2 Samuel 2:7

7 Be strong and brave! Saul your king is dead, and the people of Judah have anointed me as their king."

2 Samuel 2:7 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 2:7

Now therefore let your hands be strengthened, and be ye
valiant
And not be afraid of the Philistines, who might resent their conduct in taking away from them the bodies of Saul and his sons, whom they had hung up in triumph; and these men might fear they would bring their armies against them, and destroy them; but David bids them be of good heart and courage, and not be afraid of them:

for your master Saul is dead;
or rather "though" ^F1 he is dead; for that he was dead they knew full well, having buried him, and needed no information of it; but being dead, they might be discouraged, as having none to protect and defend them, or come to their relief as he did, should they be attacked:

and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them;
or "for even", or "notwithstanding" ^F2; and this therefore being the case, he would take their parts, and help and assist them; and which he suggests to them, to invite them to own him as their king also, and put themselves under his protection.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F1 (yk) "licet enim", V. L. "quamvis", Piscator. So Pool and Patrick.
F2 (Mgw) "tamen", V. L. "nam similiter", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

2 Samuel 2:7 In-Context

5 he sent some men there with the message: "May the Lord bless you for showing your loyalty to your king by burying him.

6 And now may the Lord be kind and faithful to you. I too will treat you well because of what you have done.

7 Be strong and brave! Saul your king is dead, and the people of Judah have anointed me as their king."

8 The commander of Saul's army, Abner son of Ner, had fled with Saul's son Ishbosheth across the Jordan to Mahanaim.

9 There Abner made Ishbosheth king of the territories of Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin, and indeed over all Israel.