2 Samuel 7

2 Samuel 7:3

The Ziphites - Probably Saul would have pursued David no more, had not these wretches set him on.

2 Samuel 7:4

Zerujah - David’s sister. His father is not named either because he was now dead; or because he was an obscure person.

2 Samuel 7:5

Came - That is, to Saul’s host. It might seem a bold and strange attempt; but it may be considered: That David had a particular assurance that God would preserve him to the kingdom. That he had a special instinct from God, to this work; and possibly God might inform him, that he had cast them into a deep sleep, that he might have this second opportunity of manifesting his innocency towards Saul.

2 Samuel 7:7

Destroy him not, &c. - Though Saul be a tyrant, yet he is our Lord and king; and I, though designed king, as yet am his subject; and therefore cannot kill him without sin, nor will I consent that thou shouldst do it.

2 Samuel 7:9

Take the spear - Which will shew where we have been, and what we could have done.

2 Samuel 7:11

Afar off - That his person might be out of their reach, and yet his voice might be heard; which in a clear air, and in the silence of the night might be heard at a great distance.

2 Samuel 7:12

Cried to the people - It is probable this was early in the morning.

2 Samuel 7:17

The Lord - If the Lord hath by the evil spirit which he hath sent, or by his secret providence, directed thy rage against me for the punishment of thine, or my sins. An offering - Let us offer up a sacrifice to God to appease his wrath against us. Driven me - From the land which God hath given to his people for their inheritance, and where he hath established his presence and worship. Go serve - This was the language of their actions. For by driving him from God’s land, and the place of his worship, into foreign and idolatrous lands, they exposed him to the peril of being either ensnared by their counsels, or examples; or forced by their power to worship idols.

2 Samuel 7:18

Before the Lord - Remember, if thou dost it, God the judge of all men seeth it, and will avenge it; though I will not avenge myself.

2 Samuel 7:19

My soul, &c. - This second instance of David’s tenderness wrought more upon Saul than the former. He owns himself melted and quite overcome by David’s kindness to him. My soul was precious in thine eyes, which I thought had been odious. He acknowledges he had done very ill to persecute him: I have acted against God’s law, I have sinned: and against my own interest, I have played the fool, in pursuing him as an enemy, who was indeed one of my best friends. And herein I have erred exceedingly, have wronged both thee and myself. Nothing can be more full and ingenuous than this confession: God surely now touched his heart. And he promises to persecute him no more: nor does it appear that he ever attempted it.

2 Samuel 7:23

Blessed, &c. - So strong was his conviction now, that he could not forbear blessing him, foretelling his success, applauding David, and condemning himself, even in the hearing of his own soldiers. And this, it seems, was their last interview. After this they saw each other no more.

2 Samuel 7:25

I shall perish - But this was certainly a very great fault in David: for This proceeded from gross distrust of God’s promise and providence; and that after such repeated demonstrations of God’s peculiar care over him. He forsakes the place where god had settled him, chap.22:5, and given him both assurance and experience of his protection there. He voluntarily runs upon that rock, which he cursed his enemies for throwing him upon, chap.26:19, and upon many other snares and dangers, as the following history will shew; and withal, deprives the people of the Lord of those succours which he might have given them, in case of a battle. But God hereby designed to withdraw David from the Israelites, that they might fall by the hand of the Philistines, without any reproach or inconvenience to David.

2 Samuel 7:28

Sought no more for him - At their meeting Saul’s heart was deeply wounded, and he had said, “Return, my son David, Be with me as in time past.” Nor have we the least proof, that he would have sought for him again, with any other design.

2 Samuel 7:29

Give me a place - A prudent desire. Hereby David designed to preserve his people, both from the vices, which conversation with the Philistines would have exposed them to; and from that envy, and malice, which diversity of religion might have caused. With thee - Which is too great an honour for me, and too burdensome to thee, and may be an occasion of offence to thy people.