Happy People Whose God is the Lord

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Psalm 144:1) (A Psalm of David) Blessed the Lord my strength who teaches my hands to war, my fingers to fight.

Psalm 144 begins with the same sentiments and even some of the very same words as Psalm 18 and David's song from 2 Samuel 22, so it is reasonable to think he may have composed it around the same time.  David began by praising the Lord whom he credited with being his strength and the one who brought him from a poor shepherd to be a valiant warrior and mighty conqueror. 

(2) My goodness and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer, my shield and in whom I trust, who subdues my people under me.

The Lord was everything to David!  Not only was He his strength, but his goodness; all good things come from the Lord, and in Him and by following His commandments, we can be good.  The Lord was David's fortress, his refuge and protection, and his high tower where the Lord lifted him up out of reach of his enemies.  He was his deliverer and his Savior, and His salvation and favor was a shield to him, protecting him from danger and evil.  He trusted in his Lord alone, not in men or princes (Psalm 118:8-9), the Lord who subdued his people under his reign, the Israelites and the surrounding nations who were tributaries to him.

(3) Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man that You make account of him?

This is a thought David had pondered before in Psalm 8.  He marveled that the Lord should take notice of one such insignificant person.  Even more incredible was that He should regard the eventual sons of man who would seem even more insignificant at the present time.

(4) Man is like vanity, his days like a shadow that passes away.

Man is utterly vain and empty, nothing, a shadow that has no substance that quickly and easily passes away, yet the Lord was mindful of him.

(5) Bow Your heavens, O Lord, and come down; touch the mountains and they shall smoke. (6) Cast forth lightning and scatter them; shoot out Your arrows and destroy them.

The heavens are subject to God's will.  He can bow them down and come in a dreadful force of nature with storm clouds, thunder, and lightning.  He can make the mountains smoke, and He can scatter and destroy men, specifically His enemies.

(7) Send Your hand from above; rid me and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children, (8) Whose mouth speaks vanity, and their right hand a hand of falsehood.

David prayed that the Lord send from heaven deliverance and rid him of his great afflictions and from the hand of foreigners and pagan nations who spoke only vain things, false things, things not real and true; they performed only deceits and falsehoods.

(9) I will sing a new song to You, O God; upon a psaltery, an instrument of ten strings, will I sing praises to You.

David determined to sing a new song to the Lord, a song specially composed for this occasion, expressing the special feelings appropriate for the divine goodness and mercy of the Lord.  He would play upon a psaltery of ten strings to sing praises to his Lord.

(10) He who gives salvation to kings, who delivers David His servant from the hurtful sword.

David would sing praises to the One who gave salvation to kings.  It is only by Him that kings were able to reign, and He had delivered David from being killed by his enemies to bring him to the throne of Israel.

(11) Rid me and deliver me from the hand of strange children whose mouth speaks vanity, and their right hand a right hand of falsehood.

David repeated his plea that God rid him and deliver him from the hand of foreigners and pagan nations who spoke only vain things and false things, and whose hands performed only deceits and falsehoods.

(12) That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth, that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace.

David prayed these things not only for his sake, but for the sake of the nation, its people, and their children.  He desired that their sons might be like strong, well rooted young plants, which promised great things.  He desired that their daughters be strong and beautiful.

(13) Our garners may be full, affording all manner of store; our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets.

David prayed that their granaries always be full of every sort of produce or grain, and that their sheep herds increase to tens of thousands.

(14) Our oxen may be strong to labor, no breaking in nor going out, no complaining in our streets.

He prayed that their oxen be strong for all their needs, that there would be no enemies breaking in nor any of their people going out captive, and that the people would be content because there would be no famine, pestilence, violence, or oppression, to make them cry out and complain.

(15) Happy people who are in such a case, happy people whose God is the Lord.

Such blessings of the Lord produced happy people.  The people whose God is the Lord are happy people because His truth and His laws are the only way to blessings and life.  As the Lord said through Moses in Deuteronomy 30:19-20, "...I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live, that you may love the Lord your God, and that you may obey His voice, and that you may cleave to Him, for He is your life..." 

David's Psalm of Deliverance

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Psalm 18:1) (To the chief musician, of David, the servant of the Lord, who spoke to the Lord the words of this song in the day the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said,) "I will love You, O Lord, my strength."

The song that David spoke to the Lord in 2 Samuel 22, after the Lord had delivered him from his enemies round about and preserved him as he enlarged his kingdom, became the 18th Psalm.  David prefaced it by first declaring his love for his Lord whom he considered his very strength.  He could not have accomplished his victories without Him.

(2) The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust, my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.

The Lord was David's rock, his unmoving support, his fortress and defense and protection, and also his deliverer, delivering him out of the hands of danger and his enemies.  He would trust in the Lord, his very strength, his shield, and the horn of his salvation as the horn of a wild beast that pushes, scatters, and destroys its enemies, and saves him.  He was his high tower, not only his place of defense, but out of reach of his enemies and where he could easily see danger approaching.

(3) I will call upon the Lord to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.

David would call upon his Lord in times of need, the Lord who was worthy to be praised because of His goodness and mercy, and He would save him from his enemies.

(4) The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.

Dangerous and deadly troubles surrounded David, and ungodly men came upon him like a flood and made him afraid.

(5) The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me.

As explored in the song in 2 Samuel 22, the word translated as "sorrows" meant more specifically "cords" and by implication, might indicate "sorrows."  But the meaning is more like the cords of hell were pulling David down, and the snares of deadly traps confronted him.

(6) In my distress I called upon the Lord and cried to my God; He heard my voice out of His temple, and my cry came before Him into His ears.

When in distress, David had called upon his Lord who heard him from His heavenly temple.

(7) Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken because He was angry.

Then God in His anger appeared on David's behalf in a glorious manner, to the terror and confusion of all his enemies, which is compared to an earthquake.

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

All these seem to be figurative expressions denoting the greatness of God's anger.

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

By producing thick and dark clouds, the heavens would seem to come down to the earth.  The Lord would be enveloped in the darkness as no one is able to see Him, but His presence would undoubtedly be known.

(10) And He rode upon a cherub and did fly; yea, He did fly upon the wings of the wind.

God rode upon His cherubs, elsewhere called His chariots (Psalm 68:17).  I believe the sense is that He used His thousands of angels to exact His will, and everything is at His disposal as is the wind.

(11) He made darkness His secret place; His pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

Again, the Lord was enveloped in the darkness, thick clouds and dark watery fog, as no one is able to see Him.

(12) At the brightness before Him, His thick clouds passed, hail and coals of fire. (13) The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave His voice, hail and coals of fire.

The Lord is pictured as coming in a violent storm.  He was enveloped in darkness and then shot out bright lightning.  He thundered in the heavens and rained down hailstones and coals of fire.

(14) Yea, He sent out His arrows and scattered them, and He shot out lightnings and discomfited them.

The Lord sent out His thunderbolts and lightning and confused and scattered His enemies.

(15) Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at Your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.

The unseen places were revealed when the Lord blasted His rebuke.

(16) He sent from above, He took me, He drew me out of many waters. (17) He delivered me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.

David gave all credit to the Lord for lifting him out of his troubles and delivering him from his enemies, for he knew they were too strong for him to have done it on his own.

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

David's enemies had confronted him and intercepted his way in his time of distress, but the Lord was his support.

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

The Lord brought David into a wide open place of freedom from his straits.  It pleased the Lord to deliver David, the man He had chosen to lead His people, the man after His own heart.

(20) The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands has he recompensed me. (21) For I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God. (22) For all His judgments were before me, and I did not put away His statutes from me. (23) I was also upright before Him, and I kept myself from my iniquity. (24) Therefore has the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His eyesight.

David made it sound like it was because of his own goodness that the Lord rewarded him and delivered him.  It was not because of David's works but because of his heart that wanted to follow his Lord; that is what the Lord rewarded.  However, I give David a little leniency here because before Jesus, all people had was God's law and His commandments to obey them, and he desired to do that because he loved his Lord, and that was what pleased the Lord and made Him delight in saving him.

(25) With the merciful, You will show Yourself merciful; with an upright man You will show Yourself upright. (26) With the pure You will show Yourself pure, and with the froward, You will show Yourself froward.

The Lord metes to everyone the same measure which he metes out to others (Luke 6:38), and therefore He will perform mercy and truth to those who are merciful and true to others.  However, that means He will also be contrary to those who are contrary to Him.

(27) For You will save the afflicted people but will bring down high looks.

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

(28) For You will light my candle; the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.

The Lord would light David's candle as He was the light of his life.  He would enlighten his darkness, shedding light on his paths, imparting His light to David's understanding.

(29) For by You I have run through a troop, and by my God I have leaped over a wall.

I believe the sense is that David had been able to break through the armed troops of his enemies and to scale the walls of their strongest fortresses because God had led and enabled him.

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

The Lord's way is perfect and just.  His word has been tried and tested throughout the ages and has been proven to be true.  Therefore, it is easy to have full trust in Him, and He is a shield and defense and protection to all those who do trust in Him.

(31) For who is God, save the Lord? Or who is a rock, save our God? (32) God, who girds me with strength and makes my way perfect.

David asked the rhetorical question about who was the one true God of the universe?  It could be no one except his Lord Jehovah.  No one else was the solid rock of shelter and protection.  It was only God who gave him strength and made his ways perfect.  No other silly god could do what his God, the one true God, could do.

(33) He makes my feet like hinds' and sets me upon my high places. (34) He teaches my hands to war so that a bow of steel is broken by my arms.

The Lord had made David's feet as swift and sure as deer's feet and set him on high out of reach of his enemies.  He taught him how to war against his enemies, leading him in the way of the Lord who would achieve victory for him.

(35) You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your right hand has held me up, and Your gentleness has made me great.

The Lord had shielded David and saved him.  In a larger sense, He gave him the salvation that meant eternal life.  The Lord had sustained David in times of trouble, and His kindness, gentleness, and patience, had made David great.  He had brought him up from a low estate to be king of Israel.

(36) You have enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.

The Lord had made ample room for David's feet to walk without hindrance or obstruction.

(37) I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them; neither did I turn again till they were consumed. (38) I have wounded them that they were not able to rise; they are fallen under my feet.

David had pursued his enemies and overtaken them.  He did not turn back until they were destroyed.  Whether he killed them or just wounded them, they were no longer able to rise up against him.  They had fallen under him.

(39) For You have girded me with strength to the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me. (40) You have also given me the necks of my enemies that I might destroy them who hate me.

David gave all credit to the Lord for giving him strength for the battles and for subduing his enemies.  The Lord Himself had given David the necks of his enemies, either to kill them or to put a yoke upon their necks to make them tributaries.

(41) They cried but none to save, to the Lord but He did not answer them.

David's enemies had cried out to their gods, but there were none who could save them.  They even tried crying out to David's God, the one true God, but He would not answer them.

(42) Then I beat them small as the dust before the wind; I cast them out as the dirt in the streets.

David beat his enemies and scattered them like dust in the wind.  He cast them out as dirt in the streets, disorganized, scattered, and left to be trodden down.

(43) You have delivered me from the strivings of the people; You have made me the head of the heathen; a people I have not known shall serve me.

The Lord had delivered David from the strivings of his own people.  He had united Israel again under David.  He had made him the head of the nations surrounding Israel; as tributaries, people he had never known would serve him.

(44) As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me; the strangers shall submit themselves to me. (45) The strangers shall fade away and be afraid out of their close spaces.

As soon as his tributaries understood David's command, they would instantly comply with it.  Foreign nations would fear David and diminish in numbers and in power until they completely faded away.

(46) The Lord lives, and blessed, my Rock, and let the God of my salvation be exalted.

The Lord Jehovah lives and is to be praised and blessed.  He was David's rock, his refuge and protector, the source of all his help and salvation.  He alone should be exalted above all.

(47) God who avenges me and subdues the people under me, (48) He delivers me from my enemies; yea, You lift me up above those who rise up against me; You have delivered me from the violent man.

God alone was the one who avenged David and subdued the people under him.  He delivered him from his enemies, lifting him up out of reach of those who rose up against him.  He delivered him from the violent man, which being singular, might mean the one behind all the enemies of David, Israel, and the Lord, Satan.

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

Because of all the great and wonderful things his Lord had done, David would sing His praises to all, even the heathen.  This may be prophecy about Jesus Christ that the apostle Paul would later quote as being proof that the calling of the Gentiles (the heathen) was predicted, and that what then took place during his time was the fulfillment of that prediction.

(50) Great deliverance He gives to His king and shows mercy to His anointed, to David, and to his descendants forevermore.

The Lord had given David deliverance and continued to show mercy to the one He had chosen to be king of Israel, David.  He would continue to show that mercy to his descendants forevermore as He promised him in 1 Chronicles 17:14.

This psalm was the same song of David from 2 Samuel 22 with very few differences.  The Jewish rabbis have counted 74 differences between the two, most of them very minute.  It is supposed that David himself may have changed it slightly when he sent this psalm to the chief musician.

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