Bible Book of the Month: II Samuel

The history of Israel during the kingship of David is the theme of II Samuel. Originally one with I Samuel (discussed in CHRISTIANITY TODAY, Jan. 5, 1959), the books were divided in the Hebrew edition of the Venetian printer Daniel Bomberg (1516).

AUTHORSHIP

The books of Samuel (also called “Kingdoms” or “Kings”) are anonymous. They were probably written by a Judean prophet shortly after the division of the kingdom. Memoirs of Samuel, Nathan, Gad, and others were doubtless used.

CONTENT

Second Samuel begins with David at the peak of his career. Saul, who had attempted to kill him, and Jonathan, his best friend, are now dead on the field of battle. David’s lament was genuine. He remembered Saul’s happier days.

The eloquent dirge (1:17–27) is taken from The Book of Jasher, evidently an ancient poetic account of Israel’s early history. The account of Joshua’s long day (Josh. 10:13) is taken from the same source. The Jews appear to have had an epic literature comparable with that of other ancient peoples (cf. the Iliad and the Odyssey). Apart from quotations in the canonical Scriptures, such literature perished long ago.

After the death of Saul, the way was open for David to be publicly crowned at Hebron king over Judah (2:3–4). The north remained loyal to Saul’s son Ishbosheth (“man of shame,” originally Eshbaal, “man of Baal”) who was established east of the Jordan at Mahanaim by Abner, Saul’s military commander (2:9).

A strange battle took place between the forces of Abner and Joab, representing Ishbosheth and David, respectively, at the pool of Gibeon (2:12–17). During the archaeological expedition at Gibeon conducted by James B. Pritchard on behalf of the Church Divinity School of the Pacific and the University of Pennsylvania Museum (1956), the pool at Gibeon was excavated. It was cut out of solid rock and had a circular staircase with a handrail to make it easier for the water-carrying women to get at the water supply when it receded during the dry season. The diameter of the pool is 36 feet.

The battle at Gibeon began when, by mutual consent, 12 champions of each army were selected to fight each other. All 24 met their death in the fray, leaving things as unsettled as ever. Asahel, a brother of Joab, chose to pursue Abner. Abner, obviously desiring to avoid a blood feud between the two families, urged him to go after one of the other lads. Asahel would not desist, and Abner killed him (2:23).

Ishbosheth’s reign was very brief. Abner married one of Saul’s concubines, and Ishbosheth rebuked him (3:7). Marrying a king’s widow was tantamount to laying claim to the throne. Abner was angered at the rebuke and determined to turn the kingdom over to David (3:12).

David accepted Abner’s allegiance on condition that Michal, Saul’s daughter, be restored to David as wife. This would strengthen David’s claim to the throne of Israel. Abner agreed, but he was soon killed by Joab (3:27) who was both seeking revenge for his brother Asahel and removing a potential rival. Subsequently Ishbosheth was murdered by two of his own captains (4:2, 5, 6) after which the northern tribes acknowledged David as king (5:3). Through all of these proceedings David had acted in an exemplary way. He was not personally responsible for the death of any of his rivals or potential rivals.

David’s relation to Israel is stated in the words “Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be prince over Israel” (5:2). The king is the shepherd who pastures God’s flock. Theocratic government was always the ideal in Israel.

The Jebusite stronghold of Jerusalem had defied Israelite arms from the time of the Judges (cf. Judges 1:21) until the time of David. Joab accomplished the seemingly impossible (5:7–8), whereupon David made Jerusalem his capital. Since Jerusalem had not been occupied by any of the tribes, it was a kind of neutral territory between Judah and Benjamin, somewhat analogous to the District of Columbia which lies between Virginia and Maryland. The royal palace was built on Mount Zion (5:11).

Jerusalem became the spiritual as well as political center of Israel when David had the ark brought from the house of Obed-edom to Zion and placed in a tent or Tabernacle (6:12–17). When David expressed the desire to place it in a Temple (7:1–3), the prophet Nathan was pleased. He subsequently declared that this was not the Lord’s will. David’s son, Solomon, would build the Temple, but God would build “an house” for David (7:11). This “house” would not be a building but a dynasty of lungs who would reign over Israel (11:13). Subsequent Messianic prophecy is based on this promise. David’s descendants reigned over the Southern Kingdom (Judah) until Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem (587 B.C.). Many of the descendants of David were idolatrous (cf. Manasseh, Amon) but the godly remnant in Israel looked for the coming of a righteous king from the line of David. The prophets foretold the captivity, but they also declared that a “shoot” would come from the stock or “stump” of Jesse (Isa. 11:1) who would usher in a period of righteousness (Isa. 11:2–9). The New Testament is linked with this promise to David in its first verse: “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matt. 1:1). In the annunciation the angel declared to Mary, “the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David” (Luke 1:32, 33).

David’s military prowess had been recognized during the lifetime of Saul. As king, however, David was able to carve out a mighty empire in what has been called Israel’s Golden Age. Philistines, Moabites, Aramaeans, Edomites, and Ammonites paid their tribute to David. From Zobah, north of Damascus, to the Gulf of Aqabah, David was recognized as sovereign (8:1–14). A succession of weak rulers both in Egypt and in Mesopotamia produced a power vacuum which, in the providence of God, made possible the Kingdom of David.

From David’s youth to the siege of Rabbath Ammon (11:1 ff.), God’s blessing had rested upon David. David had shown a magnanimous spirit, even toward his enemies. He remembered his vow not to destroy Saul’s family, sought out Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, and supported him at his own expense (9:1–13).

DAVID’S SIN

Rabbath Ammon marks a turning point in David’s life, however. While his troops were besieging the city, David remained behind and made the acquaintance of Bath-sheba, the wife of Uriah, a Hittite soldier in David’s army. David sought to hide his illicit relationship with Uriah’s wife by bringing him home. When Uriah refused to return home, David gave orders to Joab to send Uriah into the thick of the battle where he would be killed (11:14–17). David’s plan was carried out. Uriah died.

Rulers of the ancient world generally exercised absolute power. Abraham took it for granted that the Pharaoh would kill a man to secure his wife (Gen. 12:12). It is noteworthy in the David story that Nathan, a prophet, had access to the king and dared to accuse him of wrongdoing (12:1–14). An absolute monarch would have had Nathan killed. David accepted his rebuke and gave evidence of true repentance (12:13).

DAVID’S DECLINING YEARS

“The enemies of the Lord” had occasion to blaspheme because of David’s sin (12:14). Nathan stated that there were certain consequences of that sin which David must suffer. The child born to Bath-sheba died (12:14–23). The evil example of David had consequences in his own family where rebellion and strife characterized the last years of his reign.

Amnon, David’s first-born, conceived a passion for his half sister Tamar, and seduced her (13:1–22). Absalom, Tamar’s full brother, slew Amnon to avenge his sister’s dishonor (13:23–29). He then fled for protection to the house of his mother’s father, Talmai, king of Geshur (13:36–39). Joab effected a reconciliation between David and Absalom by enlisting the services of the Wise Woman of Tekoa (14:1–11).

Whereas the women had formerly sung in the streets of the exploits of David, now his son Absalom became the popular hero (14:25–27). As political demagogues of all generations do, he promised the impossible in order to court favor with the people. He built up a considerable following and had himself crowned king in Hebron (15:7–12), with the result that David had to flee from Jerusalem with his bodyguard of Cherethites and Pelethites, mercenary troops of Caphtorian origin (15:13–18).

The counselor Ahithophel advised Absalom to take over his father’s harem, gather the army, and pursue David (17:1–14). Hushai, secretly loyal to David, advised delay, which gave David opportunity to force a showdown.

When David organized his troops in Mahanaim, east of the Jordan (17:24–29), he urged them to deal gently with Absalom. When Joab found Absalom accidentally caught in a tree (18:9–18) he slew him. The grief of David over the death of Absalom—at once son and enemy—is one of the most touching scenes in Scripture (18:33–19:8).

Following Absalom’s rebellion, a man named Sheba of the tribe of Benjamin (Saul’s tribe) revolted against David (20:1–2). Amasa, David’s nephew (cf. 1 Chron. 2:13–17) and former commander of Absalom’s army (17:25), was commissioned to put down the revolt (20:4). Joab, however, jealous of his position, slew Amasa (20:9–10), took personal command, and pursued Sheba to Abel of Beth-maachah (20:15) where a wise woman, in order to spare his city from enemy action, decapitated Sheba and cast his head over the wall to Joab (20:22). Thus the rule of the house of David over Israel was preserved.

When a three-year famine plagued the land it was interpreted as a divine judgment (21:1). Since Saul had sought to exterminate the Gibeonites, in violation of the treaty which Joshua had made with them (Joshua 9:15 ff.), David asked them to suggest reparations. At their request, seven sons of the house of Saul were killed (21:6), although David spared Mephibosheth in order to keep his promise not to exterminate the house of Saul (21:7).

In order to estimate military potential, David undertook a census (24:1–9). Since this involved lack of faith, judgment came in the form of a pestilence which David chose rather than a seven-year famine or a three-month period of military defeat (24:10–14). An altar was erected on the threshing floor purchased from Araunah (24:24–25), and the acceptable sacrifices offered there brought the pestilence to an end.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

The Keil and Delitzsch commentary on Samuel is useful, particularly to the reader who can use Hebrew. C. H. Toy and J. A. Broadus edited the English edition of the C. F. D. Erdmann commentary on Samuel in the Lange series. W. G. Blaikie on I and II Samuel in The Expositor’s Bible and the brief treatment by A. M. Renwick in The New Bible Commentary will be appreciated for nontechnical treatment.

CHARLES F. PFEIFFER

Professor of Old Testament

Moody Bible Institute

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