2 Samuel 23

The death of King David is not recorded in 2 Samuel, but in 1 Kings 2:1–12. However, 2

Samuel 23–24 record his last psalm, the names of his greatest soldiers, and the sad account of his sin of numbering the people. Chapters 21–24 serve as an “appendix” to 2 Samuel and seem to focus on the divine and human sides of leadership. A leader’s decisions may have serious consequences, as proved by the sins of Saul (chap. 21) and David (chap. 24). Leaders must depend on the Lord and give Him the glory, as David’s two psalms declare, and no leader can do the job alone, as indicated by the list of David’s mighty men. Second Samuel 23–24 give us three portraits of David that illustrate the greatness and the humanness of this leader’s life.

At least seventy-three of the psalms in the book of Psalms are assigned to David, but his last one is found only here in 2 Samuel 23. The phrase “the last words of David” means “his last inspired written words from the Lord.” The psalm may have been written during the closing days of his life, shortly before he died. Since the theme of the psalm is godly leadership, he may have written it especially for Solomon, but it has much to say to all of God’s people today.

The privileges of leadership (vv. 1–2). David never ceased to marvel that God would call him to become the king of Israel, to lead God’s people, fight God’s battles, and even help to write God’s Word. It was through David’s descendants that God brought the Messiah into the world. From the human point of view, David was a “nobody,” a shepherd, the youngest of eight sons in an ordinary Jewish family; nevertheless, God selected him and made him to become Israel’s greatest king. The Lord had given David skillful hands and a heart of integrity (Ps. 78:70–72) and equipped him to know and do His will. As the son of Jesse, David was a member of the royal tribe of Judah, something that was not true of his predecessor Saul. (See Gen. 49:10.)

David didn’t promote himself to achieve greatness; it was the Lord who chose him and elevated him to the throne (Deut. 17:15). The Lord spent thirty years training David, first with the sheep in the pastures, then with Saul in the army camp, and finally with his own fighting men in the Judean wilderness. Great leaders are trained in private before they go to work in public. “Talents are best nurtured in solitude,” wrote Goethe; “character is best formed in the stormy billows of the world.” David had both. He had been faithful in private as a servant, so God was able to elevate him publicly to be a ruler (Matt. 25:21). The Lord followed the same procedure when He prepared Moses, Joshua, Nehemiah, the apostles, and even His own Son (Phil. 2:5–11; Heb. 5:8). Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones used to say, “It is a tragic thing when a young man succeeds before he’s ready for it.” David was ready for the throne.

God empowers those whom He calls, and He anointed David with His Spirit (1 Sam. 16:12–13). Dr. A. W. Tozer said, “Never follow any leader until you see the oil on his forehead,” which explains why so many gifted men came to David and joined his band. It takes more than talent and training to be an effective leader and to be able to recruit and train other leaders. Jesus reminded His disciples, and reminds us, “Without Me, you can do nothing” (John 15: nkjv). Religious leaders who follow the principles of what the world calls “success” rarely accomplish anything permanent that glorifies God. “He who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2: nkjv). It’s good to be educated by men, but it’s even more important to be trained by the Lord. “Our Lord was thirty years preparing for three years’ service,” wrote Oswald Chambers. “The modern stamp is three hours of preparation for thirty years of service.”

But the Spirit not only empowered David for battle, He also inspired him to write beautiful psalms that still minister to our hearts. When you think of the trials that David had to endure in order to give us these psalms, it makes you appreciate them even more. David made it clear that he was writing the Word of God, not just religious poetry. Peter called David “a prophet” (Acts 2:30) and at Pentecost quoted what David wrote about the Messiah’s resurrection and ascension (Acts 2:24–36). When you read the Psalms, you are reading the Word of God and learning about the Son of God.

The responsibilities of leadership (vv. 3–7). God didn’t train David just to put him on display, but because He had important work for him to do; and so it is with every true leader. David was to rule over God’s own people, “the sheep of his pasture” (Ps. 100:3), which is an awesome responsibility. It demands character and integrity (“just” = righteous) and a submissive attitude toward the Lord (“the fear of God”). Without righteousness and the fear of God, a leader becomes a dictator and abuses God’s people, driving them like cattle instead of leading them like sheep. David was a ruler who served and a servant who ruled, and he had the welfare of his people on his heart (24:17). It encourages me today to see that even secu- D

Honoring his mighty men—23:8–38 lar business specialists are comparing effective leaders to shepherds who care.

David used a beautiful metaphor to picture the work of the leader: rain and sunshine that together produce useful fruit instead of painful thorns (vv. 4–7). David exemplified this principle in his own life, for when he came to the throne it meant the dawning of a new day for the nation of Israel. In this, he reminds us of what happened when Jesus came to earth (see Ps. 72:5–7; Isa. 9:2; 58:8, 60:1, 19; Mal. 4:1–3; Matt. 4:13–16; Luke 2:29–32). With the coronation of David, the storms that Saul had caused in the land were now over and the light of God’s countenance was shining on His people. Under David’s leadership, there would be a harvest of blessing from the Lord.

With God’s help, leaders must create such a creative atmosphere that their colaborers will be able to grow and produce fruit. Ministry involves both sunshine and rain, bright days and cloudy days, but a godly leader’s ministry will produce gentle rain that brings life and not storms that destroy. What a delight it is to follow a spiritual leader who brings out the best in us and helps us produce fruit for the glory of God! Unspiritual leaders produce thorns that irritate people and make progress very difficult (vv. 6–7).

In his song, David went beyond the principles of leadership to celebrate the coming of Messiah (v. 5). David mentioned the covenant the Lord made with him (2 Sam. 7), a covenant that guaranteed him a dynasty forever and a throne forever, a covenant that was fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Luke 1:32–33, 68–79). The statements in verse 5 are best read as questions: “Is not my house right with God? Has he not made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part?” (niv). The first question doesn’t suggest that all of David’s children were godly, for we know that they were not. It only declares that David’s house (dynasty) was secure because of God’s covenant promises. Nothing could change this covenant; it was everlastingly secured by the character of God.

In verse 5, David again used the image of fruit: “Will he not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire?” (niv). David’s desire was that God would fulfill His promise and send the Messiah, who would be born from David’s descendants. The throne of Judah ended historically in 586 BC with the reign of Zedekiah, but that wasn’t the end of David’s family or the nation of Israel. The Lord providentially preserved Israel and David’s seed so that Jesus Christ could be born in Bethlehem, the City of David. The nation was small and weak, but the Messiah came just the same! “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit” (Isa. 11: niv; see 4:2, 6:13, and 53:2). However, one day the evil people of the earth will be uprooted like thorns and burned (vv. 6–7; see Matt. 3:10, 12; 13:40–42).

Here are listed the names and some of the exploits of the leading men who followed David and stood with him during the difficult years of exile and during his reign.

The first “three mighty men” (vv. 8–12; 1 Chron. 11:10–14). Josheb-Basshebeth is named first; he was also known as Adino and Jashobeam (v. 8; 1 Chron. 11:11). He was chief of the captains in David’s army and was famous for killing eight hundred enemy soldiers “at one time.” First Chronicles 11: says he killed three hundred men. As we’ve already noted, the transmission of numbers from manuscript to manuscript by copyists sometimes led to these minor differences. Did the fear of the Lord drive all these men over a cliff, or did Jashobeam’s courage inspire others to enter the battle and he got the credit for the victory? How he accomplished this feat isn’t disclosed, but it’s unlikely that he killed them one at a time with his spear.

Eleazar (vv. 9–10) was from the tribe of Benjamin (1 Chron. 8:4) and fought beside David against the Philistines, probably at Pas Dammim (1 Sam. 17:1; 1 Chron. 11:12–13). While many of the Israelite soldiers were retreating, he remained in his place and fought until the sword was “welded” to his hand. The Lord honored the faith and courage of David and Eleazar and gave Israel a great victory, after which the other soldiers returned to the field to strip the dead and claim the spoils. Like David, Eleazar wasn’t selfish about sharing the spoils of battle because the victory had come from the Lord (1 Sam. 30:21–25).

The third “mighty man” was Shammah (vv. 11–12), who also was used of the Lord to bring victory at Pas Dammim (1 Chron. 11:13–14). But why risk your life to defend a field of lentils and barley? Because the land belonged to the Lord (Lev. 25:23) and was given to Israel to use for His glory (Lev. 18:24–30). Shammah didn’t want the Philistines to control what belonged to Jehovah, for the Jews were stewards of God’s land. To respect the land meant to honor the Lord and His covenant with Israel.

The second “three mighty men” (vv. 13–17; 1 Chron. 11:15–19). These three aren’t named, but they were a part of the “thirty” listed in verses 24–29. This suggests that they were not the three men named previously. All people are created equal before God and the law, but all people are not equal in gifts and abilities; some people have greater gifts and opportunities than others. However, the fact that we can’t achieve like “the first three” shouldn’t keep us from doing less than our best and perhaps establishing a “second three.” God doesn’t measure us by what He helped others do but by what He wanted us to do with the abilities and opportunities He graciously gave us.

The fact that David was hiding in a cave near Bethlehem suggests that this event took place either during the time that David was fleeing from Saul or shortly after he was made king in Hebron and the Philistines attacked him (2 Sam. 5:17; 1 Chron. 14:8). It was harvest time, which meant there had been no rain and the cisterns were empty. No water was available in the cave, and David thirsted for the water from the well at Bethlehem that he used to drink from when he was a boy. The text suggests that David spoke to himself about the water and didn’t issue any orders, but the three men wanted to please their leader more than anything else. They were close enough to hear his whispered words, loyal enough to take his wish as their command, and brave enough to obey at any cost. They traveled twelve miles, broke through enemy lines, and came back with the water. What an example for us to follow in our relationship with the Captain of our salvation!

No matter what the Lord put in David’s hands, he used it to honor God and help God’s people—a sling, a sword, a harp, a scepter, even a cup of water—and this occasion was no exception. When David looked into the cup, he didn’t see water; he saw the blood of the three men who had risked their lives to satisfy his desire. To drink that water would demean all his men and cheapen the brave deed of the three heroes. It would communicate that their lives really weren’t important to him. Instead, David turned the cave into a temple and poured the water out as a drink offering to the Lord, as he had seen the priests do at the tabernacle. The drink offering accompanied the giving of another sacrifice, such as the burnt offering, and was not offered independently. It was an act of dedication that symbolized a person’s life poured out in the service of the Lord. The three men had given themselves as a sacrifice to the Lord to serve David (Rom. 12:1), so David added his offering to theirs to show them he was one with them in their devotion to Jehovah. To paraphrase his own words in 24:24, David would not treat as nothing that which had cost those three men everything. All leaders need to follow David’s example and let their followers know how much they appreciate them and the sacrifices they make.

Jesus gave Himself as a sacrifice for us, and also as a drink offering (Ps. 22:14; Isa. 53:12). Paul used the image of the drink offering to describe his own dedication to the Lord (Phil. 2:17; 2 Tim. 4:6). Mother Teresa often said, “We can do no great things, only small things with great love.” But doing small things because we love Christ turns them into great things. According to Jesus, whenever we show love and kindness to others and seek to meet their needs, we give Him a cup of cold water (Matt. 25:34–40).

Two special “mighty men” (vv. 18–23; 1 Chron. 11:20–25). Abishai (vv. 18–19) was David’s nephew and the brother of Joab, the commander of David’s army. He was also the brother of Asahel, who was slain treacherously by Abner, and Joab and Abishai killed Abner, much to David’s regret (2 Sam. 2–3). Abishai was a courageous man who is commended here for killing three hundred enemy soldiers. However, sometimes he had more zeal than wisdom. While in Saul’s camp with David one night, he wanted to kill King Saul, an offer that David rejected (1 Sam. 26), and he also offered to cut off Shimei’s head because he cursed David (16:9–11; 19:21). He led the army in the siege of Rabbah (10:10–14) and saved David’s life during a battle with a giant (21:15–17). Abishai was loyal to David during Absalom’s rebellion and was in charge of a third of David’s army (18:2, 12). Abishai was also in charge of “the second three” and was held in high honor.

Benaiah (vv. 20–23; 1 Chron. 11:22–25) was a remarkable man who was born to serve as a priest (1 Chron. 27:5) but became a soldier and the commander of David’s bodyguard (8:18; 20:23). In the Bible, there are priests who became prophets, such as Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and John the Baptist, but Benaiah is the only priest named who became a soldier. He performed valiantly on the battlefield and fought some interesting battles. F. W. Boreham has a wonderful sermon about Benaiah killing the lion in which he points out that Benaiah met the worst of enemies (a lion) in the worst of places (a pit) under the worst of conditions (on a snowy day) – and he won! Benaiah was loyal to the house of David and supported Solomon when he came to the throne (1 Kings 1:8–10). When Joab tried to make Adonijah king, it was Benaiah who executed him, thus fulfilling David’s command to Solomon (1 Kings 2:5–6). Solomon made Benaiah the head of his army in Joab’s place (1 Kings 2:35; 4:4; 1 Chron. 27:5–6). Benaiah’s son Jehoiada didn’t follow a military career but became a counselor to King Solomon, replacing Ahithophel (27:34).

The Thirty (vv. 24–39; 1 Chron. 11:26–47). Saul may have stood head and shoulders above everybody else, but it was David who had the kind of character and stature that attracted men who were looking for true leadership. One mark of real leaders is that they have devoted followers and not just self-seeking flatterers and parasites. (The official term is “sycophants,” from a Greek word meaning “an informer.” The American and English slang expression would be “bootlicker.”) Saul’s officers were men he couldn’t trust and who had to be bribed into loyal service (see 1 Sam. 22:6ff.), but David’s men would have died for their leader, and some of them did.

Since ancient peoples often had two or more names that could have alternate spellings, it’s not easy to correlate the list in 2 Samuel 23 with the one in 1 Chronicles 11. Some names on the Samuel list are missing from the Chronicles list, but the latter list contains sixteen extra names (11:41–47). Perhaps they were replacements or alternates. Those not mentioned in the Chronicles list are Shammah son of Agee (v. 11), Elika (v. 25), Eliam (v. 34), and Igal (v. 36). The differences between the two lists are minor and doubtless the composition of this group changed from time to time as men died and were replaced.

In this list, the men are divided into four groups: the three mighty men (vv. 8–12), the second three mighty men (vv. 13–17), two special leaders (vv. 18–23), and “The Thirty” exceptional soldiers (vv. 24–39). But does verse 36 record one man’s name (“Igal the son of Nathan who was the son of Hagri”) or the names of two men (“Igal the son of Nathan, and the son of Hagri”)? Except for the three men who brought David the water, the names of all the other men are given, so it seems strange that one man’s name would be omitted. It’s likely that verse 36 registers the name of one man, which means there were thirty-two soldiers in “The Thirty”—the twenty-nine named on the list, plus the three unnamed men of verses 13–17. Perhaps the term “The Thirty” was simply a code name for David’s elite soldiers, regardless of how many there were, just as “The Twelve” was a code name for the Lord’s apostles. If you add to the thirty-two men the three mighty men of verses 8–12, plus Abishai and Benaiah, you have the total of thirty-seven given in verse 39.

Two names are familiar to us: Asahel, the nephew of David and brother of Joab and Abishai (v. 24), and Uriah the Hittite, the husband of Bathsheba (v. 39; 1 Chron. 11:41). Both of them were dead, but their names remained on the list of great warriors. How tragic that David took the life of one of his best soldiers just to cover up sin!

Two other facts are worth noting. First, David didn’t do the job alone; he had the help of many devoted followers. We think of David as a mighty warrior, and he was, but how far would he have gotten without his loyal and gifted soldiers? Most of the men listed came from Judah. This is to be expected since Judah was David’s tribe and he reigned there before the nation was united. But “The Thirty” also included three men from Benjamin, the tribe of Saul, and several soldiers from neighboring nations. All these men recognized that God’s hand was upon David and they wanted to be a part of what God was doing. The diversity of the commanders in his army speaks well of his leadership.

Second, God noted each man, had most of their names recorded in His Word, and will one day reward each one for the ministry he performed. David’s name is mentioned over a thousand times in the Bible, while most of these men are mentioned but once or twice. However, when they meet the Lord, “then each one’s praise will come from God” (1 Cor. 4: nkjv).

Joab was commander of the entire army (20:23), but he’s mentioned in this military roster only in connection with his brothers Abishai (v. 18) and Asahel (v. 24; 1 Chron. 11:20, 26). In the end, Joab was disloyal to David and tried to put Adonijah on the throne, and this cost him his life (1 Kings 2:28–34).