2 Samuel 24 – “David’s Census and its Repercussions”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
David takes a census of the people. God is enraged and kills 70,000 Israelites with a plague. David propitiates God with burnt sacrifices.

II. Photo
David counts the people: “The king said to Joab, his army commander, ‘Make the rounds of all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beer-sheba, and take a census of the people, so that I may know the size of the population.’” (v. 2)

III. Important Verses
1-4: The anger of the LORD again flared up against Israel; and He incited David against them, saying, “Go and number Israel and Judah.” The king said to Joab, his army commander, “Make the rounds of all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beer-sheba, and take a census of the people, so that I may know the size of the population.” Joab answered the king, “May the LORD your God increase the number of the people a hundredfold, while your own eyes see it! But why should my lord king want this?” However, the king’s command to Joab and to the officers of the army remained firm; and Joab and the officers of the army set out, at the instance of the king, to take a census of the people of Israel.
9: Joab reported to the king the number of the people that had been recorded: in Israel there were 800,000 soldiers ready to draw the sword, and the men of Judah numbered 500,000.
10: But afterward David reproached himself for having numbered the people. And David said to the LORD, “I have sinned grievously in what I have done. Please, O LORD, remit the guilt of Your servant, for I have acted foolishly.”
11-14: When David rose in the morning, the word of the LORD had come to the prophet Gad, David’s seer: “Go and tell David, ‘Thus said the LORD: I hold three things over you; choose one of them, and I will bring it upon you.’” Gad came to David and told him; he asked, “Shall a seven-year famine come upon you in the land, or shall you be in flight from your adversaries for three months while they pursue you, or shall there be three days of pestilence in your land? Now consider carefully what reply I shall take back to Him who sent me.” David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for His compassion is great; and let me not fall into the hands of men.”
15: The LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from morning until the set time; and 70,000 of the people died, from Dan to Beer-sheba.
25: And David built there an altar to the LORD and sacrificed burnt offerings and offerings of well-being. The LORD responded to the plea for the land, and the plague against Israel was checked.

IV. Outline
1-4. David orders Joab to take a census
5-9. The census is taken
10. David’s remorse
11-13. God gives David a choice of punishment
14. David’s choice
15. 70,000 people die of pestilence
16-25. David halts the plague

V. Comment
This chapter, which is the final chapter in the book of Samuel, relates how David takes a census of the people, is punished for taking that census, and manages to appease God nevertheless. The chapter also serves an etiological purpose by justifying the location of Solomon’s temple. The Temple will be built upon the threshing floor that David buys from Araunah the Jebusite. This is the place that David’s prayer is answered, and other biblical passages take note of this fact. For instance, 2 Chronicles 3:1 says, “Then Solomon began to build the House of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where [the LORD] had appeared to his father David, at the place which David had designated, at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.” Similarly, 1 Chronicles 22:1 says, “David said, “Here will be the House of the LORD and here the altar of burnt offerings for Israel.”” Yet, it is important to note that our chapter merely sets the stage for future events; it makes no mention of Solomon’s temple.

Due to the fact that the David-narrative is coming to a close, Collins categorizes David’s portrayal in the book of Samuel. He writes: “Even if we suspect that much of the portrayal of David in the books of Samuel originated as political propoganda, the character of David as depicted is exceptionally appealing. No other character in the Hebrew Bible is so well rounded. Here we have a fully human figure, who is no saint by later standards. He is a hot-blooded individual who is guilty of murder, adultery, and sundry forms of extortion and exploitation. But he is also an emotional figure, whose grief for his friend Jonathan or for his son Absalom is moving. Even if the biblical authors tried to excuse and justify his actions, they nonetheless portrayed him as a man who was very fallible, and even sinful. Later tradition enhanced the legend of David by crediting him with prophecy and the composition of psalms. In the process, it often depicts him as more pious than he appears in the books of Samuel… The charm of the biblical character, however, is precisely his human fallibility. It is this appreciation of the imperfection of human nature that marks the story of David as one of the finest pieces of literature to come down to us from antiquity.” (243)

VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Anderson, A. A. “2 Samuel” Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 11 (Waco Texas: Wordbooks, 1989).
Campbell, Antony F. “2 Samuel” The Forms of the Old Testament Literature, vol 8 (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eedrdmans, 2005).
Collins, John J. “Introduction to the Hebrew Bible,” (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2004).
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2 Samuel 23 – “David’s Theophany; David’s Warriors”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
David relates a message he once received from God. David’s warriors and their military exploits are enumerated.

II. Photo
David maligns the wicked: “The wicked shall all be raked aside like thorns; For no one will take them in his hand.” (v. 6)

III. Important Verses
2-4: The spirit of the LORD has spoken through me, His message is on my tongue; The God of Israel has spoken, The Rock of Israel said concerning me: “He who rules men justly, He who rules in awe of God Is like the light of morning at sunrise, A morning without clouds — Through sunshine and rain [Bringing] vegetation out of the earth.”
6-7: But the wicked shall all Be raked aside like thorns; For no one will take them in his hand. Whoever touches them Must arm himself with iron And the shaft of a spear; And they must be burned up on the spot.
8: These are the names of David’s warriors: Josheb-basshebeth, a Tahchemonite, the chief officer — he is Adino the Eznite; [he wielded his spear] against eight hundred and slew them on one occasion.
18: Abishai, the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah, was head of another three. He once wielded his spear against three hundred and slew them.
20-21: Benaiah son of Jehoiada, from Kabzeel, was a brave soldier who performed great deeds. He killed the two [sons] of Ariel of Moab. Once, on a snowy day, he went down into a pit and killed a lion. He also killed an Egyptian, a huge man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, yet [Benaiah] went down against him with a club, wrenched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear.

IV. Outline
1. Introduction
2-3a. Description of theophany
3b-5. David’s state of blessing
6-7. The fate of the wicked
8-39. David’s warriors
8. Josheb killed 800 men at once
9-10. Elazar the Philistine killer
11-12. Shammah the Philistine killer
13-17. Exploits of the three soldiers
18-19. Abishai killed 300 men at once
20-23. Benaiah the lion and Egyptian killer
24-39. The “thirty soldiers”

V. Comment
No comment today. Stay tuned.

2 Samuel 22 – “David’s Thanksgiving Song”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
David sings a thanksgiving song praising God for saving him from his enemies.

II. Photo
David puts his trust in God: “With You, I can rush a barrier, With my God, I can scale a wall.” (v. 30)

III. Important Verses
1: David addressed the words of this song to the LORD, after the LORD had saved him from the hands of all his enemies and from the hands of Saul.
5-7: For the breakers of Death encompassed me, The torrents of Belial terrified me; The snares of Sheol encircled me, The toils of Death engulfed me. In my anguish I called on the LORD, Cried out to my God; In His Abode He heard my voice, My cry entered His ears.
8-11: Then the earth rocked and quaked, The foundations of heaven shook — Rocked by His indignation. Smoke went up from His nostrils, From His mouth came devouring fire; Live coals blazed forth from Him. He bent the sky and came down, Thick cloud beneath His feet. He mounted a cherub and flew; He was seen on the wings of the wind.
16: The bed of the sea was exposed, The foundations of the world were laid bare By the mighty roaring of the LORD, At the blast of the breath of His nostrils.
29-31: You, O LORD, are my lamp; The LORD lights up my darkness. With You, I can rush a barrier, With my God, I can scale a wall. The way of God is perfect, The word of the LORD is pure. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
47-49: The LORD lives! Blessed is my rock! Exalted be God, the rock Who gives me victory; The God who has vindicated me And made peoples subject to me, Rescued me from my enemies, Raised me clear of my foes, Saved me from lawless men!

IV. Outline
1-2a. Introduction
2b. Invocation
2c-3. Account of trust
4-6. Account of trouble
7. Account of prayer and salvation
8-21. Theophany: God appeared from above and saved David from his enemies
22-28. Assertion of piety
29-37. Praise
38-46. Account of victory
47-51. Final praise

V. Comment
No comment today. Stay tuned.

(See Psalm 18)

2 Samuel 21 – “A Deal with the Gibeonites; David’s Close Call; Victory in Philistia”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
Saul’s descendants are killed by the Gibeonites. After a close call in battle, David retires from the military. His men defeat many Philistine warriors.

II. Photo
A famine strikes the land: “There was a famine during the reign of David, year after year for three years. David inquired of the Lord, and the Lord replied, ‘It is because of the bloodguilt of Saul and [his] house, for he put some Gibeonites to death.’” (v. 1)

III. Important Verses
1: There was a famine during the reign of David, year after year for three years. David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD replied, “It is because of the bloodguilt of Saul and [his] house, for he put some Gibeonites to death.”
3-6: David asked the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? How shall I make expiation, so that you may bless the LORD’s own people?” The Gibeonites answered him, “We have no claim for silver or gold against Saul and his household; and we have no claim on the life of any other man in Israel.” And [David] responded, “Whatever you say I will do for you.” Thereupon they said to the king, “The man who massacred us and planned to exterminate us, so that we should not survive in all the territory of Israel — let seven of his male issue be handed over to us, and we will impale them before the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the LORD.” And the king replied, “I will do so.”
8-10: Instead, the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons that Rizpah daughter of Aiah bore to Saul, and the five sons that Merab daughter of Saul bore to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite, and he handed them over to the Gibeonites. They impaled them on the mountain before the LORD; all seven of them perished at the same time. They were put to death in the first days of the harvest, the beginning of the barley harvest. Then Rizpah daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it on a rock for herself, and she stayed there from the beginning of the harvest until rain from the sky fell on the bodies; she did not let the birds of the sky settle on them by day or the wild beasts [approach] by night.
15-17: Again war broke out between the Philistines and Israel, and David and the men with him went down and fought the Philistines; David grew weary, and Ishbi-benob tried to kill David. — He was a descendant of the Raphah; his bronze spear weighed three hundred shekels and he wore new armor. — But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid; he attacked the Philistine and killed him. It was then that David’s men declared to him on oath, “You shall not go with us into battle any more, lest you extinguish the lamp of Israel!”
19-21: Again there was fighting with the Philistines at Gob; and Elhanan son of Jaare-oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite, whose spear had a shaft like a weaver’s bar. Once again there was fighting, at Gath. There was a giant of a man, who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all; he too was descended from the Raphah. When he taunted Israel, Jonathan, the son of David’s brother Shimei, killed him.

IV. Outline
1. The famine and its cause
2-6. David makes a deal with the Gibeonites
7-9. David hands over Saul’s descendants to die
10. Rizpah stands guard over the corpses
11-14. David gives Saul and his descendents a proper burial
15-16. War with the Philistines; David almost dies
17. David promises not to fight again
18-22. David’s men defeat the Philistine warriors

V. Comment
No comment today. Stay tuned.

2 Samuel 20 – “Sheba’s Revolt”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
Sheba leads the Israelites away from David. Joab pursues Sheba and besieges him in the city of Abel. The siege ends when Joab is given Sheba’s severed head.

II. Photo
David isolates his concubines: “[David] provided for [the concubines], but he did not cohabit with them. They remained in seclusion until the day they died, in living widowhood.” (v. 3b)

III. Important Verses
1: A scoundrel named Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjaminite, happened to be there. He sounded the horn and proclaimed: “We have no portion in David, No share in Jesse’s son! Every man to his tent, O Israel!”
3: David went to his palace in Jerusalem, and the king took the ten concubines he had left to mind the palace and put them in a guarded place; he provided for them, but he did not cohabit with them. They remained in seclusion until the day they died, in living widowhood.
8-11: They were near the great stone in Gibeon when Amasa appeared before them. Joab was wearing his military dress, with his sword girded over it and fastened around his waist in its sheath; and, as he stepped forward, it fell out. Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, brother?” and with his right hand Joab took hold of Amasa’s beard as if to kiss him. Amasa was not on his guard against the sword in Joab’s [left] hand, and [Joab] drove it into his belly so that his entrails poured out on the ground and he died; he did not need to strike him a second time. Joab and his brother Abishai then set off in pursuit of Sheba son of Bichri, while one of Joab’s henchmen stood by the corpse and called out, “Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is on David’s side, follow Joab!”
22: The woman came to all the people with her clever plan; and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri and threw it down to Joab. He then sounded the horn; all the men dispersed to their homes, and Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem.

IV. Outline
1-2. The Israelites follow Sheba, the Judahites follow David
3. David returns to Jerusalem; His concubines are put in seclusion
4-5. Amasa is sent to gather the men of Judah
6-7. David’s army sets out in pursuit of Sheba
8-13. Joab accidentally kills Amasa
14-15. Joab besieges Sheba in Abel
16-22. A woman delivers Sheba’s head to Joab
23-26. David’s officers

V. Comment
No comment today. Stay tuned.

2 Samuel 19 – “David’s Rise”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
David weeps for his son. He makes his way back to Jerusalem, pardons those who wronged him, and honors those who honored him.

II. Photo
David is dejected: “The king was shaken. He went up to the upper chamber of the gateway and wept, moaning these words as he went, ‘My son Absalom! O my son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you! O Absalom, my son, my son!’” (v. 1)

III. Important Verses
1: The king was shaken. He went up to the upper chamber of the gateway and wept, moaning these words as he went, “My son Absalom! O my son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you! O Absalom, my son, my son!”
6-9a: Joab came to the king in his quarters and said, “Today you have humiliated all your followers, who this day saved your life, and the lives of your sons and daughters, and the lives of your wives and concubines, by showing love for those who hate you and hate for those who love you. For you have made clear today that the officers and men mean nothing to you. I am sure that if Absalom were alive today and the rest of us dead, you would have preferred it. Now arise, come out and placate your followers! For I swear by the LORD that if you do not come out, not a single man will remain with you overnight; and that would be a greater disaster for you than any disaster that has befallen you from your youth until now.” So the king arose and sat down in the gateway; and when all the troops were told that the king was sitting in the gateway, all the troops presented themselves to the king.
19b-24: Shimei son of Gera flung himself before the king as he was about to cross the Jordan. He said to the king, “Let not my lord hold me guilty, and do not remember the wrong your servant committed on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem; let Your Majesty give it no thought. For your servant knows that he has sinned; so here I have come down today, the first of all the House of Joseph, to meet my lord the king.” Thereupon Abishai son of Zeruiah spoke up, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death for that — insulting the LORD’s anointed?” But David said, “What has this to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should cross me today? Should a single Israelite be put to death today? Don’t I know that today I am again king over Israel?” Then the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die”; and the king gave him his oath.
30-31: The king said to [Mephibosheth], “You need not speak further. I decree that you and Ziba shall divide the property.” And Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him take it all, as long as my lord the king has come home safe.”

IV. Outline
1-5. David laments his son; The troops are ashamed
6-8. Joab castigates David
9a. David meets with the troops
9b-15. David is invited to Jerusalem
16-24. David pardons Shimei at the Jordan river
25-31. David makes amends with Mephibosheth; Ziba’s property is split in two
32-39. David honors Barzillai by watching over Chimham
40-41. David’s camp crosses the Jordan
42-44. The men of Judah and Israel debate

V. Comment
No comment today. Stay tuned.

2 Samuel 18 – “David is Victorious; Absalom is Killed”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
David’s army routs Absalom’s forces. Absalom gets tangled in a tree and is killed by Joab. Messengers tell David about the battle and the death of his son.

II. Photo
The battlefield is fierce: “The battle spread out over that whole region, and the forest devoured more troops that day than the sword.” (v. 8 )

III. Important Verses
2b-4a: And David said to the troops, “I myself will march out with you.” But the troops replied, “No! For if some of us flee, the rest will not be concerned about us; even if half of us should die, the others will not be concerned about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us. Therefore, it is better for you to support us from the town.” And the king said to them, “I will do whatever you think best.”
5: The king gave orders to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: “Deal gently with my boy Absalom, for my sake.” All the troops heard the king give the order about Absalom to all the officers.
8: The battle spread out over that whole region, and the forest devoured more troops that day than the sword.
9: Absalom encountered some of David’s followers. Absalom was riding on a mule, and as the mule passed under the tangled branches of a great terebinth, his hair got caught in the terebinth; he was held between heaven and earth as the mule under him kept going.
14-17: Joab replied, “Then I will not wait for you.” He took three darts in his hand and drove them into Absalom’s chest. [Absalom] was still alive in the thick growth of the terebinth, when ten of Joab’s young arms-bearers closed in and struck at Absalom until he died. Then Joab sounded the horn, and the troops gave up their pursuit of the Israelites; for Joab held the troops in check. They took Absalom and flung him into a large pit in the forest, and they piled up a very great heap of stones over it. Then all the Israelites fled to their homes.
18: Now Absalom, in his lifetime, had taken the pillar which is in the Valley of the King and set it up for himself; for he said, “I have no son to keep my name alive.” He had named the pillar after himself, and it has been called Absalom’s Monument to this day.

IV. Outline
1-5. David’s troops march out in three divisions; David stays behind
6-8. David’s forces rout the Israelites
9. Absalom is entangled in a tree
10-15. Joab and his men kill Absalom
16. The battle ends
17. Absalom is buried beneath a heap of stones
18. Absalom’s monument
19-23. Messengers are sent to David
24-32. Ahimaaz tells David about the battle, a Cushite tells him about Absalom

V. Comment
No comment today. Stay tuned.

2 Samuel 17 – “Hushai Saves David’s Life”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
Hushai delays Ahitophel’s attack on David. David escapes and Ahitophel commits suicide. David and Absalom’s forces prepare for battle.

II. Photo
Hushai describes David’s mettle: “’You know,’ Hushai continued, ‘that your father and his men are courageous fighters, and they are as desperate as a bear in the wild robbed of her whelps.’” (v. 8 )

III. Important Verses
7-12: Hushai said to Absalom, “This time the advice that Ahithophel has given is not good. You know,” Hushai continued, “that your father and his men are courageous fighters, and they are as desperate as a bear in the wild robbed of her whelps. Your father is an experienced soldier, and he will not spend the night with the troops; even now he must be hiding in one of the pits or in some other place. And if any of them fall at the first attack, whoever hears of it will say, ‘A disaster has struck the troops that follow Absalom’; and even if he is a brave man with the heart of a lion, he will be shaken — for all Israel knows that your father and the soldiers with him are courageous fighters. So I advise that all Israel from Dan to Beersheba — as numerous as the sands of the sea — be called up to join you, and that you yourself march into battle. When we come upon him in whatever place he may be, we’ll descend on him [as thick] as dew falling on the ground; and no one will survive, neither he nor any of the men with him.
23: When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his ass and went home to his native town. He set his affairs in order, and then he hanged himself. He was buried in his ancestral tomb.

IV. Outline
1-3. Ahitophel plans to attack David
4-13. Hushai urges Absalom to join the battle
14. Hushai’s advice is accepted
15-20. Jonathan and Ahimaaz are almost caught
21-22. David escapes
23. Ahitophel’s suicide
24-26. Absalom’s camp
27-29. David is given support in Mahanaim

V. Comment
Chapter 17 relates how Hushai saves David’s life. Ahitophel, the man who had betrayed David by joining Absalom’s forces, commits suicide in v. 23 when he realizes that his plan has been foiled. The verse reads as follows: “When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his ass and went home to his native town. He set his affairs in order, and then he hanged himself. He was buried in his ancestral tomb.”

Suicide occurs at least four other times in the Hebrew Bible. Judges 9:53-54 records Abimelech’s suicide: “But a woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and cracked his skull. He immediately cried out to his attendant, his arms-bearer, ‘Draw your dagger and finish me off, that they may not say of me, ‘A woman killed him!’ So his attendant stabbed him, and he died.” Saul and his arms-bearer also committ suicide: “Saul said to his arms-bearer, ‘Draw your sword and run me through, so that the uncircumcised may not run me through and make sport of me.’ But his arms-bearer, in his great awe, refused; whereupon Saul grasped the sword and fell upon it. When his arms-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him ended his life early.” (1 Sam 31:4-5) The final case is Zimri in 1 Kings 16:18: “When Zimri saw that the town was taken, he went into the citadel of the royal palace and burned down the royal palace over himself. And so he died.” (Another possible case is Samson in Judges 16.)

Arthur Droge makes an important point about the tacit acceptance of suicide in the Hebrew Bible: “The important point is that none of these biblical figures receives censure; indeed, their suicides are scarcely commented on, leading one to conclude that in ancient Israel the act of suicide was regarded as something natural and perhaps heroic (Daube 1962: 83–87). The only instance in the Hebrew Bible where an individual considered death and perhaps wished to kill himself, but did not, is Job (7:15; 13:15).” (Arthur J. Droge, “Suicide” in the ABD)

Before Ahitophel takes his life he “commands his house” (wayatzev et beito). What does this mean? The apparent meaning is to organize a will, an act which is alluded to in Deuteronomy 21:16: “When he wills his property to his sons, he may not treat as first-born the son of the loved one in disregard of the son of the unloved one who is older.” The phrase “commanding his house” also appears in 2 Kings 20:1 (= Isa 38:1): “In those days Hezekiah fell dangerously ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came and said to him, ‘Thus said the LORD: Set your affairs in order (tzav lebeitekha), for you are going to die; you will not get well.’”

Droge, Arthur J. “Suicide” in the Anchor Bible Dictionary

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2 Samuel 16 – “David’s Decline”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
Ziba supports David and accuses Mephibosheth of treason. David shows restraint when Shimei hurls epithets and stones at him. Absalom sleeps with David’s concubines in Jerusalem.

II. Photo
Absalom cuckolds his father: “So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom lay with his father’s concubines with the full knowledge of all Israel.” (v. 22)

III. Important Verses
3-4: “And where is your master’s son?” the king asked. “He is staying in Jerusalem,” Ziba replied to the king, “for he thinks that the House of Israel will now give him back the throne of his grandfather.” The king said to Ziba, “Then all that belongs to Mephibosheth is now yours!” And Ziba replied, “I bow low. Your Majesty is most gracious to me.”
5-8: As King David was approaching Bahurim, a member of Saul’s clan — a man named Shimei son of Gera — came out from there, hurling insults as he came. He threw stones at David and all King David’s courtiers, while all the troops and all the warriors were at his right and his left. And these are the insults that Shimei hurled: “Get out, get out, you criminal, you villain! The LORD is paying you back for all your crimes against the family of Saul, whose throne you seized. The LORD is handing over the throne to your son Absalom; you are in trouble because you are a criminal!”
11-12: David said further to Abishai and all the courtiers, “If my son, my own issue, seeks to kill me, how much more the Benjaminite! Let him go on hurling abuse, for the LORD has told him to. Perhaps the LORD will look upon my punishment and recompense me for the abuse [Shimei] has uttered today.”
20-22: Absalom then said to Ahithophel, “What do you advise us to do?” And Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Have intercourse with your father’s concubines, whom he left to mind the palace; and when all Israel hears that you have dared the wrath of your father, all who support you will be encouraged.” So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom lay with his father’s concubines with the full knowledge of all Israel.

IV. Outline
1-4. Ziba helps David and accuses Mephibosheth of treason
5-8. Shimei insults David
9-14. David continues his travels allowing Shimei to go unharmed
15-19. Hushai joins Absalom’s ranks
20-22. Absalom sleeps with David’s concubines
23. Praise of Ahitophel

V. Comment
Chapter 16 relates the difficulties of David’s escape. He is informed that Mephibosheth has joined Absalom, is cursed by Shimei, and is cuckolded by his own son. It ends with praise for Ahitophel, the sage who abandoned David to join Absalom.

Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth is referred to in vv. 1-4. There is some confusion about this name because of 2 Samuel 21:8: “Instead, the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons that Rizpah daughter of Aiah bore to Saul…” Was Mephibosheth the son of Saul, the son of Jonathan, or were there two Mephiboshethes? Anderson writes:”Veijola (RB 85 [1978] 352) asserts that all those passages which speak of Mephibosheth as Jonathan’s son (2 Sam 4:4; 9:3, 6, 7; 21:7) are not authentic. He regards them as a product of a redactor who sought to stress David’s loyalty to Jonathan. Veijola has presented a good case although his literary analysis will not convince everyone. One may also note that Veijola’s view gives an undue importance to Mephibosheth, Saul’s son. He and his brother Armoni were the sons of Rizpah, Saul’s concubine, and they were put to death at the same time (2 Sam 21:8), but if one of them was such a potential danger to David that he had to be called to Jerusalem (Veijola, 350), why not both? The argument would be more acceptable if the reference was to Jonathan’s son. Furthermore, Armoni may have been the elder brother since he is mentioned first, and therefore the greater threat to David, assuming that the sons of a concubine could inherit. Moreover, it does not seem likely that Jonathan had no son, and that also the genealogy in 1 Chr 8:33–34 is wrong. Hence it is easier to assume that Jonathan’s son had the same name as one of Saul’s sons; for an analogy see 2 Sam 13:1; 14:27 where “Tamar” is the name of Absalom’s sister as well as of his daughter.” (69)

What is the meaning of the name ”Mephibosheth”? Anderson writes: “Mephibosheth may be a deliberate distortion of the original name by substituting one element of the compound proper name by ‘bosheth’ meaning ‘shame’ (see Driver, 254). However, some scholars regard ‘bosheth’ as a divine epithet… The former alternative is more likely because in the Books of Chronicles we find what appears to be the original form of the proper name. There are two variants: Meribaal in 1 Chr 9:40 and Meribbaal in 1 Chr 8:34; 9:40. The former variant may be derived from the latter (so Tsevat), meaning, perhaps, ‘Baal contends.” (69-70)

Absalom sleeps with his father’s concubines in v. 22: “So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom lay with his father’s concubines with the full knowledge of all Israel.” What was the status of a concubine in Biblical Israel? Although the evidence is scarce, scholars such as Anson Rainey attempt to piece together a coherent picture. He writes: “The term in Hebrew is pilegesh, the equivalent of Greek pallakis… and Latin pellex… The legal formalities, if any, are not described in the Bible. A concubine did not always reside in her husband’s home (Judg. 8:31), but such was not the general rule (Judg. 19–20). Her spouse was called the son-inlaw (hatan) of her father, who was the father-in-law (hoten). Therefore, the concubinage relationship could partake of many aspects of regular marriage… Royal concubines were standard among the kings of Israel and Judah, just as in any ancient Near Eastern kingdom (Song 6:8–9). They were clearly distinguished from the wives (II Sam. 5:13; I Kings 11:13; II Chron. 11:21). To lie with a monarch’s concubine was tantamount to usurpation of the throne (II Sam. 3:7; 16:21–22). For this reason Abner took Rizpah (II Sam. 3:7). The same concept stands behind Ahitophel’s advice to Absalom, to “go into his father’s concubines” (16:21), and Adonijah’s request for Abishag the Shunamite was clearly associated with this custom (I Kings 2:21–24).” (Rainey, Anson. “Concubine” in Encyclopaedia Judaica 2nd ed)

VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Anderson, A. A. “2 Samuel” Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 11 (Waco Texas: Wordbooks, 1989).
Campbell, Antony F. “2 Samuel” The Forms of the Old Testament Literature, vol 8 (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eedrdmans, 2005).
Collins, John J. “Introduction to the Hebrew Bible,” (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2004).
Rainey, Anson. “Concubine” in Encyclopaedia Judaica 2nd ed.
Photo taken from http://www.quikbook.com/pics/affinia_chicago_rooftop_176.jpg

2 Samuel 15 – “Absalom’s Rebellion”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
Absalom leads a revolt and forces David to flee Jerusalem. David sends spies to Jerusalem.

II. Photo
David is dejected as he flees Jerusalem: “His head was covered and he walked barefoot.” (v. 30)

III. Important Verses
2-6: Absalom used to rise early and stand by the road to the city gates; and whenever a man had a case that was to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call out to him, “What town are you from?” And when he answered, “Your servant is from such and such a tribe in Israel,” Absalom would say to him, “It is clear that your claim is right and just, but there is no one assigned to you by the king to hear it.” And Absalom went on, “If only I were appointed judge in the land and everyone with a legal dispute came before me, I would see that he got his rights.” And if a man approached to bow to him, [Absalom] would extend his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. Absalom did this to every Israelite who came to the king for judgment. Thus Absalom won away the hearts of the men of Israel.
13-14: Someone came and told David, “The loyalty of the men of Israel has veered toward Absalom.” Whereupon David said to all the courtiers who were with him in Jerusalem, “Let us flee at once, or none of us will escape from Absalom. We must get away quickly, or he will soon overtake us and bring down disaster upon us and put the city to the sword.”
25-26: But the king said to Zadok, “Take the Ark of God back to the city. If I find favor with the LORD, He will bring me back and let me see it and its abode. And if He should say, ‘I do not want you,’ I am ready; let Him do with me as He pleases.”

33-36: David said to him, “If you march on with me, you will be a burden to me. But if you go back to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; I was your father’s servant formerly, and now I will be yours,’ then you can nullify Ahithophel’s counsel for me. You will have the priests Zadok and Abiathar there, and you can report everything that you hear in the king’s palace to the priests Zadok and Abiathar. Also, their two sons are there with them, Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan; and through them you can report to me everything you hear.”

IV. Outline
1-6. Absalom wins the heart of the people by promising judgment
7-9. Absalom travels to Hebron
10-12. Absalom’s rebellion gains strength
13-16. David flees Jerusalem
17-22. David travels with the Cherethites, Pelethites, and the Gittites
23. The people mourn
24-29. David sends the ark to Jerusalem
30. The lugubrious march
31. David curses Ahitophel
32-37. David sends Hushai to spy on Absalom

V. Comment
Chapter 15 tells the story of Absalom’s rebellion. David is forced to flee Jerusalem in a funereal procession. Although he is forlorn, David manages to send Hushai and the priests to spy on Absalom.

The chapter begins with Absalom amassing a small force: “Sometime afterward, Absalom provided himself with a chariot, horses, and fifty outrunners” (v. 1) What was the purpose of these men? Anderson points out that Absalom was probably claiming the kingship. This theory is supported by 1 Samuel 8:11 which describes the servants of a king: “He said, ‘This will be the practice of the king who will rule over you: He will take your sons and appoint them as his charioteers and horsemen, and they will serve as outrunners for his chariots.’” Similarly, 1 Kings 1:5 describes Adonijah’s claim to the throne: “Now Adonijah son of Haggith went about boasting, ‘I will be king!’ He provided himself with chariots and horses, and an escort of fifty outrunners.” Finally, Joseph is provided with men and a chariot in Genesis 41:43: “He had him ride in the chariot of his second-in-command, and they cried before him, “Abrek!” Thus he placed him over all the land of Egypt.” Anderson also points out that the “fifty men” who accompany Absalom are a “standard military unit.” For example, Exodus 18:21b says, “Set these over them as chiefs of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.” Similarly, Deuteronomy 1:15 says, “So I took your tribal leaders, wise and experienced men, and appointed them heads over you: chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fifties, and chiefs of tens, and officials for your tribes.”

How long did the rebellion last? While our chapter hints that it was a precipitous event, scholars suggest a different version of events. Anderson writes: “The account of Absalom’s political subversion must have been greatly abbreviated and simplified. The extensive scale of the revolt seems to suggest that it must have been preceded by, at least, some negotiations and careful planning on the part of Absalom and his advisers. The pattern of subversion outlined in vv 2–5 was, most likely, only one of the ways in which Absalom gained support among the Israelites and built up his public image and following. It is also likely that some time elapsed between Absalom’s coronation in Hebron (v 10) and his march on Jerusalem. This seems to be implied by v 12 which laconically comments that ‘the conspiracy gained strength and the people with Absalom went on increasing.’ It would be rather naive to assume that David had no knowledge of this prolonged (?) political maneuvering, and that Absalom’s march on Jerusalem came as a complete surprise to David and to his supporters. Consequently, v 13 can hardly be the first intimation of the rebellion.” (194)

One last point. David sends Hushai the Archite to spy on Absalom. Hushai is described with the appellation “the friend of David” (v. 37). While Hushai might have simply been a “friend” of David’s, he might have also served a more official role. Support for this can be drawn from 1 Kings 4:5 which lists the “friend of the king” as an official position: “Azariah son of Nathan — in charge of the prefects; Zabud son of Nathan the priest — friend of the king.”