Reading for June 7th

 Read 2 Samuel 23.1-7. In 23.1-7The last words of David. This is another poem attributed to David. Its date is uncertain. In verses 3-4: The image of the king as the sun was common in the ancient Near East, especially in Egypt, though it was less common in Israel. In verse 5: The house of the king is the dynasty. The everlasting covenant refers to the Lord's promise of an eternal dynasty for David in 2 Sam 7. In verses 6-7: These verses continue the image of vv. 3-4. The godless are like thorns consumed by the sun's heat. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 6th

 Read 2 Samuel 22.44-51. In 22.51: Steadfast love can also mean loyalty. Anointed was a title for the king: it is the word "messiah." The reference to David and his descendants, if original to the psalm, would indicate that it comes from royal circles in Judah. Comments or Questions.. 

Reading for June 5th

 Read 2 Samuel 22.17-43. In verse 32: This is a monotheistic claim; the Lord (Yahweh) alone is God. In verses 33-37 The Lord equips the psalmist for battle. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 4th

 Read 2 Samuel 22.8-16. In verse 8: The Lord's appearance is accompanied by an earthquake. In verse 9: The Lord is pictured here as a fire breathing dragon. In verses 11-16: The Lord is depicted here as the  storm God. A cherub (v. 11) was a mythical, griffin-like creature. God's voice (v. 14) is thunder,  and he throws lightening bolts at his enemies (v. 15). The psalmist envisions the world as flat and is trapped in the underworld beneath the foundation of the world which the Lord's roar uncovers (v. 16). Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 3rd

 Read 2 Sam 22.1-7. In 22.1-51: A psalm of praise. This psalm, which is the same as Psalm 18, was written long after David's time but is inserted here as appropriate to David's sentiments. In verses 2-3: The image of the Lord as a protective rock is common in the Bible. In verses 5-6: Perdition is a reference to the underworld, the abode of the dead, known in the Bible as Shoel. In verse 7: The mention of the temple is an indication that this psalm was written after David, since the temple was built by Solomon. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 2nd

 Read 2 Samuel 21.15-22. In verse 16: Three hundred shekels was almost eight pounds. In verse 19: Some of the information in this verse has been secondarily added to the story in 1 Sam 17. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 1st

 Read 2 Samuel 21.1-14.In 21.1-14: The execution of Saul's heirs. In verses 1-2: The Gibeonites had a special treaty with Israel (Josh 9). This story assumes that the violation of that treaty brought divine wrath. The Bible nowhere recounts Saul's attempted extermination of the Gibeonites. In verse 3: The Lord's heritage is both the land and the people of Israel. In verse 4: This is a matter for blood vengeance but as resident aliens in Israel the Gibeonites do not have that right. In verses 5-9: It was typical for the founder of a new dynasty to annihilate the potential claimants from the previous dynasty. David does that here. Saul's alleged offense provides a religious legitimation for this political act. Only Merib-baal is spared (v. 7), probably because he was crippled and could not therefore be king though this may reflect David's affection for Jonathan. This story originally came before 9.1, in which David asks if anyone is left in Saul's house. The event took place early in David's reign over Israel. Sons (v. 6) may also include grandsons. Mephiboseth or Mephibaal in v. 8 is the proper reading. This was not Jonathan's son, Merib-baal, was spared. The barley harvest was in April-May. In verse 10: Rizpah was Saul's concubine. In verses 11-14: As a result of Rizpah's action, David tries to honor the memory of Saul and Jonathan. According to 1 Sam 31.12, the bones were burned. This is either a contradiction, or David gathered only their ashes. Comments or Questions.

Reading for May 31st

 Read 2 Samuel 20.14-26. In verse 14: Abel is at the northern extreme of Israel. In verse 15: Ancient Israelite cities were surrounded by thick walls that had to be broken through with battering rams. In verse 16: This wise woman is both intelligent and eloquent. She may have been a city official. In verses 18-19: The woman says that Abel is one of Israel's original cities and should no be destroyed. In verse 21: The woman does not know about Sheba, indicating that his revolt did not reach to all Israel but included only part of Benjamin and the hill country of Ephraim. In verses 23-26: This cabinet list is very similar to the one in 8.16-18. It probably came to this location by attachment to 21.1-14. The forced labor was conscripted from the northern tribes by David and Solomon. Its leader, Adoram or Adoniram, was later stoned when the Israelites rebelled against the Davidic dynasty (1 Kings 12.18). Comments or Questions.. 

Reading for May 30th

 Read 2 Samuel 20.4-13.  In verse 7: The Cherethite and Pelethites were the royal bodyguard. They were closely related to if not identical with the Philistines. In verses 8-10: Joab's assassination of Amasa is similar to his murder of Abner (3.26-39). His motive is not explained but presumably had to do with the fact that Amasa had taken Joab's place as army commander. Comments or Questions

Reading for May 29th

 Read 2 Samuel 20.1--3. In  20.1-26: Sheba's revolt. In verse 1: Everyone to your tents is an idiom for military demobilization. Sheba is calling for the army or Israel to withdraw from David. In verse 2: All the people of Israel refers only to the northern tribes, as the rest of the verse shows. This phrase probably exaggerates the extent of the northern disaffection with David (see v. 21). In verse 3 : David no longer had sexual relations with the ten concubines he had left behind because Absalom had slept with them (16.20-22). Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 28th

 Read 2 Samuel 19.41-43. In verse 41: Because of David's invitation (vv. 11-12) the army (people) of Judah welcomes David back before the army of Israel. In verse 42: The army of Judah denies that it has received any special favors or bribes from David. In verse 43: The ten shares are the ten northen tribes of Israel. Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 27th

 Read 2 Samuel 19.31-40. Barzillai had helped to provide for David in exile (17.27). David now invites him to come live in his palace in Jerusalem. Barzillai replies that he is too old to enjoy it but arranges for the king to take his son Chimham instead. Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 26th

 Read 2 Samuel 19.24-30. In verse 24: Taken care of his feet may mean trimmed his toenails, since the writer cites it as evidence that Merib-baal (Mephiboseth) had been mourning David's exile. In verses 26-30: Ziba had accused Merib-baal of plotting to take the throne ( 16.1-4). Merib-baal here defends himself, saying that Ziba refused to help him to flee with David, and he could not leave on his own accord because he is crippled. David's decision (v. 29) indicates that he does not know which of them is telling the truth. Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 25th

 Read 2 Samuel 19.16-23. In verses 16-23: Shimei and those with him from the tribe of Benjamin, Saul's tribe. Shimei had ridiculed David when he fled Jerusalem (16.5-13). Now that David is victorious, he asks for forgiveness. He and the Benjaminite's are first of the Israelites or house of of Joseph (v. 20) to welcome David back. Abishai still wants to kill Shimei (16.9), but David refuses. It may have been customary for a new king to pardon criminals on the day of his coronation (see 1 Sam 11.13). Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 24th

 Read 2 Samuel 19.8c-15. In 19.11-43: David returns to Jerusalem.  In verse 11: David contacts the leaders of elders of Judah to encourage them to welcome him back as king. In verse 13: David appoints Amasa as his army commander in place of Joab. Amasa was David's nephew (17.25) and had been Absalom's commander. This provides a motive for Joab's murder of Amasa (20.10). In verse 14: Amasa, in turn, persuades the people (army) of Judah' to return David. Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 23rd

 Read 2 Samuel  19.1-8b. In verse 6: Love and hate can be political terms for loyalty and disloyalty. Joab's point is that David shows love to those who are disloyal to him (Absalom) while failing to show love or appreciation toward his loyal subjects. Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 22nd

 Read 2 Samuel 18.19-32. In verse 19: Ahimaaz wants to deliver the good news of the victory to David. In verse 20: because the king's son (was) dead maybe the narrator's words rather than Joab's In verse 21: A Cushite was an Ethiopian. In verse 29: Ahimaaz apparently does not know that Absalom is dead. In verse 32: The Cushite thinks Absalom's death is also good news. Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 21st

 Read 2 Samuel 18.1-1-18. In 18.1-19.10: The defeat and death of Absalom. In 18.1-8: By following Hushai's advice to delay in Jerusalem, Absalom gave David the opportunity to regroup his forces and to choose the battle site. David and his men used the rugged forest of Ephraim to counter the larger numbers of Absalom's army. In verse 9: The mule was the royal mount for King David and his sons. Thus, Absalom's unseating from the mule symbolizes his loss of the kingdom. His predicament, being caught by the head reminds one of glorious hair (14.26) and suggests that his pride was his downfall. In verse1 4: Spears may also be translated "sticks." Apparently, Joab stabbed or struck Absalom with them in order to dislodge him from the tree and finish him off (v. 15). In verse 17: Burial under a heap of stones was a sign of cursed person (Josh 7.26). Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 20th

Read 2 Samuel 17.5-29. In verses 5-14: Hushai advises that Absalom wait and then attack David with the full force of Israel (v. 11).  Of course, Hushai is trying to give David time to recuperate and reorganize. He also plays on Absalom's ego saying that all the people will follow him, and he can lead them into battle (v. 12). Even though Ahithophel's advice is obviously better than Hushai's, the Lord had ordained that Absalom would be persuaded to follow Hushai. In verses 15-16: Hushai sends word o David through the priests and their sons. He bought David some time but urges him to cross the Jordan quickly and escape. In verses 18-19: The well was a simple pit; its opening could be covered with a blanket and grain spread over it for perfect camouflage. In verse 23: Abithophel committed suicide perhaps because he knew that the end of Absalom's reign was imminent. In verse 24: Mahanaim was a site east of the Jordan that was easily defensible. In verse 25: Amasa was David's nephew, the son of his sister Zeruiah. She is called the daughter of Nahash here rather than the daughter of Jesse. This may be a scribal error (Nahash occurs inv. 29) or Abigail may have been David's half-sister. In verse 27: This Nahash is the Ammonite king with whom David had a treaty (10.1-2). His son, Shobi, loyal to the treaty, now helps David in exile. Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 19th

 Read 2 Samuel 16.15-17.4. In 16.15-17.29: Overcoming Ahithophel. In 16.16-19: Hushai's words are duplicitous. When he says, Long live the king (v. 16), he means David. Similarly, when he affirms his loyalty to the  one the Lord and this people have chosen, he also means David. In both cases, Absalom takes these statements as a reference to himself. In verses 20-22: By sleep in with David's concubines, Absalom makes his claim to the throne emphatic. His deed fulfills Nathan's oracle (12.12). In verse 23: The counsel that Ahithophel gave was very highly prized. His motive for joining Absalom is not certain, but it is possible that he was Bathsheba's grandfather (compare 11.3 and 23.34) and may have held a grudge against David for his treatment of Bathsheba and Uriah. In 17.1-4: Ahithophel's advice is to attack while David's forces are weak from fleeing Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 18th

 Read 2 Samuel 16.1-14. In verses 3-4: Your master's son is Merib-baal. His grandfather was Saul, and Ziba claims that he is hoping to take over his grandfather's place as king. But Ziba may be lying (19.24-30). David rewards Ziba by giving him from Saul's property. There is some question about whether David has the legal right to do this. In verse 5: Shimei belonged not only to Saul's tribe (Benjamin) but also to his family or clan. In verses 6-8: Shimei accused David of murdering members of Saul's family and usurping the throne. He may have in mind the deaths of Abner and Ishbaal or those of Saul's sons and grandsons in 21.1-14. In verse 9:Abishai was Joab's brother. Both are recognized in 2 Samuel as  violent men. he calls Shimei a dead dog a term of reproach. Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 17th

 Read 2 Samuel 15.13-37. In 15.13-16.14: David flees Jerusalem. In verse 16: Concubines were female slaves used for sexual purposes. In verse 17; The last house refers to the last house on the outskirts of Jerusalem. In verse 18: The Cherethites and Pelethites were related to or identical with Philistines who served as the royal body guard. Gittites were Philistines from Gath. All of these groups had followed David from his days with the Philistines. In verse 23: The wadi Kidron is the valley between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives. David is heading east toward the Jordan. In verse 24: Abiathar and Zadok were David's two priests. In verses 31-34: David was disheartened to learn that his wise adviser, Ahithophel (see 16.13-23) had joined Absalom. He walked up the Mount of Olives (v. 30), he prayed for help against Ahithophel. His prayer was answered at the summit when he met Hushai, who would help him defeat Ahithophel's advice. In verse 37: David's friend may have been a title for an intimate adviser or 'best man." Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 16th

 Read 2 Samuel 15.1-12. In 15.1-12: The revolt begins. In verse 1; The chariot and horses and fifty men to run ahead were trappings of kingship (1 Kings 1.5) The fifty men were probably a royal bodyguard. In verse 5: Absalom would not allow anyone to bow or do obeisance to him but fashioned himself a "man of the people." In verse 6: Stole the hearts is translated "deceived" in Gen 31.20 and is appropriate here also. In verses 7-10: Hebron was  the capital of Judah, where David had been made king of both Judah and Israel and had ruled Judah for seven years. Absalom was mirroring his father's rise by declaring himself king in Hebron. His revolt, however, was not limited to Judah butt spread throughout all the tribes of Israel (v. 10). In verse 8: Geshur was the Aramean city-state where Absalom fled after killing Amnon (13.37-39). In verse 12: On the great wisdom of David's counselor, Ahitophel see 16.15-23. Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 15th

 Read2 Samuel 14.12-33. In verse 14: Amnon is dead and cannot be brought to life again, but David can accept Absalom, who is still alive. In verses 15-17: These verses are out of place; the woman continues to plead for her son, but David has already rendered his decision. They probably originally went after v. 7. the man who would cut both me and my son off is the blood avenger, a member of the clan, appointed to avenge the death of the murdered son. The heritage of God refers not only to the land of Israel but to its people. In verses 21-24: David allows Absalom to return but refuses to see him personally.  In verse 26: Two hundred shekels would be over five pounds, an extraordinary amount of hair. In verse 27: Absalom named his daughter after his sister Tamar (ch 12). In verses 28-33: This episode shows Absalom's rash nature and suggests that Joab may have held a grudge against him. Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 14th

 Read 2 Samuel 14.1-11. In 14.1-33: Absalom's return. In verse 1: The fact that the king's mind was on Absalom does not mean that he was now favorably inclined toward Absalom, as this story makes clear. In verse 2: Tekoa was a village south of Bethlehem. Perhaps David took an interest in this case because the woman was from his home territory. Wise also means skilled. In verses 8-11: David grants the woman request and swears by the Lord that her one remaining son will not be harmed. The woman will urge David to apply this oath to his situation with Absalom. Since David's ruling is contrary to the customary punishment, the woman accepts any guilt that David may incur. Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 13th

 Read 2 Samuel 13.23-39. In 13.23-39: Amnon's murder. In verse 23: Sheepshearing was a time of celebration. In verse 27: The feast was a drinking bout. In verse 29: David and his sons rode on mules (18.9; 1 Kings 1.33). In verses 30-33: David initially thought that Absalom had killed all the king's sons, which would make sense if he were attempting a coup. But his intention at this point is purely revenge against Amnon. The clever Jonadah appears as a false friend to Amnon. In verse 37: Talmai, the king of Geshur, was Abraham's maternal grandfather (3.3) In verse 39: The first past of this verse may mean that David was tired of marching out in pursuit of Absalom rather than that he yearned for him. This would explain David's reluctance in the next chapter to allow Absalom back into his presence. Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 12th

 Read 2 Samuel 13.1-22. In 13.1-22: The rape of Tamar. In verse 1: Tamar was Absalom's full sister but Amnon's half-sister. David was the father of all three, but Tamar's and Absalom's mother was different from Amnon's. In verse 2;  As a virgin daughter of the king, Tamar was probably guarded  and therefore it seems impossible to Amnon to do anything to her. In verse 6; The word for cakes is similar to the Hebrew word for "heart." This may describe their shape.it also suggests Amnon's love. In verse 11: The term my sister reflects the kinship of Amnon and Tamar. It is also common in the ancient love poetry and expresses his sexual desire (compare Son 4.9-10; 5.1). In verse 12: Such a thing may refer to incest or rape or both. In verse 13: Tamar suggests that David would allow their marriage despite its incestuous nature, in part, at least, she is trying to buy time. In verse 16: Exodus 22.16 and Deut 22.28-29 required marriage in similar cases. Tamar may have such laws in mind when she says that in sending her away Amnon is committing a greater wrong than the rape itself. In verse 17: Having robbed Tamar of her virginity, Amnon takes her identity as well, contemptuously calling her this woman. In verse 18: The exact nature of the long robe with sleeves is unknown. The same expression is used for Joseph's garment in Gen 37.3. In verse 19; Putting ashes on the head and tearing the clothes were signs of grief, though Tamar may also torn the long robe worn by the king's virgin daughters because it was no longer appropriate. In verse 20: By desolate is meant unmarried. In verse 22: Neither good not bad means not at all. It indicates Absalom's silence and his self-restraint. Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 11th

 Read 2 Samuel 12.16-31. In verse 20: The house of the Lord is the Temple in Jerusalem, which had not yet been built. This appears therefore, to be an anachronism. In verses 24-25: Solomon means "his replacement." He was a replacement for the dead child. But his name Jedidah ("beloved of Yahweh"), which does not occur for Solomon anywhere else, hints that he will replace David (whose name means "beloved") as king. In verses 26-29: Joab captured the citadel and the water supply of Rabbah, the Ammonite capital, so that David's conquest of the rest of the city was fairly simple. In verse 30: Milcorn was the national god of the Ammonites. A talent was about 75 pounds. Comments or Questions.. 

Reading for May 10th

 Read 2 Samuel 12.1-15. In 12.1-31: David's punishment. In verses 1-6: Nathan brings a legal case before David. As King he was responsible for ensuring the rights of the poor. The fourfold restoration mentioned in v. 6 is prescribed in Ex 22.1 Other textual witnesses have sevenfold. In verse 8; There is some textual support for reading "daughter(s)" instead of house in this verse. The point is any case is that David had many women as wives and concubines. But like the rich man in Nathan's parable, he stole belonged to his poor neighbor. The mention of your master's wives assumes that David took over Saul's harem. In verses 11-12: These verses allude to Abraham's revolt specifically his deed in 16.20-23. In verses 13-18: David's sin is transferred to his newborn son, who then dies because of it. Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 9th

 Read 2 Samuel 11.14--27. In verse 14: David has confidence enough in Uriah's loyalty to send his death warrant by his own hand knowing that Uriah, even if he could read, would no read it. In verses 16-21: Joab also uses Uriah's death to cover up his mistake in draw in too close to the city wall. The story of Abimelech (v. 21) is in Judge 9. In verse 27: This verse provides a transition to the continuation of the story in the next chapter. Comments or Questions.. 

Reading for May 8th

 Read 2 Samuel 11.1-13. In 11.1-27: David and Bathsheba. In verse 1: This story is set a year after the events in the previous chapter, it is not clear why David remained at Jerusalem, but the story in 21.15-17 may lie in the background. In verse 2: David had been taking an afternoon nap on the roof of the king's house where it was cool. From there he was able to look down into the courtyard of surrounding houses, its where he saw the woman bathing. Uriah was one of David's best soldiers, according to 23.39. In verse 4: Bathsheba was purifying herself after her period by bathing according to Lev 15.19-28. She was at the most fertile time of her cycle when she slept with David. This also makes it clear that her child must be David's, not Uriah. In verse 7: It must have seemed strange to Uriah to be called back from battle for a personal audience with the king only to be asked the most general questions. Perhaps this raised his suspicions and caused him to be on his best behavior. The people are the army. In verse 8: Wash your feet is a euphemism for sexual intercourse. In the Hebrew idiom, the feet often refer to the genitals. In verse 9: As a pious soldier who is consecrated for war (see 1 Sam 21.5), Uriah refuses to sleep with his wife.  Comments or Questions..