2 Samuel 23:1-7

The Last Words of David

1 Now these are the last words of David: The oracle of David, the son of Jesse, the oracle of ¹the man who was raised on high, ²the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel:^[a]

2 ³"The Spirit of the LORD speaks by me; his word is on my tongue.

3 The God of Israel has spoken; ⁴the Rock of Israel has said to me: When one rules justly over men, ruling ⁵in the fear of God,

4 he ⁶dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain^[b] that makes grass to sprout from the earth

5 "For does not my house stand so with God? ⁷For he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure. For will he not cause to prosper all my help and my desire?

6 But worthless men^[c] are all like thorns that are thrown away, for they cannot be taken with the hand;

7 but the man who touches them arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear, and they are utterly consumed with fire."^[d]

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2 Samuel 23:1-7 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 23

In this chapter are recorded the last words of David under a divine inspiration, 2Sa 23:1-7; and an account is given of his great men, famous for warlike exploits, particularly of three mighty men who did very marvellous things, 2Sa 23:8-17; and of two others next unto them, which belonged to another class of three, 2Sa 23:18-23; and then of thirty one more, 2Sa 23:24-39; who are all mentioned by name.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 7

1. [2 Samuel 7:8, 9; Psalms 78:70, 71]
2. [See 2 Samuel 22:51 above]
3. [2 Peter 1:21]
4. See 2 Samuel 22:2, 3, 32, 47
5. Exodus 18:21; 2 Chronicles 19:7, 9
6. [Judges 5:31; Proverbs 4:18; Hosea 6:5]
7. 2 Samuel 7:15, 16; Psalms 89:29; Isaiah 55:3

Footnotes 4

[a]. Or the favorite of the songs of Israel
[b]. Hebrew from rain
[c]. Hebrew worthlessness
[d]. Hebrew consumed with fire in the sitting

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.