David, the Great King of Israel
An EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary (2800 word vocabulary) on the Book of 2 Samuel
Helen Pocock
This commentary has been through Advanced Checking.
Words in boxes are from the Bible.
A word list at the end explains words with a *star by them.
The book of 2 Samuel records the life of David as king. There are several accounts of events in 2 Samuel that are also in 1 Chronicles. Some of the accounts are very similar. But some of the accounts are different. The authors wrote these accounts for different reasons. The author of 1 and 2 Samuel wrote about the main events in the lives of Samuel, Saul and David. The author wrote this to record the history of the *Israelites at that time. However, the author of 1 and 2 Chronicles wanted to emphasise how God had always helped the *Israelites. In general, this author wrote only about the good things that happened. He wrote his account a long time after the events of 1 and 2 Samuel. He may have used different records. Sometimes the names of people and places are different. Some people had more than one name. Also, the names of places often changed over many years.
The books of 1 and 2 Samuel used to be one book. The writer wrote the book in the *Hebrew language. The name of the book comes from the first important person in 1 Samuel. He was Samuel the *prophet. But Samuel did not write the book. He died before the end of the book.
We do not know who wrote the book. The author lived after King Solomon had died in about 930 BC (930 years Before Christ). After Solomon died, the country of *Israel divided into two countries. These two countries were *Israel and *Judah. The country of *Judah included the *tribes of *Judah and Benjamin (see 1 Kings 12:1-24). In 1 and 2 Samuel the author often refers to *Judah as a country.
In those days, the kings and leaders employed writers to write accounts of events in their country. The *prophets also wrote accounts of events. 2 Samuel 1:18; 1 Kings 11:41; 14:19, 29; 1 Chronicles 27:24; 29:29 all refer to these writers and their books. The writer of 1 and 2 Samuel probably got most of his information from these accounts.
v1 Saul was dead. David had defeated the *Amalekites. Then he returned to Ziklag and he stayed there for two days. v2 On the third day, a young man arrived from Saul’s camp. The man had torn his clothes and he had put dust on his head. This showed that he was very sad. The man came to David. The man lay down with his face on the ground in front of David. He gave David honour.
v3 David said, ‘Where have you come from?’
‘I have escaped from the *Israelite camp’, the man replied.
v4 David said, ‘What happened there? Please tell me.’
The man said, ‘The *Israelite soldiers ran away from the battle. The *Philistines killed many men. Saul and his son Jonathan are dead.’
v5 David asked him, ‘How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?’
v6 The young man replied, ‘I happened to be on the mountain of Gilboa. Saul was there too. He was leaning on his *spear. The *Philistine army, with their *chariots and horses, were getting nearer to Saul. v7 Saul looked behind him and he saw me. He called me. I said, “What can I do to help you?”
v8 Saul said, “Who are you?”
I replied, “I am an *Amalekite.”
v9 Then Saul said to me, “Come here and kill me. I am still alive but I am dying.”
v10 So I went to Saul and I killed him. The *Philistines had nearly killed him. I knew that Saul would die anyway. I took the crown off his head. And I took the royal ring off his arm. I have brought them here to you, my master.’
v11 David tore his clothes to show that he was very sad. The men with him tore their clothes too. v12 They were very sad. They cried and they did not eat until the evening. They were sad because Saul and his son Jonathan were dead. They were sad for the army of the *Lord and for the *Israelites. They were sad because so many people had died that day.
(Verses 4-12 See also 1 Chronicles 10:1-12.)
The story in this chapter continues from the end of 1 Samuel. In 1 Samuel chapter 31, you can read how Saul died. In 1 Samuel chapters 29-30, you can read about David and the *Amalekites. David and his army were happy that they had rescued their wives and children. They had defeated the *Amalekites. Then they went back to their home town of Ziklag. But the *Amalekites had burned the town. So, David and his men had to build Ziklag again.
Saul’s camp was about 130 kilometres (80 miles) north of Ziklag. The young man would have taken about three days to walk or run that distance. He had torn his clothes and he had put dust on his head. Then everyone could see that he had bad news. (Compare this with 1 Samuel 4:10-13.) The young man lay on the ground in front of David. This act showed that David was an important person. This was how the young man gave honour to David. This still happens in many countries now. (Abigail did this to David in 1 Samuel 25:23.) The man knew that Saul was dead. Perhaps he also realised that David would be the next king. The young man was an *Amalekite. David had just defeated the *Amalekites. But this man was fighting with the *Israelites, not against them. Soldiers sometimes fought with the army of another country. For example, David and his men joined the *Philistines in 1 Samuel chapter 27.
In verses 6-10, the *Amalekite lied about how Saul died. Perhaps the *Amalekite was stealing from the dead soldiers before the *Philistines returned (1 Samuel 31:8). Then he found Saul’s body. In those days, they did not have pictures of people. Most people did not know what Saul looked like. So, he wore a special royal coat to show that he was the king. He also wore a crown on his head and a ring at the top of his arm. (It was probably a gold crown and ring.) So the *Amalekite man knew that he had found King Saul. David saw the crown and royal ring. This proved that both the king and his son Jonathan were dead. If Jonathan was alive, the crown and ring would be his.
David’s men knew that Saul had tried to kill David. But nobody was happy that the first king of *Israel was dead. Jonathan had been David’s special friend. In verse 12, ‘the army of the *Lord’ means the army of *Israel. God had chosen the *Israelites as his special nation (Deuteronomy 7:6). The army of *Israel fought *Israel’s enemies and they protected God’s people. But the *Philistines had defeated the *Israelites that day. They had killed many *Israelite soldiers. The *Israelites felt very sad. They also felt ashamed.
v13 David spoke to the young man who had brought him this news. David asked him, ‘Where do you come from?’
He replied, ‘I am the son of a foreigner. I am an *Amalekite.’
v14 David told him, ‘You should not have killed Saul. The *Lord *anointed him as king.’
v15 Then David said to one of his men, ‘Go and kill the *Amalekite.’ So David’s man killed the *Amalekite man. v16 David had spoken to the *Amalekite man before he died. David said, ‘You are responsible for your own death. You said, “I killed the man that the *Lord *anointed.” So you knew that you were guilty.’
The *Amalekite man probably knew that Saul had tried to kill David. So, he thought that David would be pleased that Saul was dead. The young man may have expected David to reward him. Instead, David punished him. David did not like the way that Saul had behaved. But David knew that the *Lord had chosen Saul as king. David gave respect and honour to the *Lord. David also gave great respect and honour to the king that the *Lord had *anointed.
Verse 13 shows that the *Amalekite man lived in *Israel. Therefore, he had to obey the laws of *Israel. The *Amalekite was guilty because he had killed the king of *Israel. David believed what the young man had said. So David told his men to kill the *Amalekite as his punishment. Verse 16 shows that David acted as a judge. He showed that he had the right to order the *Amalekite man’s death. This also showed the *Israelites that David was not Saul’s enemy. David always respected and protected Saul.
v17 David sang this sad song about Saul and his son Jonathan. v18 Later David said that all the people of *Judah should learn this song. The title of this song is ‘The Bow’. They wrote it down in the book of Jashar.
v19 ‘Israel, your greatest men lie dead on the hills.
Great soldiers have died in the battle.
v20 Do not announce this news in the city called Gath.
Do not declare it in the streets of the city called Ashkelon.
If you do, the *Philistine women will be happy.
The daughters of the *Philistines will have great joy.
v21 I hope that no rain or mist falls on the mountains of Gilboa.
And I hope that its fields produce no grain for *offerings.
They spoiled the *shield of the great man on that mountain.
Nobody will rub Saul’s *shield with oil now.
v22 Jonathan killed many men with his bow and arrows.
Saul killed many men with his sword.
v23 We loved dear Saul and Jonathan when they were alive.
They were together when they died.
They seemed faster than great birds.
They seemed stronger than lions.
v24 Women of *Israel, cry for Saul.
Saul gave you wonderful clothes
and gold objects to pin on them.
v25 Our great soldiers died in the battle.
Jonathan is dead on the hills.
v26 I cry for you, Jonathan, my brother.
You were very special to me.
The way that you loved me was wonderful.
It was more wonderful than the way that a woman loves.
v27 Our great soldiers died in the battle.
Their *weapons have no use now.’
David was a musician. He wrote this poem and he sang it to sad music. This was not David’s private poem. It was a national poem. *Israel’s first king was dead. This was a sad time for the whole nation of *Israel. The future *Israelites often learned about their history through songs like this. (See Deuteronomy 31:19-22; 32:1-43.) The ‘people of *Judah’ means the people from the *tribe of *Judah. Also, *Judah was the name of the southern part of the country of *Israel. The ‘book of Jashar’ is probably a record of *Israel’s national poems and songs (see Joshua 10:13). We do not know why David called this song ‘The Bow’. A soldier uses a bow to shoot arrows a long way. Some *Philistine soldiers had bows and arrows. They nearly killed Saul with their arrows (1 Samuel 21:2-3). Perhaps their arrows killed Jonathan too. So maybe this explains the poem’s title.
The *Israelites spoke and wrote in the *Hebrew language. Their poems are often in picture language. This style helped them to describe their emotions. They often wrote two similar lines of poetry to describe one fact. Sometimes it is difficult to translate Bible poetry into other languages. As you read verses 19-27, remember that it is a poem. Then try to imagine how David and the *Israelites felt.
Verse 19 ‘Your greatest men’ and ‘great soldiers’ both refer to Saul and Jonathan. These words may also refer to the whole army of *Israel. The battle had been on the mountains (hills) of Gilboa. The *Philistines had completely defeated the *Israelites and killed their king. This was a terrible time for the whole nation of *Israel.
Verse 20 Gath and Ashkelon were important *Philistine cities. But this was how David referred to the *Philistine nation in this poem. ‘*Philistine women’ and ‘daughters of the *Philistines’ refer to the *Philistine women of all ages. In those days, only the men fought in the army. The women sang and danced when the army returned from a successful battle. This happened when David defeated Goliath (1 Samuel 18:6-7). In verse 12, David refers to *Israel’s army as ‘the army of the *Lord’. This is because the *Israelites were God’s people. The *Philistines had won the battle against the *Lord’s army. They had killed the king, whom God had *anointed (verse 14). And they had killed the king’s son. Therefore, the *Philistines probably thought that they had defeated *Israel’s God. David did not want the *Philistine people to know this. He did not want *Israel’s enemy to be happy.
Verse 21 The mountains of Gilboa did not have steep slopes. So there were many fields on the mountains. Good crops grew in those fields. But Saul and Jonathan died there. So, David wanted the crops to die too. Both rain and mist watered the crops. The mountains were on the borders between *Israel and the land of the *Philistines. ‘*Offerings’ may refer to what the *Philistines gave to their *idols. They *worshipped Dagon (1 Samuel 5) and other false gods. The Philistines believed that Dagon would give them good crops.
The *Israelites made *shields from leather and wood. They rubbed oil into the leather to make it strong. Then the leather did not break or become hard. Soldiers used *shields to protect themselves from arrows, *spears and stones. The *Philistines may have broken Saul’s *shield. Or it may have had blood and mud on it from the battle. Saul’s *shield had not been able to save his life.
Verse 22 means that Saul and Jonathan were great soldiers. While they were alive, they killed many enemies. David remembers all the times when Saul and Jonathan had great success in their battles.
Verse 23 Jonathan had helped David in the past. But Jonathan remained loyal to King Saul, his father. Jonathan was near to Saul during this battle. They died as they fought together against *Israel’s enemy. David uses picture language to describe Saul and Jonathan. They were great soldiers. They were strong, clever and brave.
Verse 24 David did not want the *Philistine women to be happy about Saul. But David also wanted the *Israelite women to cry. ‘Women of *Israel’ probably refers to the wealthy women who knew Saul. Saul had become rich. He had given presents to these women.
Verse 25 is like verse 19. But in verse 25, David refers only to Jonathan.
Verse 26 shows David’s personal feelings about Jonathan. 1 Samuel 18:1-4 describes when this special friendship started. Jonathan even gave his royal coat to David. Jonathan knew that David would be king instead of him. But Jonathan was never jealous. In this verse, ‘love’ refers to the serious promise that David and Jonathan made to each other with God. (This happened in 1 Samuel 20:12-17; 20:23; 20:42.) David had married Jonathan’s sister Michal (1 Samuel 18:27; 19:9-17). But she had not been as loyal to David as Jonathan had been.
Verse 27 The poem ends with words about defeat. This was a very sad time for *Israel.
v1 After this, David asked the *Lord, ‘Shall I go to a town in *Judah?’
The *Lord said, ‘Yes.’
David asked, ‘Which town shall I go to?’
The *Lord said, ‘Go to Hebron.’
v2 David had two wives. One wife was Ahinoam who came from the town of Jezreel. His other wife was Abigail. She was the widow of Nabal who came from the town of Carmel. David and his two wives went to Hebron. v3 David’s men and their families went to live in the towns round Hebron. v4 Then the men from *Judah came to Hebron. They *anointed David as king of the *tribe of *Judah.
Some men from the town of Jabesh Gilead buried Saul. The men from *Judah told David about this. v5 David sent a message to the men in Jabesh Gilead. He said, ‘I ask that the *Lord will *bless you. You were kind to Saul, your master, because you buried him. v6 I ask that the *Lord will be kind and loyal to you. And I also will be good to you because of what you have done. v7 Be strong and brave. Saul, your master, is dead. The people from *Judah have *anointed me as their king.’
After Saul’s death, David wanted to leave the *Philistines’ country. David came from the *tribe of *Judah. Many people from *Judah had been loyal to David while Saul had been chasing him. David wanted to return to his own country. But he did not make his own decision. He asked the *Lord. In 1 Samuel 23:9-12, David wanted to know the *Lord’s decision. So David called for Abiathar, the priest, and for the *ephod. David probably called for Abiathar this time too.
The town called Hebron was about 43 kilometres (27 miles) north east of Ziklag. In Genesis chapter 23, Sarah, who was Abraham’s wife, died at Hebron. Abraham bought some land so that he could bury Sarah there. Later, Abraham’s sons buried him there too (Genesis 25:7-10). So, Hebron was an old town. In 1 Samuel chapter 30, David attacked the people called *Amalekites. David defeated them. He took all their animals and other possessions. Then he sent some of these things to the towns where leaders had helped him. Hebron was one of those towns. So, David knew Hebron and it became his home for 7 years and 6 months (verse 11). He moved his family there. He also moved all his men and their families. There were many villages round the town. So there was plenty of room for all David’s men, their families and their animals.
Saul was dead. His son Jonathan was also dead. The *Philistines had defeated the *Israelites. So now the *Israelites had no king. This was a dangerous time for the nation of *Israel. The leaders of the *tribes and towns had to choose a new king. The men from the *tribe of *Judah knew David and his army. David’s army had helped and protected *Judah. David was a good soldier. The men from *Judah trusted him. So they *anointed David as their king. Samuel had *anointed David as king of *Israel many years before (1 Samuel 16:1-13). We do not know whether the people of *Judah knew about this. But they chose the man that God had already chosen. David became king of just one *tribe at this time. He did not become king of the whole of *Israel until chapter 5.
The town called Jabesh Gilead was 130 kilometres (80 miles) north of Hebron. It was on the east side of the river Jordan. This town had a strong connection with Saul (1 Samuel chapter 11; 1 Samuel 31:11-13). David was grateful that the men from Jabesh Gilead had buried Saul and his sons (1 Samuel 31:12-13). This included David’s friend Jonathan. The men from Jabesh had been brave and kind. And they had shown honour to the king. So, David sent them a message. He asked God to *bless them. But in verse 6, David also said that he would be good to them. So perhaps David realised that he would soon be their king. In verse 7, David reminded them that their king was dead. He said that he was now king of *Judah. Perhaps David hoped that the rest of *Israel would choose him as their king too. So, he tried to make friends with as many people as possible.
v8 Abner was the leader of Saul’s army. Abner was the son of Ner. Abner had gone across the river Jordan with Ish-Bosheth, who was Saul’s son. They went to the region called Mahanaim. v9 Abner made Ish-Bosheth king over the regions of Gilead, Ashuri and Jezreel. And he made him king of the *tribes of Ephraim and Benjamin and all the land of *Israel.
v10 Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth was 40 years old when he became king of *Israel. He ruled for two years. But the people from the *tribe of *Judah were loyal to David. v11 David lived in Hebron. He ruled the people of *Judah for 7 years and 6 months.
v12 Abner, the son of Ner, left Mahanaim. He went to the town of Gibeon with some of Ish-Bosheth’s servants. v13 Joab, the son of Zeruiah, went to Gibeon with some of David’s servants. They met by the pool at Gibeon. One group sat by one side of the pool. The other group sat by the opposite side of the pool.
v14 Abner said to Joab, ‘Let some of the young men from each side fight each other here.’
Joab said, ‘Yes, let them do that.’
v15 So the young men stood up. Someone chose 12 men from the *tribe of Benjamin to fight for Ish-Bosheth. And they chose 12 of David’s men to fight against them.
v16 Each man seized the head of man opposite to him. And each man pushed his sword into the opposite man. The 24 men fell onto the ground dead at the same time. Ever since that time, people have called that place in Gibeon ‘the field of swords’.
Saul had 4 sons (1 Chronicles 8:33). Three of Saul’s sons died with him in the battle (1 Samuel 31:2). His youngest son was Ish-Bosheth. Abner was Saul’s cousin (1 Samuel 14:50-51). After Saul’s death, Abner and Ish-Bosheth went to Mahanaim (verse 12). This was about 21 kilometres (13 miles) to the south of Jabesh Gilead. When a king died, his son usually became the new king. So, Abner appointed Ish-Bosheth to be the new king. This was against what the *Lord had said in 1 Samuel 15:28. And it was also against what Saul had said in 1 Samuel 24:20-21. The Bible does not say whether the people of *Israel wanted Ish-Bosheth as their king. Abner probably took Ish-Bosheth round *Israel. They may have had many ceremonies to make him king in each region or *tribe. Verses 10-11 suggest that this took about 5 years and 6 months. At last, Abner had made Ish-Bosheth king over all the nation of *Israel, except over the *tribe of *Judah.
The nation of *Israel now had two kings. The captains of each army wanted their king to rule the whole nation. Gibeon was Saul’s home town. It was near to the land of *Judah and about 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of Hebron. Each captain took a group of soldiers with him to Gibeon. But neither of the kings went. The two captains may have gone there to try to make a settlement without a war. They chose 12 men from each group to have a fight. *Israel had 12 *tribes. So perhaps the 12 men acted on behalf of the whole nation. Then whichever group won the fight, their king would rule all 12 *tribes. This is similar to what happened with David and Goliath in 1 Samuel chapter 17 (see verses 8-9). The plan did not work at Gibeon. All the men died.
v17 The battle was very fierce that day. David’s men defeated Abner and the men from *Israel.
v18 Joab, Abishai and Asahel were the sons of Zeruiah. They were at the battle that day. Asahel could run as fast as a wild deer (an animal like a small horse). v19 Asahel chased Abner and he watched him all the time. v20 Abner looked behind him and said, ‘Are you Asahel?’
Asahel answered, ‘Yes I am.’
v21 Then Abner said to Asahel, ‘Go away! Fight one of the young men who are near you. Then you can kill him and take his *weapons.’ But Asahel would not stop chasing Abner.
v22 Abner warned Asahel again. Abner said, ‘Stop chasing me. I do not want to kill you. If I kill you, it would be hard for me to meet your brother Joab again.’
v23 But Asahel refused to stop chasing Abner. So Abner pushed the back end of his *spear into Asahel’s stomach. The *spear went into him and it came out of his back. Asahel died immediately. Everyone stopped when they came to Asahel’s body.
v24 But Joab and Abishai continued to chase Abner. They came to the hill called Ammah as the sun set. This hill was near Giah, which was along the road to the desert called Gibeon. v25 The men from the *tribe of Benjamin came to Abner. They stood together as a group at the top of the hill.
v26 Abner shouted to Joab, ‘We do not need to continue to fight. In the end, we will be sad and we will hate each other. Quickly tell your men to stop chasing their *Israelite brothers.’
v27 Then Joab said, ‘We would have continued if you had not spoken. God knows that we would have chased you all until the morning.’
v28 So Joab blew his *trumpet. All his men stopped chasing the men from *Israel. They did not continue to fight them.
v29 Abner and his men marched all night long. They went along the valley of the river Jordan. They crossed the river. Then they marched all the morning until they arrived back in Mahanaim.
v30 Joab and his men also returned. Joab gathered his men. He discovered that Asahel and 19 of David’s men were missing. v31 But David’s men had killed 360 of Abner’s men who came from the *tribe of Benjamin. v32 David’s men took the body of Asahel to the town of Bethlehem. They buried Asahel in his father’s grave. Then Joab and his men marched all night long. They returned to Hebron. The sun was rising as they arrived there.
In verse 18, Zeruiah was David’s sister (1 Chronicles 2:12-16). Joab, Abishai and Asahel were David’s nephews. They became the leaders of David’s army.
Abner had tried to avoid a battle. But when the 24 men were dead, all the other soldiers started to fight. Asahel wanted to kill Abner and to finish the battle. Asahel chased Abner and would not stop. Abner tried to persuade Asahel to fight someone else. Abner did not want to kill Asahel. Abner knew that this would cause trouble between himself and Joab. But Abner had to protect himself. In verse 23, Abner did not turn round and fight Asahel. Instead, Abner stopped. Asahel was running so fast that he could not stop. He ran straight into the blunt end of Abner’s *spear and he died. The men from *Judah stopped when they saw the body of their brave soldier Asahel. However, Asahel’s two brothers continued to chase Abner. They wanted to kill Abner because he had killed their brother. (They succeeded in 3:26-30.)
In verse 26, Abner tried again to stop the men who were fighting. He knew that they were all *Israelites. They were not enemies. But if they kept fighting each other, they would become enemies. People sometimes fight against other people who live in the same nation. This often causes the nation to divide. Abner wanted to avoid this in *Israel. Joab realised that this was a good decision. So he blew a *trumpet. That told everybody to stop fighting. A *trumpet is a musical instrument. A person blows into it and it makes a loud sound. The leaders in an army blew a *trumpet to start or to stop a battle. Everyone in the battle can hear the sound of the *trumpet.
Abner and Joab, each with their own army, returned to their own homes. David’s men had been more successful in this battle. In those days, it was the custom to bury dead people in their home town. Each family had an area of land where they could bury their relatives next to each other. Bethlehem was about half way between Gibeon and Hebron.
v1 So Saul’s family opposed David. Their armies continued to fight for a long time. David’s side became more powerful. But the people who supported Saul’s family became weaker and weaker.
Joab and Abner stopped the battle in 2:26-27 but the war continued. The *tribe of *Judah was smaller than the rest of *Israel. But God had *anointed David as the next king of *Israel. So, God gave David and his army success.
v2-5 David had 6 sons while he was in Hebron.
His oldest son was Amnon. Ahinoam was his mother. She came from the town of Jezreel.
His second son was Kileab. Abigail was his mother. She was the widow of Nabal who came from Carmel.
His third son was Absalom. His mother was Maacah. She was the daughter of Talmai. He was the king of the town of Geshur.
His fourth son was Adonijah. His mother was Haggith.
His fifth son was Shephatiah. His mother was Abital.
His sixth son was Ithream. His mother was Eglah, David’s wife.
These sons were all born to David in Hebron.
(Verses 3-5 See also 1 Chronicles 3:1-4.)
David went to Hebron with two wives (2:2). While he was there, he married 4 more wives. Later, when he moved to Jerusalem, he had more wives and children (5:13-16). At that time, some men had more than one wife. This showed that they were important men. Kings often had many wives. This was the custom in many nations round *Israel. Genesis 2 shows that God wants a man to have only one wife. But the *Israelites probably copied the other nations.
The most important son in an *Israelite family was the oldest son. The oldest son of the king usually became the next king. Verses 2-5 name the first son of each of David’s 6 wives. 1 Chronicles 3:1-3 repeats these verses. But it says that the name of David’s second son was Daniel. David’s wives may have had other sons and daughters during this time. For example, 2 Samuel 13:1 says that Tamar was the sister of Absalom. But we do not know when she was born. The Bible does not mention Kileab (or Daniel), Shephatiah or Ithream again. They may have died when they were young. In 2 Samuel 13:23-29, Absalom killed Amnon. In 2 Samuel 18:1-17, Joab and his men killed Absalom. In 1 Kings 1:1 to 2:25, Adonijah tried to become king when King David was an old man. Later King Solomon killed Adonijah.
v6 The war continued between Saul’s army and David’s army. During this time, Abner became a more powerful leader in Saul’s army. v7 Saul used to have a *concubine whose name was Rizpah. She was the daughter of Aiah. One day Ish-Bosheth said to Abner, ‘Why did you have sex with my father’s *concubine?’
v8 Abner was very angry. He said, ‘You really think that I am worth nothing. I am not on Judah’s side. I have been loyal to Saul and to his family and his friends. I have not handed you over to David. But now you accuse me of a wrong act with this woman. v9 Now I will go and join David’s men. I will help David to do what God has promised him. I deserve a punishment from God if I do not do this. v10 I will make David the king over *Israel and *Judah. He will rule the whole country. He will rule from Dan to Beersheba.’
v11 Ish-Bosheth did not dare to speak. He was afraid of Abner.
v12 Then Abner sent some of his men to David with a message. Abner said, ‘You know who deserves this country. Make an agreement with me. Then I will help you to unite the nation of *Israel.’
v13 David said, ‘Good. I will make an agreement with you. But you must bring Saul’s daughter Michal with you when you come to meet me. If you do not do this, I will not meet with you.’ v14 Then David sent some of his men to Ish-Bosheth with a message. David said to him, ‘Give me my wife Michal. I killed 100 *Philistines so that I could marry her.’
v15 So Ish-Bosheth took Michal away from her husband. His name was Paltiel. He was the son of Laish. v16 But Paltiel followed Michal to the town of Bahurim. He cried all the way. Then Abner said to him, ‘Go home.’ So, Paltiel returned to his home.
Saul had a *concubine called Rizpah. (A *concubine was like a wife, but the man did not marry her. She did not have as many rights as a wife had.) This argument about Rizpah would end Ish-Bosheth’s rule.
Ish-Bosheth was the king of the northern part of *Israel. Abner led his army. But Abner had more power than Ish-Bosheth. When Saul died, his *concubine Rizpah probably lived with Ish-Bosheth’s family. In verse 7, Ish-Bosheth accused Abner of a wrong act of sex with Rizpah. This act suggested that Abner wanted to take Saul’s place as king. Ish-Bosheth was probably worried that Abner had become so powerful. The Bible does not say whether Ish-Bosheth’s words were true. Abner had been loyal to Saul and had served him for many years. In the *Hebrew language, verse 8 says ‘Am I a dog’s head on *Judah’s side?’ A dog’s head had no value. And *Judah was *Israel’s enemy. Abner was very angry when Ish-Bosheth accused him. Abner thought that Ish-Bosheth had insulted him.
Abner knew that David would be king of *Israel as well as king of *Judah. Abner saw that God was giving David success. Abner did not want David to defeat him. So, he decided to join David’s men. In verse 10, Abner said, ‘I will make David the king.’ Abner believed that he had enough power to do this. He could persuade *Israel’s people to make David king. Abner probably hoped that David would reward him with more power. The Bible often uses the phrase ‘from Dan to Beersheba’. It is a way to describe the whole country of the *Israelites. Dan was a town at the northern end of *Israel. Beersheba was a town at the southern end of *Israel, in the area of *Judah.
In verse 11, Ish-Bosheth knew that he was weak. Without Abner, Ish-Bosheth could not be successful. Abner controlled him. Ish-Bosheth did not have enough power to oppose Abner.
Abner wanted to make an agreement with David. So, Abner sent some of his men to speak to David first. Abner had fought against David’s men in the past. So, Abner wanted to be sure that it was safe. David believed that Abner could help him to unite the nation. David was willing to make an agreement with Abner. But an ‘agreement’ means a ‘serious loyal promise’. Abner was Saul’s cousin (1 Samuel 14:50). Saul had tried to kill David several times (1 Samuel chapters 19, 23-24, 26). David wanted to be sure that he could trust Abner. Also, David wanted to know how much power Abner really had in *Israel.
You can read about David’s wife Michal in 1 Samuel chapter 18 and 25:44. David had earned the right to marry Michal. But Saul took her away her from him. This was not right. Saul had made David feel ashamed. So, David wanted his wife back. Also, there were political reasons why David wanted her back. Michal was King Saul’s daughter. If she returned to David, this would unite the families of Saul and David. Therefore, the people who had been loyal to Saul could now be loyal to David. They would not think that they had left Saul. The Bible does not say whether Michal still loved David (1 Samuel 18:28). Paltiel and Michal had no choice. They had to obey the king.
v17 Then Abner went to the leaders of *Israel. He said to them, ‘For a long time, you have wanted David to be your king. v18 Now you have the chance. The *Lord made a promise to David. The *Lord said, “David is my servant. I have chosen David to save my people, *Israel. I will rescue *Israel from the *Philistines and from all their enemies.” ’
v19 Abner also said this to the people from the *tribe of Benjamin. Then Abner went to Hebron. He told David what the people from Benjamin and from *Israel wanted to do. v20 Abner took 20 men with him when he went to Hebron. David prepared a big meal for them. v21 Abner said to David, ‘You are my master and king. I will go out and bring all the *Israelites to you. They will make an agreement with you. Then you will rule over all of *Israel. This is what you have desired.’ So, David sent Abner away in safety.
Verse 17 is the first time that Abner went to the leaders of *Israel. Many of the leaders had stayed with Saul but they wanted to be with David. Now they had the chance to unite all the *Israelites. Abner told these leaders what God had promised to David. Abner must have heard that Samuel had *anointed David. This would show that David would be king. God had promised the same thing to Saul in 1 Samuel 9:16. But Saul had failed. So, God chose David to replace Saul.
Saul belonged to the *tribe of Benjamin. The people from this *tribe had always been loyal to Saul. They were probably also loyal to his son Ish-Bosheth. The land of Benjamin was to the north of *Judah. It was between *Judah and the rest of *Israel. So, Abner had to persuade the people of Benjamin to join King David. Abner made a special visit to them. He spoke to the people, not just to the leaders. Abner’s visit was successful. (Many years later, David’s son Solomon became king after him. When Solomon died, the country of *Israel divided into two countries again. Each country had its own king. *Israel was the name of northern country. *Judah was the name of the southern country. The *tribe of Benjamin was the only *tribe that joined *Judah. See 1 Chronicles 11:1-12; 1 Kings 12:1-24.)
Abner went to David with the good news. Abner took 20 men with him when he first went to meet David. The 20 men were probably soldiers who protected Abner. In those days, people often ate together after they had made an agreement. This showed that they trusted each other. The *Israelites knew then that David and Abner were not still enemies. They had become friends. So Abner knew that he could travel in safety.
v22 Then Joab and David’s soldiers returned from a battle. They had taken many things from their enemy. David had sent Abner away in safety. So, Abner was not with David at Hebron. v23 Joab and his men arrived at Hebron. The people said to him, ‘Abner, the son of Ner, came to David. The king sent Abner away in safety.’
v24 Joab went to King David and Joab said, ‘Your actions were foolish. Abner came to you and now he has gone. You should not have allowed him to leave. v25 You know what Abner, the son of Ner, is like. He came to cheat you. He wanted to discover what you are doing. He wanted to know the places where you go.’
v26 Joab left David. Then Joab sent some men with a message to Abner. They brought him back from the well at Sirah. David did not know about this.
v27 Abner arrived at Hebron. Joab took Abner aside, next to the gate. Joab pretended that he wanted to talk with Abner in private. But Joab pushed his *spear into Abner’s stomach and he died. Abner had killed Joab’s brother Asahel. So, Joab killed Abner to punish him.
v28 Later, David heard what had happened. He said, ‘I, and my *kingdom, are innocent. The *Lord knows this always. We did not kill Abner. v29 Joab and his family are guilty. They deserve punishment. I hope that members of Joab’s family will always suffer in these ways:
· Some people will have sore parts in their body that will not heal.
· Some people will have skin diseases.
· Some people will have to lean on a stick when they walk.
· Some people will die in a war.
· Some people will not have enough food to eat.’
v30 (Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because Abner had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.)
Verse 22 does not tell us about the battle. Joab (and the soldiers who were with him) may have been fighting against Saul’s men (verse 1). Or Joab and his soldiers may have been fighting against another country. But whoever it was, the battle was successful. When Joab returned to Hebron, he heard about David and Abner. Joab was angry because Abner was his enemy. Abner had killed Joab’s brother. Also, Abner was a very powerful leader. Joab did not want Abner to take his job as the leader of David’s army. Joab did not trust Abner. So, Joab decided to kill him. Verse 30 says that Abishai was part of this plan too.
Abner had not travelled very far. Sirah was less than 4 kilometres (about 2 to 3 miles) from Hebron. Abner had felt safe when he left Hebron. He trusted Joab. It seems that Abner returned to Hebron without his men (verse 26). So, it was easy for Joab to kill Abner. In Numbers 35:16-33 the law describes the punishment for a person who murders somebody. Family honour was important to the relatives of the dead person. But Abner had not murdered Asahel. Abner had killed him in a battle (3:17-23). To kill in war is not the same as murder. In fact, several times Abner had warned Asahel not to chase him. Abner did not want to kill him. Abner was defending his own life when he killed Asahel. But Joab hated Abner. So, Joab murdered Abner.
This was a very bad situation for David. It could have ruined the agreement that he and Abner had just made. Some leaders in *Israel may have suspected that David and Joab had planned this together. So, David acted immediately. In verse 28, he said very clearly that he was innocent. David’s ‘*kingdom’ included his family as well as the people of *Judah. Joab (and Abishai) murdered Abner. Joab was guilty. David should have killed Joab as his punishment. However, in verse 39, David said that Joab and his brother were too powerful. Also, Joab was David’s nephew (2:18). And he was a good leader. Perhaps that was why David did not kill Joab. Instead, David wanted God to punish Joab’s family. This was very serious. People who had sore parts in their body or skin diseases could not go into the *house of the *Lord (Leviticus chapters 14 and 15). Illness, war and lack of food would cause great troubles for Joab’s family.
v31 Then David spoke to Joab and all the people who were with him. David said, ‘Tear your clothes. Wear poor, rough clothes. Cry and walk in front of the body of Abner in the procession at his funeral.’ King David walked behind the body of Abner. v32 So they buried Abner in Hebron. David and all the people cried at Abner’s grave.
v33-34 Then the king sang a very sad song for Abner.
‘Abner should not have died as a fool dies.
They did not tie his hands together.
They did not put chains round his feet.
He died because wicked men murdered him.’
And all the people cried again.
v35 David had not eaten anything on the day of the funeral. Then everyone tried to persuade David to eat some bread. But he had made a serious promise to God. David said, ‘I deserve a punishment from God if I eat bread or anything else before nightfall.’
v36 All the people saw what the king was doing. They agreed with what he was doing. In fact, they agreed with everything that the king did. v37 That day David’s people and all the people of *Israel knew that David was innocent. He was not responsible for Abner’s death.
v38 Then King David said to his men. He said ‘Know this! A really great leader died today in *Israel. v39 I am the *anointed king but I am weak. I cannot control these sons of Zeruiah. I want the *Lord to punish these wicked men for their wicked act.’
David wanted to show that he was innocent. He wanted all the *Israelites to see how sad he was. Verse 31 describes the usual behaviour of sad people in Israel. (Compare this with Genesis 37:34 and 1 Samuel 4:10-12.) Joab, and the people who were with him, had to wear these clothes. They had to lead the procession during the funeral. They had to look humble and give honour to Abner. Then everyone would see that David did not approve of Joab’s act. At a funeral, the dead person’s family usually walked right behind the body. David walked behind Abner’s body. This showed that he was the saddest person in the procession. And this was how he gave honour to Abner.
Israel is a hot country. People there usually bury dead people on the day that they die. Abner’s family came from the *tribe of Benjamin. It would take too long to send Abner’s body to his home town. In fact, his family probably had not even heard about his death.
David wrote many poems. We can read many of his poems in the book of Psalms. David wrote a special poem for Abner. The word ‘fool’ means someone who does not behave the right way. Abner was innocent. But he died like a guilty man. David refers to ‘wicked men’ in his poem. But he does not mention Joab (or Abishai’s) name.
After a funeral, everyone had a meal together. But David would not eat anything during the daytime. Again, this proved that he was very sad. David had respected Abner as a great man. David was genuine about how sad he felt. But he also wanted the people to notice it. Verses 36-37 show the people’s reaction. They believed that David was innocent. The time of crisis passed. All *Israelites supported David. But in verse 39, David knew that he did not have complete power. The ‘sons of Zeruiah’ refer to Joab and Abishai. They had great power. They had opposed David’s plans with Abner. And they dealt with the situation in their own way. David could not control them. So, David trusted God to be their judge.
v1 Ish-Bosheth was the son of Saul. He heard that Abner had died in Hebron. So, Ish-Bosheth became afraid. And all the people of *Israel were also worried. v2 Ish-Bosheth had two leaders in his army. The name of one man was Baanah, and the name of the other man was Recab. The name of their father was Rimmon. He came from the town of Beeroth. He was from the *tribe of Benjamin. (The town of Beeroth belonged to the *tribe of Benjamin. v3 The people from Beeroth had escaped to the town of Gittaim. They still live there as foreigners.)
Everything changed in *Israel when Abner died. He had been very powerful. He had been able to control the country. But Ish-Bosheth was too weak to rule the country alone. At times like that, often other leaders fight to become the ruler. That could have caused a war that would have destroyed the whole country. Abner’s plan to unite *Israel and *Judah would have failed. Everyone in *Israel was worried about the future. But, two of Ish-Bosheth’s captains changed the situation. The information in verses 2 and 3 was probably important to the *Israelites when the writer wrote this account.
v4 (Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son. His name was Mephibosheth. He was *lame. He was five years old when Saul and Jonathan died in the battle at Jezreel. A servant girl looked after Mephibosheth when he was young. The servant girl heard the news about the battle. She picked up the boy and she ran for safety. She was in such a hurry to leave that he fell. His injury was severe, so he could not walk.)
This verse is not about Ish-Bosheth, but it contains some important information. King Saul had four sons and one grandson. (In 1 Chronicles 8:33-34 the name of Ish-Bosheth is ‘Esh-Baal’. And the name for Mephibosheth is ‘Merib-Baal’.) Three of Saul’s sons died with him in the battle against the *Philistines (1 Samuel 31:8). Ish-Bosheth escaped, so he became king. We believe that he did not have any sons to become king after him. So, Jonathan’s son should have become king after Ish-Bosheth. But Mephibosheth could not walk. He could not fight wars. Therefore, he could not be the king. He would not affect the plans for *Israel. So, nobody bothered to kill him. He was about 13 years old in this chapter. The story of Mephibosheth continues in chapter 9.
v5 One day Recab and Baanah (the sons of Rimmon who came from Beeroth) went to Ish-Bosheth’s house. They arrived about midday. Ish-Bosheth was having a rest. v6-7 Recab and Baanah went into the centre of the house. They pretended that they were getting some wheat. Ish-Bosheth was lying on his bed in his bedroom. The two men pushed a *spear into Ish-Bosheth’s stomach and killed him. Then they cut off his head. They took his head with them and they escaped from the house. They travelled along the valley of the river Jordan that night. v8 They arrived at Hebron and they took the head of Ish-Bosheth to David. They said to David, ‘Here is the head of Ish-Bosheth, the son of Saul. And Saul was your enemy because he tried to kill you. Today the *Lord has punished Saul and his family for what they did to you.’
v9 David spoke to Recab and his brother Baanah (the sons of Rimmon who came from Beeroth). David said, ‘I shall tell you the truth. I certainly know that the *Lord lives. He has rescued me from all my troubles. v10 Now a man once thought that he was bringing me good news. He said, “Saul is dead.” So, I seized him and I killed him in Ziklag. That was how I rewarded him for his news. v11 But this is worse. You are wicked men. You killed an innocent man while he was asleep on his bed. Now I will punish you because you are guilty. You must die.’
v12 So David gave a command to his men and they killed Recab and Baanah. Then David’s men cut off the hands and feet from the bodies of Recab and Baanah. The men hung the bodies next to the pool in Hebron. But they took Ish-Bosheth’s head and they buried it in Abner’s grave in Hebron.
In those days, people usually gave the oldest son’s name first (as in verse 2). But from verse 5, Recab’s name is first. This probably means that he was the leader in this event. Recab and Baanah were captains in Ish-Bosheth’s army. He trusted them. They could visit the king at his house. Perhaps they went there often to get food for their soldiers. The king may have had soldiers who guarded his house. But these soldiers would not suspect Recab and Baanah. *Israel is a hot country. People often got up early and they worked while it was cooler. Then they rested when it became hot in the middle of the day. Recab and Baanah killed Ish-Bosheth when he could not defend himself. They murdered him in the same way that Joab murdered Abner. They cut off his head as the evidence of their act. Also, this was like a prize for them (see 1 Samuel 17:51-58 and 31:8-9). They travelled at night so that they would not meet other people. (Most people only travelled in the daytime because it was safer.)
We do not why Recab and Baanah were not loyal to Ish-Bosheth. They probably knew that he was too weak to remain as the king. Perhaps they wanted David to approve of them as leaders. This act would show that they were loyal to David. They even said that this was the *Lord’s work. But they did not trust the *Lord. Instead, they wanted to punish Saul’s family. Recab and Baanah knew what Saul had done to David. They had probably gone with Saul when he chased David. But they did not know that David respected Saul. Saul had been God’s *anointed king. Perhaps Recab and Baanah did not know about the punishment for the man who killed Saul (1:5-16). Certainly, they did not realise that David would punish them in the same way.
David was a soldier. But a fair soldier did not kill innocent people. David did not need anyone to punish his enemies. He trusted God in every situation. David was very angry at Recab and Baanah. He punished them by the law of the *Lord (Exodus 21:12 and Leviticus 24:17). David’s men hung up the two bodies without their hands and feet. This showed everyone that they had punished the two men. But they buried Ish-Bosheth’s head with proper honour. Ish-Bosheth had depended on Abner while he was alive. Then, when they died, their bodies shared the same grave.
This chapter records three very important things that David did:
(1) He united the nation of *Israel.
(2) He made the city of Jerusalem his capital. (This city is still the most important city for the *Jewish people now, almost 3000 years later.)
(3) He defeated the *Philistines. They were never a big problem again for the *Israelites.
The author of this book recorded these events. But he did not tell us when they happened.
(Verses 1-10 See also 1 Chronicles 11:1-9.
Verses 11-16 See also 1 Chronicles 3:5-9 and 4:1-7.
Verses 17-25 See also 1 Chronicles 14:8-17.)
v1 All the *tribes of *Israel came to David while he was at Hebron. They said, ‘We are all members of your family. v2 In the past, Saul was king. But you led the *Israelites in their battles. The *Lord said to you, “You will be like a *shepherd for my people, the *Israelites. You will become their leader.” ’
v3 So all the leaders in *Israel came to King David at Hebron. In that town, David made an agreement with them in front of the *Lord. And they *anointed David as the king over all *Israel.
v4 David was 30 years old when he became the king. He ruled the *Israelites for 40 years. v5 While he lived in Hebron, he ruled over the *tribe of *Judah for 7 years and 6 months. When he lived in Jerusalem, he ruled over all the *tribes in *Israel and *Judah for 33 years.
In chapter 3, Abner had intended to make David the king over all *Israel. Now Abner and King Ish-Bosheth were dead. The leaders from the 10 northern *tribes had to choose a new king. David did not go and make himself their king. Instead, they came to David. In Deuteronomy 17:15, God gave two commands about *Israelite kings;
· The king must be a ‘brother *Israelite’. In other words, he must belong to the families of the *Israelites.
· The king must be the person that the *Lord chooses.
All the *Israelites belonged to the same family although they were in different *tribes. They all came from the family of Jacob (Genesis chapter 35). So the northern *tribes emphasised this family unity. The *Israelites also knew that David was a great military leader. God had given David success in every battle that he fought. David had even had more success than King Saul had. Also, the *Israelites knew that God had chosen David as their king. The people knew God’s promise about David. The Bible does not record God’s words in verse 2 anywhere else. But God had told Samuel to *anoint David. This meant that he would become king one day (1 Samuel 16:1).
In verse 2, a ‘leader’ is a prince or a king. He rules a *tribe or a nation. The word also refers to the captain of an army. In this verse, God called the *Israelites ‘my people’. The *Israelites did not belong to David. They belonged to God. So David had to look after the *Israelites in the proper way.
The word ‘*shepherd’ describes how the ruler should do his work. David had been a *shepherd when he was young (1 Samuel 16:11 and 17:14-15). A *shepherd looks after sheep. He leads them. And he feeds and protects them. Genesis 49:50 calls God a *shepherd. In John 10 Jesus taught about *shepherds. He said, ‘I am the good *shepherd.’ David wrote the famous Psalm 23. He described God as the *shepherd. David knew how God had been like a *shepherd to him. So, David understood how to look after God’s people. He did not become an unkind or cruel king.
Samuel had *anointed David as king in 1 Samuel 16:6-13. In 2 Samuel 2:4 the men of *Judah *anointed David as king of the *tribe of *Judah. At last, all *Israel *anointed David as their king. David had waited many years for this to happen. But David did not try to make it happen. He trusted God when the situation with Saul was very difficult. In the end, God worked everything out. In 1 Samuel 10:25, Samuel had explained to the people about the duties of the *Israelites and their king. In verse 3, David and the *Israelites made an agreement. This was probably like the agreement that Saul made in order to become king. ‘In front of the *Lord’ probably means that the priest led this event at a special holy place.
v6 David and his men marched to the city called Jerusalem and they attacked it. The people called Jebusites lived in Jerusalem. They said to David, ‘You will never get into this city. Even the *lame and blind people will be able to stop you.’ The Jebusites thought that David would not be able to enter the city. v7 However, David attacked and defeated the *stronghold called Zion. He called it the city of David. v8 That day, David said, ‘If you want to defeat the Jebusites you will have to go through the water tunnel (underground passage). You will reach the people who call themselves “*lame and blind” people. They are David’s enemies.’ This is why people say, ‘The “blind and the *lame people” will not enter the palace.’ v9 So David went to live in the *stronghold. He called it the city of David. He built the city round the *stronghold. He started at the place where they had made the land level. v10 David continued to become more powerful because God supported him. And God is the most powerful ruler.
v11 Hiram was the king of the town called Tyre. He sent some men with a message for David. He sent wood from trees called cedars. He also sent workmen. Some of the men worked with wood. Other men worked with stone. They built a palace for David. v12 Then David was sure that the *Lord had made him king over *Israel. And David was sure that the *Lord loved the people of *Israel. This is why the *Lord had made David’s *kingdom great.
v13 David left Hebron and he lived in Jerusalem. He had more *concubines and he married more wives. So, he also had more sons and daughters. v14-16 These are the names of the children that David had in Jerusalem:
· Shammua
· Shobab
· Nathan
· Solomon
· Ibhar
· Elishua
· Nepheg
· Japhia
· Elishama
· Eliada
· Eliphelet.
The people called Jebusites lived in the country called Canaan (Israel) before God gave it to the *Israelites (Genesis 10:15-19; 15:18-21). Jerusalem was an ancient city in their country. They called it Jebus (Judges 19:10). It was in the land that God gave to the *tribe of Benjamin. The men from *Judah and Benjamin had tried to take control of Jerusalem in the past (Joshua 15:63; Judges 1:8, 21). But they could not defeat the Jebusite people. They would not leave their city. So the Jebusites and *Israelites lived together in the country.
David wanted a new capital city. Jerusalem was better than Hebron. But the Jebusites believed that the *Israelites could never take control of the city. The city was on the top of a steep hill. The name of the hill was Zion. The city had a wall round it. The Jebusites felt safe in their city. They could throw stones down onto anyone who attacked them. They thought that even very weak people could defend the city. But David was the first person to defeat the Jebusites in Jerusalem. He called this city by his own name, ‘the city of David’. Verse 8 might show that David did not kill the Jebusites (see also 2 Samuel 24:18-25). He may have let them live under his control. He referred to them as ‘the blind and *lame people’. And they could not go into the palace that Hiram built for David in verse 11.
When David lived in Jerusalem, David made the city bigger. The *Jewish people still live in Jerusalem today. They believe that it is a very special place. They still call it the ‘city of David’. They also call it the ‘city of Zion’. It is now a very large city. People have tried to discover more about the old city of Zion. They found an underground passage that went down through the rock to a stream. The people called Jebusites used this passage to get water when people attacked them. This is the ‘water tunnel’ in verse 8. David may have discovered this stream and well many years before. He knew that it was the only way to get into the city.
Verse 11 probably happened many years after David became king. King Hiram lived outside of *Israel. He saw that David had become a powerful king. Hiram respected King David. He wanted to build David a palace. Tyre was an important port for trade. Many workmen lived there. There were not many men in *Israel who could build houses from wood and stone. Hiram got wood from cedar trees. That wood was very strong. It lasted for a long time. David probably sent grain and food as a gift to King Hiram.
Verses 10 and 12 say that David became powerful. He felt like a proper king as soon as he had a palace to live in. His *kingdom became great. But David did not become proud. He knew that the *Lord God had given him everything. And the *Lord did this because of the *Israelites. The *Lord loved the people that he had chosen (Deuteronomy 7:6-11).
In Deuteronomy 17:17, God says that a king should not have many wives. But David did not follow this law. Instead, he behaved like the kings in the countries round *Israel. Later in 2 Samuel, we see that there was a lot of trouble between David’s sons. There are other lists of David’s sons in 1 Chronicles 3:5-9 and 14:4-7. The lists are not quite the same. Some sons may have died when they were young. And some may have had different names. There is no list of David’s daughters. Solomon became the king after David. Luke 3:31 says that Nathan was a previous relative of Jesus. The Bible does not mention any of David’s other sons that are in verses 14-16 again.
v17 The *Philistines heard that the *Israelites had *anointed David as the king over *Israel. So the whole *Philistine army went to find him. When David heard about this, he went down to the *stronghold. v18 The *Philistines army arrived at the valley called Rephaim and they camped all along it. v19 So David asked the *Lord, ‘Shall I attack the *Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?’
The *Lord answered, ‘Go and attack them. I will certainly hand them over to you.’
v20 So David went to Baal Perazim and he defeated the *Philistines. David said, ‘The *Lord has burst through my enemies like a flood of water.’ So, David named that place ‘Baal Perazim’. v21 The *Philistines left their *idols behind at Baal Perazim. So David and his men took the *idols away.
v22 Again the *Philistines came and camped in the valley of Rephaim. v23 So David asked the *Lord again what he should do. The *Lord said, ‘Do not attack the *Philistines from the front. Go round behind them. Attack them in front of the trees that are called balsam trees. v24 You will hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the trees. Then you must quickly go and attack. I will be marching ahead of you and I will defeat the *Philistine army.’ v25 So David obeyed the *Lord. And David killed the *Philistines all along the way from Gibeon (or Geba) to Gezer.
The *Philistines had not attacked David when he was the king of *Judah. But when he became the king of all *Israel he was more powerful. So the whole *Philistine army went to find him. This probably happened before David attacked Jerusalem. But David heard that the *Philistines were coming to attack him. The ‘*stronghold’ in verse 7 was probably one of the places where David used to hide from Saul in southern *Judah. Rephaim was south west of Jerusalem. The Bible does not tell us many details about these two battles. But it tells us one important thing. David first asked the *Lord what he should do. David did not fight until the *Lord answered him. David probably went to Abiathar, or another priest. The priest used the *ephod to find the *Lord’s answer (see 1 Samuel 23:9-12). This contrasts with Saul in 1 Samuel, especially in chapter 28.
David defeated the *Philistines in the first battle. However, he knew that the *Lord had really defeated them. So, David gave that place a new name. This gave honour to the *Lord because of his action in the battle. ‘Baal Perazim’ means the ‘*Lord burst through’. The *Philistines believed that their gods lived in the *idols. The account in 1 Chronicles 14:12 says that David burned the *idols. So the *Lord defeated the *Philistines and their false gods.
The *Philistines went to attack David again. And David asked the *Lord again what he should do. The *Lord gave David a different plan. He attacked the *Philistines from behind. They did not expect David to attack them in that way. (Balsam is a type of small tree.) In 1 Samuel 8:19-20 the *Israelites had asked for a king. They wanted the king to lead their army into battle. But, in verse 24, the *Lord said, ‘I will be marching ahead of you.’ The *Lord led David and his army into the battle. David did not attack until he heard the sound of the *Lord in the trees. Again, David and his army fought, but the *Lord defeated the *Philistines.
After these battles, the *Philistines were never a big problem for the *Israelites. The *Philistines still attacked some of the cities in *Israel. But they knew that they could never defeat the whole nation. The nation of *Israel was safer with David as king. David obeyed the *Lord.
v1 David again gathered all the men that he chose from *Israel. There were 30 000 men. v2 Then David and all his men went to the town called Baalah in *Judah. They went to bring back the *ark of God. The *ark has the name of the most powerful *Lord. The *Lord is present between the cherubim (*angels) on the top of the *ark. v3 They brought the *ark of God out from Abinadab’s house, which was on a hill. They put the *ark on a new cart. Abinadab had two sons. Their names were Uzzah and Ahio. They were leading the new cart. v4 So they brought the cart with the *ark of the *Lord on it from Abinadab’s house. Ahio walked in front of the cart. v5 David and all the people of *Israel were very excited in front of the *Lord. They sang and they played musical instruments. These instruments were called lyres, harps, tambourines, rattles and cymbals.
v6 They came to the place where Nacon used to prepare his grain. The *oxen were pulling the cart, but they nearly tripped over. When the *oxen nearly fell, Uzzah held the *ark. He did not want the *ark to fall off the cart. v7 God was very angry with Uzzah because he had done the wrong thing. God killed Uzzah. Uzzah died next to the *ark of God. v8 Then David was angry because the *Lord had punished Uzzah. So, they called that place Perez Uzzah.
v9 David was now afraid of the *Lord. David said, ‘I do not know how the *ark of the *Lord can come to me now.’ v10 David would not take the *ark of the *Lord into the city of David. Instead, David took it into the house of Obed Edom. (Obed Edom came from the city called Gath.) v11 The *ark was there for three months. The *Lord *blessed Obed Edom and all his family.
(Verses 1-11 See also 1 Chronicles 13:1-14.)
The account of this event in 1 Chronicles 13 says that David gathered men from his army. Then he gathered men from all the *tribes of *Israel. He also asked the priests and *Levites to go with him. This was an important event for the *Israelites. David was king of the whole nation. Jerusalem (the city of David) was the new capital city. David had a palace to live in. David now wanted the *ark of the *Lord to be in *Israel’s capital city. This meant that the *Lord would be present in the city. Also, it would show that the *Lord was the real king of *Israel. The *Israelites would give *sacrifices and *worship the *Lord there.
God is too great to live in any building that men may build (Acts 7:48-50). But he was present at the *ark of the *Lord. In the *Old Testament, God spoke to the priest from a place above the *ark (Exodus 25:22). In verse 2, the word ‘present’ can mean ‘sit’. This means that the *ark was like a throne (a king’s seat) for the *Lord. So, wherever the *ark went, the *Lord was present there in a special way. ‘The *ark has the name of the most powerful *Lord.’ This means that the *ark belonged to the *Lord. It was holy because it belonged to the *Lord.
In Joshua 15:9, Baalah is a different name for the town called Kiriath Jearim. The *ark had been there since 1 Samuel 7:1. King Saul had no interest in the *ark. He did not *worship the *Lord as David did. The *Israelites moved the *ark on a new cart. *Oxen pulled the cart. This is what the *Philistines did in 1 Samuel 6:7-15. But this is against the *Lord’s commands in Exodus 25:10-16 and Numbers 4:5-6,15. God had told the *Levites to put two long poles into rings in the ark. Then they carried the ark by these poles. They could not touch the ark because it was very holy. Abinadab’s family had looked after the *ark for many years. In verse 3, ‘sons’ can mean grandsons. They led the *ark on its journey to Jerusalem. The *Israelites knew that this was a special event. They had a very happy time. Lyres and harps are instruments with strings. Tambourines and rattles make a noise when you shake them. Cymbals are flat pieces of metal that you hit together. This was a very noisy procession.
Farmers had to separate the grains of wheat from the stems and the leaves. They shook the wheat into the air in order to do this. Then the wind blew the light pieces away. Each farmer did it at a particular place where the ground was flat. So, everyone knew where Uzzah died. Perhaps the ground was not in fact level there. Uzzah wanted to protect the *ark so he held it. But the *ark was holy. Uzzah had not given honour to God. So, God punished Uzzah. (God had warned about this in Numbers 4:15.) ‘Perez Uzzah’ means ‘the angry reaction against Uzzah’. Abinadab’s family should have known how to move the *ark. They should have moved it God’s way, not their own way. The happy day became a sad day for all the *Israelites.
David thought that he was doing the right thing. He wanted to give honour to the *Lord. He wanted all the *Israelites to *worship the *Lord again. But the *Lord had stopped the procession. David was angry. Then David realised how holy God was. So he became afraid of the *Lord. He did not want the *Lord to punish any more people. David did not know whether the *ark would ever go to Jerusalem. Obed Edom was probably a *Levite (1 Chronicles 26:1-8). David would not have given the *ark to an ordinary *Israelite. The *Levites knew how to look after the *ark in the proper way. Gath was probably a town in *Israel, not the *Philistine town.
v12 Now the people told David, ‘The *Lord has *blessed Obed Edom, his family and everything that belongs to them. It is because the *ark of God is there.’ So David fetched the *ark of God from Obed Edom’s house. David took it to the city of David with great joy. v13 The men who carried the *ark walked 6 steps. Then David *sacrificed a bull (male cow) and a fat young cow. v14 David was wearing a *linen *ephod. He danced with all his energy in front of the *Lord. v15 David and all the people of *Israel brought the *ark of the *Lord to the city of David. They shouted with joy and they blew *trumpets.
(Verses 12-19 See also 1 Chronicles 15:25-16:3.)
For three months the *Lord *blessed everything that Obed Edom had. David realised that the *ark itself was not the problem. The *Lord had only been angry because Uzzah had done something wrong. He had touched the ark. But then, the *Lord *blessed everyone who gave him honour. The problem was that David’s men had carried the *ark in the wrong way. They had not obeyed the *Lord. This time they carried it as the *Lord had said. And they *sacrificed to the *Lord. David was king of all the priests in *Israel. It seems that David behaved like a priest that day. He took off his royal coat to show that he was humble. And he wore a *linen *ephod. (Only the priests wore an *ephod.) In the book of Psalms, the writers often said ‘shout with joy to the *Lord’. The *Israelites were often very noisy when they *worshipped. A *trumpet is an instrument that you blow into. The priests often used a *trumpet as they *worshipped the *Lord (1 Chronicles 16:6). Everyone was excited and happy. And David was probably happier than everyone else.
Many Psalms refer to this event. For example, Psalm 24; Psalm 68:16-17, 24-27, 29, 35; Psalm 132:6-9; Psalm 47:5.
v16 As the *ark of the *Lord entered the city of David, Saul’s daughter Michal watched from her window. She saw King David. He was jumping and dancing in front of the *Lord. Then Michal felt very surprised. His actions disgusted her.
v17 David had put up a tent for the *ark of the *Lord. The *Israelites put the *ark in its place inside the tent. David *sacrificed *burnt offerings and friendship *offerings to the *Lord. v18 David finished *sacrificing *burnt offerings and friendship *offerings. Then he *blessed the people in the name of the most powerful *Lord. v19 Then he gave a gift to every *Israelite man and woman. He gave them a loaf of bread, and a round pack of dates and a round pack of raisins. (Dates and raisins are dried fruit.) After this, all the people went to their homes.
v20 David returned to his home so that he could *bless the people in his family. Saul’s daughter Michal came to meet him. She said, ‘Today you did not behave with honour as the king of *Israel should. You took off your royal coat. Even the female slaves of your servants saw you do this. And you were not ashamed.’
v21 David said to Michal, ‘I did this in front of the *Lord. The *Lord chose me as the ruler over his people of *Israel. He chose me rather than your father or anyone from Saul’s family. Therefore I will be full of joy in front of the *Lord. v22 I will be even less ashamed. And I will be more humble. But those female slave girls that you mentioned will give me honour.’
v23 Saul’s daughter Michal never had any children.
David had prepared a special tent for the *ark. This may have been like the tent that Moses made (Exodus 25-27). David gave two types of *offerings to the *Lord. The people did not have to give these *offerings. Instead the people gave these *offerings because they wanted to. However, they had to give the *offering the proper way. Leviticus chapters 1-7 describes 5 different types of *offerings that the *Israelites gave to the *Lord.
At the end of this event, David *blessed the people. ‘*Bless’ means to ask the *Lord to give people good things. The *Lord is most powerful. He gives everything that is good. Then David gave everyone a present. Everyone had enough food to eat as they went home. Dates and raisins are dried fruits (see also 1 Samuel 25:18 and 30:12). David led the *Israelites as their king. But he also led them when they *worshipped. David loved and served the *Lord. David wanted all the *Israelites to love and serve the *Lord too.
Michal was David’s wife. But this chapter always refers to her as ‘Saul’s daughter’. Michal was like her father Saul. Saul did not care about the *ark. He had not *worshipped the *Lord like David did. Saul became proud and he did not obey the *Lord. Saul cared what people thought about him. (You can read about Saul in 1 Samuel from chapter 9. Chapter 15 shows Saul’s attitude to the *Lord and other people.)
Michal had stayed in the palace. She watched the *ark of the *Lord come into the city. Michal knew that David was a brave soldier. He had become the king of the whole nation of *Israel. But she thought that this day he behaved like a foolish man. Michal saw what David did. But she did not understand how much David loved the *Lord. She did not care that David wanted to give honour to the *Lord.
In verse 20, David went to *bless his family. This included all his servants and slaves. Michal told David that his actions disgusted her. She did not respect David when she spoke to him. But David was confident. The *Lord had chosen him, not Saul’s family. Michal probably thought that David insulted her by his actions. David wanted God to have more honour and *glory. So, David was content to be more humble. Michal did not give David honour as the king. But David knew that even slaves would still give him honour as the king.
Michal did not have any children (verse 23). This suggests that she and David did not continue to live together as husband and wife. Therefore, Saul’s family could not continue through Michal. But David had other wives. And these wives gave honour to David, because David became a father by them. We do not know what happened to Michal. Probably she just lived in her own house like a widow, until she died.
1 Samuel 18:20-27 says that Michal had loved David. And David risked his life to marry her. But it seems that their marriage ended in this chapter. The Bible does not tell us anything else about Michal after this event.
v1 King David was living in his palace now. The *Lord had given him peace from his enemies. v2 One day, David said to Nathan, the *prophet, ‘I am living in a palace. And my palace has the best wood, from trees called cedars. But the *ark of God is still in a tent.’
v3 Nathan replied to the king, ‘You should do whatever you have decided to do. The *Lord is with you.’
v4 That night the *Lord spoke to Nathan. The *Lord said, v5 ‘Go to David and say, “The *Lord has sent this message to you.” He says “You must not build a house for me. You are not the right man. v6 I rescued the *Israelites from the country called Egypt. I never had a house from that time until now. I moved from one place to another. A tent has always been my home. v7 So I moved with the *Israelites. And I told the rulers of the *Israelites to be like a *shepherd to the people. I never told them to build me a house or *temple from the wood of cedar trees.”
v8 Nathan, you must give this message to my servant David. “The *Lord is the leader of armies of *angels. And this is what the *Lord says: You were just a young *shepherd who looked after the sheep. But I chose you to lead my people *Israel. v9 I have been with you everywhere that you have gone. I defeated all your enemies. Now I will make you as famous as any of the great people in the world. v10 I have provided a place for my people *Israel to live. They will live in this country and they will be safe. They will have permanent homes here. Wicked people will not continue to cause trouble for my people. They had trouble in the past v11 even when I chose judges (leaders) for my people *Israel. Now I will keep you safe from all your enemies. I, the *Lord, am speaking to you. I will make a house for you. (In other words, I will establish your royal family.)
v12 One day you will die. But I will make one of your own sons the king. I will establish his *kingdom. v13 It is he who will build a house for me. And I will make sure that his *kingdom lasts always. v14 I will be like a father to him. He will be like my son. If he *sins, I will punish him. But I will use other people to give him the punishment. v15 I stopped loving Saul. And I removed him before you became king. But I will never stop loving your son. v16 Your family and your *kingdom will continue always. Someone from your family will always be king.” ’
v17 Nathan told David everything that the *Lord said.
(Verses 1-29 See also 1 Chronicles 17.)
The events of this chapter may have happened a long time after David became king. But the subject follows on from chapter 6 about the *ark of the *Lord.
The writer uses the *Hebrew word for ‘house’ in this chapter. This word has three different meanings. It refers to a building where people live. It also refers to a person’s family, in the present time and in the future. And it is another word for the *temple.
In verse 1, David lived in his house (palace). In verse 2 and 4 he wanted to build a house (*temple) for the *Lord. But in verses 11 and 16 the *Lord said that he would establish David’s house (royal family) to last always. David wanted to give honour to the *Lord. Instead, the *Lord gave honour, which would last always, to David and his family.
There was peace in *Israel. In Deuteronomy 12:10-14, the *Lord said that this would happen one day. The *Lord made David a successful soldier. David fought many battles and he defeated *Israel’s enemies. However, verse 9 says that the *Lord really defeated the enemies. The *Lord provided the land for the *Israelites (verse 10). He had promised this land to Abram (Abraham) in Genesis 15:18-19. The *Lord *kept his promise. There were no wars, so David was not very busy. He wanted to give more honour to the *Lord. David knew that he had an impressive palace. He thought that a tent was not good enough for the *ark of God. He wanted to build a great *temple. Then they would call this *temple ‘the house where God lives’. First, David asked Nathan the *prophet. The *Lord spoke to the *prophets and he gave them messages for people. David’s plan seemed good to Nathan but it was not the *Lord’s plan.
That night, the *Lord gave Nathan a message for David. The *Lord had not asked David to build him a *temple. God called it a ‘house’. In verse 11, he uses the word ‘house’ again. He was referring to the children that David would have. The *Lord wanted David to think about the *Lord’s actions. And the *Lord did not want David to think about what he, David, would do. Also, it was not the right time. And David was the wrong person. The writer of 1 Chronicles 22:8-10 tells us the reason. David was a soldier. He had fought many battles and he had killed many people. However, his son Solomon would be a peaceful king. He would not kill people. Therefore, the *Lord would let him build the *temple. You can read about this in 2 Chronicles chapters 2 to 7.
The *Lord reminded David about all that he had done for David. He was the king of *Israel only because the *Lord had chosen him. David was the *Lord’s servant. But the *Lord promised that someone from David’s family would always be king. David’s family continued to rule two *Israelite *tribes for more than 400 years. The *Lord’s promise in verse 16 referred to more than just human kings. It referred to Jesus Christ. He came from the family of King David (Luke 3:31). People called Jesus the ‘son of David’ (Matthew 21:9). And 1 Timothy 6:14-15 says that Jesus is ‘the king of all kings’. This shows that the *Lord *kept his promise to David.
Many years later, the *Israelites and their kings *sinned. They did not obey the *Lord so they were not safe in their country (verse 10). The *Lord punished them (2 Kings chapter 25). The *Lord had warned the *Israelites about this in Deuteronomy 28:15-68.
The *Lord promised always to love David’s son (verse 15). This was a special promise. The *Lord wanted them to have personal relationship like a father and son (verse 14). ‘Son’ refers to Solomon. But it also refers to the other kings who came from his family. So all kings of Israel were sons of God because they were special to God. God wanted to act through them. And God would always love the king (verse 15). A long time later, Jesus was born from David’s family. He was the Son of God in a special way. This contrasts with King Saul. He did not love the *Lord so the *Lord removed him. Nobody in Saul’s family ever became king after he died. Sadly, Solomon did not follow the *Lord as David did (1 Kings 11:4). But the *Lord continued to love Solomon. The *Lord *kept his promise.
Nathan was a good *prophet. He listened to the *Lord and then he told David everything.
v18 Then David went in and he sat in front of the *Lord. David said, ‘You are God, and you are my master. I am not important. My family is not important. I do not know why you have done this for me.
v19 But now you have done even more, my master and my God. You have told me, your servant, about the future of my family. You do not usually do this for people, my master and my God. v20 I do not know what to say to you, my master and my God. You know all about me. I am just your servant. v21 You decided to do these things. And you said that you would do them. You have done this wonderful thing. And you have told me, your servant.
v22 You are so great, *Lord God. We ourselves have discovered that nobody is like you. There is no other God. v23 There is no other nation like your people *Israel. You, God, rescued them. You chose them as your own people. People abroad know about you because of your people. You did great and wonderful things. Your people were slaves in Egypt so you rescued them. You forced nations and their gods out of the way of your people. v24 You have made the people of *Israel to be your own people always. And you, *Lord, became their God.
v25 Now, our *Lord and God, do what you have promised to me, your servant, and to my family. *Keep your promise always. v26 Then people will always give you honour. People will say, “The *Lord, who is the leader of armies of *angels, is God over *Israel.” The family of David, your servant, will continue to be kings. v27 You are our *Lord. You are the leader of armies of *angels. And you are God over *Israel. You have shown this to me, your servant. You said that you would make my family great. I am your servant. I have been brave enough to pray this to you. v28 My master and my God, you really are God. Everything that you say is true. You have made this promise to me, your servant. v29 I ask you to *bless the family of me, your servant. I pray that my family will always be your servants. You, my master and my God, promised this. You will always *bless the family of your servant.’
Verse 18 means that David sat in front of the *ark of the *Lord. It was probably in a tent. The *ark of the *Lord had a curtain round it (Exodus 40:1-2). Nobody could see it because it was holy. The *Lord used to speak as if he were above the *ark.
David heard what the *Lord had promised. But he did not become proud. Instead, he went to pray to the *Lord. David was a humble man. He referred often to the greatness of God. And he referred often to himself as the *Lord’s servant.
In verses 18-21, David did not know what to say to the *Lord. He could hardly believe what the *Lord had promised. The *Lord knew everything. And he even told David what would happen in the future. This was very unusual. David was very grateful to the *Lord. David knew that he did not deserve anything.
In verses 22-24, David praised the *Lord for all that the *Lord had done for *Israel in the past. David knew that *Israel was the *Lord’s special nation. David knew how wonderful and powerful the *Lord was. Even other nations knew about the *Lord’s great acts.
In verses 25-29, David became confident. David asked the *Lord to *keep his promise. And he knew that the *Lord would do this. David wanted the *Lord to have honour. David was not selfish. He did not want honour for himself or his family. Instead, he wanted everyone to see how great the *Lord is. David knew that he was the *Lord’s servant. And he wanted his family to serve the *Lord always.
David did not build a *temple for the *Lord. He accepted the *Lord’s decision and he obeyed him. However, 1 Chronicles 28:11-19 says that the *Lord gave David the plans for the *temple. We do not know when this happened. But it shows that the *Lord trusted David. David had a lot of knowledge but Solomon did not. Solomon was still young, so David helped him with all the preparations. David provided many materials and skilled men. He also explained to Solomon all the details in the plans of the *temple (1 Chronicles chapters 22, 28 and 29). David always wanted to obey and to *worship the *Lord. And David always wanted to give honour to the *Lord. So David tried to make sure that Solomon built the *temple in the right way. You can read how Solomon built the temple in 1 Kings chapter 6.
v1 Some time later, David fought the *Philistines. He defeated them and he controlled their chief city. v2 Then David defeated the people from Moab. He made the prisoners lie down on the ground. Then he measured them with a line. David’s army killed the prisoners who were lying by the first and second lines. But they allowed the prisoners who were lying by the third line to live. After that, the people of Moab had to serve David. They paid taxes to him.
v3 Hadadezer was the son of Rehob, the king of Zobah. Hadadezer had gone to the river Euphrates. He wanted to rule over the territory round the river again. But David defeated him. v4 David took 1000 of Hadadezer’s *chariots. He took as prisoners 7000 men who rode in the *chariots. David also took 20 000 other soldiers as prisoners. He kept 100 of their horses. Then David’s soldiers cut the back of the ankles of all the other horses.
v5 The *Aramean men from the area of Damascus went to help Hadadezer. David’s army killed 22 000 *Arameans. v6 Then David set up military camps in the *Aramean *kingdom of Damascus. The *Arameans had to serve David. They had to pay him taxes. The *Lord gave David success wherever he went. v7 David took the gold *shields from Hadadezer’s officers. He brought the *shields to Jerusalem. v8 Hadadezer also ruled the towns of Tebah and Berothai. King David took a lot of *bronze from these towns.
v9 King Toi came from the town of Hamath. He heard that David had defeated the army of Hadadezer. v10 King Toi sent his son Joram to King David. He praised David for his success. King Toi (also called Tou) and Hadadezer were enemies. They had fought many battles. Joram gave many gold, silver and *bronze objects to David. v11 David gave these things to the *Lord. David had already given much gold and silver to the *Lord. These valuable things came from the nations that David defeated. v12 These nations were Edom and Moab, the *Ammonites, the *Philistines and Amalek. David had also taken many objects from Hadadezer. (He was the son of Rehob, the king of Zobah.) And David gave these objects to the *Lord.
v13 David went to the Valley of Salt. There, his army defeated 18 000 men from Edom. David’s success there became well-known. v14 He set up military camps in every part of the country of Edom. David ruled everyone who lived in Edom. The *Lord made David successful wherever he went.
(Verses 1-18 See 1 Chronicles 18.)
This account continues from the end of chapter 5. It describes how the *Lord made *Israel a peaceful country (7:1). The *Philistine’s country was on the west side of *Israel. Edom and Amalek were in the south. Ammon and Moab were in the east. Zobah and the *Arameans were in the north. David and his soldiers fought many battles. But verses 6 and 14 show that the *Lord made them successful. This chapter does not give a complete list of the battles. There are several other accounts of battles in the rest of 2 Samuel.
The *Philistines had attacked *Israel for several centuries. They wanted to own *Israel’s land. But David defeated them and ruled them. The account of the battle in verse 1 is in chapter 5:17-25. The *Philistines did not attack *Israel again.
We do not know why David fought against Moab. David’s father was Jesse. Jesse’s grandmother was Ruth. She came from Moab (Ruth 4:13-17). Also, in 1 Samuel 22:1-4, David wanted his parents to stay somewhere safe. So, he sent them to stay with the king of Moab. David’s actions in verse 2 seem very severe. However, kings usually killed all their prisoners. But David allowed some prisoners from Moab to live.
Originally, God did not want the *Israelites to fight the people from Moab (Deuteronomy 2:9). But the leaders of Moab wanted God to oppose the *Israelites. So the leaders of Moab paid a *prophet, called Balaam, to speak against the *Israelites. But Balaam had to *bless the *Israelites, because God had already *blessed them. And Balaam said that, in the future, a ruler from *Israel would overcome Moab (Numbers 24:17). Many centuries later, David did this.
In those days, kings often used *chariots when they fought a battle. Horses pulled the *chariots. Skilled soldiers rode in the *chariots with their *weapons. These soldiers could travel much faster than ordinary soldiers could. David did not kill the horses. Instead, he made sure that they would never be able to go into a battle again. The horse’s legs would heal. But they would never be able to run properly again.