2 Samuel 23:6

6 But the devil's henchmen are like thorns culled and piled as trash;

2 Samuel 23:6 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 23:6

But [the sons] of Belial [shall be] all of them as thorns
thrust away
Not like the tender grass that springs up, and flourishes after rain, and the sunshine upon that; but like thorns, useless, hurtful, and pernicious, and fit only for burning: this is true of wicked men in general, that cast off the yoke of the Lord, and become unprofitable, as Belial signifies; and of wicked governors in particular, who, instead of being helpful, are harmful to a commonwealth; and instead of being the joy and comfort of their subjects, and of giving pleasure to them, and making them cheerful and prosperous, give pain and trouble, and cause grief and sorrow; and are, if possible, to be thrust away, and deposed from government:

because they cannot be taken with hands;
thorns cannot be handled and gently dealt with, but some instrument must be used to put them away with force; so wicked men, and especially wicked rulers, are untractable, and not to be managed in a gentle way, and therefore violent ones must be taken.

2 Samuel 23:6 In-Context

4 Is like first light at daybreak without a cloud in the sky, Like green grass carpeting earth, glistening under fresh rain.

5 And this is just how my regime has been, for God guaranteed his covenant with me, Spelled it out plainly and kept every promised word - My entire salvation, my every desire.

6 But the devil's henchmen are like thorns culled and piled as trash;

7 Better not try to touch them; keep your distance with a rake or hoe. They'll make a glorious bonfire!

8 This is the listing of David's top men. Josheb-Basshebeth, the Tahkemonite. He was chief of the Three. He once put his spear to work against eight hundred - killed them all in a day.