2 Samuel 13

2 Samuel 13:1

David’s Response to the Message

The man who can wait is the man who is careful. The crown is within the reach of the hands, but its bringer is not sent by God. The eagerness with which he offers the crown is not in accordance with the spirit of David. Even before his son Solomon wrote it down in the book of Proverbs, David shows the truth of the proverb: “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles” (Proverbs 24:17). God-fearing people are saddened when sinners suffer misfortune, no matter how much the judgment that strikes sinners may be deserved.

The spirit of grace in David is also the spirit of discernment. David sees in the approach of the Amalekite the approach of the devil, the enemy of souls. He will not be deceived by the dust on the man’s head and his torn clothes and the tribute he receives.

David is here an example of the Lord Jesus. The devil came to the Lord with the offer to give Him all the kingdoms of the earth. All the Lord must do is kneel down before the devil and worship him. Then, without suffering, He shall acquire all the kingdoms. The Lord, however, lets Himself be guided in everything only by the will of His God.

He defends Himself against the devil with a word from the Scriptures: “It is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY’” (Matthew 4:8-10). He wants to accept the kingship only from the hand of His God and in the way He has indicated: by way of the cross. He waits for the moment when God says to him: “Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the [very] ends of the earth as Your possession” (Psalms 2:8).

David does not rejoice about the death of Saul. On the contrary, he is mourning about his death. Also “all the men” who are with David react just like him. They have taken over his character, they are formed by him. David and his men weep not only about Saul and Jonathan, but also about the people of the LORD and the house of Israel.

Saul always was and is to David, “the LORD’s anointed”, and he even still speaks so of him now. David himself has never dared or wanted to kill Saul, because he always saw Saul as the anointed of the LORD. There is respect for Saul with him. This respect is not present with this man. What this man has done is against the will of the LORD. Instead of taking the kingdom out of the hand of the Amalekite, David kills this enemy. He wants to take the kingdom only from the hand of the LORD.

For this deed, the man receives the only ‘reward’ that is appropriate: death. He did not know David’s heart by thinking that he would make him happy with such a message and deed. Maybe we are sometimes so busy that we think we are making the Lord happy, while we have assaulted someone appointed by Him, even if that person deviates so much. In that case, we need to see assaulted in a figurative sense. We can assault someone by always putting him in a bad light. This doesn’t justify the deviation, but there are cases where we must leave such a person to the Lord.

2 Samuel 13:2

Lament of David as a Teaching Song

David expresses his grief over the death of Saul and Jonathan in a lamentation. Saul has been his most bitter enemy and Jonathan his most dear friend, but in this song of sadness he links them together. By expressing his grief in a song, it will also arouse feelings of grief among those who hear it. The fall of the heroes is brought much closer by a song than when it is mentioned as a fact.

The emotion can be expressed better in a song than in a narrative and will therefore have a more powerful effect on the listener. The fact that the song is written down in a book also makes the effect more sustainable. The next generations, “the sons of Judah”, can share in the feelings of the past.

The sons of Judah are the children of his tribe. David has them in the first place in mind. We not only need to know things, but we also need to be able to sing about them. Not only happy songs, but also songs that have the character of lamentations. Both kinds of songs can be found in the psalms David wrote.

It is a song about the bow. The Judeans have to learn this song. Moses also taught the people a song (Deuteronomy 31:19; 22; 30). There is teaching in a song: “Teaching and admonishing one another with psalms [and] hymns [and] spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16). This song “is written in the book of Jashar” or “the book of the upright”. In that book is also written that Joshua made the sun and the moon stand still (Joshua 10:13). This links the lamentation of David and the victory of Joshua.

However, there is a distinction. What Joshua did seems greater. Yet the demonstration of grace is greater than the demonstration of power. In the sorrow of David we see more of God’s Being than in the stopping of the sun and the moon. In the sorrow of David we see God’s heart; in the standing still of the sun and the moon we see God’s power.

The fact that the song is written in a book means in the first place that the song must be saved for the next generations who have to learn it over and over again. A book has lasting value. To call this book “the book of the upright” presupposes that it is in accordance with the righteousness of God. It is a book that belongs to ‘the Upright’, that is God. It can also mean that it is a book in which only true stories are included. Those stories will have had a great moral value. Isn’t the Bible pre-eminently “the Book of the Upright”? This is why this song is given a place in the Bible.

The song is called “[the song of] the bow”. Saul had become afraid of the archers (1 Samuel 31:3). David takes up this thought and teaches the use of the bow to the descendants of Judah – Judah means “praise” – so that they will not be afraid of it. Joseph, too, is besieged by archers, “but his bow remained firm, and his arms were agile, from the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob” (Genesis 49:23-24).

The song of the bow teaches us how to guard ourselves against the arrows of the archers and how to handle the bow ourselves. When it is about the bow in the hands of the enemy, we may know that the bow may be in the hands of the enemy, but that the arrow is controlled by our God.

In the time David is in Ziklag, there are men “who helped [him] in war. They were equipped with bows, … [to shoot] arrows from the bow” (1 Chronicles 12:1-2). These men, who can handle the bow well, have fled to David and have chosen his side. Whoever becomes prey of the bow must lose. Whoever loses the bow must lose. Saul no longer had a bow, but Joseph’s bow remained firm, even when he was attacked by it. Who can handle the bow has the strength to fight.

2 Samuel 13:3

Lament of David as a Teaching Song

David expresses his grief over the death of Saul and Jonathan in a lamentation. Saul has been his most bitter enemy and Jonathan his most dear friend, but in this song of sadness he links them together. By expressing his grief in a song, it will also arouse feelings of grief among those who hear it. The fall of the heroes is brought much closer by a song than when it is mentioned as a fact.

The emotion can be expressed better in a song than in a narrative and will therefore have a more powerful effect on the listener. The fact that the song is written down in a book also makes the effect more sustainable. The next generations, “the sons of Judah”, can share in the feelings of the past.

The sons of Judah are the children of his tribe. David has them in the first place in mind. We not only need to know things, but we also need to be able to sing about them. Not only happy songs, but also songs that have the character of lamentations. Both kinds of songs can be found in the psalms David wrote.

It is a song about the bow. The Judeans have to learn this song. Moses also taught the people a song (Deuteronomy 31:19; 22; 30). There is teaching in a song: “Teaching and admonishing one another with psalms [and] hymns [and] spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16). This song “is written in the book of Jashar” or “the book of the upright”. In that book is also written that Joshua made the sun and the moon stand still (Joshua 10:13). This links the lamentation of David and the victory of Joshua.

However, there is a distinction. What Joshua did seems greater. Yet the demonstration of grace is greater than the demonstration of power. In the sorrow of David we see more of God’s Being than in the stopping of the sun and the moon. In the sorrow of David we see God’s heart; in the standing still of the sun and the moon we see God’s power.

The fact that the song is written in a book means in the first place that the song must be saved for the next generations who have to learn it over and over again. A book has lasting value. To call this book “the book of the upright” presupposes that it is in accordance with the righteousness of God. It is a book that belongs to ‘the Upright’, that is God. It can also mean that it is a book in which only true stories are included. Those stories will have had a great moral value. Isn’t the Bible pre-eminently “the Book of the Upright”? This is why this song is given a place in the Bible.

The song is called “[the song of] the bow”. Saul had become afraid of the archers (1 Samuel 31:3). David takes up this thought and teaches the use of the bow to the descendants of Judah – Judah means “praise” – so that they will not be afraid of it. Joseph, too, is besieged by archers, “but his bow remained firm, and his arms were agile, from the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob” (Genesis 49:23-24).

The song of the bow teaches us how to guard ourselves against the arrows of the archers and how to handle the bow ourselves. When it is about the bow in the hands of the enemy, we may know that the bow may be in the hands of the enemy, but that the arrow is controlled by our God.

In the time David is in Ziklag, there are men “who helped [him] in war. They were equipped with bows, … [to shoot] arrows from the bow” (1 Chronicles 12:1-2). These men, who can handle the bow well, have fled to David and have chosen his side. Whoever becomes prey of the bow must lose. Whoever loses the bow must lose. Saul no longer had a bow, but Joseph’s bow remained firm, even when he was attacked by it. Who can handle the bow has the strength to fight.

2 Samuel 13:4

The Lamentation

The song can be divided into three parts or stanzas. Each part starts with the words “how have the mighty fallen” (2 Samuel 1:19; 25; 27). The three parts decrease in strength and size. The first part consists of 2 Samuel 1:19-24, the second part of 2 Samuel 1:25-26 and the third part of 2 Samuel 1:27. The first part is about everything that can be said to the praise of the fallen mighty. We hear the deep grief about their death, the price for their braveness, their inseparable love and the qualities of Saul’s government that are to be appreciated. The second part sings of David’s friendship with Jonathan. The third part contains only one last sigh, with which the lamentation silences.

David sings of what Saul was, not of what he was not. Saul has been a beauty for Israel (2 Samuel 1:19). David does not adore him, but commemorates the good he has done (1 Samuel 14:48), ignoring the evil Saul has done.

David does not want the sad news of their death to be known to the enemies of Israel so that they will not rejoice (2 Samuel 1:20). Such joy would increase the grief over the loss that Israel has suffered. Two Philistine cities are mentioned: nearby Gath and far away at the sea Ashkelon. That it is about the joy of the Philistine women is because of the custom that the women celebrate the victory of their people by singing and dancing (cf. 1 Samuel 18:7). That should not happen with the enemy over the fall of Saul.

We can learn from this that we must be careful how we speak about our brothers who have fallen into the hands of ‘the Philistines’, which are for us the nominal Christians. If we speak ill of such brothers, it will increase the joy of the Philistines. An example of their joy can be seen in the history of Samson, who fell alive into the hands of the Philistines (Judges 16:23).

David even calls upon nature to mourn along in this for Israel so sad occurrence (2 Samuel 1:21). He wants God to withhold His blessing from the mountains on which the mighty fell, so that they may be a permanent reminder of what has happened here. What a deep respect this shows for the LORD’s anointed. There is no room for bitterness and resentment.

When Saul and Jonathan went to war, it was always with result (2 Samuel 1:22). Both weapons are poetically divided so that Jonathan has the bow and Saul the sword. Jonathan gave his bow to David after David’s victory over Goliath (1 Samuel 18:4). We don’t know if Jonathan got the bow back from David or if he used another bow in battle, but David will undoubtedly have remembered that special event. Perhaps this is the reason why the descendants of Judah, the tribe of David, have to learn the bow. It means learning to love Him Who is more than David and dedicate everything to Him.

The bow shows the hitting of a goal from a distance, either in an offensive, or in a defensive battle. In any case, a bow presupposes battle and danger. In Jonathan giving his bow to David we see the effect of David’s fight against and victory over Goliath. There is no fight and no distance, but connectedness in love.

Saul and Jonathan loved each other. Jonathan has always been beloved and pleasant; Saul has been so for as long as he went with Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:23). Jonathan stayed with Saul in his life and so it is in his death. David gives them both a great compliment by attributing to them characteristics that we also find with the throne of God. There we find with the first creature that it is “like a lion” and with the fourth creature that it is “like a flying eagle” (Revelation 4:7). The power of the lion and the speed and movability of the eagle (Lamentations 4:19a) are the main characteristics of the mighty of antiquity.

As in life, so in death the two mighty are not parted. In braveness and courage they were equal to each other. Despite the difference in character and the different basic mindset toward David, Jonathan did not let his father down. The two qualifications “beloved and pleasant” apply above all to Jonathan. Yet they also apply to Saul when we think of his first years of government. In his sadness about Saul’s death, David thinks only of the praiseworthy aspects of his character.

What David brings forward in this song speaks of the value Saul and Jonathan had for Israel (2 Samuel 1:24). They worked for Israel and gave it security and prosperity. He is not talking about all the suffering he personally suffered from Saul, but about the loss that their death means to Israel. As one of Saul’s merits David mentions his contribution to the prosperity of Israel’s daughters. Saul divided the spoils and made his people rich and distinguished. He is therefore a real son of Benjamin (Genesis 49:27).

David concludes his lamentation with a personal word about Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:25-26). The distress of which David speaks here, is the distress and anxiety of his heart through sorrow and grief. He feels so much connected with Jonathan that he experiences his great friend’s loss as a distress. These are feelings that we can only understand if we know such a friendship and it comes to an end because our friend dies.

David expresses a great personal grief because of the loss of someone who was more dear to him than anyone else on earth. The comparison with women’s love is to express the deepest connection in their love as friends. It bears witness to a corrupt spirit to think of homosexual love here. It is about a natural love that is different from the love for a woman. It is about the dedication of love and self-denial that were present with Jonathan. It’s about sharing things a woman doesn’t have. It is a unique connection.

The fact that Jonathan stayed with Saul is something David ignores. He thinks only of the good. This also indicates that God wants us to teach to be sad about the loss of men who have been of great significance to His people. The loss of Jonathan is sung in a special and touching way by David. Even with people who do not follow the way of the rejected David – as a picture of the rejected Christ – a special bond is possible. This is possible if there is deep love for the Lord Jesus.

The final words of the lament (2 Samuel 1:27) are an echo of what he expressed in the preceding verses. It is a final sigh, after which the silence of death remains. It is also a silence to let the song sink in and come to rest inwardly. For us, the silence of death is broken by Him Who conquered death by rising from the dead. He appears among His brethren to celebrate the victory over death.

2 Samuel 13:5

The Lamentation

The song can be divided into three parts or stanzas. Each part starts with the words “how have the mighty fallen” (2 Samuel 1:19; 25; 27). The three parts decrease in strength and size. The first part consists of 2 Samuel 1:19-24, the second part of 2 Samuel 1:25-26 and the third part of 2 Samuel 1:27. The first part is about everything that can be said to the praise of the fallen mighty. We hear the deep grief about their death, the price for their braveness, their inseparable love and the qualities of Saul’s government that are to be appreciated. The second part sings of David’s friendship with Jonathan. The third part contains only one last sigh, with which the lamentation silences.

David sings of what Saul was, not of what he was not. Saul has been a beauty for Israel (2 Samuel 1:19). David does not adore him, but commemorates the good he has done (1 Samuel 14:48), ignoring the evil Saul has done.

David does not want the sad news of their death to be known to the enemies of Israel so that they will not rejoice (2 Samuel 1:20). Such joy would increase the grief over the loss that Israel has suffered. Two Philistine cities are mentioned: nearby Gath and far away at the sea Ashkelon. That it is about the joy of the Philistine women is because of the custom that the women celebrate the victory of their people by singing and dancing (cf. 1 Samuel 18:7). That should not happen with the enemy over the fall of Saul.

We can learn from this that we must be careful how we speak about our brothers who have fallen into the hands of ‘the Philistines’, which are for us the nominal Christians. If we speak ill of such brothers, it will increase the joy of the Philistines. An example of their joy can be seen in the history of Samson, who fell alive into the hands of the Philistines (Judges 16:23).

David even calls upon nature to mourn along in this for Israel so sad occurrence (2 Samuel 1:21). He wants God to withhold His blessing from the mountains on which the mighty fell, so that they may be a permanent reminder of what has happened here. What a deep respect this shows for the LORD’s anointed. There is no room for bitterness and resentment.

When Saul and Jonathan went to war, it was always with result (2 Samuel 1:22). Both weapons are poetically divided so that Jonathan has the bow and Saul the sword. Jonathan gave his bow to David after David’s victory over Goliath (1 Samuel 18:4). We don’t know if Jonathan got the bow back from David or if he used another bow in battle, but David will undoubtedly have remembered that special event. Perhaps this is the reason why the descendants of Judah, the tribe of David, have to learn the bow. It means learning to love Him Who is more than David and dedicate everything to Him.

The bow shows the hitting of a goal from a distance, either in an offensive, or in a defensive battle. In any case, a bow presupposes battle and danger. In Jonathan giving his bow to David we see the effect of David’s fight against and victory over Goliath. There is no fight and no distance, but connectedness in love.

Saul and Jonathan loved each other. Jonathan has always been beloved and pleasant; Saul has been so for as long as he went with Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:23). Jonathan stayed with Saul in his life and so it is in his death. David gives them both a great compliment by attributing to them characteristics that we also find with the throne of God. There we find with the first creature that it is “like a lion” and with the fourth creature that it is “like a flying eagle” (Revelation 4:7). The power of the lion and the speed and movability of the eagle (Lamentations 4:19a) are the main characteristics of the mighty of antiquity.

As in life, so in death the two mighty are not parted. In braveness and courage they were equal to each other. Despite the difference in character and the different basic mindset toward David, Jonathan did not let his father down. The two qualifications “beloved and pleasant” apply above all to Jonathan. Yet they also apply to Saul when we think of his first years of government. In his sadness about Saul’s death, David thinks only of the praiseworthy aspects of his character.

What David brings forward in this song speaks of the value Saul and Jonathan had for Israel (2 Samuel 1:24). They worked for Israel and gave it security and prosperity. He is not talking about all the suffering he personally suffered from Saul, but about the loss that their death means to Israel. As one of Saul’s merits David mentions his contribution to the prosperity of Israel’s daughters. Saul divided the spoils and made his people rich and distinguished. He is therefore a real son of Benjamin (Genesis 49:27).

David concludes his lamentation with a personal word about Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:25-26). The distress of which David speaks here, is the distress and anxiety of his heart through sorrow and grief. He feels so much connected with Jonathan that he experiences his great friend’s loss as a distress. These are feelings that we can only understand if we know such a friendship and it comes to an end because our friend dies.

David expresses a great personal grief because of the loss of someone who was more dear to him than anyone else on earth. The comparison with women’s love is to express the deepest connection in their love as friends. It bears witness to a corrupt spirit to think of homosexual love here. It is about a natural love that is different from the love for a woman. It is about the dedication of love and self-denial that were present with Jonathan. It’s about sharing things a woman doesn’t have. It is a unique connection.

The fact that Jonathan stayed with Saul is something David ignores. He thinks only of the good. This also indicates that God wants us to teach to be sad about the loss of men who have been of great significance to His people. The loss of Jonathan is sung in a special and touching way by David. Even with people who do not follow the way of the rejected David – as a picture of the rejected Christ – a special bond is possible. This is possible if there is deep love for the Lord Jesus.

The final words of the lament (2 Samuel 1:27) are an echo of what he expressed in the preceding verses. It is a final sigh, after which the silence of death remains. It is also a silence to let the song sink in and come to rest inwardly. For us, the silence of death is broken by Him Who conquered death by rising from the dead. He appears among His brethren to celebrate the victory over death.

2 Samuel 13:6

The Lamentation

The song can be divided into three parts or stanzas. Each part starts with the words “how have the mighty fallen” (2 Samuel 1:19; 25; 27). The three parts decrease in strength and size. The first part consists of 2 Samuel 1:19-24, the second part of 2 Samuel 1:25-26 and the third part of 2 Samuel 1:27. The first part is about everything that can be said to the praise of the fallen mighty. We hear the deep grief about their death, the price for their braveness, their inseparable love and the qualities of Saul’s government that are to be appreciated. The second part sings of David’s friendship with Jonathan. The third part contains only one last sigh, with which the lamentation silences.

David sings of what Saul was, not of what he was not. Saul has been a beauty for Israel (2 Samuel 1:19). David does not adore him, but commemorates the good he has done (1 Samuel 14:48), ignoring the evil Saul has done.

David does not want the sad news of their death to be known to the enemies of Israel so that they will not rejoice (2 Samuel 1:20). Such joy would increase the grief over the loss that Israel has suffered. Two Philistine cities are mentioned: nearby Gath and far away at the sea Ashkelon. That it is about the joy of the Philistine women is because of the custom that the women celebrate the victory of their people by singing and dancing (cf. 1 Samuel 18:7). That should not happen with the enemy over the fall of Saul.

We can learn from this that we must be careful how we speak about our brothers who have fallen into the hands of ‘the Philistines’, which are for us the nominal Christians. If we speak ill of such brothers, it will increase the joy of the Philistines. An example of their joy can be seen in the history of Samson, who fell alive into the hands of the Philistines (Judges 16:23).

David even calls upon nature to mourn along in this for Israel so sad occurrence (2 Samuel 1:21). He wants God to withhold His blessing from the mountains on which the mighty fell, so that they may be a permanent reminder of what has happened here. What a deep respect this shows for the LORD’s anointed. There is no room for bitterness and resentment.

When Saul and Jonathan went to war, it was always with result (2 Samuel 1:22). Both weapons are poetically divided so that Jonathan has the bow and Saul the sword. Jonathan gave his bow to David after David’s victory over Goliath (1 Samuel 18:4). We don’t know if Jonathan got the bow back from David or if he used another bow in battle, but David will undoubtedly have remembered that special event. Perhaps this is the reason why the descendants of Judah, the tribe of David, have to learn the bow. It means learning to love Him Who is more than David and dedicate everything to Him.

The bow shows the hitting of a goal from a distance, either in an offensive, or in a defensive battle. In any case, a bow presupposes battle and danger. In Jonathan giving his bow to David we see the effect of David’s fight against and victory over Goliath. There is no fight and no distance, but connectedness in love.

Saul and Jonathan loved each other. Jonathan has always been beloved and pleasant; Saul has been so for as long as he went with Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:23). Jonathan stayed with Saul in his life and so it is in his death. David gives them both a great compliment by attributing to them characteristics that we also find with the throne of God. There we find with the first creature that it is “like a lion” and with the fourth creature that it is “like a flying eagle” (Revelation 4:7). The power of the lion and the speed and movability of the eagle (Lamentations 4:19a) are the main characteristics of the mighty of antiquity.

As in life, so in death the two mighty are not parted. In braveness and courage they were equal to each other. Despite the difference in character and the different basic mindset toward David, Jonathan did not let his father down. The two qualifications “beloved and pleasant” apply above all to Jonathan. Yet they also apply to Saul when we think of his first years of government. In his sadness about Saul’s death, David thinks only of the praiseworthy aspects of his character.

What David brings forward in this song speaks of the value Saul and Jonathan had for Israel (2 Samuel 1:24). They worked for Israel and gave it security and prosperity. He is not talking about all the suffering he personally suffered from Saul, but about the loss that their death means to Israel. As one of Saul’s merits David mentions his contribution to the prosperity of Israel’s daughters. Saul divided the spoils and made his people rich and distinguished. He is therefore a real son of Benjamin (Genesis 49:27).

David concludes his lamentation with a personal word about Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:25-26). The distress of which David speaks here, is the distress and anxiety of his heart through sorrow and grief. He feels so much connected with Jonathan that he experiences his great friend’s loss as a distress. These are feelings that we can only understand if we know such a friendship and it comes to an end because our friend dies.

David expresses a great personal grief because of the loss of someone who was more dear to him than anyone else on earth. The comparison with women’s love is to express the deepest connection in their love as friends. It bears witness to a corrupt spirit to think of homosexual love here. It is about a natural love that is different from the love for a woman. It is about the dedication of love and self-denial that were present with Jonathan. It’s about sharing things a woman doesn’t have. It is a unique connection.

The fact that Jonathan stayed with Saul is something David ignores. He thinks only of the good. This also indicates that God wants us to teach to be sad about the loss of men who have been of great significance to His people. The loss of Jonathan is sung in a special and touching way by David. Even with people who do not follow the way of the rejected David – as a picture of the rejected Christ – a special bond is possible. This is possible if there is deep love for the Lord Jesus.

The final words of the lament (2 Samuel 1:27) are an echo of what he expressed in the preceding verses. It is a final sigh, after which the silence of death remains. It is also a silence to let the song sink in and come to rest inwardly. For us, the silence of death is broken by Him Who conquered death by rising from the dead. He appears among His brethren to celebrate the victory over death.

2 Samuel 13:7

The Lamentation

The song can be divided into three parts or stanzas. Each part starts with the words “how have the mighty fallen” (2 Samuel 1:19; 25; 27). The three parts decrease in strength and size. The first part consists of 2 Samuel 1:19-24, the second part of 2 Samuel 1:25-26 and the third part of 2 Samuel 1:27. The first part is about everything that can be said to the praise of the fallen mighty. We hear the deep grief about their death, the price for their braveness, their inseparable love and the qualities of Saul’s government that are to be appreciated. The second part sings of David’s friendship with Jonathan. The third part contains only one last sigh, with which the lamentation silences.

David sings of what Saul was, not of what he was not. Saul has been a beauty for Israel (2 Samuel 1:19). David does not adore him, but commemorates the good he has done (1 Samuel 14:48), ignoring the evil Saul has done.

David does not want the sad news of their death to be known to the enemies of Israel so that they will not rejoice (2 Samuel 1:20). Such joy would increase the grief over the loss that Israel has suffered. Two Philistine cities are mentioned: nearby Gath and far away at the sea Ashkelon. That it is about the joy of the Philistine women is because of the custom that the women celebrate the victory of their people by singing and dancing (cf. 1 Samuel 18:7). That should not happen with the enemy over the fall of Saul.

We can learn from this that we must be careful how we speak about our brothers who have fallen into the hands of ‘the Philistines’, which are for us the nominal Christians. If we speak ill of such brothers, it will increase the joy of the Philistines. An example of their joy can be seen in the history of Samson, who fell alive into the hands of the Philistines (Judges 16:23).

David even calls upon nature to mourn along in this for Israel so sad occurrence (2 Samuel 1:21). He wants God to withhold His blessing from the mountains on which the mighty fell, so that they may be a permanent reminder of what has happened here. What a deep respect this shows for the LORD’s anointed. There is no room for bitterness and resentment.

When Saul and Jonathan went to war, it was always with result (2 Samuel 1:22). Both weapons are poetically divided so that Jonathan has the bow and Saul the sword. Jonathan gave his bow to David after David’s victory over Goliath (1 Samuel 18:4). We don’t know if Jonathan got the bow back from David or if he used another bow in battle, but David will undoubtedly have remembered that special event. Perhaps this is the reason why the descendants of Judah, the tribe of David, have to learn the bow. It means learning to love Him Who is more than David and dedicate everything to Him.

The bow shows the hitting of a goal from a distance, either in an offensive, or in a defensive battle. In any case, a bow presupposes battle and danger. In Jonathan giving his bow to David we see the effect of David’s fight against and victory over Goliath. There is no fight and no distance, but connectedness in love.

Saul and Jonathan loved each other. Jonathan has always been beloved and pleasant; Saul has been so for as long as he went with Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:23). Jonathan stayed with Saul in his life and so it is in his death. David gives them both a great compliment by attributing to them characteristics that we also find with the throne of God. There we find with the first creature that it is “like a lion” and with the fourth creature that it is “like a flying eagle” (Revelation 4:7). The power of the lion and the speed and movability of the eagle (Lamentations 4:19a) are the main characteristics of the mighty of antiquity.

As in life, so in death the two mighty are not parted. In braveness and courage they were equal to each other. Despite the difference in character and the different basic mindset toward David, Jonathan did not let his father down. The two qualifications “beloved and pleasant” apply above all to Jonathan. Yet they also apply to Saul when we think of his first years of government. In his sadness about Saul’s death, David thinks only of the praiseworthy aspects of his character.

What David brings forward in this song speaks of the value Saul and Jonathan had for Israel (2 Samuel 1:24). They worked for Israel and gave it security and prosperity. He is not talking about all the suffering he personally suffered from Saul, but about the loss that their death means to Israel. As one of Saul’s merits David mentions his contribution to the prosperity of Israel’s daughters. Saul divided the spoils and made his people rich and distinguished. He is therefore a real son of Benjamin (Genesis 49:27).

David concludes his lamentation with a personal word about Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:25-26). The distress of which David speaks here, is the distress and anxiety of his heart through sorrow and grief. He feels so much connected with Jonathan that he experiences his great friend’s loss as a distress. These are feelings that we can only understand if we know such a friendship and it comes to an end because our friend dies.

David expresses a great personal grief because of the loss of someone who was more dear to him than anyone else on earth. The comparison with women’s love is to express the deepest connection in their love as friends. It bears witness to a corrupt spirit to think of homosexual love here. It is about a natural love that is different from the love for a woman. It is about the dedication of love and self-denial that were present with Jonathan. It’s about sharing things a woman doesn’t have. It is a unique connection.

The fact that Jonathan stayed with Saul is something David ignores. He thinks only of the good. This also indicates that God wants us to teach to be sad about the loss of men who have been of great significance to His people. The loss of Jonathan is sung in a special and touching way by David. Even with people who do not follow the way of the rejected David – as a picture of the rejected Christ – a special bond is possible. This is possible if there is deep love for the Lord Jesus.

The final words of the lament (2 Samuel 1:27) are an echo of what he expressed in the preceding verses. It is a final sigh, after which the silence of death remains. It is also a silence to let the song sink in and come to rest inwardly. For us, the silence of death is broken by Him Who conquered death by rising from the dead. He appears among His brethren to celebrate the victory over death.

2 Samuel 13:8

The Lamentation

The song can be divided into three parts or stanzas. Each part starts with the words “how have the mighty fallen” (2 Samuel 1:19; 25; 27). The three parts decrease in strength and size. The first part consists of 2 Samuel 1:19-24, the second part of 2 Samuel 1:25-26 and the third part of 2 Samuel 1:27. The first part is about everything that can be said to the praise of the fallen mighty. We hear the deep grief about their death, the price for their braveness, their inseparable love and the qualities of Saul’s government that are to be appreciated. The second part sings of David’s friendship with Jonathan. The third part contains only one last sigh, with which the lamentation silences.

David sings of what Saul was, not of what he was not. Saul has been a beauty for Israel (2 Samuel 1:19). David does not adore him, but commemorates the good he has done (1 Samuel 14:48), ignoring the evil Saul has done.

David does not want the sad news of their death to be known to the enemies of Israel so that they will not rejoice (2 Samuel 1:20). Such joy would increase the grief over the loss that Israel has suffered. Two Philistine cities are mentioned: nearby Gath and far away at the sea Ashkelon. That it is about the joy of the Philistine women is because of the custom that the women celebrate the victory of their people by singing and dancing (cf. 1 Samuel 18:7). That should not happen with the enemy over the fall of Saul.

We can learn from this that we must be careful how we speak about our brothers who have fallen into the hands of ‘the Philistines’, which are for us the nominal Christians. If we speak ill of such brothers, it will increase the joy of the Philistines. An example of their joy can be seen in the history of Samson, who fell alive into the hands of the Philistines (Judges 16:23).

David even calls upon nature to mourn along in this for Israel so sad occurrence (2 Samuel 1:21). He wants God to withhold His blessing from the mountains on which the mighty fell, so that they may be a permanent reminder of what has happened here. What a deep respect this shows for the LORD’s anointed. There is no room for bitterness and resentment.

When Saul and Jonathan went to war, it was always with result (2 Samuel 1:22). Both weapons are poetically divided so that Jonathan has the bow and Saul the sword. Jonathan gave his bow to David after David’s victory over Goliath (1 Samuel 18:4). We don’t know if Jonathan got the bow back from David or if he used another bow in battle, but David will undoubtedly have remembered that special event. Perhaps this is the reason why the descendants of Judah, the tribe of David, have to learn the bow. It means learning to love Him Who is more than David and dedicate everything to Him.

The bow shows the hitting of a goal from a distance, either in an offensive, or in a defensive battle. In any case, a bow presupposes battle and danger. In Jonathan giving his bow to David we see the effect of David’s fight against and victory over Goliath. There is no fight and no distance, but connectedness in love.

Saul and Jonathan loved each other. Jonathan has always been beloved and pleasant; Saul has been so for as long as he went with Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:23). Jonathan stayed with Saul in his life and so it is in his death. David gives them both a great compliment by attributing to them characteristics that we also find with the throne of God. There we find with the first creature that it is “like a lion” and with the fourth creature that it is “like a flying eagle” (Revelation 4:7). The power of the lion and the speed and movability of the eagle (Lamentations 4:19a) are the main characteristics of the mighty of antiquity.

As in life, so in death the two mighty are not parted. In braveness and courage they were equal to each other. Despite the difference in character and the different basic mindset toward David, Jonathan did not let his father down. The two qualifications “beloved and pleasant” apply above all to Jonathan. Yet they also apply to Saul when we think of his first years of government. In his sadness about Saul’s death, David thinks only of the praiseworthy aspects of his character.

What David brings forward in this song speaks of the value Saul and Jonathan had for Israel (2 Samuel 1:24). They worked for Israel and gave it security and prosperity. He is not talking about all the suffering he personally suffered from Saul, but about the loss that their death means to Israel. As one of Saul’s merits David mentions his contribution to the prosperity of Israel’s daughters. Saul divided the spoils and made his people rich and distinguished. He is therefore a real son of Benjamin (Genesis 49:27).

David concludes his lamentation with a personal word about Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:25-26). The distress of which David speaks here, is the distress and anxiety of his heart through sorrow and grief. He feels so much connected with Jonathan that he experiences his great friend’s loss as a distress. These are feelings that we can only understand if we know such a friendship and it comes to an end because our friend dies.

David expresses a great personal grief because of the loss of someone who was more dear to him than anyone else on earth. The comparison with women’s love is to express the deepest connection in their love as friends. It bears witness to a corrupt spirit to think of homosexual love here. It is about a natural love that is different from the love for a woman. It is about the dedication of love and self-denial that were present with Jonathan. It’s about sharing things a woman doesn’t have. It is a unique connection.

The fact that Jonathan stayed with Saul is something David ignores. He thinks only of the good. This also indicates that God wants us to teach to be sad about the loss of men who have been of great significance to His people. The loss of Jonathan is sung in a special and touching way by David. Even with people who do not follow the way of the rejected David – as a picture of the rejected Christ – a special bond is possible. This is possible if there is deep love for the Lord Jesus.

The final words of the lament (2 Samuel 1:27) are an echo of what he expressed in the preceding verses. It is a final sigh, after which the silence of death remains. It is also a silence to let the song sink in and come to rest inwardly. For us, the silence of death is broken by Him Who conquered death by rising from the dead. He appears among His brethren to celebrate the victory over death.

2 Samuel 13:9

The Lamentation

The song can be divided into three parts or stanzas. Each part starts with the words “how have the mighty fallen” (2 Samuel 1:19; 25; 27). The three parts decrease in strength and size. The first part consists of 2 Samuel 1:19-24, the second part of 2 Samuel 1:25-26 and the third part of 2 Samuel 1:27. The first part is about everything that can be said to the praise of the fallen mighty. We hear the deep grief about their death, the price for their braveness, their inseparable love and the qualities of Saul’s government that are to be appreciated. The second part sings of David’s friendship with Jonathan. The third part contains only one last sigh, with which the lamentation silences.

David sings of what Saul was, not of what he was not. Saul has been a beauty for Israel (2 Samuel 1:19). David does not adore him, but commemorates the good he has done (1 Samuel 14:48), ignoring the evil Saul has done.

David does not want the sad news of their death to be known to the enemies of Israel so that they will not rejoice (2 Samuel 1:20). Such joy would increase the grief over the loss that Israel has suffered. Two Philistine cities are mentioned: nearby Gath and far away at the sea Ashkelon. That it is about the joy of the Philistine women is because of the custom that the women celebrate the victory of their people by singing and dancing (cf. 1 Samuel 18:7). That should not happen with the enemy over the fall of Saul.

We can learn from this that we must be careful how we speak about our brothers who have fallen into the hands of ‘the Philistines’, which are for us the nominal Christians. If we speak ill of such brothers, it will increase the joy of the Philistines. An example of their joy can be seen in the history of Samson, who fell alive into the hands of the Philistines (Judges 16:23).

David even calls upon nature to mourn along in this for Israel so sad occurrence (2 Samuel 1:21). He wants God to withhold His blessing from the mountains on which the mighty fell, so that they may be a permanent reminder of what has happened here. What a deep respect this shows for the LORD’s anointed. There is no room for bitterness and resentment.

When Saul and Jonathan went to war, it was always with result (2 Samuel 1:22). Both weapons are poetically divided so that Jonathan has the bow and Saul the sword. Jonathan gave his bow to David after David’s victory over Goliath (1 Samuel 18:4). We don’t know if Jonathan got the bow back from David or if he used another bow in battle, but David will undoubtedly have remembered that special event. Perhaps this is the reason why the descendants of Judah, the tribe of David, have to learn the bow. It means learning to love Him Who is more than David and dedicate everything to Him.

The bow shows the hitting of a goal from a distance, either in an offensive, or in a defensive battle. In any case, a bow presupposes battle and danger. In Jonathan giving his bow to David we see the effect of David’s fight against and victory over Goliath. There is no fight and no distance, but connectedness in love.

Saul and Jonathan loved each other. Jonathan has always been beloved and pleasant; Saul has been so for as long as he went with Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:23). Jonathan stayed with Saul in his life and so it is in his death. David gives them both a great compliment by attributing to them characteristics that we also find with the throne of God. There we find with the first creature that it is “like a lion” and with the fourth creature that it is “like a flying eagle” (Revelation 4:7). The power of the lion and the speed and movability of the eagle (Lamentations 4:19a) are the main characteristics of the mighty of antiquity.

As in life, so in death the two mighty are not parted. In braveness and courage they were equal to each other. Despite the difference in character and the different basic mindset toward David, Jonathan did not let his father down. The two qualifications “beloved and pleasant” apply above all to Jonathan. Yet they also apply to Saul when we think of his first years of government. In his sadness about Saul’s death, David thinks only of the praiseworthy aspects of his character.

What David brings forward in this song speaks of the value Saul and Jonathan had for Israel (2 Samuel 1:24). They worked for Israel and gave it security and prosperity. He is not talking about all the suffering he personally suffered from Saul, but about the loss that their death means to Israel. As one of Saul’s merits David mentions his contribution to the prosperity of Israel’s daughters. Saul divided the spoils and made his people rich and distinguished. He is therefore a real son of Benjamin (Genesis 49:27).

David concludes his lamentation with a personal word about Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:25-26). The distress of which David speaks here, is the distress and anxiety of his heart through sorrow and grief. He feels so much connected with Jonathan that he experiences his great friend’s loss as a distress. These are feelings that we can only understand if we know such a friendship and it comes to an end because our friend dies.

David expresses a great personal grief because of the loss of someone who was more dear to him than anyone else on earth. The comparison with women’s love is to express the deepest connection in their love as friends. It bears witness to a corrupt spirit to think of homosexual love here. It is about a natural love that is different from the love for a woman. It is about the dedication of love and self-denial that were present with Jonathan. It’s about sharing things a woman doesn’t have. It is a unique connection.

The fact that Jonathan stayed with Saul is something David ignores. He thinks only of the good. This also indicates that God wants us to teach to be sad about the loss of men who have been of great significance to His people. The loss of Jonathan is sung in a special and touching way by David. Even with people who do not follow the way of the rejected David – as a picture of the rejected Christ – a special bond is possible. This is possible if there is deep love for the Lord Jesus.

The final words of the lament (2 Samuel 1:27) are an echo of what he expressed in the preceding verses. It is a final sigh, after which the silence of death remains. It is also a silence to let the song sink in and come to rest inwardly. For us, the silence of death is broken by Him Who conquered death by rising from the dead. He appears among His brethren to celebrate the victory over death.

2 Samuel 13:10

The Lamentation

The song can be divided into three parts or stanzas. Each part starts with the words “how have the mighty fallen” (2 Samuel 1:19; 25; 27). The three parts decrease in strength and size. The first part consists of 2 Samuel 1:19-24, the second part of 2 Samuel 1:25-26 and the third part of 2 Samuel 1:27. The first part is about everything that can be said to the praise of the fallen mighty. We hear the deep grief about their death, the price for their braveness, their inseparable love and the qualities of Saul’s government that are to be appreciated. The second part sings of David’s friendship with Jonathan. The third part contains only one last sigh, with which the lamentation silences.

David sings of what Saul was, not of what he was not. Saul has been a beauty for Israel (2 Samuel 1:19). David does not adore him, but commemorates the good he has done (1 Samuel 14:48), ignoring the evil Saul has done.

David does not want the sad news of their death to be known to the enemies of Israel so that they will not rejoice (2 Samuel 1:20). Such joy would increase the grief over the loss that Israel has suffered. Two Philistine cities are mentioned: nearby Gath and far away at the sea Ashkelon. That it is about the joy of the Philistine women is because of the custom that the women celebrate the victory of their people by singing and dancing (cf. 1 Samuel 18:7). That should not happen with the enemy over the fall of Saul.

We can learn from this that we must be careful how we speak about our brothers who have fallen into the hands of ‘the Philistines’, which are for us the nominal Christians. If we speak ill of such brothers, it will increase the joy of the Philistines. An example of their joy can be seen in the history of Samson, who fell alive into the hands of the Philistines (Judges 16:23).

David even calls upon nature to mourn along in this for Israel so sad occurrence (2 Samuel 1:21). He wants God to withhold His blessing from the mountains on which the mighty fell, so that they may be a permanent reminder of what has happened here. What a deep respect this shows for the LORD’s anointed. There is no room for bitterness and resentment.

When Saul and Jonathan went to war, it was always with result (2 Samuel 1:22). Both weapons are poetically divided so that Jonathan has the bow and Saul the sword. Jonathan gave his bow to David after David’s victory over Goliath (1 Samuel 18:4). We don’t know if Jonathan got the bow back from David or if he used another bow in battle, but David will undoubtedly have remembered that special event. Perhaps this is the reason why the descendants of Judah, the tribe of David, have to learn the bow. It means learning to love Him Who is more than David and dedicate everything to Him.

The bow shows the hitting of a goal from a distance, either in an offensive, or in a defensive battle. In any case, a bow presupposes battle and danger. In Jonathan giving his bow to David we see the effect of David’s fight against and victory over Goliath. There is no fight and no distance, but connectedness in love.

Saul and Jonathan loved each other. Jonathan has always been beloved and pleasant; Saul has been so for as long as he went with Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:23). Jonathan stayed with Saul in his life and so it is in his death. David gives them both a great compliment by attributing to them characteristics that we also find with the throne of God. There we find with the first creature that it is “like a lion” and with the fourth creature that it is “like a flying eagle” (Revelation 4:7). The power of the lion and the speed and movability of the eagle (Lamentations 4:19a) are the main characteristics of the mighty of antiquity.

As in life, so in death the two mighty are not parted. In braveness and courage they were equal to each other. Despite the difference in character and the different basic mindset toward David, Jonathan did not let his father down. The two qualifications “beloved and pleasant” apply above all to Jonathan. Yet they also apply to Saul when we think of his first years of government. In his sadness about Saul’s death, David thinks only of the praiseworthy aspects of his character.

What David brings forward in this song speaks of the value Saul and Jonathan had for Israel (2 Samuel 1:24). They worked for Israel and gave it security and prosperity. He is not talking about all the suffering he personally suffered from Saul, but about the loss that their death means to Israel. As one of Saul’s merits David mentions his contribution to the prosperity of Israel’s daughters. Saul divided the spoils and made his people rich and distinguished. He is therefore a real son of Benjamin (Genesis 49:27).

David concludes his lamentation with a personal word about Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:25-26). The distress of which David speaks here, is the distress and anxiety of his heart through sorrow and grief. He feels so much connected with Jonathan that he experiences his great friend’s loss as a distress. These are feelings that we can only understand if we know such a friendship and it comes to an end because our friend dies.

David expresses a great personal grief because of the loss of someone who was more dear to him than anyone else on earth. The comparison with women’s love is to express the deepest connection in their love as friends. It bears witness to a corrupt spirit to think of homosexual love here. It is about a natural love that is different from the love for a woman. It is about the dedication of love and self-denial that were present with Jonathan. It’s about sharing things a woman doesn’t have. It is a unique connection.

The fact that Jonathan stayed with Saul is something David ignores. He thinks only of the good. This also indicates that God wants us to teach to be sad about the loss of men who have been of great significance to His people. The loss of Jonathan is sung in a special and touching way by David. Even with people who do not follow the way of the rejected David – as a picture of the rejected Christ – a special bond is possible. This is possible if there is deep love for the Lord Jesus.

The final words of the lament (2 Samuel 1:27) are an echo of what he expressed in the preceding verses. It is a final sigh, after which the silence of death remains. It is also a silence to let the song sink in and come to rest inwardly. For us, the silence of death is broken by Him Who conquered death by rising from the dead. He appears among His brethren to celebrate the victory over death.

2 Samuel 13:11

The Lamentation

The song can be divided into three parts or stanzas. Each part starts with the words “how have the mighty fallen” (2 Samuel 1:19; 25; 27). The three parts decrease in strength and size. The first part consists of 2 Samuel 1:19-24, the second part of 2 Samuel 1:25-26 and the third part of 2 Samuel 1:27. The first part is about everything that can be said to the praise of the fallen mighty. We hear the deep grief about their death, the price for their braveness, their inseparable love and the qualities of Saul’s government that are to be appreciated. The second part sings of David’s friendship with Jonathan. The third part contains only one last sigh, with which the lamentation silences.

David sings of what Saul was, not of what he was not. Saul has been a beauty for Israel (2 Samuel 1:19). David does not adore him, but commemorates the good he has done (1 Samuel 14:48), ignoring the evil Saul has done.

David does not want the sad news of their death to be known to the enemies of Israel so that they will not rejoice (2 Samuel 1:20). Such joy would increase the grief over the loss that Israel has suffered. Two Philistine cities are mentioned: nearby Gath and far away at the sea Ashkelon. That it is about the joy of the Philistine women is because of the custom that the women celebrate the victory of their people by singing and dancing (cf. 1 Samuel 18:7). That should not happen with the enemy over the fall of Saul.

We can learn from this that we must be careful how we speak about our brothers who have fallen into the hands of ‘the Philistines’, which are for us the nominal Christians. If we speak ill of such brothers, it will increase the joy of the Philistines. An example of their joy can be seen in the history of Samson, who fell alive into the hands of the Philistines (Judges 16:23).

David even calls upon nature to mourn along in this for Israel so sad occurrence (2 Samuel 1:21). He wants God to withhold His blessing from the mountains on which the mighty fell, so that they may be a permanent reminder of what has happened here. What a deep respect this shows for the LORD’s anointed. There is no room for bitterness and resentment.

When Saul and Jonathan went to war, it was always with result (2 Samuel 1:22). Both weapons are poetically divided so that Jonathan has the bow and Saul the sword. Jonathan gave his bow to David after David’s victory over Goliath (1 Samuel 18:4). We don’t know if Jonathan got the bow back from David or if he used another bow in battle, but David will undoubtedly have remembered that special event. Perhaps this is the reason why the descendants of Judah, the tribe of David, have to learn the bow. It means learning to love Him Who is more than David and dedicate everything to Him.

The bow shows the hitting of a goal from a distance, either in an offensive, or in a defensive battle. In any case, a bow presupposes battle and danger. In Jonathan giving his bow to David we see the effect of David’s fight against and victory over Goliath. There is no fight and no distance, but connectedness in love.

Saul and Jonathan loved each other. Jonathan has always been beloved and pleasant; Saul has been so for as long as he went with Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:23). Jonathan stayed with Saul in his life and so it is in his death. David gives them both a great compliment by attributing to them characteristics that we also find with the throne of God. There we find with the first creature that it is “like a lion” and with the fourth creature that it is “like a flying eagle” (Revelation 4:7). The power of the lion and the speed and movability of the eagle (Lamentations 4:19a) are the main characteristics of the mighty of antiquity.

As in life, so in death the two mighty are not parted. In braveness and courage they were equal to each other. Despite the difference in character and the different basic mindset toward David, Jonathan did not let his father down. The two qualifications “beloved and pleasant” apply above all to Jonathan. Yet they also apply to Saul when we think of his first years of government. In his sadness about Saul’s death, David thinks only of the praiseworthy aspects of his character.

What David brings forward in this song speaks of the value Saul and Jonathan had for Israel (2 Samuel 1:24). They worked for Israel and gave it security and prosperity. He is not talking about all the suffering he personally suffered from Saul, but about the loss that their death means to Israel. As one of Saul’s merits David mentions his contribution to the prosperity of Israel’s daughters. Saul divided the spoils and made his people rich and distinguished. He is therefore a real son of Benjamin (Genesis 49:27).

David concludes his lamentation with a personal word about Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:25-26). The distress of which David speaks here, is the distress and anxiety of his heart through sorrow and grief. He feels so much connected with Jonathan that he experiences his great friend’s loss as a distress. These are feelings that we can only understand if we know such a friendship and it comes to an end because our friend dies.

David expresses a great personal grief because of the loss of someone who was more dear to him than anyone else on earth. The comparison with women’s love is to express the deepest connection in their love as friends. It bears witness to a corrupt spirit to think of homosexual love here. It is about a natural love that is different from the love for a woman. It is about the dedication of love and self-denial that were present with Jonathan. It’s about sharing things a woman doesn’t have. It is a unique connection.

The fact that Jonathan stayed with Saul is something David ignores. He thinks only of the good. This also indicates that God wants us to teach to be sad about the loss of men who have been of great significance to His people. The loss of Jonathan is sung in a special and touching way by David. Even with people who do not follow the way of the rejected David – as a picture of the rejected Christ – a special bond is possible. This is possible if there is deep love for the Lord Jesus.

The final words of the lament (2 Samuel 1:27) are an echo of what he expressed in the preceding verses. It is a final sigh, after which the silence of death remains. It is also a silence to let the song sink in and come to rest inwardly. For us, the silence of death is broken by Him Who conquered death by rising from the dead. He appears among His brethren to celebrate the victory over death.

2 Samuel 13:12

The Lamentation

The song can be divided into three parts or stanzas. Each part starts with the words “how have the mighty fallen” (2 Samuel 1:19; 25; 27). The three parts decrease in strength and size. The first part consists of 2 Samuel 1:19-24, the second part of 2 Samuel 1:25-26 and the third part of 2 Samuel 1:27. The first part is about everything that can be said to the praise of the fallen mighty. We hear the deep grief about their death, the price for their braveness, their inseparable love and the qualities of Saul’s government that are to be appreciated. The second part sings of David’s friendship with Jonathan. The third part contains only one last sigh, with which the lamentation silences.

David sings of what Saul was, not of what he was not. Saul has been a beauty for Israel (2 Samuel 1:19). David does not adore him, but commemorates the good he has done (1 Samuel 14:48), ignoring the evil Saul has done.

David does not want the sad news of their death to be known to the enemies of Israel so that they will not rejoice (2 Samuel 1:20). Such joy would increase the grief over the loss that Israel has suffered. Two Philistine cities are mentioned: nearby Gath and far away at the sea Ashkelon. That it is about the joy of the Philistine women is because of the custom that the women celebrate the victory of their people by singing and dancing (cf. 1 Samuel 18:7). That should not happen with the enemy over the fall of Saul.

We can learn from this that we must be careful how we speak about our brothers who have fallen into the hands of ‘the Philistines’, which are for us the nominal Christians. If we speak ill of such brothers, it will increase the joy of the Philistines. An example of their joy can be seen in the history of Samson, who fell alive into the hands of the Philistines (Judges 16:23).

David even calls upon nature to mourn along in this for Israel so sad occurrence (2 Samuel 1:21). He wants God to withhold His blessing from the mountains on which the mighty fell, so that they may be a permanent reminder of what has happened here. What a deep respect this shows for the LORD’s anointed. There is no room for bitterness and resentment.

When Saul and Jonathan went to war, it was always with result (2 Samuel 1:22). Both weapons are poetically divided so that Jonathan has the bow and Saul the sword. Jonathan gave his bow to David after David’s victory over Goliath (1 Samuel 18:4). We don’t know if Jonathan got the bow back from David or if he used another bow in battle, but David will undoubtedly have remembered that special event. Perhaps this is the reason why the descendants of Judah, the tribe of David, have to learn the bow. It means learning to love Him Who is more than David and dedicate everything to Him.

The bow shows the hitting of a goal from a distance, either in an offensive, or in a defensive battle. In any case, a bow presupposes battle and danger. In Jonathan giving his bow to David we see the effect of David’s fight against and victory over Goliath. There is no fight and no distance, but connectedness in love.

Saul and Jonathan loved each other. Jonathan has always been beloved and pleasant; Saul has been so for as long as he went with Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:23). Jonathan stayed with Saul in his life and so it is in his death. David gives them both a great compliment by attributing to them characteristics that we also find with the throne of God. There we find with the first creature that it is “like a lion” and with the fourth creature that it is “like a flying eagle” (Revelation 4:7). The power of the lion and the speed and movability of the eagle (Lamentations 4:19a) are the main characteristics of the mighty of antiquity.

As in life, so in death the two mighty are not parted. In braveness and courage they were equal to each other. Despite the difference in character and the different basic mindset toward David, Jonathan did not let his father down. The two qualifications “beloved and pleasant” apply above all to Jonathan. Yet they also apply to Saul when we think of his first years of government. In his sadness about Saul’s death, David thinks only of the praiseworthy aspects of his character.

What David brings forward in this song speaks of the value Saul and Jonathan had for Israel (2 Samuel 1:24). They worked for Israel and gave it security and prosperity. He is not talking about all the suffering he personally suffered from Saul, but about the loss that their death means to Israel. As one of Saul’s merits David mentions his contribution to the prosperity of Israel’s daughters. Saul divided the spoils and made his people rich and distinguished. He is therefore a real son of Benjamin (Genesis 49:27).

David concludes his lamentation with a personal word about Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:25-26). The distress of which David speaks here, is the distress and anxiety of his heart through sorrow and grief. He feels so much connected with Jonathan that he experiences his great friend’s loss as a distress. These are feelings that we can only understand if we know such a friendship and it comes to an end because our friend dies.

David expresses a great personal grief because of the loss of someone who was more dear to him than anyone else on earth. The comparison with women’s love is to express the deepest connection in their love as friends. It bears witness to a corrupt spirit to think of homosexual love here. It is about a natural love that is different from the love for a woman. It is about the dedication of love and self-denial that were present with Jonathan. It’s about sharing things a woman doesn’t have. It is a unique connection.

The fact that Jonathan stayed with Saul is something David ignores. He thinks only of the good. This also indicates that God wants us to teach to be sad about the loss of men who have been of great significance to His people. The loss of Jonathan is sung in a special and touching way by David. Even with people who do not follow the way of the rejected David – as a picture of the rejected Christ – a special bond is possible. This is possible if there is deep love for the Lord Jesus.

The final words of the lament (2 Samuel 1:27) are an echo of what he expressed in the preceding verses. It is a final sigh, after which the silence of death remains. It is also a silence to let the song sink in and come to rest inwardly. For us, the silence of death is broken by Him Who conquered death by rising from the dead. He appears among His brethren to celebrate the victory over death.

2 Samuel 13:14

David King in Hebron

David is still in Ziklag. For him, the announcement that Saul died does not mean that the question of the accession to the throne has been decided. After the news about Saul David could have gone up triumphantly to become king immediately. He knows he is the anointed, but he will not take a step without the instruction of the LORD. David can wait. He knows that the purpose of the LORD will not fail. A lot needs to be done before he can rule.

Prophetically it’s not like that either, that the kingdom of peace starts directly when the Lord Jesus comes back. Even then, there is still a lot to be done first. First things must be put right in an environment where for a long time everything has been against the Anointed One because of the influence of the spirit of the antichrist and the reign of the person of the antichrist.

First David asks the LORD what he should do. That makes it clear that he has been restored. After the lamentation about Saul and Jonathan David asks the LORD whether he will go to one of the cities of Judah. He gets a clear answer to that question. Then the next question is which city he will go up to. He also receives a clear answer to this question. It is important to always ask the Lord to do something and also when and how we should do it. We may ask Him for concrete directions.

When David goes in obedience to the place the LORD named him, he takes both his wives with him. His men also go along. They are a picture of the people who are involved in the conquest of the kingdom by the Lord Jesus. His men have endured persecution and suffering with him, now they will be allowed to rule with him (cf. 2 Timothy 2:12a).

In Hebron David is anointed king by the men of Judah. David is anointed king three times. The first time this happened in a hidden way in the midst of his brothers (1 Samuel 16:13a). Here it happens for the second time, now by the men of Judah, who anointed him king over the house of Judah. In 2 Samuel 5 he is anointed for the third time, then made king over all Israel (2 Samuel 5:3).

We can also apply this to what has happened and will happen to the Lord Jesus. When He receives the Holy Spirit at His baptism, He is anointed in the midst of the remnant that we can designate as His brethren (Matthew 3:16; cf. Matthew 12:50). The second and third anointing of the Lord Jesus can be seen after the rapture of the church. When He returns, He will first be acknowledged as King by the remnant of Judah, and then He will be openly acknowledged by all people as Messiah, meaning ‘Anointed’ (Psalms 45:7).

The first act of David after his anointing is to wish the blessing of the LORD to the men of Jabez. He does this after he is told what these men have done. Here David shows the magnitude of his heart. He wants to thank the men of Jabez for the respect they have shown Saul. It is also a wise thing to do. He shows that he does not seize this opportunity to become king. By thanking them he wins them over.

David praises the men of Jabez for their love service to Saul, their lord. It is an act that is also pleasing to the LORD, for it is a tribute to him who was appointed by Him as authority figure. David does not leave it at the good wishes of the blessing of the LORD, but also promises that he himself will reward them. He makes no claim to their recognition of his kingship. Now that Saul is dead, David does not impose himself upon the men of Jabez. He only mentions that he is king over Judah. He does not want to subdue them, but to win their hearts.

This is a good indication of the current time of confusion and uncertainty in professing Christianity. Many don’t know what to do when they see how more and more things in the church that used to be self-evident are changing against Scripture. No one can be forced to make a decision. In such circumstances it is important to bless believers, that is to wish good things, as David does here. “If there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things” (Philippians 4:8b).

2 Samuel 13:15

David King in Hebron

David is still in Ziklag. For him, the announcement that Saul died does not mean that the question of the accession to the throne has been decided. After the news about Saul David could have gone up triumphantly to become king immediately. He knows he is the anointed, but he will not take a step without the instruction of the LORD. David can wait. He knows that the purpose of the LORD will not fail. A lot needs to be done before he can rule.

Prophetically it’s not like that either, that the kingdom of peace starts directly when the Lord Jesus comes back. Even then, there is still a lot to be done first. First things must be put right in an environment where for a long time everything has been against the Anointed One because of the influence of the spirit of the antichrist and the reign of the person of the antichrist.

First David asks the LORD what he should do. That makes it clear that he has been restored. After the lamentation about Saul and Jonathan David asks the LORD whether he will go to one of the cities of Judah. He gets a clear answer to that question. Then the next question is which city he will go up to. He also receives a clear answer to this question. It is important to always ask the Lord to do something and also when and how we should do it. We may ask Him for concrete directions.

When David goes in obedience to the place the LORD named him, he takes both his wives with him. His men also go along. They are a picture of the people who are involved in the conquest of the kingdom by the Lord Jesus. His men have endured persecution and suffering with him, now they will be allowed to rule with him (cf. 2 Timothy 2:12a).

In Hebron David is anointed king by the men of Judah. David is anointed king three times. The first time this happened in a hidden way in the midst of his brothers (1 Samuel 16:13a). Here it happens for the second time, now by the men of Judah, who anointed him king over the house of Judah. In 2 Samuel 5 he is anointed for the third time, then made king over all Israel (2 Samuel 5:3).

We can also apply this to what has happened and will happen to the Lord Jesus. When He receives the Holy Spirit at His baptism, He is anointed in the midst of the remnant that we can designate as His brethren (Matthew 3:16; cf. Matthew 12:50). The second and third anointing of the Lord Jesus can be seen after the rapture of the church. When He returns, He will first be acknowledged as King by the remnant of Judah, and then He will be openly acknowledged by all people as Messiah, meaning ‘Anointed’ (Psalms 45:7).

The first act of David after his anointing is to wish the blessing of the LORD to the men of Jabez. He does this after he is told what these men have done. Here David shows the magnitude of his heart. He wants to thank the men of Jabez for the respect they have shown Saul. It is also a wise thing to do. He shows that he does not seize this opportunity to become king. By thanking them he wins them over.

David praises the men of Jabez for their love service to Saul, their lord. It is an act that is also pleasing to the LORD, for it is a tribute to him who was appointed by Him as authority figure. David does not leave it at the good wishes of the blessing of the LORD, but also promises that he himself will reward them. He makes no claim to their recognition of his kingship. Now that Saul is dead, David does not impose himself upon the men of Jabez. He only mentions that he is king over Judah. He does not want to subdue them, but to win their hearts.

This is a good indication of the current time of confusion and uncertainty in professing Christianity. Many don’t know what to do when they see how more and more things in the church that used to be self-evident are changing against Scripture. No one can be forced to make a decision. In such circumstances it is important to bless believers, that is to wish good things, as David does here. “If there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things” (Philippians 4:8b).

2 Samuel 13:16

David King in Hebron

David is still in Ziklag. For him, the announcement that Saul died does not mean that the question of the accession to the throne has been decided. After the news about Saul David could have gone up triumphantly to become king immediately. He knows he is the anointed, but he will not take a step without the instruction of the LORD. David can wait. He knows that the purpose of the LORD will not fail. A lot needs to be done before he can rule.

Prophetically it’s not like that either, that the kingdom of peace starts directly when the Lord Jesus comes back. Even then, there is still a lot to be done first. First things must be put right in an environment where for a long time everything has been against the Anointed One because of the influence of the spirit of the antichrist and the reign of the person of the antichrist.

First David asks the LORD what he should do. That makes it clear that he has been restored. After the lamentation about Saul and Jonathan David asks the LORD whether he will go to one of the cities of Judah. He gets a clear answer to that question. Then the next question is which city he will go up to. He also receives a clear answer to this question. It is important to always ask the Lord to do something and also when and how we should do it. We may ask Him for concrete directions.

When David goes in obedience to the place the LORD named him, he takes both his wives with him. His men also go along. They are a picture of the people who are involved in the conquest of the kingdom by the Lord Jesus. His men have endured persecution and suffering with him, now they will be allowed to rule with him (cf. 2 Timothy 2:12a).

In Hebron David is anointed king by the men of Judah. David is anointed king three times. The first time this happened in a hidden way in the midst of his brothers (1 Samuel 16:13a). Here it happens for the second time, now by the men of Judah, who anointed him king over the house of Judah. In 2 Samuel 5 he is anointed for the third time, then made king over all Israel (2 Samuel 5:3).

We can also apply this to what has happened and will happen to the Lord Jesus. When He receives the Holy Spirit at His baptism, He is anointed in the midst of the remnant that we can designate as His brethren (Matthew 3:16; cf. Matthew 12:50). The second and third anointing of the Lord Jesus can be seen after the rapture of the church. When He returns, He will first be acknowledged as King by the remnant of Judah, and then He will be openly acknowledged by all people as Messiah, meaning ‘Anointed’ (Psalms 45:7).

The first act of David after his anointing is to wish the blessing of the LORD to the men of Jabez. He does this after he is told what these men have done. Here David shows the magnitude of his heart. He wants to thank the men of Jabez for the respect they have shown Saul. It is also a wise thing to do. He shows that he does not seize this opportunity to become king. By thanking them he wins them over.

David praises the men of Jabez for their love service to Saul, their lord. It is an act that is also pleasing to the LORD, for it is a tribute to him who was appointed by Him as authority figure. David does not leave it at the good wishes of the blessing of the LORD, but also promises that he himself will reward them. He makes no claim to their recognition of his kingship. Now that Saul is dead, David does not impose himself upon the men of Jabez. He only mentions that he is king over Judah. He does not want to subdue them, but to win their hearts.

This is a good indication of the current time of confusion and uncertainty in professing Christianity. Many don’t know what to do when they see how more and more things in the church that used to be self-evident are changing against Scripture. No one can be forced to make a decision. In such circumstances it is important to bless believers, that is to wish good things, as David does here. “If there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things” (Philippians 4:8b).

2 Samuel 13:17

David King in Hebron

David is still in Ziklag. For him, the announcement that Saul died does not mean that the question of the accession to the throne has been decided. After the news about Saul David could have gone up triumphantly to become king immediately. He knows he is the anointed, but he will not take a step without the instruction of the LORD. David can wait. He knows that the purpose of the LORD will not fail. A lot needs to be done before he can rule.

Prophetically it’s not like that either, that the kingdom of peace starts directly when the Lord Jesus comes back. Even then, there is still a lot to be done first. First things must be put right in an environment where for a long time everything has been against the Anointed One because of the influence of the spirit of the antichrist and the reign of the person of the antichrist.

First David asks the LORD what he should do. That makes it clear that he has been restored. After the lamentation about Saul and Jonathan David asks the LORD whether he will go to one of the cities of Judah. He gets a clear answer to that question. Then the next question is which city he will go up to. He also receives a clear answer to this question. It is important to always ask the Lord to do something and also when and how we should do it. We may ask Him for concrete directions.

When David goes in obedience to the place the LORD named him, he takes both his wives with him. His men also go along. They are a picture of the people who are involved in the conquest of the kingdom by the Lord Jesus. His men have endured persecution and suffering with him, now they will be allowed to rule with him (cf. 2 Timothy 2:12a).

In Hebron David is anointed king by the men of Judah. David is anointed king three times. The first time this happened in a hidden way in the midst of his brothers (1 Samuel 16:13a). Here it happens for the second time, now by the men of Judah, who anointed him king over the house of Judah. In 2 Samuel 5 he is anointed for the third time, then made king over all Israel (2 Samuel 5:3).

We can also apply this to what has happened and will happen to the Lord Jesus. When He receives the Holy Spirit at His baptism, He is anointed in the midst of the remnant that we can designate as His brethren (Matthew 3:16; cf. Matthew 12:50). The second and third anointing of the Lord Jesus can be seen after the rapture of the church. When He returns, He will first be acknowledged as King by the remnant of Judah, and then He will be openly acknowledged by all people as Messiah, meaning ‘Anointed’ (Psalms 45:7).

The first act of David after his anointing is to wish the blessing of the LORD to the men of Jabez. He does this after he is told what these men have done. Here David shows the magnitude of his heart. He wants to thank the men of Jabez for the respect they have shown Saul. It is also a wise thing to do. He shows that he does not seize this opportunity to become king. By thanking them he wins them over.

David praises the men of Jabez for their love service to Saul, their lord. It is an act that is also pleasing to the LORD, for it is a tribute to him who was appointed by Him as authority figure. David does not leave it at the good wishes of the blessing of the LORD, but also promises that he himself will reward them. He makes no claim to their recognition of his kingship. Now that Saul is dead, David does not impose himself upon the men of Jabez. He only mentions that he is king over Judah. He does not want to subdue them, but to win their hearts.

This is a good indication of the current time of confusion and uncertainty in professing Christianity. Many don’t know what to do when they see how more and more things in the church that used to be self-evident are changing against Scripture. No one can be forced to make a decision. In such circumstances it is important to bless believers, that is to wish good things, as David does here. “If there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things” (Philippians 4:8b).

2 Samuel 13:18

David King in Hebron

David is still in Ziklag. For him, the announcement that Saul died does not mean that the question of the accession to the throne has been decided. After the news about Saul David could have gone up triumphantly to become king immediately. He knows he is the anointed, but he will not take a step without the instruction of the LORD. David can wait. He knows that the purpose of the LORD will not fail. A lot needs to be done before he can rule.

Prophetically it’s not like that either, that the kingdom of peace starts directly when the Lord Jesus comes back. Even then, there is still a lot to be done first. First things must be put right in an environment where for a long time everything has been against the Anointed One because of the influence of the spirit of the antichrist and the reign of the person of the antichrist.

First David asks the LORD what he should do. That makes it clear that he has been restored. After the lamentation about Saul and Jonathan David asks the LORD whether he will go to one of the cities of Judah. He gets a clear answer to that question. Then the next question is which city he will go up to. He also receives a clear answer to this question. It is important to always ask the Lord to do something and also when and how we should do it. We may ask Him for concrete directions.

When David goes in obedience to the place the LORD named him, he takes both his wives with him. His men also go along. They are a picture of the people who are involved in the conquest of the kingdom by the Lord Jesus. His men have endured persecution and suffering with him, now they will be allowed to rule with him (cf. 2 Timothy 2:12a).

In Hebron David is anointed king by the men of Judah. David is anointed king three times. The first time this happened in a hidden way in the midst of his brothers (1 Samuel 16:13a). Here it happens for the second time, now by the men of Judah, who anointed him king over the house of Judah. In 2 Samuel 5 he is anointed for the third time, then made king over all Israel (2 Samuel 5:3).

We can also apply this to what has happened and will happen to the Lord Jesus. When He receives the Holy Spirit at His baptism, He is anointed in the midst of the remnant that we can designate as His brethren (Matthew 3:16; cf. Matthew 12:50). The second and third anointing of the Lord Jesus can be seen after the rapture of the church. When He returns, He will first be acknowledged as King by the remnant of Judah, and then He will be openly acknowledged by all people as Messiah, meaning ‘Anointed’ (Psalms 45:7).

The first act of David after his anointing is to wish the blessing of the LORD to the men of Jabez. He does this after he is told what these men have done. Here David shows the magnitude of his heart. He wants to thank the men of Jabez for the respect they have shown Saul. It is also a wise thing to do. He shows that he does not seize this opportunity to become king. By thanking them he wins them over.

David praises the men of Jabez for their love service to Saul, their lord. It is an act that is also pleasing to the LORD, for it is a tribute to him who was appointed by Him as authority figure. David does not leave it at the good wishes of the blessing of the LORD, but also promises that he himself will reward them. He makes no claim to their recognition of his kingship. Now that Saul is dead, David does not impose himself upon the men of Jabez. He only mentions that he is king over Judah. He does not want to subdue them, but to win their hearts.

This is a good indication of the current time of confusion and uncertainty in professing Christianity. Many don’t know what to do when they see how more and more things in the church that used to be self-evident are changing against Scripture. No one can be forced to make a decision. In such circumstances it is important to bless believers, that is to wish good things, as David does here. “If there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things” (Philippians 4:8b).

2 Samuel 13:19

David King in Hebron

David is still in Ziklag. For him, the announcement that Saul died does not mean that the question of the accession to the throne has been decided. After the news about Saul David could have gone up triumphantly to become king immediately. He knows he is the anointed, but he will not take a step without the instruction of the LORD. David can wait. He knows that the purpose of the LORD will not fail. A lot needs to be done before he can rule.

Prophetically it’s not like that either, that the kingdom of peace starts directly when the Lord Jesus comes back. Even then, there is still a lot to be done first. First things must be put right in an environment where for a long time everything has been against the Anointed One because of the influence of the spirit of the antichrist and the reign of the person of the antichrist.

First David asks the LORD what he should do. That makes it clear that he has been restored. After the lamentation about Saul and Jonathan David asks the LORD whether he will go to one of the cities of Judah. He gets a clear answer to that question. Then the next question is which city he will go up to. He also receives a clear answer to this question. It is important to always ask the Lord to do something and also when and how we should do it. We may ask Him for concrete directions.

When David goes in obedience to the place the LORD named him, he takes both his wives with him. His men also go along. They are a picture of the people who are involved in the conquest of the kingdom by the Lord Jesus. His men have endured persecution and suffering with him, now they will be allowed to rule with him (cf. 2 Timothy 2:12a).

In Hebron David is anointed king by the men of Judah. David is anointed king three times. The first time this happened in a hidden way in the midst of his brothers (1 Samuel 16:13a). Here it happens for the second time, now by the men of Judah, who anointed him king over the house of Judah. In 2 Samuel 5 he is anointed for the third time, then made king over all Israel (2 Samuel 5:3).

We can also apply this to what has happened and will happen to the Lord Jesus. When He receives the Holy Spirit at His baptism, He is anointed in the midst of the remnant that we can designate as His brethren (Matthew 3:16; cf. Matthew 12:50). The second and third anointing of the Lord Jesus can be seen after the rapture of the church. When He returns, He will first be acknowledged as King by the remnant of Judah, and then He will be openly acknowledged by all people as Messiah, meaning ‘Anointed’ (Psalms 45:7).

The first act of David after his anointing is to wish the blessing of the LORD to the men of Jabez. He does this after he is told what these men have done. Here David shows the magnitude of his heart. He wants to thank the men of Jabez for the respect they have shown Saul. It is also a wise thing to do. He shows that he does not seize this opportunity to become king. By thanking them he wins them over.

David praises the men of Jabez for their love service to Saul, their lord. It is an act that is also pleasing to the LORD, for it is a tribute to him who was appointed by Him as authority figure. David does not leave it at the good wishes of the blessing of the LORD, but also promises that he himself will reward them. He makes no claim to their recognition of his kingship. Now that Saul is dead, David does not impose himself upon the men of Jabez. He only mentions that he is king over Judah. He does not want to subdue them, but to win their hearts.

This is a good indication of the current time of confusion and uncertainty in professing Christianity. Many don’t know what to do when they see how more and more things in the church that used to be self-evident are changing against Scripture. No one can be forced to make a decision. In such circumstances it is important to bless believers, that is to wish good things, as David does here. “If there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things” (Philippians 4:8b).

2 Samuel 13:20

David King in Hebron

David is still in Ziklag. For him, the announcement that Saul died does not mean that the question of the accession to the throne has been decided. After the news about Saul David could have gone up triumphantly to become king immediately. He knows he is the anointed, but he will not take a step without the instruction of the LORD. David can wait. He knows that the purpose of the LORD will not fail. A lot needs to be done before he can rule.

Prophetically it’s not like that either, that the kingdom of peace starts directly when the Lord Jesus comes back. Even then, there is still a lot to be done first. First things must be put right in an environment where for a long time everything has been against the Anointed One because of the influence of the spirit of the antichrist and the reign of the person of the antichrist.

First David asks the LORD what he should do. That makes it clear that he has been restored. After the lamentation about Saul and Jonathan David asks the LORD whether he will go to one of the cities of Judah. He gets a clear answer to that question. Then the next question is which city he will go up to. He also receives a clear answer to this question. It is important to always ask the Lord to do something and also when and how we should do it. We may ask Him for concrete directions.

When David goes in obedience to the place the LORD named him, he takes both his wives with him. His men also go along. They are a picture of the people who are involved in the conquest of the kingdom by the Lord Jesus. His men have endured persecution and suffering with him, now they will be allowed to rule with him (cf. 2 Timothy 2:12a).

In Hebron David is anointed king by the men of Judah. David is anointed king three times. The first time this happened in a hidden way in the midst of his brothers (1 Samuel 16:13a). Here it happens for the second time, now by the men of Judah, who anointed him king over the house of Judah. In 2 Samuel 5 he is anointed for the third time, then made king over all Israel (2 Samuel 5:3).

We can also apply this to what has happened and will happen to the Lord Jesus. When He receives the Holy Spirit at His baptism, He is anointed in the midst of the remnant that we can designate as His brethren (Matthew 3:16; cf. Matthew 12:50). The second and third anointing of the Lord Jesus can be seen after the rapture of the church. When He returns, He will first be acknowledged as King by the remnant of Judah, and then He will be openly acknowledged by all people as Messiah, meaning ‘Anointed’ (Psalms 45:7).

The first act of David after his anointing is to wish the blessing of the LORD to the men of Jabez. He does this after he is told what these men have done. Here David shows the magnitude of his heart. He wants to thank the men of Jabez for the respect they have shown Saul. It is also a wise thing to do. He shows that he does not seize this opportunity to become king. By thanking them he wins them over.

David praises the men of Jabez for their love service to Saul, their lord. It is an act that is also pleasing to the LORD, for it is a tribute to him who was appointed by Him as authority figure. David does not leave it at the good wishes of the blessing of the LORD, but also promises that he himself will reward them. He makes no claim to their recognition of his kingship. Now that Saul is dead, David does not impose himself upon the men of Jabez. He only mentions that he is king over Judah. He does not want to subdue them, but to win their hearts.

This is a good indication of the current time of confusion and uncertainty in professing Christianity. Many don’t know what to do when they see how more and more things in the church that used to be self-evident are changing against Scripture. No one can be forced to make a decision. In such circumstances it is important to bless believers, that is to wish good things, as David does here. “If there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things” (Philippians 4:8b).

2 Samuel 13:21

Ish-bosheth King over Israel

Abner knows that David is the anointed king. Yet he takes Ish-bosheth and makes him king. With this, he works a division in Israel. The place where he does that, Mahanaim, speaks of that too. Mahanaim means ‘two armies’ (Genesis 32:1-2). Israel’s enmity toward David has not disappeared. Ish-bosheth means ‘man of shame’. He is the youngest son of Saul. He must have been a weak, spineless man. We read: “Abner … had taken Ish-bosheth.” This state of affairs is in fact rebellion against God. David is the anointed of the LORD, not Ish-bosheth.

Ish-bosheth is king for two years “over Israel”. ‘Israel’ here is the name for Israel without Judah, because David is king over Judah. Judah is no longer part of it. Ish-bosheth has no right to the kingship. Yet we see great meekness in David toward him. It may be that David’s meekness partly stems from a lack of initiative, because he leaves too much to Joab. Yet he can only show such indulgence because he knows that his right to that place is indisputable.

If people arrogate to themselves something they are not, they generally rise up in anger if something happens to their disadvantage and they feel threatened quickly. But he who knows God’s truth and trusts it, can afford to let things pass over him without getting angry or afraid of harm.

We see this with David. Because of this attitude Ish-bosheth is able to rule over Israel for a certain time, while David is king ‘only’ over the house of Judah. The test here may well be even greater than under Saul. Saul was the anointed of the LORD; but Ish-bosheth is someone without right. This is the way God goes with His anointed king, and David complies.

2 Samuel 13:22

Ish-bosheth King over Israel

Abner knows that David is the anointed king. Yet he takes Ish-bosheth and makes him king. With this, he works a division in Israel. The place where he does that, Mahanaim, speaks of that too. Mahanaim means ‘two armies’ (Genesis 32:1-2). Israel’s enmity toward David has not disappeared. Ish-bosheth means ‘man of shame’. He is the youngest son of Saul. He must have been a weak, spineless man. We read: “Abner … had taken Ish-bosheth.” This state of affairs is in fact rebellion against God. David is the anointed of the LORD, not Ish-bosheth.

Ish-bosheth is king for two years “over Israel”. ‘Israel’ here is the name for Israel without Judah, because David is king over Judah. Judah is no longer part of it. Ish-bosheth has no right to the kingship. Yet we see great meekness in David toward him. It may be that David’s meekness partly stems from a lack of initiative, because he leaves too much to Joab. Yet he can only show such indulgence because he knows that his right to that place is indisputable.

If people arrogate to themselves something they are not, they generally rise up in anger if something happens to their disadvantage and they feel threatened quickly. But he who knows God’s truth and trusts it, can afford to let things pass over him without getting angry or afraid of harm.

We see this with David. Because of this attitude Ish-bosheth is able to rule over Israel for a certain time, while David is king ‘only’ over the house of Judah. The test here may well be even greater than under Saul. Saul was the anointed of the LORD; but Ish-bosheth is someone without right. This is the way God goes with His anointed king, and David complies.

2 Samuel 13:23

Ish-bosheth King over Israel

Abner knows that David is the anointed king. Yet he takes Ish-bosheth and makes him king. With this, he works a division in Israel. The place where he does that, Mahanaim, speaks of that too. Mahanaim means ‘two armies’ (Genesis 32:1-2). Israel’s enmity toward David has not disappeared. Ish-bosheth means ‘man of shame’. He is the youngest son of Saul. He must have been a weak, spineless man. We read: “Abner … had taken Ish-bosheth.” This state of affairs is in fact rebellion against God. David is the anointed of the LORD, not Ish-bosheth.

Ish-bosheth is king for two years “over Israel”. ‘Israel’ here is the name for Israel without Judah, because David is king over Judah. Judah is no longer part of it. Ish-bosheth has no right to the kingship. Yet we see great meekness in David toward him. It may be that David’s meekness partly stems from a lack of initiative, because he leaves too much to Joab. Yet he can only show such indulgence because he knows that his right to that place is indisputable.

If people arrogate to themselves something they are not, they generally rise up in anger if something happens to their disadvantage and they feel threatened quickly. But he who knows God’s truth and trusts it, can afford to let things pass over him without getting angry or afraid of harm.

We see this with David. Because of this attitude Ish-bosheth is able to rule over Israel for a certain time, while David is king ‘only’ over the house of Judah. The test here may well be even greater than under Saul. Saul was the anointed of the LORD; but Ish-bosheth is someone without right. This is the way God goes with His anointed king, and David complies.

2 Samuel 13:24

Ish-bosheth King over Israel

Abner knows that David is the anointed king. Yet he takes Ish-bosheth and makes him king. With this, he works a division in Israel. The place where he does that, Mahanaim, speaks of that too. Mahanaim means ‘two armies’ (Genesis 32:1-2). Israel’s enmity toward David has not disappeared. Ish-bosheth means ‘man of shame’. He is the youngest son of Saul. He must have been a weak, spineless man. We read: “Abner … had taken Ish-bosheth.” This state of affairs is in fact rebellion against God. David is the anointed of the LORD, not Ish-bosheth.

Ish-bosheth is king for two years “over Israel”. ‘Israel’ here is the name for Israel without Judah, because David is king over Judah. Judah is no longer part of it. Ish-bosheth has no right to the kingship. Yet we see great meekness in David toward him. It may be that David’s meekness partly stems from a lack of initiative, because he leaves too much to Joab. Yet he can only show such indulgence because he knows that his right to that place is indisputable.

If people arrogate to themselves something they are not, they generally rise up in anger if something happens to their disadvantage and they feel threatened quickly. But he who knows God’s truth and trusts it, can afford to let things pass over him without getting angry or afraid of harm.

We see this with David. Because of this attitude Ish-bosheth is able to rule over Israel for a certain time, while David is king ‘only’ over the house of Judah. The test here may well be even greater than under Saul. Saul was the anointed of the LORD; but Ish-bosheth is someone without right. This is the way God goes with His anointed king, and David complies.

2 Samuel 13:25

Abner Is Defeated by David

In this section we meet two army commanders, Abner, the general of Ish-bosheth, and Joab, the general of David. Abner is a noble man with a noble character, but he is on the wrong side. Good people are sometimes on the wrong side. This is why he is also an opponent of David. He knows that David is the anointed one of the LORD and yet he takes sides against him.

Next to David stands a man, Joab, who thinks only of himself, of profit. Bad people are sometimes on the right side. He never thinks of the case of the LORD. It is hard to understand why David gave this man so much power. Opposite Joab David is weak. David calls him hard. This is the same as with Ish-bosheth and Abner where we also see a weak king and a strong commander.

Joab is mentioned here for the first time. He is associated with David, but does not share in David’s faith. Joab is a man who is characterized by performing evil deeds and great deeds. Both types of action are about his own advantage. He does not tolerate rivalry. Whoever he sees as a rival, he gets rid of.

Abner takes the initiative to fight. He seems to be out to bring Judah back under the authority of Saul’s house. This is a battle against God and he must therefore lose it. The scene of the battle is by the pool of Gibeon. Abner probably chooses that place because it is in the Benjamin area, where Saul has the most friends.

Abner makes a proposal where only a few fight instead of the whole. Instead of outragedly rejecting this proposal, Joab accepts it. The result is a useless slaughter with twenty-four dead, because they are all that good and fast that they kill each other. The only one who has won is death, which is insatiable.

What should have been prevented by the young men’s fight is happening now. The brother contest expands and becomes a battle between the men of Israel and the men of David.

2 Samuel 13:26

Abner Is Defeated by David

In this section we meet two army commanders, Abner, the general of Ish-bosheth, and Joab, the general of David. Abner is a noble man with a noble character, but he is on the wrong side. Good people are sometimes on the wrong side. This is why he is also an opponent of David. He knows that David is the anointed one of the LORD and yet he takes sides against him.

Next to David stands a man, Joab, who thinks only of himself, of profit. Bad people are sometimes on the right side. He never thinks of the case of the LORD. It is hard to understand why David gave this man so much power. Opposite Joab David is weak. David calls him hard. This is the same as with Ish-bosheth and Abner where we also see a weak king and a strong commander.

Joab is mentioned here for the first time. He is associated with David, but does not share in David’s faith. Joab is a man who is characterized by performing evil deeds and great deeds. Both types of action are about his own advantage. He does not tolerate rivalry. Whoever he sees as a rival, he gets rid of.

Abner takes the initiative to fight. He seems to be out to bring Judah back under the authority of Saul’s house. This is a battle against God and he must therefore lose it. The scene of the battle is by the pool of Gibeon. Abner probably chooses that place because it is in the Benjamin area, where Saul has the most friends.

Abner makes a proposal where only a few fight instead of the whole. Instead of outragedly rejecting this proposal, Joab accepts it. The result is a useless slaughter with twenty-four dead, because they are all that good and fast that they kill each other. The only one who has won is death, which is insatiable.

What should have been prevented by the young men’s fight is happening now. The brother contest expands and becomes a battle between the men of Israel and the men of David.

2 Samuel 13:27

Abner Is Defeated by David

In this section we meet two army commanders, Abner, the general of Ish-bosheth, and Joab, the general of David. Abner is a noble man with a noble character, but he is on the wrong side. Good people are sometimes on the wrong side. This is why he is also an opponent of David. He knows that David is the anointed one of the LORD and yet he takes sides against him.

Next to David stands a man, Joab, who thinks only of himself, of profit. Bad people are sometimes on the right side. He never thinks of the case of the LORD. It is hard to understand why David gave this man so much power. Opposite Joab David is weak. David calls him hard. This is the same as with Ish-bosheth and Abner where we also see a weak king and a strong commander.

Joab is mentioned here for the first time. He is associated with David, but does not share in David’s faith. Joab is a man who is characterized by performing evil deeds and great deeds. Both types of action are about his own advantage. He does not tolerate rivalry. Whoever he sees as a rival, he gets rid of.

Abner takes the initiative to fight. He seems to be out to bring Judah back under the authority of Saul’s house. This is a battle against God and he must therefore lose it. The scene of the battle is by the pool of Gibeon. Abner probably chooses that place because it is in the Benjamin area, where Saul has the most friends.

Abner makes a proposal where only a few fight instead of the whole. Instead of outragedly rejecting this proposal, Joab accepts it. The result is a useless slaughter with twenty-four dead, because they are all that good and fast that they kill each other. The only one who has won is death, which is insatiable.

What should have been prevented by the young men’s fight is happening now. The brother contest expands and becomes a battle between the men of Israel and the men of David.

2 Samuel 13:28

Abner Is Defeated by David

In this section we meet two army commanders, Abner, the general of Ish-bosheth, and Joab, the general of David. Abner is a noble man with a noble character, but he is on the wrong side. Good people are sometimes on the wrong side. This is why he is also an opponent of David. He knows that David is the anointed one of the LORD and yet he takes sides against him.

Next to David stands a man, Joab, who thinks only of himself, of profit. Bad people are sometimes on the right side. He never thinks of the case of the LORD. It is hard to understand why David gave this man so much power. Opposite Joab David is weak. David calls him hard. This is the same as with Ish-bosheth and Abner where we also see a weak king and a strong commander.

Joab is mentioned here for the first time. He is associated with David, but does not share in David’s faith. Joab is a man who is characterized by performing evil deeds and great deeds. Both types of action are about his own advantage. He does not tolerate rivalry. Whoever he sees as a rival, he gets rid of.

Abner takes the initiative to fight. He seems to be out to bring Judah back under the authority of Saul’s house. This is a battle against God and he must therefore lose it. The scene of the battle is by the pool of Gibeon. Abner probably chooses that place because it is in the Benjamin area, where Saul has the most friends.

Abner makes a proposal where only a few fight instead of the whole. Instead of outragedly rejecting this proposal, Joab accepts it. The result is a useless slaughter with twenty-four dead, because they are all that good and fast that they kill each other. The only one who has won is death, which is insatiable.

What should have been prevented by the young men’s fight is happening now. The brother contest expands and becomes a battle between the men of Israel and the men of David.

2 Samuel 13:29

Abner Is Defeated by David

In this section we meet two army commanders, Abner, the general of Ish-bosheth, and Joab, the general of David. Abner is a noble man with a noble character, but he is on the wrong side. Good people are sometimes on the wrong side. This is why he is also an opponent of David. He knows that David is the anointed one of the LORD and yet he takes sides against him.

Next to David stands a man, Joab, who thinks only of himself, of profit. Bad people are sometimes on the right side. He never thinks of the case of the LORD. It is hard to understand why David gave this man so much power. Opposite Joab David is weak. David calls him hard. This is the same as with Ish-bosheth and Abner where we also see a weak king and a strong commander.

Joab is mentioned here for the first time. He is associated with David, but does not share in David’s faith. Joab is a man who is characterized by performing evil deeds and great deeds. Both types of action are about his own advantage. He does not tolerate rivalry. Whoever he sees as a rival, he gets rid of.

Abner takes the initiative to fight. He seems to be out to bring Judah back under the authority of Saul’s house. This is a battle against God and he must therefore lose it. The scene of the battle is by the pool of Gibeon. Abner probably chooses that place because it is in the Benjamin area, where Saul has the most friends.

Abner makes a proposal where only a few fight instead of the whole. Instead of outragedly rejecting this proposal, Joab accepts it. The result is a useless slaughter with twenty-four dead, because they are all that good and fast that they kill each other. The only one who has won is death, which is insatiable.

What should have been prevented by the young men’s fight is happening now. The brother contest expands and becomes a battle between the men of Israel and the men of David.

2 Samuel 13:30

Abner Is Defeated by David

In this section we meet two army commanders, Abner, the general of Ish-bosheth, and Joab, the general of David. Abner is a noble man with a noble character, but he is on the wrong side. Good people are sometimes on the wrong side. This is why he is also an opponent of David. He knows that David is the anointed one of the LORD and yet he takes sides against him.

Next to David stands a man, Joab, who thinks only of himself, of profit. Bad people are sometimes on the right side. He never thinks of the case of the LORD. It is hard to understand why David gave this man so much power. Opposite Joab David is weak. David calls him hard. This is the same as with Ish-bosheth and Abner where we also see a weak king and a strong commander.

Joab is mentioned here for the first time. He is associated with David, but does not share in David’s faith. Joab is a man who is characterized by performing evil deeds and great deeds. Both types of action are about his own advantage. He does not tolerate rivalry. Whoever he sees as a rival, he gets rid of.

Abner takes the initiative to fight. He seems to be out to bring Judah back under the authority of Saul’s house. This is a battle against God and he must therefore lose it. The scene of the battle is by the pool of Gibeon. Abner probably chooses that place because it is in the Benjamin area, where Saul has the most friends.

Abner makes a proposal where only a few fight instead of the whole. Instead of outragedly rejecting this proposal, Joab accepts it. The result is a useless slaughter with twenty-four dead, because they are all that good and fast that they kill each other. The only one who has won is death, which is insatiable.

What should have been prevented by the young men’s fight is happening now. The brother contest expands and becomes a battle between the men of Israel and the men of David.

2 Samuel 13:31

Abner Kills Asahel

In his youthful hubris Asahel seems to be targeting Abner. He relies on his speed and agility in pursuit. His speed, possibly at the same time his pride, brings him rapid destruction. Recklessly he rushes after Abner, while he seems to forget that Abner is an experienced warrior.

Although Abner is on the wrong side, he is an honest warrior. Twice he tries to convince Asahel to leave from pursuing him. This shows his noble character.

First he points out to Asahel other men he could kill. That would also give him credit. Asahel does not accept the proposal. He seems to be inspired by only one thing and that is getting Abner into his hands, dead or alive. That will bring him much fame.

Abner makes a second attempt to change Asahel’s mind. With this he gives him the chance to leave the battlefield alive. If he goes on, he will have to kill him. Abner is not out for his death. Behind Asahel Abner also sees Joab. He knows Joab and knows that he will surely avenge the death of Asahel, and that he does not consider any means too bad for that.

Unfortunately, Asahel does not listen and is killed, because Abner strikes him in the belly with the butt end of the spear. Asahel will not have expected this unusual act. He will have been surprised by this tactic. The effectiveness is there. This shows that also on the side of David are men who act unwisely.

The result is a delay in the battle. When Asahel is dead on the road, all the chasers stand still with him. This gives Abner the chance to escape.

2 Samuel 13:32

Abner Kills Asahel

In his youthful hubris Asahel seems to be targeting Abner. He relies on his speed and agility in pursuit. His speed, possibly at the same time his pride, brings him rapid destruction. Recklessly he rushes after Abner, while he seems to forget that Abner is an experienced warrior.

Although Abner is on the wrong side, he is an honest warrior. Twice he tries to convince Asahel to leave from pursuing him. This shows his noble character.

First he points out to Asahel other men he could kill. That would also give him credit. Asahel does not accept the proposal. He seems to be inspired by only one thing and that is getting Abner into his hands, dead or alive. That will bring him much fame.

Abner makes a second attempt to change Asahel’s mind. With this he gives him the chance to leave the battlefield alive. If he goes on, he will have to kill him. Abner is not out for his death. Behind Asahel Abner also sees Joab. He knows Joab and knows that he will surely avenge the death of Asahel, and that he does not consider any means too bad for that.

Unfortunately, Asahel does not listen and is killed, because Abner strikes him in the belly with the butt end of the spear. Asahel will not have expected this unusual act. He will have been surprised by this tactic. The effectiveness is there. This shows that also on the side of David are men who act unwisely.

The result is a delay in the battle. When Asahel is dead on the road, all the chasers stand still with him. This gives Abner the chance to escape.

2 Samuel 13:33

Abner Kills Asahel

In his youthful hubris Asahel seems to be targeting Abner. He relies on his speed and agility in pursuit. His speed, possibly at the same time his pride, brings him rapid destruction. Recklessly he rushes after Abner, while he seems to forget that Abner is an experienced warrior.

Although Abner is on the wrong side, he is an honest warrior. Twice he tries to convince Asahel to leave from pursuing him. This shows his noble character.

First he points out to Asahel other men he could kill. That would also give him credit. Asahel does not accept the proposal. He seems to be inspired by only one thing and that is getting Abner into his hands, dead or alive. That will bring him much fame.

Abner makes a second attempt to change Asahel’s mind. With this he gives him the chance to leave the battlefield alive. If he goes on, he will have to kill him. Abner is not out for his death. Behind Asahel Abner also sees Joab. He knows Joab and knows that he will surely avenge the death of Asahel, and that he does not consider any means too bad for that.

Unfortunately, Asahel does not listen and is killed, because Abner strikes him in the belly with the butt end of the spear. Asahel will not have expected this unusual act. He will have been surprised by this tactic. The effectiveness is there. This shows that also on the side of David are men who act unwisely.

The result is a delay in the battle. When Asahel is dead on the road, all the chasers stand still with him. This gives Abner the chance to escape.

2 Samuel 13:34

Abner Kills Asahel

In his youthful hubris Asahel seems to be targeting Abner. He relies on his speed and agility in pursuit. His speed, possibly at the same time his pride, brings him rapid destruction. Recklessly he rushes after Abner, while he seems to forget that Abner is an experienced warrior.

Although Abner is on the wrong side, he is an honest warrior. Twice he tries to convince Asahel to leave from pursuing him. This shows his noble character.

First he points out to Asahel other men he could kill. That would also give him credit. Asahel does not accept the proposal. He seems to be inspired by only one thing and that is getting Abner into his hands, dead or alive. That will bring him much fame.

Abner makes a second attempt to change Asahel’s mind. With this he gives him the chance to leave the battlefield alive. If he goes on, he will have to kill him. Abner is not out for his death. Behind Asahel Abner also sees Joab. He knows Joab and knows that he will surely avenge the death of Asahel, and that he does not consider any means too bad for that.

Unfortunately, Asahel does not listen and is killed, because Abner strikes him in the belly with the butt end of the spear. Asahel will not have expected this unusual act. He will have been surprised by this tactic. The effectiveness is there. This shows that also on the side of David are men who act unwisely.

The result is a delay in the battle. When Asahel is dead on the road, all the chasers stand still with him. This gives Abner the chance to escape.

2 Samuel 13:35

Abner Kills Asahel

In his youthful hubris Asahel seems to be targeting Abner. He relies on his speed and agility in pursuit. His speed, possibly at the same time his pride, brings him rapid destruction. Recklessly he rushes after Abner, while he seems to forget that Abner is an experienced warrior.

Although Abner is on the wrong side, he is an honest warrior. Twice he tries to convince Asahel to leave from pursuing him. This shows his noble character.

First he points out to Asahel other men he could kill. That would also give him credit. Asahel does not accept the proposal. He seems to be inspired by only one thing and that is getting Abner into his hands, dead or alive. That will bring him much fame.

Abner makes a second attempt to change Asahel’s mind. With this he gives him the chance to leave the battlefield alive. If he goes on, he will have to kill him. Abner is not out for his death. Behind Asahel Abner also sees Joab. He knows Joab and knows that he will surely avenge the death of Asahel, and that he does not consider any means too bad for that.

Unfortunately, Asahel does not listen and is killed, because Abner strikes him in the belly with the butt end of the spear. Asahel will not have expected this unusual act. He will have been surprised by this tactic. The effectiveness is there. This shows that also on the side of David are men who act unwisely.

The result is a delay in the battle. When Asahel is dead on the road, all the chasers stand still with him. This gives Abner the chance to escape.

2 Samuel 13:36

Abner Kills Asahel

In his youthful hubris Asahel seems to be targeting Abner. He relies on his speed and agility in pursuit. His speed, possibly at the same time his pride, brings him rapid destruction. Recklessly he rushes after Abner, while he seems to forget that Abner is an experienced warrior.

Although Abner is on the wrong side, he is an honest warrior. Twice he tries to convince Asahel to leave from pursuing him. This shows his noble character.

First he points out to Asahel other men he could kill. That would also give him credit. Asahel does not accept the proposal. He seems to be inspired by only one thing and that is getting Abner into his hands, dead or alive. That will bring him much fame.

Abner makes a second attempt to change Asahel’s mind. With this he gives him the chance to leave the battlefield alive. If he goes on, he will have to kill him. Abner is not out for his death. Behind Asahel Abner also sees Joab. He knows Joab and knows that he will surely avenge the death of Asahel, and that he does not consider any means too bad for that.

Unfortunately, Asahel does not listen and is killed, because Abner strikes him in the belly with the butt end of the spear. Asahel will not have expected this unusual act. He will have been surprised by this tactic. The effectiveness is there. This shows that also on the side of David are men who act unwisely.

The result is a delay in the battle. When Asahel is dead on the road, all the chasers stand still with him. This gives Abner the chance to escape.

2 Samuel 13:37

Joab and Abishai Pursued Abner

Joab and Abishai continued the pursuit. Then comes the sunset and the battle must be stopped. At that moment Abner makes a good proposal. He does not want this fight. At the same time, he himself is guilty of it. He took up the sword himself and caused the civil war. He perseveres in defending the wrong king.

In 2 Samuel 2:26, the poignant question from Abner to Joab sounds: “Shall the sword devour forever?” In other words: ‘Will there never be an end to the killing?’ The question is justified and exploratory. However, the following question also arises whether Abner is the right person to ask this question. If he had resigned himself to God’s choice of His king, this battle would not have taken place.

This can also be applied to our time and situation. We may be saddened by a battle among brothers, but we must also ask ourselves to what extent we ourselves are to blame for it. How many people have already been lost to God’s testimony by a battle between brothers? When will we stop our self-willed actions? When will we focus all our attention again on the Lord and His Word, to learn from Him meekness and humility of heart and to walk in that mind in the truth?

2 Samuel 13:38

Joab and Abishai Pursued Abner

Joab and Abishai continued the pursuit. Then comes the sunset and the battle must be stopped. At that moment Abner makes a good proposal. He does not want this fight. At the same time, he himself is guilty of it. He took up the sword himself and caused the civil war. He perseveres in defending the wrong king.

In 2 Samuel 2:26, the poignant question from Abner to Joab sounds: “Shall the sword devour forever?” In other words: ‘Will there never be an end to the killing?’ The question is justified and exploratory. However, the following question also arises whether Abner is the right person to ask this question. If he had resigned himself to God’s choice of His king, this battle would not have taken place.

This can also be applied to our time and situation. We may be saddened by a battle among brothers, but we must also ask ourselves to what extent we ourselves are to blame for it. How many people have already been lost to God’s testimony by a battle between brothers? When will we stop our self-willed actions? When will we focus all our attention again on the Lord and His Word, to learn from Him meekness and humility of heart and to walk in that mind in the truth?

2 Samuel 13:39

Joab and Abishai Pursued Abner

Joab and Abishai continued the pursuit. Then comes the sunset and the battle must be stopped. At that moment Abner makes a good proposal. He does not want this fight. At the same time, he himself is guilty of it. He took up the sword himself and caused the civil war. He perseveres in defending the wrong king.

In 2 Samuel 2:26, the poignant question from Abner to Joab sounds: “Shall the sword devour forever?” In other words: ‘Will there never be an end to the killing?’ The question is justified and exploratory. However, the following question also arises whether Abner is the right person to ask this question. If he had resigned himself to God’s choice of His king, this battle would not have taken place.

This can also be applied to our time and situation. We may be saddened by a battle among brothers, but we must also ask ourselves to what extent we ourselves are to blame for it. How many people have already been lost to God’s testimony by a battle between brothers? When will we stop our self-willed actions? When will we focus all our attention again on the Lord and His Word, to learn from Him meekness and humility of heart and to walk in that mind in the truth?