10Then Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it on a rock for herself, from the beginning of harvest until rain fell on them from the heavens; she did not allow the birds of the air to come on the bodiese by day, or the wild animals by night. 11When David was told what Rizpah daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done, 12David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan from the people of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hung them up, on the day the Philistines killed Saul on Gilboa. 13He brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan; and they gathered the bones of those who had been impaled. 14They buried the bones of Saul and of his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of his father Kish; they did all that the king commanded. After that, God heeded supplications for the land.
Exploits of David’s Men
15The Philistines went to war again with Israel, and David went down together with his servants. They fought against the Philistines, and David grew weary. 16Ishbi-benob, one of the descendants of the giants, whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of bronze, and who was fitted out with new weapons,f said he would kill David. 17But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid, and attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You shall not go out with us to battle any longer, so that you do not quench the lamp of Israel.”
18After this a battle took place with the Philistines, at Gob; then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, who was one of the descendants of the giants. 19Then there was another battle with the Philistines at Gob; and Elhanan son of Jaare-oregim, the Bethlehemite, killed Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. 20There was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great size, who had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number; he too was descended from the giants. 21When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of David’s brother Shimei, killed him. 22These four were descended from the giants in Gath; they fell by the hands of David and his servants.
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a Cn Compare Gk and 21.9: Heb at Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the LORD
b Or Merib-baal: See 4.4 note
c Or Merib-baal: See 4.4 note
d Two Heb Mss Syr Compare Gk: MT Michal
e Heb them
f Heb was belted anew
21.1–14 David puts seven sons and grandsons of Saul to death to avert a famine caused by bloodguilt resulting from Saul’s slaughter of the Gibeonites.
21.1 There is no account in the Bible of the crime against the Gibeonites for which Saul incurred blood-guilt, but there may have been a connection to his slaughter of the priesthood of Nob (see 1 Sam 22.6–23).
21.2 The story of Israel’s unusual alliance with the Gibeonites is told in Josh 9.
21.6 Impale, obscure, probably some form of crucifixion.
21.7 For the oath of the LORD between David and Jonathan, see 1 Sam 20.12–17.
21.8 Rizpah, the concubine of Saul over whom Abner and Ishbaal quarreled in 3.7–11. Merab. See 1 Sam 18.17–19. Barzillai, the father of Adriel (see 1 Sam 18.19), may be the same man who appears in 17.27; 19.31–40.
21.9 In the first days of harvest, better “in the days of Ziv,” the old Canaanite month name also mentioned in 1 Kings 6.1, 37.
21.12 The bones of Saul and…Jonathan. See 1 Sam 31.12–13.
21.14 In Zela, in the tomb of his father Kish, probably “in a chamber in the tomb of his father Kish” for Kish, see 1 Sam 9.1.
21.15–22 A series of victories by David’s men over Philistines descended from the giants (v. 16), possibly an ancient guild of warriors.
21.17 Abishai. See 2.18; 1 Sam 26.6. Quench the lamp of Israel has no clear linguistic parallel, but for the sentiment, cf. 18.3.
21.18 Gob, a town mentioned only here and in the next verse. Sibbecai, a native of the town of Hushah, southwest of Bethlehem (cf. 1 Chr 4.4); see also 2 Sam 23.27.
21.19 In the story as we know it (see 1 Sam 17) the Bethlehemite warrior who slew Goliath the Gittite was David. This has led scholars to suggest that Elhanan, who is called son of Dodo in 23.24, was another name for David or, as seems more likely, that the Elhanan story caused the name Goliath to become attached secondarily to an anonymous Philistine slain by David. The description of Goliath’s spear as being like a weaver’s beam is also in 1 Sam 17.7.
21.20 At Jericho and an archaeological site in Amman, Neolithic statues have been found with six fingers and toes; the Israelites may have made similar discoveries, leading them to tell the story in this verse.
21.21 Shimei. See note on 1 Sam 16.9.
2 SAMUEL 22
David’s Song of Thanksgiving
1David spoke to the LORD the words of this song on the day when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. 2He said:
The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer,
3my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation,
my stronghold and my refuge,
my savior; you save me from violence.
4I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.
5For the waves of death encompassed me,
the torrents of perdition assailed me;
6the cords of Sheol entangled me,
the snares of death confronted me.
7In my distress I called upon the LORD;
to my God I called.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry came to his ears.
8Then the earth reeled and rocked;
the foundations of the heavens trembled
and quaked, because he was angry.
9Smoke went up from his nostrils,
and devouring fire from his mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from him.
10He bowed the heavens, and came down;
thick darkness was under his feet.
11He rode on a cherub, and flew;
he was seen upon the wings of the wind.
12He made darkness around him a canopy,
thick clouds, a gathering of water.
13Out of the brightness before him
coals of fire flamed forth.
14The LORD thundered from heaven;
the Most High uttered his voice.
15He sent out arrows, and scattered them
—lightning, and routed them.
16Then the channels of the sea were seen,
the foundations of the world were laid bare
at the rebuke of the LORD,
at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.
17He reached from on high, he took me,
he drew me out of mighty waters.
18He delivered me from my strong enemy,
from those who hated me;
for they were too mighty for me.
19They came upon me in the day of my calamity,
but the LORD was my stay.
20He brought me out into a broad place;
he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
21The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he recompensed me.
22For I have kept the ways of the LORD,
and have not wickedly departed from my God.
23For all his ordinances were before me,
and from his statutes I did not turn aside.
24I was blameless before him,
and I kept myself from guilt.
25Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
according to my cleanness in his sight.
26With the loyal you show yourself loyal;
with the blameless you show yourself blameless;
27with the pure you show yourself pure,
and with the crooked you show yourself perverse.
28Y
ou deliver a humble people,
but your eyes are upon the haughty to bring them down.
29Indeed, you are my lamp, O LORD,
the LORD lightens my darkness.
30By you I can crush a troop,
and by my God I can leap over a wall.
31This God—his way is perfect;
the promise of the LORD proves true;
he is a shield for all who take refuge in him.
32For who is God, but the LORD?
And who is a rock, except our God?
33The God who has girded me with strengtha
has opened wide my path.b
34He made myc feet like the feet of deer,
and set me secure on the heights.
35He trains my hands for war,
so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
36You have given me the shield of your salvation,
and your helpd has made me great.
37You have made me stride freely,
and my feet do not slip;
38I pursued my enemies and destroyed them,
and did not turn back until they were consumed.
39I consumed them; I struck them down, so that they did not rise;
they fell under my feet.
40For you girded me with strength for the battle;
you made my assailants sink under me.
41You made my enemies turn their backs to me,
those who hated me, and I destroyed them.
42They looked, but there was no one to save them;
they cried to the LORD, but he did not answer them.
43I beat them fine like the dust of the earth,
I crushed them and stamped them down like the mire of the streets.
44You delivered me from strife with the peoples;e
you kept me as the head of the nations;
people whom I had not known served me.
45Foreigners came cringing to me;
as soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me.
46Foreigners lost heart,
and came trembling out of their strongholds.
47The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock,
and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation,
48the God who gave me vengeance
and brought down peoples under me,
49who brought me out from my enemies;
you exalted me above my adversaries,
you delivered me from the violent.
50For this I will extol you, O LORD, among the nations,
and sing praises to your name.
51He is a tower of salvation for his king,
and shows steadfast love to his anointed,
to David and his descendants forever.
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a Q Ms Gk Syr Vg Compare Ps 18.32: MT God is my strong refuge
b Meaning of Heb uncertain
c Another reading is his
d Q Ms: MT your answering
e Gk: Heb from strife with my people
22.1–51 This magnificent poem is preserved in two very similar versions, here and Ps 18. It has two clearly discernible sections: the first (vv. 2–20) praises the Lord, as revealed in the storm, for the rescue of the psalmist from his enemies; the second section (vv. 29–51) describes the psalmist as a mighty conqueror; an intervening section (vv. 21–28) connects the two major units. The theme of conquest in the second section may have led to the poem’s association with David, but features of the language show that it was composed centuries after his lifetime.
22.1 The opening verse, which is not a part of the poem itself, serves to identify the psalm with the events of David’s life (cf. Pss 3; 7; 34; 51; 52; 54; 56; 57; 59; 60; 63; 142).
22.2–3 The Lord is praised under the image of a mountain refuge.
22.5–6 For the watery imagery of Sheol, the dark abode of the dead, cf. Jon 2.5–6a; Ps 116.3.
22.7 His temple, here the Lord’s celestial abode (cf. Ps 11.4).
22.8 The image of the cosmic thunderstorm in which the deity is present is introduced at this point.
22.9 In his anger the Lord breathes fire and smoke, as in, e.g., Deut 29.20; Isa 66.15; Ezek 21.31.
22.11 Cherub, a mythological creature, in this case an image of the storm cloud and the celestial mount of the God of Israel.
22.12 Cf. Job 36.29, where canopy is rendered “pavilion.”
22.14 The Most High (Hebrew ‘elyon) is an ancient divine epithet for the most senior of the gods; Israel appropriated the epithet for its own god. Cf. note on 1 Sam 2.10.
22.15 Arrows, lightning. Cf., e.g., Pss 77.18; 97.4; 144.6; Hab 3.11.
22.16 Cf. vv. 5–6.
22.21–28 The language here is reminiscent of that of Deuteronomy; the section may be an editorial connection between originally distinct poems.
22.31 His way, the rule or dominion of God.
22.38–46 The Lord is praised for granting the psalmist victory over his foes.
22.47 The LORD lives! an oath formula, establishing what follows as a solemn declaration.
22.51 Cf. the language of the promise of dynasty to David in ch. 7.15–16.
2 SAMUEL 23
The Last Words of David
1Now these are the last words of David:
The oracle of David, son of Jesse,
the oracle of the man whom God exalted,a
the anointed of the God of Jacob,
the favorite of the Strong One of Israel:
2The spirit of the LORD speaks through me,
his word is upon my tongue.
3The God of Israel has spoken,
the Rock of Israel has said to me:
One who rules over people justly,
ruling in the fear of God,
4is like the light of morning,
like the sun rising on a cloudless morning,
gleaming from the rain on the grassy land.
5Is not my house like this with God?
For he has made with me an everlasting covenant,
ordered in all things and secure.
Will he not cause to prosper
all my help and my desire?
6But the godless areb all like thorns that are thrown away;
for they cannot be picked up with the hand;
7to touch them one uses an iron bar
or the shaft of a spear.
And they are entirely consumed in fire on the spot.c
David’s Mighty Men
8These are the names of the warriors whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the Three;d he wielded his speare against eight hundred whom he killed at one time.
9Next to him among the three warriors was Eleazar son of Dodo son of Ahohi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle. The Israelites withdrew, 10but he stood his ground. He struck down the Philistines until his arm grew weary, though his hand clung to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day. Then the people came back to him—but only to strip the dead.
11Next to him was Shammah son of Agee, the Hararite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the army fled from the Philistines. 12But he took his stand in the middle of the plot, defended it, and killed the Philistines; and the LORD brought about a great victory.
13Towards the beginning of harvest three of the thirtyf chiefs went down to join David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim. 14David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. 15David said longingly, “O that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!” 16Then the three warriors broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it; he poured it out to the LORD, 17for he said, “The LORD forbid that I should do this. Can I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?
” Therefore he would not drink it. The three warriors did these things.
18Now Abishai son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, was chief of the Thirty.g With his spear he fought against three hundred men and killed them, and won a name beside the Three. 19He was the most renowned of the Thirty,h and became their commander; but he did not attain to the Three.
20Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant warriori from Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds; he struck down two sons of Arielj of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. 21And he killed an Egyptian, a handsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but Benaiah went against him with a staff, snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear. 22Such were the things Benaiah son of Jehoiada did, and won a name beside the three warriors. 23He was renowned among the Thirty, but he did not attain to the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.
24Among the Thirty were Asahel brother of Joab; Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem; 25Shammah of Harod; Elika of Harod; 26Helez the Paltite; Ira son of Ikkesh of Tekoa; 27Abiezer of Anathoth; Mebunnai the Hushathite; 28Zalmon the Ahohite; Maharai of Netophah; 29Heleb son of Baanah of Netophah; Ittai son of Ribai of Gibeah of the Benjaminites; 30Benaiah of Pirathon; Hiddai of the torrents of Gaash; 31Abi-albon the Arbathite; Azmaveth of Bahurim; 32Eliahba of Shaalbon; the sons of Jashen: Jonathan 33son ofk Shammah the Hararite; Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite; 34Eliphelet son of Ahasbai of Maacah; Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite; 35Hezrol of Carmel; Paarai the Arbite; 36Igal son of Nathan of Zobah; Bani the Gadite; 37Zelek the Ammonite; Naharai of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah; 38Ira the Ithrite; Gareb the Ithrite; 39Uriah the Hittite—thirty-seven in all.
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