Text -- 2 Samuel 6:11-23 (NET)

6:11 The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months. The Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his family. 6:12 David was told, “The Lord has blessed the family of Obed-Edom and everything he owns because of the ark of God.” So David went and joyfully brought the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David. 6:13 Those who carried the ark of the Lord took six steps and then David sacrificed an ox and a fatling calf. 6:14 Now David, wearing a linen ephod, was dancing with all his strength before the Lord. 6:15 David and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord, shouting and blowing trumpets. 6:16 As the ark of the Lord entered the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked out the window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him. 6:17 They brought the ark of the Lord and put it in its place in the middle of the tent that David had pitched for it. Then David offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before the Lord. 6:18 When David finished offering the burnt sacrifices and peace offerings, he pronounced a blessing over the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. 6:19 He then handed out to each member of the entire assembly of Israel, both men and women, a portion of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake. Then all the people went home. 6:20 When David went home to pronounce a blessing on his own house, Michal, Saul’s daughter, came out to meet him. She said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself this day! He has exposed himself today before his servants’ slave girls the way a vulgar fool might do!” 6:21 David replied to Michal, “It was before the Lord! I was celebrating before the Lord, who chose me over your father and his entire family and appointed me as leader over the Lord’s people Israel. 6:22 I am willing to shame and humiliate myself even more than this! But with the slave girls whom you mentioned let me be distinguished!” 6:23 Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, had no children to the day of her death.

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)

Wesley: 2Sa 6:11

_The same hand that punished Uzzah's presumption, rewarded Obed - edom's humble boldness. None ever had, or ever shall have reason to say, that it is in vain to serve God. Piety is the best friend to prosperity. His household too shared in the blessing. It is good living in a family that entertains the ark; for all about it will fare the better for it.

Wesley: 2Sa 6:14

To express his thankfulness to God by his outward carriage, according to the manner of those times.

Wesley: 2Sa 6:14

The usual habit of the priests and Levites, in their sacred ministrations yet sometimes worn by others, as it was by the young child Samuel; and so David, who laid by his royal robes, and put on this robe to declare, that although he was king of Israel, yet he willingly owned himself to be the Lord's minister and servant.

Wesley: 2Sa 6:16

As one of a base and mean spirit, that knew not how to carry himself with that majesty which became his place.

Wesley: 2Sa 6:17

For Moses tabernacle was still at Gibeon, 1Ch 16:39, 1Ch 21:29; 2Ch 1:3, which David left there, because he designed to build a temple at Jerusalem with all speed.

Wesley: 2Sa 6:18

That is, he heartily and solemnly prayed to God for his blessing upon them: which he did both as a prophet, and as their king, to whom by office it belongs, by all means, to seek his people's welfare.

Wesley: 2Sa 6:20

Ministers must not think, that their public performances will excuse them from family worship: but when they have blessed the public assembly, they are to return and bless their own household. And none is too great to do this. It is the work of angels to worship God; and therefore certainly can be no disparagement to the greatest of men.

Wesley: 2Sa 6:20

By stripping himself of his royal robes, that he might put on a Levitical ephod.

Wesley: 2Sa 6:21

In his presence and service, which though contemptible to thee, is, and ever shall be honourable in mine eyes.

Wesley: 2Sa 6:21

Who took away the honour from him and his, and transferred it unto me, whereby he hath obliged me to love and serve him with all my might.

Wesley: 2Sa 6:22

The more we are vilified for well doing, the more resolute therein we should be, binding our religion the closer to us, for the endeavours of Satan's agents to shame us out of it.

Wesley: 2Sa 6:22

I will always be ready to abase myself before God, and think nothing to mean to stoop to for his honour.

Wesley: 2Sa 6:22

So far will they be from despising me on this account, that they will honour me the more.

Wesley: 2Sa 6:23

Because of her proud and petulant speech and carriage to David, which God justly punished with barrenness.

Wesley: 2Sa 6:23

After this time.

JFB: 2Sa 6:11

A Levite (1Ch 15:18, 1Ch 15:21, 1Ch 15:24; 1Ch 16:5; 1Ch 26:4). He is called a Gittite, either from his residence at Gath, or more probably from Gath-rimmon, one of the Levitical cities (Jos 21:24-25).

JFB: 2Sa 6:12

The lapse of three months not only restored the agitated mind of the monarch to a tranquil and settled tone, but led him to a discovery of his former error. Having learned that the ark was kept in its temporary resting-place not only without inconvenience or danger, but with great advantage, he resolved forthwith to remove it to the capital, with the observance of all due form and solemnity (1Ch 15:1-13). It was transported now on the shoulders of the priests, who had been carefully prepared for the work, and the procession was distinguished by extraordinary solemnities and demonstrations of joy.

JFB: 2Sa 6:13

Some think that four altars were hastily raised for the offering of sacrifices at the distance of every six paces (but see on 1Ch 15:26).

JFB: 2Sa 6:14

The Hebrews, like other ancient people, had their sacred dances, which were performed on their solemn anniversaries and other great occasions of commemorating some special token of the divine goodness and favor.

JFB: 2Sa 6:14

Intimating violent efforts of leaping, and divested of his royal mantle (in a state of undress), conduct apparently unsuitable to the gravity of age or the dignity of a king. But it was unquestionably done as an act of religious homage, his attitudes and dress being symbolic, as they have always been in Oriental countries, of penitence, joy, thankfulness, and devotion. [See on 1Ch 15:27.]

JFB: 2Sa 6:17

The old tabernacle remained at Gibeon (1Ch 16:39; 1Ch 21:29; 2Ch 1:3). Probably it was not removed because it was too large for the temporary place the king had appropriated, and because he contemplated the building of a temple.

JFB: 2Sa 6:18

In the double character of prophet and king (see 1Ki 8:55-56). [See on 1Ch 16:2.]

JFB: 2Sa 6:19

Unleavened and slender.

JFB: 2Sa 6:19

Roast beef.

JFB: 2Sa 6:20-22

Proud of her royal extraction, she upbraided her husband for lowering the dignity of the crown and acting more like a buffoon than a king. But her taunting sarcasm was repelled in a manner that could not be agreeable to her feelings while it indicated the warm piety and gratitude of David.

Clarke: 2Sa 6:11

The Lord blessed Obed-edom - And why? Because he had the ark of the Lord in his house. Whoever entertains God’ s messengers, or consecrates his house to the service of God, will infallibly receive God’ s blessing.

Clarke: 2Sa 6:12

So David - brought up the ark - The Vulgate adds to this verse: And David had seven choirs, and a calf for a sacrifice. The Septuagint make a greater addition: "And he had seven choirs carrying the ark, a sacrifice, a calf, and lambs. And David played on harmonious organs before the Lord; and David was clothed with a costly tunic; and David and all the house of Israel, brought the ark of the Lord with rejoicing, and the sound of a trumpet."Nothing of this is found in any MS., nor in the Chaldee, the Syriac, nor the Arabic, nor in the parallel place, 1Ch 15:25.

Clarke: 2Sa 6:14

And David danced before the Lord - Dancing is a religious ceremony among the Hindoos, and they consider it an act of devotion to their idols. It is evident that David considered it in the same light. What connection dancing can have with devotion I cannot tell. This I know, that unpremeditated and involuntary skipping may be the effect of sudden mental elation.

Clarke: 2Sa 6:16

She despised him in her heart - She did not blame him outwardly; she thought he had disgraced himself, but she kept her mind to herself.

Clarke: 2Sa 6:18

He blessed the people in the name of the Lord - David acted here as priest, for it was the general prerogative of the priests to bless the people, but it appears, by both David and Solomon, that it was the prerogative of the kings also.

Clarke: 2Sa 6:19

A cake of bread - Such as those which are baked without leaven, and are made very thin

Clarke: 2Sa 6:19

A good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine - The words of flesh and of wine we add; they are not in the Hebrew. The Chaldee translates one part and one portion; but all the other versions understand the Hebrew as we do.

Clarke: 2Sa 6:20

To bless his household - This was according to the custom of the patriarchs, who were priests in their own families. It is worthy of remark, that David is called patriarch by Stephen, Act 2:29, though living upwards of four hundred years after the termination of the patriarchal age

Clarke: 2Sa 6:20

How glorious was the king of Israel - This is a strong irony. From what Michal says, it is probable that David used some violent gesticulations, by means of which some parts of his body became uncovered. But it is very probable that we cannot guess all that was implied in this reproach.

Clarke: 2Sa 6:21

It was before the Lord, which chose me - David felt the reproach, and was strongly irritated, and seems to have spoken to Michal with sufficient asperity.

Clarke: 2Sa 6:22

I will yet be more vile - The plain meaning of these words appears to be this: "I am not ashamed of humbling myself before that God who rejected thy father because of his obstinacy and pride, and chose me in his stead to rule his people; and even those maid-servants, when they come to know the motive of my conduct, shall acknowledge its propriety, and treat me with additional respect; and as for thee, thou shalt find that thy conduct is as little pleasing to God as it is to me."Then it is said, Michal had no child till the day of her death: probably David never more took her to his bed; or God, in his providence, might have subjected her to barrenness which in Palestine was considered both a misfortune and a reproach. Michal formed her judgment without reason, and meddled with that which she did not understand. We should be careful how we attribute actions, the reasons of which we cannot comprehend, to motives which may appear to us unjustifiable or absurd. Rash judgments are doubly pernicious; they hurt those who form them, and those of whom they are formed.

Defender: 2Sa 6:14

Michal's sarcastic charge that David had "uncovered himself" (2Sa 6:20) while bringing the ark into Jerusalem was an exaggeration intended to show her displeasure at David's display of religious emotion. David had evidently divested himself only of his royal vestments to show humility before the Lord, and Michal resented this. Her judgment of childlessness (2Sa 6:23) was appropriate in this context."

TSK: 2Sa 6:11

the Lord blessed : Gen 30:27, Gen 39:5, Gen 39:23; Pro 3:9, Pro 3:10; Mal 3:10

TSK: 2Sa 6:12

because : Mat 10:42

So David : 1Ch 15:1-3, 1Ch 15:25; Psa 24:7-10, Psa 68:24-27, Psa 132:6-8

TSK: 2Sa 6:13

when they : Num 4:15, Num 7:9; Jos 3:3; 1Ch 15:2, 1Ch 15:15, 1Ch 15:25, 1Ch 15:26

oxen : 1Ki 8:5; 2Ch 5:6

TSK: 2Sa 6:14

danced : Exo 15:20; Jdg 11:34, Jdg 21:21; Psa 30:11, Psa 149:3, Psa 150:4; Luk 15:25

with all his : Deu 6:5; Ecc 9:10; Col 3:23

girded : 1Sa 2:18, 1Sa 2:28, 1Sa 22:18; 1Ch 15:27

TSK: 2Sa 6:15

David : Psa 132:18

with shouting : 1Ch 15:16, 1Ch 15:25, 1Ch 15:28; Ezr 3:10, Ezr 3:11; Psa 47:1, Psa 47:5, Psa 47:6, Psa 68:24-27

the sound : Num 10:1-10; Jos 6:4, Jos 6:5; Psa 150:3

TSK: 2Sa 6:16

And as : 1Ch 15:29

Michal : 2Sa 3:14

despised : 1Ch 15:29; Psa 69:7; Isa 53:3; Act 2:13; 1Co 2:14

TSK: 2Sa 6:17

they brought : 1Ch 15:1, 1Ch 16:1; 2Ch 1:4; Psa 132:8

pitched : Heb. stretched

offered : 1Ki 8:5, 1Ki 8:62-65; 2Ch 5:6, 2Ch 7:5-7; Ezr 6:16, Ezr 6:17

TSK: 2Sa 6:18

as soon : 1Ki 8:55; 1Ch 16:2; 2Ch 6:3, 2Ch 30:18, 2Ch 30:19, 2Ch 30:27; Act 3:26

he blessed : Gen 14:19; Exo 39:43; Lev 9:22, Lev 9:23; Heb 7:1-7

TSK: 2Sa 6:19

he dealt : 1Ch 16:3; 2Ch 30:24, 2Ch 35:7, 2Ch 35:8, 2Ch 35:12, 2Ch 35:13; Neh 8:10; Eze 45:17; Act 20:35; Eph 4:8

So all the : 1Ki 8:66; 2Ch 7:10

TSK: 2Sa 6:20

bless : 2Sa 6:18; Gen 18:19; Jos 24:15; 1Ch 16:43; Psa 30:1 *title Psa 101:2

Michal : 2Sa 6:16; Psa 69:7-9; Mar 3:21

glorious : Neh 4:3, Neh 4:4; Isa 53:2, Isa 53:3; Joh 13:6; 1Co 4:10-13; Phi 2:7, Phi 2:8

uncovered : We are only to understand by this expression that David had divested himself of his royal robes, in order to appear humble before the Lord, by assimilating himself to the condition of one of the priests or Levitescaps1 . fcaps0 or we find that he was ""girded with a linen ephod;""and consequently no part of his body was exposed, having only put off his outer garments. The terms uncovered or naked frequently mean no more than this in Scripture. 2Sa 6:14, 2Sa 6:16; 1Sa 19:23, 1Sa 19:24

vain fellows : Jdg 9:4; Job 30:8

shamelessly : or, openly

TSK: 2Sa 6:21

before : 2Sa 6:14, 2Sa 6:16; 1Co 10:31

chose : 1Sa 13:14, 1Sa 15:28, 1Sa 16:1, 1Sa 16:12; Psa 78:70-72, Psa 89:19, Psa 89:20; Act 13:22

play : 2Sa 6:5; 1Ch 15:29

TSK: 2Sa 6:22

more vile : Isa 50:6, Isa 51:7; Mat 5:11, Mat 5:12; Act 5:41, Act 5:42; Heb 12:2; 1Pe 4:14

in mine : Gen 32:10; Job 40:4, Job 42:6; 1Ti 1:15; 1Pe 5:6

maidservants : or, handmaids

I be had : 1Sa 2:30

TSK: 2Sa 6:23

Michal : 1Sa 1:6-8; Isa 4:1; Hos 9:11; Luk 1:25

unto the day : 1Sa 15:35; Isa 22:14; Mat 1:25

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)

Barnes: 2Sa 6:12

With gladness - Especially with joyful music and song (1Ch 15:16, etc.).

Barnes: 2Sa 6:13

The meaning is, not that they sacrificed oxen and fatlings every six steps, which would have been impossible, but that when - after the arrangement made by David for the Levites to carry the ark 1Ch 15:2, 1Ch 15:12, 1Ch 15:15 they had borne it successfully and with visible tokens of God’ s favor, out of the house of Obed-edom and six "steps"on the road to the city of David to the sound of the musical instruments - then they stopped and offered solemn sacrifices. Possibly "the step"may have had a technical sense, and denoted a certain distance, say a stadium. Six such distances would have been nearly a mile, and if the ground was difficult and steep, the successful progress of "those that bare the ark,"so far, would have been a fit cause for a thanksgiving sacrifice.

Barnes: 2Sa 6:14

Danced - The Hebrew word is found only here and in 2Sa 6:16. It means "to dance in a circle,"hence, simply to dance. The parallel passage in 1Ch 15:27 gives a widely different sense.

Barnes: 2Sa 6:16

She despised him in her heart - In the days of Saul the ark had been neglected 1Ch 13:3, and Saul had in everything shown himself to be an irreligious king. Michal seems to have been of a like spirit.

The whole section, 2Sa. 6:16-36, should be compared with 1Ch 15:29; 1Ch 16:43.

The peace offerings were with a special view to feasting the people. (Compare 1Ki 8:63-66.)

Barnes: 2Sa 6:18

He blessed the people - So did Solomon 1Ki 8:14.

Barnes: 2Sa 6:19

A good piece of flesh - The word thus paraphrased is only found here and in marginal reference A piece of meat from the peace offerings is probably meant. From the fact that the chronicler explains the preceding cake by the more common word loaf, but leaves this obscure word unexplained, one might infer that it was already obsolete and unknown in his time. The Septuagint translates it: "a cake baked on the hearth;"the Vulgate "a piece of roast beef."

A flagon of wine - Rather, "a cake"of grapes or raisins Hos 3:1; Son 2:5, or made with oil or mead.

Barnes: 2Sa 6:20

Then David returned ... - He had passed his house to accompany the ark to the tabernacle he had pitched for it, when Michal saw him dancing. He now returns to bless his household. He had blessed the people 2Sa 6:18, but there were the inmates of his own house whom the customs of the age did not allow to be present, and so, with his usual considerate kindness and affection, David came to bless them also on this solemn occasion.

Barnes: 2Sa 6:21

Play - See 2Sa 6:5 note. The speech might be paraphrased, Before the Lord which chose me, etc., yea, before the Lord have I danced. He humbles Michal’ s pride by the allusion to her father’ s rejection, and shows by Saul’ s example how little pride contributes to the stability of greatness. Therefore, for his part, he will not think anything done for the glory of God too mean for him; and if he cannot have honor from Saul’ s daughter, he will be content to be honored by the maid-servants.

Poole: 2Sa 6:11

With happy success in all their affairs and actions.

Poole: 2Sa 6:12

David brought up the ark of God understanding that the ark was entertained without danger or inconvenience, and with great advantage, he apprehended his former mistake, and brought it to himself.

From the house of Obed-edom which is thought to have been either in Jerusalem, or very near it.

Poole: 2Sa 6:13

Had gone six paces with safety and comfort. He sacrificed oxen and fatlings, upon an altar suddenly erected, as was usual in such cases. See Exo 20:24 . This he did either to appease God for the former miscarriage; or to praise him for his present mercy, that he had not made another breach upon them; or to implore his favour and gracious presence with them in this great affair.

Poole: 2Sa 6:14

David danced before the Lord to express his inward joy and thankfulness to God by his outward carriage, according to the manner of these times. See Exo 15:20 Jud 11:34 21:21 1Sa 18:6 Psa 149:3 .

A linen ephod the usual habit of the priests and Levites in their sacred ministrations, yet sometimes worn by others, as it was by the young child Samuel, 1Sa 2:18 , before he was come to those years in which the Levites were allowed to minister; and so hereby David, who laid by his royal robes, and put on this robe, to signify and declare, that although he was king of Israel, yet he willingly owned himself to be the Lord’ s minister and servant.

Poole: 2Sa 6:16

As one of a base and mean spirit, that knew not how to carry himself with that majesty which became his place, but behaved himself like one of the fools or vain persons in Israel.

Poole: 2Sa 6:17

In the tabernacle that David had pitched for it for Moses’ s tabernacle was still at Gibeon, 1Ch 16:39 21:29 2Ch 1:3 , which David left there, because he designed to build a temple at Jerusalem with all speed, though he was countermanded therein by God himself.

Poole: 2Sa 6:18

He blessed the people i.e. he heartily and solemnly prayed to God for his blessing upon them; which he did both as prophet and as their king, to whom by office it belongs, by all means, to seek his people’ s welfare.

Poole: 2Sa 6:20

Who uncovered himself either, first, by stripping himself of his royal robes, that he might put on a Levitical ephod; or by discovering some part of his thighs or legs, as might possibly happen whilst he

danced with all his might as is said above, 2Sa 6:14 , considering that the men did then wear loose garments; or she speaks thus, not that he did so, but only by way of aggravation of his fault, and to vilify him the more, as is usual with persons in such cases.

The handmaids of his servants who either bore a part in the solemnity, as women sometimes did, Exo 15:20 ; or at least were spectators of it, and of David’ s carriage in it.

As one of the vain fellows as idle and light persons use to do.

Poole: 2Sa 6:21

It was before the Lord in his presence and service, which though contemptible to thee, is, and ever shall be, honourable in mine eyes.

Which chose me before thy father, and before all his house which took away the honour from him and his, and transferred it upon me, whereby he hath obliged me to love and serve him with all my might.

Poole: 2Sa 6:22

I will be base in mine own sight I will always be ready to humble and abase myself before God.

Of them shall I be had in honour I shall rather choose to get honour from the meanest of my people, in serving and praising God, than to gain esteem from thee by my lukewarmness in God’ s service.

Poole: 2Sa 6:23

Therefore not because of David’ s words to her, which have nothing in them to this purpose; but because of her proud, and petulant, and ungodly speech and carriage to David, which God justly punished with sterility.

Michal had no child to wit, by David, and after this time, which these words evidently respect; which was true, although those five children ascribed to Michal, 2Sa 21:8 , were hers by birth, and not by adoption only.

Unto the day of her death i.e. never; for if she ever had any, it must be before her death. Compare 1Sa 15:35 Mat 1:25 .

Haydock: 2Sa 6:12

Choirs. Or companies of musicians. (Challoner) ---

This sentence is not found in Hebrew nor in St. Jerome's version. (Calmet) ---

The Vatican and Alexandrian Septuagint have, "David brought the ark of the Lord from the house of Obeddara, into the city of David, with joy; ( 13 ) and there were seven choirs with him, taking up the ark, and the sacrifice, a calf and lamb; ( 14 ) and David played on tuneful organs before the Lord; and David had on a beautiful stole." (Haydock)

Haydock: 2Sa 6:13

Paces. So altars of turf (Grotius) were erected at this distance from each other, on each side of the road. The pagans have sometimes treated their emperors and deities with the like respect. (Suetonius in Otho and Calig.) ---

Paris thus addresses Helena in Ovid's Heroic Epistles. Ibis Dardanias ingens Regina per urbes,

Teque novam vulgus credet adesse Deam,

Quaque feres gressus, adolebunt cynnama flammæ,

Cœsaque sanguineam victima planget humum.

Haydock: 2Sa 6:14

Ephod which ordinarily was the habit of priests. But no law restrained others from using it, (Calmet) particularly on sacred occasions; as we often see laics in a surplice, when they have to sing Church music, &c. (Menochius) ---

David had also on a cloak of byssus; (Paralipomenon) and still Michol speaks as if he had been uncovered; because in this solemn ceremony, he was inspired to divest himself of his royal robes, and to act with a degree of enthusiasm; (Haydock) which would not have been otherwise becoming in a king. David is considered by some of the fathers as a figure of the priests of the new law; as he ate the loaves of proposition, was dressed like priests, &c. Sacerdos scitus erat David. (1 Iræn. iv.; St. Ambrose v. in Luc. vi.) (Calmet)

Haydock: 2Sa 6:16

Leaping. Septuagint, "beating" musical instruments....she counted him as nothing, &c. (Haydock) ---

She rather partook of her father's disposition and pride. (Menochius)

Haydock: 2Sa 6:18

Blessed. Wishing all sorts of happiness. Only priests and kings perform this function publicly, 3 Kings viii. 55. Afterwards David went to his palace, to impart the same blessing to his family, and particularly to the women, who had not been present. This is a vestige of the sacerdotal power, which masters of families formerly enjoyed.

Haydock: 2Sa 6:19

Cake, made very thin, with a mixture of oil. ---

Beef, sufficient for a meal. ---

Oil. This was much esteemed in those days. Many would translate the Hebrew, "a bottle of wine."

Haydock: 2Sa 6:20

Fellows. Septuagint, "dancers." Michol exaggerates, as David had been guilty of no indiscretion, ver. 14. (Calmet) ---

St. Gregory (Mor. xxvii. 27,) styles her "insane." Yet Abulensis does not sufficiently approve of David's conduct. (Menochius)

Haydock: 2Sa 6:22

Eyes. Humility in a king is truly noble. ---

Glorious. He accepts the compliment of Michol, though she had spoken ironically. (Haydock)

Haydock: 2Sa 6:23

Death. Thus was she punished. The five sons who are attributed to her (chap. xxi. 8.) were only adopted; or perhaps we ought to read Merob, in stead of Michol; (Calmet) as the latter had been connected with Phaltiel, and not with Adriel, who was the former's husband. (Haydock)

Gill: 2Sa 6:11

And the ark of the Lord continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months,.... David, and those with him, returned to their habitations, where they continued during this time:

and the Lord blessed Obededom, and all his household; him, and all his family, with spiritual blessings, and with an affluence of temporal good things; for godliness has the promise of this life, and of that which is to come; men are not losers but gainers, even in things temporal, for their attachment to the cause of religion, and the service of God, and their regard to that in their own houses, as well as in the house of God. Josephus ^o says, that Obededom was very poor before, and in a low condition, out of which he soon emerged, and came into affluent circumstances, so as to be taken notice of by his neighbours, and reported abroad; by which means David came to the hearing of it, as follows.

Gill: 2Sa 6:12

And it was told King David,.... By some of his courtiers who had heard of it:

saying, the Lord hath blessed the house of Obededom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of the Lord; it was so suddenly, in so short a time, and so largely, that it could not escape the notice and observation of men that knew him; and this increase was not in any natural way by which it could be accounted for; so that it could be ascribed to no other cause but the blessing of God, and that on account of the ark of God that was with him; nothing else could be thought of:

so David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with gladness: being animated and encouraged by the blessing of God on the house of Obededom, because of it, and thereby freed from those slavish fears he was before possessed of, and filled with hopes of being blessed also on account of it; if not with temporal blessings, he needed not, yet with spiritual ones.

Gill: 2Sa 6:13

And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the Lord,.... The Levites; for now David had seen the former mistake, and rectified it, and ordered the Levites to "carry" it, as they did upon their shoulders, with the staves therein, see 1Ch 15:2; when these

had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings; upon an altar, which was at once erected for that purpose; the number and kind of sacrifices offered were seven bullocks and seven rams, 1Ch 15:26; and these David offered, not by himself, but by the priests that were with him, and that as soon as they had gone six paces from the house of Obededom; whereby they perceived the Levites, were able to carry the ark, with what was in it, the Lord helping them, as in 1Ch 15:2, and without stumbling and falling, or any evil attending them; and Kimchi thinks these six paces were just the measure of the ground Uzzah went before what befell him; but it is highly probable that he had gone further; however, no doubt by the order of David, the Levites set down the ark, and sacrifices were offered by way of thanksgiving to God, and for the continuance of his goodness, and for atonement for former errors. Some think these seven oxen and rams were offered, at seven different times and places, at every six paces an ox and a ram; but this is not very likely.

Gill: 2Sa 6:14

And David danced before the Lord with all his might,.... That is, before the ark of the Lord; not a set dance, or along with others; but he leaped and skipped as "car", a lamb, does, and that for joy that the ark was like to be brought home to his house, without any token of the divine displeasure, as before; the Targum is,"he praised before the Lord with all his might;''exerted himself to the uttermost in singing the praises of God vocally, or by playing on an instrument; to which sense are the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, which is approved of by Castel ^p; who observes, it nowhere appears to have been a custom to dance before the ark; but it might be now done, though not usual, and therefore was observed by Michal with contempt, 2Sa 6:16; a later writer ^q shows that dancing is the proper sense of the word:

and David was girded with a linen ephod; which others, besides priests, sometimes wore, as Samuel did, and which David might choose to appear in, rather than in his royal robes, as being more agreeable to the service of God, and lighter for him both to walk and dance in on this occasion.

Gill: 2Sa 6:15

So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord,.... The elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, 1Ch 15:25; besides the common people; there might be as large a number with him now as before:

with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet; with the shouts of the people in common, and with blowing of trumpets by those who were appointed for that purpose, and with other instruments of music, see 1Ch 15:27; Josephus says ^r, that seven choirs went before the priests bearing the ark, as the king commanded, he himself playing on the harp; so the Septuagint version.

Gill: 2Sa 6:16

And as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David,.... Being brought thither on the shoulders of the Levites:

Michal, Saul's daughter, looked through a window; in the king's palace, to see the procession, which was very grand, and in great pomp, attended by a vast number of people, and with music of all sorts. She is said to be Saul's daughter, though David's wife, as having a good deal of her father's haughty temper and disposition, as appears by what follows:

and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; the ark of the Lord, by these outward gestures expressing the inward joy of his heart on this occasion:

and she despised him in her heart; as acting a mean part, quite beneath himself, and unbecoming his royal dignity.

Gill: 2Sa 6:17

And they brought in the ark of the Lord,.... Into the city of David, the strong hold of Zion:

and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: or "stretched out"; for this was not the tabernacle of Moses, David pitched any where; that was at this time at Gibeon, where it continued to the time of Solomon, 1Ch 21:29; but this was a curtain, or curtains, which he had stretched out or drawn around for the ark to be pitched in the midst of; and this was not in his own house, for he is afterwards said to go to that, but somewhere in Jerusalem or the city of David:

and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord; that is, before the ark, and that by way of thanksgiving for its being brought safe thither, without any error or mistake on the side of him, the Levites, and the people, and without offence to God, and any mark of his displeasure as before. This must be supposed to be done by priests, and not by David himself, who was no priest.

Gill: 2Sa 6:18

And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings,.... Or these were performed according to his order:

he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts; not as a priest, but as a prince, as the common father of them, wishing them all happiness and prosperity outward and inward, praying to God to bless them with all blessings temporal and spiritual, who is the God of armies above and below, and can do what he pleases, and more than his people can ask or think.

Gill: 2Sa 6:19

And he dealt among all the people,.... Gave a dole unto them, divided among them:

even among the whole multitude of Israel: and if there were so many as at first, there were thirty thousand of them, 2Sa 6:1; and perhaps more, since it follows:

as well to the women as men; to both the one and the other; and the women, it is very probable, were not among those that went to fetch the ark, but assembled to attend the entrance of it into the city, and were present at the solemnities of its settlement:

to everyone a cake of bread; or a loaf of bread, of what quantity is not said, no doubt sufficient for anyone person, or more:

and a good piece of flesh: not only that was good in quality, but large in quantity, a very large piece of it; the Jews say ^s the sixth part of a bullock, they dividing it into six parts as we into four quarters; but it is not likely that such a quantity of flesh should be given to each person:

and a flagon of wine; but what such a vessel held cannot be said, though at least we may suppose it equal to a bottle of ours, or more; see Son 2:5,

so all the people departed everyone to his house; to refresh themselves with the provisions David had given them.

Gill: 2Sa 6:20

Then David returned to bless his household,.... His wife, children, and servants, to wish all happiness to them on this occasion, and pray to God for blessings on them temporal and spiritual. This was done when he came from the place where the ark was set, and was come to his own palace:

and Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David; before he had gotten quite to his own house:

and said, how glorious was the king of Israel today; which she spoke in an ironical jeering way, meaning the reverse, how inglorious, mean, and despicable he had made himself to be, by his airs and gestures:

who uncovered himself today in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself! because he had put off his royal robes, and put on a linen ephod; for that he had stripped himself naked cannot be supposed, nor do her words import so much though a passionate exaggeration of the case.

Gill: 2Sa 6:21

And David said unto Michal, it was before the Lord,.... Before the ark of the Lord, what was done was done there; she upbraided him with his dancing and singing, which was designed for the honour and glory of God, and in thankfulness to him for the bringing the ark to his city, and therefore she ought not to have reproached him with it, and he adds:

which chose me before thy father, and before all his house; see 1Sa 13:14; which he observed to humble her pride, and mortify her, as well as to remark the distinguishing goodness of God to him, which laid him under obligation to express his thankfulness to him in every shape:

to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel; which was a high honour conferred upon him, and required the utmost gratitude:

therefore will I play before the Lord; upon the harp, or praise before him, as the Targum, sing his praise before the ark, unto any instrument of music, without once imagining I disgrace myself, on the contrary think it to be the highest honour to me to be employed in such service.

Gill: 2Sa 6:22

And I will yet be more vile than thus,.... If this is to be vile, I will endeavour to be viler still; if to dance before the ark, and sing the praises of God, be reckoned a lessening of me, I will more and more be found in doing such things, or what is similar to them:

and will be base in mine own sight: humble himself, and lie low in his own eyes, admiring the grace and goodness of God to him, thinking he could never condescend too low to exalt the Lord, and magnify the riches of his goodness:

and of the maidservants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour; who the more humble I am, and the more I condescend, by laying aside all state in acts of devotion and religion, the more shall I be honoured and spoken well of by them.

Gill: 2Sa 6:23

Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child until the day of her death. The children she brought up for Adriel were not her own, but adopted ones, or Adriel's by another woman, 2Sa 21:8; however, she had none after this time, whatever she had before, and it does not appear that she had any, though the Jews say she was Eglah, and Ithream her son; see Gill on 2Sa 3:5. And thus she that vilified David brought a reproach upon herself, as barrenness was always reckoned, and no one descending from her arrived to royal dignity, and sat on the throne of David; and so it was ordered in Providence, as Abarbinel observes, that the seed of David and of Saul might not be mixed.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: 2Sa 6:11

¹ tn Heb “house,” both here and in v. 12.

NET Notes: 2Sa 6:12

¹ tn Heb “and it was told to David, saying.”

NET Notes: 2Sa 6:13

¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

NET Notes: 2Sa 6:14

¹ tn Heb “and David was dancing with all his strength before the Lord, and David was girded with a linen ephod.”

NET Notes: 2Sa 6:15

¹ tc Heb “all the house of Israel.” A few medieval Hebrew mss and the Syriac Peshitta lack the words “the house.”

² tn Heb “the shophar” (the ram’s horn trumpet).

NET Notes: 2Sa 6:16

¹ tn The Hebrew text adds “in her heart.” Cf. CEV “she was disgusted (+ with him TEV)”; NLT “was filled with contempt for him”; NCV “she hated him.”

NET Notes: 2Sa 6:17

¹ tc The Syriac Peshitta lacks “in its place.”

NET Notes: 2Sa 6:19

¹ tn Heb “to all the people, to all the throng of Israel.”

² tn The Hebrew word used here אֶשְׁפָּר (’espar) is found in the OT only here and in the parallel passage found in 1 Chr 16:3. Its exact meaning is uncertain, although the context indicates that it was a food of some sort (cf. KJV “a good piece of flesh”; NRSV “a portion of meat”). The translation adopted here (“date cake”) follows the lead of the Greek translations of the LXX, Aquila, and Symmachus (cf. NASB, NIV, NLT).

³ tn Heb “and all the people went, each to his house.”

NET Notes: 2Sa 6:20

¹ tn Heb “and David returned to bless his house.”

² tn Heb “David.” The name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

³ tn Heb “honored.”

⁴ tn Heb “one of the foolish ones.”

NET Notes: 2Sa 6:21

¹ tn Heb “all his house”; CEV “anyone else in your family.”

NET Notes: 2Sa 6:22

¹ tn Heb “and I will shame myself still more than this and I will be lowly in my eyes.”

Geneva Bible: 2Sa 6:12

And it was told king David, saying, The LORD hath blessed the house of Obededom, and all that [pertaineth] unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and ^{( f )} brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with gladness.

^{( f )} Meaning, he caused the Levites to bear it according to the law.

Geneva Bible: 2Sa 6:14

And David danced before the LORD with all [his] might; and David [was] girded with a linen ^{( g )} ephod.

^{( g )} With a garment like the priest's garment.

Geneva Bible: 2Sa 6:16

And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she ^{( h )} despised him in her heart.

^{( h )} The worldlings are not able to comprehend the emotions that move the children of God to praise God in all kinds of ways.

Geneva Bible: 2Sa 6:20

Then David returned to ^{( i )} bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!

^{( i )} That is, to pray for his house, as he had done for the people.

Geneva Bible: 2Sa 6:21

And David said unto Michal, ^{( k )} [It was] before the LORD, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel: therefore will I play before the LORD.

^{( k )} It was for no worldly affection, but only for that zeal that I bore to God's glory.

Geneva Bible: 2Sa 6:23

Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had ^{( l )} no child unto the day of her death.

^{( l )} Which was a punishment because she mocked the servant of God.

Commentary -- Verse Range Notes

TSK Synopsis: 2Sa 6:1-23

1 David fetches the ark from Kirjath-jearim on a new cart.

6 Uzzah is smitten at Perez-uzzah.

9 God blesses Obed-edom for the ark.

12 David brings the ark into Zion with sacrifices, and dances before it; for which Michal despises him.

17 He places it in a tabernacle with great joy and feasting.

20 Michal, reproving David for his religious joy, is childless to her death.

Maclaren: 2Sa 6:1-12

2 Samuel 6:1-12

I. The First Section (2 Samuel 6:1-5) Describes The Joyful Reception And Procession.

The parallel account in 1 Chronicles states that Baalah, or Baale, was Kirjath-jearim. Probably the former was the more ancient Canaanitish name, and indicates that it had been a Baal sanctuary. If so, the presence of the ark there was at once a symbol and an omen, showing Jehovah's conquest over the obscene and bloody gods of the land, and forecasting His triumph over all the gods of the nations. Every Baale shall one day be a resting-place of the ark of God. The solemn designation of the ark, as called by the Name, the name of the Lord of Hosts, that dwelleth between the cherubim,' is significant on this, its reappearance after so long eclipse, and, by emphasizing its awful sanctity, prepares for the incidents which are to follow. The manner of the ark's transport was irregular; for the law strictly enjoined its being carried by the Levites by means of bearing-poles resting on their shoulders; and the copying of the Philistines' cart, though a new one was made for the purpose, indicates the desuetude into which the decencies of worship had fallen in seventy years. In the singular words in 2 Samuel 6:5, which describe David as playing before the Lord on the very unlikely things for such a purpose, all manner of instruments of fir wood,' become with all their might: even with songs,' which seems much more reasonable. A slight alteration in three letters and the transposition of two would bring our text into conformity with 1 Chronicles, and the conjectural emendation is tempting. Who ever heard of fir-wood musical instruments? The specified ones which follow were certainly not made of it, and songs could scarcely fail to be mentioned.

At all events, we see the glad procession streaming out of the little city buried among its woods; the cart drawn by meek oxen, and loaded with the unadorned wooden chest, in the midst; the two sons or descendants of its faithful custodian honored to be the teamsters; the king with the harp which had cheered him in many a sad hour of exile; and the crowd making a joyful noise before the Lord,' which might sound discord in our ears, as some lifted up shrill songs, some touched stringed instruments, some beat on timbrels, some rattled metal rods with movable rings, and some clashed cymbals together. It was a wild scene, in which there was a dangerous resemblance to the frantic jubilation's of idolatrous worship. No doubt there were true hearts in that crowd, and none truer than David's. No doubt we have to beware of applying our Christian standards to these early times, and must let a good deal that is sensuous and turbid pass, as, no doubt, God let it pass. But confession of sin in leaving the ark so long forgotten would have been better than this tumultuous joy; and if there had been more trembling in it, it would not have passed so soon into wild terror. Still, on the other hand, that rejoicing crowd does represent, though in crude form, the effect which the consciousness of God's presence should ever have. His felt nearness should be, as the Psalmist says, the gladness of my joy.' Much of our modern religion is far too gloomy, and it is thought to be a sign of devotion and spiritual-mindedness to be sad and of a mortified countenance. Unquestionably, Christianity brings men into the continual presence of very solemn truths about themselves and the world which may well sober them, and make what the world calls mirth incongruous.

There is no music in the lifeThat rings with idiot laughter solely.'

But the Man of Sorrows said that His purpose for us was that His joy might remain in us, and that our joy might be full'; and we but imperfectly apprehend the gospel if we do not feel that its joys much more abound' than its sorrows, and that they even burn brightest, like the lights on safety-buoys, when drenched by stormy seas.

II. The Second Section Contains The Dread Vindication Of The Sanctity Of The Ark,

Which changed joy into terror, and silenced the songs. At some bad place in the rocky and steep track, the oxen stumbled or were restive. The spot is called in Samuel the threshing-floor of Nachon,' but in Chronicles the owner is named Chidon.' As the former word means a stroke and the latter destruction,' they are probably not to be taken as proper names, but as applied to the place after this event. The name given by David, however--Perez-uzzah--proved the more permanent to this day.' Uzzah, who was driving while his brother went in front to pilot the way, naturally stretched out his hand to steady his freight, just as if it had been a sack of corn; and, as if he had touched an electric wire, fell dead, as the story graphically says, by the ark of God.' What confusion and panic would agitate the joyous singers, and how their songs would die on their lips!

What harm was there in Uzzah's action? It was most natural, and, in one point of view, commendable. Any careful waggoner would have done the same with any valuable article he had in charge. Yes; that was just the point of his error and sin, that he saw no difference between the ark and any other valuable article. His intention to help was right enough; but there was profound insensibility to the awful sacredness of the ark, on which even its Levitical bearers were forbidden to lay hands. All his life Uzzah had been accustomed to its presence. It had been one of the familiar pieces of furniture in Abinadab's house, and, no doubt, familiarity had had its usual effect. Do none of us ministers, teachers, and others, to whom the gospel and the worship and ordinances of the Church have been familiar from infancy, treat them in the same fashion? Many a hand is laid on the ark, sometimes to keep it from falling, with more criminal carelessness of its sacredness than Uzzah showed. Note, too, how swiftly an irreverent habit of treating holy things grows. The first error was in breaking the commanded order for removal of the ark by the Levites. Once in the cart, the rest follows. The smallest breach in the feeling of awe and reverence will soon lead to more complete profanation. There is nothing more delicate than the sense of awe. Trifled with ever so little, it speedily disappears. There is far too little of it in our modern religion. Perfect love casts out fear and deepens awe which hath not torment.

Was not the punishment in excess of the sin? We must remember the times, the long neglect of the ark, the decay of religion in Saul's reign, the critical character of the moment as the beginning of a new era, when it was all-important to print deep the impression of sanctity, and the rude material which had to be dealt with; and we must not forget that God, in His punishments, does not adopt men's ideas of death as such a very dreadful thing. Many since have followed in David's wake, and been displeased, because the Lord broke forth upon Uzzah'; but he and they have been wrong. He ought to have known better, and to have understood the lesson of the solemn corpse that lay there by the ark; instead of which he gives way to mere terror, and was afraid of the Lord.' David afraid of the Lord! What had become of the rapturous love and strong trust which ring clear through his psalms? Is this the man who called God his rock and fortress and deliverer, his buckler and the horn of his salvation and his high tower, and poured out his soul in burning words, which glow yet through all the centuries and the darkness of earth? It was ill for David to fall thus below himself, but well for us that the eclipse of his faith and love should be recorded, to hearten us, when the like emotions fall asleep in our souls. His consciousness of impurity was wholesome and sound, but his cowering before the ark, as if it were the seat of arbitrary anger, which might flame out destruction for no discernible reason, was a woeful darkening of his loving insight into the heart of God.

III. The Blessings On The House Of Obededom And The Glad Removal Of The Ark To Jerusalem.

The last section (2 Samuel 6:10-12) gives us the blessings on the house of Obed-edom and the glad removal of the ark to Jerusalem. Obed-edom is called a Gittite,' or man of Gath; but he does not appear to have been a Philistine immigrant, but a native of another Gath, a Levitical city, and himself a Levite. There is an Obededom in the lists of David's Levites in Chronicles who is probably the same man. He did not fear to receive the ark, and, worthily received, the presence which had been a source of disaster and death to idolaters, to profanely curious priers into its secret, and to presumptuous irreverence, became a fountain of unbroken blessing. This twofold effect of the same presence is but a symbol of a solemn law which runs through all life, and is especially manifest in the effects of Christ's work upon men. Everything has two handles, and it depends on ourselves by which of them we lay hold of it, and whether we shall receive a shock that kills, or blessings. The same circumstances of poverty, or wealth, or sorrow, or temptation, make one man better and another worse. The same presence of God will be to one man a joy; to another, a terror. What maketh heaven, that maketh hell.' The same gospel received is the fountain of life, purity, peace; and, rejected or neglected, is the source of harm and death. Jesus Christ is set for the fall and rising again of many.' Either He is the savoir of life unto life, the rock on which we build, or He is the savoir of death unto death, the stone on which we stumble and break our limbs.

Maclaren: 2Sa 6:11

2 Samuel 6:11

Nearly seventy years had elapsed since the capture of the ark by the Philistines on the fatal field of Aphek. They had carried it and set it in insolent triumph in the Temple of Dagon, as if to proclaim that the Jehovah of Israel was the conquered prisoner of the Philistine god. But the morning showed Dagon's stump prone on the threshold. And so the terrified priests got rid of their dangerous trophy as swiftly as they could. From one Philistine city to another it passed, and everywhere its presence was marked by disease and calamity. So at last they huddled it into some rude cart, leaving the draught-oxen to drag it whither they would. They made straight for the Judaean hills, and in the first little village were welcomed by the inhabitants at their harvest, as they saw them coming across the plain. But again death attended the Presence, and curiosity, which was profanity, was punished. So the villagers were as eager to get rid of the ark as they had been to welcome it, and they passed it on to the little city of Kirjath-jearim, the city of the woods,' as the name means, or, as we might say, Woodville.' And there it lay, neglected and all but forgotten, for nearly seventy years. But as soon as David was established in his newly-won capital he set himself to reorganize the national worship, which had fallen into neglect and almost into disuse. The first step was to bring the ark. And so he passed with a joyful company to Kirjath. But again swift death overtakes Uzzah with his irreverent hand. And David shrinks, in the consciousness of his impurity, and bestows the symbol of the awful Presence in the house of Obed-edom. As we have already noted, he was probably not a Philistine, as the name Gittite' at first sight suggests. There is an Obed-edom in the lists of David's Levites, who was an inhabitant of another Gath, and himself of the tribe of Levi.

He was not afraid to receive the ark. There were no idols, no irreverent curiosity, no rash presumption in his house. He feared and served the God of the ark, and so the Presence, which had been a source of disaster to the unworthy, was a source of unbroken blessing to him and to his household.

I have been the more particular in this enumeration of the wanderings of the ark and the opposite effects which its presence produced according to the manner of its reception, because these effects are symbols of a great truth which runs all through human life, and is most especially manifested in the message and the mission of Jesus Christ.

Let us, then, just trace out two or three of the spheres in which we may see the application of this great principle, which makes life so solemn and so awful, which may make it so sad or so glad, so base or so noble.

I. First, Then, Note The Twofold Operation Of All God's Outward Dealings.

Everything that befalls us, every object with which we come in contact, all the variety of condition, all the variations of our experience, have one distinct and specific purpose. They are all meant to tell upon character, to make us better in sundry ways, to bring us closer to God, and to fill us more full of Him. And that one effect may be produced by the most opposite incidents, just as in some great machine you may have two wheels turning in opposite ways, and yet contributing to one resulting motion; or, just as the summer and the winter, with all their antitheses, have a single result in the abundant harvest. One force attracts the planet to the sun, one force tends to drive it out into the fields of space; but the two, working together, make it circle in its orbit around its center. And so, by sorrow and by joy, by light and by dark, by giving and withholding, by granting and refusing, by all the varieties of our circumstances, and by everything that lies around us, God works to prepare us for Himself and to polish His instruments, sometimes plunging the iron into' baths of hissing tears,' and sometimes heating it' hot with hopes and fears,' and sometimes' battering' it' with the shocks of doom,' but all for the one purpose --that it may be a polished shaft in His quiver.

And whilst, thus, the most opposite things may produce the same effect, the same thing will produce opposite effects according to the way in which we take it. There is nothing that can be relied upon to do a man only good; there is nothing about which we need fear that its mission is only to do evil. For all depends on the recipient, who can make everything to fulfil the purpose for which God has sent him everything.

Here are two men tried by the same poverty. It beats the one down, makes him squalid, querulous, faithless, irreligious, drives him to drink, crushes him; and the other man it steadies and quiets and hardens, and teaches him to look beyond the things seen and temporal to the exceeding riches at God's right hand.

Here are two men tried by wealth; the gold gets into the one man's veins and makes him yellow as with jaundice, and kills him, destroying all that is noble, generous, impulsive, quenching his early dreams and enthusiasms, closing his heart to sweet charity, puffing him up with a false sense of importance, and laying upon him the dreadful responsibility of misused and selfishly employed possessions. And the other man, tried in the same fashion, out of his wealth makes for himself friends that welcome him into everlasting habitations, and lays up for himself treasures in heaven. The one man is damned and the other man is saved by their use of the same thing.

Here are two men subjected to the same sorrows; the one is absorbed by his selfish regard to his own misery, blinded to all the blessings that still remain, made negligent of tasks and oblivious of the plainest duty. And he goes about saying, Oh, if thou hadst been here!' or if, if something else had happened, then this would not have happened. And the other man, passing through the same circumstances, finds that, when his props are taken away, he flings himself on God's breast, and, when the world becomes dark and all the paths dim about him, he looks up to a heaven that fills fuller of meek and swiftly gathering stars as the night falls, and he says, It is the Lord; let Him do what seemeth Him good.'

Here are two men tried by the same temptation; it leads the one man away captive' with a dart through his liver'; the other man by God's grace overcomes it, and is the stronger and the sweeter and the gentler and the humbler because of the dreadful fight. And so you might go the whole round of diverse circumstances, and about each of them find the same double result. Nothing is sure to do a man good; nothing necessarily docs him hurt. All depends upon the man himself, and the use he makes of what God in His mercy sends. Two plants may grow in the same soil, be fed by the same dews and benediction from the heavens, be shone upon by the same sunshine, and the one of them will elaborate from all, sweet juices and fragrance, and the other will elaborate a deadly poison. So, my brother, life is what you and I will to make it, and the events which befall us are for our rising or our falling according as we determine they shah be, and according as we use them.

Think, then, how solemn, how awful, how great a thing it is to stand here a free agent, able to determine my character and my condition, surrounded by all these circumstances and the subject of all these wise and manifold divine dealings, in each of which there He dormant, to be evoked by me, tremendous possibilities of elevation even to the very presence of God, or of sinking into the depths of separation from Him. The ark of God, that overthrew Dagon and smote Uzzah, was nothing but a fountain of blessing in the household of Obed-edom.

II. Secondly, Note The Twofold Operation Of God's Character And Presence.

The ark was the symbol of a present God, and His presence is meant to be the life and joy of all creatures, and the revelation of Him is meant to be only for our good, giving strength, righteousness, and peace. But the same double possibility which I have been pointing out as inherent in all externals belongs here too, and a man can determine to which aspect of the many-sided infinitude of the divine nature he shall stand in relation. The glass in stained windows is so colored as that parts of it cut off, and prevent from passing through, different rays of the pure white light. And men's moral natures, the inclination of their hearts, and the set of their wills and energies, cut off, if I may say so, parts of the infinite, white light of the many-sided divine character, and put them into relations only with some part and aspect of that great whole which we call God. The man that loves the world, the man that is living for self, still more the man that is embruted in the pig-sty of sensuality and vice, cannot see the God whom the pure heart, which loves Him and is purified by its faith, discerns at the center of all things. But the lower man sees either some very far-off Awfulness, in which he hopes vaguely that there is a kind of good nature that will let him off; or, if he has been shaken out of that superficial creed, which is only a creed for men whose consciences have not been touched, then he can see only a God whose love darkens into retribution, and who is the Judge and the Avenger. And no man can say that such a conception is not part of the truth; but, alas! he on whom the form of such a God glares has incapacitated himself, by his misuse of his powers and of God's world, from seeing the beauty of the love of the Father of us all, the righteous Father who in Christ loves every man.

And thus the thought of God, the consciousness of His Presence, may be like the ark which was its symbol, either dreadful and to be put away, or to be welcomed and blessing to be drawn from it. To many of us I am sure--though I do not know anything about many of you--that thought,' Thou God seest me,' breeds feelings like the uneasy discomfort of a prisoner when he knows that somewhere in the wall there is a spy-hole at which at any moment a warder's eye may be. And to some of us, blessed be His name, that same thought, Thou art near me,' seems to bathe the heart in a sea of sweet rest, and to bring the assurance of a divine Companion that cheers all the solitude. And why is the difference? There are two people sitting in one pew; to the one man the thought of God is his ghastliest doubt, to the other it is his deepest joy. Wherefore? And which is it to me?

Then, again, this same duality of aspect attaches to the character and presence of God in another way. Because, according to the variety of men's characters, God is obliged to treat them as standing in different relations. He must manifest His judgment, His justice, His punitive justice. There is a solemn verse in one of the Psalms which I may quote in lieu of all words of my own of this matter. With the merciful Thou wilt show Thyself merciful, with the pure Thou wilt show Thyself pure, with the froward Thou wilt show Thyself froward.' The present God has to modify His dealings according to the characters of men.

And so, dear friends, for the present life, and, as I believe, for the next life in a far more emphatic and awful way, the same thing makes blessedness and misery, the same thing makes life and death. The sunshine will kill and wither the slimy plants that grow in the dark recesses of some dripping cave; and if you take a fish out of the water, the air clogs its gills and it dies. Bring a man, such as some of you are, into a close, constant contact with the consciousness of the divine righteousness and presence, and you want nothing else to make a hell. The ark of the Lord will flash out its lightning's and Uzzah will die. That great Infinite Being, before whom we stand, holds in His right hand blessings beyond count or price, even the gift of Himself, and in His left His lightning's and His arrows. On which hand are you standing?

III. Lastly, Note The Twofold Operation Of God's Gospel.

His dealings, His character and presence, and, most markedly and eminently of all, the gospel that is treasured in Jesus Christ and proclaimed amongst us, have this twofold operation. God sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. It was meant that His mission and message should only be for life, and that with ever-increasing abundance. But God cannot save men by magic, nor by indiscriminate bestowment of spiritual blessings. It is not in His power to force His salvation upon any one, and whether the Gospel shall turn out to be a man's salvation or his ruin depends on the man himself. The preaching of the gospel and your contact with it, if you have ever come into contact with it really and not by mere outward hearing, leaves no man as it found him. My poor words--and God knows how poor I feel them to be--leave none of you as they find you; and that is what makes our meeting together so solemn and awful, and sometimes weighs one down as with a sense of insufficiency for these things.

That twofold operation is seen first in the permanent effects of the Gospel upon character. If it has been offered to me, and if I accept it, then blessings beyond all enumeration, and which none but they who have them fully know, follow in its wake. Received by simple faith in Jesus Christ, God's sacrifice for a world's sin, it brings to us the clear consciousness of pardon, the calm sense of communion, the joyful spirit of adoption, righteousness rooted in our hearts and to be manifested day by day in our lives; it brings all elevation and strengthening and ennobling for the whole nature, and is the one power that makes us really men as God would have us all to be.

Rejected or neglected or passed by apparently without our having done anything in regard to it, what are the issues? What does it do? Well, it does this for one thing, it turns unconscious worldliness into conscious worldliness. If the offer has been clearly before your minds, Christ or the world?' and you have said I take the world!' you know that you have made the choice, and the act will tell on your character.

Rejection strengthens all the evil motives for rejection, and adds to the insensibility of the man who has rejected. The ice on our pavements in the winter time, that melts on the surface in the day and freezes again at night, becomes dense and slippery beyond all other And a heart, like that which beats in some of our bosoms, that has been melted and then has frozen again, is harder than ever it was before. Hammering that does not break solidifies and makes tougher the thing that is struck. There are no men so hard to get at as men and women, like multitudes of you, that have been hammered at by preaching ever since they were children, and have not yielded their hearts to God. The ark has done you hurt if it has not done you good.

I do not dwell upon the other solemn thought, of the harmful results of contact with a gospel which we do not accept, as exemplified in the increase of responsibility and the consequent increase of condemnation. I only quote Christ's words, The servant that knew his Lord's will, and did it not, shall be beaten with many stripes.'

My brother, Christ's gospel is never inert, one thing or other it does for every soul that it reaches. Either it softens or it hardens. Either it saves or it condemns. This Child is set for the rise or for the fall of many.' Jesus Christ may be for me and for you the Rock on which we build. If He is not, He is the Stone against which we stumble and break our limbs. Jesus Christ may be for you and for me the Pillar that gives light by night to those on the one side; He either is that, or He is the Pillar that sheds darkness and dismay on those on the other. Jesus Christ and His Gospel may be to each of us the savoir of life unto life'; He either is that, or He is the savoir of death unto death.' Oh! dear friends, if you have neglected, turned away, delayed to receive Him or have forgotten impressions in the midst of the whirl of daily life, do not do so any longer. Take Him for yours, your Brother, Friend, Sacrifice, Inspirer, Lord, Aim, End, Reward, and very Heaven of Heaven. Take Him for your own by simple trusting; and say to Him Arise! O Lord, into Thy rest, Thou and the Ark of Thy strength.' So He will come into your hearts and smile His gladness as He whispers: Here will I dwell' for ever; this is My rest, for I have desired it.'

MHCC: 2Sa 6:6-11

Uzzah was struck dead for touching the ark. God saw presumption and irreverence in Uzzah's heart. Familiarity, even with that which is most awful, is apt to breed contempt. If it were so great a crime for one to lay hold on the ark of the covenant who had no right to do so, what is it for those to lay claim to the privileges of the covenant that come not up to the terms of it? Obed-edom opened his doors without fear, knowing the ark was a savour of death unto death to those only who treated it wrong. The same hand that punished Uzzah's proud presumption, rewarded Obed-edom's humble boldness. Let none think the worse of the gospel for the judgments on those that reject it, but consider the blessings it brings to all who receive it. Let masters of families be encouraged to keep up religion in their families. It is good to live in a family that entertains the ark, for all about it will fare the better.

MHCC: 2Sa 6:12-19

It became evident, that happy was the man who had the ark near him. Christ is indeed a Stone of stumbling, and a Rock of offence, to those that are disobedient; but to those that believe, he is a Corner-stone, elect, precious, 1Pe 2:6-8. Let us be religious. Is the ark a blessing to others' houses? We may have it, and the blessing of it, without fetching it away from our neighbours. David, at first setting out, offered sacrifices to God. We are likely to speed in our enterprises, when we begin with God, and give diligence to seek peace with him. And we are so unworthy, and our services are so defiled, that all our joy in God must be connected with repentance and faith in the Redeemer's atoning blood. David attended with high expressions of joy. We ought to serve God with our whole body and soul, and with every endowment and power we possess. On this occasion David laid aside his royal robes, and put on a plain linen dress. David prayed with and for the people, and as a prophet, solemnly blessed them in the name of the Lord.

MHCC: 2Sa 6:20-23

David returned to bless his household, to pray with them, and for them, and to offer up family thanksgiving for this national mercy. It is angels' work to worship God, surely that cannot lower the greatest of men. But even the palaces of princes are not free from family troubles. Exercises of religion appear mean in the eyes of those who have little or no religion themselves. If we can approve ourselves to God in what we do in religion, and do it as before the Lord, we need not heed reproach. Piety will have its praise: let us not be indifferent in it, nor afraid or ashamed to own it. David was contented to justify himself, and he did not further reprove or blame Michal's insolence; but God punished her. Those that honour God, he will honour; but those that despise him, and his servants and service, shall be lightly esteemed.

Matthew Henry: 2Sa 6:6-11

We have here Uzzah struck dead for touching the ark, when it was upon its journey towards the city of David, a sad providence, which damped their mirth, stopped the progress of the ark, and for the present, dispersed this great assembly, which had come together to attend it, and sent them home in a fright.

I. Uzzah's offence seems very small. He and his brother Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, in whose house the ark had long been lodged, having been used to attend it, to show their willingness to prefer the public benefit to their own private honour and advantage, undertook to drive the cart in which the ark was carried, this being perhaps the last service they were likely to do it; for others would be employed about it when it came to the city of David. Ahio went before, to clear the way, and, if need were, to lead the oxen. Uzzah followed close to the side of the cart. It happened that the oxen shook it, 2Sa 6:6. The critics are not agreed about the signification of the original word: They stumbled (so our margin); they kicked (so some), perhaps against the goad with which Uzzah drove them; they stuck in the mire, by some. By some accident or other the ark was in danger of being overthrown. Uzzah thereupon laid hold of it, to save it from falling, we have reason to think with a very good intention, to preserve the reputation of the ark and to prevent a bad omen. Yet this was his crime. Uzzah was a Levite, but priests only might touch the ark. The law was express concerning the Kohathites, that, though they were to carry the ark by the staves, yet they must not touch any holy thing, lest they die, Num 4:15. Uzzah's long familiarity with the ark, and the constant attendance he had given to it, might occasion his presumption, but would not excuse it.

II. His punishment for this offence seems very great (2Sa 6:7): The anger of the Lord was kindled against him (for in sacred things he is a jealous God) and he smote him there for his rashness, as the word is, and struck him dead upon the spot. There he sinned, and there he died, by the ark of God; even the mercy-seat would not save him. Why was God thus severe with him? 1. The touching of the ark was forbidden to the Levites expressly under pain of death - lest they die; and God, by this instance of severity, would show how he might justly have dealt with our first parents, when they had eaten that which was forbidden under the same penalty - lest you die. 2. God saw the presumption and irreverence of Uzzah's heart. Perhaps he affected to show, before this great assembly, how bold he could make with the ark, having been so long acquainted with it. Familiarity, even with that which is most awful, is apt to breed contempt. 3. David afterwards owned that Uzzah died for an error they were all guilty of, which was carrying the ark in a cart. Because it was not carried on the Levites' shoulders, the Lord made that breach upon us, 1Ch 15:13. But Uzzah was singled out to be made an example, perhaps because he had been most forward in advising that way of conveyance; however he had fallen into another error, which was occasioned by that. Perhaps the ark was not covered, as it should have been, with the covering of badgers' skins (Num 4:6), and that was a further provocation. 4. God would hereby strike an awe upon the thousands of Israel, would convince them that the ark was never the less venerable for its having been so long in mean circumstances, and thus he would teach them to rejoice with trembling, and always to treat holy things with reverence and holy fear. 5. God would hereby teach us that a good intention will not justify a bad action; it will not suffice to say of that which is ill done that it was well meant. He will let us know that he can and will secure his ark, and needs not any man's sin to help him to do it. 6. If it was so great a crime for one to lay hold on the ark of the covenant that had no right to do so, what is it for those to lay claim to the privileges of the covenant that come not up to the terms of it? To the wicked God says, What hast thou to do to take my covenant in thy mouth? Psa 50:16. Friend, how camest thou in hither? If the ark was so sacred, and not to be touched irreverently, what is the blood of the covenant? Heb 10:29.

III. David's feelings on the infliction of this stroke were keen, and perhaps not altogether as they should have been. He should have humbled himself under God's hand, confessed his error, acknowledged God's righteousness, and deprecated the further tokens of his displeasure, and then have gone on with the good work he had in hand. But we find, 1. He was displeased. It is not said because Uzzah had affronted God, but because God had made a breach upon Uzzah (2Sa 6:8): David's anger was kindled. It is the same word that is used for God's displeasure, 2Sa 6:7. Because God was angry, David was angry and out of humour. As if God might not assert the honour of his ark, and frown upon one that touched it rudely, without asking David leave. Shall mortal man pretend to be more just than God, arraign his proceedings, or charge him with iniquity? David did not now act like himself, like a man after God's own heart. It is not for us to be displeased at any thing that God does, how unpleasing soever it is to us. The death of Uzzah was indeed an eclipse to the glory of a solemnity which David valued himself upon more than any thing else, and might give birth to some speculations among those that were disaffected to him, as if God were departing from him too; but he ought nevertheless to have subscribed to the righteousness and wisdom of God in it, and not to have been displeased at it. When we lie under God's anger we must keep under our own. 2. He was afraid, 2Sa 6:9. It should seem he was afraid with amazement; for he said, How shall the ark of the Lord come to me? As if God sought advantages against all that were about him, and was so extremely tender of his ark that there was no dealing with it; and therefore better for him to keep it at a distance. Que procul a Jove, procul a fulmine - To retire from Jove is to retire from the thunder-bolt. He should rather have said, "Let the ark come to me, and I will take warning by this to treat it with more reverence." Provoke me not (says God, Jer 25:6) and I will do you no hurt. Or this may be looked upon as a good use which David made of this tremendous judgment. He did not say, "Surely Uzzah was a sinner above all men, because he suffered such things,"but is concerned for himself, as one conscious, not only of his own unworthiness of God's favour, but his obnoxiousness to God's displeasure. "God might justly strike me dead as he did Uzzah. My flesh trembles for fear of thee, "Psa 119:120. This God intends in his judgments, that others may hear and fear. David therefore will not bring the ark into his own city (2Sa 6:10) till he is better prepared for its reception. 3. He took care to perpetuate the remembrance of this stroke by a new name he gave to the place: Perez-uzzah, the breach of Uzzah, 2Sa 6:8. He had been lately triumphing in the breach made upon his enemies, and called the place Baal-perazim, a place of breaches. But here is a breach upon his friends. When we see one breach, we should consider that we know not where the next will be. The memorial of this stroke would be a warning to posterity to take heed of all rashness and irreverence in dealing about holy things; for God will be sanctified in those that come nigh unto him. 4. He lodged the ark in a good house, the house of Obed-edom a Levite, which happened to be near the place where this disaster happened, and there, (1.) It was kindly entertained and welcomed, and continued there three months, 2Sa 6:10, 2Sa 6:11. Obed-edom knew what slaughter the ark had made among the Philistines that imprisoned it and the Bethshemites that looked into it. He saw Uzzah struck dead for touching it, and perceived that David himself was afraid of meddling with it; yet he cheerfully invites it to his own house, and opens his doors to it without fear, knowing it was a savour of death unto death only to those that treated it ill. "O the courage,"says bishop Hall, "of an honest and faithful heart! nothing can make God otherwise than amiable to his own people: even his very justice is lovely."(2.) It paid well for its entertainment: The Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household. The same hand that punished Uzzah's proud presumption rewarded Obed-edom's humble boldness, and made the ark to him a savour of life unto life. Let none think the worse of the gospel for the judgements inflicted on those that reject it, but set in opposition to them the blessings it brings to those that duly receive it. None ever had, nor ever shall have, reason to say that it is in vain to serve God. Let masters of families be encouraged to keep up religion in their families, and to serve God and the interests of his kingdom with their houses and estates, for that is the way to bring a blessing upon all they have. The ark is a guest which none shall lose by that bid it welcome. Josephus says that, whereas before Obed-edom was poor, on a sudden, in these three months, his estate increased, to the envy of his neighbours. Piety is the best friend to prosperity. In wisdom's left hand are riches and honour. His household shared in the blessing. It is good living in a family that entertains the ark, for all about it will fare the better for it.

Matthew Henry: 2Sa 6:12-19

We have here the second attempt to bring the ark home to the city of David; and this succeeded, though the former miscarried.

I. It should seem the blessing with which the house of Obed-edom was blessed for the ark's sake was a great inducement to David to bring it forward; for when that was told him (2Sa 6:12) he hastened to fetch it to him. For, 1. It was an evidence that God was reconciled to them, and his anger was turned away. As David could read God's frowns upon them all in Uzzah's stroke, so he could read God's favour to them all in Obed-edom's prosperity; and, if God be at peace with them, they can cheerfully go on with their design. 2. It was an evidence that the ark was not such a burdensome stone as it was taken to be, but, on the contrary, happy was the man that had it near him. Christ is indeed a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, to those that are disobedient; but to those who believe he is a corner-stone, elect, precious, 1Pe 2:6-8. When David heard that Obed-edom had such joy of the ark, then he would have it in his own city. Note, The experience others have had of the gains of godliness should encourage us to be religious. Is the ark a blessing to others' houses? let us bid it welcome to ours; we may have it, and the blessing of it, without fetching it from our neighbours.

II. Let us see how David managed the matter now. 1. He rectified the former error. He did not put the ark in a cart now, but ordered those whose business it was to carry it on their shoulders. This is implied here (2Sa 6:13) and expressed 1Ch 15:15. Then we make a good use of the judgments of God on ourselves and others when we are awakened by them to reform and amend whatever has been amiss. 2. At their first setting out he offered sacrifices to God (2Sa 6:13) by way of atonement for their former errors and in a thankful acknowledgment of the blessings bestowed on the house of Obed-edom. Then we are likely to speed in our enterprises when we begin with God and give diligence to make our peace with him, When we attend upon God in holy ordinances our eye must be to the great sacrifice, to which we owe it that we are taken into covenant and communion with God, Psa 50:5. 3. He himself attended the solemnity with the highest expressions of joy that could be (2Sa 6:14): He danced before the Lord with all his might; he leaped for joy, as one transported with the occasion, and the more because of the disappointment he met with the last time. It is a pleasure to a good man to see his errors rectified and himself in the way of his duty. His dancing, I suppose, was not artificial, by any certain rule or measure, nor do we find that any danced with him; but it was a natural expression of his great joy and exultation of mind. He did it with all his might; so we should perform all our religious services, as those that are intent upon them and desire to do them in the best manner. All our might is little enough to be employed in holy duties: the work deserves it all. On this occasion David laid aside his imperial purple, and put on a plain linen ephod, which was light and convenient for dancing, and was used in religious exercises by those who were no priests, for Samuel wore one, 1Sa 2:18. That great prince thought it no disparagement to him to appear in the habit of a minister to the ark. 4. All the people triumphed in this advancement of the ark (2Sa 6:15): They brought it up into the royal city with shouting, and with sound of trumpet, so expressing their own joy in loud acclamations, and giving notice to all about them to rejoice with them. The public and free administration of ordinances, not only under the protection, but under the smiles, of the civil powers, is just matter of rejoicing to any people. 5. the ark was safely brought to, and honourably deposited in, the place prepared for it, 2Sa 6:17. They set it in the midst of the tabernacle, or tent, which David had pitched for it; not the tabernacle which Moses reared, for that was at Gibeon (2Ch 1:13), and, we may suppose, being made of cloth, in so many hundred years it had gone to decay and was not fit to be removed; but this was a tent set up on purpose to receive the ark. He would not bring it into a private house, no, not his own, lest it should seem to be too much engrossed, and people's resort to it, to pray before it, should be less free; yet he would not build a house for it, lest that should supersede the building of a more stately temple in due time, and therefore, for the present, he placed it within curtains, under a canopy, in imitation of Moses's tabernacle. As soon as ever it was lodged, he offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, in thankfulness to God that the business was now done without any more errors or breaches, and in supplication to God for the continuance of his favour. Note, All our joys must be sanctified both with praises and prayers; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. New, it should seem, he penned the 132nd Psa 6:1-10. The people were then dismissed with great satisfaction. He sent them away, (1.) With a gracious prayer: He blessed them in the name of the Lord of hosts (v. 18), having not only a particular interest in heaven as a prophet, but an authority over them as a prince; for the less is blessed of the better, Heb 7:7. He prayed to God to bless them, and particularly to reward them for the honour and respect they had now shown to his ark, assuring them they should be no losers by their journey, but the blessing of God upon their affairs at home would more than bear their charges. He testified his desire for their welfare by this prayer for them, and let them know they had a king that loved them. (2.) With a generous treat; for so it was, rather than a distribution of alms. The great men, it is probable, he entertained at his own house, but to the multitude of Israel, men and women (and children, says Josephus), he dealt to every one a cake of bread ( a spice-cake, so some), a good piece of flesh - a handsome decent piece (so some) - a part of the peace-offerings (so Josephus), that they might feast with him upon the sacrifice, and a flagon, or bottle, of wine, 2Sa 6:19. Probably he ordered this provision to be made for them at their respective quarters, and this he did, [1.] In token of his joy and gratitude to God. When the heart is enlarged in cheerfulness the hand should be opened in liberality. The feast of Purim was observed with sending portions one to another, Est 9:22. As those to whom God is merciful ought to show mercy in forgiving, so those to whom God is bountiful ought to exercise bounty in giving. [2.] To recommend himself to the people, and confirm his interest in them; for every one is a friend to him that giveth gifts. Those that cared not for his prayers would love him for his generosity; and this would encourage them to attend him another time if he saw cause to call them together.

Matthew Henry: 2Sa 6:20-23

David, having dismissed the congregation with a blessing, returned to bless his household (2Sa 6:20), that is, to pray with them and for them, and to offer up his family thanksgiving for this national mercy. Ministers must not think that their public performances will excuse them from their family-worship; but when they have, with their instructions and prayers, blessed the solemn assemblies, they must return in the same manner to bless their households, for with them they are in a particular manner charged. David, though he had prophets, and priests, and Levites, about him, to be his chaplains, yet did not devolve the work upon them, but himself blessed his household. It is angels' work to worship God, and therefore surely that can be no disparagement to the greatest of men.

Never did David return to his house with so much pleasure and satisfaction as he did now that he had got the ark into his neighbourhood; and yet even this joyful day concluded with some uneasiness, occasioned by the pride and peevishness of his wife. Even the palaces of princes are not exempt from domestic troubles. David had pleased all the multitude of Israel, but Michal was not pleased with his dancing before the ark. For this, when he was at a distance, she scorned him, and when he came home she scolded him. She was not displeased at his generosity to the people, nor did she grudge the entertainment he gave them; but she thought he degraded himself too much in dancing before the ark. It was not her covetousness, but her pride, that made her fret.

I. When she saw David in the street dancing before the Lord she despised him in her heart, 2Sa 6:16. She thought this mighty zeal of his for the ark of God, and the transport of joy he was in upon its coming home to him, was but a foolish thing, and unbecoming so great a soldier, and statesman, and monarch, as he was. It would have been enough for him to encourage the devotion of others, but she looked upon it as a thing below him to appear so very devout himself. "What a fool"(thinks she) "does my husband make of himself now! How fond is he of this ark, that might as well have lain still where it had lain for so many years! Much devotion has almost made him mad."Note, The exercises of religion appear very mean in the eyes of those that have little or no religion themselves.

II. When he came home in the very best disposition she began to upbraid him, and was so full of disdain and indignation that she could not contain till she had him in private, but went out to meet him with her reproaches. Observe,

1. How she taunted him (2Sa 6:20): " How glorious was the king of Israel today! What a figure didst thou make today in the midst of the mob! How unbecoming thy post and character!"Her contempt of him and his devotion began in the heart, but out of the abundance of that the mouth spoke. That which displeased her was his affection to the ark, which she wished he had no greater kindness for than she had: but she basely represents his conduct, in dancing before the ark, as lewd and immodest; and, while really she was displeased at it as a diminution to his honour, she pretended to dislike it as a reproach to his virtue, that he uncovered himself in the eyes of the maid-servants, as no man would have done but one of the vain fellows that cared not how much he shamed himself. We have no reason to think that this was true in fact. David, no doubt, observed decorum, and governed his zeal with discretion. But it is common for those that reproach religion thus to put false colours upon it and lay it under the most odious characters. To have abused any man thus for his pious zeal would have been very profane, but to abuse her own husband thus, whom she ought to have reverenced, and one whose prudence and virtue were above the reach of malice itself to disparage, one who had shown such affection for her that he would not accept a crown unless he might have her restored to him (2Sa 3:13), was a most base and wicked thing, and showed her to have more of Saul's daughter in her than of David's wife or Jonathan's sister.

2. How he replied to her reproach. He did not upbraid her with her treacherous departure from him to embrace the bosom of a stranger. He had forgiven that, and therefore had forgotten it, though, it may be, his own conscience, on this occasion, upbraided him with his folly in receiving her again (for that is said to pollute the land, Jer 3:1), but he justifies himself in what he did.

(1.) He designed thereby to honour God (2Sa 6:21): It was before the Lord, and with an eye to him. Whatever invidious construction she was pleased to put upon it, he had the testimony of his conscience for him that he sincerely aimed at the glory of God, for whom he thought he could never do enough. Here he reminds her indeed of the setting aside of her father's house, to make way for him to the throne, that she might not think herself the most proper judge of propriety: " God chose me before thy father, and appointed me to be ruler over Israel, and now I am the fountain of honour; and, if the expressions of a warm devotion to God were looked upon as mean and unfashionable in thy father's court, yet I will play before the Lord, and thereby bring them into reputation again. And, if this be to be vile (2Sa 6:22), I will be yet more vile. "Note, [1.] We should be afraid of censuring the devotion of others though it may not agree with our sentiments, because, for aught that we know, the heart may be upright in it, and who are we that we should despise those whom God has accepted? [2.] If we can approve ourselves to God in what we do in religion, and do it as before the Lord, we need not value the censures and reproaches of men. If we appear right in God's eyes, no matter how mean we appear in the eyes of the world. [3.] The more we are vilified for well-doing the more resolute we should be in it, and hold our religion the faster, and bind it the closer to us, for the endeavours of Satan's agents to shake us and to shame us out of it. I will be yet more vile.

(2.) He designed thereby to humble himself: " I will be base in my own sight, and will think nothing too mean to stoop to for the honour of God."In the throne of judgment, and in the field of battle, none shall do more to support the grandeur and authority of a prince than David shall; but in acts of devotion he lays aside the thought of majesty, humbles himself to the dust before the Lord, joins in with the meanest services done in honour of the ark, and thinks all this no diminution to him. The greatest of men is less than the least of the ordinances of Jesus Christ.

(3.) He doubted not but even this would turn to his reputation among those whose reproach Michal pretended to fear: Of the maid-servants shall I be had in honour. The common people would be so far from thinking the worse of him for these pious condescensions that they would esteem and honour him so much the more. Those that are truly pious are sometimes manifested in the consciences even of those that speak ill of them, 2Co 5:11. Let us never be driven from our duty by the fear of reproach; for to be steady and resolute in it will perhaps turn to our reputation more than we think it will. Piety will have its praise. Let us not then be indifferent in it, nor afraid or ashamed to own it.

David was contented thus to justify himself, and did not any further animadvert upon Michal's insolence; but God punished her for it, writing her for ever childless from this time forward, 2Sa 6:23. She unjustly reproached David for his devotion, and therefore God justly put her under the perpetual reproach of barrenness. Those that honour God he will honour; but those that despise him, and his servants and service, shall be lightly esteemed.

Keil-Delitzsch: 2Sa 6:11-12

Removal of the ark of God to the city of David (cf. 1 Chron 15). - 2Sa 6:11, 2Sa 6:12. When the ark had been in the house of Obed-edom for three months, and David heard that the Lord had blessed his house for the sake of the ark of God, he went thither and brought it up to the city of David with gladness i.e., with festal rejoicing, or a solemn procession. (For שׂמהה , in the sense of festal rejoicing, or a joyous fête, see Gen 31:27; Neh 12:43, etc.) On this occasion, however, David adhered strictly to the instructions of the law, as the more elaborate account given in the Chronicles clearly shows. He not only gathered together all Israel at Jerusalem to join in this solemn act, but summoned the priests and Levites, and commanded them to sanctify themselves, and carry the ark "according to the right,"i.e., as the Lord had commanded in the law of Moses, and to offer sacrifices during the procession, and sin songs, i.e., psalms, with musical accompaniment. In the very condensed account before us, all that is mentioned is the carrying of the ark, the sacrificing during the march, and the festivities of the king and people. But even from these few facts we see that David had discovered his former mistake, and had given up the idea of removing the ark upon a carriage as a transgression of the law.

Keil-Delitzsch: 2Sa 6:13

The bearers of the ark are not particularly mentioned in this account; but it is very evident that they were Levites, as the Chronicles affirm, from the fact that the ark was carried this time, and not driven, as before. "And it came to pass, when the bearers of the ark of Jehovah had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatted calf" (i.e., had them sacrificed). These words are generally understood as meaning, that sacrifices of this kind were offered along the whole way, at the distance of six paces apart. This would certainly have been a possible thing, and there would be no necessity to assume that the procession halted every six paces, until the sacrificial ceremony was completed, but the ark might have continued in progress, whilst sacrifices were being offered at the distances mentioned. And even the immense number of sacrificial animals that would have been required is no valid objection to such an assumption. We do not know what the distance really was: all that we know is, that it was not so much as ten miles, as Kirjath-jearim was only about twelve miles from Jerusalem, so that a few thousand oxen, and the same number of fatted calves, would have been quite sufficient. But the words of the text do not distinctly affirm that sacrifices were offered whenever the bearers advanced six paces, but only that this was done was soon as the bearers had taken the first six steps. So that, strictly speaking, all that is stated is, that when the procession had started and gone six paces, the sacrifice was offered, namely, for the purpose of inaugurating or consecrating the solemn procession. In 1 Chron 15 this fact is omitted; and it is stated instead (1Ch 15:26), that "when God helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, they offered seven bullocks and seven rams,"i.e., at the close of the procession, when the journey was ended, to praise God for the fact that the Levites had been enabled to carry the ark of God to the place appointed for it, without suffering the slightest harm.

(Note: There is no discrepancy, therefore, between the two different accounts; but the one supplements the other in a manner perfectly in harmony with the whole affair, - at the outset, a sacrifice consisting of one ox and one fatted calf; and at the close, one of seven oxen and seven rams. Consequently there is no reason for altering the text of the verse before us, as Thenius proposes, according to the senseless rendering of the lxx, καὶ ἦσαν μετ ̓ αὐτοῦ αἴροντες τὴν κιβωτὸν ἑπτὰ χοροί, καὶ θῦμα μόσχος καὶ ἄρνες ("with David there were bearers of the ark, seven choirs, and sacrifices of a calf and lambs"), which has also found its way into the Vulgate, though Jerome has rendered our Hebrew text faithfully afterwards (i.e., after the gloss, which was probably taken from the Itala, and inserted in his translation).)

Keil-Delitzsch: 2Sa 6:14-15

" And David danced with all his might before the Lord (i.e., before the ark), and was girded with a white ephod (shoulder-dress)."Dancing, as an expression of holy enthusiasm, was a customary thing from time immemorial: we meet with it as early as at the festival of thanksgiving at the Red Sea (Exo 15:20); but there, and also at subsequent celebrations of the different victories gained by the Israelites, none but women are described as taking part in it (Jdg 11:34; Jdg 21:19; 1Sa 18:6). The white ephod was, strictly speaking, a priestly costume, although in the law it is not prescribed as the dress to be worn by them when performing their official duties, but rather as the dress which denoted the priestly character of the wearer (see at 1Sa 22:18); and for this reason it was worn by David in connection with these festivities in honour of the Lord, as the head of the priestly nation of Israel (see at 1Sa 2:18). In 2Sa 6:15 it is still further related, that David and all the house (nation) of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with jubilee and trumpet-blast. תּרוּעה is used here to signify the song of jubilee and the joyous shouting of the people. In the Chronicles (1Ch 15:28) the musical instruments played on the occasion are also severally mentioned.

Keil-Delitzsch: 2Sa 6:16

When the ark came (i.e., was carried) into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and there she saw king David leaping and dancing before Jehovah, and despised him in her heart. והיה , "and it came to pass,"for ויהי , because there is no progress made, but only another element introduced. בּא is a perfect: "the ark had come, ... and Michal looked through the window, ... there she saw,"etc. Michal is intentionally designated the daughter of Saul here, instead of the wife of David, because on this occasion she manifested her father's disposition rather than her husband's. In Saul's time people did not trouble themselves about the ark of the covenant (1Ch 13:3); public worship was neglected, and the soul for vital religion had died out in the family of the king. Michal possessed teraphim, and in David she only loved the brave hero and exalted king: she therefore took offence at the humility with which the king, in his pious enthusiasm, placed himself on an equality with all the rest of the nation before the Lord.

Keil-Delitzsch: 2Sa 6:17

When the ark was brought to the place appointed for it upon Mount Zion, and was deposited in the tent which David had prepared for it, he offered burnt-offerings and thank-offerings before the Lord. "In its place"is still further defined as "in the midst of the tent which David,"etc., i.e., in the Most Holy Place; for the tent would certainly be constructed according to the type of the Mosaic tabernacle. The burnt-offerings and peace-offerings were offered to consecrate the newly erected house of God.

Keil-Delitzsch: 2Sa 6:18-19

When the offering of sacrifice was over, David blessed the people in the name of the Lord, as Solomon did afterwards at the dedication of the temple (1Ki 8:55), and gave to all the (assembled) people, both men and women, to every one a slice of bread, a measure (of wine), and a cake for a festal meal, i.e., for the sacrificial meal, which was celebrated with the shelamim after the offering of the sacrifices, and after the king had concluded the liturgical festival with a benediction. לחם חלּת is a round cake of bread, baked for sacrificial meals, and synonymous with כּכּר־לחם (1Ch 16:3), as we may see from a comparison of Exo 29:23 with Lev 8:26 (see the commentary on Lev 8:2). But the meaning of the ἁπ. λεγ. אשׁפּר is uncertain, and has been much disputed. Most of the Rabbins understand it as signifying a piece of flesh or roast meat, deriving the word from אשׁ and פּר ; but this is certainly false. There is more to be said in favour of the derivation proposed by L. de Dieu, viz., from the Ethiopic שׁפר , netiri , from which Gesenius and Roediger ( Ges. Thes. p. 1470) have drawn their explanation of the word as signifying a measure of wine or other beverage. For אשׁישׁה , the meaning grape-cake or raisin-cake is established by Son of Son 2:5 and Hos 3:1 (vid., Hengstenberg , Christol. on Hos 3:1). The people returned home after the festal meal.

Keil-Delitzsch: 2Sa 6:20-23

When David returned home to bless his house, as he had previously blessed the people, Michal came to meet him with scornful words, saying, "How has the king of Israel glorified himself to-day, when he stripped himself before the eyes of the maids of his servants, as only one of the loose people strips himself!" The unusual combination נגלות כּהגּלות is explained by Ewald (§240, e ., p. 607) in this manner, that whilst, so far as the sense of the clause is concerned, the second verb ought to be in the infinitive absolute, they were both written with a very slight change of form in the infinitive construct; whereas others regard נגלות as an unusual form of the infinitive absolute (Ges . Lehrgeb . p. 430), or a copyist's error for נגלה (Thenius, Olsh. Gr . p. 600). The proud daughter of Saul was offended at the fact, that the king had let himself down on this occasion to the level of the people. She availed herself of the shortness of the priests' shoulder-dress, to make a contemptuous remark concerning David's dancing, as an impropriety that was unbecoming in a king. "Who knows whether the proud woman did not intend to sneer at the rank of the Levites, as one that was contemptible in her eyes, since their humble service may have looked very trivial to her?"( Berleb. Bible. )

2Sa 6:21-22

David replied, "Before Jehovah, who chose me before thy father and all his house, to appoint me prince over the people of Jehovah, over Israel, before Jehovah have I played ( lit . joked, given utterance to my joy). And I will be still more despised, and become base in my eyes: and with the maidens of whom thou hast spoken, with them will I be honoured."The copula vav before שׂהקתּי serves to introduce the apodosis, and may be explained in this way, that the relative clause appended to "before Jehovah"acquired the power of a protasis on account of its length; so that, strictly speaking, there is an anakolouthon, as if the protasis read thus: "Before Jehovah, as He hath chosen me over Israel, I have humbled myself before Jehovah"(for "before him"). With the words "who chose me before thy father and all his house ,"David humbles the pride of the king's daughter. His playing and dancing referred to the Lord, who had chosen him, and had rejected Saul on account of his pride. He would therefore let himself be still further despised before the Lord, i.e., would bear still greater contempt from men than that which he had just received, and be humbled in his own eyes (vid., Psa 131:1): then would he also with the maidens attain to honour before the Lord. For whoso humbleth himself, him will God exalt (Mat 23:12). בּעיני is not to be altered into בּעיניך , as in the lxx. This alteration has arisen from a total misconception of the nature of true humility, which is of no worth in its own eyes. The rendering given by De Wette is at variance with both the grammar and the sense ("with the maidens, ... with them will I magnify myself"); and so also is that of Thenius ("with them will I be honoured, i.e., indemnify myself for thy foolish contempt!").

2Sa 6:23

Michael was humbled by God for her pride, and remained childless to the time of her death.

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 5:17--9:1

C. The Establishment of the Kingdom 5:17-8:18

"As the story of David's accession to kingship over Judah (1:1-3:5) parallels that of his accession to the throne of Israel (3:6-5:16), each concluding with a list of his sons (3:2-5; 5:13-16), so the account of his powerful reign (5:17-8:18) parallels that of his court history (chs. 9-20), each concluding with a roster of his officials (8:15-18; 20:23-26)."⁶⁸

Constable: 2Sa 6:1-23

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

This chapter also reveals David's viewpoint on God and what resulted from it.

"In light of . . . Akkadian and Phoenician parallels . . . we are in a position to understand 2 Samuel 6 as the record of a historically unique cultic event, viz., the ritual dedication of the City of David as the new religious and political capital of the Israelites, the people of Yahweh. The purpose of the ceremony was the sanctification of the City of David for the installation of the ark in the hope that Yahweh's presence would assure the success of David's government and the welfare of the people."⁷⁴

Chapter 6 has a symetrical construction.

"A. David's unsuccessful attempt to transport the ark (6:1-5

B. Judgment against Uzzah (6:6-11)

A'. David's successful attempt to transport the ark (6:12-19)

B'. Judgment against Michal (6:20-23)"⁷⁵

Constable: 2Sa 6:1-11

The first move 6:1-11

Baale-judah (v. 2) may have been the later name of Kiriath-jearim (cf. Josh. 15:9-10).⁷⁶ This was where the ark had evidently rested since the Israelites had moved it from Bethshemesh in Samuel's days (1 Sam. 6; cf. Ps. 132:6-8).⁷⁷

David wanted to bring the ark into his capital because it symbolized the Lord's presence. As we have seen, David did not believe superstitiously that the ark for its own sake would bring blessing wherever it went. He viewed Yahweh as the real source of blessing. However, he wanted the people to see that it was important that Israel's God, and what represented Him, should be at the center of national life. Unfortunately he did not move the ark according to the specifications of the Mosaic Law but according to customary practice (cf. 1 Sam. 6:7-8). Priests were to carry it on poles (Exod. 25:14), not on a cart. Furthermore no one was to touch it (cf. Num. 4:19-20). God's symbolic entrance into Jerusalem was a cause for great celebration. David was apparently angry because he expected God to bless his efforts. God taught him that obedience is more important than good intentions and religious ritual (1 Sam. 15:22). David learned a lesson about God's holiness, too.

"He who had experienced wonderful protection over the years from the Lord his God, and had known unusual intimacy with him, had to come to terms with the fact that he had oversteped the mark, and presumed upon the relationship, by failing to observe the regulations laid down to safeguard respect for God's holiness. Though Jesus taught us to call God our Father, he also taught us to pray hallowed be they name,' implying the need to pay careful attention lest privilege becomes presumption."⁷⁸

The death of Uzzah was a lesson similar to the deaths of Nadab and Abihu (Lev. 10:1-2), Achan (Josh. 7), and Ananias and Saphira (Acts 5:1-11). All these people failed to take God seriously at the beginning of a new phase of His kingdom rule. What we do is important, but how we do it is also important. Coming close to doing God's will is not enough even though we have the best of motives; David wanted to honor God. We need to practice fanatical obedience; we need radical commitment to God's will as His disciples.

During the three months the ark stayed with Obed-edom David evidently did some Bible study and discovered how God had said His people should move it (cf. 1 Chron. 15:1-13). Obed-edom came from the Levitical town of Gath-rimmon in Dan (Josh. 21:24; 19:45). His house appears to have been on the southwestern hill of Jerusalem.⁷⁹

Constable: 2Sa 6:12-23

The second move 6:12-23

David also observed that the ark's presence in Obed-edom's house resulted in blessing for its host. This made him more eager than ever to install the ark in Jerusalem.

Verse 13 probably means after the priests had taken six steps other priests sacrificed an ox and a fatling (fatted calf). This happened every time the priests carrying the ark took six steps.⁸⁰

David wore a priest's garment (v. 14; cf. 1 Sam. 2:18) as he offered sacrifices to the Lord (v. 13).⁸¹ Why did God not express his wrath over this breach of His Law? Were not the priests the only individuals who could offer sacrifices to the Lord? Priests were the specified slayers of the offerings at the central sanctuary, but other non-priests could offer sacrifices of worship to God elsewhere (e.g., Samuel and Saul).⁸²

"The white ephod was, strictly speaking, a priestly costume, although in the law it is not prescribed as the dress to be worn by them when performing their official duties, but rather as the dress which denoted the priestly character of the wearer (see at 1 Sam. xii. 18); and for this reason it was worn by David in connection with these festivities in honor of the Lord, as the head of the priestly nation of Israel (see at 1 Sam. ii. 18)."⁸³

As head of the priestly nation (Exod. 19:6), David exercised a sacerdotal (priestly) role in Israel (cf. 24:25; 1 Chron. 16:4-6). He was a royal priest after the order of Melchizedek, a former king-priest of Jerusalem (Salem; cf. Ps. 76:2; 110:4-6). Royal priesthood was not uncommon in the ancient Near East.⁸⁴ Other Israelite kings occasionally officiated as priests (cf. 1 Kings 8:64; 9:25).

Note that David's radical obedience resulted in his experiencing and expressing great joy, as seen in his celebrating. Whereas people often think that complete obedience to God will make them less happy, the opposite is true. We only experience full joy when we follow God's will completely (cf. Rom. 12:1-2). David felt anger and fear the first time he tried to bring the ark into Jerusalem (vv. 8-9), but when he observed the Mosaic Law carefully he felt great freedom and joy.

Michal apparently did not understand David's reasons for bringing the ark into Jerusalem. She seems to have regarded kingship in Israel as her father had.⁸⁵ He had believed the human king was the ultimate authority and that everyone should honor him. By referring to Michal as "the daughter of Saul" (v. 16) the writer linked her attitude with her father's.

"Her idea seems to have been that the king should avoid mixing with the people, and be aloof and inaccessible. As it was, she despised him for the very qualities that made him great, namely, devotion to the Lord and spontaneity in worship."⁸⁶

The tent David had pitched for the ark in Jerusalem (v. 17) was not the tabernacle of Moses (2 Chron. 1:3-6). The writer did not explain why David did not move the central sanctuary from Gibeon to Jerusalem. Probably he did not want to offend the northern tribes. His blessing the people (v. 18) and giving them cakes made with fruit (v. 19) was a sign to them that their God, who was now in their midst, would bless them as He had promised. Fruit was a common symbol of fertility in the ancient Near East.⁸⁷ Solomon later decorated his temple with figures of fruits. Cake also connoted plenty, prosperity, and blessing.

"The bringing of the Ark to Jerusalem was an event of major theological significance. . . . David wanted to make the Jebusite city not only the center of his rule but also the center of the worship of the Lord.

"By bringing the Ark to his new Jebusite capital, David was attempting to bind the tribes and the central government more firmly."⁸⁸

Whereas the people responded to David's leadership enthusiastically, David's own wife rejected it. She despised her husband for his humility before the Lord. He had behaved as a servant of God. She thought he should have behaved in a more distinguished manner. David promised her that the Lord would give him distinction. He did not need to claim that for himself. The honor of Yahweh was more important to David than his own dignity. In this he set us all a good example. As a result of her attitude toward God and His anointed, Michal suffered barrenness the rest of her life. This was, of course, the opposite of fruitfulness and fertility that result from responding properly to God and His anointed.

"While the Lord's blessing on Obed-Edom resulted in a large number of descendants for him . . ., David's intended blessing on his own household (v. 20) was effectively nullified by Michal's tragic criticism of her husband."⁸⁹

"The final sentence of the chapter, which may imply some sort of judgement [sic] on Michal for her sarcasm, forecloses any possibility that David and Michal will produce an heir who will be able to unite Davidide and Saulide loyalties."⁹⁰

It may be that God shut Michal's womb as a judgment on her for her attitude. I think it is more probable, in view of the record of antagonism that precedes verse 23, that we should infer that David had no more intimate relations with her. He had other wives and concubines, and he could have fulfilled his sexual desires without Michal. If this interpretation is correct, we have here another instance of David failing God in his family relations. He should have taken the initiative to heal the breach in his relations with Michal that this chapter records and not to have allowed them to continue. Even when we are right, as David was, we must be sensitive to the feelings of those who are wrong, as Michal was, and seek to resolve interpersonal conflicts.

"The writer . . . does not question the historically crucial fact of David's divine election, so prominently stressed by the king himself at the beginning of his speech; but theological rights do not necessarily justify domestic wrongs, and the anointed monarch of Israel may still be a harsh and unfeeling husband to the woman who has loved him and saved his life."⁹¹

The writer emphasized that those who follow God's covenant prosper, but God cuts off those who do not. The Philistine idols could not deliver the Philistines (5:21), but the ark of God brought blessing to His people (ch. 6).

Most scholars have placed David's bringing the ark into Jerusalem near the beginning of his reign.⁹² They have done so because of where the writer placed this incident in the text. However a few have argued that this event occurred toward the end of David's reign.⁹³ The basis for this view is 1 Chronicles 15:1 that says David pitched a tent for the ark after he built houses for himself. Those who hold this second view believe--properly, I think--that the houses in view were David's palace structures that Hiram helped him build (5:11). Since Hiram reigned in Tyre only during the last nine years of David's reign, the building of his palace must have occurred late in David's reign (ca. 980-978 B.C.). After that, David built a tent for the ark and brought the ark into Jerusalem as the writer recorded in this chapter (ca. 977 B.C.). However these houses may have been David's original dwellings in Jerusalem that his palace complex later replaced. If so, 1 Chronicles 15:1 may describe conditions at the beginning of David's reign. This seems unlikely to me.

Guzik: 2Sa 6:1-23

2 Samuel 6 - David Brings the Ark of God into Jerusalem

Psalm 132 is commonly associated with the events of this chapter.

A. The failed first attempt.

1. (1-2) Bringing the ark of God to Jerusalem.

Again David gathered all the choice men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called by the Name, the LORD of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim.

a. David gathered all the choice men of Israel: David gathered so many of his best soldiers because bringing the ark to Jerusalem was an important step towards providing a central place of worship for all of Israel.

b. To bring up from there the ark of God: This was the Ark of the Covenant, which God commanded Moses to make more than 400 years before David's time. It was a wood box (the word ark means "box" or "chest") completely covered with gold and with an ornate gold lid or top known as the mercy seat.

i. The ark of God was 3 feet 9 inches long, 2 feet 3 inches wide and 2 feet 3 inches high. In it were the tablets of the law that Moses brought down from Mount Sinai, a jar of manna, and the Aaron's rod that miraculously budded as a confirmation of his leadership.

c. The LORD of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim: The ark of God represented the immediate presence and glory of God in Israel. David considered it a high priority to bring the ark out of obscurity and back into prominence. David wanted Israel to be alive with a sense of the near presence and glory of God.

i. The last we saw of the ark of God was when it came back from the land of the Philistines in 1 Samuel 7:1. It sat at the house of Abinadab for some 70 years. David had a great motive - to emphasize the presence and glory of God in Israel.

2. (3-5) The Ark is brought out with great joy.

So they set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart. And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, accompanying the ark of God; and Ahio went before the ark. Then David and all the house of Israel played music before the LORD on all kinds of instruments of fir wood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on sistrums, and on cymbals.

a. So they set the ark of God on a new cart: Transporting the ark on a cart was against God's specific command. The ark was designed to be carried (Exodus 25:12-15) and was only to be carried by Levites of the family of Koath (Numbers 4:15).

i. Why did God command the ark to be carried? It was probably because there was to be nothing mechanical about the ark, which represented His presence. "The ark was nothing less than the burden of the Lord, and the burden of the Lord was to be carried on the hearts of the Levites." (Redpath)

ii. We can imagine what these men thought. "Look - we have a new cart for the ark of God. God will be very pleased at our fancy new cart." They thought that a new technology or luxury could cover over their ignorant disobedience.

iii. "We want God's presence very much, don't we? But we like to hitch His presence to some of our new carts. We like to add Him to our list of organizations, to load Him on top of the mechanics of a busy life, and then drive. How much of our service is really in the energy of the flesh, I wonder! So often we put forth our hands, but not our hearts." (Redpath)

iv. "It is not new things we need, but new fire." (John Wesley)

v. This Philistines transported the ark on a cart in 1 Samuel 6:10-11. They got away with it because they were Philistines, but God expected more from His people. Israel was to take their example from God's Word, not from the innovations of the Philistines.

b. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart: The meaning of the names of these sons of Abinadab paint a meaningful picture. Uzzah means "strength" and Ahio means "friendly."

i. Much service for the LORD is like this - a new cart, a big production, with strength leading and friendly out front - yet all done without inquiring of God or looking to His will. Surely David prayed for God's blessing on this big production, but he didn't inquire of God regarding the production itself. This was a good thing done the wrong way.

c. Then David and all the house of Israel played music before the LORD: Judging from the importance of the occasion and all the instruments mentioned, this was quite a production. The atmosphere was joyful, exciting, and engaging. The problem was that none of it pleased God because it was all in disobedience to His word.

i. We are often tempted to judge a worship experience by how it makes us feel. But when we realize that worship is about pleasing God, we are driven to His word so we can know how He wants to be worshipped.

ii. It's hard to grab hold of in our consumer-oriented culture, but it isn't all about what pleases us. It's all about what pleases God.

3. (6-7) Uzzah is struck dead for touching the ark.

And when they came to Nachon's threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. Then the anger of the LORD was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God.

a. When they came to Nachon's threshing floor: At a threshing floor the whole stalks of wheat are gathered and the chaff is separated from the wheat. There was a lot of chaff in this production, and God will blow away the chaff at Nachon's threshing floor.

b. Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it: This was strictly forbidden. Regarding the transporting of the ark Numbers 4:15 says, they shall not touch any holy thing lest they die.

i. Uzzah made a decision in a moment to disregard God's command and do what seemed right to him. Even our decisions made in a moment matter before God.

c. God struck him there for his error: God fulfilled the ominous promise of Numbers 4:15 and struck Uzzah. David wanted Israel to know the presence of the LORD and God showed up at Nachon's threshing floor - but not in the way anyone wanted.

i. What was the error of Uzzah? It was more than just a reflex action or instinct. God struck Uzzah because his action was based upon a critical error in thinking.

· Uzzah erred in thinking it didn't matter who transported the ark

· Uzzah erred in thinking it didn't matter how the ark was transported

· Uzzah erred in thinking he knew all about the ark because it was in his father's house for so long

· Uzzah erred in thinking that God couldn't take care of the ark of Himself

· Uzzah erred in thinking that the ground of Nachon's threshing floor was less holy than his own hand

ii. "He saw no difference between the ark and any other valuable article. His intention to help was right enough; but there was a profound insensibility to the awful sacredness of the ark, on which even its Levitical bearers were forbidden to lay hands." (Maclaren)

4. (8-9) David reacts with anger and fear.

And David became angry because of the Lord's outbreak against Uzzah; and he called the name of the place Perez Uzzah to this day. David was afraid of the LORD that day; and he said, "How can the ark of the LORD come to me?"

a. David became angry because of the Lord's outbreak: David's anger was based in confusion. He couldn't understand why his good intentions weren't enough. God is concerned with both our intentions and our actions.

b. How can the ark of the LORD come to me? David knew it was important to bring the ark of the LORD into the center of Israel's life. He wanted all Israel to be excited about the presence and glory of God. Because of what happened to Uzzah, David felt he couldn't do what God wanted him to do.

i. David's response in the rest of the chapter shows that he found the answer to his question. He answered the question with the thought later expressed in Isaiah 8:20: To the law and to the testimony! David found the answer in God's word.

B. The successful second attempt

1. (10-12a) David leaves the ark with Obed-Edom.

So David would not move the ark of the LORD with him into the City of David; but David took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. And the LORD blessed Obed-Edom and all his household. Now it was told King David, saying, "The LORD has blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God."

a. David took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom: David did this in fulfillment of God's word. Obed-Edom was a Levite of the family of Koath (1 Chronicles 26:4). This was the family within the tribe of Levi that God commanded to transport and take care of the ark (Numbers 4:15).

b. And the LORD blessed Obed-Edom and all his household: When God's Word was obeyed and His holiness was respected blessing followed. God wanted the ark to be a blessing for Israel, not a curse. We might say that the curse didn't come from God's heart but from man's disobedience.

2. (12b-15) The ark successfully comes to Jerusalem.

So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with gladness. And so it was, when those bearing the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, that he sacrificed oxen and fatted sheep. Then David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.

a. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with gladness: David was glad to know that the presence and glory of God could bring blessing instead of a curse. He was also glad to see that when they obeyed God they were blessed.

i. David explained to the priests why God struck out against them in their first attempt to bring the ark to Jerusalem in 1 Chronicles 15:13: For because you did not do it the first time, the LORD our God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order.

ii. When the worship was in the proper order it was still filled with gladness and joy. It is a mistake to feel that "real" worship must be subdued or solemn or only in a minor key.

b. When those bearing the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, that he sacrificed oxen and fatted sheep: This was elaborate, excessive, over-the-top sacrifice. This excess of sacrifice communicated atonement, consecration, and longing for fellowship.

i. 1 Chronicles 15:11-15 shows us that David specifically commanded the priests to carry the ark the right way - on their shoulders. We often think that a "new cart" or "strength" or a "friendly" manner is the way to bring for the presence and glory of God. But God always wants His presence and glory to come on the shoulders of consecrated, obedient, praising, men and women.

ii. It also showed that David brought the ark to Jerusalem with a big production - bigger than the first attempt. David was wise enough to know that the problem with the first attempt wasn't that it was a big production, but that it was a big production that came from man and not God.

c. David danced before the LORD with all his might: David didn't hold back anything in his own expression of worship. He didn't dance out of obligation but out of heartfelt worship. He was glad to bring the ark of the LORD into Jerusalem according to God's word.

i. This expression of David's heart showed that he had a genuine emotional link to God. There are two great errors in this area - the error of making emotions the center of our Christian life and the error of an emotionally detached Christian life. In the Christian life emotions must not be manipulated and they must not be repressed.

ii. We don't think that dancing is strange when the baseball player rounds the bases after the game winning home run. We don't think it is strange when the winning touchdown is scored or when our own child scores a goal. We think nothing at hands raised at a concert or a touchdown. Why should we think them strange in worship to God?

d. David was wearing a linen ephod: It is a mistake to think that David was immodest. 1 Chronicles 15:27 indicates that David was dressed just like all the other priests and Levites in this procession.

i. From our knowledge of ancient and modern culture we can surmise that David's dance wasn't a solo performance. He probably danced with simple rhythmic steps together with other men in the way one might see Orthodox Jewish men today dance. In this context, David's linen ephod means he set aside his royal robes and dressed just like everyone else in the procession.

ii. We might also point out that David's dancing was appropriate in the context. This was a parade with a marching band, a grand procession. David's dancing fit right in. If David did this as the nation gathered on the Day of Atonement it would be out of context and wrong.

3. (16-19) David brings everyone present into the worship experience and the fellowship meal.

Now as the ark of the LORD came into the City of David, Michal, Saul's daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart. So they brought the ark of the LORD, and set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. And when David had finished offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts. Then he distributed among all the people, among the whole multitude of Israel, both the women and the men, to everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins. So all the people departed, everyone to his house.

a. She despised him in her heart: David's wife Michal didn't appreciate David's exuberant worship. She felt it wasn't dignified for the King of Israel to express his emotions before God.

i. "No doubt, there are particularly nice and dainty people who will censure God's chosen if they live wholly to his praise, and they will call them eccentric, old-fashioned, obstinate, absurd, and I don't know what besides. From the window of their superiority they look down upon us." (Spurgeon)

b. They brought the ark of the LORD, and set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle: After many years - since the ark was lost in battle - the ark is returned to the tabernacle and set in the most holy place. The emblem of God's presence and glory was set at its proper place in Israel.

c. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD: The burnt offerings spoke of consecration. The peace offerings spoke of fellowship. This was a day of great consecration and fellowship with God. It was also a great barbeque.

4. (20) Michal's complaint.

Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, "How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!"

a. David returned to bless his household: After this day of great victory David came home to bring a blessing to his whole family.

b. How glorious was the king of Israel today: With biting sarcasm, Michal's criticism could have ruined this whole day for David. He might have expected such an attack after such a remarkable day of victory. "Pirates look out for loaded vessels." (Spurgeon)

i. A cynic once said, "No good deed goes unpunished." Sometimes it feels like that!

c. Uncovering himself today: Michal seems to indicated that she didn't object to David's dancing, but to what David wore when he set aside his royal robes and danced as a man just like the other men celebrating in the procession. David acted as if he were just another worshipper in Israel.

5. (21-23) David's rebuke of Michal

So David said to Michal, "It was before the LORD, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the LORD. And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor." Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.

a. It was before the LORD: David didn't let Michal's sarcastic criticism ruin his day. He simply explained the truth: "I did it for God, not for you."

i. This is not a justification for everything in the context of worship. When David considered the context of the procession and the whole setting his conscience was clear. He knew his dancing wasn't inappropriate to the setting or context. Someone who acts inappropriately to the setting or context of a meeting can't simply justify it by saying, "It was before the LORD."

b. To appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD: "David did not say, 'Over my people': he acknowledged that they were not his people, but Jehovah's people. He was only lieutenant-governor; the Lord was still the great King of Israel." (Spurgeon)

c. And will be humble in my own sight: What David did was humbling to him. He didn't dance to show others how spiritual he was.

i. "David would more and more abase himself before the Lord. He felt that whatever Michal's opinion of him might be, it could not be more humbling than his own view of himself. Brother, if any man thinks ill of you, do not be angry with him; for you are worse than he thinks you to be." (Spurgeon)

d. Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death: Michal's barrenness was not necessarily the result of Divine judgment. It may be that David never had marital relations with her again. Nevertheless, the principle stands: there is often barrenness in the life and ministry of the overly critical.

© 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 6 (Chapter Introduction)

Overview

2Sa 6:1, David fetches the ark from Kirjath-jearim on a new cart; 2Sa 6:6, Uzzah is smitten at Perez-uzzah; 2Sa 6:9, God blesses Obed-edom for the ark; 2Sa 6:12, David brings the ark into Zion with sacrifices, and dances before it; for which Michal despises him; 2Sa 6:17, He places it in a tabernacle with great joy and feasting; 2Sa 6:20, Michal, reproving David for his religious joy, is childless to her death.

Poole: 2 Samuel 6 (Chapter Introduction)

SAMUEL CHAPTER 6

David fetcheth the ark with much people and great joy out of the house of Abinadab, 2Sa 6:1-5 . Uzzah laying hold of the ark is slain of God: David is grieved; carries the ark into the house of Obed-edom, whom God blesseth for its sake, 2Sa 6:6-11 . David bringeth the ark into Zion with sacrifices; danceth before it; for which Michal despiseth him, 2Sa 6:12-16 . They place it in a tabernacle: he offereth to God; blesseth the people; giveth them presets, 2Sa 6:17-19 . Michal reproving David, he answereth her: she is childless to her death, 2Sa 6:20-23 .

The stoutest and valiantest in his army and land, lest the Philistines should attempt to disturb them in this work.

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 6 (Chapter Introduction)

(2Sa 6:1-5) The ark removed from Kirjath-jearim.

(2Sa 6:6-11) Uzzah smitten for touching the ark, Obed-edom blessed.

(2Sa 6:12-19) David brings the ark to Zion.

(2Sa 6:20-23) Michal's ill conduct.

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 6 (Chapter Introduction)

The obscurity of the ark, during the reign of Saul, had been as great a grievance to Israel as the insults of the Philistines. David, having humbled the Philistines and mortified them in gratitude for that favour, and in pursuance of his designs for the public welfare, is here bringing up the ark to his own city, that it might be near him, and be an ornament and strength to his new foundation. Here is, I. An attempt to do it, which failed and miscarried. The design was well laid (2Sa 6:1, 2Sa 6:2). But, 1. They were guilty of an error in carrying it in a cart (2Sa 6:3-5). 2. They were punished for that error by the sudden death of Uzzah (2Sa 6:6, 2Sa 6:7), which was a great terror to David (2Sa 6:8, 2Sa 6:9) and put a stop to his proceedings (2Sa 6:10, 2Sa 6:11). II. The great joy and satisfaction with which it was at last done (2Sa 6:12-15). And, 1. The good understanding between David and his people (2Sa 6:17-19). 2. The uneasiness between David and his wife upon that occasion (2Sa 6:16, 2Sa 6:20-23). And, when we consider that the ark was both the token of God's presence and a type of Christ, we shall see that this story is very instructive.

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 6 (Chapter Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 6

In this chapter we are told that David fetched the ark from Baale of Judah, with an intent to bring it to his own city, 2Sa 6:1; but Uzzah being smitten for his error concerning it, David was displeased, and left it at the house of Obededom, where it remained three months, and proved a blessing to his house, 2Sa 6:6; which David hearing of, went and brought it from thence with great expressions of joy before it as it came along, and offered offerings to the Lord at the setting it in its place, and gave gifts to the people, 2Sa 6:12; but Michal his wife was displeased with some of his gestures on that occasion, which made some difference between them, and which, on Michal's part, was resented by the Lord himself; for she became barren for it to the time of her death, 2Sa 6:20.