E. Thirty-seven Mighty Men 23:8-39One 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 on 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. read more
David’s Last Words. The Exploits of his Heroes1-7. This psalm is not contained in the book of Psalms. It is called ’the last’ (rather, ’the latter’) ’words of David,’ in contrast with the earlier psalm, which forms 2 Samuel 22. We have no other means of determining its date.2. By me] RM ’in me.’ The idea is that God used the psalmist as His instrument and spokesman to repeat His words to the people: cp. 1 Kings 22:28; Hosea 1:2.4. As the tender grass springing] render, ’when the tender grass... read more
(11) Into a troop.—Josephus, using different vowels, read “to Lehi,” the scene of Samson’s exploit (Judges 15:9; Judges 15:19); but as the same word recurs in 2 Samuel 23:13, clearly in the sense of “troop,” the English reading should be retained.Lentiles.—Chronicles has “barley.” The two words might easily be confounded in the Hebrew, and it is quite immaterial which is correct; the point is that the Philistines had made a foray to gather the ripe crops, the Israelites were terrified and fled,... read more
Heroism 2 Samuel 23:15-16 It is abundantly clear that no one sent the three on their splendid errand. It is highly probable that had David known of their project he would have forbidden it. Some one had heard a few words of the king's soliloquy. His wish was whispered through the camp. And these men went forth unknown to him to meet it. Nor was the journey of the three through the enemy's lines mere bravado, or for fame's sake. They of all men had least temptation in these directions. It were... read more
2CHAPTER XXIX.LAST BATTLES AND THE MIGHTY MEN.2 Samuel 21:15-22; 2 Samuel 23:8-39.IN entering on the consideration of these two portions of the history of David, we must first observe that the events recorded do not appear to belong to the concluding portion of his reign. It is impossible for us to assign a precise date to them, or at least to most of them, but the displays of physical activity and courage which they record would lead us to ascribe them to a much earlier period. Originally,... read more
3. The Last Words of David and the Record of the Mighty Men CHAPTER 23 1. His last words (2 Samuel 23:1-7 ) 2. The names and records of David’s mighty men (2 Samuel 23:8-39 ) In his last words an even greater and clearer vision is given to King David. “If Psalms 18:0 was a grand Hallelujah, with which David quitted the scene of life, these ‘his last words’ are the divine attestation of all that he had sung and prophesied in the Psalms concerning the spiritual import of the kingdom which... read more
In the last words of David (vs.1-7) we see far more clearly than in Chapter 22 the sharp distinction between David personally and David's Son Messiah. The first verse presents David himself as son of Jesse, raised up to the throne of Israel as the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel. All of this blessing given to him is mainly for the purpose of his bearing witness to the future King of Israel, the Lord Jesus. Verse 2 shows that David was not only writing from the... read more
MINGLED EXPERIENCES THE GRATEFUL RETROSPECT (2 Samuel 22:0 ) The title of this section is that which Spurgeon gives the psalm which constitutes it. The psalm is numbered 18 in the book of Psalms, and will be found to contain variations in the text. A common explanation of these is that David sung it, or caused it to be sung, often, and hence revised it for final use in the tabernacle. The second and forty-ninth verses of the psalm are quoted in the New Testament as the words of Jesus Christ... read more
Poetry At Life's End 2 Samuel 22:2; 2 Samuel 23:02 Samuel 23:0 THE twenty-second chapter, although marked by quite a number of slight changes, is identical with Psalm xviii. The fifty-first verse shows that this song must have been composed after the visit of Nathan, at which David received the promise of the perpetuity of his kingdom. As this psalm will be treated in its proper place in the psalter we propose to pass over it here, and proceed at once to the twenty-third chapter. In doing so... read more
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Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 2 Samuel 23:8-23
1. Selected adventures of outstanding warriors 23:8-23There were three warriors who received higher honor than all the rest (2 Samuel 23:8-12): Josheb-basshebeth, Eleazar, and Shammah. What their relationship to The Thirty was is hard to determine. [Note: B. Mazar, "The Military Elite of King David," Vetus Testamentum 13 (1963):310-20.] One writer assumed they were over The Thirty. [Note: Merrill, Kingdom of . . ., p. 282.] Three unnamed men from The Thirty received special mention (2 Samuel... read more