2 Samuel 23: Summary and Commentary

Verse 1

23:1-7 This passage comes from the end of David’s career and reflects on his experience as king, even as ch 22 reflects on his experience before becoming king.

23:1 David’s last words were not necessarily the last words he actually spoke (see 1 Kgs 1:16, 29-30, 33-35; 2:1-9) but his final public expression of worship to God as king (cp. 1 Sam 12:1-25). • David . . . speaks: The language indicates that he was about to utter an oracle, a revelation from God (2 Sam 23:2). • the sweet psalmist of Israel: For other references to David as musician and poet, see 1 Chr 23:5; 2 Chr 29:26, 27; Neh 12:36; Amos 6:5.

Verse 2

23:2 The Spirit of the Lord speaks through me: David spoke of God, and in the process, God spoke through David.

Verse 5

23:5 my family . . . everlasting covenant: David is referring to the prophecy Nathan made about David and his descendants (7:12-16). Jesus is the everlasting king who is the “descendant of David” (Matt 1:1).

Verse 6

23:6 Cp. Ps 1:4-5.

Verse 8

23:8-39 This section is a listing of David’s elite warriors by name, the most prominent of whom are listed with a notable accomplishment. These warriors were some of the “iron tools” that God used to “chop down” the godless (23:7). • The list divides into the Three and the Thirty. Some Hebrew scholars have suggested that the Thirty be translated as “Officers.” If that is correct, then it is possible that the Three was originally a term for a specific military office.

Verse 10

23:10 to collect the plunder: Cp. 1 Sam 30:9-10, 21-25.

Verse 13

23:13 The cave of Adullam was a place of refuge for David from Saul (see 1 Sam 22:1). • The valley of Rephaim was located between Bethlehem and Jerusalem (see 2 Sam 5:17-25).

Verse 15

23:15-16 remarked longingly: This Hebrew verb elsewhere carries the idea of excessive desire (see Num 11:4, “began to crave”; Ps 106:14, “desires ran wild”). It is unclear whether David’s craving for water was excessive, but it certainly led to dangerous exploits. • well by the gate: David had memories from his younger days of growing up in Bethlehem. The location of the well is unknown.

Verse 17

23:17 This water . . . these men: When David poured the hard-won water on the ground, it did not signal ingratitude. Rather, he regarded the water as equivalent to the warriors’ blood; it represented life that only God was worthy to receive (Lev 17:10-13; Deut 12:23-24).

Verse 18

23:18-23 Here are examples of the prowess of Abishai and Benaiah. Elsewhere, Abishai was intensely combative toward David’s enemies, especially Saul (1 Sam 26:6-9) and Saul’s kinsman Shimei (2 Sam 16:9-11). Abishai had saved David’s life during one of the Philistine wars (21:16-17). • Benaiah appeared first as the commander of the mercenaries who served as David’s bodyguard, independent of the regular army (8:18; 20:23). He was also the leader of a 24,000-man division of the regular army that served the king in the third month of every year (1 Chr 27:5-6). He played a major role in Solomon’s ascension to the throne (1 Kgs 1:32-49) and became the commander of Solomon’s army, as Joab was for David.

Verse 24

23:24 Asahel, David’s nephew, was killed by Abner during the war between David and Ishbosheth (2:18-32). Asahel’s inclusion here suggests that parts of these lists go back to the beginning of David’s career. • Elhanan son of Dodo should not be confused with Elhanan son of Jair (21:19; 1 Chr 20:5).

Verse 39

23:39 The very last name mentioned is Uriah the Hittite. There is an earlier reference to his father-in-law, Eliam, father of Bathsheba (23:34; see 11:3). By contrast, the Chronicler, who never mentioned David’s sins against Bathsheba and Uriah, placed Uriah’s name inconspicuously in the middle of the list of David’s mighty men (1 Chr 11:10-47). This author not only described the sins (2 Sam 11:1-27) but puts emphasis on Uriah’s name by placing it at the end of this list. Uriah was no ordinary conscript but a loyal member of David’s elite guard, which makes David’s treachery against him all the worse. • There were thirty-seven in all: Only thirty-six names are mentioned, assuming that “Shammah . . . from Harar” (23:11) is different from “Shammah from Harod” (23:25), and that “Benaiah son of Jehoiada” (23:20) is different from “Benaiah from Pirathon” (23:30). Perhaps the thirty-seventh warrior was Joab, who is mentioned only peripherally (23:18, 37) and is absent from the list of names. Many commentators say that he is excluded because he was David’s chief military leader and did not need to be included. The omission could also represent David’s long and troubled association with Joab, who was eventually executed when Solomon carried out David’s deathbed command (1 Kgs 2:5-6, 28-34).