2 Samuel 21:17

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.)

2 Samuel 21:17 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 21:17

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him
Observing him in danger, made haste to his relief:

and smote the Philistine, and killed him;
it seems as if Abishai engaged with the Philistine, and killed him; but inasmuch as it will bear to be interpreted of David, and since the four giants here and hereafter mentioned are said to fall by the hand of David and his servants, ( 2 Samuel 21:22 ) , it may be thought that this man fell by his hand; seeing it is clear that all the rest fell by the hands of his servants:

then the men of David sware unto him;
after they had observed the danger he was exposed unto, and how narrowly he escaped with his life:

saying, thou shalt go no more with us to battle;
they had persuaded him not to go to the battle with Absalom; they had suffered him to go with them now, he being, no doubt, forward and pressing to it; but now they were resolute, and determined he should never go more:

that thou quench not the light of Israel;
signifying that their glory and prosperity depended on his life, and that, should he be taken away, they should be in affliction and adversity, their honour and their happiness would be at an end; the Targum is,

``thou mayest not extinguish the kingdom of Israel,''

the light and glory of it.

2 Samuel 21:17 In-Context

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.)

18 Also the second battle was in Gob against [the] Philistines; then Sibbechai of Hushathites smote Saph, of the generation of Harapha, of the kin of giants. (And there was a second battle against the Philistines at Gob; there Sibbechai of the Hushathites struck down Saph, a descendant of Harapha, that is, the father of the giants.)

19 Also the third battle was in Gob against [the] Philistines; in which battle a man given of God, the son of a forest, and a(n) (em)broiderer, a man of Bethlehem, smote (the brother of) Goliath of Gath, whose spear shaft was as a beam of webs. (And the third battle against the Philistines was also at Gob; in which battle Elhanan, the son of Jair/the son of Jaareoregim, a man of Bethlehem, struck down the brother of Goliath of Gath, whose spear shaft was like a weaver's beam.)