THE BOOK OF SECOND SAMUEL,
Chapters 1-24
CHAPTER ONE
1:10: “I [the Amalekite] stood upon him, and slew him” = The Amalekite obviously lied about what really happened (see 1Sa. 31:4) thinking he would gain favor with David.
CHAPTER TWO
2:12: “sons of Eli were sons of Belial” = “When Eli was high priest, he exalted his sons to the priesthood. Eli alone was permitted to enter the Most Holy once a year {THIS SHOWS that the Tabernacle was still in existence at the point and time}. His sons ministered at the Door of the Tabernacle, and officiated in the slaying of the beasts, and at the Altar of Sacrifice {Brazen Alter}. They continually abused this sacred office. They were selfish, covetous, gluttonous, and profligate. God reproved Eli for his criminal neglect of family discipline. Eli reproved his sons, but did not restrain them. And after they were placed in the sacred office of priesthood, Eli heard of their conduct in defrauding the children of Israel in their offerings, also their bold transgressions of the Law of God, and their violent conduct, which caused Israel to sin. {1SP:400.1}
“Their crimes were known to all Israel. Eli reproved them. He presented before them the enormity of their sin. It was not like a sin against each other, which officiating priests could atone for. But if the priests themselves sin against God, and show open contempt for His Authority, Who should atone for them? They regarded not the counsel of their father. Eli was judge, and also High Priest, in Israel, and he was responsible for the conduct of his sons. He should have removed them at once from the priesthood, and judged them as their case deserved. He knew that if he should do this, they must suffer death for their abominable example to Israel. Permitting them, loaded with guilt, to occupy the relation of priests to Israel, would lead the people to lightly regard crime, and to despise the sacrificial offerings.” {1SP:400.2} 1:SP:400.1-400.2.
“they knew not the LORD” = Did they not know of Him? NO! But they choose not to “know Him.”
2:18: “Joab” = Joab means, “Jehovah is his father.” He was one of the three sons of Zeruiah, king David’s sister. He was the oldest according to Second Samuel 2:18, but the second oldest according to First Chronicles 2:16. The reason “oldest” is understood is because generally, in Jewish literate and Scripture, the oldest is always listed first on down the list. However, this discrepancy can be explained in that Joab lost his status as being righteous. And when that happens, the Scriptures will also lower your position. Such as with Noah’s sons, where Shem is listed first because of his status as being in the line of Christ; but he was not the oldest. See my Bible Study: “CHRONOLOGICAL LAYOUT (ADAM TO 2000 A.D.).”
2:31: “I will cut off thine arm” = “Eli’s undue affection for his sons made him a partial judge. He excused sins in them which he would have condemned in others. The Lord informed Eli, by His prophet, that because he had thus suffered his sons to remain in sacred office, while they were compelling Israel to sin, and because of their transgressions of His Law, he would cut off both his sons in one day. As Eli had neglected his sacred duty, God would punish them, and they should both perish.” {1SP:401.1}
“Here is a standing rebuke to parents, who are professed followers of Christ, who neglect to restrain their children, but merely entreat them, like Eli; and who say, ‘Why do ye so wickedly?’ but do not decidedly restrain them. Such suffer God’s cause to be dishonored, because they do not exercise that authority which belongs to them in order to restrain wickedness.” {1SP:401.2}
“The transgressions of Eli’s sons were so daring, so insulting to a holy God, that no Sacrifice {of Christ} could atone for such willful transgression. These sinful priests profaned the sacrifices which typified the Son of God. And by their blasphemous conduct they were trampling upon the Blood of the Atonement, from which was derived the virtue of all sacrifices.” {1SP:402} 1SP:401.1-402.
CHAPTER THREE
3:10: “Dan even to Beersheba” = The meaning is, “All of Israel.” The tribe of Dan and its northern most city of Dan was in the northern most part of Israel, while the tribe of Simeon was in the southernmost part and Beersheba was its southernmost city. It would be like saying (in the United States) “From New York to San Francisco,” meaning the entire United States.
3:18: “It is the Lord” = “The Word of the Lord to Samuel was made known by Eli to all Israel. In doing this, he thought to correct in a measure his past sinful negligence.” 1SP:402.
CHAPTER FOUR
4:18: “Ark of God” = “Eli was sitting by the wayside, watching with a trembling heart to receive news from the army. He was afraid that the Ark of God might be taken, and polluted by the Philistine host. A messenger from the army ran to Shiloh and informed Eli that his two sons had been slain. He could bear this with a degree of calmness, for he had reason to expect it. But when the messenger added, ‘And the Ark of God is taken,’ Eli wavered in anguish upon his seat, and fell backward and died. He shared the wrath of God which came upon his sons. He was guilty in a great measure of their transgressions, because he had criminally neglected to restrain them. The capture of the ark of God by the Philistines was considered the greatest calamity which could befall Israel. The wife of Phinehas, as she was about to die, named her child Ichabod, saying, ‘The glory is departed from Israel, for the Ark of God is taken.’ {1SP:404.1}
“God permitted His Ark to be taken by their enemies, to show Israel how vain it was to trust in the Ark, the Symbol of His Presence, while they were profaning the Commandments contained in the Ark. God would humble them by removing from them that sacred Ark, their boasted strength and confidence.” {1SP:404.2} 1SP:404.1-404.2.
CHAPTER FIVE
5:6: “Except thou take away the blind and the lame” = The meaning becomes clear when read with verse 8.
5:8: “gutter” = The Hebrew is “H6794; tsinnur,” better translated as, “in a tube.” Archeology now confirms that David’s army was able to defeat the city (which is Jerusalem; City of David today), by traversing threw this “tube; drain; water shaft; channel; pipe; tunnel.”
“smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind that are hated of David’s soul” = The reason David “hated” them was because he was despised and jeered at by them in verse 6 from the city walls. They were saying, even if the inhabitants of the city were “lame” and “blind” David’s army could not conquer the city.
5:14: “Solomon” = “Solomon was so engrossed with thoughts of outward display, that he failed to elevate his mind by a constant connection with the God of wisdom. Perfection and beauty of character were overlooked in his attempt to obtain outward beauty. He sold his honor and integrity of character in seeking to glorify himself before the world, and finally became a despot, supporting his extravagance by a grinding taxation upon the people. He first became corrupt at heart, then he apostatized from God, and finally became a worshiper of idols.” RH, July 8, 1880.
CHAPTER SIX
6:3: “upon a new cart” = According to Numbers 7:9; Deuteronomy 31:9; Joshua 3:3 & 15 & 17; 4:9 & 10 & 18; 6:6; 8:33; First Samuel 4:4, the Ark of the Covenant was ONLY to be caried upon the “shoulders” of the designated priests. Also, according to Numbers 4:6 “a cloth wholly of blue” was to “cover” It when in transit. We also notice later that “David” then had It “carried,” Second Samuel 6:10, from then on.
Second Samuel 6:5 & 15; First Chronicles 15:28 = When we compare the instruments in the first attempt to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Its final resting place with the second attempt, we find that the “all manner of instruments made of fir wood,” Second Samuel 6:5, in other words, the drums, were left out of First Chronicles. And in Second Samuel 6:15 it only mentions “trumpets,” with First Chronicles filling in the rest of the instruments. I’m not convinced of any legitimate reasoning for the drums being left out.
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Second Samuel 6:7; First Chronicles 13:7-11: “Uzzah” = “For presuming to touch the symbol of God’s presence he was smitten with instant death.” 8T:284; MH:436.
“Uzzah was angry with the oxen, because they stumbled. He showed a manifest distrust of God, as though He who had brought the ark from the land of the Philistines, could not take care of it. Angels who attended the ark struck down Uzzah for presuming impatiently to put his hand upon the Ark of God.” 1SP:410; 4aSG:111; SR:191; TA:126.
“The fate of Uzzah was a Divine judgment upon the violation of a most explicit command. Through Moses the Lord had given special instruction concerning the transportation of the Ark. None but the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were to touch It, or even to look upon It uncovered. The Divine direction was, ‘The sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die.’ Numbers 4:15. The priests were to cover the Ark, and then the Kohathites must lift it by the staves, which were placed in rings upon each side of the Ark and were never removed. To the Gershonites and Merarites, who had in charge the curtains and boards and pillars of the tabernacle, Moses gave carts and oxen for the transportation of that which was committed to them. ‘But unto the sons of Kohath he gave none: because the service of the Sanctuary belonging unto them was that they should bear upon their shoulders.’ Numbers 7:9. Thus in the bringing of the Ark from Kirjath-jearim there had been a direct and inexcusable disregard of the Lord’s Directions.
“David and his people had assembled to perform a sacred work, and they had engaged in It with glad and willing hearts; but the Lord could not accept the service, because it was not performed in accordance with His Directions. The Philistines, who had not a knowledge of God’s Law, had placed the Ark upon a cart when they returned It to Israel, and the Lord accepted the effort which they made. But the Israelites had in their hands a plain statement of the Will of God in all these matters, and their neglect of these Instructions was dishonoring to God. Upon Uzzah rested the greater guilt of presumption. Transgression of God’s Law had lessened his sense of Its sacredness, and with unconfessed sins upon him he had, in face of the Divine Prohibition, presumed to touch the Symbol of God’s presence. God can accept no partial obedience, no lax way of treating His Commandments. By the judgment upon Uzzah He designed to impress upon all Israel the importance of giving strict heed to His Requirements. Thus the death of that one man, by leading the people to repentance, might prevent the necessity of inflicting judgments upon thousands.” PP:705; CC:176.
“Uzzah meddled with the Ark, notwithstanding the plain Command of the Lord to regard It with fear and trembling, and to keep It sacred. He had to be removed from the Lord’s Work. God changes not. Today He is just as desirous as in the days of Uzzah that men shall know His Ways, and that they shall reverence the Methods He has outlined for their guidance. They are to carry out the plans He has Devised. When men feel that it is unimportant to obey a ‘Thus saith the Lord’ in carrying forward His Work, but that their own plans should be followed, they thereby evidence unfitness for any position of trust in His cause. In every effort to advance the interests of His Work, we must lose sight of self, and keep in view God’s glory.” RH, September 14, 1905.
“God had Commanded that no hand but that of a consecrated priest should touch the sacred Repository of His Law, and special ceremonies of purification and preparation were enjoined; but Uzzah touched It with sinful, unhallowed hand, and was slain before the Lord.” ST, July 24, 1884.
Let’s consider some other facts. According to Numbers 4:15 this was the penalty for doing what Uzzah did. Consider that the Arc was in the house of Abinadab for about a century (since 1Sa. 7:1). Uzzah was at least thirty years old at the timing of this event. We know this, for according to Numbers, Chapter 4 (verses 3, 23, 20, 25, 29, 43, 47) this was the minimal age for service in the position he occupied (2Sa. 6:3). However, he was probably even older (but not over fifty, see Numbers, Chapter 4 again), since he is listed as a direct descendant of Abinadab (2Sa. 6:3).
Thirty intellectual years should have been sufficient enough time to acquaint him with the Holiness and reverence with which the Arc was to be respected. He certainly must have been knowledgeable of the history of the Arc that led up to the events at Bethshemesh (1Sa. 6:21-7:7); which explained why the Arc was even in Kirjath-jearim abiding in his father’s house. Yet with all of the Arc’s colorful history before him, his heart was not right with God and his presumption resulted in his untimely death.
6:9: “David was afraid” = “David knew that he was a sinful man, and he was afraid that, like Uzzah, he should in some way be presumptuous, and call forth the wrath of God upon himself.” 1SP:410; 4aSG:111.
“How shall the ark of the Lord come to me” = “Upon David the Divine rebuke accomplished its work. He was led to realize as he had never realized before the sacredness of the Law of God and the necessity of strict obedience.” PP:706.
6:11: “the Lord blessed Obededom” = “[111] God would teach His people that, while His ark was a terror and death to those who transgressed His Commandments contained in it, it was also a blessing and [112] strength to those who were obedient to His Commandments.” 4aSG:111-112; 1SP:410-411.
Second Samuel 6:12; First Chronicles 15:25: “So David went and brought up the Ark of God” = “David laid off his kingly attire, and clothed himself with garments similar to the priests, which had never been worn before, that not the least impurity might be upon his clothing.” 4aSG:112; 1SP:411.
Second Samuel 6:16; First Chronicles 15:29: “she despised him” = “The dignity and pride of king Saul’s daughter were shocked that king David should lay aside his garments of royalty, and his royal scepter, and be clothed with the simple linen garments worn by the priests [see 1Ch. 15:27]. She thought that he was greatly dishonoring himself before the people of Israel. But God honored David in the sight of all Israel by letting His Spirit abide upon him. David humbled himself, but God exalted him. He sung in an inspired manner, playing upon the harp, producing the most enchanting music. He felt, in a small degree, that holy joy that all the saints will experience at the voice of God when their captivity is turned, and God makes a Covenant of Peace with all who have kept His Commandments. ” 1SP:412; 4aSG:112.
CHAPTER EIGHT
8:18: “Benaiah the son of Jehoiada” = See Second Samuel 23:20.
“Cherethites and the Pelethites” = According to Josephus, in “Ut supra. Antiqu.” l. 7. c. 5. sect. 4., they were the king’s bodyguards. However, in regards to the “Cherethites,” see First Samuel 30:14; Ezekiel 25:16; Zephaniah 2:5. In regards to the “Pelethites,” they are regarded as coming from Pelet (see 1Ch. 12:3), of which were the valiant men who accompanied David during his exile among the Philistines.
CHAPTER NINE
9:4 & 5: “Lodebar” = “Lo” means “no,” while “debar” means “thing.” The concept is that “no-thing” is worthwhile there.
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CHAPTER TEN
10:ALL: This Chapter, and Chapter 11, must take place before Chapter 8, because in Chapter 8, Ammon is defeated. However, because of the instruction in Deuteronomy 2:19, it is after king David messed with the Ammonites that his life changed for the worst, beginning with his adultery with Bathsheba in Chapter 9, and problems with his children.
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10:18: “slew the men of seven hundred chariots of the Syrians, and forty thousand horsemen” = First Chronicles 10:19 states it as “seven thousand men which fought in chariots, and forty thousand footmen.” The letter in the Hebrewbefore “zain,” expressed with a dot above, stands for seven thousand, while the letter in the Hebrew before “nun” stands for seven hundred. This great similarity of letters might easily cause the one to be mistaken for the other, and so produce an error in this place.
If this sounds like an excuse, it is. It could be a copyist’s error. However, that is not the case. If we take the supplied words, “men which fought in,” and “the men of,” we can see that no amount of men is given in this verse, only the seven hundred chariot count. While the Chronicler gives us the amount of men slain. Since the compilers of the “KJV”gave us so many expert and correct supplied words throughout the “KJV,” it is possible they are more inspired than you or I. What it breaks down to is that there were 10 men per chariot team. Again, the “KJV” translators gave us more information on true events than the other Bible versions that simply state this as a “copyist error.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
11:3: “Uriah the Hittite” = Being a Hittite, and not of Jewish decent, could it be that his name was changed when he became one of God’s people; because Uriah’s name is Hebrew, and could be translated as, “my light is the Lord,” or “flame of the Lord.”
11:4: “for she was purified from her uncleanness” = From “Gill’s Bible Commentary,” we read: “this clause is added in a parenthesis, partly to show the reason of her washing herself, which was not for health and pleasure, and to cool herself in a hot day, but to purify herself from her menstruous pollution, according to the Law in Leviticus 15:19.” See also Leviticus 12:2-5; 15:19-28; 18:19.
11:8-9: “mess of meat” = Could it be that Uriah really did not go down to his wife with the gift from David, is because he may have perceived that something was up, something was not quite right? Was the gift from the king a clue, or suspicious in character?
11:27: “displeased” = The original Hebrew word, “yara,” carries with it a more drastic translation than “displeased,” i.e., “A primitive root; properly, “to be broken up (with any violent action).”
CHAPTER TWELVE
12:6: “he shall restore the lamb fourfold” = 12:6: “he shall restore the lamb fourfold” = 1) The unnamed infant son (2Sa. 12:18); 2) David’s firstborn son Amnon (2Sa. 13:28-29); 3) David’s third son Absalom (2Sa. 18:14-15); 4) David’s fourth son Adonijah (2Sa. 2:24-25).
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“‘He shall restore fourfold,’ had been David’s unwitting sentence upon himself, on listening to the prophet Nathan’s parable; and according to his own sentence he was to be judged. Four of his sons must fall, and the loss of each would be a result of the father’s sin.” PP:727.
12:13: “David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin” = “[378] Nathan tells David that, because of his repentance and humble confession, God will forgive his sin, and avert a part of the threatened calamity, and spare his life; yet he should be punished, because he had [379] given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme. This occasion has been improved by the enemies of God, from David’s day until the present time. Skeptics have assailed Christianity, and ridiculed the Bible, because David gave them occasion. They bring up to Christians the case of David, his sin in the case of Uriah and Bath-sheba, his polygamy, and then assert that David is called a man after God’s Own heart, and that if the Bible record is correct, God justified David in his crimes.
“I was shown that it was when David was pure, and walking in the counsel of God, that God called him a man after His Own heart. When David departed from God, and stained his virtuous character by his crimes, he was no longer a man after God’s Own heart. God did not in the least degree justify him in his sins, but sent Nathan, His prophet, with dreadful denunciations to David because he had transgressed the Commandment of the Lord. God shows His displeasure at David’s having a plurality of wives, by visiting him with judgments, and permitting evils to rise up against him from his own house. The terrible calamity that God permitted to come upon David, who, for his integrity, was once called a man after God’s Own heart, is evidence to after generations that God would not justify any one in transgressing His Commandments; but that He would surely punish the guilty, however righteous and favored of God they might once have been while they followed the Lord in purity of heart. When the righteous turn from their righteousness and do evil, their past righteousness will not save them from the wrath of a just and Holy God.” 1SP:378-379.
12:14: “the child also that is born unto thee shall surely did” = This may at first seem very harsh of our Loving Heavenly Father, but let’s take a closer look. Was there not an innocent Child born into sin, Who was destined to die on a cross for a guilty party; such that that party might repent and avoid the ultimate death penalty? In other words, this child is none other than a representation of Christ.
12:23: “I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me” = Two teachings are taught here (or more), that the dead do not return from death unless God resurrects them; and that it would appear that Babies who die (innocent) will go to Heaven at the resurrection (since we know that David will eventually go there).
12:24-25: “Jedidiah” = “Jedidiah” means “beloved of Yahweh [the Lord],” while “Solomon” means “to be quiet,” or “peaceful,” and Jedidiah is considered to be the names that marked him as the successor to the throne. See First Chronicles 22:7-9.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
13:1: “Tamar” = Kiing David names his daughter after the “Date” tree famous in trade all over the Mediterranean.
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CHAPTER FIFTEEN
15:6: “And on this manner [verses 1-5] did Absalom to all Israel” = “Absalom, his {David’s} own son, whom he loved above all his children, rebelled against him. By his remarkable beauty, winning manners, and pretended kindness, he cunningly stole the hearts of the people. He did not possess benevolence at heart, but was ambitious, and, as his course shows, would resort to intrigue and crime to obtain the kingdom. He would have requited his father’s love and kindness by taking his life.” 1SP:382.
15:7: “after forty years” = Some modern (per) versions (NIV; NASB; Etcetera; using the Syriac and Arabic versions) change “forty” to “four,” thinking to correct an error. Because the Hebrew word used for “forty” is arbaim,” and they think it was and should have been “arba,” meaning “four.” However, “forty” is in all the reliable Old Testament Manuscripts that we have available to us today. Therefore, instead of attempting to correct something you don’t understand, pray to God and have Him help you understand it.
The author could mean that it was “forty years” from the time Israel first had a king, or from the time Saul slew the priests at Nob, as Jerome, in “Antiqu.” l. 7. c. 9. sect. 1, understands it. But better, it is probably referring to when David was anointed by Samuel; which did not make him ding, but was only an anointing for when he would become king. Other Bible commentators have suggested that it is referencing the age of Absalom as being “forty.”
15:13: “The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom” = “David was brought into great distress by this rebellion. It was unlike any war that he had been connected with. His wisdom from God, with his energy and warlike skill, had enabled him to successfully resist the assaults of his enemies. But this unnatural warfare, arising in his own house, and the rebel being his own son, seemed to confuse and weaken his calm judgment. And the knowledge that this evil had been predicted by the prophet, and that he had brought it upon himself by transgressing the Commandments of God, destroyed his skill and former unequaled courage.” 1SP:382.2.
15:12 & 31: “Ahithophel is among the conspirators” = Why would Ahithophel, one of David’s counsellors (verse 12) be “among the conspirators,” verse 31? The answer seems to be in the genealogical fact that Ahithophel is Bathsheba’s grandfather (see 2Sa. 23:34 then 11:3); meaning he may have never forgiven David for what he did to her.
15:17: “a place that was far off” = “He fled from Jerusalem to save his life. He did not go forth with confidence and kingly honor, trusting in God, as he had in previous battles; but as he went up by the ascent of the Mount of Olivet, surrounded by his people, and his mighty men, he covered his head in his humility, and walked barefoot, weeping; and his people imitated the example of deep humility manifested by their king, while fleeing before Absalom.” 1SP:382.3.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
16:5: “Shimei, the son of Gera” = “[382] Shimei, a kinsman of Saul {see verse 11}, who had ever been envious of David because he received the throne and kingly honors which had once been given to [383] Saul, improved this opportunity of venting his rebellious rage upon David in his misfortune.” 1SP:382-383.
16:11: “let him alone” = “David does not manifest the spirit of an unconverted man. He shows that he has had an experience in the things of God. He manifests a disposition to receive correction from God, and, in confidence turns to Him as his only trust. God rewards David’s humble trust in Him {later}, by defeating the counsel of Ahithophel, and preserving his {David’s} life.” 1SP:383.1.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
17:11: “Dan even to Beersheba” = The meaning is, “All of Israel.” The tribe of Dan and its northern most city of Dan was in the northern most part of Israel, while the tribe of Simeon was in the southernmost part and Beersheba was its southernmost city. It would be like saying (in the United States) “From New York to San Francisco,” meaning the entire United States.
17:23: “hanged himself” = Here is my Judges 9:54 Note: “Draw thy sword, and slay me” = The Romans and the Greeks were sanguine about suicide. They believed that the human body belonged to the gods. Thus, killing oneself was an offence against them. They were not far off from the truth.
17:27: “Mahanaim” = Mahanaim is what Jacob named this place (Gen. 32:2) after his vision. As it turns out, it is also a very strategic place for David to assemble into, for it was set on top of a large hill from which all approaching directions could be defended.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
18:18: “no son” = According to Second Samuel 14:27, Absalom had three sons. Therefore, they were eighter previously dead or died during this attempted takeover of the kingdom. Another possibility is that at the time of the erection of this alter he had no sons.
CHAPTER TWENTY
20:23: “Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites” = See my Second Samuel 8:18 Note.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
21:20: “he also was born to the giant” = We do not know the giants name here, but the phrase, “he also was born to the giant,” indicates that he was also a brother of “Goliath the Gittite,” verse 19. Therefore, if we read First Chronicles 20:5 and consider that it is Goliath’s brother we find out that his name is Lahmi.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
22:ALL: Psalm, Chapter 18, is nearly identical to this Chapter.
“David composed many of the psalms in the wilderness, to which he was compelled to flee for safety. . . The psalm contained in 2 Samuel 22, was composed while Saul was hunting him to take his life. Nearly all the sacred songs of David were arranged in the earlier period of his life, while he was serving the Lord with integrity and purity of heart.” 1SP:387; 4aSG:93.
22:16: “the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered” = This could be a further clue as to what took place during creation week. See my Bible Study: “BIBLE’S SCIENTIFIC FACTS, THE.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
23:3: “fear of God” = The true “fear of God” comes out of a life of devotion.
23:8: “eight hundred” = It is highly probable that in this version instead of “yoshaiv bashshaiveth tachkemoni,” we should read, “yoshavam ben chachmoni,” “Joshebeam, son of Hachmoni” instead of “hoo adino haetzni,” “hoo orair eth chanitho,” meaning, “he lift up his spear,” which are the readings in the parallel passage in First Chronicles 11:11, where it is also stated as “three hundred,” instead of “eight hundred.”
23:16: “poured it out unto the LORD” = “It seemed to him that if he drank the water these brave men had put their lives in jeopardy to obtain, it would be like drinking their blood. He solemnly poured out the water as a sacred offering to God.” 1SP:384.1.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Second Samuel 24:1; First Chronicles 21:1: “he” = The “he” in this verse equals “Satan.” For proof of that see First Chronicles 21:1. Then see James 1:13-14. Then see my Bible Studies: “BIBLE VERSIONS AFTER 1881 A.D. & BIBLE VERSIONS WE SHOULD AVOID.” As an example, the AMP; AMPC; DRA (1899); ERV; HCSB; ICB; MSG; MEV; NASB; NKJV; NIRV; NLV; OJB; TLV; VOICE; and any other Bible versions I may have missed; change the lower case “he” to “He,” meaning our Loving Lord did this inconceivable thing, making our precious Lord out to be a monster.
According to Exodus 30:12, the people were to give an offering whenever a census was taken.and since that was not done we have the reason for the punishment of Second Samuel 24:15.
“David, in his prosperity, did not preserve that humility of character and trust in God which characterized the earlier part of his life. He looked upon the accessions to the kingdom with pride, and contrasted their then prosperous condition with their few numbers and little strength when he ascended the throne, taking glory to himself. He gratified his ambitious feelings in yielding to the temptations of the Devil to number Israel {1Ch. 21:1}, that he might compare their former weakness to their then prosperous state under his rule. This was displeasing to God, and contrary to His express Command. It would lead Israel to rely upon their strength of numbers, instead of the Living God.” 4aSG:92; 1SP:385.
“Though the people of Israel were proud of their national greatness, they did not look with favor upon David’s plan for so greatly extending the military service. The proposed enrollment caused much dissatisfaction; consequently it was thought necessary to employ the military officers in place of the priests and magistrates, who had formerly taken the census. The object of the undertaking was directly contrary to the principles of a theocracy. Even Joab remonstrated, unscrupulous as he had heretofore shown himself. . . The taking of the census had caused disaffection among the people; yet they had themselves cherished the same sins that prompted David’s action.” PP:748.2.
“With a view to extending his conquests among foreign nations, David determined to increase his army by requiring military service from all who were of proper age. To effect this, it became necessary to take a census of the population. It was pride and ambition that prompted this action of the king.” TA:127.1.
24:2 & 15: “Dan even to Beersheba” = The meaning is, “All of Israel.” The tribe of Dan and its northern most city of Dan was in the northern most part of Israel, while the tribe of Simeon was in the southernmost part and Beersheba was its southernmost city. It would be like saying (in the United States) “From New York to San Francisco,” meaning the entire United States.
Second Samuel 24;9 & First Chronicles 21:5: “eight hundred thousand… five hundred thousand” & “a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand. . . four hundred threescore and ten thousand” = Second Samuel has it as 1.3 million while First Chronicles has it as 1,570,000. In Second Samuel we have the number of men of valor as 800,000, but that number did not include the standing army of 288,000 as described in First Chronicles 27:1-15, or the 12,000 specifically attached to Jerusalem as described in Second Chronicles 1:14. When we include those we have a closer figure of 1.6 million. While the figure of 470,000 in First Chronicles did not include the 30,000 men of the standing army of Judah as mentioned in Second Samuel 6:1, This is evident from the fact that the Chronicler points out the Joab did not complete the counting of the men of Judah (1Ch. 21:6). This would bring both of our totat figures to 1.6 million.
24:13: “seven years” = According to “Adam Clark’s Commentary on the Bible,” “In 1Ch. 21:12, the number is three, not seven; and here the Septuagint has three, the same as in Chronicles: this is no doubt the true reading, the letter t zain, Seven, being mistaken for 2 gimel, Three. A mistake of this kind might be easily made from the similarity of the letters.”
In other words, the Hebrew numbers for “three” and “seven” are very close. Is it a “t” or a “2,” when attempting to read a Manuscript that is over 500 to 1,000 years old?
24:15: “seventy thousand men” = We must remember verse 1: “And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.” We are given the exact reason why. See my comments in Second Samuel 24:1.
Second Samuel 24:17; First Chronicles 21:16: “he saw the angel” = “The angel, clad in warlike garments, with a drawn sword in his hand, stretched out over Jerusalem, is revealed to David, and to those who are with him.” 1SP:386; 4aSG:92.
24:23: “All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king” = The correct rendering and litteral translation of this passage should read: “All these things, O king, does Araunah give unto the king.”
Second Samuel 24:24; First Chronicles 21:25: “fifty shekels of silver” = First Chronicles 21:25 gives as the price “six hundred shekels of gold” for, “the place” or all of Araunah’s land, not just the “threshingfloor and the Oxen” as here, for the silver payment. Araunah’s land was the entire hill of Moriah on which the Temple was later to be built. The correct to read this passage would be that David bought the “threshingfloor,” First Chronicles 21:25, for 600 shekels of gold and the “oxen” for “fifty shekels of silver.”
“He [David] has learned by experience that the Lord will in no case sanction wrong doing, whether it be found in the loftiest prince, or the humblest subject, but would visit the leader of His people with as much severer punishment as his position is more responsible than the humble subject’s.” 4aSG:94.
24:25: “the plague was stayed” = “The angel of the Lord was commanded to put his sword into his sheath, and cease his work of destruction.” 1SP:386.