2 Samuel
The Book of 2 Samuel tells the story of King David’s reign over Israel.
2 Samuel Chapter 1
After David returned to Ziklag after defeating the Amalekites, a man from Saul’s army came to tell David Saul was dead. The man had seen Saul fallen on his own weapon but not dead yet. At Saul’s request, the man killed Saul, knowing Saul could not survive.
David mourned for Saul and Jonathan and for the defeat of the Israelite army. Then David ordered that the man be put to death for striking Saul, the man the Lord had anointed to be king.
Then David wrote a song of lament for Saul and Jonathan. The last lines read:
“How the mighty have fallen in battle!
Jonathan lies slain on your heights.
I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother;
you were very dear to me.
Your love for me was wonderful,
more wonderful than that of women.
“How the mighty have fallen!
The weapons of war have perished!”
- 2 Samuel 1:25-27
2 Samuel 2
The Lord directed David to return to a town in Judah, and the people of Judah made him their king.
Meanwhile, Saul’s cousin and commander of his army, Abner, made one of Saul’s sons, Ish-Bosheth king over the rest of Israel.
Joab was the commander of David’s army. When Israel and Judah went to war, Abner and Joab had 12 of each of their men face each other in single combat.
Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head
and thrust his dagger into his opponent’s side,
and they fell down together.
- 2 Samuel 2:16
Then the two armies fought, and Abner killed one of Joab’s brothers. The Judahites, however, were winning the battle, so Abner called for a truce.
2 Samuel 3
Ish-Bosheth became jealous of Abner’s popularity and accused him of having sex with one of the women who had been Saul’s concubine. Offended, Abner offered to help David become king over the rest of Israel. David agreed to meet with Abner but also told him to bring Michal with him. So, Abner took Michal from her second husband and gave her back to David.
When Joab heard that David had met with Abner and sent him away in peace, he sent messengers to bring Abner to him. Then Joab killed Abner in revenge for his brother’s death.
When David heard about it, he declared his own innocence in the matter and cursed Joab’s family.
“May Joab’s family never be without someone who has a running sore
or leprosy or who leans on a crutch or who falls by the sword or who lacks food.”
- 2 Samuel 3:29
Then David ordered Joab and the army to walk in mourning in a funeral procession for Abner, and David refused to eat that day.
2 Samuel 4
Hearing the news of Abner’s death, two of Ish-Bosheth’s army commanders killed Ish-Bosheth in his sleep and brought his head to David, thinking he would be happy his rival was dead. Instead, David had the two men put to death for committing murder.
Ish-Bosheth left behind a son named Mephibosheth. The boy was five years old and lame in both feet. His wetnurse had dropped him when she became afraid and fled with him after hearing about Saul’s death.
2 Samuel 5
The rest of Israel then made David their king. He was 30 years old.
David then led the attack to take Jerusalem, and he made it his capital city. The king of Tyre sent David cedar logs and stonemasons to help build his palace.
Then David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel
and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.
- 2 Samuel 5:12
David took more wives at that time.
The Philistines then came to attack Israel, and David asked the Lord if he should go fight them, and if the Lord would give him success. The Lord said He would, and gave David detailed battle plans to defeat them.
2 Samuel 6
David arranged a celebration parade to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. The priests were guiding the cart carrying the Ark, but when the oxen pulling the cart stumbled on the road, one of the priests, Uzzah, reached out and touched the Ark to steady it.
The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act;
therefore God struck him down, and he died there beside the ark of God.
- 2 Samuel 6:7
David was angry with the Lord for being angry at Uzzah, and he feared to take the Ark into his city. He left the Ark in the home of one of the Levites for three months, and the Lord blessed the Levite. Then David took up the parade again, making a sacrifice as they set out.
Michal was watching out a window in Jerusalem, and when she saw David dancing in the parade, she despised him. When he came home after the festivities, she told him he had made a fool of himself in front of the slave girls of his citizens. David answered:
“I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes.
But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”
- 2 Samuel 6:22
Michal did not have any children her entire life.
2 Samuel 7
Later, David said to Nathan the prophet:
“Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.”
- 2 Samuel 7:2
David then planned to build a Temple for the Lord, but the Lord gave Nathan a message telling David he was not the one to build the Temple. Instead, the Lord would build David’s kingdom, ensuring David’s family line would hold the kingship forever. He would punish David’s descendants when they sinned, but He would not take the kingship from them as He did with Saul.
David then prayed, praising the Lord in humility for everything the Lord had done for him and everything He had promised to do.
2 Samuel 8
The Lord continued to give David victory in battle over other nations.
2 Samuel 9
David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul
to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
- 2 Samuel 9:1
Ziba, a former servant of Saul was brought to him and told him about Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth, who was lame in both feet. David had Mephibosheth brought to him, and David restored all of Saul’s land to him and gave him a place at David’s table. David then made Ziba Mephibosheth’ chief servant.
Mephibosheth had a son named Mika.
2 Samuel 10
When the king of the Ammonites died, David sent messengers to the prince to express his sympathy. The Ammonite army commanders, however, convinced the prince that David had sent the messengers to spy on them.
So Hanun [the prince] seized David’s envoys,
shaved off half of each man’s beard, cut off their garments at the buttocks,
and sent them away.
- Samuel 10:4
Realizing they had offended David, the Ammonites then hired the Arameans to help them fight against Israel, but David and his army defeated them.
2 Samuel 11
In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war,
David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army…
But David remained in Jerusalem.
- 2 Samuel 11:1
As he was walking on the roof of his palace one evening, he saw a woman named Bathsheba bathing to purify herself from her period, and he sent messengers to bring her to him. Bathsheba was married to Uriah, one of David’s soldiers who was away, but David had sex with her. He then sent her back home.
Later, she sent David word saying she was pregnant. David then sent word to Joab to have Uriah come back to Jerusalem. David tried to convince Uriah to go home and have sex with his wife so that Uriah would think the baby to be born was his, but Uriah refused to take the comforts of home when his comrades were away from their homes.
David then sent Uriah back to Joab with a sealed message for Joab telling Joab to put Uriah in the most danger in battle and so arrange for him to be killed in the fighting.
When Bathsheba heard that Uriah was dead, she mourned for him. Then David took her to be his wife.
But the thing David had done displeased the Lord.
- 2 Samuel 11:27
2 Samuel 12
The Lord then sent Nathan the prophet to David. Nathan told him a story about a rich man and a poor man. The poor man had only lamb, which he loved like a family member. The rich man had plenty of sheep, but instead of slaughtering one of his own to eat, he stole the poor man’s.
David pronounced death on the rich man, and Nathan explained David was the rich man. God had blessed David, but David had taken from Uriah. The Lord then cursed David’s line to always be at war.
“This is what the Lord says:
‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you.
Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you,
and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight.
You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’”
- 2 Samuel 12:11-12
David then admitted he had sinned. Nathan assured him God had taken away his sin so that he wouldn’t die, but the son Bathsheba gave birth to would die.
The child then became ill. David fasted and prayed for the child for seven days, hoping God would change His mind, but the child died. Then David worshipped the Lord.
David comforted Bathsheba and had sex with her again, and she gave birth to Solomon. The Lord told Nathan to call Solomon “Jedidiah,” meaning “Loved by the Lord.”
Joab then goaded David into returning to the battlefield with his army, and David again enjoyed success over his enemies.
2 Samuel 13
Amnon, one of David’s sons, fell in love with his half-sister Tamar, one of David’s daughters. Amnon obsessed over Tamar so much that he made himself sick. Then his cousin suggested he lay in bed and ask for Tamar to come cook him some food.
When Tamar brought the food to him, he grabbed her to have sex with her.
“No, my brother!” she said to him. “Don’t force me!
Such a thing should not be done in Israel! Don’t do this wicked thing.
What about me? Where could I get rid of my disgrace?
And what about you? You would be like one of the wicked fools in Israel.
Please speak to the king; he will not keep me from being married to you.”
But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her.
- 2 Samuel 13:12-14
Afterward, Amnon hated her and sent her away. Her full brother, Absalom, saw her in mourning and realized what had happened. Absalom took Tamar into his house to take care of her.
David heard about what happened and was furious but didn’t do anything.
Two years later, Absalom invited all of David’s sons to a feast at sheepshearing time. Absalom ordered his servants to kill Amnon when he was drunk. Then Absalom fled, knowing David would hear what he had done.
Absalom stayed in a neighboring country for three years. David missed him but did not go to him.
2 Samuel 14
Joab knew David missed Absalom, so he had a woman dress up and come tell David the following story: She was a widow, and her two sons fought, and one killed the other. Her clansmen want to put the murderer to death so that they would inherit the family’s property.
David ruled that the woman’s remaining son should be spared. Then, she turned the story back on him, saying he should forgive Absalom and bring him back.
David guessed that Joab had put them woman up to it, and he relented, allowing Joab to bring Absalom back to Jerusalem but not to the palace. David did not want to see him yet.
Absalom was a handsome man with long, thick, healthy hair. He named his daughter Tamar after his sister.
Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years without seeing David. He sent messengers to Joab to help him, but Joab ignored him. To get Joab’s attention, Absalom ordered his servants to set fire to Joab’s field and burn up his crops.
Joab went to Absalom, and said:
“I want to see the king’s face, and if I am guilty of anything, let him put me to death.”
- 2 Samuel 14:32
Joab reported to David what Absalom had said, and David summoned Absalom and kissed him.
2 Samuel 15
Absalom bought a chariot and hired 50 men to serve him. When people came to the king to lodge a complaint, Absalom would say he would give them justice if he were to be appointed judge. He would also kiss anyone he met, and so gained the favor of all the Israelites.
Absalom took a group of his followers to another city in Israel and himself proclaimed king. When David heard it, he ordered that he and his officials flee, fearing that Absalom’s popularity would turn everyone against them. Everyone in the palace fled, except for ten concubines, whom David left to take care of the palace.
A foreigner named Gittai went with David. David tried to dissuade him, saying Gittai didn’t owe him any loyalty and that it would be better for him to serve Absalom when Absalom came back to the capital.
But Ittai replied to the king, “As surely as the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives,
wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be.”
- 2 Samuel 15:21
Zadok the priest followed David with the Ark of the Covenant.
Then the king said to Zadok, “Take the ark of God back into the city.
If I find favor in the Lord’s eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place again.
But if he says, ‘I am not pleased with you,’ then I am ready;
let him do to me whatever seems good to him.”
- 2 Samuel 15:25-26
David also arranged for Zadok and his sons to serve as spies and messengers to him. He also sent Hushai to pretend to be a loyal counselor to Absalom but to give him bad advice.
David traveled over the Mount of Olives.
2 Samuel 16
Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, met David with a supply of food. He said Mephibosheth had stayed behind Jerusalem, hoping Israel would make him king as the grandson of Saul. David then ruled that Ziba would own everything that belonged to Mephibosheth.
Shimei, one of Saul’s relatives, then came out and pelted David and his company with stones. David allowed it, in case the Lord had told Shimei to curse him.
When Absalom arrived in Jerusalem, Ahithophel, David’s former advisor, counseled Absalom to sleep with the concubines David left behind to show Israel that Absalom was serious about being David’s enemies. Absalom took Ahithophel’s advice and slept wit the concubines on the roof of the palace so that the citizens could see what he was doing.
2 Samuel 17
Ahithophel then advised Absalom to take 12,000 troops and pursue David that night. Hushai, David’s secret ally, advised against this plan. He said David would be too smart to be taken like this and would be hiding somewhere away from his troops. Hushai advised attacking David in the open and overcoming him by force rather than by stealth.
Absalom took Hushai’s worse advice because the Lord had determined to frustrate Ahithophel’s good advice in order to bring about Absalom’s downfall.
Hushai then sent an updated to David through the sons of Zadok the priest. Seeing his advice had not been followed, Ahithophel went home and hanged himself.
2 Samuel 18
When Absalom and his troops came out to fight, David put Joab, Joab’s brother Abishai, and Ittai the foreigner in charge of his army. His troops told David to stay behind, and David ordered the army not to kill Absalom, for David’s sake.
Now Absalom happened to meet David’s men.
He was riding his mule, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak,
Absalom’s hair got caught in the tree.
He was left hanging in midair, while the mule he was riding kept on going.
- 2 Samuel 18:9
A soldier came and told Joab, and Joab asked the soldier why he hadn’t killed Absalom. The soldier repeated David’s order, but Joab then went himself and plunged three javelins into Absalom’s chest. Joab’s ten armor-bearers then struck Absalom’s body, and he died. Joab threw Absalom’s body into a pit and covered him with rocks.
Ahimaaz, one of Zadok the priest’s sons, ran to tell David the news of victory, so that the king would reward him for his good news, but Ahimaaz tell David about the death of Absalom. He left someone else to come behind him and tell the bad news. When David heard about Absalom’s death, he mourned for him and wished he had died instead.
2 Samuel 19
Joab and the army heard David was in mourning.
The men stole into the city that day as men steal in who are ashamed when they flee from battle.
- 2 Samuel 19:3
Joab then went to the house where David was and rebuked him for not welcoming his successful troops back after their victory. He also threatened that if David didn’t go out to encourage the troops, all his soldiers would leave him. David then did go out to welcome the men.
The men of Judah then sent word to welcome David back into Jerusalem and reaffirm him as king. At that time, David made Amasa his army commander instead of Joab.
When David returned, Shimei, Saul’s relative who had thrown stones at David as he left the city, went and bowed down to David, asking for forgiveness. Abishai, one of David’s commanders, wanted to put Shimei to death, but David prevented him.
Mephibosheth also came to welcome David and told David that Ziba had betrayed him, leaving him behind when Ziba brought supplies to David on the Mount of Olives. David then ordered that Mephibosheth and Ziba split Saul’s estate.
An old man named Barzillai came to welcome David, and David offered to give him a place at the king’s table. Barzillai said he was too old to enjoy the honor and asked that his son be given the opportunity instead, and David accepted.
The men of the other tribes of Israel were offended that it was only the men of Judah who went to accompany David back into Jerusalem, but the men of Judah said they had the right to do so because David was from their tribe.
2 Samuel 20
Sheba, a Benjamite, then led a rebellion against David, saying the rest of the Israelite tribes didn’t have a share in David’s kingdom.
When David returned to the palace, he took care of the ten concubines Absalom had sex with but did not have sex with them himself again.
As David’s army went out to prepare to fight Sheba’s rebellion, Joab met Amasa.
Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my brother?”
Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
Amasa was not on his guard against the dagger in Joab’s hand,
and Joab plunged it into his belly, and his intestines spilled out on the ground.
Without being stabbed again, Amasa died.
Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bikri.
- 2 Samuel 20:9-10
Joab and the army besieged the city where Sheba was. Then an old woman in the city convinced the men in the city to cut off Sheba’s head and throw it over the wall to Joab. Joab sounded the victory call and left the city alone.
2 Samuel 21
There was a famine in Israel for three years. When David asked the Lord the cause, He said it was because Saul had killed many of the Gibeonites, the town of people who had made a treaty with Joshua.
David asked the surviving Gibeonites what he could do to make atonement for Saul’s sin, and they asked that seven of Saul’s descendants be given to them to be put to death. David agreed but spared Mephibosheth for the sake of his oath of friendship to Jonathan. After the Gibeonites killed the seven descendants, the Lord answered prayers for the land to produce food again.
The Philistines came to fight Israel again, and David joined in the battle. During the fight, he became exhausted and would have been killed if Abishai had not saved him. He then told David he was never to come out to fight again.
In the following battles, David’s men killed three relatives of Goliath.
2 Samuel 22
David then sang a song, praising God for actively helping him to defeat all his enemies. David knew it was because he had followed the Lord that the Lord had helped him.
2 Samuel 23
David’s final words attested that the Spirit of the Lord had spoken through him and to him. The Lord had rewarded him because he was righteous before the Lord.
David’s list of mighty warriors included Abishai (Joab’s brother), Asahel (Joab’s brother), and Uriah (Bathsheba’s husband). It also included three men who risked their lives to bring David a drink of water from the well in Bethlehem, which was behind enemy lines. When the three men brought it to him, he refused to drink it because they had risked their lives for it.
2 Samuel 24
Again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel,
and he incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.”
- 2 Samuel 24:1
Joab tried to dissuade David from counting all the men eligible to serve in the army, but David overruled him. It took nine months to go from town to town, counting all the men. When they reported back to him, David felt guilty for ordering the census and asked for the Lord’s forgiveness.
The Lord then sent Gad the prophet to give David three options as a punishment: three years of famine, three months of running from enemies, or three days of plague.
David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress.
Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great;
but do not let me fall into human hands.”
- 2 Samuel 24:14
The Lord then sent a plague that killed 70,000 Israelites.
When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem,
the Lord relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel
who was afflicting the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.”
The angel of the Lord was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
- 2 Samuel 24:16
David prayed that the punishment would fall on him, since he was the one who had sinned, not the citizens of Israel.
Gad then told David to build an altar where the plague stopped, at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. David went to Aranauh and offered to buy his land. Aranauh then offered to give the land.
But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it.
I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”
- 2 Samuel 24:24
After David built the altar and offered sacrifices, the Lord answered his prayer and stopped the plague.
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