelein and Richard P. Polcyn. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992.

Zapf, David L. "How Are the Mighty Fallen! A Study of 2 Samuel 1:17-27." Grace Theological Journal 5:1 (1984):95-126.

Copyright 2003 by Thomas L. Constable

Haydock: 2 Samuel (Book Introduction)

THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL;

otherwise called,

THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS.

INTRODUCTION.

This Book contains the transactions of David till the end of the pestilence, occasioned by his numbering the people, chap. xxiv. The last six chapters of the preceding book were probably written by Gad, who delivered God's orders to David, after he was deprived of the company of Samuel. Gad, Nathan, and other prophets, continued the sacred history, 1 Paralipomenon xxix. 29. After the unfortunate death of Saul, his general, Abner, instead of submitting quietly to the dominion of David, (Haydock) set the son of the deceased monarch upon the throne, at Mahanaim; and two years elapsed before the rival kings came to open war, chap. ii. 10. (Salien) --- David was 30 years old when he was anointed at Hebron, (chap. v. 4,) where he reigned seven years and a half over Juda. On the death of Isoboseth, he was anointed a third time, as king of all Israel, and reigned in that character 37 years. (Haydock) --- The partisans of Isoboseth might be excused in their adherence to him, as he was the son of the late king, and the election of David was not sufficiently notified to them. (Salien) --- We here behold the many virtues of David, and his repentance for some faults into which he had fallen. His predictions, and the names and exploits of many of his valiant men, are likewise recorded. (Worthington)

Gill: 2 Samuel (Book Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO 2 SAMUEL

This book, in many copies of the Hebrew Bible, is carried on without any new title put unto it; the reason of it is, because, by some, this, with the preceding, has been reckoned but one book: hence the Jews say ^a, Samuel wrote his book, not his books; in others it is called Samuel Second; and by the Vulgate Latin the Second Book of Samuel, which we call the Second of Kings; though why his name should be put to it at all I see not, since it neither concerns him, nor could it be written by him, being an history of events after his death. The Greek version calls it the Second of Kings; and the Syriac version, the Second Book of the Kings of Israel; whereas there is but one king of Israel it makes mention of, and of whose actions only it is an history; and therefore with greater propriety it is called, as the Arabic version, the Book of David the Prophet, of whose reign, from the beginning to the end of it, it gives an account: wherefore Isidore ^b thinks it was written by David; and if so, it has this mark of simplicity and integrity, that the writer does not spare himself, nor conceal his own faults, and particularly that very capital one, the affair of Bathsheba, and also his numbering of the people; but it is most probable that it was written by Nathan and Gad ^c, see 1Ch 29:29; but whoever was the penman of it, there is no doubt to be made of its being written by inspiration, or that it is canonical; which has never been questioned, since there stands in it a famous prophecy concerning the building of the temple by a son of David, which had an exact accomplishment, 2Sa 7:12; as well as of the family of David, for a great while to come, which also was fulfilled, 2Sa 7:19; and an eminent passage concerning the Messiah, the son of David, and of his divine sonship, 2Sa 7:14; quoted by the Apostle Paul in proof of it, Heb 1:5. It contains an history of about forty years, for so long David reigned, seven years and six months in Hebron, over Judah, and thirty three years in Jerusalem, over all Israel and Judah; and this book relates his last words.

Gill: 2 Samuel 5 (Chapter Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 5

In this chapter we have an account of all the tribes of Israel coming to Hebron, and anointing David king over them, 2Sa 5:1; of his expedition against the Jebusites in Jerusalem, and taking from them the strong hold of Zion, 2Sa 5:6; of his building an house for himself, and of his building up his family, by taking more wives and concubines, and having more children, whose names are given, 2Sa 5:11; and of an invasion of the land by the Philistines, and David's victory over them, 2Sa 5:17.