2 Samuel 21:15

15 Forsooth battle of the Philistines was made again against Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines. Soothly when David failed, (And again the Philistines made battle against Israel; and David and his men went down, and fought against the Philistines. And when David grew weary,)

2 Samuel 21:15 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 21:15

Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel
Besides what is before recorded in this and the preceding book; being animated to it partly by the number of giants among them, and partly by the decline of David's life, and it may be chiefly by the insurrections and rebellions in Israel; though some think that these battles were not after the rebellions of Absalom and Sheba, and the affair of the Gibeonites, though here recorded; but before, and quickly after the war with the Ammonites, next to which they are placed in ( 1 Chronicles 20:1-8 ) ; but they seem to be placed here in their proper order:

and David went down, and his servants with him;
to the borders of the Philistines, perceiving they were preparing to make war against him:

and fought against the Philistines;
engaged in a battle with them:

and David waxed faint;
in the battle, not able to bear the fatigues of war, and wield his armour as he had used, being in the decline of life; after he had been engaged a while, his spirits began to fail, not through fear, but through feebleness; but, according to Josephus, it was through weariness in pursuing the enemy put to flight, which the following person perceived, and turned upon him ^F25.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 Antiqu. l. 7. c. 12. sect. 1.

2 Samuel 21:15 In-Context

13 And David bare out from thence the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan, his son; and they gathered the bones of them that were crucified (and they also gathered up the bones of the seven men who were hanged),

14 and they buried those with the bones of Saul and of Jonathan, his son, in the land of Benjamin, in the side of the sepulchre of Kish, the father of Saul (in the tomb, or the grave, of Saul's father Kish). And they did all things, whatever the king commanded them; and the Lord did mercy to the land after these things.

15 Forsooth battle of the Philistines was made again against Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines. Soothly when David failed, (And again the Philistines made battle against Israel; and David and his men went down, and fought against the Philistines. And when David grew weary,)

16 Ishbibenob, that was of the kin of Harapha, that is, (the father) of the giants, and the iron of his spear weighed three hundred ounces, and he was girded with a new sword, enforced to smite David. (Ishbibenob, who was a descendant of Harapha, that is, the father of the giants, whose iron of his spear weighed three hundred ounces, and who was girded with a new sword, endeavoured to strike down David.)

17 And Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, was in help to David; and he smote and killed the Philistine. Then the men of David swore, and said, Now thou shalt not go out with us into battle, lest thou quench the lantern of Israel. (But Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, helped David; and he struck and killed the Philistine. And then the men of David swore, and said, From now on, thou shalt not go out with us into battle, lest thou quench Israel's lantern.)