Stidies In 2 Samuel

By James Dobbs

This is a verse-by-verse study in 2 Samuel from the perspective of its application to Chrisatian life today.

• Language: English
• Publisher: James Dobbs
• Release date: Nov 30, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215750223

James Dobbs

I graduated from Dallas County High School in Plantersville, Alabama and from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.  I have pastored churches in Arkansas, Idaho, Alabama, Oregon and South Dakota.  I retired from the U.S. Air Force.  I am married to Pam, and we have five children and twelve grandchildren.

Book preview

In this study in 2 Samuel, all scripture is from the King James Bible, and all commentary references are from Matthew Henry’s Commentary.  The study is my understanding by God’s guidance of what this book says to us as Christians today.

Chapter 1

2 Samuel 1:1 says, Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag;  After Saul’s death, David had returned to Ziklag and stayed there for two days.  David. who now certainly could claim the kingship of Israel, was still hiding out with the Philistines.  As Christians, we do not need to be hiding out with those who are not while our fellow believers are fighting against Satan and his forces today. Verse two adds, It came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance.  On the third day after Saul's death, a young man, as he is later referred to as being, came to David from Israel.  He was in bad shape and fell to the ground in in honor before David.  If people who are in bad shape come to us for help, they shouldn't have to come as though we are somehow better than them.  As followers of Christ, we are all equal spiritually and should all be willing to help our fellow believers without them feeling inferior to us or our feeling superior to them.  Verse three continues, And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped.  When David asked the young man where he was from, he said he had escaped out of Israel.  David knew the Philistines were going to war with Israel, had even offered to go with them, and was evidently not very concerned about the people of Israel.  He was more interested in protecting himself.  We know that many of our fellow Christians are at war with the world today and we are many times unconcerned because we are safe and that is our priority.  Even then, we at times may aid the enemy more than we do our fellow Christians.  Verse four states, And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, That the people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.  David asked the young man how the war was going.  He told David the people had fled and many were dead, including Saul and his son Jonathan.  David may have been hiding from Saul, but Jonathan and he had made a covenant to protect one another.  If we run from our enemies, our fellow believers may fall even if our enemies do while we are safely sitting out the battle.  Verse five adds, And David said unto the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son be dead?  David asked the young man how he knew Saul and Jonathan were dead.  If someone comes to us with news today, we should always ask how they know that it is true.  Verse six continues, And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.  He told David that as he happened upon Gilboa, that Saul leaned on his spear and the chariots of the Philistines were hard after him.  Saul could have been a great king had he been obedient to God, but he wasn't and, in the end, when he was standing by his own strength and power, they failed him.  We can be great in the battle against evil today as long as we stand under God's power, but if we attempt to stand by our own while we are out of fellowship with God, we will ultimately fall.  Verse seven says, And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, Here am I.  The young man said Saul called him over and he went to him and told him he was there.  If people are calling on us when they are in trouble today, the first thing we must do is acknowledge that we hear them.  I believe that too often we are deaf to the cries for help from those around us because we fear that it will upset our peaceful life.  Verse eight adds, And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite. Verse nine continues, He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me.  The young man said Saul asked him who he was, and he told him, and Saul then asked him to finish killing him because he was in anguish because he was still alive. I personally don't believe that we should ever be in such anguish that we want to end our life.  Verse ten concludes, So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord.  The young man said he did as Saul asked because he was sure that Saul could not survive his injuries.  He said he then took the crown and bracelet from Saul and brought them to David.  I certainly don't believe that we should ever decide that someone is so bad off that we should kill them.  Still, if they are in a hopeless situation, we may be called on to decide whether to continue to attempt to keep them existing, even when there is no hope of improvement or quality of life. 

2 Samuel 1:10 says, Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him:  David tore his clothes in mourning for the death of Saul and Jonathan and Saul's other sons and his men joined him in mourning.  David had never wished for Saul’s death, and he certainly hadn't wished for Jonathan's death.  We should always mourn the death of our family members, even if they haven't been very kind to us.  Verse twelve adds, And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.  They mourned, wept and fasted all day for Saul and Jonathan, as well as all the people of Israel who had fallen by the sword. Saul had been trying to kill them, especially David, but they did not rejoice in his death, but mourned it.  Jonathan had been a good friend to David, and they mourned his death as well.  The others who died likely fell somewhere in between, but they were all a part of God's Chosen People.  No matter our personal relationship with them, even if we don't have one, we should always mourn spiritually when one of our fellow believers dies.  Verse thirteen states, And David said unto the young man that told him, Whence art thou? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amelekite.  David asked the young man who brought the news who he was and where he was from.  It is always good to know who we are dealing with, especially if they are bringing us bad news. The young man said he was a stranger and not an Israelite, but an Amalekite.  Verse fourteen adds, And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD’s anointed?  David asked the young man why he wasn't afraid to kill the LORD’s anointed.  Matthew Henry points out that the young man was an Amalekite, who Saul should have already destroyed and that he may have done what Saul’s armor bearer couldn't do or he may have just been boasting about something he really didn't do.  Either way, he showed no respect for Saul, David, or any of God's people since he thought he would bring honor to himself for having killed their king even if he presented it as an act of mercy.  People today often still try to present themselves as our friends even as they are doing things that harm us and are not God's will. Verse fifteen continues, And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died.  David called on one of his young men and had him kill the young Amalekite.  We are not called on to kill those who are our enemies today, but we should always be aware that they are not our friends, even if they present themselves as such.  Verse sixteen concludes, And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD’s anointed.  Before he died, David told the young Amalekite that he was responsible for his death, because he had convicted himself by his own words.  Ultimately, everyone is responsible for their own relationship with God when they die, and if we have not accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we will be convicted by our own words. 

2 Samuel 1:17 says, And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son:  David lamented, or mourned, over Saul’s death, even though he had been trying to kill him, just as He did for Jonathan, who was his friend and was helping him.  People sometimes tend to mourn the death of their friends and celebrate the death of their enemies, but I am not sure that we should ever celebrate the death of anyone, especially those who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.  We shouldn't want even our worst enemies to spend eternity in hell, because Jesus died for them just as He died for us.  Verse eighteen adds, (Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.) David taught the people of Israel to use the bow. Matthew Henry says that this was likely a musical instrument instead of a bow used in war, and it was used in mourning Saul and Jonathan.  We are told this is written in the book of Jasher, which we have no copy of.  Not all things written by God's people became a part of the scriptures or are even preserved.  Still, Matthew Henry says it was written down so that we have at least fragments of it today.  The rest of the chapter is an elegy written by David. Verse twenty-nine states, The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!  David referred to Saul as the beauty of Israel who had fallen with the mighty, though Saul hadn't been beautiful in his relationship to David and God and the people hadn't been mighty in their fight with the Philistines.  I believe that even if they fail that we should look for the best in people today.  Verse twenty adds, Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. I believe this was a reference to not saying anything bad about Saul so that his enemies couldn't use it to rejoice in his death.  We should never give the enemies of God reason to celebrate the defeat of anyone who is identified as a part of the family of God, even if they haven't always lived up to that calling.  Verse twenty-one continues, Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil.  David basically said to let the mountains of Gilboa, where Saul had fallen, be cursed.  Verse twenty-two states, From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty.  David praises the valor of Jonathan and Saul in fighting the enemy, and Saul had been victorious in many battles with the Philistines.  David put Jonathan his friend and Saul who was trying to kill him in the same category.  Even if we don't always agree with them, we should mourn the loss of anyone who has been a part of the war against Satan and his forces just as much as we do those that we are close friends with.  Verse twenty-three adds, Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.  David continues to celebrate the lives of Jonathan and Saul together and speaks of their valor and might in war.  He also says that they died fighting together.  We as Christians, even when we disagree amongst ourselves, should be noted as having fought together with our fellow believers when we die.  Verse twenty-four continues, Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel.  David called on the woman of Israel to weep for Saul, who had enriched their lives materially.  Though he was at times a very self-centered individual, Saul did lead the people to victory many times and enrich their lives. Verse twenty-five says, How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places.  David now praises Jonathan without mentioning Saul.  Jonathan and David had a covenant to support one another, and now Jonathan was dead.  This is but a personal observation, but David may have felt guilty for not being there to help Jonathan in the fight.  Verse twenty-six adds, I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of woman. David spoke of the great love that Jonathan had for him.  Again, this was not a sexual love, but a God given closeness to each other spiritually. We too often want to view love in worldly terms instead of spiritual terms. We should have a Godlike love for all our fellow Christians, and we will have a closer relationship with some than with others.  Verse twenty-seven continues, How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!  David closed by speaking of how the mighty had fallen and their weapons of war had perished.  We should lament anytime people of God fall in the battle against evil in the world, even if they are not always perfect in their faith.

Chapter 2

2 Samuel 2:1 says, And it came to pass after this, that David inquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.  David did not immediately attack the Philistines occupying Israel, but he first consulted God about whether he should or not, and God told him to go.  We should always pray before we take any action, especially any that might be taken rashly out of anger.  David then asked God where he should go, and God told him Hebron.  If God is telling us to go, we need to make sure we know where He is telling us to go. Verse two adds, So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal’s wife the Carmelite.  David, who was now indeed king whether the majority of the people of Israel knew it or not, took his two wives and went as God had told him to do.  There would really be no need to return, as there is no need for us to return to where we were before answering God's call, especially the call to salvation.  Verse three continues, And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.  David also brought his men and all their households with him, and they lived in Hebron.  After we have responded to God's call, we need to bring as many people to Him to join us in the battle against evil as we can.  Verse four states, And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men of Jabeshgilead were they that buried Saul.  The people of Hebron anointed David as their king, but he had already been anointed as king of Israel by God through Samuel.  Once we are called to a particular role by God, it is nice to have people acknowledge it, but not necessary, and if God hasn't called us, then the appointment by people does not matter.  Verse five adds, And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabeshgilead, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of the LORD, that ye have shewed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him.  David had been told of the fact that the men of Jabeshgilead had buried Saul, and he sent messengers to thank them for their kindness in doing this.  We should always be thankful for the good works of others and let them know that we are.  Verse six continues, And now the LORD shew kindness and truth unto you: and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing.  David said that as they had shown kindness to Saul in burying his sons and him, that David was going to need them to show kindness to him.  He did not make demands on them.  We should go to people asking for their help if we need it and never attempt to demand it, even though David as king could have. Verse seven concludes, Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant: for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.  David asked them to be valiant for their master Saul and said that the people of Hebron had anointed him as their king.  He didn't mention Samuel anointing him years before under God's authority, since Samuel was dead, and this would have been harder to verify.  Though ultimately God's call is all that matters, it is always better if other people can verify the fact that they know this to be true also.  Verse eight adds, But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s