The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV

by John MacArthur

  6:10 Obed-Edom the Gittite. Lit. “servant of Edom.” The term “Gittite” can refer to someone from the Philistine city of Gath, but here it is better to see the term related to Gath Rimmon, one of the Levitical cities (cf. Josh. 21:24, 25). Obed-Edom is referred to as a Levite in Chronicles (1 Chr. 15:17–25; 16:5, 38; 26:4, 5, 8, 15; 2 Chr. 25:24).

  6:12–19 See 1 Chr. 15:25—16:3.

  6:12 blessed…because of the ark. During the 3 months when the ark remained with Obed-Edom, the Lord blessed his family. In the same way God had blessed Obed-Edom, David was confident that with the presence of the ark, the Lord would bless his house in ways that would last forever (7:29).

  6:13 bearing the ark. In David’s second attempt to bring the ark to Jerusalem, it was transported in the manner prescribed by OT law. See note on v. 3. six paces. I.e., after the first 6 steps, not after every 6 steps.

  6:14 David danced before the LORD. Cf. Ps. 150:4. The Hebrews, like other ancient and modern people, had their physical expressions of religious joys as they praised God. linen ephod. See 1 Sam. 2:18.

  6:16 Michal…despised him. Michal’s contempt for David is explained by her sarcastic remark in v. 20. She considered David’s unbridled, joyful dancing as conduct unbefitting for the dignity and gravity of a king because it exposed him in some ways.

  6:17 tabernacle. David had made a tent for the ark of the covenant until a permanent building for it could be built. Psalm 30 could refer possibly to this tent or to David’s own home (5:11, 12).

  6:20 bless his household. David desired the same inevitable success from the Lord as experienced in the household of Obed-Edom (see v. 11). The attitude of Michal aborted the blessing at that time, but the Lord would bless David’s house in the future (7:29). uncovering. A derogatory reference to the priestly attire that David wore (v. 14) in place of his royal garments.

  6:21 before the LORD. David’s actions were for the delight of the Lord, not for the maidens.

  6:22 humble in my own sight. David viewed himself with humility. It is the humble whom the Lord will exalt (cf. 1 Sam. 7:7, 8).

  6:23 Michal…had no children. Whether David ceased to have marital relations with Michal or the Lord disciplined Michal for her contempt of David, Michal bore no children. In OT times, it was a reproach to be childless (1 Sam. 1:5, 6). Michal’s childlessness prevented her from providing a successor to David’s throne from the family of Saul (cf. 1 Sam. 15:22–28).

  2 Samuel 7

  7:1–17 See 1 Chr. 17:1–15. These verses record the establishment of the Davidic Covenant, God’s unconditional promise to David and his posterity. While not called a covenant here, it is later (23:5). This promise is an important key to understanding God’s irrevocable pledge of a king from the line of David to rule forever (v. 16). It has been estimated that over 40 individual biblical passages are directly related to these verses (cf. Pss. 89; 110; 132); thus, this text is a major highlight in the OT. The ultimate fulfillment comes at Christ’s second advent when He sets up His millennial kingdom on earth (cf. Ezek. 37; Zech. 14; Rev. 19). This is the fourth of 5 irrevocable, unconditional covenants made by God. The first 3 include: 1) the Noahic Covenant (Gen. 9:8–17); 2) the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 15:12–21); and 3) the Levitic or Priestly Covenant (Num. 3:1–18; 18:1–20; 25:10–13). The New Covenant, which actually provided redemption, was revealed later through Jeremiah (Jer. 31:31–34) and accomplished by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. See note on Matt. 26:28.

  7:1 dwelling in his house. See 5:11. David’s palace was built with help from Hiram of Tyre. Since Hiram did not become king of Tyre until around 980 B.C., the events narrated in this chapter occurred in the last decade of David’s reign. rest from all his enemies. David had conquered all the nations that were around Israel. See 8:1–14 for the details which occur prior to 2 Sam. 7.

  7:2 Nathan. Mentioned here for the first time, Nathan played a significant role in chap. 12 (confronting David’s sin with Bathsheba) and 1 Kin. 1 (upsetting Adonijah’s plot to usurp the throne from Solomon). inside tent curtains. See note on 6:17.

  7:3 Go, do. Nathan the prophet encouraged David to pursue the noble project he had in mind and assured him of the Lord’s blessing. However, neither David nor Nathan had consulted the Lord.

  7:4–16 The Lord revealed His will to Nathan in this matter, to redirect the best human thoughts of the king.

  7:5 Would you build a house. Verses 5–7 are framed by two questions asked by the Lord, both of which pertain to building a temple for Him. The first question, asking if David was the one who should build the temple, expected a negative answer (see 1 Chr. 17:4). According to 1 Chr. 22:8; 28:3, David was not chosen by God to build the temple because he was a warrior who had shed much blood.

  7:7 Why have you not built Me a house? The second question, asking if the Lord had ever commanded any leader to build a temple for His ark, also expected a negative answer. So, contrary to Nathan’s and David’s intentions and assumptions, God did not want a house at that time and did not want David to build one.

  7:8–16 a great name. These verses state the promises the Lord gave to David. Verses 8–11a give the promises to be realized during David’s lifetime. Verses 11b–16 state the promises that would be fulfilled after David’s death. During David’s lifetime, the Lord: 1) gave David “a great name” (see note on Gen. 12:2); 2) appointed a place for Israel; and 3) gave David “rest” from all his enemies. After David’s death, the Lord gave David: 1) a son to sit on his national throne, whom the Lord would oversee as a father with necessary chastening, discipline, and mercy (Solomon); and 2) a Son who would rule a kingdom that will be established forever (Messiah). This prophecy referred in its immediacy to Solomon and to the temporal kingdom of David’s family in the land. But in a larger and more sublime sense, it refers to David’s greater Son of another nature, Jesus Christ (cf. Heb. 1:8).

  7:11 the LORD…will make you a house. Although David desired to build the Lord a “house,” i.e., a temple, instead it would be the Lord who would build David a “house,” i.e., a dynasty.

  7:12 your seed. According to the rest of Scripture, it was the coming Messiah who would establish David’s kingdom forever (see Is. 9:6, 7; Luke 1:32, 33).

  7:14 his Father…My son. These words are directly related to Jesus the Messiah in Heb. 1:5. In Semitic thought, since the son had the full character of the father, the future seed of David would have the same essence of God. That Jesus Christ was God incarnate is the central theme of John’s gospel (see Introduction to John). If he commits iniquity. As a human father disciplines his sons, so the Lord would discipline the seed, if he committed iniquity. This has reference to the intermediary seed until Messiah’s arrival (any king of David’s line from Solomon on). However, the ultimate Seed of David will not be a sinner like David and his descendants were, as recorded in Samuel and Kings (see 2 Cor. 5:21). Significantly, Chronicles, focusing more directly on the Messiah, does not include this statement in its record of Nathan’s words (1 Chr. 17:13).

  7:15 This is an expression of the unconditional character of the Davidic Covenant. The Messiah will come to His glorious, eternal Kingdom and that promise will not change.

  7:16 your house…your kingdom…Your throne. Luke 1:32b, 33 indicates that these 3 terms are fulfilled in Jesus, “…and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” forever. This word conveys the idea of 1) an indeterminately long time or 2) into eternity future. It does not mean that there cannot be interruptions, but rather that the outcome is guaranteed. Christ’s Davidic reign will conclude human history.

  7:18–29 See 1 Chr. 17:16–27. David prayed with awe and thanksgiving over God’s sovereign claim to bestow the divine blessing on his seed and nation.

  7:18 sat before the LORD. I.e., before the ark of the covenant in the temporary tent. Who am I. David was overwhelmed by the Lord’s promise that He would bring His kingdom through David’
s seed. In vv. 18–29, David referred to himself 10 times as “your servant” (vv. 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29), acknowledging his God-given title, “My servant David” (v. 5).

  7:19 a great while to come. David recognized that the Lord had spoken about the distant future, not only about his immediate descendant, Solomon. the manner of man. Lit. “and this is the law of man.” This statement is better taken as a declaration rather than a question, with the idea being that God’s covenant promise is for an eternal kingdom, whereby the whole world of man shall be blessed, through the coming seed of David. The Davidic Covenant is thus a grant, conferring powers, rights, and privileges to David and his seed for the benefit of mankind, a promise that left David speechless (vv. 20–22).

  7:23 Your people…Your land. David is remembering aspects of the Abrahamic Covenant (cf. Gen. 12, 15, 17). Israel. In vv. 18–21, David praised the Lord for His favor to him. In vv. 22–24, David praised the Lord for the favor shown to the nation of Israel (cf. Deut. 7:6–11).

  2 Sam. 7:24

  The Kingdom of David

  The vast extent of David’s ancient kingdom

  7:25 the word…You have spoken. In vv. 25–29, David prayed for the fulfillment of the divine promise spoken to him.

  7:26–29 Your words are true. David’s prayer indicated that he fully accepted by faith the extraordinary, irrevocable promises God made to David as king and to Israel as a nation.

  2 Samuel 8

  8:1–14 These verses outline the expansion of David’s kingdom under the hand of the Lord (vv. 6, 14). Israel’s major enemies were all defeated as David’s kingdom extended N, S, E, and W. See 1 Chr. 18:1–13. This conquering occurred before the event of chap. 7 (see 7:1).

  8:1 Philistines…subdued. David’s first priority was to deal with the Philistines to the W, whom he quickly defeated and subjugated (see 5:25). Metheg Ammah. Note the marginal reference. Probably a reference to the “chief city” of the Philistines, Gath (cf. 1 Chr. 18:1). He defeated his enemies to the W.

  8:2 Moab. David also defeated the Moabites who dwelt in Transjordan, E of the Dead Sea. This represented a change from the good relationship David once enjoyed with the Moabite royalty (cf. 1 Sam. 22:3, 4). He defeated his enemies to the E. he measured off. This could mean that David spared the young Moabites (whose height was approximately one cord) and executed the adults (whose height was two cords) or that one out of 3 rows of soldiers was arbitrarily chosen to be spared from execution. Such was a common practice of eastern kings in dealing with deadly enemies.

  8:3–8 He defeated his enemies to the N. David had already defeated the Amalekites to the S (1 Sam. 30:16, 17).

  8:3 Hadadezer. Lit. “Hadad (the personal name of the Canaanite storm god) is my help.” Psalm 60 was written to commemorate this battle. Zobah. An Aramaean kingdom N of Damascus (cf. 1 Sam. 14:47). River Euphrates. I.e., the most southwesterly point of the Euphrates River around the city of Tiphsah.

  8:4 seven hundred. The reading of “7,000” in 1 Chr. 18:4 is preferable, as per marginal note. See note on 1 Chr. 18:4. hamstrung all the chariot horses. Hamstringing the horses disabled them from military action by cutting the back sinews of the hind legs (Josh. 11:6).

  8:5 Syrians. I.e., Aramaeans, who were peoples located around the city of Damascus as well as in the area of Zobah.

  8:7 shields of gold. Ceremonial or decorative insignias that were not used in battle, but for decoration.

  8:8 bronze. First Chronicles 18:8 notes 3 towns belonging to Hadadezer which yielded bronze that was later used in the construction of the temple.

  8:9 Toi king of Hamath. Hamath was another Aramaean territory located about 100 mi. N of Damascus. The king, Toi, was thankful to see his enemy Zobah crushed and desired to establish good relations with David. So he gave David gifts to indicate that he voluntarily submitted to him as his vassal.

  8:12 Syria. See marginal reading of “Edom,” which is preferred. These were David’s enemies to the S.

  8:13 a name. The Lord began to fulfill His promise of giving David a great name (see 7:9). Syrians. There is an alternate ms. reading that makes this a reference to David’s defeat of the Edomites, not the Syrians. This reading is supported by Ps. 60 and 1 Chr. 18:12. Valley of Salt. An area S of the Dead Sea.

  8:15–18 See 1 Chr. 18:14–17. This is the record of the cabinet under David’s rule.

  8:15 judgment and justice. David ruled his kingdom in a righteous manner, and in the future the “Messiah” will rule in a similar fashion (Is. 9:7; Jer. 23:5; 33:15).

  8:16 Joab. David’s general (2:13; 1 Sam. 26:6). Jehoshaphat… recorder. The keeper of state records, and possibly the royal herald (1 Kin. 4:3).

  8:17 Zadok the son of Ahitub. Zadok, meaning “righteous,” was a Levitical priest descended from Aaron through Eleazar (1 Chr. 6:3–8, 50–53), who, along with his house, was the fulfillment of the oracle by the man of God in 1 Sam. 2:35. Future sons of Zadok will be priests in the millennial kingdom of Messiah (Ezek. 44:15). Later, he became the only High-Priest in Solomon’s reign, fulfilling God’s promise to Phinehas (cf. Num. 25:10–13). Ahimelech the son of Abiathar. See 1 Sam. 22:20, which indicates that Abiathar is the son of Ahimelech. This is best accounted for by a scribal copying error (cf. 1 Chr. 18:16; 24:3, 6, 31). Abiathar was David’s priest along with Zadok (15:24, 35; 19:11). Abiathar traced his lineage through Eli (1 Kin. 2:27) to Ithamar (1 Chr. 24:3). With Abiathar’s removal (1 Kin. 2:26, 27), God’s curse on Eli was completed (1 Sam. 2:33), and God’s promise to Phinehas of Eleazar’s line was fulfilled (cf. Num. 25:10–13; 1 Sam. 2:35). Seraiah was the scribe. His name means “The LORD prevails,” and he served as the official secretary of David.

  8:18 Benaiah. His name means “The LORD builds,” and he served as the commander of David’s personal bodyguard. He later became the commander-in-chief of Solomon’s army (1 Kin. 2:34, 35; 4:4), after he killed Joab, David’s general (cf. 1 Kin. 2:28–35). Cherethites and the Pelethites. See note on 1 Sam. 30:14. chief ministers. Though the Heb. text referred to the sons of David as priests, the LXX referred to them as “princes of the court.” The latter reading is supported by 1 Chr. 18:17, which refers to David’s sons as “chief ministers at the king’s side.”

  2 Samuel 9

  9:1—20:26 These chapters begin with “the house of Saul” (9:1) and end with “Sheba…a Benjamite” (20:1). As with Saul, David is shown to be a failed king, albeit a repentant failure. It was only the grace and mercy of the Lord and His irrevocable covenant that kept David from being removed from the kingship, as Saul had been (cf. 7:15). The emphasis in this section is upon the troubles of David, troubles brought on by his own sin.

  9:1 show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake. David continued to display loving loyalty toward Jonathan (1 Sam. 20:42) by ministering to the physical needs of his crippled son, Mephibosheth (cf. 4:4).

  9:2 Ziba. A former servant of Saul, who is first mentioned here.

  9:4 Machir the son of Ammiel. A man of wealth (see 17:27–29). Lo Debar. A city located in Gilead, E of the Jordan, about 10 mi. S of the Sea of Galilee.

  9:6 Mephibosheth. See note on 4:4.

  9:7 restore…the land of Saul your grandfather. The estate belonging to Saul was probably quite substantial. eat bread at my table. David desired to honor Mephibosheth by bringing him into the royal palace and providing for his daily needs (see 2 Kin. 25:29).

  9:8 dead dog. A “dead dog” was considered contemptible and useless. Mephibosheth saw himself as such in that he knew that he had not merited David’s kindness and that there was no way for him to repay it. David’s offer was an extraordinary expression of grace and beauty to his covenant with Jonathan (cf. 1 Sam. 18:3; 20:15, 42).

  9:10 fifteen sons and twenty servants. This number shows the power and influence of Ziba. It also shows that the land given by David was substantial.

  9:12 Micha. The descendants of Micha, the son of Mephibosheth, are listed in 1 Chr. 8:35–38; 9:41–44.

  2 Samuel 10

  10:1�
��19 See 1 Chr. 19:1–19.

  10:1 king…of Ammon. I.e., Nahash (see note on 1 Sam. 11:1).

  10:2 show kindness to Hanun. Since Nahash was an enemy of Saul, he was viewed as a friend and supporter of David. It was implied that David and Nahash had entered into a covenant relationship, on the basis of which David desired to communicate his continuing loyalty to Nahash’s son, Hanun.

  10:3 the city. I.e., Rabbah (see note on 11:1).

  10:4 shaved off half of their beards. Forced shaving was considered an insult and a sign of submission (cf. Is. 7:20). cut off their garments…at their buttocks. To those who wore long garments in that time, exposure of the buttocks was a shameful practice inflicted on prisoners of war (cf. Is. 20:4). Perhaps this was partly the concern of Michal in regard to David’s dancing (see 6:14, 20).

  10:5 Jericho. The first place W of the Jordan River that would have been reached by the servants of David as they returned from Rabbah.

  10:6 Beth Rehob. An Aramaean district located SW of Zobah (cf. Num. 13:21; Judg. 18:28). Zoba. See note on “Zobah” on 8:3. Maacah. The region N of Lake Huleh N of Galilee (Deut. 3:14; Josh. 13:11–13). Ish-Tob. A city E of the Jordan River, located 45 mi. NE of Rabbah (Judg. 11:3, 5).

  10:6–11 The Ammonite army was in the city ready for defense, while the Syrian mercenaries were at some distance, encamped in the fields around the city. Joab divided his forces to deal with both. See note on 1 Sam. 11:1.

  10:12 Be of good courage…may the LORD do what is good in His sight. Finding himself fighting on two fronts, Joab urged the army to “be strong” and recognize that the outcome of the battle depended ultimately upon the Lord (cf. 15:26). It was a just and necessary war forced on Israel, so they could hope for God’s blessing—and they received it (vv. 13, 14).