2 Samuel 23

2 Samuel 23:8-39

NOW these be the last words of David: David the son of Jefie said, and the man who was raised upon high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet palamift of Israel, said, 2: “The spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. 3. The God of Israel said, ’the Rock of Israel spake to me, ‘He that ruleth over men must be just, ‘ruling in the fear of God: 4. And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun raeth, even a morning without clouds; ‘at the tender grafs springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain. 5. Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things; and ‘fore: for this is all my salvation, and ‘all my desire, although he make it not to grow. 6. But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrull away, because they cannot be taken with hands. 7. But the man that shall touch them, must be fenced with iron, and the staff of a spear, and they shall be utterly burnt with fire in the same place.

9. 1.—7. David is now halting to the grave; and, as is fabled of the dying-fawn, takes his farewell of the world with a song of triumph. Note, Dying chifframa are bound to bear infirmity to the mercy-they have talked, and to commend with their parting breath, these good ways of the Lord wherein they have walked.

10. The speaker describes himself; or they may be the words of the hithman: He begins with the meannets of his original, the son of Jefie. Humility is the ornament of greatness. He was now exiled very high, through Divine favour, to be king of Israel; and yet among his chief honours, places his being Israel’s sweet Palamift, the composer of their hymns, the director of their choir, the inventor of their minds, and thereby their affliction in that most pleasing part of worship. Note, (1). The greatest honour is to be made serviceable on the church of God, and the edification of his redeemed. (2). Palamity is a needful, and a delightful part of worship. (3). They who would after death join the songs of angels, must have their souls harmonized for the service here below.

11. The inspiration by which these words, as well as his other psalms and songs of praise were dictated, is mentioned. David was an eminent prophet, and spake as the spirit gave him utterance. When we read his writings, we must have up for the same inspiring Spirit to open our understandings, and to guide us into all truth.

12. The words themselves; and they have a temporal and spiritual respect: (1.) Temporally, they respect Solomon and his posterity, conveying to them direction, comfort, and warning. The God of Israel, their covenant God and rock of their salvation, speaks; let every ear attend. Kings must be just, ruling in the fear of God, making his law their guide, administering justice with impartiality, and strenuous to inculcate the fear of God: such a ruler is the light and glory of the people, changing them as the beams of the morning, when the sun without a cloud arises to dispel the shadows of the night; and his government flourishing and prosperous as the grafs watered with vernal flowers, and quickened by the returning sun. And although David’s house hath not been so flourishing hitherto, nor hath God made it thus to grow, but rather laid it waft by the death of one son, and rebellion of another; yet he is comforted with the confidence that God had made with him an everlasting covenant, wherein he had provided for the fulfilment of his promise to his late posterity; on this his own and family’s safety depended, and on it all his desires were fixed. But the Son of Belial, the mormons and rebellion’s spirits that opposed his government, though sharp as thorns, and not to be abducted but by sword and spear, should be destroyed; and, like thorns fit only for the fuel, should be burnt up, and have left neither root nor branch. (2.) Spiritually, they are applicable to the Messiah, and contain a glorious prophecy, highly suited in a dying hour to refresh the faith of David, rejoicing to see his day. He is the righteous king, on whose shoulders the government rests, and whose rule is according to the most perfect will of the Rock of Israel, doing always the things which please him. He, as the Son of righteousness, arising with healing in his wings, shines with refreshing beams of light and love on his choirs, and no spot or cloud obituates his glory. And though in his humiliation, he seemed as a root out of a dry ground withered; and we did esteem him stricken and afflicted of God, yet with him did God establish his covenant, and with us in him: so that however low, distremd, or desperate our situation appears, like David’s troubled house, yet in this covenant of grace, through Jesus, we may well comfort ourselves; for it is everlasting, contrived from eternity of God’s good phantoms, and enduring to eternity, by God’s unchangeable purpose, ordered in all things, so as most gloriously to display the wisdom, holiness, and love of God, to exult the grace

and all sufficiency of the Redeemer, and to confirm the faith, before the end secure the obedience of every believer: and fare, because the beginning on any conditions to be performed by us, and to be forfeited by our infirmities, or the prevalence of temptation, but secured to all the seed, by the immanation righteousness of our slavery, and the inviolable promise of the unchangeable God. This is all my salvation, will every believer say, because no other hope supports his guilty soul, and all his desire, because compared with this, every thing beside appears to him dung and loaf. But whilst the children of grace triumph in the God of their salvation, a dreadful doom awaits the sons of wickedness. The rod of iron shall brule them as a potter’s vessel; and as thorns before the devouring fire, they shall burn, and some shall quench them.

8. ¶ These be the names of the mighty men whom David had; The Tachometer that sat in the seas, chief among the captains (the fame was Afton the Eanine) he left up his spear against eight hundred, whom he flew at one time. 9. And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Abokite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away. 10. He arose, and drove the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil. 11. And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite, and the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines. 12. But he stood in the midst of the ground and defended it, and flew the Philistines: And the LORD wrought a great victory. 13. And three of the thirty chief went down and came to David in the harvest-time, unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Respaulm. 14. And David was then in an bold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth-lehem. 15. And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Beth-lehem, which is by the gate! 16. And the three mighty men broke through the hoft of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem, that was by the gate; and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD. 17. And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: ‘Is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men. 18. And Abithai the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three; and he left up his spear against three hundred, and flew them, and had the name among three. 19. Was he not need honourable of three? Therefore he was their captain: howbeit, he attained not unto the first three. 20. And be naiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he flew two lion-like men of Moab: he went down also and flew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow. 21. And he flew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and a few him with his own spear. 22. These things did Be naiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men. 23. He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three: and David set him over his guard. 24. ‘Afahel’ the brother of Yoab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem. 25. Shammah the Harodite, and Elika the Harodite. 26. Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkeft the Tekoite. 27. Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunnah the Huthathite. 28. Zaltnon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite. 29. Heleb the son of Ba-ah, a Netophathite, Ittal the son of Ribai out of Gib-eah of the children of Benjamin, 30. Benaiah the Pir-rathonite, Hiddar of the brooks of Gaath. 31. Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite. 32. Eliahba the Shaalbonite; of the sons of Jafaris, Jonathan. 33. Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite. 34. Elijhelet the son of Ahaibai, the son of the Maachathite, Elham the son of Ahithophel

the Gilonite, 36. Hearai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arisies, 36. Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37. Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berorolite, armour-bearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah, 38. In an Inhite, Garde an Inhite, 39. Uriah the Jilintie: thirty and seven in all.

We have here a catalogue of David’s worthies: men deserving to live in the annals of fame. Public virtue and generous allows a grateful potterity should long remember. They are divided into three classes:

1. In the first class, and the most honourable, stood Jathabeam the Tachmonite (See 1 Chron. xi.) called also Adino the Exnite. More names than one being common, and the place of his birth, or education, might gain him their several appellations. He performed an astonishing exploit, having slain three hundred men with his own hand at once. Eleanor was next him, who, in a pitched battle with the Philifines, whom he had defied, though the troops under his command fled, alone withstood them, and made such havock, that his hand with grappling it so long and vehemently, clave to his sword, and the Lord gave him the victory; so that his men returned after him only to spoil. Note, (1.) In our spiritual warfare, though forsaken of every help, we must not quit our ground, but boldly fixed dependant on God. (2.) When we do so, God will strengthen us; and we, as bound, must give him the glory. (3.) They who are cowards to fight for Christ in danger, are made enough to follow him when it is only to spoil. Shammah was the last of the three first worthies, and distinguished himself by opposing an reception of the Philifines, and roaring them with a great slaughter. Eleanor in another part of the field (See 1 Chron. xi.) (1.) Seems to have at the same time distinguished himself. Another great exploit also in concert they performed: when David was in the cave of Adullam, where they joined him, in the thirty days of harvest, he expressed his longing for a cooling draught of the water of Beth-Ichem, where the Philifines had then a garrish. They no sooner heard his wife, than, unknown to him, they set off; and though opposed by the Philifines, broke through the hoff, drew the water, and returned with it to David; who, struck with their zeal to serve him, thought the water too dear a purchase, bought at the peril of their lives, and with holy fist-denial poured it out as a libation before the Lord. Note, (1.) We should check the foolish and unreasonable longings of our appetite. (2.) To serve an earthly king in his mere humour, shall men thus hazard their lives? To serve the king of heaven in his most reasonable service, shall we decline any duties because they are difficult? (3.) There is a living water that flows from Jesus, who was born at Beth-Ichem, which our souls do well to long for; and to obtain which, no danger should be feared, or to be avoided.

2. The second class comprised Abishai, Bensiah and Ashel. The first at once flew three hundred men, yet reached not to the glory of the first three: even of the stars in glory, one star different from another. Bensiah stood next famed, for the slaughter of two men of Moab, strong and fierce as loons; for his bold attack on a lion, in a pit of snow, when must serve with cold and hunger; and for his dexterity, as well as valour, against a vast Egyptian, whom, with only a staff, he disarmed and flew: and for their deeds of martial prowess, David advanced him to the command of his life-guards. Ashel, Joab’s brother, was the third, over the thirty next mentioned.

3. The last class consisted of thirty; whose deeds, though not particularly recorded, yet gained them a distinguished honour. Their names and places of abode only are mentioned. Among them we find a son of Ahnophel, a faithful son of a rebel father. Happy it is, when children see and shun their father’s all examples. And Uriah, whose bravery and worthy desires aggravated the baseness of his murder, Joab is not mentioned: either he was generalissimo, and above them; or a brand of oblivion is put on the memory of so bad a man. Note, Every true believer is one of these worthies, fighting under the banners of Jesus, strong in the Lord and the power of his might, victorious over the powers of sin and Satan; and written great, not in the annals of time indeed, but in the annals of eternity, in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Lord, may my name be found written there!