2 Samuel 23:1-7

David's Last Song

1 Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse declares, ¹The man who was raised on high declares, ²The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel,

2 "³The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue.

3 "The God of Israel said, ⁴The Rock of Israel spoke to me, '⁵He who rules over men righteously, ⁶Who rules in the fear of God,

4 ⁷Is as the light of the morning when the sun rises, A morning without clouds, When the tender grass springs out of the earth, Through sunshine after rain.

5 "Truly is not my house so with God? For ⁸He has made an everlasting covenant with me, Ordered in all things, and secured; For all my salvation and all my desire, Will He not indeed make it grow?

6 "⁹But the worthless, every one of them will be thrust away like thorns, Because they cannot be taken in hand;

7 But the man who touches them Must be armed with iron and the shaft of a spear, And ¹⁰they will be completely burned with fire in their place."

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.

Cross References

• 1. 2 Samuel 7:8, 9; Psalms 78:70, 71
• 2. 1 Samuel 16:12, 13; Psalms 89:20
• 3. Matthew 22:43; 2 Peter 1:21
• 4. 2 Sam 22:2, 3, 32
• 5. Psalms 72:1-3; Isaiah 11:1-5
• 6. 2 Chronicles 19:7, 9
• 7. Judges 5:31; Psalms 72:6
• 8. 2 Samuel 7:12-16; Psalms 89:29; Isaiah 55:3
• 9. Matthew 13:41
• 10. Matthew 3:10; Matthew 13:30; Hebrews 6:8

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "filled"
• [b]. Lit "sitting"