This is part of a series of articles, describing each of the 66 books of the Bible and how it relates to the one overall story of God’s relationship with man. The story is examined in terms of the five recurring themes below. The series cover page can be reached here.
| God’s Sovereign Plan | God’s Majesty, Holiness & Justice | God’s Love & Pursuit of Relationship | Man’s Rebellion & Sin | God’s Solution: A Redeeming Sacrifice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
This book tells of the prophet Samuel and his dealings with the first of Israel’s kings. It includes all five of the major themes presented in this article series. Both 1st and 2nd Samuel (originally written as one book but divided by later translators) are about the prophet Samuel but were not written by him. Scholars accept them as a compilation of the work of multiple historians.
As for date written, the books refer at times to the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah, so they must have been written after that division occurred (which happened under David’s grandson Rehoboam in about 930 B.C.) They do not show awareness, however, of the fall of Israel to the Assyrians in 722 B.C. so the compilation must have been complete before that point.
They tell the history of Israel’s transition from being governed by a series of judges 1 to being ruled by kings. Samuel was instrumental in identifying and guiding the first two of those kings, Saul and David. The historical date range covered by both books is from Samuel’s birth in about 1100 B.C. until near the end of David’s reign in about 970 B.C. First Samuel covers the reign of Saul, the anointing of David, and Saul’s efforts to eliminate David. Second Samuel starts with David becoming king, and covers until near the end of his reign.
The literary style of the book is literal, historical narrative. The tone is matter-of-fact, even when describing obvious miracles. People and places are named in real-world context, with nothing “once upon a time” or “in a galaxy far, far away”.
Note: Even with “Samuel” split into “1st Samuel” and “2nd Samuel”, these two books have too much good content to cover in a single article. Use these links to see everything.
- 1st Samuel: Saul
- 1st Samuel: Saul to David
- 2nd Samuel: David’s Kingdom, The Early Years
- 2nd Samuel: David’s Kingdom, Continued (this article)
Family Dysfunction
David’s many children by multiple wives and/or concubines spawned instances of “dysfunction”, to put it mildly. The Bible is not sparing in describing them, even though David remained “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14).
Amnon, Tamar, and Absalom
Chapter 13 begins the first incident. David’s oldest son Amnon (borne by wife Ahinoam) was madly in love with a woman named Tamar. The problem was that Tamar was his half-sister (full sister to David’s third son Absalom, borne by wife Maacah) 2. Such a relationship was forbidden. When Tamar rejected his advances, Amnon raped her.
Once he had taken what he wanted, however, Amnon’s “love” immediately turned to hate. He sent her away in tears. When Absalom found out why his sister was so distressed, he took vengeance. Two years later, he killed Amnon, then fled the country. David’s reaction: “The heart of King David longed to go out to Absalom; for he was comforted concerning Amnon, since he was dead.“
Note: That “comforted…since he was dead” is disconcerting at first. But remember Bathsheba’s first child: David prayed and fasted while there was hope, but once the child died, he accepted that “I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” Perhaps the same dynamic is happening here.
David now had a dilemma: He was the king; his oldest surviving son 3 should be his successor; but that son is a murderer — of his own brother, no less — and is in exile. David needed to exact justice, but he still loved his son. What to do?
In chapter 14, David’s general Joab used a roundabout way to influence David’s choice. He got a woman to come to the king for a decision on a fictional family crisis: One of her sons has killed the other; the family wants the murderer put to death; but that would leave no heirs and would wipe out the family name (a major catastrophe in that culture). David’s decision was to spare her remaining son. She then retorted (my paraphrase): “Then why are you leaving the kingdom in that same crisis? You haven’t restored your son Absalom, and the kingdom is going to fall apart.”
David figured out that Joab was behind the woman’s argument. But he decided to go along with it anyway … partway along. He recalled Absalom back to Jerusalem, and didn’t punish or completely disown him. But he didn’t fully accept him, either; he refused to see him directly or let him back into the palace.
After a couple of years of this estrangement, Absalom wanted Joab to intercede with David on his behalf. When Joab didn’t respond to the first two requests, Absalom set fire to Joab’s field! When Joab asked “What did you do that for?”, Absalom responded with “Because I want you to talk to David for me.”
Ridiculous as that was, it worked. Joab went to David; David sent for Absalom; and “Thus he came to the king and prostrated himself on his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.” Notice the lack of true repentance on Absalom’s part, and of respect for God’s law and justice on David’s part.
Absalom’s Treachery
David did himself and his kingdom no favors by forgiving Absalom. As chapter 15 tells, Absalom began undermining David and building a following for himself. He would intercept those coming with petitions for the king, and answer them in David’s place. Paraphrased, he said the equivalent of “The king may not agree with you, but I do. Go in peace, and I’ll handle it.” “…so Absalom stole away the hearts of the men of Israel.” When Absalom had enough momentum on his side, he went to the town of Hebron (where David had ruled for his first few years), had trumpets sounded and proclaimed himself to be king.
Rather than fight his son in order to hold on to the kingdom, David left Jerusalem. He took his personal servants and about 600 loyal soldiers and headed out into the wilderness. At first, the priests Zadok and Abiathar came along, with Levites carrying the Ark of the Covenant. But David sent them back, saying the Ark should remain in the city. David would wait until he heard from God about what his next steps should be.
David did open a back door, though. Absalom was being counseled by one of David’s advisors, a man named Ahithophel. David sent a man still loyal to him, named Hushai, back to Jerusalem to offer his services to Absalom. In that way, Hushai would do what he could to counteract Ahithophel, and would pass insider information back to David.
Chapter 16 starts with another bit of intrigue. Ziba, servant to Mephibosheth (Jonathan’s son, Saul’s grandson, to whom David had been deliberately kind) came out with provisions for David and his band of refugees. He said that Mephibosheth had stayed back in the city, hoping that Absalom would restore Saul’s kingdom to him. (Why would he expect such a thing? Ziba was probably lying.) David rewarded Ziba by bestowing Mephibosheth’s estate on him.
Further along the journey, a man named Shimei came out to curse David. To him, David deserved abuse because of all he had done to the house of Saul. (Exactly what that offense was is not named.) Abishai, another of David’s military leaders and brother to general Joab, wanted to kill Shimei for his insolence. David stopped him, saying that this might be from God. He would let God sort everyone out. After all, his own son wanted to kill him; what was a bit more cursing? Psalm 3 is David’s cry to God for relief, and his trust that God would see Him through.
Meanwhile, back in the city, Absalom settled himself in as king. Where Joab had been David’s general, Absalom put a man named Amasa in charge of his army. To punctuate the change in power, Absalom went in to David’s concubines who had been left in the palace when David went away. That made a show that “What was David’s is now mine!”
Dueling Counselors
In chapter 17, Absalom’s first counselor, Ahithophel, wanted to immediately pursue David with an overwhelming force, 12,000 against David’s 600 or so. He would kill only David, and bring the others back with no further bloodshed. Hushai, David’s plant in Absalom’s court, advised against that. He reminded Absalom that David and his men were mighty warriors, and that David was experienced in wilderness hiding and fighting. Hushai suggested that Absalom instead wait until his power was more consolidated before going after David.
Absalom took Hushai’s advice. This gave Hushai time to warn David to cross the Jordan River and move out of Absalom’s reach. He settled for the moment in the town of Mahanaim on the far side of the river. David was able to gather more men and prepare an army for battle to reclaim the throne.
Showdown
In chapter 18, David divided his troops into thirds, under leaders Joab, Abishai, and Ittai. At their request, he himself stayed back from the battle even though he originally intended to lead with them. He asked them to deal gently with Absalom: Even after all this, Absalom was still his son. But….
Absalom was known for his long, luxurious hair, which was considered a sign of strength and virility. That gorgeous hair was his undoing that day: It got caught in tree branches so that his mule kept going and left him hanging! Word came to Joab that Absalom was just hanging around. He went to him, and ran him through with three spears. Then ten of Joab’s men also struck and made sure Absalom was dead. They cast his body into a pit and raised a heap of stones over it. That pretty much ended the rebellion.
Messengers went to David. He first learned that the battle was over, and that he was safe. He then immediately asked, “How is Absalom?” On learning that Absalom was dead, he mourned:
The king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And thus he said as he walked, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”
2 Samuel 18:33
Return of the King
In chapter 19, Joab, who had killed Absalom and — to his mind — saved the kingdom for David, was peeved that David was mourning his son instead of rejoicing in the victory. He told David to get up, speak to the people, and show some appreciation for their efforts on his behalf. So he went out of the house and “sat in the gate” (of Mahanaim) for the people to see and approach him.
The people of Israel had scattered while everything was in an uproar. Who was their king? David, then Absalom, but now Absalom was dead and where was David? Word spread that David was returning, but the people’s loyalties had been scrambled. Could they be restored?
David first sent word to the priests Zadok and Abiathar, asking them to rally his fellow tribesmen from Judah and Benjamin. He reminded Amasa, Absalom’s general, that they were related 4. Wouldn’t Amasa join him, and take Joab’s place as general? (What did Joab think of that offer?) They crossed the river to join David on his return journey. Along the way, they met a couple of familiar faces. First, Shimei, who has cursed David on his way out, now asked for forgiveness; David granted it. Then Mephibosheth — whose servant Ziba had said was trying to side with Absalom in hopes of regaining his grandfather Saul’s status — came out. He said he had been on David’s side all along, and that Ziba was lying. Since David has previously given Mephibosheth’s property to Ziba, and he couldn’t be sure who was telling the truth, he now said he would split it between the two. Mephibosheth said he didn’t want a share; he was just happy to have David safe.
In a sweet side story, an old man named Barzillai, who had supported David during his time in Mahanaim, was invited to join the victory march. He answered that No, he was too old for such a trip, but he would send his servant Chimham as his representative.
In a not-so-sweet moment in chapter 20, the ten tribes that constituted “Israel” were upset that the two “Judah” tribes got to enter back across the river with David on his way home. The Israel tribes deserved respect also. Why weren’t they invited to the party? The men of Judah said “We’re his home tribe. We haven’t taken anything away from you!” To which Israel answered “We’re bigger. We should have been given priority!” A troublemaker named Sheba proclaimed:
We have no portion in David,
2 Samuel 20:1
Nor do we have inheritance in the son of Jesse;
Every man to his tents, O Israel!
This resulted in all the Israel tribes revolting against David and following Sheba. David asked Amasa to have the army mustered to quell the revolt within three days. When Amasa didn’t respond quickly enough, David got impatient. He sent Joab and his brother Abishai to do the job instead.
Amasa caught up while Joab was on his way to pursuing Sheba. Joab killed him. (Guess we learned what Joab thought about the change in command!)
Joab and the army went on to the town of Beth-maacah where Sheba was hiding. They besieged the town and were getting ready to destroy it. A wise woman in the town asked to speak to Joab. She asked why he would destroy a faithful Israelite city? When he answered that he didn’t want the city, he just wanted Sheba, she answered “OK, we’ll give him to you.” Well, at least part of him: They cut off his head and threw it over the wall to Joab.
Mission accomplished, Joab and all the army retired from battle. The soldiers went home; David was back in Jerusalem; Joab was his general; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; others were back in their assigned roles.
Retribution and War
Chapter 21 has a couple of stories that seem out of chronology with the rest of the book. They happen “in the days of David“, but not necessarily following the Absalom-and-then-Sheba rebellions.
The first event starts with a three-year drought. When David asked God why it was happening, the answer was “because of what Saul did to the Gibeonites”. The Gibeonites were not part of Israel but were a kind of protectorate. The relationship went back to a treaty made as the Israelites were first entering Canaan about four hundred years earlier; that story is told in Joshua chapter 9. The Bible doesn’t record for us what it was that Saul did. It just says that the current drought was because “It is for Saul and his bloody house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.“
David went to the Gibeonites and asked what he could do to make restitution. They said they didn’t want any silver or gold, and weren’t interested in killing any Israelites. They just asked for seven of Saul’s descendants that they could hang as representatives of the man who had harmed them. David reserved Mephibosheth, but sent seven other of Saul’s grandsons to the Gibeonites. After the seven were hanged, the mother of two of them watched over their bodies and didn’t let carrion birds or beasts damage them. She kept watch until the drought broke and the rains came. When David heard of her faithfulness, he retrieved the bodies and gave them a respectful burial alongside the bones of Saul and Jonathan.
The chapter ends with descriptions of a more battles with the Philistines, including more giants similar to Goliath from David’s early adventures. After David had a close call with one of them, needing a quick rescue by military leader Abishai, he was asked to stay away from battles from then on. He was too valuable to the nation; they couldn’t risk him being killed.
Songs of David
David is known for the Psalms that he wrote. Chapter 22 gives us one of them, a “song to the LORD in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.” The song is full of praise to God:
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge;
My savior, You save me from violence.
…
For You have girded me with strength for battle;
You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
…
Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the nations,
And I will sing praises to Your name.
“He is a tower of deliverance to His king,
And shows lovingkindness to His anointed,
To David and his descendants forever.”
The beginning of chapter 23 is also a song, David’s final words. Then it finishes with a list and descriptions of deeds of David’s “mighty men”, his main warriors. Among the deeds listed is the tale of three warriors who risked their lives to get water from the well in Philistine-occupied Bethlehem, just because they overhead David wishing for some. He honored their loyalty and courage, but poured the water out as an offering to God, saying, “Shall I drink the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?“
The Sinful Census
The last chapter of the book, chapter 24, describes a sinful action by David, its punishment, and his repentance and forgiveness. The chapter begins with “Now again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and it incited David against them to say, ‘Go, number Israel and Judah.‘” We are not told specifically why God was angry, or why that anger incited a census count. Interpreters see the census as David being prideful and/or over-confident in the size of his army as what made him secure. The census took over nine months. The count ended up as 800,000 soldiers from the tribes of Israel and another 500,00 from the Judah tribes.
David realized that he had done wrong. When he confessed his sin, God gave him a choice of punishments: seven years of famine, three months of pursuit by enemies, or three days of pestilence in the land. David answered, “Let us now fall into the hand of the LORD for His mercies are great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man.” Famine or pestilence would be more merciful than humans!
God chose pestilence, causing 70,000 people to die throughout the land but sparing the city of Jerusalem. David asked that the punishment be turned onto him rather than on his people: “…it is I who have sinned, and it is I who have done wrong; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let Your hand be against me and against my father’s house.“
The angel causing the pestilence was at that time by the threshing floor of a man named Araunah. God told David to build an altar there. When David went to Araunah to buy the land, Araunah offered to give it to him. David answered “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, for I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which cost me nothing.” So David bought the land, built the altar, and offered prayers and sacrifices there. God accepted the prayers, and the pestilence was ended.
To Be Continued…
David’s story is continued in the early chapters of 1st Kings.
There is overlap among the Biblical histories. Several of the events related in 1st and 2nd Samuel are also told in 1st Chronicles. Those include:
- The death of Saul and his sons: 1st Samuel 31 and 2nd Samuel 1; 1st Chronicles 10
- The start of David’s kingship: 2nd Samuel 2:1-4 and 5:1-5; 1st Chronicles 11:1-9
- David’s mighty men: 2nd Samuel 23:8-39; 1st Chronicles 11:10-47
- Bringing the Ark to Jerusalem: 2nd Samuel 6; 1st Chronicles 13, 15 and 16
- Battles with Philistines: 2nd Samuel 5:17-25; 1st Chronicles 14:8-17
- David’s desire to build a temple, and God’s promise to him: 2nd Samuel 7; 1st Chronicles 17
- David’s military victories: 2nd Samuel 8; 1st Chronicles 18
- Battle with the Ammonites: 2nd Samuel 10; 1st Chronicles 19
- Battle with Philistine giants: 2nd Samuel 21:15-22; 1st Chronicles 20
- The sinful census: 2nd Samuel 24; 1st Chronicles 21
1st Chronicles 22 and 28-29 take up the story of David preparing to build the temple, then passing that project, and the kingdom, on to Solomon.
One Story
Continue to 1 Kings.
Footnotes and Scripture References
- At least, nominally governed. A frequent theme in Judges is “every man did what was right in his own eyes.“
- See 2 Samuel 3:2-5 and 5:13-16 for more on David’s children.
- Second son Chileab is not mentioned again. The Bible does not say what happened to him.
- Per 2nd Samuel 17:25 and 1st Chronicles 2:13-17, Amasa was David’s nephew. For that matter, so was Joab.
