Bible Commentaries

king David: Occurs in 2 Samuel 6:12, 2 Samuel 6:16; 2 Samuel 7:18; 2 Samuel 8:8, 2 Samuel 8:11; 2 Samuel 9:5; 2 Samuel 13:21, 2 Samuel 13:39; 2 Samuel 16:5, 2 Samuel 16:6; 2 Samuel 17:17, 2 Samuel 17:21; 2 Samuel 19:11, 2 Samuel 19:16. Books begins with king David and ends with king of Babylon. Opens with Temple built, and closes with Temple burnt. Begins with David's first successor on the throne of his kingdom, and ends with David's last successor released from the house of the captivity. Characters of all are tested by the standard if David.

old: About seventy. Compare 2 Samuel 5:4, 2 Samuel 5:5.

gat no heat. Compare Psalms 32:3, Psalms 32:4.

servants: i.e. his advisers, probably medical.

virgin = damsel. Hebrew. bethulah.

coasts = borders.

Adonijah. Fourth son of David (1 Samuel 3:4). Amnon dead (2 Samuel 13:29), Absalom dead (2 Samuel 18:14), and probably Chileab (2 Samuel 3:3).

men. Hebrew. ish. App-14.

his mother: i.e. "Haggith". See 1 Kings 1:5.

Joab. This is why his name is not in 2Sa 23. See note on 1 Kings 23:24.

mighty men. See 2 Samuel 23:8, 2 Samuel 23:9, 2 Samuel 23:16, 2 Samuel 23:22.

En-rogel = well or spring of Rogel. South side of Jerusalem, in the Kidron valley.

the king. Some codices with Syriac, read "and the", &c.

life = soul. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13.

Didst not thou. ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6.

why then. ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6. Some codices, with Aramaean, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read "And behold". her".

My lord. Some codices, with Septuagint and Syriac, add "O king".

the Lord. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.

God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4.

now. A special reading (Sevir, App-34), with three early printed editions, Aramaean, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read "thou". But the Massorah (App-30) says the scribes were misled in reading "attah (thou) instead of "attah (now).

thou = thou therefore. Some codices, with three early printed editions, and Aramaean, read "And now". See note on 1 Kings 1:18.

sleep with his fathers. See note on Deuteronomy 31:16.

offenders. See App-44.

lo. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6.

Behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6.

soul. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13.

as = according as.

mine own mule. David had not disobeyed Deuteronomy 17:16, as Absalom had done (2 Samuel 15:1) and Adonijah (1 Kings 1:5).

sit, &c. As associate king, Solomon being nineteen years of age.

tabernacle = tent. Hebrew. ohel. Not the Tabernacle at Gibeon, but David's tabernacle (2 Samuel 6:17) See App-40.

piped with pipes = playing loudly on pipes. Figure of speech Polyptoton App-6.

rejoiced with great joy = greatly rejoiced.

the earth rent. Figure of speech Hyperbole. App-6.

And = But.

Jonathan. David's faithful messenger of 2 Samuel 15:36 with 2 Samuel 17:17.

Verily = of a truth; or, truth to tell.

Cherethites, &c. A bodyguard (1 Samuel 30:14).

sitteth = hath taken [his] seat.

bowed = worshipped. Compare Genesis 47:31.

shew himself Some codices, with one early printed edition, add "toward me".

worthy man = a son of valour.

not an hair, &c. Figure of speech Paroemia. App-6.