The last major section of the Book of Samuel (2 Sam. 21-24) consists of six separate pericopes that together constitute a conclusion to the whole book (cf. Judg. 17-21). Each pericope emphasizes the theological message of the book.291
". . . the final four chapters, far from being a clumsy appendix, offer a highly reflective, theological interpretation of David's whole career adumbrating the messianic hope."292
The structure of this section too is chiastic.
"A. The Lord's Wrath Against Israel (21:1-14)
B. David's Heroes (21:15-22)
C. David's Song of Praise (22:1-51)
C'. David's Last Words (23:1-7)
B'. David's Mighty Men (23:8-39)
In the first section (21:1-14), the writer reminds us that breaking covenants results in God withdrawing the blessing of fertility.
This record emphasizes the supernatural character of the victories David was able to enjoy because God fought for him by using various men in his army.
"The lists of heroes and heroic exploits that frame the poetic centre-piece represent human instrumentality, but not the underlying reality, which is Yahweh."300
The pericope may describe what happened when David was fighting the Philistines early in his reign (cf. 5:18-25), probably right after he became king of all Israel in 1004 B.C.301However it is really impossible to tell how the incidents recorded here relate to others mentioned in the book or even if they do.
"The giant"(vv. 16, 18, 20, 22) appears to have been the father or ancestor of all four of the huge Philistine warriors mentioned in this passage. However the Hebrew word translated "giant"(raphah) is a collective term for the Rephaim. The Rephaim were the mighty warriors who originally inhabited the Canaanite coastal plain (cf. Gen. 15:19-21; Deut. 2:11; 3:11, 13). They terrified ten of the 12 spies that Joshua sent out from Kadesh Barnea (Num. 13:33).
"The lamp of Israel"(v. 17) refers to David, the source of Israel's human guidance, prosperity, and well-being--its leading light. As God was a light to His people, so the king was a light as His vice-regent.
". . . when a man dies his lamp is extinguished (Jb. 18:6; Pr. 13:9); David's death would be tantamount to the extinction of the life of the community (cf. La. 4:20). The figure of the lamp. which came to symbolize the Davidic dynasty as maintained by Yahweh (1 Ki. 15:4; Ps. 132:17), possibly derives from the world of the sanctuary, in which a lamp was kept burning continually' (see on 1 Sa. 3:3)."302
Gob (v. 18) was evidently another name for Gezer (1 Chron. 20:4).
The reference in verse 19 to Elhanan killing Goliath the Gittite (i.e., a resident of Gath) seems to contradict 1 Samuel 17. However 1 Chronicles 20:5 says that Elhanan killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath. Evidently that is the correct reading.303Sometimes David was able to slay his enemies personally, but at other times he had to rely on the help of others (v. 17).
The point of this brief section is that God blessed David with military victories far beyond anyone's normal expectations because he was God's faithful anointed servant. Yahweh brought blessing through him to Israel militarily as well as agriculturally (vv. 1-14). The first incident (vv. 1-14) in the appendix illustrates that breaking covenants reduces fertility, but this one (vv. 15-22) shows that God's favor results in supernatural victories.
"It has long been recognized that 2 Samuel 22 is not only one of the oldest major poems in the OT but also that, because Psalm 18 parallels it almost verbatim, it is a key passage for the theory and practice of OT textual criticism."304
This psalm records David's own expression of the theological message the writer of Samuel expounded historically. Yahweh is King, and He blesses those who submit to His authority in many ways. Verse 21 is perhaps the key verse. David learned the truths expressed in this psalm and evidently composed it early in his career (v. 1).
This song shares several key themes with Hannah's song (1 Sam. 2:1-10). Both David and Hannah used horn as a figure of strength at the beginning (v. 3; 1 Sam. 2:1) and rock as a figure for God (v. v. 2; 1 Sam. 2:2). They both referred to divine deliverance (v. 3; 1 Sam. 2:1-2) and ended by equating God's king with His anointed (v. 51; 1 Sam. 2:10). Thus these two songs form a kind of inclusioaround the Books of Samuel and give them unity. Given the similarities each makes its own unique statement as well.305
This is a psalm of declarative praise for what God had done for David. It reflects David's rich spiritual life. While David focused attention on the Lord more than on himself, his emphasis was on the blessings Yahweh had bestowed on him.
We can divide the passage into four sections: the Lord's exaltation (vv. 1-4), the Lord's exploits (vv. 5-20), the Lord's equity (vv. 21-30), and the Lord's excellence (vv. 31-51).306
The reference to God's temple (v. 7) probably means heaven. "Arrows"(v. 15) is a figure for lightning bolts. God had drawn David out of the waters of affliction as Pharaoh's daughter had drawn Moses out of literal dangerous waters (v. 17). God had rewarded David (not saved him) because of his righteous conduct (v. 21). Cleanness (Heb. bor) of hands (v. 21) is a figure describing moral purity that derives from the practice of washing the hands with soda (bor).
"The psalmist is not talking about justification by works, much less about sinless perfection, but about a conscience void of offence [sic] toward God and men' (Acts 24:16)."307
God responds to people according to their conduct (vv. 26-27). He is astute (shrewd) to the perverted (crooked, v. 27) in the sense that He turns them into fools.308The similies in verse 43 picture David's enemies as objects of humiliation and contempt.309
"It is . . . both serendipitous and satisfying that the Song of David, a psalm of impressive scope and exquisite beauty, should begin with The LORD' (v. 2), the Eternal One, and end with forever' (v. 51)."310
The combination of David's final song (ch. 22) followed by his last testament (23:1-7) recalls the similar combination of Moses' final song and his last testament (Deut. 32 and 33). This was David's final literary legacy to Israel.
"Whereas the psalm in the previous chapter celebrates the delivering acts of Yahweh by which the Davidic supremacy was established, this little poem is composed around the theme of the dynastic covenant through which the continued prosperity of the Davidic house was vouchsafed."311
This poem also has a chiastic structure focusing on the Lord speaking (vv. 3-4). His words describe the ideal king. They are messianic. However the passage also anticipates all of David's successors.
The same great spiritual themes come through here as in the previous chapter and in the whole historical account recorded in 1 and 2 Samuel. The ancients regarded the last words of any person as specially significant. The last words of Israel's great leaders were even more important. The last words of prophets were extremely important (cf. Gen. 49; Deut. 33; Acts 20:17-38; et al.). They often expressed lessons those who had walked with God for many years had learned.
The writer described David as simply the son of Jesse, a common Israelite, and as someone whom God had raised up in contrast to a self-made man (v. 1; cf. Dan. 4:29-33). He always viewed himself as one whom God had chosen and anointed for his role in life (v. 1). He was the Lord's anointed and the sweet psalmist. These four descriptions of David picture his leadership in relation to his family, his political administration, his military forces, and his spiritual influence.
David claimed that the words that he had spoke had been received from God (v. 2). He thus gave God the credit for his inspiration. He also recognized God as the real ruler of Israel (v. 3). Many ancient as well as modern interpreters of this book have understood David's description of Israel's ruler in verses 3 and 4 as a reference to Messiah. It probably also describes David and his royal descendants. The figure of the dawning sun pictures the righteous ruler as a source of promise, joy, and blessing to his people (v. 4). The figure of the sprouting grass describes him as a source of prosperity, new life, and fertility (v. 4). David viewed his dynasty as such because God had made an everlasting covenant (the Davidic Covenant) with him (v. 5). This resulted in order, security, deliverance, and fulfillment of desire (v. 5). David believed that the covenant would result in increased blessing for his house (v. 5). The worthless would suffer the reverse fate, however, and even be burned up as useless (cf. Matt. 13:30).312
To summarize, David believed that the Lord sovereignly initiates blessing, and those who value it cause His blessings to increase on themselves and others.
One might conclude from 1 Samuel 22:2 that David's army, made up as it was of malcontents and distressed debtors, would not have been able to accomplish anything. This list testifies to God's blessing David and Israel militarily by enabling his warriors to accomplish supernatural feats and to become mighty men in war. Again, God's supernatural blessing is what this section illustrates.
This last section of the book records another occasion on which God withdrew his blessing from Israel this time because of David's sin (cf. 21:1-14). When David stopped trusting in Yahweh for protection and placed his confidence in his military personnel, God sent a serious disease that killed 70,000 men (v. 15).
". . . chapter 24 provides a fitting conclusion to the story of David by calling attention, once more and finally, not only to his ambition and pride, but also to his humility and remorse."316
"Every spiritual leader would do well to read this story once a year!"317
