The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV

by John MacArthur

  2:21 take his armor. To gain the armor of the enemy general, Abner, who was fleeing the defeat, would be to possess the greatest trophy. Asahel was ambitious to get it, while Abner kept warning him and suggested he take the armor of some other soldier for his trophy, since he was not able to defeat Abner.

  2:22 How then could I face your brother Joab? Abner sought to spare Asahel so as to avoid unnecessary vengeance from Joab or David. Abner tried to give Asahel reasons to stop his pursuit, but Asahel was determined. Abner did not wish to strike down Asahel, but Asahel refused to listen, so he was forced to stop his effort with a fatal back stab by the blunt end of his spear.

  2:26 Shall the sword devour forever? As Abner had earlier proposed that the hostilities begin, he now proposed that they cease.

  2:29 Bithron. After the death of Asahel, Abner moved through this gorge as he approached Mahanaim (see note on 2:8).

  2 Samuel 3

  3:1 a long war. The conflict between Ishbosheth and David did not end in quick victory. There was a gradual transfer of power from the house of Saul to the house of David (v. 10) that lasted at least through the two-year reign of Ishbosheth and maybe longer.

  3:2–5 See 1 Chr. 3:1–4.

  3:2 Amnon. He raped and defiled his half-sister Tamar and later, by the command of Absalom, was killed for his crime (13:1–39).

  3:3 Chileab. He apparently died before he was able to enter into position to contend for the throne, for nothing more is said about him. This child was born to David by the wife whom David had taken upon the death of Nabal (see 1 Sam. 25:3). Absalom. Lit. “My Divine Father Is Peace” or “Divine Father of Peace.” Absalom was the son of Maacah who was a Geshurite princess from a region in Syria, not Israel. David may have married her as part of a diplomatic agreement made with Talmai, the Geshurite king, to give David an ally N of Ishbosheth. Later Absalom, in fear of his life, fled to Geshur (13:37, 38).

  3:4 Adonijah. He was a prominent figure in the contention for David’s throne at the end of his reign (1 Kin. 1, 2), but was assassinated, allowing the throne to be given to Solomon (1 Kin. 2:25). Haggith was probably married to David after his accession to the throne. Shephatiah…Abital. Shephatiah means “The Lord Judges.” Abital means “My Divine Father is Dew” or “My Divine Father of Dew.”

  3:5 Eglah. Eglah is called the “wife of David.” This may be because she is the last of the list and serves to draw emphasis to David’s polygamy. The inclusion of these sons indicates all who would have been in contention for the throne. born to David. More children were born to David when he moved to Jerusalem (5:14).

  3:6—5:16 David assumed the kingdom of all Israel by a similar progression of events as those which led to his assuming the throne of Judah. In both cases, a man comes seeking David’s favor (Amalekite, 1:1–13; Abner, 3:6–21). Both of these men are executed for their deeds (Amalekite, 1:14–16; Abner, 3:22–32). In both cases, this is followed by a lament of David (1:17–27; 3:33–39). Close to the middle of both accounts is a brief look at the anointing of David as king (over Judah, 2:1–7; over Israel, 5:1–5). After this, David and his men are successful in defeating their enemies (2:8–3:1; 5:6–12). Each section concludes with a list of the children born to David (Hebron, 3:2–5; Jerusalem, 5:13–16).

  3:6 Abner was strengthening his hold. Abner was the military leader of the country and the one who had put Ishbosheth on the throne and whose power held him there. As time passed, Abner began to make his own move to take the throne.

  3:7 Rizpah. By taking Rizpah, the concubine of Saul, Abner made a clear statement to the people that he would take the place of Saul as king over Israel. Going in to the king’s concubine was a statement of power and rightful claim to the throne (cf. 16:21, 22 in regard to Absalom). Ishbosheth reacted strongly against Abner, so Abner resented his reaction as an indignity and, compelled by revenge, determined to transfer all the weight of his influence and power to David’s side (vv. 9, 10).

  3:8 dog’s head. This was another way to ask, “Am I a contemptible traitor allied with Judah?” This was a common expression to show disdain (1 Sam. 17:43). Abner used this opportunity to condemn Ishbosheth by reminding him that he would not have been in power had Abner himself not placed him there.

  3:9 as the LORD has sworn to him. Abner seemed to demonstrate the knowledge that David was to be the next king of Israel as God had sworn to David (1 Sam. 13:14; 15:28; 24:20).

  3:10 transfer the kingdom. Part of Saul’s kingdom had already been transferred to David, namely Judah; however, Abner vowed to complete the process by helping David obtain the rest of the kingdom. Dan to Beersheba. This was an expression meaning the whole country (cf. Judg. 20:1), i.e., from Dan in the N to Beersheba in the S.

  3:12 Whose is the land? Though Abner’s language (vv. 9, 10) implied the conviction that in supporting Ishbosheth he had been going against God’s purpose of conferring the sovereignty of the kingdom on David, this acknowledgment was no justification of his motives. He selfishly wanted to be on the winning side and to be honored as the one who brought all the people under David’s rule.

  3:13 Michal, Saul’s daughter. David requested Michal for two reasons. One, it would right the wrong Saul had committed toward David by having given Michal, who was David’s wife and who loved him (1 Sam. 18:20, 28), to another man (1 Sam. 25:44). Two, it would serve to strengthen David’s claim to the throne of all Israel by inclining some of Saul’s house to be favorable to his cause.

  3:14 a hundred foreskins of the Philistines. David reminded Ishbosheth that he had not only paid the dowry to Saul for his daughter, 100 foreskins of the Philistines, but had delivered double the asking price (1 Sam. 18:25–27). Thus, Michal rightfully belonged to David.

  3:16 Bahurim. Located just E of Jerusalem, it became the final location where Paltiel (cf. 1 Sam. 25:44) would see Michal. This was also the town of Shimei, the man who cursed David during his flight from Jerusalem before Absalom (16:5). David’s soldiers also found refuge in a well at Bahurim while being pursued by Absalom’s men (19:16).

  3:17 elders of Israel. These men were the recognized leaders of the people serving as Ishbosheth’s advisers who would have been consulted when important decisions needed to be made (cf. 19:7).

  3:18 My servant David. David is called “the LORD’s servant” more than 30 times in the OT. Abner’s words to the elders of Israel clearly recognized David as the servant of the Lord, thus having the right to the throne according to God’s sovereign will.

  3:19 Benjamin. Abner gave special attention to the tribe of Benjamin, for they were Saul’s and Ishbosheth’s kinsmen (see 1 Sam. 9:1, 2).

  3:21 covenant with you. This covenant moved beyond the personal agreement made between Abner and David and was operative on the national level, uniting both N and S. in peace. The repetition of this phrase in vv. 22, 23 serves to emphasize the fact that David sought to ensure peace with Abner. This also accentuates the fact that David was not involved in Abner’s death (vv. 26–30).

  3:25 Abner…came to deceive you. It is ironic that Joab accused Abner of deception in spying on David in v. 25 when in v. 26 he deceived David by not telling him of his request to have Abner returned to Hebron. Joab used this deception to slay Abner out of personal vengeance for the death of his brother Asahel (v. 27; see 2:19–23).

  3:26 well of Sirah. The only mention of this location is found here. The town was located about 2.5 mi. NW of Hebron.

  3:27 in the stomach. Abner died in a similar manner to Joab’s brother Asahel, the man he had killed (2:23). However, Abner struck Asahel during battle (cf. 2:18–23) in self-defense, while, Joab murdered Abner to avenge the death of Asahel.

  3:28 the blood of Abner. Since life is in the blood (cf. Gen. 9:4; Lev. 17:11, 14; Deut. 12:23), this expression refers to the life of Abner. David made it clear he had nothing to do with the murder of Abner, and David sought the Lord’s help to punish Joab for his evil deed (v. 39).

  3:31 mourn. Joab was instructed to mourn for the death of Abner, as
was the custom for commemorating the death of an individual. To further demonstrate David’s condemnation of the killing of Abner, he instructed “all the people” to mourn the death of Abner, including Joab and his men (vv. 32–34).

  3:35–39 David’s feelings and conduct in response to Abner’s death tended not only to remove all suspicion of guilt from him, but even turned the tide of public opinion in his favor and paved the way for his reigning over all the tribes much more honorably than by the negotiations of Abner (3:17–19).

  3:39 weak…harsh. David had not yet solidified his power enough to exact his own judgment without jeopardizing his command. He was still “weak” and needed time to consolidate his authority. Once that was accomplished, he no longer needed to fear the strength of Joab and Abishai, who were Zeruiah’s sons (2:18).

  2 Samuel 4

  4:1 lost heart…troubled. Lit. “his hands became weak or limp” (cf. 17:2; 2 Chr. 15:7). Ishbosheth and all of Israel realized that Abner had been the source of strength and stability for Israel. With Abner dead, Israel was troubled because Ishbosheth no longer had a leader for the army which secured him in power.

  4:2 children of Benjamin. It is stressed that these men were of the tribe of Benjamin (vv. 2, 3), perhaps to show the friction within the house of Saul and his son Ishbosheth, and how the grab for power began once Abner was gone.

  4:2, 3 Beeroth…Gittaim. Beeroth was a Canaanite town belonging to the tribe of Benjamin. Gittaim was also a village of the tribe of Benjamin.

  4:4 Mephibosheth. He may be introduced here to demonstrate that his youth and physical handicap disqualified him from being considered for ruling Israel. He would have been only 12 years old at the time of Ishbosheth’s death. For the history of this man, see 9:6–13; 16:1–4; 19:24–30; 21:7.

  2 Sam. 4:4

  The City of David

  4:5, 6 It was the custom to secure wheat for the soldiers under their command (v. 2) along with some pay. Under the pretense of that normal routine, they came and killed the king.

  4:7 the plain. To avoid easy detection, the men traveled by way of the Arabah (cf. 2:29), i.e., the Jordan Valley. This plain extended about 30 mi. from Mahanaim to Hebron.

  4:8 the LORD has avenged. The murderers of Ishbosheth came to David and proclaimed, “the LORD has avenged” David. However, as happened earlier to the Amalekite (1:2–15), the men were very surprised at the response of David. David did not see their deed as the Lord’s vengeance, but as murder of an innocent man.

  4:9 the LORD…has redeemed my life from all adversity. A striking contrast is shown between David and the two murderers who claimed they were performing the Lord’s work by killing Ishbosheth. However, David praised the Lord for His providential work through Ishbosheth’s life and proclaimed the Lord’s deliverance; thus, David condemned the murderers of Ishbosheth and had them executed as he had done to the man who claimed to kill Saul (1:15, 16).

  2 Samuel 5

  5:1–3 See 1 Chr. 11:1–3.

  5:1, 2 all the tribes of Israel. The term “all” is used 3 times (vv. 1, 3, 5) to emphasize that the kingdom established under King David was truly a united monarchy. The “elders” of Israel (v. 3), representing the “tribes” (v. 1), came to David at Hebron with the express purpose of submitting to his rule. Three reasons were given by the Israelites for wanting to make David king: 1) he was an Israelite brother (cf. Deut. 17:15); 2) he was Israel’s best warrior and commander; and 3) he had been chosen by the Lord to be the king of Israel.

  5:3 King David made a covenant. David bound himself formally to certain obligations toward the Israelites, including their rights and responsibilities to one another and to the Lord (cf. 2 Kin. 11:17). As good as this covenant was, it did not end the underlying sense of separate identity felt by Israel and Judah as the revolt of Sheba (20:1) and the dissolution of the united kingdom under Rehoboam (1 Kin. 12:16) would later demonstrate. they anointed David. David’s third anointing (2:4; 1 Sam. 16:13) resulted in the unification of the 12 tribes under his kingship.

  5:5 Israel and Judah. The united kingdom was still known by its two component parts.

  5:6–10 See 1 Chr. 11:4–9.

  5:6 Jerusalem. This city is mentioned in the Bible more than any other (from Gen. 14:18 to Rev. 21:10). The city was located in the territory of Benjamin, near the northern border of Judah and was excellently fortified because of its elevation and the surrounding deep valleys, which made it naturally defensible on 3 sides. In addition, it had a good water supply, the Gihon spring, and was close to travel routes for trade. The city had earlier been conquered by Judah (Judg. 1:8), but neither Judah nor Benjamin had been successful in permanently dislodging the Jebusite inhabitants (Josh. 15:33; Judg. 1:21). By taking Jerusalem, David was able to eliminate the foreign wedge between the northern and southern tribes and to establish his capital. Jebusites. A people of Canaanite descent (Gen. 10:16–18). Since the earlier inhabitants of Jerusalem were Amorites (Josh. 10:5), it seems that the Jebusites took control of Jerusalem after the time of the Israelite conquest. the blind and the lame. The Jebusites taunted the Israelites and mocked the power of David by boasting that the blind and the lame could defend Jerusalem against him.

  5:7 stronghold of Zion. This is the first occurrence of “Zion” in the Bible and the only one in 1 and 2 Samuel. Referring here to the Jebusite citadel on the southeastern hill, the name was also later used of the temple mount (Is. 10:12) and of the entire city of Jerusalem (Is. 28:16). City of David. Both Bethlehem, David’s birthplace (Luke 2:4), and Jerusalem, David’s place of reign, were called by this title.

  5:8 water shaft. A tunnel that channeled the city’s water supply from the Gihon spring outside the city walls on the E side into the citadel.

  5:9 Millo. Lit. “filling.” Stone-filled terraces were built to serve as part of Jerusalem’s northern defenses, since the city was most open to attack from that direction.

  5:11–16 See 1 Chr. 14:1–7.

  5:11 Hiram king of Tyre. Tyre was a Phoenician port city about 35 mi. N of Mt. Carmel and 25 mi. S of Sidon. During the latter part of David’s reign and much of Solomon’s, the friendly Hiram traded building materials for agricultural products. He also provided craftsmen to build David’s palace, indicating how the long war had brought the nation to a low place where there were few good artisans. Psalm 30 could possibly refer to the dedication of this house or to the temporary shelter for the ark in Jerusalem (6:17).

  5:12 the LORD had established him as king. Witnessing God’s evident blessing on his life, David recognized the Lord’s role in establishing his kingship.

  5:13 more concubines and wives. The multiplication of David’s wives and concubines was in direct violation of Deut. 17:17. These marriages probably (cf. 2 Sam. 3:3) reflected David’s involvement in international treaties and alliances that were sealed by the marriage of a king’s daughter to the other participants in the treaty. This cultural institution accounted for some of David’s and many of Solomon’s wives (see 1 Kin. 11:1–3). In each case of polygamy in Scripture, the law of God was violated and the consequences were negative, if not disastrous.

  5:17—8:18 This section is bracketed by the descriptions of David’s military victories (5:17–25; 8:1–14). In between (6:1–7:29), David’s concern for the ark of the covenant and a suitable building to house it are recounted.

  5:17–23 See 1 Chr. 14:8–17.

  5:17 Philistines. The Philistines had remained quiet neighbors during the long civil war between the house of Saul and David, but, jealous of the king who has consolidated the nation, they resolved to attack before his government was fully established. Realizing that David was no longer their vassal, they took decisive military action against his new capital of Jerusalem.

  5:18 Valley of Rephaim. Lit. “the valley of the giants.” It was a plain located SW of Jerusalem on the border between Judah and Benjamin (Josh. 15:1, 8; 18:11, 16), where fertile land produced grain that provided food for Jerusalem and also attracted raiding armies.


  5:20 Baal Perazim. The image seen in this name (see marginal note) was that of flooding waters breaking through a dam as David’s troops had broken through the Philistine assault.

  5:21 images. The idols that the Philistines had taken into battle to assure them of victory were captured by the Israelites and burned (1 Chr. 14:12).

  5:24 the sound of marching. The leaves of this tree would rustle at the slightest movement of air, much of which would be generated by a large army marching.

  5:25 Geba…Gezer. Geba was located about 5 mi. N of Jerusalem and Gezer was about 20 mi. W of Geba. David drove the Philistines out of the hill country back to the coastal plain.

  2 Samuel 6

  6:1–11 See 1 Chr. 13:1–14.

  6:2 Baale Judah. Lit. “lords of Judah.” Also known as Kirjath Jearim (1 Sam. 7:1, 2), this town was located about 10 mi. W of Jerusalem. ark of God. The ark of the covenant represented the glorious reputation and gracious presence of the Lord to Israel. the Name. See note on Deut. 12:5. LORD of Hosts. See note on 1 Sam. 1:3.

  6:3 new cart. The Philistines had used a cart to transport the ark (1 Sam. 6:7). But the OT law required that the sacred ark be carried by the sons of Kohath (Num. 3:30, 31; 4:15; 7:9), using the poles prescribed (Ex. 25:12–15). house of Abinadab. See 1 Sam. 7:1. Uzzah and Ahio. Descendants of Abinadab, possibly his grandsons.

  6:6–8 See 1 Chr. 13:9–12.

  6:7 for his error. No matter how innocently it was done, touching the ark was in direct violation of God’s law and was to result in death (see Num. 4:15). This was a means of preserving the sense of God’s holiness and the fear of drawing near to Him without appropriate preparation.

  6:8 David became angry. Probably anger directed at himself because the calamity resulted from David’s own carelessness. He was confused as to whether to carry on the transportation of the ark to Jerusalem (v. 9) and would not move it, fearing more death and calamity might come on him or the people (v. 10). It is likely that he waited to see the wrath of God subside before moving the ark.