The Lord's Covenant with David

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(2 Samuel 6:20) Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, "How glorious was the king of Israel today who uncovered himself today in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!"

As David brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord into Jerusalem, he ditched his royal robes, wore a linen ephod, and danced with all his might before the Lord (2 Samuel 6:14).  His first wife Michal had watched him from a window and had much disdain for him (2 Samuel 6:16).  Now that the ark was in its place and the celebration had ended, David returned to his house to bless it.  Michal came out to meet him and spoke in an ironical jeering way, meaning the reverse, how inglorious was the king who had put off his royal robes and danced in the street like some low-life commoner.  Her words oozed with contempt, not only for David, but for the people she felt were beneath her class.

(21) And David said to Michal, "It was before the Lord who chose me before your father and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel; therefore will I play before the Lord."

David told Michal he had acted as he had for the Lord, in gratitude and humility for appointing him to be the king of Israel.  He seems to have made it a point to humble her pride by saying that the Lord had chosen him over her father and over his household.  He also made a point of saying he would continue to praise and glorify the Lord with all his might, in any way the Spirit moved him, and would not consider it beneath his dignity. 

(22) "And I will yet be more vile than this and will be base in my own sight, and of the maidservants which you have spoken of, of them shall I be had in honor."

David continued by telling Michal that if she considered his behavior vile that day, he would be even more vile in the future, humbling himself all the more, believing he could never condescend too low to exalt the Lord.  And as for the handmaidens she had spoken of, he would be content with the honor they would give him as he lowered himself to their level, at least that was the way Michal saw it.

(23) Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

Michal never had any children, partly because David probably had nothing more to do with her intimately since she despised him so, but maybe more so by God's judgment against her and possibly the fact that He would not have the descendants of David mixed with the descendants of Saul.

(2 Samuel 7:1) And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the Lord had given him rest round about from all his enemies, (2) That the king said to Nathan the prophet, "See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within curtains."

David was then at peace in his palace made of cedar logs that Hiram king of Tyre had sent him, along with builders to build him a house (2 Samuel 5:11).  He spoke to a prophet Nathan who would become one of David's closest advisors.  It did not seem right to David that he should dwell in his nice cedar house while the ark of God dwelt in a tent with curtains for walls.

(3) And Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you."

At this point, Nathan told the king to go ahead and do whatever was in his heart to do, for the Lord was with him.  While the Lord was indeed with David, it turns out that it was not the Lord's will for David to build Him a house.

(1 Chronicles 17:1) Now it came to pass, as David sat in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, "Lo, I dwell in a house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under curtains." (2) Then Nathan said to David, "Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you."

1 Chronicles 17 told of the same incident.

(2 Samuel 7:4) And it came to pass that night, that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, (5) "Go and tell My servant David, thus says the Lord, 'Shall you build me a house for Me to dwell in?'"

That night the word of the Lord came to Nathan and told him to go to David and tell him His words that began by asking if it was David's intention to build Him a house.

(6) "'Whereas I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.'"

The word of the Lord continued to instruct Nathan on what he was to say to David, that ever since He had brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, to this day, He had never dwelt in a permanent house but had dwelt in a tent or tabernacle as it moved from place to place.

(7) "'In all where I have walked with all the children of Israel, have I spoke a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed My people, saying, "Why do you not build Me a house of cedar?"'"

The Lord's words continued with what Nathan was to tell David.  He asked if in all the years He had walked with the children of Israel, had He ever told any of the rulers of the tribes that He wanted them to build a permanent house for Him?

(8) "Now therefore, so shall you say to My servant David, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, "I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel, (9) And I was with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies out of your sight and have made you a great name like to the name of the great who are on the earth."'"

Nathan was to tell David the Lord's words that He had taken him from being a shepherd to be the ruler over His people Israel, and He had been with him all the while during his journey to actually taking the throne, cutting off all his enemies and building his reputation as one of the greatest men in the world.

(10) "'"Moreover, I will appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them anymore as before; (11) And as since the time that I commanded judges over My people Israel and have caused you to rest from all your enemies."' Also the Lord tells you that He will make you a house."

Through the Lord's words Nathan was to tell David, the Lord was appointing the place where His people Israel could rest in their own place and have no need to move anymore.  He had promised them the land of Canaan, but they had not been entirely alone and were much distressed by the former inhabitants of the land.  The clauses are a bit difficult to navigate, but I believe the sense is that although the children of Israel had been in their promised land for a while, now with this kingdom of David, the Lord would establish His people in their land and give them peace from all their enemies.  And to David, He would make a great house, a kingdom.

(12) "'And when your days be fulfilled and you shall sleep with your fathers, I will set up your descendant after you who shall proceed out of your body, and I will establish his kingdom.'"

When the days of David's life were fulfilled, and he was laid to rest with his forefathers, then the Lord would set up his descendant after him, one who "shall proceed" from him, meaning a future descendant, and the Lord would establish that descendant's kingdom.

(13) "'He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.'"

The Lord said that that descendant of David's, whom we know to be Solomon, would be the one to build the Lord's house for the honor and glory of His name, and He would establish the throne of that descendant's kingdom forever, and that is because the Messiah would descend from him, and His reign would be forever.

(14) "'I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the children of men, (15) But My mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took from Saul whom I put away before you.'"

The Lord would be as a father to David's descendant, chastising him when necessary by the means of men, but His mercy would always be with him.  He would never take His mercy away from David's descendant as He had removed it from Saul when He removed him from the throne in favor of David.

(16) "'And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you; your throne shall be established forever.'"

The Lord promised David that his house and his kingdom would be established forever.  And that's a promise that could not be made to any earthly king except for the one from whose line would come the Messiah.  How blessed was David to have this special covenant with his Lord!

(17) According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

Nathan told David all the words of the Lord that he had seen and heard in a vision, even though it contradicted what he had told David before.  Nathan was a Godly prophet who was faithful to the word of God.

The same incident was recorded in 1 Chronicles 17:

(1 Chronicles 17:3) And it came to pass the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, (4) "Go and tell David My servant, 'Thus says the Lord, "You shall not build Me a house to dwell in, (5) For I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up Israel to this day, but have gone from tent to tent and from tabernacle. (6) Wherever I have walked with all Israel, did I speak a word to any of the judges of Israel whom I commanded to feed My people, saying, 'Why have you not built me a house of cedars?'"' (7) Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, "I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, that you should be ruler over My people Israel."'"

This account varies little from the account in 2 Samuel 7.  At this point, I was struck by another observation that didn't hit me in the other account.  David in the Old Testament was said to be a type of Christ, his throne a precursor for Christ the King who would sit on David's throne forever.  God called David from a shepherd of sheep to be a shepherd of His people.  Jesus called His disciples from fishermen of fish to be fishers of men (Matthew 4:19).

(8) "'"And I have been with you wherever you have walked and have cut off all your enemies from before you and have made you a name like the name of the great men who are in the earth. (9) Also I will ordain a place for My people Israel and will plant them, and they shall dwell in their place and shall be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness waste them anymore, as at the beginning, (10) And since the time that I commanded judges over My people Israel. Moreover I will subdue all your enemies."' Furthermore I tell you that the Lord will build you a house. (11) '"And it shall come to pass, when your days are expired that you must go with your fathers, that I will raise up your seed after you, which shall be of your sons, and I will establish his kingdom. (12) He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. (13) I will be his father, and he shall be My son, and I will not take My mercy away from him, as I took from him who was before you, (14) But I will settle him in My house and in My kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forevermore."'" (15) According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak to David.

Again, these are pretty much the same words as in the account in 2 Samuel 7 with little variance.

(2 Samuel 7:18) Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said, "Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far?"

David went into the tabernacle he had prepared for the ark and sat before the Lord.  In humility, he asked the Lord why he, a sinful unworthy creature, and his family, should be given all the blessings and honor the Lord had given him thus far.

(19) "And this was yet a small thing in Your sight, O Lord God, but You have spoken also of Your servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of men, O Lord God?"

Bringing David to the throne thus far was a small thing compared to the future kingdom of his house the Lord promised would be forevermore.  Then David asked a rhetorical question, if similar treatment to such an inferior as David was to God, would ever be done by men, and the obvious answer was no, so he marveled that the Lord would do so for him.

(20) "And what can David say more to You? For You, Lord God, know Your servant."

What more could David say?  Words could not express his sense of humble gratitude, but the Lord knew his heart.

(21) "For Your word's sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all these great things to make Your servant know."

For the sake of the Lord's word that David would be made king and his kingdom established forevermore, and according to His heart, His own pleasure, mercy, and grace, and not according to any merits or deeds of David, the Lord had done all these great things.  And He had let David know the future plans He had for David's kingdom through these words he had just received from Nathan.

(22) "Therefore You are great, O Lord God, for none is like You, neither any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears."

The translation "therefore" just doesn't sit well with me.  What?  Because God did all these wonderful things for David, therefore He is great?  Actually, there were two words that were translated as "therefore," "al" meaning "on account of" and "ken" meaning "rightly, so."  I can see why the translators used "therefore" and "wherefore," but I rather think it was intended to be more like "on account of Your being great, O Lord, it rightly follows You have done all these great things."  Because God's very nature is greatness and goodness, He can be nothing but, and there is no all-good, all-powerful, all-seeing, God, but Him.  David understood that, not only because of what the Lord had done for him, but for everything people had heard about in history, like God's deliverance of His people from Egypt.

(23) "And what one nation in the earth is like Your people, like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to Himself and to make Him a name and to do for You great things and terrible, for Your land, before Your people whom You redeemed to You from Egypt, the nations and their gods?"

David asked the rhetorical question of what nation in all the earth was like Israel, the people God chose to make His people, whom He went to Egypt to deliver out of bondage, to make His great name known and glorified, as well as His people's, because of all the great and awesome things He did and they did through Him, for His promised land, the land He promised for His people, those miraculous things He did when redeeming His people from Egypt, as well as from the Canaanite nations and their gods.

(24) "For You have confirmed to Yourself Your people Israel a people to You forever, and You, Lord, have become their God."

The Lord had confirmed for Himself His people Israel, not for anything they had done, but just because He chose them.  He chose them to be His people forever and made a covenant with them that they would make Him their God, following only Him and His word and His commandments.

(25) "And now, O Lord God, the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house, establish it forever and do as You have said."

David prayed that the Lord do as He promised.  My first reaction was why?  God had already said that He would.  But those covenants with God are two-sided and conditional, and it appears that David realized that.  If he or his posterity after him did not walk with God, they would be driven from the throne.  Therefore, he prayed that these things would indeed be established forever.

A flood of thoughts come to me regarding this.  I find myself accepting a word from God as a done deal, or that is my goal, so I do not have to constantly pray for it.  However, Ezekiel 36:37 says, "Thus says the Lord God, 'I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them...'"  This was after promises He had made for His people.  He had promised, but He still would be inquired of by the people.  This seems to imply that He wants us to continually pray for the thing He has promised.  I can see that this makes us conscious of the fact that it is only through Him that those promises are fulfilled, and it keeps us ever dependent on Him, our only source of life and salvation.  

However, somehow I believe those promises God makes will be fulfilled, regardless of what we do.  We might just not be a part of it.  Even though the people and even David's descendant kings rebelled against God, God still established His kingdom forever through Jesus Christ, the Messiah.  He just did it without His people Israel, but we should be ever thankful that it worked out the way it did.  That was the only way that we Gentiles were able to be grafted into the house of God's people.

(26) "And let Your name be magnified forever, saying, 'The Lord of hosts is the God over Israel,' and let the house of Your servant David be established before You."

David desired that those things the Lord promised would magnify and glorify God, and that the world would recognize that the one true God of all the universe was over Israel and protected and blessed its people.  Once again, David prayed that the Lord's word that his house would be established before Him would come to fulfillment.

(27) "For You, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, have revealed to Your servant, saying, 'I will build you a house.' Therefore has Your servant found in his heart to pray this prayer to You."

Because the all-powerful, sovereign, one true God of the universe, and God over Israel, had blessed him so by telling him He would build his house, his heart overflowed with feelings he had to pour out to God.  John Wesley wrote, "That prayer that is found in the tongue only will not please God. It must be found in the heart. That must be lifted up and poured out before God."  I would add what Paul said in Romans 8:26, "Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."  Those are the things of the heart, not just vain repetitions (Matthew 6:7).

(28) "And now, O Lord God, You are that God, and Your words be true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant."

David professed that his Lord was that one true Lord of hosts, God of the universe, and God of Israel, and His words were always true.  That is God's very nature; He can be nothing but true.  And He had promised these good things to David.

(29) "Therefore now let it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You, for You, O Lord God, have spoken, and with Your blessing, let the house of Your servant be blessed forever."

Finally, David prayed that it be acceptable and pleasing to the Lord to bless his house that it might continue forever.  For it to be pleasing to the Lord, David and his house must continue to follow their Lord, so in a sense, he was praying that they all be acceptable to the Lord so that He would be pleased to bless them.  However, they didn't all hold up their end of the covenant, but the Lord had spoken, and the house of David would be blessed forever with the coming Messiah.  And that certainly pleased the Lord!  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)  "Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand."  (Isaiah 53:10)  Because God loved His sinful creation so much, it pleased Him to have Christ die for us to save us!  And what is even more incredible, although it is hard to imagine anything more incredible, is that God Himself came down to the earth in the human form of Jesus to save us!  (John 1:1, John 10:30, Colossians 1:15-17, Isaiah 9:6)  It pleased God to die for us!  "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)

(1 Chronicles 17:16) And David the king came and sat before the Lord, and said, "Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far?" 

1 Chronicles 17 also told of David's thankful prayer to the Lord in response to Nathan's vision.

(17) "And yet this was a small thing in Your eyes, O God, for You have spoken of Your servant's house for a great while to come and have regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O Lord God. (18) What can David speak more to You for the honor of Your servant? For You know Your servant. (19) O Lord, for Your servant's sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness, in making known all these great things. (20) O Lord, there is none like You, neither any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. (21) And what one nation in the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be His own people, to make You a name of greatness and terribleness, by driving out nations from before Your people whom You have redeemed out of Egypt? (22) For Your people Israel did You make Your own people forever, and You Lord became their God. (23) Therefore now, Lord, let the thing that You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house be established forever, and do as You have said. (24) Let it even be established that Your name may be magnified forever, saying, 'The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, is a God to Israel.' And let the house of David Your servant be established before You."

These are pretty much the same words with little variance as in 2 Samuel 7:19-26.  Verse 26 had said, "The Lord of hosts is the God over Israel."  1 Chronicles 17:24 seems to repeat itself, "...the God of Israel, is a God to Israel."  I believe the sense is that the Self-identified God of Israel, what God called Himself, truly was what He called Himself, a God to Israel, having taken such good care of them, providing for them, delivering them from danger, and preserving them.

(25) "For You, O my God, have told Your servant that You will build him a house; therefore Your servant has found in his heart to pray before You. (26) And now, Lord, You are God, and have promised this goodness to Your servant. (27) Now therefore, let it please You to bless the house of Your servant that it may be before You forever, for You blessed, O Lord, and blessed forever."

The Lord had blessed David's house and had blessed it forever, to be blessed forever, and David prayed that that would be always pleasing to the Lord to do so.  Of course, that would be eternally pleasing to the Lord through Jesus Christ.

The King of Glory Entering Zion

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(2 Samuel 6:16) And as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart.

David, with a large and loud procession, was finally bringing the ark of the Lord to its resting place in the city of David.  His first wife, Michal, Saul's daughter, watched from a window and saw David leaping and dancing before the Lord.  She despised him in her heart probably because she thought such behavior was beneath the dignity of the king.  She appears to have the same distant relationship with the Lord as did her father and did not understand the love and joy David had for Him.

(17) And they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.

David had prepared a place for the ark and pitched for it a tent (1 Chronicles 15:1).  Those who bore the ark on their shoulders now brought it and set it down in that place.  David then offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.

(2 Chronicles 1:4) But the ark of God David had brought up from Kirjath Jearim to the place David had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem.

David had brought the ark of the Lord from Kirjath Jearim to the place he had prepared for it in Jerusalem.

(Psalm 15:1) (A Psalm of David) Lord, who shall abide in Your tabernacle? Who shall dwell in Your holy hill?

It is reasonable to assume that David may have composed this short psalm when he had moved the ark of God to Zion.  He contemplated who should be able to dwell in the Lord's tabernacle and who should dwell in the holy hill of Zion.

(2) He who walks uprightly and works righteousness and speaks the truth in his heart.

Only one who walked uprightly in honesty and integrity, upholding the commandments of the Lord, one who practiced what he believed with good works, and who spoke the true feelings of his heart with no deceit in him, only that sort of man could dwell in the Lord's tabernacle.

(3) He who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor.

Only one who did not speak evil against his neighbor, do any evil against him, or spread gossip about him, could be allowed to dwell in the Lord's tabernacle.

(4) In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honors them who fear the Lord; he who swears to his own hurt and does not change.

Only one who despised evil and evil doers but honored those who feared the Lord, and one who kept his word and did not renege even to his own detriment, was one who could dwell in the Lord's tabernacle.

(5) He who does not put out his money at usury, nor takes reward against the innocent. He who does these shall never be moved.

He should be one who never lent his money at usury, with interest, to profit himself.  He should never take a bribe against the innocent.  The one who did the things in this short psalm could stand firm in the tabernacle of the Lord and never be moved.

(Psalm 24:1) (A Psalm of David) The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof, the world, and they who dwell therein.

It is believed that this psalm was indeed composed on the occasion of bringing the ark from the house of Obed Edom to Mount Zion.  David began by declaring the earth was the Lord's, including everything and everyone in it.

(2) For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the floods.

The earth is the Lord's because He created it and laid its foundation on the waters.  It was firmly established on the floods and cannot be shaken.

(3) Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in His holy place?

Similar to Psalm 15, David again asked who should be sufficiently holy enough to ascend the hill of the Lord and stand in His holy place.

(4) He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. 

Only one whose actions and conversation were holy and unblameable, who had not desired the vain things of life such as honors, riches, pleasures, and the like, who had not borne false witness nor failed to keep his promises, should be allowed in the Lord's holy place.

(5) He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Such a person would receive blessings from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.  It's interesting to note that he must be righteous to receive righteousness.  It is only through salvation in Christ that anyone is ever considered righteous because Christ's blood covers his sins, as everyone, even the one the world may consider the most righteous, sins and falls short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

(6) This is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face, O Jacob. Selah.

As Jacob is another name for Israel, and the psalmist surely did not mean to say people were seeking Jacob's face, I believe the sense is that "O Jacob" (Israel) is the generation of people who seek the Lord to truly have a relationship with Him.  Selah is a pause to reflect.

(7) Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in.

This does appear to mean the gates and doors of the tabernacle David had prepared for the ark.  The King of glory was coming to rest there.

(8) Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

Who is the King of Glory for whom the gates should come to attention and open up?  The all-powerful Lord Almighty God who had shown His power in many times delivering His people from their enemies.

(9) Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in.

David repeated the exhortation from verse 7 to awaken all to the great importance of what was being witnessed there.  Their Lord God, King of glory, was coming to rest there among His people.

(10) Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah.

The Lord of hosts, Lord of men and angels, Lord of the universe, Lord of the worlds and everything in them, is the King of glory.  All true glory is concentrated upon the one true God.  It was an incredible honor and blessing that such a God, Israel's God, was coming to rest among them.

There is a prophetic glimpse of the future held in this psalm, a time when the gates of heaven would open before Jesus, and His saints would be considered righteous because of His salvation and would be able to go through the gate to everlasting life in heaven.

Abner Joins David, But Joab Murders Him

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(2 Samuel 3:1) Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David, but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.

In the last chapter and post, David had been anointed king over Judah, and even though Saul was dead, the captain of his army, Abner, made Saul's son Ishbosheth king over Israel, all of Israel except Judah, that is.  There was war between the two factions, but it seems David's men must have usually won the battles as David grew stronger and the house of Saul grew weaker.

(2) And to David were sons born in Hebron, and his firstborn was Amnon of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;

While David reigned in Hebron, sons were born to him.  His firstborn son was Amnon, and his mother was Ahinoam, David's wife, the Jezreelitess.

(3) And his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;

David's second son was born to his wife Abigail, the widow of Nabal, and his name was Chileab.  Apparently, David took a third wife, Maacah, daughter of Talmai king of Geshur, and she gave him his son, Absalom.

(4) And the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; (5) And the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron.

It appears that David married as many wives as he had sons, or rather vice versa.  His fourth wife was Haggith and she gave him Adonijah; his fifth wife Abital gave him Shephatiah, and his sixth wife, Eglah, gave him Ithream.  These six sons were born to David in Hebron.

(1 Chronicles 3:1) Now these were the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron, the firstborn Amnon of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second Daniel, of Abigail the Carmelitess;

1 Chronicles 3 also named David's sons.  However, Chileab, the son of Abigail, is called Daniel here.  Daniel is probably his real given name.  Chileab means "like his father," so that may have been a nickname as Junior might be now because he was so much like his father.

(2) The third Absalom the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; (3) The fifth, Shephatiah of Abital; the sixth, Ithream by Eglah his wife. (4) These six were born to him in Hebron, and there he reigned seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years.

The rest of David's sons who were born to him in the seven and a half years he reigned in Hebron are repeated.  David then reigned in Jerusalem for thirty-three years.

(2 Samuel 3:6) And it came to pass, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made himself strong for the house of Saul.

During the time there was war between the house of David and the house of Saul, Abner was strong in his support for the house of Saul.

(7) And Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah; and Ishbosheth said to Abner, "Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?"

Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, and it seems that Abner had had sexual relations with her, and Saul's son Ishbosheth demanded to know why he had done such a thing.

(8) Then was Abner very angry for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, "Am I a dog's head, which against Judah do show kindness this day to the house of Saul your father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David, that you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman?"

Abner was angry with Ishbosheth because of his accusation against him, although he did not really deny it.  He asked Ishbosheth if he was no better than the head of a dead dog who did not care with whom he lay.  He who had defended the house of Saul, his brethren, and his friends, against the tribe of Judah, and had not allowed him to be delivered into the hand of David, he that loyal supporter of Saul, that is who Ishbosheth dared to accuse of fault concerning Saul's concubine.  Abner might have actually been owning up to the fact that he had had sexual relations with Saul's concubine, but that it could not be seen as a fault because of his fierce loyalty to the house of Saul.

(9) "So do God to Abner, and more also, except, as the Lord has sworn to David, even so I do to him, (10) To transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beersheba."

Abner was so angry that he wished God to destroy him if he did not see that the kingdom of Saul was transferred to David to be king over all of Israel.  It's interesting that he apparently knew all along what the will of God was, but he was actively working against it to set up Ishbosheth as king.  That confirms that he had probably been doing it for only his own self-interests.  Now God used Abner's desire for revenge against Ishbosheth to bring forth His will to have David king over all Israel.

(11) And he could not answer Abner a word again because he feared him.

Ishbosheth had nothing to say to Abner because he feared him.  After all, it was Abner who had made him king, and with the king's army at his command, Abner could easily take him out.

(12) And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, "Whose is the land?" Saying, "Make your league with me, and behold, my hand will be with you to bring about all Israel to you."

Abner then sent messengers to David on his own behalf, not from Ishbosheth.  I believe his point was that he was acknowledging that the land was David's, and that he now desired to make a covenant of friendship with him, and he would do everything he could to bring all of Israel under his reign.

(13) And he said, "Well, I will make a league with you, but one thing I require of you, that is, you shall not see my face except you first bring Michal Saul's daughter, when you come to see my face."

David agreed it was well and good to join with Abner, but first before that could happen, Abner must bring David's wife Michal, Saul's daughter, to him.  It seems that even though David had had six wives since Michal, he must have still cared for her, or perhaps it was to demonstrate honor to Saul's family that his daughter might share with him the benefits of his reign.

(14) And David sent messengers to Ishbosheth Saul's son, saying, "Deliver my wife Michal whom I espoused to me for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines."

David then sent messengers to Ishbosheth telling him to deliver his wife Michal to him.  David added that he had purchased her at a great expense and danger to his life by killing a hundred Philistines and bringing their foreskins to Saul as he required in order to marry his daughter (1 Samuel 18:25).

(15) And Ishbosheth sent and took her from her husband, from Phaltiel the son of Laish.

Ishbosheth had Michal removed from her husband, Phaltiel, or Phalti, as he was called in 1 Samuel 25:44, when it was first told that Saul had given his daughter to him.

(16) And her husband went with her along weeping behind her to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, "Go, return." And he returned.

Michal's current husband went along with her as far as Bahurim, a city in the tribe of Benjamin, because he evidently loved her very much and did not want to lose her, but he was forced to give her up by command of the king and the king's captain.

(17) And Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, "You sought for David in times past to be king over you. (18) Now then do it, for the Lord has spoken of David, saying, 'By the hand of my servant David I will save My people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines and out of the hand of all their enemies.'"

Abner communicated with the elders of Israel, reminding them that it was generally known that David had been anointed to be king over Israel, certainly after Saul's death.  He encouraged them to now make David their king, implying he would no longer oppose him.  He reminded them of the words of the Lord declaring that it would be David who would save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines and all their enemies.  There is no record in the Bible of the Lord saying those words, but He probably did say them to Samuel when He first said He wanted David as king, and they were not recorded, but probably verbally passed down and now general knowledge.

(19) And Abner also spoke in the ears of Benjamin, and Abner went also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel and that seemed good to the whole house of Benjamin.

Abner spoke these same words especially to the tribe of Benjamin of which was the family of Saul.  He spoke these same words in the hearing of David, or perhaps the meaning is rather that after speaking to the elders of the other tribes, he brought the news to David that all were agreeable that David should be king over them.

(20) So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men with him a feast. (21) And Abner said to David, "I will arise and go and will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a league with you, and that you may reign over all that your heart desires." And David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

Abner went to David in Hebron with twenty men.  David received them and made a feast for them.  Abner told David that he would go and do all he could to gather all of Israel to come into agreement with David as their king.  He said he would do this so that David could reign over all that his heart desired, although David had not expressed any impatience to take over the entire kingdom, but had been content to wait on God's timing.  David sent Abner on his way in peace, having made a covenant of peace with him.

(22) And behold, the servants of David and Joab came from a troop and brought in a great spoil with them, but Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he was gone in peace. (23) When Joab and all the host with him had come, they told Joab, saying, "Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he has gone in peace."

After Abner had left David, Joab, the captain of David's army, came with his men, apparently after some military excursion against the enemy, and they brought in a very large spoil after evidently conquering the enemy.  Some in David's court told Joab about Abner coming to David, and instead of seizing him, David had allowed him to go in peace.

(24) Then Joab came to the king, and said, "What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you; why is it you have sent him away, and he is quite gone?"

Joab asked David what he had done in allowing Abner to come to him and letting him go in peace, implying that he should have seized him as the enemy.

(25) "You know Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive you and to know your going out and your coming in and to know all that you do."

Joab told David that surely Abner had come to deceive him and to learn his movements in order to surely destroy him.

(26) And when Joab had come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner who brought him again from the well of Sirah, but David did not know it.

When Joab left David, he sent messengers after Abner who was apparently at the well of Sirah, which the historian Josephus said was two and a half miles from Hebron.  The messengers brought him from there back to Joab, but David did not know any of this.

(27) And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly and struck him there under the fifth rib that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.

When the messengers brought Abner back to Hebron, Joab met him at the gate and pulled him aside supposedly to speak to him in private, but he stabbed him under the fifth rib, in the same place Abner had struck Joab's brother Asahel, and he died.

(28) And afterward, when David heard, he said, "I and my kingdom are guiltless before the Lord forever from the blood of Abner the son of Ner; (29) Let it rest on the head of Joab and on all his father's house, and let there not fail from the house of Joab one who has an issue, or who is a leper, or who leans on a staff, or who falls on the sword, or lacks bread."

When David heard what Joab had done, he declared that he and his kingdom were guiltless before God forever for the murder of Abner, that it was wholly on the head of Joab and his father's house.  It may be that David made that declaration publicly because Joab was his general, and he wanted it known that he did not command that his general kill Abner, that it was totally on Joab.  David went on to curse the family of Joab, wishing that there would always be one who had an issue of blood, or gonorrhea, as it sometimes meant, or one who was a leper, or one who was lame or fell on a sword or lacked food.  David said this in his anger, but I can't help but think he should have cursed Joab alone, not his innocent family after him.

(30) So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.

It appears that Abishai was in on the plan to murder Abner because he had killed Asahel, the brother of Joab and Abishai, sons of David's sister, Zeruiah.  So it would appear that David's curse would be on his sister's house, all the more reason he should have directed his anger to Joab and maybe Abishai only.  But he had said it in anger; it was not meant as a prophetic curse.

(31) And David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, "Rend your clothes, and gird yourself with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner." And King David followed the bier.

David told Joab and all the people with him to mourn Abner by the usual expressions of mourning, by tearing their clothes and putting on sackcloth.  King David followed the bed on which Abner's body was laid and carried to the grave.

(32) And they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept.

They buried Abner in Hebron.  David wept loudly at the grave of Abner, and all the people with him wept.

(33) And the king lamented over Abner, and said, "Did Abner die as a fool dies?"

David lamented over Abner and said words over his grave.  He asked if Abner had died as a fool dies.  The word that was translated as "fool" is "nabal" and also meant stupid and wicked.  I believe David's point was that Abner had not died as a criminal or for any wickedness he had done.  He was unjustly murdered before his time.

(34) "Your hands were not bound nor your feet put into fetters; as a man falls before wicked men, so you fell." And all the people wept again over him.

Abner had not been bound and fettered as a criminal who knew his fate.  He had fallen as one murdered by wicked men.  This made the people weep again over Abner.  This he said in the presence of Joab whom he had told to mourn Abner with him.

(35) And when all the people came to cause David to eat food while it was yet day, David swore, saying, "So do God to me and more also, if I taste bread or anything else till the sun be down."

The people came to David to persuade him to eat, but he refused, swearing an oath that he wished for God to do the greatest evils against him if he even tasted bread before sundown, as he would continue his mourning for Abner until then.

(36) And all the people took notice, and it pleased them, as whatever the king did pleased all the people. (37) For all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to kill Abner the son of Ner.

The people took notice of how David conducted himself throughout the entire death and burial of Abner, and it pleased them, for they understood that David had never intended for Abner to be killed.

(38) And the king said to his servants, "Do you not know that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?"

Perhaps in explanation to his servants as to why he mourned the man who had so recently been considered an enemy, David explained that Abner had been a great man and even a prince in the house of Saul, as he was Saul's first cousin and a member of the royal family, as well as having the important position as Saul's general.

(39) "And I am this day weak, though anointed king, and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me. The Lord shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness."

Although David had been anointed king, he was very new to the kingdom and had not yet been fully accepted by all of Israel, but Abner had been working on that.  Joab and Abishai, the sons of David's sister Zeruiah, were yet too powerful for David to make one of his first acts as king to punish them.  He said that the Lord would take care of their just punishment.

David and Abigail

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(1 Samuel 25:1) And Samuel died, and all the Israelites were gathered together and lamented him and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose and went down to the wilderness of Paran.

David had spared Saul's life and returned to his stronghold.  Meanwhile, Samuel had died.  All the Israelites had gathered together to mourn his death, and they buried him at his house in Ramah.  The first 24 chapters of the book of Samuel were thought to have been written by Samuel himself, but obviously he could not have written the rest of 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel after he died.  Those have been attributed to the prophets Nathan and Gad.  

David came out of his hiding place and went down to the wilderness of Paran.  Scripture doesn't say specifically that he went there upon hearing of Samuel's death or that he went there to mourn him.  The wilderness of Paran was far south of Ramah.

(2) And was a man in Maon whose possessions were in Carmel, and the man very great, and he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats, and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

Meanwhile, there was a man in Maon, north of the wilderness of Paran, in the tribe of Judah, who was very wealthy and had 3000 sheep and 1000 goats.  His possessions were in Carmel, just north of Maon, and he was there in Carmel shearing his sheep.

(3) Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife, Abigail, a woman of good understanding and of a beautiful countenance, but the man was churlish and evil in his doings, and he was of the house of Caleb.

The name of the man was Nabal, and he was a rude and evil man of the house of Caleb.  Interestingly, his name meant "fool."  His wife was Abigail, and it appears she was a knowledgeable woman with common sense.  She was also beautiful.

(4) And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep, (5) And David sent out ten young men, and David said to the young men, "Get up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name."

David heard that Nabal was shearing his sheep in Carmel, and he sent out ten men to go to Carmel to meet with Nabal and greet him in David's name.

(6) And thus you shall say to him who lives, "Peace to you, and peace to your house, and peace to all that you have. (7) And now I have heard that you have shearers. Now your shepherds who were with us, we did not hurt them, neither was anything missing from them, all the while they were in Carmel."

David told the ten young men to first offer a blessing of peace to Nabal and to his house and all that he had.  Evidently, David had had occasion to be with Nabal's shepherds, probably because the sheep were feeding near the wilderness of Paran which was not far from Maon and Carmel.  David wanted his messengers to tell Nabal this, and to let him know that he and his army had not hurt the shepherds, nor taken anything from them.

(8) "Ask your young men, and they will show you. Therefore, let the young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a good day. Give, I pray you, whatever comes to your hand to your servants and to your son David."

David, through his messengers, would ask that Nabal ask his own shepherds to verify that he and his army had not harmed them in any way.  Therefore, David hoped one good turn deserved another and his messengers found favor in his eyes.  They had gone to Nabal on a good day when he would be making a feast for his shearers, as was the custom.  David would have his messengers ask if they might be given whatever was at hand that might be spared for David and his men.

(9) And when David's young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David and ceased.

David's messengers went to Nabal and told him all that David had told them to say.  Then they waited for Nabal's reply.

(10) And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, "Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away every man from his master. (11) Shall I then take my bread and my water and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers and give it to men whom I do not know where they are from?"

However, Nabal answered David's servants with haughtiness and disdain.  Could it be that he actually did not know David and Jesse, or was it his way of saying that it meant nothing to him whoever had sent them?  That appears to be the more likely case.  After all, David and Nabal were from the same tribe, and surely he knew the fame of David who had slain his ten thousands (1 Samuel 21:11).  He suggested that David and his men were nothing more than rebellious servants who had broken away from their master, and he would never consider giving any of his food and drink that he had prepared for his own shearers to just anyone from who knows where.

(12) So David's young men turned their way and went again and came and told him all those sayings.

David's messengers left Nabal and went back to David and told him all that Nabal had said.

(13) And David said to his men, "Gird you every man his sword." And they girded on every man his sword, and David also girded on his sword, and there went up after David about four hundred men, and two hundred stayed by the stuff.

David did not take Nabal's rudeness and condescension lightly.  He instructed his men to gird themselves with their swords, which four hundred of them did while the other two hundred remained with their supplies.

(14) But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, "Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master, and he railed on them."

One of Nabal's men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, about David sending messengers to salute her husband.  The original word "barak" that was translated as "salute" means more completely "to bless, to kneel," so David's men had certainly conveyed humility, kindness, and respect toward Nabal.  However, Nabal had berated them with contempt.

(15) "But the men were very good to us, and we were not hurt, neither did we miss anything, as long as we were conversant with them when we were in the fields. (16) They were a wall to us both by night and day all the while we were with them keeping the sheep."

The young man told Abigail how David and his men had been very good to them while they had been in close proximity to them in the wilderness.  They did not hurt them nor take anything from them all the while they were near them in the fields.  As a matter of fact, they had been a wall of protection to them, protecting and defending them against those who might have done them harm.

(17) "Now therefore, know and consider what you will do, for evil is determined against our master and against all his household, for he is a son of Belial that one cannot speak to him."

The young man told Abigail that something bad was about to happen because of how her husband had treated David and his men.  It's interesting that a servant of her husband felt comfortable enough to call him a son of Belial, an evil worthless man, to his wife.  She obviously knew what kind of man her husband was and that no one could speak to him reasonably and rationally.  The man told Abigail to consider what she should do to prevent destruction to her household.

(18) Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched grain, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses. (19) And she said to her servants, "Go on before me; behold, I come after you." But she did not tell her husband Nabal.

Abigail hurriedly gathered many provisions, loaves, wine, dressed sheep, parched corn, raisins, and fig cakes, and laid them upon donkeys.  She sent her servants on before her, saying she would come after them.  She did not tell her husband Nabal what she was doing.

(20) And it was as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the cover of the hill, and behold, David and his men came down toward her, and she met them.

I believe the sense is that Abigail came on her donkey on the side of the hill under a cover of bushes or trees and saw David and his men before they saw her.  Then she met them.

(21) Now David had said, "Surely in vain have I kept all that he had in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that was his, and he has requited me evil for good. (22) So and more also do God to the enemies of David if I leave of all that is his by the morning light any who pisses against the wall."

David HAD said, so I don't believe he said this to Abigail, but these were the things he had said and was intending to do at that moment.  David felt he had foolishly been good to Nabal's men expecting good in return, but Nabal had returned evil for David's good.  I believe the sense of what David said after that was that he wished the Lord to bless his enemies and perhaps pour evil on himself if he left even one male, man or beast, before the morning.  This was obviously rash and excessive anger on David's part that, and if followed through, would have brought death and destruction to many innocent people.

(23) And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, (24) And fell at his feet, and said, "On me, my lord, on me this iniquity! And let your handmaid, I pray you, speak in your audience, and hear the words of your handmaid."

When Abigail saw David, she hurried and dismounted her donkey and fell on her face at David's feet.  She pleaded with him to put all the blame of her husband's actions on her and to allow her to speak in her defense.  She calls him her lord as a sign of respect and reverence to him, probably to atone for her husband's rudeness in speaking of him as a runaway servant (verse 10).

(25) "Let not my lord, I pray you, regard this man of Belial, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he; Nabal his name, and folly with him, but I your handmaid did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent."

Abigail pleaded with David not to pay any attention to such a foolish and worthless man as her husband.  She said he was just as his name indicated, a fool, and therefore his actions were foolish.  However, she said, she had not seen the young men David had sent to her husband.

(26) "Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord lives and your soul lives, seeing the Lord has withheld you from coming to bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now let your enemies and they who seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal. (27) And now this blessing which your handmaid has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord."

Abigail said that as surely as the Lord lived (and David), the Lord had so far withheld David from committing the bloodshed he had intended to avenge himself.  Therefore she prayed a curse upon the enemies of David, either that they be as foolish and utterly impotent to hurt David as was her husband, or that David's anger toward Nabal and his vengeance fall upon his enemies who deserved it more than this foolish man, her husband.  Then as a blessing, she asked that all that she had brought with her (verse 18) be given to David's men.

(28) "I pray you, forgive the trespass of your handmaid, for the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house, for my lord fights the battles of the Lord, and evil has not been found in you all your days. (29) Yet a man has risen to pursue you and to seek your soul, but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord your God; and the souls of your enemies, them shall He sling out, as from the middle of a sling."

Abigail asked that David forgive her intrusion in troubling him with her petition.  She either knew the fame of David and that he was blessed by God, or she spoke under influence of the Holy Spirit.  It was probably a bit of both.  She told him that the Lord was going to make an enduring house of David because he fought the battles of the Lord.  She knew no evil had been found in him, yet a man (Saul) had risen up to pursue him and to ultimately kill him.  However, she knew that David's life was bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord, precious to Him, favored and preserved by Him.  But the lives of his enemies the Lord would cast out as quickly and forcefully as a stone slung from a slingshot.

(30) "And it shall come to pass, when the Lord shall have done to my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and shall have appointed you ruler over Israel, (31) That this shall be no grief to you, nor offense of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself. But when the Lord shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember your handmaid."

Abigail continued with her plea to David.  She asked that when the Lord had fulfilled His promise to make him ruler over Israel, that this incident be of no grief or regret to him because he had avenged himself and shed innocent blood without cause.  However, when the Lord had dealt well with David in delivering him out of the hands of his enemies and seating him as king of Israel, she wished for him to remember her and her plea and advice not to shed blood.

(32) And David said to Abigail, "Blessed the Lord God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me. (33) And blessed is your advice, and blessed are you, because you have kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand."

David recognized the hand of the Lord in sending Abigail to meet him and praised Him.  He was also thankful to Abigail for giving him such good advice and preventing him from doing something he would surely have regretted if he had shed innocent blood just to avenge himself because of one foolish man.

(34) "For indeed, as the Lord of Israel lives, who has kept me back from hurting you, except you had hasted and come to meet me, surely there would not have been left to Nabal by the morning light any that pisses against the wall."

David admitted that as surely as the Lord lived, He who had kept David from hurting Abigail, had she not hurried and come to meet him, he would have killed Nabal and all the males of men and beasts in his house and in his employ by morning light.

(35) So David received of her hand what she had brought him, and said to her, "Go up in peace to your house; see, I have hearkened to your voice and have respected your person."

David received the gifts that Abigail had brought on her donkeys.  After all, that is all he had requested of Nabal, even less (verse 8).  He told her to go back to her house in peace for he had respected her and listened to her and had done what she requested.

(36) And Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king, and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk; therefore, she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.

When Abigail returned to her house to Nabal, she found he had held a great feast in his house, and he was very drunk.  Therefore she told him nothing of her encounter with David.

(37) But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.

The next morning, when Nabal was sober again, Abigail told him all that had transpired between her and David.  Nabal, probably terrified at the notion of what he had barely escaped and perhaps feared it might still happen, passed out and became motionless as a stone.

(38) And it came to pass about ten days after, that the Lord struck Nabal that he died.

After being in a comatose state for about ten days, the Lord struck Nabal with death.

(39) And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Blessed the Lord, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal and has kept his servant from evil, for the Lord has returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail to take her to him as wife.

When David heard that Nabal was dead, he praised the Lord for preventing him from doing evil but taking up his cause Himself and issuing judgment. "'Vengeance is Mine,' saith the Lord" (Romans 12:19).  And the Lord's way was much more just, as He just took out Nabal and no one else in his family or household.  David then sent messengers to Abigail and asked her to be his wife.

(40) And when the servants of David had come to Abigail to Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, "David sent us to you, to take you to him as wife." (41) And she arose and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, "Behold, your handmaid, a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord."

David had sent servants to Abigail at her home in Carmel, and they told her that David had sent for her to be his wife.  With the same humility she had shown to David when she met with him, Abigail bowed herself before the servants and said she considered herself only worthy to be a servant to wash the feet of David's servants.  It was as Abigail had requested, "...when the Lord shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember your handmaid." (verse 31)  The Lord had Himself dealt with this man who had done David wrong and brought this good woman to him to be his wife.

(42) And Abigail hurried, and arose, and rode on an ass, with five damsels of hers who went after her, and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.

Abigail hurried and rode on a donkey after the messengers of David and brought with her five damsels or maidservants who rode after her.  She indeed became David's wife.

(43) David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they were also both of them his wives.

David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, a town of Judah near Carmel.  This was not the same Ahinoam as was married to Saul (1 Samuel 14:50).  So both Abigail and Ahinoam were David's wives.

(44) But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Phalti, the son of Laish, who was of Gallim.

It seems that Saul had previously given David's wife Michal, who was Saul's daughter, to another man in marriage, Phalti or Phaltiel, as called elsewhere.  David’s taking of two wives could be seen as indicative of his growing power and importance, although he was still being pursued by Saul.

Saul Tries to Kill David

Continuing a chronological Bible study after a brief interlude of psalms:

(1 Samuel 19:1) And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants that they should kill David.

When we last left Saul in chapter 18, he had become so jealous of David that he hated him and wanted him to die.  He kept putting him out front in battles with the Philistines, hoping they would kill him.  He even tried once to kill him himself, but the more he tried, the more the Lord protected David, and the more the people grew to love David.  David had now married Saul's daughter Michal and as son-in-law to the king, he was next in line for Saul's throne, which of course, the Lord had already given him, but Saul didn't know that part yet, though he suspected it would eventually happen.  After so many failed attempts at trying to kill David, Saul now told his son and his servants to kill him.

(2) But Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in David, and Jonathan told David, saying, "Saul my father seeks to kill you; now therefore, I pray you, take heed to yourself until the morning, and abide in a secret place and hide yourself."

However, Saul did not realize how much even his son Jonathan loved David, and Jonathan told David Saul's plan to kill him.  He pleaded with David to be on guard and hide in a secret place until the morning.

(3) "And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak with my father about you, and what I see, that I will tell you."

Jonathan continued talking to David.  He said that the next day he would stand with his father near the place David was, and he would talk to his father about David and then report back to him what Saul had to say.

(4) And Jonathan spoke good of David to Saul his father, and said to him, "Let not the king sin against his servant, against David, because he has not sinned against you and because his works toward you are very good. (5) For he did put his life in his hand and killed the Philistine, and the Lord wrought a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it and did rejoice. Why then will you sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?"

Jonathan did speak to his father about David.  He reminded him of how David put his life on the line to kill Goliath, and the Lord had brought a great victory and deliverance for Israel.  He reminded his father how he himself had rejoiced.  He urged him not to sin against David who had done nothing wrong to him, and not to spill innocent blood, killing David without a cause.

(6) And Saul hearkened to the voice of Jonathan, and Saul swore, "As the Lord lives, he shall not be slain."

Saul listened to Jonathan and seemed to be affected by the truth of what he had to say and was convicted, at least at the present time, that he was wrong in seeking the life of David, and he would stop trying to kill him.

(7) And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as in times past.

Jonathan told David all that Saul had said and brought him back into the palace to Saul where he had been formerly.

(8) And there was war again, and David went out and fought with the Philistines and struck them with a great slaughter, and they fled from him.

Then there was war again with the Philistines, and David went out and fought against them, striking them with a mighty blow and great slaughter that they fled from him.

(9) And the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand, and David played with his hand.

The evil spirit from the Lord came upon Saul again.  David played the harp with his hands to sooth Saul's spirit.  Saul had his javelin in his hand.

(10) And Saul sought to strike David even to the wall with the javelin, but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he struck the javelin into the wall, and David fled and escaped that night.

Forgetting his vow in verse 6 not to harm David, again Saul tried to pin David to the wall with his javelin, but David slipped away and fled, escaping that night.

(11) Saul also sent messengers to David's house to watch him and to kill him in the morning, and Michal David's wife told him, saying, "If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you shall be slain."

Saul sent his messengers to David's house, which surely was very near or even a part of the palace as David had married the king's daughter, to watch him and to kill him in the morning.  Michal, David's wife, warned him to do something to save his life that night or else he would be killed the next day.

(12) So Michal let David down through a window, and he went and fled and escaped.

Michal let David down through a window, probably on a cord or some such makeshift cord, and David was able to escape in the night without Saul's messengers' knowledge.

(13) And Michal took an image and laid it in the bed and put a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster and covered it with a cloth. (14) And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, "He is sick."

Michal took an "image," not merely a picture, but something with substance like a statue, and laid it in David's bed.  She put a pillow of goats' hair under it and covered it with a cloth.  Then when Saul's messengers came into their house in the morning looking for David, she told them he was sick in bed.

(15) And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, "Bring him up to me in the bed that I may kill him."

Saul sent his messengers back to David's house and told them to bring him back to him, bed and all, if he wasn't able to rise, so that Saul could kill him.

(16) And when the messengers had come in, behold, an image in the bed with a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster.

When the messengers went into David's house, they found that all that lay in the bed was a statue with a pillow of goats' hair propping it up.

(17) And Saul said to Michal, "Why have you deceived me so? And sent away my enemy that he has escaped?" And Michal answered Saul, "He said to me, 'Let me go; why should I kill you?'"

Saul asked his daughter why she had deceived him and let his enemy escape, as if she owed more to the wicked passion of her father than she did for her beloved husband.  But rather than telling him that she couldn't allow her husband to be killed, she lied and told her father that David had threatened her if she did not let him go.

(18) So David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel, to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth.

David fled to Samuel in Ramah, Samuel being the one who had anointed him king.  He told Samuel all that Saul had done to him, and David and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth, a place within Ramah, Samuel's home.

(19) And it was told Saul, saying, "Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah." (20) And Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.

It was told to Saul that David was in Naioth, so he sent messengers to take David.  However, when they came to David and Samuel, they saw a whole company of prophets prophesying by inspiration of God with Samuel standing over them.  The Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul's messengers, and they, too, began prophesying, forgetting their mission.  "Prophesying" does not always mean foretelling the future; it most often meant telling the Lord's truths, but sometimes those meant telling the future outcome.  In this case, all the prophets and Saul's messengers also, were probably praising God and declaring His truths.

(21) And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also.

When that was told to Saul, he sent more messengers to take David, but they wound up prophesying also, forgetting their mission.  Saul sent messengers a third time, and they, too, wound up prophesying and not bringing David back to Saul.

(22) Then he also went to Ramah and came to a great well in Sechu, and he asked and said, "Where are Samuel and David?" And one said, "Behold, at Naioth in Ramah."

Therefore, Saul went himself to find David but evidently did not know exactly where to go.  He stopped at a well and enquired about the whereabouts of David and Samuel and was told they were at Naioth.

(23) And he went there to Naioth in Ramah, and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

So Saul went toward Naioth, and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, too, and he went onward, prophesying, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

(24) And he also stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel in like manner and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"

When he came to Samuel, Saul stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel.  He may not have been completely naked, but enough so to be completely humbled before the Lord.  He lay there like that all day and all night.  That "proverb" that came about in 1 Samuel 10:12, when Saul prophesied in a company of prophets, was revived, as people wondered again if Saul was a prophet.

There is no doubt now, that Saul was David's enemy, not because of anything David had done, but because of Saul's jealousy.  The Lord continued to protect David through his loved ones, Jonathan and Michal, and even by His own arm as he turned all David's enemies into prophets, possibly even prophesying that David would become king!

David Marries Saul's Daughter Michal While Saul's Jealousy Grows

Continuing a chronological Bible study after a brief interlude of psalms:

(1 Samuel 18:1) And it came to pass when he had made an end of speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

At the end of 1 Samuel 17, David had reacquainted himself to Saul after killing Goliath when Saul had not recognized him.  Then after speaking to Saul, he won the heart of Saul's son Jonathan who saw in David qualities that he loved and was attracted to, probably because they were much like his own, and Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.  This is the love that God commanded for all His people in Leviticus 19:18, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

(2) And Saul took him that day and would let him go no more home to his father's house.

Formerly, David had been Saul's musician to calm his demons and must have been little noticed by the king, but now Saul brought him into his palace to stay.  He didn't allow David to go back and forth to his father's house as he had done before.

(3) Then Jonathan and David made a covenant because he loved him as his own soul. (4) And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

Jonathan made a covenant of friendship with David because he had a great love for him.  He stripped himself of his princely garments as he was the son of the king and gave them to David.  He even gave him his sword, his bow, and his belt.  This was due to the great kinship he felt for David and probably to have David look the part of a prince rather than a shepherd.

(5) And David went out wherever Saul sent him and behaved himself wisely, and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul's servants.

David went wherever Saul sent him, and he was made a leader over the men of war.  He always behaved wisely, so that he was accepted by all the people and by Saul's own servants, as well. 

(6) And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul with tambourines with joy and with instruments of music.

At that time, when Saul and David had returned from the killing of Goliath and their victory over the Philistines, the women came out as they usually did after great victories, singing and dancing with tambourines and other musical instruments, to meet King Saul returning from battle.

(7) And the women sang as they played, and said, "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands." (8) And Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him, and he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands. And what can he have more but the kingdom?" (9) And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

Although they were supposed to be greeting their king, the women began singing that Saul had killed his thousands, but David had killed his ten thousands.  That made Saul angry with jealousy.  The way Saul saw it, as he had already bestowed great honor on David, and now the people saw him as greater in battle than he was, the only thing left for David to accomplish was to have the kingdom, and Saul watched David carefully from that day forward.

(10) And it came to pass on the next day, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house. And David played with his hand, as at other times, and a javelin was in Saul's hand.

The next day that evil spirit from God that had tormented him before came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house.  We aren't told what he prophesied, so it may have been the rantings of a mad man since the evil spirit had come upon him.  David was playing music with his hand, probably the harp, as he had done other times when the evil spirit had come upon Saul.  Saul held a javelin in his hand.

(11) And Saul cast the javelin, for he said, "I will strike David to the wall." And David avoided out of his presence twice.

Saul cast the javelin at David, saying that he would pin him to the wall.  However, David escaped Saul twice, as it appears Saul tried twice to pin David.

(12) And Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him and was departed from Saul.

Then was Saul afraid of David because he could see that the Lord was with him, protecting him, and that He had departed from Saul.

(13) Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand, and he went out and came in before the people.

Saul then removed David from his court, but probably because he did fear David and God's hand on him, he did not completely dismiss him, but he made him captain over a troop of one thousand, perhaps hoping he would be slain by the enemy at the head of his troop.  However, David went out and came back again before the people, probably with great honor and respect, which was the opposite of what Saul desired.  It reminds me of the psalm David wrote that I studied in the last chapter, which may have been better placed chronologically after this chapter, "Let them fall by their own counsels..." (Psalm 5:10).  That is, let his enemies' plans fail; let their plots work against them and expose their guilt.  But then again, it may have been perfectly placed as an answer to David's prayer.

(14) And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was with him. (15) Therefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.

David always behaved himself wisely, and the Lord was with him.  That made Saul fear him even more as he was gaining favor more and more because of his wise conduct, and that was further proof that the Lord was surely with David.

(16) But all Israel and Judah loved David because he went out and came in before them.

All of Israel and David's own tribe, Judah, loved him as he went before the people.

(17) And Saul said to David, "Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give you as wife, only be valiant for me and fight the Lord's battles." For Saul said, "Let not my hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him."

As Saul had promised to the one who killed Goliath, he offered his daughter Merab to David as his wife on the condition that he remain valiant for him and fight the Lord's battles.  Saul still hated David, but rather than him trying to kill him, he would put David out there against his enemies so that the Philistines would kill him.

(18) And David said to Saul, "Who am I? And what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?"

David seemed surprised at Saul's offer, although that had been promised to the one who killed Goliath.  However, David had not killed Goliath to get all the rewards.  He did it to defend God's honor and that of His people Israel.  You see David's humility here, as he asked Saul why such a lowly man as he was, a shepherd, from a family that was not particularly greatly esteemed or upper-class, should become son-in-law to the king.

(19) But it came to pass at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as wife.

However, Saul did not follow through with his word.  When it came time for Merab to marry David, Saul gave her instead to Adriel, a Meholathite, probably one from Abel-Meholath (Judges 7:22).  Although that could be seen as a great injustice to David, in his modesty before displayed, David showed no signs of resentment.

(20) And Michal Saul's daughter loved David, and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.

A younger daughter of Saul, Michal, loved David, and when it was told to Saul, he was pleased with the idea, probably because it gave him a chance to save face with the people after his breach of promise and perhaps another chance to put David in harm's way.

(21) And Saul said, "I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him." Therefore Saul said to David, "You shall this day be my son-in-law in the twain."

Saul decided he would give Micah to David as his wife so that he could use her as a trap for David, that the Philistines would come against him.  He told David that he would be his son-in-law "in the twain."  As the word means "two," he either meant David would have a second chance to become his son-in-law, or perhaps it referred to the second of his two daughters.  Actually, Dr. John Gill, in his Exposition of the Bible, suggested it meant he would have both daughters, as Merab had actually been betrothed to David, although she never married him.

(22) And Saul commanded his servants, "Commune with David secretly and say, 'Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore be the king's son-in-law." (23) And Saul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, "Does it seem to you a light thing to be a king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man and lightly esteemed?"

It appears that David needed some persuasion to take the deal, and Saul sent his servants to flatter David and encourage him to become the king's son-in-law, by telling him that the king had delight in him, and all his servants loved him.  However, David told them that this was no trifling matter, that a poor shepherd, such as he was, should up and become the king's son-in-law.

(24) And the servants of Saul told him, saying, "In this manner spoke David." (25) And Saul said, "Thus shall you say to David, 'The king desires not any dowry, but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies.'" But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

Saul's servants told him what David had said.  He sent his servants back to David to tell him, since it seemed to him that David mentioned his poverty as a reason why he could not afford a proper dowry to become the king's son-in-law, that Saul did not desire a dowry, but he wanted a hundred foreskins of the Philistines to be avenged of his enemies.  Of course, his real desire was that David be killed by the Philistines.

(26) And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son-in-law. And the days were not expired, (27) When David arose and went, he and his men, and killed of the Philistines two hundred men, and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full count to the king, that he might be the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter as wife.

When Saul's servants told David what Saul said, it pleased him to consent to being Saul's son-in-law.  After all, David willingly went out wherever Saul sent him (verse 5).  David wasted no time, and he and his men killed two hundred Philistines, double what Saul had asked for, and brought all their foreskins back to Saul.  It seems David felt satisfied then that he was worthy to accept the position of the king's son-in-law.  Saul, realizing he could not refuse, gave Michal his daughter to David as his wife.

(28) And Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David and that Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him. (29) And Saul was yet the more afraid of David, and Saul became David's enemy continually.

Saul could tell that the Lord was with David and now he was married to his daughter, whom he realized loved David very much.  Their marriage, which Saul had hoped would destroy David before it ever happened, would now pave the way for his ascending to Saul's throne.  That made him even more afraid of David, and he became David's constant enemy.

(30) Then the princes of the Philistines went forth, and it came to pass after they went forth, David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was much set by.

Then the princes of the Philistines went to war against the Israelites, being provoked by their loss after David killed Goliath.  So much for Goliath's word that if an Israelite killed him, the Philistines would become the servants of Israel (1 Samuel 17:9).  David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul, probably showing himself to be more expert in the art of war and more successful in his attacks on the Philistines than all the others.  His name came to be prized, valuable, as was the original meaning of the word "yaqar" that was translated as "set by."  He was held in high esteem by the people.

It is very noteworthy that David's prayer in Psalm 5 that his enemies fall by their own counsels was continually answered by God in that all Saul's schemes to destroy David only served to make him greater and more well esteemed by all the people.  Once a mere shepherd boy, he was now a prince next in line for the king's throne.

Jonathan Defeats the Philistines

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(1 Samuel 14:1) Now it came to pass one day that Jonathan, the son of Saul, said to the young man who bore his armor, "Come and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison that is on the other side." But he did not tell his father.

At the end of the last chapter, three companies of Philistines had pretty much surrounded Saul, Jonathan, and their small army of six hundred men.  The Philistines were busy plundering the land and not immediately intent on attacking Saul and his men.  It appears they must have remained like that for at least a couple of days or more, because "one day" Jonathan, Saul's son, decided it was time to do something.  He told his armor-bearer that they should go over to the Philistine garrison that was on the other side of them.  However, he did not tell his father of his plan.

(2) And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron, and the people with him were about six hundred men, (3) And Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord's priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan was gone.

Saul waited in the uppermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron which was north of Gibeah in the field of Gibeah.  He still had his six hundred men, no more or no less, and that included Ahijah the priest.  He came from the line of Eli who had been the Lord's priest in Shiloh.  Ichabod was the child that Phinehas's wife bore prematurely on hearing the news that the ark had been taken and that her husband and Eli, her father-in-law, had died (1 Samuel 4:19).  Ichabod apparently had an older brother named Ahitub, whose son was Ahijah.  Saul and the people with him did not know that Jonathan was gone.

(4) And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines' garrison, a sharp rock on the one side and a sharp rock on the other side, and the name of the one Bozez and the name of the other Seneh. 

I believe "the passages" refers to the common passageways from one place to another that were now obstructed by the Philistines.  Jonathan had to find another way to cross over to the Philistine garrison.  Between the passages were two large sharp rocks that were known and even named, one Bozez meaning "shining" which might suggest smooth and slippery, and the other Seneh meaning "thorn" or "bramble."  

(5) The forefront of the one was situated northward opposite Michmash and the other southward opposite Gibeah.

I believe the sense is that both rocks were in the way between the passages, not across from each other, but the northern one faced Michmash and the southern one faced Gibeah.

(6) And Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, "Come and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us, for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few."

Jonathan again told his armor bearer that they should go over to the garrison of the Philistines, and in additional encouragement, he said that the Lord might do the work for them, as there was no limit to God's power.  God could save with an army or with just a few men.  That shows that Jonathan had great faith in the Lord.  He hadn't said that the Lord would definitely do the work for them, because he had not received a word from the Lord, but he had no doubt that his Lord was well able if it was in His will to do so.

(7) And his armorbearer said to him, "Do all that is in your heart; turn, behold, I am with you according to your heart."

Jonathan's armor bearer told Jonathan to do what was in his heart to do, to turn the way he wanted to go, and he would willingly follow him.

(8) Then Jonathan said, "Behold, we will pass over to these men, and we will let them discover us. (9) If they say thus to us, 'Wait until we come to you,' then we will stand still in our place and will not go up to them. (10) But if they say thus, 'Come up to us,' then we will go up, for the Lord has delivered them into our hand, and this be a sign to us."

Jonathan told his armor bearer that they would pass over to the Philistines and let them discover them.  Then if the Philistines told them to wait there until they came to them, they would stand there and not go to them.  However, if they said, "Come up to us," they would see that as a sign that the Lord had delivered the Philistines into their hands, and they would indeed go to the Philistines.  That would be a sign from the Lord telling them what they should do.

It's funny; my first instinct was that Jonathan should have prayed to the Lord, that it was a bit arrogant to set up his own scheme and expect the Lord to go along with it.  Well, for one thing, we don't know that Jonathan didn't pray first.  He probably did have some sort of leading to make him take such a bold step.  But then I also realized that I have done the same thing.  When the Lord doesn't speak directly to you, then asking Him to show you the right way between two choices with a sign from Him seems perfectly acceptable and shows faith in Him to direct your paths, "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:6).  Jonathan did acknowledge God and His power to save them (verse 6), and he had faith that He would direct them in the way they should go.

(11) And both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines, and the Philistines said, "Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves."

Jonathan and his armor bearer did indeed reveal themselves to the Philistines at that post, and the Philistines took note among themselves that the Hebrews had come out of hiding.

(12) And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor bearer, and said, "Come up to us, and we will show you something." And Jonathan said to his armor bearer, "Come up after me, for the Lord has delivered them into the hand of Israel."

The men at the garrison responded to Jonathan and his armor bearer's presence, by telling them to come up to them and they would show them something.  Jonathan told his armor bearer to follow him, as he had full faith and confidence that the Lord had delivered those Philistines into Israel's hand.  Not that it made a difference in the way the Philistines told them to come to them, but they did use the exact phrase "Come up to us" that Jonathan had put forth in his plan (verse 10). 

(13) And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armor bearer after him, and they fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer slew after him.

Jonathan climbed up on his hands and knees in a way not easily accessible.  He didn't go the way the Philistines would have expected him to go on the main passageway.  He evidently caught the men off guard, and they fell before him.  Obviously, we know Who really knocked them down.  His armor bearer then killed the men.

(14) At that first slaughter which Jonathan and his armor bearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were a half acre of land.

Jonathan and his armor bearer killed about twenty men at that garrison and within half an acre from it.

(15) And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked, so it was a very great trembling.

The Philistine host trembled with fear, those in the field, and among all the people.  Men inside the garrison who had not been outside and killed, and the plunderers who ravaged the land, were also terrified and panic-stricken, especially when the earth began to quake, as well, which was surely by God.

(16) And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on stampeding.

The watchmen of Saul at Gibeah saw the Philistine army melting away, as they fled and stampeded over one another.

(17) Then Saul said to the people with him, "Number now, and see who is gone from us." And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there.

Saul then ordered a roll be taken, and when it was, it was discovered that Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there.

(18) And Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God here" (for the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel).

Saul told the priest Ahijah to bring the ark of God to him, for the Israelites had brought the ark with them.

(19) And it came to pass, while Saul talked to the priest, that the noise in the host of the Philistines went on and increased, and Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand."

While Saul was talking to the priest, the noise of the Philistines grew louder, and Saul told the priest to stop what he was doing, which was surely to inquire of the Lord over the ark.  Saul once again showed some impatience.

(20) And Saul and all the people with him assembled themselves, and they came to battle, and behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, very great confusion.

Saul and his men assembled themselves to battle against the Philistines, but they witnessed their enemy fighting themselves because there was so much confusion.  God, whom Saul was too impatient to hear from, had already taken care of the matter.

(21) Moreover, the Hebrews who were with the Philistines before that time, who went up with them into the camp from round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.

The Israelites who had been with the Philistines as their servants, had also gone with the Philistines to their camp from the areas round about the camp.  They then went and joined Saul and Jonathan.

(22) Likewise, all the men of Israel who had hid themselves in Mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle.

Additionally, the men of Israel who had been hiding in Mount Ephraim, in caves, rocks, thickets, and pits (1 Samuel 13:6), when they heard that the Philistines had fled, they also joined Saul's army and chased after the fleeing Philistines.  The historian Josephus wrote that at this time Saul's army had increased to 10,000.

(23) So the Lord saved Israel that day, and the battle passed over to Beth Aven. 

So the Lord had saved Israel that day with only two men, as Jonathan had had faith He could (verse 6).  Now the battle shifted to Beth Aven. 

(24) And the men of Israel were distressed that day for Saul had adjured the people, saying, "Cursed the man who eats food until evening, that I may be avenged on my enemies." So none of the people tasted food.

It appears that when Saul had assembled his people to pursue the Philistines (verse 20), he had given them a strict order that none of them was to eat anything until the evening so that no time would be lost in making victory over the Philistines, that "he" might be avenged on "his" enemies.  That sounds a bit arrogant and self-centered considering it had been Jonathan and his armor bearer who had thus far done the avenging.

(25) And all the land came to a wood, and there was honey on the ground. (26) And when the people had come into the wood, behold, the honey dropped, but no man put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath.

As the people were pursuing the Philistines, they came into a wooded area where there was honey on the ground.  Honey was dripping all over, but no one dared pick up any to eat because of the severe command of Saul that carried with it a curse (verse 24).

(27) But Jonathan had not heard when his father charged the people with the oath; therefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand and dipped it in a honeycomb and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes were enlightened.

Jonathan had not heard his father's order, and he took his rod and dipped the end of it in a honeycomb and ate the honey.  His eyes brightened as he became refreshed.

(28) Then answered one of the people who said, "Your father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, 'Cursed the man who eats food this day.'" And the people were faint.

Someone spoke up and told Jonathan that his father had ordered that no one eat until the evening and had issued the order with a curse. And all the people were faint with hunger.

(29) Then Jonathan said, "My father has troubled the land. See, I pray you, how my eyes have been enlightened because I tasted a little of this honey. (30) How much more, if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found? For now would there not have been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?"

Jonathan said that his father had distressed the people with his order.  He told the people to observe how his eyes had brightened because he was refreshed with a little bit of honey.  He added that had the people been allowed to eat freely of the spoil of the Philistines as they came upon it, there would probably have been a much greater slaughter of their enemies by that time.

(31) And they struck the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon, and the people were very faint.

The people struck the Philistines from Michmash, the place where the camp of the Philistines was when Jonathan first attacked them, to Aijalon in Judah, about twelve miles.  It appears the people did not eat the honey as Jonathan had encouraged them to do.  By this time, they were extremely faint.  

(32) And the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and killed them on the ground, and the people ate them with the blood.

The people were so starved they rushed upon the spoil of the Philistines and took sheep, oxen, and calves, and killed them on the spot and ate them raw with the blood still in them, which was against God's law.  

(33) Then they told Saul, saying, "Behold, the people sin against the Lord in that they eat with the blood." And he said, "You have transgressed; roll a great stone to me this day." (34) And Saul said, "Disperse yourselves among the people, and say to them, 'Bring me here every man's ox, and every man's sheep, and slaughter them here, and eat, and do not sin against the Lord in eating with the blood.'" And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night and killed them there.

It was told to Saul that the people had sinned against the Lord in eating flesh with the blood.  Saul then told the people that they had sinned and asked that a large stone be rolled to him.  He then sent word among the people to bring their oxen and their sheep, whatever they intended to eat, and slaughter them there on the stone where they could properly drain the blood, and thusly not sin against the Lord.  All the people brought their animals that night to the stone and killed them there. 

So it was night by the time the people flew upon the spoil of the Philistines and ate ravenously flesh of the animals with the blood.  So they had waited to eat until the evening.  Note that the people feared the order of Saul more than they feared sinning against the Lord.   

(35) And Saul built an altar to the Lord; the same was the first altar that he built to the Lord.

Saul built an altar to the Lord.  It was the first one he had built himself.  He had before sacrificed at altars that were already there, but this was the first he built himself.   

(36) And Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them." And they said, "Do whatever seems good to you." Then the priest said, "Let us draw near here to God."

Saul then proposed that they go after the Philistines by night and plunder them all night long until the morning light and not leave a man of them alive.  The people agreed to do whatever Saul thought was right.  Then the priest suggested that they should draw near to God to ask what He wanted them to do.

(37) And Saul asked counsel of God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You deliver them into the hand of Israel?" But He did not answer him that day.

Saul had already made up his mind what he wanted to do.  He just wanted God to bless his plan.  He had not inquired of God first what he should do.  He went through the motions now that the priest had suggested it, and he asked God if he should go after the Philistines, and would He deliver them into the hand of Israel.  But God did not answer him.  From the beginning, Saul had not waited for instruction from the Lord.  In verse 19, he was too impatient to wait for the priest to inquire of the Lord and had gone through with his own plan.  He had made a foolish strict order that caused the people to sin.  He now made a decision to go after the Philistines that night and now made a show of pretending that he sought the Lord's guidance.  The Lord did not play that game.

(38) And Saul said, "Draw near here, all the chief of the people, and know and see where this sin has been this day. (39) For as the Lord lives who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die." But not a man among all the people answered him.

Saul called all the chiefs of the people together to determine what sin had been committed that day, for he concluded that the reason the Lord didn't answer was because there was sin among them.  He never considered it might be his own.  Then Saul made another rash oath.  He said as the Lord who saved Israel lived, even if the sin was found in his own son, even he would die.  But none of the people answered him.  They knew Jonathan had eaten honey against his father's order, but he had done it unknowingly, and besides, they probably had affection for him as he was the one who had truly saved them that day.

Saul did proclaim that the Lord was the one who saved Israel, but in his arrogance, he was more concerned about someone not obeying his order than any real sin against God.  If someone disobeyed his order, was that really a sin?  It always seems that Saul gives a show of religion, but God is not the true object of his heart.  It always seems to be about Saul first.  Jesus said in Matthew 15:9, "But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."  James said in James 1:26, "If any man among you seems to be religious and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is vain."  Those seem to sum up Saul pretty well.

(40) Then he said to all Israel, "You be on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side." And the people said to Saul, "Do what seems good to you." (41) Therefore Saul said to the Lord God of Israel, "Give a perfect lot." And Saul and Jonathan were taken, but the people escaped.

Then Saul spoke to all the people, instructing them to divide into two groups, he and Jonathan on one side against all the people on the other.  The people again told Saul he should do what seemed good to him.  Saul then asked the Lord to give a perfect lot, as if He didn't always, and have it land on the guilty party.  The lot showed that the guilty party was among Saul and Jonathan, and the people were shown to be innocent.

(42) And Saul said, "Cast between me and Jonathan my son." And Jonathan was taken.

Saul, having no sense of his own guilt, would have his own son put to death because he did not obey his order.  It's interesting that God would show Jonathan as the guilty one.  Eating the honey was not a sin against God.  However, it wasn't God's intention that Jonathan be killed, but rather to reveal Saul's arrogant rashness in making such an oath.

(43) Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." And Jonathan told him, and said, "I only tasted a little honey with the end of the rod in my hand; lo, I must die."

Saul asked Jonathan what he had done to have the lot fall to him, what "sin" had he committed?  Jonathan told him that he had only tasted a little honey with the end of his rod, and for that, he must die.  Jonathan didn't even try to defend himself with the fact he had not heard his father's order.  He willingly accepted his fate.  Or was he rather pointing out that for so trivial a matter, he must die, pointing out the absurdity of so harsh a punishment for something that was not a sin against God.  Since God was using this as a lesson for Saul, I'm sure His spirit could have been directing responses.

(44) And Saul answered, "God do so and more also, for you shall surely die, Jonathan."

Saul's point was that God may do even more evil if he did not follow through with his oath, so he told Jonathan he must surely die.

(45) And the people said to Saul, "Shall Jonathan die, who has wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid! As the Lord lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day." So the people rescued Jonathan that he did not die.

The people spoke up for Jonathan, asking if Jonathan with whom God had surely worked to bring salvation to Israel should die.  It was obvious that he had not offended God, but God had used him mightily to save Israel.  Adam Clarke put it this way, in his Commentary on the Bible, "Here was a righteous and impartial jury, who brought in a verdict according to the evidence."  After all, no man should die except for a breach of the law of God, and Jonathan had not broken any law of God, so he should not die.  So the people rescued Jonathan from his death penalty, but actually, it was God who saved him by exposing Saul's arrogance and recklessness.

(46) Then Saul went up from following the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.

Saul gave up following the Philistines since he did not get an answer from the Lord, and he probably thought he had lost the opportunity, since his plan had been to attack at night.  The Philistines who remained went back to their own place.

(47) So Saul took the kingdom over Israel and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines, and wherever he turned himself, he vexed them. (48) And he gathered a host and struck the Amalekites and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who plundered them.

Saul established his sovereignty over Israel.  It seemed to have been taken from him when he was in Gibeah with only 600 men and surrounded by Philistines.  Having obtained victory over the Philistines, he recovered his kingdom and resumed his administration.  He fought his enemies on all sides, defending Israel against them.  Wherever he turned, he troubled his enemies.  He assembled an army and struck the Amalekites, as well, delivering Israel out of the hands of all who plundered them.

(49) Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishui, and Malchishua, and the names of his two daughters were, the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal.

Saul had three sons, Jonathan, Ishui, and Malchishua, and two daughters, Merab and Michal.  Actually, Dr. John Gill, in his Exposition of the Bible, pointed out that Saul had other children.  He had another son named Ishbosheth, sometimes called Eshbaal.  The commentators I study presume that the reason he wasn't mentioned here is because the author intended to mention only Saul's sons who went with him into the battles.  Saul also had other children by a concubine, or second wife, Rizpah.

(50) And the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz, and the name of the captain of his army was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul's uncle. (51) And Kish, the father of Saul, and Ner, the father of Abner, were the sons of Abiel.

Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz.  The captain of his army was Abner, the son of Saul's uncle Ner, making Abner his cousin.  Saul's father Kish and his uncle Ner were brothers and the sons of Abiel.

(52) And there was fierce war against the Philistines all the days of Saul, and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him to him.

Saul continued to fight fierce battles against the Philistines all the days of his life.  Whenever he saw any strong or valiant man, he took them for his purposes, just as Samuel had forewarned the people he would do, in 1 Samuel 8:11, "This will be the manner of the king who shall reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them for himself..."