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2 Samuel 4

W
The Whosoever Study Bible
Whosoever will, may come.
the second book of samuel
Nathan and Gad (likely) · c. 970 BC
Chapter the Fourth
And when Saul’s son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled. 
And Saul’s son had two men that were captains of bands: the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon a Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin: (for Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin: 
And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and were sojourners there until this day.) 
And Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth. 
And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ish-bosheth, who lay on a bed at noon. 
And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they smote him under the fifth rib: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. 
For when they came into the house, he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and gat them away through the plain all night. 
And they brought the head of Ish-bosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul thine enemy, which sought thy life; and the LORD hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed. 
And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the LORD liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity, 
When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings: 
How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth? 
And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron. 
HOW TO USE
PROVISIONIST · DISPENSATIONAL · PRE-TRIBULATIONAL
Chuck Smith · C2000 · 1979 to 1985
2 Samuel 1-7
Tape C2060 · 1:36:22
Permission granted by The Word For Today
Chuck Smith · C3000 · 1985 to 1999
2 Samuel 3-5
Tape C3092 · 58:08
Permission granted by The Word For Today

Chuck Smith on 2 Samuel 4

Verse by verse, the C2000, 1979 to 1985 series. Permission granted by The Word For Today.

Verses 1–2

Now when Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands were feeble, and all of Israel was troubled. And Saul's son had two men that were the captains of his bands (4:1-2):

These two men came into the palace as though they were gonna get some wheat, and then they jumped on him while he was taking his afternoon nap. They smote him under the fifth rib, a common phrase, it means they ran him through the heart. They escaped, they cut off his head and escaped. They came running to David with the head of Ishbosheth.

Verses 8–12

So they said to David, Behold here is the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul your enemy, which sought your life; and the LORD has avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed. And David answered [these two generals] Rechab and Baanah his brother, and said to them, As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity, When a young man told me that Saul was dead, thinking that he was bringing good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him there at Ziklag, when he thought that I was gonna give him a reward for those tidings: How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hands, and take you away from the earth? And so David commanded his young men, and they slew them, cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth, and they buried it there in the grave of Abner there in Hebron (4:8-12).

So David again showed that he was not trying to promote himself, and punished these men who did this dastardly deed to Ishbosheth.

Commentary on 2 Samuel 4

Whosoever Will · The Whosoever Study Bible’s verse commentary

2 Samuel 4:1

The period between Saul's death and David's coronation over all Israel lasts seven and a half years. David is king over Judah at Hebron; Ish-bosheth, Saul's surviving son, is made king over the rest of Israel by Abner. The conflict is not resolved by David's initiative but by the collapse of Saul's house from within: Ish-bosheth is assassinated, Abner is killed by Joab. And then all the tribes of Israel come to Hebron. Their argument is threefold: we are your bone and your flesh, kinship. Even when Saul was king you led Israel out and brought them in, demonstrated competence. And the LORD said to you: you shall shepherd my people Israel and be their nagid, divine appointment. David makes a covenant with the elders before the LORD and they anoint him king over all Israel. He is thirty years old. He reigns forty years. He captures Jerusalem from the Jebusites (the city no tribe had managed to take since the conquest) and makes it his capital. Jerusalem becomes the city of David. Hiram of Tyre sends cedar and craftsmen. And David perceives that the LORD has established him as king over Israel and has exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. Thread 3 is the third anointing: the royal trajectory that the Davidic covenant will lock in place is now visibly, publicly, nationally established. Thread 2 is the covenant made with the elders before the LORD: the corporate covenant people formally entering the Davidic arrangement. Thread 5 is the dispensational marker: the judge period is fully over; the monarchy is fully established; the covenant of 2 Samuel 7 is about to be given.
All the tribes of Israel come to Hebron, the third anointing; David has been anointed privately by Samuel, then as king of Judah at Hebron, and now as king over all Israel; the three anointings echo the threefold ad-olam of the covenant about to be given.
אַתָּה תִרְעֶה אֶת עַמִּי אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאַתָּה תִּהְיֶה לְנָגִיד עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל (attah tir'eh et ammi et Yisrael ve-attah tihyeh le-nagid al Yisrael): thou shalt feed my people Israel and thou shalt be captain over Israel: tir'eh (you shall shepherd, from ra'ah, to shepherd, to tend; the king as shepherd of the nation is the OT's primary political metaphor; David the literal shepherd of Bethlehem is now the shepherd-king of Israel; Psalm 78:70-72 celebrates this); nagid (captain, leader, designated ruler, from nagad, to be prominent; the title used before the formal coronation)
threads t2 · t3 · t5 · see Psalm 78:70-72 · Luke 1:32 · Revelation 5:5

2 Samuel 4:2

The period between Saul's death and David's coronation over all Israel lasts seven and a half years. David is king over Judah at Hebron; Ish-bosheth, Saul's surviving son, is made king over the rest of Israel by Abner. The conflict is not resolved by David's initiative but by the collapse of Saul's house from within: Ish-bosheth is assassinated, Abner is killed by Joab. And then all the tribes of Israel come to Hebron. Their argument is threefold: we are your bone and your flesh, kinship. Even when Saul was king you led Israel out and brought them in, demonstrated competence. And the LORD said to you: you shall shepherd my people Israel and be their nagid, divine appointment. David makes a covenant with the elders before the LORD and they anoint him king over all Israel. He is thirty years old. He reigns forty years. He captures Jerusalem from the Jebusites (the city no tribe had managed to take since the conquest) and makes it his capital. Jerusalem becomes the city of David. Hiram of Tyre sends cedar and craftsmen. And David perceives that the LORD has established him as king over Israel and has exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. Thread 3 is the third anointing: the royal trajectory that the Davidic covenant will lock in place is now visibly, publicly, nationally established. Thread 2 is the covenant made with the elders before the LORD: the corporate covenant people formally entering the Davidic arrangement. Thread 5 is the dispensational marker: the judge period is fully over; the monarchy is fully established; the covenant of 2 Samuel 7 is about to be given.
All the tribes of Israel come to Hebron, the third anointing; David has been anointed privately by Samuel, then as king of Judah at Hebron, and now as king over all Israel; the three anointings echo the threefold ad-olam of the covenant about to be given.
אַתָּה תִרְעֶה אֶת עַמִּי אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאַתָּה תִּהְיֶה לְנָגִיד עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל (attah tir'eh et ammi et Yisrael ve-attah tihyeh le-nagid al Yisrael): thou shalt feed my people Israel and thou shalt be captain over Israel: tir'eh (you shall shepherd, from ra'ah, to shepherd, to tend; the king as shepherd of the nation is the OT's primary political metaphor; David the literal shepherd of Bethlehem is now the shepherd-king of Israel; Psalm 78:70-72 celebrates this); nagid (captain, leader, designated ruler, from nagad, to be prominent; the title used before the formal coronation)
threads t2 · t3 · t5 · see Psalm 78:70-72 · Luke 1:32 · Revelation 5:5

2 Samuel 4:3

The period between Saul's death and David's coronation over all Israel lasts seven and a half years. David is king over Judah at Hebron; Ish-bosheth, Saul's surviving son, is made king over the rest of Israel by Abner. The conflict is not resolved by David's initiative but by the collapse of Saul's house from within: Ish-bosheth is assassinated, Abner is killed by Joab. And then all the tribes of Israel come to Hebron. Their argument is threefold: we are your bone and your flesh, kinship. Even when Saul was king you led Israel out and brought them in, demonstrated competence. And the LORD said to you: you shall shepherd my people Israel and be their nagid, divine appointment. David makes a covenant with the elders before the LORD and they anoint him king over all Israel. He is thirty years old. He reigns forty years. He captures Jerusalem from the Jebusites (the city no tribe had managed to take since the conquest) and makes it his capital. Jerusalem becomes the city of David. Hiram of Tyre sends cedar and craftsmen. And David perceives that the LORD has established him as king over Israel and has exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. Thread 3 is the third anointing: the royal trajectory that the Davidic covenant will lock in place is now visibly, publicly, nationally established. Thread 2 is the covenant made with the elders before the LORD: the corporate covenant people formally entering the Davidic arrangement. Thread 5 is the dispensational marker: the judge period is fully over; the monarchy is fully established; the covenant of 2 Samuel 7 is about to be given.
All the tribes of Israel come to Hebron, the third anointing; David has been anointed privately by Samuel, then as king of Judah at Hebron, and now as king over all Israel; the three anointings echo the threefold ad-olam of the covenant about to be given.
אַתָּה תִרְעֶה אֶת עַמִּי אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאַתָּה תִּהְיֶה לְנָגִיד עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל (attah tir'eh et ammi et Yisrael ve-attah tihyeh le-nagid al Yisrael): thou shalt feed my people Israel and thou shalt be captain over Israel: tir'eh (you shall shepherd, from ra'ah, to shepherd, to tend; the king as shepherd of the nation is the OT's primary political metaphor; David the literal shepherd of Bethlehem is now the shepherd-king of Israel; Psalm 78:70-72 celebrates this); nagid (captain, leader, designated ruler, from nagad, to be prominent; the title used before the formal coronation)
threads t2 · t3 · t5 · see Psalm 78:70-72 · Luke 1:32 · Revelation 5:5

2 Samuel 4:4

The period between Saul's death and David's coronation over all Israel lasts seven and a half years. David is king over Judah at Hebron; Ish-bosheth, Saul's surviving son, is made king over the rest of Israel by Abner. The conflict is not resolved by David's initiative but by the collapse of Saul's house from within: Ish-bosheth is assassinated, Abner is killed by Joab. And then all the tribes of Israel come to Hebron. Their argument is threefold: we are your bone and your flesh, kinship. Even when Saul was king you led Israel out and brought them in, demonstrated competence. And the LORD said to you: you shall shepherd my people Israel and be their nagid, divine appointment. David makes a covenant with the elders before the LORD and they anoint him king over all Israel. He is thirty years old. He reigns forty years. He captures Jerusalem from the Jebusites (the city no tribe had managed to take since the conquest) and makes it his capital. Jerusalem becomes the city of David. Hiram of Tyre sends cedar and craftsmen. And David perceives that the LORD has established him as king over Israel and has exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. Thread 3 is the third anointing: the royal trajectory that the Davidic covenant will lock in place is now visibly, publicly, nationally established. Thread 2 is the covenant made with the elders before the LORD: the corporate covenant people formally entering the Davidic arrangement. Thread 5 is the dispensational marker: the judge period is fully over; the monarchy is fully established; the covenant of 2 Samuel 7 is about to be given.
All the tribes of Israel come to Hebron, the third anointing; David has been anointed privately by Samuel, then as king of Judah at Hebron, and now as king over all Israel; the three anointings echo the threefold ad-olam of the covenant about to be given.
אַתָּה תִרְעֶה אֶת עַמִּי אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאַתָּה תִּהְיֶה לְנָגִיד עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל (attah tir'eh et ammi et Yisrael ve-attah tihyeh le-nagid al Yisrael): thou shalt feed my people Israel and thou shalt be captain over Israel: tir'eh (you shall shepherd, from ra'ah, to shepherd, to tend; the king as shepherd of the nation is the OT's primary political metaphor; David the literal shepherd of Bethlehem is now the shepherd-king of Israel; Psalm 78:70-72 celebrates this); nagid (captain, leader, designated ruler, from nagad, to be prominent; the title used before the formal coronation)
threads t2 · t3 · t5 · see Psalm 78:70-72 · Luke 1:32 · Revelation 5:5

2 Samuel 4:5

The period between Saul's death and David's coronation over all Israel lasts seven and a half years. David is king over Judah at Hebron; Ish-bosheth, Saul's surviving son, is made king over the rest of Israel by Abner. The conflict is not resolved by David's initiative but by the collapse of Saul's house from within: Ish-bosheth is assassinated, Abner is killed by Joab. And then all the tribes of Israel come to Hebron. Their argument is threefold: we are your bone and your flesh, kinship. Even when Saul was king you led Israel out and brought them in, demonstrated competence. And the LORD said to you: you shall shepherd my people Israel and be their nagid, divine appointment. David makes a covenant with the elders before the LORD and they anoint him king over all Israel. He is thirty years old. He reigns forty years. He captures Jerusalem from the Jebusites (the city no tribe had managed to take since the conquest) and makes it his capital. Jerusalem becomes the city of David. Hiram of Tyre sends cedar and craftsmen. And David perceives that the LORD has established him as king over Israel and has exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. Thread 3 is the third anointing: the royal trajectory that the Davidic covenant will lock in place is now visibly, publicly, nationally established. Thread 2 is the covenant made with the elders before the LORD: the corporate covenant people formally entering the Davidic arrangement. Thread 5 is the dispensational marker: the judge period is fully over; the monarchy is fully established; the covenant of 2 Samuel 7 is about to be given.
All the tribes of Israel come to Hebron, the third anointing; David has been anointed privately by Samuel, then as king of Judah at Hebron, and now as king over all Israel; the three anointings echo the threefold ad-olam of the covenant about to be given.
אַתָּה תִרְעֶה אֶת עַמִּי אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאַתָּה תִּהְיֶה לְנָגִיד עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל (attah tir'eh et ammi et Yisrael ve-attah tihyeh le-nagid al Yisrael): thou shalt feed my people Israel and thou shalt be captain over Israel: tir'eh (you shall shepherd, from ra'ah, to shepherd, to tend; the king as shepherd of the nation is the OT's primary political metaphor; David the literal shepherd of Bethlehem is now the shepherd-king of Israel; Psalm 78:70-72 celebrates this); nagid (captain, leader, designated ruler, from nagad, to be prominent; the title used before the formal coronation)
threads t2 · t3 · t5 · see Psalm 78:70-72 · Luke 1:32 · Revelation 5:5

2 Samuel 4:6

The period between Saul's death and David's coronation over all Israel lasts seven and a half years. David is king over Judah at Hebron; Ish-bosheth, Saul's surviving son, is made king over the rest of Israel by Abner. The conflict is not resolved by David's initiative but by the collapse of Saul's house from within: Ish-bosheth is assassinated, Abner is killed by Joab. And then all the tribes of Israel come to Hebron. Their argument is threefold: we are your bone and your flesh, kinship. Even when Saul was king you led Israel out and brought them in, demonstrated competence. And the LORD said to you: you shall shepherd my people Israel and be their nagid, divine appointment. David makes a covenant with the elders before the LORD and they anoint him king over all Israel. He is thirty years old. He reigns forty years. He captures Jerusalem from the Jebusites (the city no tribe had managed to take since the conquest) and makes it his capital. Jerusalem becomes the city of David. Hiram of Tyre sends cedar and craftsmen. And David perceives that the LORD has established him as king over Israel and has exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. Thread 3 is the third anointing: the royal trajectory that the Davidic covenant will lock in place is now visibly, publicly, nationally established. Thread 2 is the covenant made with the elders before the LORD: the corporate covenant people formally entering the Davidic arrangement. Thread 5 is the dispensational marker: the judge period is fully over; the monarchy is fully established; the covenant of 2 Samuel 7 is about to be given.
All the tribes of Israel come to Hebron, the third anointing; David has been anointed privately by Samuel, then as king of Judah at Hebron, and now as king over all Israel; the three anointings echo the threefold ad-olam of the covenant about to be given.
אַתָּה תִרְעֶה אֶת עַמִּי אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאַתָּה תִּהְיֶה לְנָגִיד עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל (attah tir'eh et ammi et Yisrael ve-attah tihyeh le-nagid al Yisrael): thou shalt feed my people Israel and thou shalt be captain over Israel: tir'eh (you shall shepherd, from ra'ah, to shepherd, to tend; the king as shepherd of the nation is the OT's primary political metaphor; David the literal shepherd of Bethlehem is now the shepherd-king of Israel; Psalm 78:70-72 celebrates this); nagid (captain, leader, designated ruler, from nagad, to be prominent; the title used before the formal coronation)
threads t2 · t3 · t5 · see Psalm 78:70-72 · Luke 1:32 · Revelation 5:5

2 Samuel 4:7

The period between Saul's death and David's coronation over all Israel lasts seven and a half years. David is king over Judah at Hebron; Ish-bosheth, Saul's surviving son, is made king over the rest of Israel by Abner. The conflict is not resolved by David's initiative but by the collapse of Saul's house from within: Ish-bosheth is assassinated, Abner is killed by Joab. And then all the tribes of Israel come to Hebron. Their argument is threefold: we are your bone and your flesh, kinship. Even when Saul was king you led Israel out and brought them in, demonstrated competence. And the LORD said to you: you shall shepherd my people Israel and be their nagid, divine appointment. David makes a covenant with the elders before the LORD and they anoint him king over all Israel. He is thirty years old. He reigns forty years. He captures Jerusalem from the Jebusites (the city no tribe had managed to take since the conquest) and makes it his capital. Jerusalem becomes the city of David. Hiram of Tyre sends cedar and craftsmen. And David perceives that the LORD has established him as king over Israel and has exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. Thread 3 is the third anointing: the royal trajectory that the Davidic covenant will lock in place is now visibly, publicly, nationally established. Thread 2 is the covenant made with the elders before the LORD: the corporate covenant people formally entering the Davidic arrangement. Thread 5 is the dispensational marker: the judge period is fully over; the monarchy is fully established; the covenant of 2 Samuel 7 is about to be given.
All the tribes of Israel come to Hebron, the third anointing; David has been anointed privately by Samuel, then as king of Judah at Hebron, and now as king over all Israel; the three anointings echo the threefold ad-olam of the covenant about to be given.
אַתָּה תִרְעֶה אֶת עַמִּי אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאַתָּה תִּהְיֶה לְנָגִיד עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל (attah tir'eh et ammi et Yisrael ve-attah tihyeh le-nagid al Yisrael): thou shalt feed my people Israel and thou shalt be captain over Israel: tir'eh (you shall shepherd, from ra'ah, to shepherd, to tend; the king as shepherd of the nation is the OT's primary political metaphor; David the literal shepherd of Bethlehem is now the shepherd-king of Israel; Psalm 78:70-72 celebrates this); nagid (captain, leader, designated ruler, from nagad, to be prominent; the title used before the formal coronation)
threads t2 · t3 · t5 · see Psalm 78:70-72 · Luke 1:32 · Revelation 5:5

2 Samuel 4:8

The period between Saul's death and David's coronation over all Israel lasts seven and a half years. David is king over Judah at Hebron; Ish-bosheth, Saul's surviving son, is made king over the rest of Israel by Abner. The conflict is not resolved by David's initiative but by the collapse of Saul's house from within: Ish-bosheth is assassinated, Abner is killed by Joab. And then all the tribes of Israel come to Hebron. Their argument is threefold: we are your bone and your flesh, kinship. Even when Saul was king you led Israel out and brought them in, demonstrated competence. And the LORD said to you: you shall shepherd my people Israel and be their nagid, divine appointment. David makes a covenant with the elders before the LORD and they anoint him king over all Israel. He is thirty years old. He reigns forty years. He captures Jerusalem from the Jebusites (the city no tribe had managed to take since the conquest) and makes it his capital. Jerusalem becomes the city of David. Hiram of Tyre sends cedar and craftsmen. And David perceives that the LORD has established him as king over Israel and has exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. Thread 3 is the third anointing: the royal trajectory that the Davidic covenant will lock in place is now visibly, publicly, nationally established. Thread 2 is the covenant made with the elders before the LORD: the corporate covenant people formally entering the Davidic arrangement. Thread 5 is the dispensational marker: the judge period is fully over; the monarchy is fully established; the covenant of 2 Samuel 7 is about to be given.
All the tribes of Israel come to Hebron, the third anointing; David has been anointed privately by Samuel, then as king of Judah at Hebron, and now as king over all Israel; the three anointings echo the threefold ad-olam of the covenant about to be given.
אַתָּה תִרְעֶה אֶת עַמִּי אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאַתָּה תִּהְיֶה לְנָגִיד עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל (attah tir'eh et ammi et Yisrael ve-attah tihyeh le-nagid al Yisrael): thou shalt feed my people Israel and thou shalt be captain over Israel: tir'eh (you shall shepherd, from ra'ah, to shepherd, to tend; the king as shepherd of the nation is the OT's primary political metaphor; David the literal shepherd of Bethlehem is now the shepherd-king of Israel; Psalm 78:70-72 celebrates this); nagid (captain, leader, designated ruler, from nagad, to be prominent; the title used before the formal coronation)
threads t2 · t3 · t5 · see Psalm 78:70-72 · Luke 1:32 · Revelation 5:5

2 Samuel 4:9

The period between Saul's death and David's coronation over all Israel lasts seven and a half years. David is king over Judah at Hebron; Ish-bosheth, Saul's surviving son, is made king over the rest of Israel by Abner. The conflict is not resolved by David's initiative but by the collapse of Saul's house from within: Ish-bosheth is assassinated, Abner is killed by Joab. And then all the tribes of Israel come to Hebron. Their argument is threefold: we are your bone and your flesh, kinship. Even when Saul was king you led Israel out and brought them in, demonstrated competence. And the LORD said to you: you shall shepherd my people Israel and be their nagid, divine appointment. David makes a covenant with the elders before the LORD and they anoint him king over all Israel. He is thirty years old. He reigns forty years. He captures Jerusalem from the Jebusites (the city no tribe had managed to take since the conquest) and makes it his capital. Jerusalem becomes the city of David. Hiram of Tyre sends cedar and craftsmen. And David perceives that the LORD has established him as king over Israel and has exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. Thread 3 is the third anointing: the royal trajectory that the Davidic covenant will lock in place is now visibly, publicly, nationally established. Thread 2 is the covenant made with the elders before the LORD: the corporate covenant people formally entering the Davidic arrangement. Thread 5 is the dispensational marker: the judge period is fully over; the monarchy is fully established; the covenant of 2 Samuel 7 is about to be given.
All the tribes of Israel come to Hebron, the third anointing; David has been anointed privately by Samuel, then as king of Judah at Hebron, and now as king over all Israel; the three anointings echo the threefold ad-olam of the covenant about to be given.
אַתָּה תִרְעֶה אֶת עַמִּי אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאַתָּה תִּהְיֶה לְנָגִיד עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל (attah tir'eh et ammi et Yisrael ve-attah tihyeh le-nagid al Yisrael): thou shalt feed my people Israel and thou shalt be captain over Israel: tir'eh (you shall shepherd, from ra'ah, to shepherd, to tend; the king as shepherd of the nation is the OT's primary political metaphor; David the literal shepherd of Bethlehem is now the shepherd-king of Israel; Psalm 78:70-72 celebrates this); nagid (captain, leader, designated ruler, from nagad, to be prominent; the title used before the formal coronation)
threads t2 · t3 · t5 · see Psalm 78:70-72 · Luke 1:32 · Revelation 5:5

2 Samuel 4:10

The period between Saul's death and David's coronation over all Israel lasts seven and a half years. David is king over Judah at Hebron; Ish-bosheth, Saul's surviving son, is made king over the rest of Israel by Abner. The conflict is not resolved by David's initiative but by the collapse of Saul's house from within: Ish-bosheth is assassinated, Abner is killed by Joab. And then all the tribes of Israel come to Hebron. Their argument is threefold: we are your bone and your flesh, kinship. Even when Saul was king you led Israel out and brought them in, demonstrated competence. And the LORD said to you: you shall shepherd my people Israel and be their nagid, divine appointment. David makes a covenant with the elders before the LORD and they anoint him king over all Israel. He is thirty years old. He reigns forty years. He captures Jerusalem from the Jebusites (the city no tribe had managed to take since the conquest) and makes it his capital. Jerusalem becomes the city of David. Hiram of Tyre sends cedar and craftsmen. And David perceives that the LORD has established him as king over Israel and has exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. Thread 3 is the third anointing: the royal trajectory that the Davidic covenant will lock in place is now visibly, publicly, nationally established. Thread 2 is the covenant made with the elders before the LORD: the corporate covenant people formally entering the Davidic arrangement. Thread 5 is the dispensational marker: the judge period is fully over; the monarchy is fully established; the covenant of 2 Samuel 7 is about to be given.
All the tribes of Israel come to Hebron, the third anointing; David has been anointed privately by Samuel, then as king of Judah at Hebron, and now as king over all Israel; the three anointings echo the threefold ad-olam of the covenant about to be given.
אַתָּה תִרְעֶה אֶת עַמִּי אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאַתָּה תִּהְיֶה לְנָגִיד עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל (attah tir'eh et ammi et Yisrael ve-attah tihyeh le-nagid al Yisrael): thou shalt feed my people Israel and thou shalt be captain over Israel: tir'eh (you shall shepherd, from ra'ah, to shepherd, to tend; the king as shepherd of the nation is the OT's primary political metaphor; David the literal shepherd of Bethlehem is now the shepherd-king of Israel; Psalm 78:70-72 celebrates this); nagid (captain, leader, designated ruler, from nagad, to be prominent; the title used before the formal coronation)
threads t2 · t3 · t5 · see Psalm 78:70-72 · Luke 1:32 · Revelation 5:5

2 Samuel 4:11

The period between Saul's death and David's coronation over all Israel lasts seven and a half years. David is king over Judah at Hebron; Ish-bosheth, Saul's surviving son, is made king over the rest of Israel by Abner. The conflict is not resolved by David's initiative but by the collapse of Saul's house from within: Ish-bosheth is assassinated, Abner is killed by Joab. And then all the tribes of Israel come to Hebron. Their argument is threefold: we are your bone and your flesh, kinship. Even when Saul was king you led Israel out and brought them in, demonstrated competence. And the LORD said to you: you shall shepherd my people Israel and be their nagid, divine appointment. David makes a covenant with the elders before the LORD and they anoint him king over all Israel. He is thirty years old. He reigns forty years. He captures Jerusalem from the Jebusites (the city no tribe had managed to take since the conquest) and makes it his capital. Jerusalem becomes the city of David. Hiram of Tyre sends cedar and craftsmen. And David perceives that the LORD has established him as king over Israel and has exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. Thread 3 is the third anointing: the royal trajectory that the Davidic covenant will lock in place is now visibly, publicly, nationally established. Thread 2 is the covenant made with the elders before the LORD: the corporate covenant people formally entering the Davidic arrangement. Thread 5 is the dispensational marker: the judge period is fully over; the monarchy is fully established; the covenant of 2 Samuel 7 is about to be given.
All the tribes of Israel come to Hebron, the third anointing; David has been anointed privately by Samuel, then as king of Judah at Hebron, and now as king over all Israel; the three anointings echo the threefold ad-olam of the covenant about to be given.
אַתָּה תִרְעֶה אֶת עַמִּי אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאַתָּה תִּהְיֶה לְנָגִיד עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל (attah tir'eh et ammi et Yisrael ve-attah tihyeh le-nagid al Yisrael): thou shalt feed my people Israel and thou shalt be captain over Israel: tir'eh (you shall shepherd, from ra'ah, to shepherd, to tend; the king as shepherd of the nation is the OT's primary political metaphor; David the literal shepherd of Bethlehem is now the shepherd-king of Israel; Psalm 78:70-72 celebrates this); nagid (captain, leader, designated ruler, from nagad, to be prominent; the title used before the formal coronation)
threads t2 · t3 · t5 · see Psalm 78:70-72 · Luke 1:32 · Revelation 5:5

2 Samuel 4:12

The period between Saul's death and David's coronation over all Israel lasts seven and a half years. David is king over Judah at Hebron; Ish-bosheth, Saul's surviving son, is made king over the rest of Israel by Abner. The conflict is not resolved by David's initiative but by the collapse of Saul's house from within: Ish-bosheth is assassinated, Abner is killed by Joab. And then all the tribes of Israel come to Hebron. Their argument is threefold: we are your bone and your flesh, kinship. Even when Saul was king you led Israel out and brought them in, demonstrated competence. And the LORD said to you: you shall shepherd my people Israel and be their nagid, divine appointment. David makes a covenant with the elders before the LORD and they anoint him king over all Israel. He is thirty years old. He reigns forty years. He captures Jerusalem from the Jebusites (the city no tribe had managed to take since the conquest) and makes it his capital. Jerusalem becomes the city of David. Hiram of Tyre sends cedar and craftsmen. And David perceives that the LORD has established him as king over Israel and has exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. Thread 3 is the third anointing: the royal trajectory that the Davidic covenant will lock in place is now visibly, publicly, nationally established. Thread 2 is the covenant made with the elders before the LORD: the corporate covenant people formally entering the Davidic arrangement. Thread 5 is the dispensational marker: the judge period is fully over; the monarchy is fully established; the covenant of 2 Samuel 7 is about to be given.
All the tribes of Israel come to Hebron, the third anointing; David has been anointed privately by Samuel, then as king of Judah at Hebron, and now as king over all Israel; the three anointings echo the threefold ad-olam of the covenant about to be given.
אַתָּה תִרְעֶה אֶת עַמִּי אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאַתָּה תִּהְיֶה לְנָגִיד עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל (attah tir'eh et ammi et Yisrael ve-attah tihyeh le-nagid al Yisrael): thou shalt feed my people Israel and thou shalt be captain over Israel: tir'eh (you shall shepherd, from ra'ah, to shepherd, to tend; the king as shepherd of the nation is the OT's primary political metaphor; David the literal shepherd of Bethlehem is now the shepherd-king of Israel; Psalm 78:70-72 celebrates this); nagid (captain, leader, designated ruler, from nagad, to be prominent; the title used before the formal coronation)
threads t2 · t3 · t5 · see Psalm 78:70-72 · Luke 1:32 · Revelation 5:5
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