David's Song of Deliverance

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(2 Samuel 8:15) And David reigned over all Israel, and David executed judgment and justice to all his people.

David now reigned over all of Israel.  The past few posts named David's mightiest warriors as he was their commander-in-chief.  Here begins a description of his officials.  He was a just ruler.

(16) And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;

Joab, the son of David's sister Zeruiah, was the general over David's army of mighty men.  Jehoshaphat was the recorder, the one who kept the minutes, so to speak, the chronicler of events.

(17) And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and Seraiah was the scribe;

Zadok and Ahimelech were the priests, and Seraiah was the scribe, akin to the secretary of state.

(18) And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were chief rulers.

The historian Josephus wrote that the Cherethites and the Pelethites were the king's bodyguards.  Indeed 1 Chronicles 11:25, in the list of David's mightiest men, named Benaiah as head of David's guard.  David's sons, as princes, were the chief ministers and managers of the king's court.

(1 Chronicles 18:14) So David reigned over all Israel and executed judgment and justice among all his people. (15) And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, recorder. (16) And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Abimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and Shavsha was scribe; (17) And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were chief about the king.

1 Chronicles 18 recorded the same officials, except that here the priest was called Abimelech instead of Ahimelech, and the scribe was called Shavsha instead of Seraiah. 

(2 Samuel 22:1) And David spoke to the Lord the words of this song in the day the Lord had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies and out of the hand of Saul.

According to Albert Barnes, in his Notes on the Bible, this song "belongs to the early part of David’s reign when he was recently established upon the throne of all Israel, and when his final triumph over the house of Saul, and over the pagan nations, Philistines, Moabites, Syrians, Ammonites, and Edomites, was still fresh."

(2) And he said, "The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer."

David declared that the Lord was his rock, his foundation, his sturdy support.  He was his fortress, his defense, and his deliverer, as He had delivered him from all his enemies and brought him to the throne.

(3) "The God of my rock, in Him I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my high tower and my refuge, my Savior, You save me from violence."

David found further words to say the same thing.  The Lord God was the foundation and support for his stand, and he would put all his trust in Him.  He was his defense as a shield and as the horn of a horned beast might save him.  He was his high tower, his fortress, defense, and refuge, but high above the reach of his enemies.  The Lord was his Savior who saved him from his enemies and all violence.

(4) "I will call on the Lord, worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies."

Just because of who He is, the perfect, holy, just, gracious, loving, and merciful God of the universe, He was to be praised.  David knew that he just needed to call on Him, and he would be saved from his enemies.

(5) "When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid, (6) The sorrows of hell compassed me about, the snares of death prevented me, (7) In my distress I called upon the Lord and cried to my God, and He did hear my voice out of His temple and my cry to His ears."

David spoke of times when ungodly men and deadly situations came upon him like a flood.  The original word that was translated as "sorrows" was "chebel" and literally meant "a rope or a noose" which by implication could mean "sorrows."  Just as the snares of death confronted David, so did the snares of hell seek to pull him in.  When all those things happened, David cried out to the Lord, and He heard him from His temple, His dwelling place in heaven.

(8) "Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook because He was angry."

Then the wrath of the Lord was kindled, and He rose up like an earthquake that shook the earth and the very foundations of heaven.

(9) "There went up a smoke out of His nostrils and fire out of His mouth devoured; coals were kindled by it."

Expressing the Lord's anger as a devouring fire denoted just how fierce it was.

(10) "He bowed the heavens also and came down, and darkness under His feet."

The Lord seemed to bend the heavens toward the earth, and He descended in the dark clouds of a storm.

(11) "And He rode upon a cherub and did fly, and He was seen upon the wings of the wind."

I believe the sense is that the Lord used His angels to bring the wind and the storm.

(12) "And He made darkness pavilions round about Him, dark waters, thick clouds of the skies."

The Lord was covered in darkness, dark clouds and fog, as He cannot be seen by the naked eye, but He is ever present.

(13) "Through the brightness before Him were coals of fire kindled."

The brightness before Him even though He was in dark clouds might refer to lightning darting out from Him.

(14) "The Lord thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered His voice."

It reasonably follows that the Lord's voice in thunder followed the lightning.

(15) "And He sent out arrows and scattered them, lightning, and He discomfited them."

The Lord sent out lightning as arrows and confused and scattered His enemies.

(16) "And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the Lord, at the blast of the breath of His nostrils."

The sense is that the hidden and covered things were uncovered and revealed at the anger and rebuke of the Lord.

(17) "He sent from above, He took me, He drew me out of many waters; (18) He delivered me from my strong enemy, from them who hated me, for they were too strong for me."

The Lord plucked David out of the floods of ungodly men and snares of death all around.  He delivered him from his enemies for they were too strong for David to save himself.

(19) "They prevented me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my stay."

David's enemies confronted him in what would appear to be the day of his destruction, but the Lord was his support.

(20) "He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me because He delighted in me."

The Lord brought David out of his narrow straits and difficulties into a broad state of freedom and comfort.  He had delivered him because it delighted Him to do so, not because of anything David had done to deserve it.

(21) "The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands has He recompensed me."

David appears to say that it was because of his own righteousness and good behavior that the Lord had rescued him.  I suppose it could be David's way of saying that he had strived to follow God's leading, and he had done no wrong to his fellow men who were trying to kill him undeservedly, and he felt the Lord had blessed and delivered him.  And it is true that God saw him as a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22).

(22) "For I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God. (23) For all His judgments were before me, and His statutes, I did not depart from them. (24) I was also upright before Him and have kept myself from my iniquity. (25) Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in His eyesight."

David had strived to follow the ways of his Lord; he did not depart from His commandments.  He felt he was upright before the Lord and had kept himself from iniquity.  And I suppose in the Old Testament, before Jesus, that was the best that people could do to be seen as righteous before God.  Indeed, the Lord had seen fit to deliver David from his enemies.

(26) "With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful, with the upright man You will show Yourself upright. (27) With the pure You will show Yourself pure, and with the froward You will show Yourself unsavory."

The Lord metes out to people the same measure which they mete out to others (Luke 6:38).  Therefore, He would be merciful, upright, and pure to those who were merciful, upright, and true to others.  However, He would be contrary to those who were contrary to Him.

(28) "And the afflicted people You will save, but Your eyes are upon the haughty You may bring down."

The Lord will save the poor and afflicted, but He hates the proud and haughty (Proverbs 6:16-17, 16:5), and He will bring them down.

(29) "For You are my lamp, O Lord, and the Lord will lighten my darkness."

The Lord was David's light; He would shine the light of truth and righteousness and light his paths.  The Lord would bring him out of the darkness with His light.

(30) "For by You I have run through a troop; by my God have I leaped over a wall."

David's meaning was that he had been able to break through the armed troops of his enemies and to scale the walls of their strongest cities because God had led and enabled him.

(31) "God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried; He is a buckler to all those who trust in Him."

God's way is perfect, and His word has been tried and proven.  No other book in history has been challenged and picked apart as much as the Bible, and yet it still stands true and proven.  The Lord is a shield and a protector to all those people who trust in Him and His word.

(32) "For who is God, save the Lord? And who is a rock, save our God?"

David asked the rhetorical question of who the one true God could possibly be, except for Jehovah, the Self-existent eternal Lord.  There is no one else who could be that steadfast defense and protection, that rock.

(33) "God my strength and power, and He makes my way perfect."

It was only through God that David had his strength and power, and it was God who led him in His perfect way and gave David success.

(34) "He makes my feet like hinds' feet and sets me upon my high places."

The Lord made David's feet as light and swift as the feet of a deer to set him on high places of refuge and safety.

(35) "He teaches my hands to war so that a bow of steel is broken by my arms."

David acknowledged that it was the Lord who gave him the skill and the strength to succeed in his battles.

(36) "You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your gentleness has made me great."

The Lord had saved David, and he could have become proud and haughty, those things the Lord hated.  However, the Lord's loving and merciful ways had taught David humility and made him a great king.

(37) "You have enlarged my steps under me so that my feet did not slip."

David had been before straitened and hindered in his goings, but now that the Lord had removed the obstacles in his way, he could walk freely and not stumble.

(38) "I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them and did not turn back until I had consumed them. (39) And I have consumed them and wounded them that they could not arise; yea, they are fallen under my feet."

David had been able to pursue his enemies and destroy them.  He had been given the strength to not turn back, but to persevere, until he finished them, killing them or wounding them so that they would not be able to rise up again.

(40) "For You have girded me with strength to battle; those who rose up against me You have subdued under me."

David gave all the credit to the Lord as He was the one who gave David the strength to battle his enemies.  It was the Lord who had subdued his enemies under his feet.

(41) "You have also given me the necks of my enemies that I might destroy them who hate me."

The Lord had given David the necks of his enemies that he might destroy them, meaning that he might break their necks and kill them, or in other cases, he might put a yoke upon their necks to make them tributaries.

(42) "They looked, but none to save, to the Lord, but He did not answer them."

David's enemies looked around them for someone to save them, probably crying out to their gods who could not save them.  They even cried out to the one true God, but He would not answer them.

(43) "Then I beat them as small as the dust of the earth; I stamped them as the mire of the street and spread them abroad."

David had beaten his enemies to pieces and scattered them so that they were no more.

(44) "You also have delivered me from the strivings of my people; You have kept me head of the heathen; a people I knew not shall serve me. (45) Strangers shall submit themselves to me; as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient to me. (46) Strangers shall fade away, and they shall be afraid out of their close spaces."

The Lord had saved David from the strife of his own people; He had united Israel again.  He had also made him head of the nations round about Israel; people he had not known would be in subjection to him and obedient to him.  Those nations would fade away as their people would fear to come out of their safe spaces.

(47) "The Lord lives, and blessed my Rock! And exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation!"

The Lord Jehovah lives, and David ascribed blessing, honor, and glory to his Protector, and wished his Savior to be exalted above all others.

(48) "It is God who avenges me and who brings down the people under me, (49) And who brings me forth from my enemies; You also have lifted me up on high above them who rose up against me; You have delivered me from the violent man."

David acknowledged that it was God who avenged the wrong done to him and subdued his enemies.  God alone delivered him from his enemies as he triumphed over those who rose up against him.  He alone lifted David up to the throne when all odds were against him.  He alone had delivered him from the violent man, any man who had been his enemy at the time, or perhaps his meaning was that all his enemies were under the influence of one particular violent man, Satan.

(50) "Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the heathen, and I will sing praises to Your name."

For all the marvelous things the Lord had done for David, he was happy to give thanks and sing praises to Him among all nations.  This could be an allusion to Christ, as in the New Testament, Paul cited scripture very similar to this and ascribed to it prophecy of Christ calling the heathen, the Gentiles (Romans 15:9).

(51) "The tower of salvation for His king, and shows mercy to His anointed, to David, and to his descendants forevermore."

The Lord was David's tower, his rock, his very salvation, and He showed great mercy to him and had promised to do so to his descendants forevermore (2 Samuel 7:13, 1 Chronicles 17:14).

This song of deliverance sung by David was one of those songs of praise David vowed to sing to his Lord, and it would become one of his many psalms, specifically Psalm 18, studied in the next post.

List of David's Mighty Men Ends

Continuing a list of David's mightiest men started and continued in the previous posts:

David's Mightiest Men

The List of David's Mighty Men Continues

(1 Chronicles 11:44) Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jehiel the sons of Hothan the Aroerite, (45) Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite, (46) Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite, (47) Eliel, and Obed, and Jasiel the Mesobaite.

This account in 1 Chronicles 11 added several more names to the 37 named in 2 Samuel 23.  It might be because though they were not among David's thirty mightiest men, they were still men of great valor and renown among David's commanders.  It could also be that when some of the mightiest were killed, others moved up to take their place.  Whatever the reason, they were all mighty men of David who had the honor of having their names recorded forever in the Bible.

The List of David's Mighty Men Continues

Continuing a chronological Bible study and continuing a list of David's mightiest men started in the last post:

David's Mightiest Men

(1 Chronicles 11:35) Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur,

The account in 2 Samuel 23 named another Shammah said to be a Hararite along with Ahiam from the same tribe.  Ahiam's father's name varies a little, Sacar instead of Sharar.  Eliphal would seem to be a variant of Eliphelet from the Samuel account, except that there his father was said to be Ahasbai.  

(36) Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,

From here on the list varies a lot from the list in 2 Samuel 23.  Eliam was skipped and two new names were added.

(37) Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the son of Ezbai,

These appear to be variants of Hezrai and Paarai.

(38) Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Haggeri, 

Igal and Bani were skipped and Joel and Mibhar added.  However, Igal was said to be the son of Nathan, and Joel is Nathan's brother, so it is very likely that one family member died early and the other took his place.  The same might be the case of Bani and Mibhar, as the list returned to the same names after those.

(39) Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armorbearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, (40) Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, (41) Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai, 

The list in 2 Samuel 23 ended with Uriah, 37 mighty men in all.  This list continued with additional mighty men of David beginning with Zabad.

(42) Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a captain of the Reubenites, and thirty with him, (43) Hanan the son of Maachah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite, 

Once again, because Blogger only allows twenty labels per post, this list of David's mightiest warriors ends on one last post:

List of David's Mighty Men Ends

The Rest of David's Mighty Men

These are some of David's most mighty men, a list started in previous posts.  Because Blogger only allows 20 labels per post, these names have been placed on a separate page:

(2 Samuel 23:33) Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, (34) Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, (35) Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, (36) Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, (37) Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armourbearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah, (38) Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite, (39) Uriah the Hittite, thirty-seven in all.

Only 36 mighty men were listed, but their general was Joab, who most certainly would have been counted as one of David's most mighty men, and would bring the number to 37, two groups of three, then thirty, and Joab their general.

Go back to the previous post, David's Mightiest Men

David's Mightiest Men

Continuing a chronological Bible study: 

In the last post began a list of David's most mighty men under his general Joab which had included Adino, Eleazar, Shammah, Abishai, Benaiah, Asahel, Elhanan, Shammoth, and Elika.  The list continued with:

(2 Samuel 23:26) Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, (27) Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, (28) Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, (29) Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, (30) Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash, (31) Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, (32) Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, 

Because Blogger only allows twenty labels per post, the list had to be continued on another post:

And The Rest of David's Mighty Men

(1 Chronicles 11:10) These also are the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom, with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel.

1 Chronicles 11 also listed the chief of the mighty men of David, especially those who had exerted themselves with all Israel to make him king, according to the Lord's word and will.

(11) And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had, Jashobeam, an Hachmonite, the chief of the captains; he lifted up his spear against three hundred killed at one time.

This list named Jashobeam first, rather than Adino as in the list in 2 Samuel 23.  Jashobeam is probably his actual name, as Adino the Eznite was probably a nickname of sorts given to him because he was good with a spear as "Adino" and "Eznite" both referred to a spear.  In the previous account he was said to have killed eight hundred men at one time; here it states three hundred.  Perhaps he fought against eight hundred and personally killed three hundred; I don't really know the reason for the discrepancy.

(12) And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighties. (13) He was with David at Pasdammim, and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle, where was a parcel of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines. (14) And they set themselves in the midst of that parcel, and delivered it, and slew the Philistines; and the LORD saved them by a great deliverance.

The account in 2 Samuel 23 spoke of Eleazar clinging to a sword although his hand was weary striking Philistines, and that it was Shammah who had defended a parcel of lentils, said to be barley here.  Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the Bible, quoted Hebrew scholar Dr. Benjamin Kennicott who said that, "...thirty-four Hebrew words have been lost out of this part of the passage in Chronicles, which are happily preserved in Samuel."  That would account for the discrepancy.

(15) Now three of the thirty captains went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines encamped in the valley of Rephaim. (16) And David was then in the hold, and the Philistines' garrison was then at Bethlehem. (17) And David longed, and said, "Oh, that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, that is at the gate!" (18) And the three broke through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David, but David would not drink of it, but poured it out to the Lord, (19) And said, "My God forbid it me, that I should do this thing; shall I drink the blood of these men who have put their lives in jeopardy? For with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it." Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mightiest.

This same account was recorded in 2 Samuel 23.

(20) And Abishai the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three, for lifting up his spear against three hundred, he killed them and had a name among the three. (21) Of the three, he was more honorable than the two, for he was their captain; however he did not attain to the first three.

Although verse 20 seemed to place Abishai among the aforementioned three, it becomes clear in verse 21 that he was captain over the second set of three as recorded in 2 Samuel 23.

(22) Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many acts; he killed two lionlike men of Moab; also he went down and slew a lion in a pit in a snowy day. (23) And he killed an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high, and in the Egyptian's hand was a spear like a weaver's beam, and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and killed him with his own spear. (24) These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and had the name among the three mighties. (25) Behold, he was honorable among the thirty but did not attain to the first three, and David set him over his guard.

The exploits of Benaiah were repeated from 2 Samuel 23 with a little more detail about the Egyptian he killed.  The man was five cubits high which is about seven and a half feet tall, and his spear was as large as a weaver's beam, but Benaiah wrenched the spear out of the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear.

(26) Also the valiant men of the armies were, Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, (27) Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite, (28) Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Antothite, (29) Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,

Elika (2 Samuel 23:25) was left out of this list, and Sibbecai and Ilai are named instead of Mebunnai and Zalmon.  However, in the case of Mebunnai/Sibbecai and Zalmon/Ilai, they are said to be from the same tribes, Hushthites and Ahohites, so either they were also called by other names, or perhaps the formers died early and were replaced with others from their tribes.

(30) Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite, (31) Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah, of the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite, (32) Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, (33) Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, (34) The sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shage the Hararite,

The list continued with pretty much the same names as in 2 Samuel 23 except for variance in spelling.  However, verse 34 is a bit difficult to discern.  The account in Samuel named Jonathan "of the sons of Jashen."  Since it didn't specifically say he was the son of Jashen, but was of the sons of Jashen, the family of Jashen, then he could have had a father named Shage of the same family, and the two accounts are reconciled.  As with the former list, Blogger only allows twenty labels per post, so the rest of the mighty men will be named on a separate post:

The List of David's Mighty Men Continues

David's Mighty Men

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(1 Kings 11:15) For it came to pass, when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the host had gone up to bury the slain, after he had killed every male in Edom, 

Even though this was written at a much later chronological time, it fills in a little bit of detail about when David, with Joab and Abishai, killed the Edomites (2 Samuel 8:13, Psalm 60:1, 1 Chronicles 18:12).  After his victory over the Edomites, David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of his army, had gone to bury the slain of Israel.

(16) (For six months Joab did remain there with all Israel, until he had cut off every male in Edom), (17) That Hadad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father's servants with him, to go into Egypt, Hadad yet a little child.

Joab and his army had been in Edom for six months until they killed every male in Edom.  However, Hadad, a child of the royal family (1 Kings 11:14), fled into Egypt with his father's servants.

(18) And they arose out of Midian and came to Paran, and they took men with them out of Paran, and they came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house and appointed him victuals and gave him land.

Hadad and his father's servants went to Egypt through Midian and Paran, where they gathered an entourage, and then came to Pharaoh king of Egypt.  Pharaoh gave Hadad provisions and a house and land.

(19) And Hadad found great favor in the sight of Pharaoh so that he gave him as wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen.

As he grew up, Hadad found great favor with Pharaoh, so much so that he gave Hadad the sister of his wife, Queen Tahpenes, to be his wife.

(20) Then the sister of Tahpenes bore him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh’s house; and Genubath was in Pharaoh’s household among the sons of Pharaoh.

Hadad's wife bore him a son, Genubath.  It seems he grew up in Pharaoh's household among the sons of Pharaoh.  

(2 Samuel 23:8) These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: the Tachmonite who sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite, who slew eight hundred at one time.

Here follows a list of the mighty men who fought under David, under his general, Joab.  First was Adino the Eznite, a name that meant something to the effect of a sharp, strong spear, given because he had killed 800 men at one time with a spear.  He was called a Tachmonite, which meant wise.  He was called chief among the captains, but it seems there were three chief captains, of which he was one (2 Samuel 23:18, 1 Chronicles 12:18).

(9) And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines who were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel had gone away. (10) He arose and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword; and the Lord wrought a great victory that day, and the people returned after him only to spoil.

Next was Eleazar, one of three mighty men with David, who alone defied the Philistines who had gathered together to battle Israel when the men of Israel had fled.  It seems he struck the Philistines until his hand was weary, but he clung to his sword, regardless, and the Lord gave them a great victory that day.  The people returned only afterward to plunder.  

(11) And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop where was a piece of ground full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistines. (12) But he stood in the midst of the ground and defended it and killed the Philistines, and the Lord wrought a great victory.

Third there was Shammah who defended a piece of ground full of lentils against the Philistines.  The people had fled, but he stood his ground, defending it, and killing the Philistines.  The Lord wrought a great victory that time, as well.

(13) And three of the thirty chief went down and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam, and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim. (14) And David was then in a hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.

This event that continues following occurred right after David had been anointed king over all of Israel, and the Philistines came up to seek David, and David heard and went down to the hold (2 Samuel 5:17).  Three of David's thirty chief men went to him in the cave of Adullam where he had apparently gone; they were likely the three who were named above, Adino, Eleazar, and Shammah.  The Philistines were then in Bethlehem.

(15) And David longed, and said, "Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate."

David longingly said he wished he could have a drink of the water from the well of Bethlehem which was said to be about three-quarters of a mile to the north of Bethlehem.

(16) And the three mighty men broke through the host of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink of it but poured it out to the Lord.

The three mighty men took it upon themselves to break through the army of the Philistines to go to the well of Bethlehem and bring water back to David.  However, David did not drink it but poured it out before the Lord.

(17) And he said, "Be it far from me, O Lord, that I should do this. Is this not the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?" Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.

Evidently David had not expected anyone to actually go get him water from the well.  He had just meant to express that it would have been welcome at that time.  He felt he could not drink the water because it represented the blood of the men who had risked their lives just to bring him water.  This was another one of the exploits of those three mighty men.  

(18) And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred, killed them, and had the name among three. (19) Was he not most honorable of three? Therefore he was their captain, however, he did not attain to the first three.

Joab's brother Abishai, son of David's sister Zeruiah, was chief among what would appear to be the next group of three of David's mightiest men.  He had killed three hundred men with his spear and had his name among three mighty men.  He was the most honorable of the second set of three named mighty men, so he was their captain.  However, it would seem he came in as David's fourth most mighty man.

(20) And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts; he killed two lionlike men of Moab; he went down also and killed a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow.

Benaiah appears to have been in the second group of three of the mightiest men of David.  He had killed a lion and two lion-like men of Moab.  

(21) And he killed an Egyptian, a goodly man; and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand. But he went down to him with a staff and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear.

The "goodly" Egyptian did not mean he was a good and moral man, but that he was of a goodly size and stature.  He had a spear in his hand, but Benaiah wrenched the spear from his hand and killed him with his own spear.

(22) These things Benaiah, the son of Jehoida, did, and had a name among three mighty men. (23) He was more honorable than the thirty, but he did not attain to the first three. And David set him over his guard.

Because of the things he had done, Benaiah had a name among the second grouping of three mighty men, but he did not attain to the first three.  However, he was more honorable than the next thirty named mighty men, so David set him over his guard, probably a bodyguard.

(24) Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, (25) Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, 

The list of the next thirty mightiest men began with Asahel, Joab's brother, who was killed by Abner (2 Samuel 2:23).  31 men are actually named in these and the following verses.  Because Asahel was killed so early, he was probably replaced by another but deserved his name among the thirty.  Elhanan, a townsman of David, was also among the thirty.  Shammah the Harodite does not appear to be the same Shammah who was in the first group of three mighty men.  When he was mentioned in 1 Chronicles 11:27, he was called Shammoth.  Another man of Harod, Elika, was named among the thirty.

Because Blogger only allows me twenty labels, I will continue this list of David's most mighty men in the next post:

David's Mightiest Men

Thanksgiving for God's Justice and Prayer for Continued Help

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Psalm 9:1) (To the chief musician upon Muthlabben, a psalm of David) I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will show forth all Your marvelous works.

There is no consensus for the meaning of "Muthlabben."  Some assume it was an unknown instrument upon which the psalm was to be played, as other psalms have noted.  Some think it might have been the name of a song to the tune of which this psalm was to be sung.  The meaning of "muth" is "to die," and the root of "labben" means "son," or in a wider sense, perhaps "people" or "nation."  Of course, "die" and "son" immediately make me think of Christ dying for us.  Could this be another prophetic psalm about Christ?

David started his psalm by determining to praise the Lord with all his whole heart and to tell of all the marvelous things He had done.  In the last post, David had just conquered many nations that had infringed on Israel's territory, so he could have very definitely written a psalm of praise and thanksgiving for delivering him through his battles.

(2) I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O You most high.

David would rejoice in the Lord, not in himself or his army or in any instruments of war, but he would sing praises to the most high God from whom all victories came.

(3) When my enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at Your presence.

All of David's enemies had been recently turned back, and they fell and perished as they could not stand in the presence of the Lord and His will, and this would always be the case.

(4) For You have maintained my right and my cause; You sat in the throne judging right.

The Lord had defended and vindicated David's cause, clearly indicating that his cause was just and good.  The Lord as the righteous judge would always judge rightly and could do nothing but.  Although His judgments might not be immediately manifest in the present state of things, David had full faith in His righteous judgment.

(5) You have rebuked the heathen, You have destroyed the wicked, You have put out their name forever and ever. 

The Lord Himself had destroyed the enemies of Israel.  David did not claim that the victory was his.  He gave all credit to the Lord.  These may be prophetic words about Jesus Christ.  Through Jesus, the Lord destroyed the wicked forever. 

(6) O you enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end; and you have destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.

David made his comments to his enemies, telling them their destructions had come to an end forever.  They had destroyed cities that would never be rebuilt or remembered.  Though their wickedness would seem to prevail for a season, through Jesus's death and resurrection, their destructions had a permanent end.

(7) But the Lord shall endure forever; He has prepared His throne for judgment. (8) And He shall judge the world in righteousness; He shall administer judgment to the people in uprightness.

However, the Lord endured forever, and He would righteously judge the wicked.  In fact, He would judge the whole world; He would righteously judge the good and the wicked.

(9) The Lord will also be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. (10) And they who know Your name will put their trust in You, for You, Lord, have not forsaken them who seek You.

The Lord would be a safe refuge for the people who were oppressed by the wicked.  Those who knew the Lord would put their trust in Him because He had never forsaken those who sought Him.  Whether in this life or the next, the Lord would righteously judge the wicked and the oppressed.  The most the wicked can do to us is take our earthly lives, but as Paul said in Philippians 1:21, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."  Dying on earth is actually an advantage in that one's soul goes to a glorious eternal life in heaven.  "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18)

(11) Sing praises to the Lord who dwells in Zion; declare among the people His doings.

David exhorted the people to sing the praises of their Lord who then dwelt in Zion.  They should declare to all the nations the wonderful works of the Lord.

(12) When He makes inquisition for blood, He remembers them; He does not forget the cry of the humble.

Being on this side of Christ, it sometimes makes me uncomfortable to read of vengeance and blood.  Because we have Jesus, we forgive our enemies, because without Him, we would be just as they are, lost souls looking forward to an eternal life in hell.  And that is a very terrible thing to wish on anyone.  However, God can only be righteous and just.  We need to acknowledge that all sins against the innocent are sins against Him!  When evil is done to our Lord, when people blaspheme and do cruel things against Him personally, that is when I get my ire up.  That is when I am most upset, when I see our country doing wickedness in the world and against the innocent, against the laws of God.  That is when I am the most sorry to our Lord.  But vengeance is rightfully the Lord's, and He will be just and right.  There is not a soul on earth who does not have multiple chances to accept the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.  Once they have made their ultimate decision to follow Satan rather than Jesus, they have chosen to follow him into eternity in hell, and God honors that decision and righteously judges them.

(13) Have mercy on me, O Lord; consider my trouble from those who hate me, You who lifts me up from the gates of death, (14) That I may show forth all Your praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion; I will rejoice in Your salvation.

After declaring all the marvelous works of the Lord for His people, David made it personal and asked that the Lord have mercy on him and consider his personal trials.  Again, we see glimpses of Christ.  Through His sacrifice, death, and resurrection, He is the One who lifts us up from the gates of hell; He is the one who gives us salvation.  And in that, David rejoiced and praised the Lord publicly in the gates of Jerusalem.  Note the contrast between the "gates of death" and the "gates of the daughter of Zion," personifying Jerusalem or the people of Israel as God’s cherished daughter.

(15) The heathen are sunk down in the pit they made; in the net which they hid is their own foot taken. (16) The Lord is known by the judgment He executes; the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.

In general, the sense of these two verses is that the wicked would be ensnared in the traps they had set for others.  However, "wicked" is not used in verse 15, but "heathen."  While the words might be interchangeable in the eyes of the children of Israel at the time, a heathen was a Gentile, one who did not acknowledge the God of the Bible.  The heathen might not start out as wicked, but without God to fill the spiritual void, they allow demons to creep in, and then they create idols and worship pagan gods and become ensnared by Satan and his demons, by means of those false idols they created with their own hands.  The Lord is known by the judgment He executes.  His very nature and character is righteous judgment.  A ruler who winked at evil would soon be known by all his subjects to be evil himself, but God is known as a holy and righteous judge.  "Higgaion" means "meditate," and then "selah," pause.  Pause and reflect on the seriousness of the judgment and consequences administered to the heathen.  Jesus Christ came to save heathens from their fate.

(17) The wicked shall be turned into hell, all the nations that forget God.

The wicked will be sent to hell, all those who "forget" God.  To forget God is only possible if one has once known Him.  If they have never been taught and have never known God, such nations cannot forget Him.  Jesus came to save those lost sheep.  But the wicked, it would seem, are those who know God but reject Him, choosing instead to follow antichrists.  Anti-Christ would be anyone or anything that is contrary to or the opposite of Christ.  Wow!  That is worth reflection, that if we aren't following Jesus Christ, we are following the antichrist, and we know where that leads!

(18) For the needy shall not always be forgotten; nor the expectation of the poor perished forever.

I feel like this verse must be viewed in context of Christ.  The fact that we are called to pause and reflect on the serious consequences of being lost to God, being sunk into that terrible pit of hell, but that the poor and needy will not always be forgotten, has to point to the mercy and salvation of David's coming Messiah, Jesus Christ.

(19) Arise, O Lord; do not let man prevail; let the heathen be judged in Your sight. 

David called on the Lord to rise up and not let man prevail, that man of sin, that antichrist.  Although David's meaning may have been righteous judgment on the wicked, the prophetic meaning perhaps unbeknownst to him, might have been that the lost nations be righteously judged when given their freewill choice in the Messiah.  

(20) Put them in fear, O Lord, that the nations may know themselves as only men. Selah.

Whether of his own heart, or by inspiration of God, David seemed to have supposed that if the nations understood that they were only men, they would be humbled and would refrain from wickedness.  He prayed that God would give them reverential fear and show them precisely what they were. If men truly understood this, they would not dare to array themselves against their Maker.  Jesus Christ came that sinful men might have life.  Muthlabben?  The Son died that we might have life!

(Psalm 60:1) (To the chief musician upon Shushaneduth, michtam of David to teach, when he strove with Aram Naharaim and Aram Zobah, when Joab returned and struck of Edom in the valley of salt twelve thousand) O God, You have cast us off, You have scattered us, You have been displeased; O turn Yourself to us again.

David's references appear to place this psalm chronologically after his recent victories, but with some variances and difficulties.  The titles of David's psalms are often mysteries as the meanings are unclear.  Shushaneduth might be a title, or it might be how the psalm was to be played.  The meaning of the original Hebrew is "lily or trumpet (because it is lily-shaped) of testimony."  It was another michtam of David, something of importance he wanted kept, in this case, to teach.  He referenced the time he fought with Aram Naharaim and Aram Zobah.  Aram referred to Syria.  David had just fought in Syria of Zobah.  "Naharaim" means "two rivers;" Syria of the two rivers, said to be the Euphrates and Tigris, does agree with the location of what had just taken place in 2 Samuel 8 and 1 Chronicles 18.  However, we were told in those accounts that it was Abishai who had killed 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt.  Abishai and Joab were brothers, so perhaps they fought together in the Valley of Salt, but I can't reconcile the difference in the number of men killed.

We were told in the accounts in 2 Samuel 8 and 1 Chronicles 18 that the Lord preserved David wherever he went; as a matter of fact, we were told of that fact four times.  Therefore, it doesn't make sense that David would reflect on that time as a time when the Lord had been displeased and cast off the children of Israel.  To presume that David might have been referencing a different time means that it would not chronologically fit here, but this is the order of my study.  Perhaps David spoke of a former time when the Lord appeared to have cast them off because they had failed to occupy the lands He had given them and told them to possess.  They had also fought a civil war among themselves.  Now that David had united the nation of Israel and was attempting to fulfill the Lord's will that they occupy those lands, He desired that the Lord be pleased and turn to His people again.  The Lord preserved David wherever he went, but I suppose scripture didn't specifically speak of what God felt about His people at that time.  He had been disappointed with their lack of faith and with the reign of Saul, but He had now placed His chosen king on the throne, one who desired to do His will.

(2) You have made the earth tremble; You have broken it; heal its breaches, for it shakes.

This may have been a poetical way of saying that the Lord had shaken things up by bringing great changes to the people.

(3) You have shown Your people hard things; You have made us to drink the wine of astonishment.

The Lord had shown His people hard things.  The original Hebrew word "tarelah" that was translated as "astonishment" meant more precisely "reeling, trembling" which might imply astonishment.  The people were reeling with the way the Lord was shaking things up.

(4) You have given a banner to them who fear You, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.

The people who feared God, who had been recently divided, had been united under one banner by Him, that it might be displayed because of His own truth and faithfulness in the performance of His promises.

(5) That Your beloved may be delivered, save with Your right hand and hear me.

David's prayer was for God's people to be delivered, and he asked that He save them with His power and might, represented by His right hand.

(6) God has spoken in His holiness, I will rejoice, "I will divide Shechem and measure out the valley of Succoth. (7) Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is the strength of My head; Judah is My lawgiver; (8) Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out My shoe: Philistia, triumph you because of Me."

David would rejoice that God had spoken, determining that all the land He had originally promised would be brought together under His rule and the rule of His chosen king, David.  That included lands yet to be conquered.

(9) Who will bring me into the strong city? Who will lead me into Edom? (10) Will not You, O God, who had cast us off? And You, O God, who did not go out with our armies?

David asked the rhetorical question of who would lead him to Edom to take it.  There was no one who could do it but God.  In the past God might have cast His people off and not been with their armies, but David was confident that God would do it as He was the only one who could, and it was His will that all the promised land be subdued.

(11) Give us help from trouble, for vain is the help of man. (12) Through God we shall do valiantly, for He shall tread down our enemies.

David prayed for the Lord's help as men alone could not do what was needed.  He was confident that with God, they would be valiant as it would be God Himself who mowed down their enemies.

David's Kingdom Strengthened

Continuing a chronological Bible study: 

(2 Samuel 8:1) And after this, it came to pass that David struck the Philistines and subdued them, and David took Metheg Ammah out of the hand of the Philistines.

David had had a conversation with the prophet Nathan about building the house of God, but the Lord told him through Nathan not to build, that his descendant would build it, and that He would establish his kingdom forever.  It seems David's rest from his enemies was a short one, and he was soon back to war.  David took Metheg Ammah out of the hand of the Philistines.  Comparing the same incident in 1 Chronicles 18, we learn David actually took Gath and her towns.  Metheg Ammah doesn't appear to be the name of a city but rather means something to the effect of "bridle of the metropolis."  It was probably an epithet of Gath.  The Latin Vulgate, a 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible, expounded to write that David removed the bondage of the tribute which the Israelites paid to the Philistines.  This map borrowed from BibleStudy.org shows the location of Gath in relation to Jerusalem:

(2) And he struck Moab and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became David's servants and brought gifts.

David then struck Moab.  There seems to be no consensus on the exact meaning of this verse, but it appears that David killed two-thirds of the Moabites and kept one third of them as servants who brought David gifts, probably meaning they were obliged to pay tribute.  Jewish writers have asserted that the reason for the severe treatment of these people was their having massacred David’s parents whom he had, during his exile, committed to the king of Moab (1 Samuel 22:3).  Although the Bible does not record this, David's parents were never mentioned again after he left them in the king's care.  This map borrowed from The Jordan Valley shows Moab and actually all the areas where David expanded his kingdom:  

(3) David struck also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates.

Whether it was when Hadadezer went to recover part of his dominion that had fallen to someone else, or perhaps what is meant is that David was the one who went to recover his border as God had promised Abraham land to the river Euphrates (Genesis 15:18), either way, that is when David struck Hadadezer.

(4) And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen; and David houghed all the chariots but reserved of them a hundred chariots.

David took from Hadadezer a thousand chariots, seven hundred horsemen (or rather perhaps seven hundred companies of horsemen as the same account in 1 Chronicles 18 says 7000 horsemen), and 20,000 footmen.  He disjointed all the chariots except for a hundred of them.

(5) And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David killed of the Syrians twenty-two thousand men.

The Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, but David and his army killed 22,000 of them.

(6) Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus, and the Syrians became servants to David and brought gifts. And the Lord preserved David wherever he went.

David put garrisons in that part of Syria where Damascus was, and the Syrians became servants to David and brought gifts, which again I believe means they were subject to Israel and paid tribute.  The Lord preserved and protected David wherever he went.

(7) And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. (8) And from Betah, and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, king David took exceeding much brass.

David took the gold shields that were on Hadadezer's servants, most likely soldiers, and brought them back to Jerusalem.  He also took a great deal of brass from the cities of Hadadezer.

(9) When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had struck all the host of Hadadezer, (10) Then Toi sent Joram his son to King David to salute him and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and struck him, for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. And Joram brought with him vessels of silver and vessels of gold and vessels of brass,

When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had struck down Hadadezer's army, he was apparently glad because Hadadezer had had wars with Toi.  He sent his son Joram to greet and offer blessings to King David and to bring him gifts of gold, silver, and brass.

(11) Which also King David did dedicate to the Lord, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all nations which he subdued, (12) Of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

David took those gifts of gold, silver, and brass, and dedicated them to the Lord, along with all the spoil he had taken from all the nations he had subdued, from Syria, Moab, Ammon, Philistia, Amalek, and Hadadezer of Zobah.

(13) And David got a name when he returned from striking of the Syrians in the valley of salt, eighteen thousand.

David had made a name for himself when he returned from striking the Syrians in the valley of salt.  Verse 5 said that David had killed 22,000 Syrians of Damascus.  However, according to the map above, the Valley of Salt is in the southwestern corner in the lands of Amalek and Edom.  The Syrians may have been confederates of the Edomites, and David struck 18,000 more of them in the Valley of Salt.

(14) And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, and all they of Edom became David's servants. And the Lord preserved David wherever he went.

David also put garrisons throughout Edom, and the people of Edom also became subjects of Israel.  Once again, we are told that the Lord protected and preserved David wherever he went.

(1 Chronicles 18:1) Now after this, it came to pass that David struck the Philistines and subdued them and took Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines.

The account of David's battles to expand his kingdom are also told in 1 Chronicles 18.  David took Gath and her towns from the Philistines.

(2) And he struck Moab, and the Moabites became David's servants and brought gifts. (3) And David struck Hadarezer king of Zobah to Hamath, as he went to establish his dominion by the river Euphrates.

David struck the Moabites and made them tributaries.  He also struck the king of Zobah called Hadarezer here instead of Hadadezer.

(4) And David took from him a thousand chariots and seven thousand horsemen and twenty thousand footmen. David also houghed all the chariots but reserved of them a hundred chariots. (5) And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadarezer king of Zobah, David killed of the Syrians twenty-two thousand men. (6) Then David put garrisons in Syria Damascus, and the Syrians became David's servants and brought gifts. Thus the Lord preserved David wherever he went.

The account continues pretty much word for word as the account in 2 Samuel 8.

(7) And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadarezer and brought them to Jerusalem. (8) Likewise from Tibhath and from Chun, cities of Hadarezer, brought David very much brass, with which Solomon made the bronze sea and the pillars and the vessels of brass.

David brought the gold shields of the servants of Hadarezer to Jerusalem, along with a lot of brass he got from some of his cities, two different ones named than the ones in the account in 2 Samuel 8.  This account added that King Solomon later used the brass to make articles for the temple.

(9) Now when Tou king of Hamath heard how David had struck all the host of Hadarezer king of Zobah, (10) He sent Hadoram his son to King David to enquire of his welfare and to congratulate him because he had fought against Hadarezer and defeated him (for Hadarezer had war with Tou) and all manner of vessels of gold and silver and brass.

In this account the king of Hamath was called Tou rather than Toi, and his son was called Hadoram rather than Joram, but other than that, the account is pretty much the same.

(11) Them also King David dedicated to the Lord, with the silver and the gold that he brought from all nations, from Edom, and from Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek.

David dedicated all the silver and gold he had gotten from all the nations he had subdued, to the Lord.

(12) Moreover Abishai the son of Zeruiah killed of the Edomites in the valley of salt eighteen thousand. (13) And he put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became David's servants. Thus the Lord preserved David wherever he went.

This account states it was actually Abishai, the son of David's sister Zeruiah, who led the army who killed the 18,000 men in the Valley of Salt.  Then David put garrisons in all of Edom, and the Edomites became tributaries.  Again, the Lord preserved David wherever he went.