The Analysed Bible, Volumes 1, 2, 3, by Rev. G. Campbell Morgan: The Book of 2 Samuel - Analysed and Explained in Detail (Full Text and PDF).

A detailed analysis of the book of 2 Samuel: Theocratic Monarchy.

To the best of our knowledge we are of the understanding that this book, being published in 1907, and freely available elsewhere on the internet is in the public domain.

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The Book of 2 Samuel - Analysed and Explained in Summary - Volumes 1, 2, and 3 of "The Analysed Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.

To the best of our knowledge we are of the understanding that this book, taken from Volumes 1, 2, & 3 of the "Analysed Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan published in 1907, and freely available elsewhere on the internet is in the public domain.

2 SAMUEL - THEOCRATIC MONARCHY

Part A: DAVID'S RISE - 2 Samuel 1:1-10:19

A1. The Reign over Judah - 2Sam. 1:1-4:12

  1. His Lamentation for Saul and Jonathan - 1:1-1:27
  2. His anointing as King of Judah - 2:1-2:4
  3. War between Judah and Israel - 2:5-4:12

A2. The Reign over the Whole Nation - 2Sam. 5:1-10:19

  1. Crowning - 5:1-5:5
  2. First Victories - 5:6-5:25
  3. The Provision for the Ark - 6:1-6:23
  4. Concerning the Temple - 7:1-7:29
  5. Conquests - 8:1-8:14
  6. The appointment of Officers - 8:15-8:18
  7. Kingly kindness (Mephibosheth) - 9:1-9:13
  8. Victories over Ammon and Syria - 10:1-10:19

Part B: DAVID'S FALL - 2 Samuel 11:1-20:26

B1. The Sin - 2Sam. 11:1-12:31

  1. War - 11:1
  2. Sin - 11:2-11:27
  3. Repentance - 12:1-12:31

B2. The Punishment - 2Sam. 13:1-18:33

  1. In the Family: Amnon and Tamar. Absalom - 13:1-14:24
  2. In the Kingdom: Absalom - 14:25-18:33

B3. The Restoration - 2Sam. 19:1-20:26

  1. The King's return - 19:1-19:43
  2. Insurrection quelled - 20:1-20:26

Part C: APPENDIX - 2 Samuel 21:1-24:25

C1. The Government of God - 2Sam. 21:1-21:22 and 24:1-24:25

  1. Famine - 21:1-21:22
  2. The Census - 24:1-24:25

C2. The Character of David - 2Sam. 22:1-23:7

  1. Psalm: God's Government - 22:1-22:51
  2. Psalm: David's Failure; God's Faithfulness - 23:1-23:7

C3. The Heroic Age - 2Sam. 23:8-23:39

  1. The Mighty Men (Here, as at the close of 1 Samuel, several matters are dealt with, not chronologically, but as illustrating the times under consideration)

Introduction

This book deals almost exclusively with the history of David. Not with the whole of it, for it begins in 1 Samuel, and runs on into 1 Kings, and is dealt with from another standpoint in 1 Chronicles. It is, however, the principal history of his kingship, and presents to us the picture of the theocratic monarchy. The people had clamoured for a king. God first gave them one after their own heart; He then gave them one after His own heart. By him also the failure of mediation in government was manifested. Yet he, by relation to God maintained even through times of sinning, contributed to the movement of history toward the one true King. There are three main divisions: David's Rise (1-10); David's Fall (11-20); Illustrative Appendix (21-24).

A. David's Rise - 2 Samuel 1:1-10:19

In this first division of the book there are two movements, the one dealing with David's reign over Judah, and the other with his reign over the whole nation.

The book opens with the story of the bringing to David by an Amalekite of the news of the death of Saul. The story was evidently a fabrication. David dealt with him severely, and then sang his great lamentation over the death of Saul and Jonathan. Over Saul and Jonathan it is stately and dignified, but it merges into extreme tenderness when it deals with his friend Jonathan only.

Anointed king of Judah, David's first act was that of inquiring of God as to what he should do. The spirit of Saul, which was that of antagonism to David, was perpetuated in Abner, who set himself to consolidate the kingdom of Israel around the house of Saul. Joab, a strange and rugged character, at once fierce and faithful, was nevertheless unswerving in his loyalty to David. In the first battle between Israel and Judah under these respective leaders, Asahel was slain. His death entered like iron into the soul of Joab, who never rested until his vengeance was satisfied on Abner. The struggle was a long and weary one, but, as the chronicler declares, "David waxed stronger and stronger, but the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker."

David had won the heart of all Israel by his consistent justice and his manifestation of magnanimity toward those who stood in his way. The people recognized the kingly qualities of the man, and he was at last crowned king of the whole nation. His first victory was that of the taking of Jebus. An element of weakness manifested itself at this point, when, having come into possession of the kingdom, he multiplied his concubines and wives.

Victorious in war, the king was not unmindful of the central truth of that national life over which he was called to preside. He brought the ark into the capital. In close connection with the account of his doing so, the story of his desire to build the Temple is told. It was a perfectly natural and, indeed, a proper desire. So much was this the case that it appealed to Nathan, who advised him to do all that was in his heart. It was not, however, in the will of God that he should carry out this work, and the prophet was sent to deliver the message which was neither in agreement with David's desire nor with his own opinion. The story reveals the triumph both of Nathan and David in their ready submission to the declaration of the will of God. The prophet unhesitatingly delivered his message, even though it contradicted his own expressed opinion. David immediately acquiesced in the will of God, and worshipped.

The story of David's victories has a closer connection with his desire to build the Temple than appears upon the surface. By these victories he not only strengthened his position, but he gathered treasure. The house of the Lord was still in his mind, and although he knew that he would not be permitted to build, he was yet gathering in preparation for the work of his son.

There is an exquisite tenderness about the story of David and Mephibosheth. The king's love for Jonathan was still fresh. One cam easily imagine how, in the days of his growing prosperity, he would think of the old strenuous times, and his friend's loyalty to him under circumstances so full of stress and peril. For David, the house of Saul, which had done him so much harm, was redeemed by his love for Jonathan, and he instituted inquiry as to whether there were any left of that house to whom he might show kindness for the sake of his friend. This inquiry was rewarded by the finding of Mephibosheth, whose very lameness was tragic and pathetic, in that it had been caused by the flight of his nurse on the awful day of Jezreel, when his father and grandfather had fallen together. To him the king restored the lands of Saul, and set him as an honoured guest at his own table.

The record proceeds to give an account of victories gained over Ammon and Syria. Joab is revealed in all the rugged and terrible strength of his nature. It is interesting to note that he made no allowance for the possibility of ultimate defeat in his conflict with Ammon. When arranging for the battle, he divided his forces, but did so in order that if the Syrians on the one side should be too strong for him, the people under Abishai, his brother, should help him; or if, on the other hand, the children of Ammon should be too strong for Abishai, he would help him. It does not seem to have occurred to him that the combination may have been too much for them both. This is the true quality of the soldier. We are not surprised that the issue was victory for Joab. This story constitutes the culmination of the account of David's rise to power, and prepares for the terrible story of his fall, by showing us the general circumstances under which that fall occurred.

B. David's Fall - 2 Samuel 11:1-20:26

In all the Bible there is no chapter more tragic or more full of solemn and searching warning than that which tells the story of David's fall. Carefully pondering it, we notice the logical steps downward, following in rapid succession. First David tarried at Jerusalem. It was the time of war, and his place was with the army, but he remained behind in the sphere of temptation. In briefest quotations we may indicate the downward movement. "He saw" "he sent and inquired," "he took." The king is fallen, in answer to that inner weakness which has already been manifested as existing, from the high level of purity to that of terrible sin. His sin against Uriah, one of the bravest of his soldiers, was even more dastardly than that against Bathsheba. From the merely human standpoint the unutterable folly of the whole thing is evident, as it is seen how he put himself into the power of Joab by sharing with him his guilty secret. In a year the prophet Nathan visited him and charged him with his sin. One can almost imagine that after the year of untold misery this visit of Nathan came as a relief to the guilty man. His repentance was genuine and immediate.

The sincerity of David's repentance was manifested in his attitude in the presence of the punishment which now commenced to fall upon his head. When the child died, David worshipped. The sin of Ammon afflicted him grievously, but because it was after the pattern of his own, his arm was nerveless. Perhaps the severest suffering of all came to him through the rebellion of Absalom. The story is indeed full of tragedy. The heartlessness and cruelty of Absalom fell like an avalanche of pain upon the heart of David, and it is a question whether he suffered more in the day of Absalom's short-lived victory or in the dark and dreadful hour of his defeat and slaying. His lament over Absalom is a perfect revelation of grief.

At last, the rebellion being quelled, the king was brought back to the kingdom, and there was a reconstruction, new officers being appointed in the different departments of state.

C. Appendix - 2 Samuel 21:1-24:25

As at the close of the first book, so here several matters are dealt with, not in chronological order or relation, but as illustrating the times which have been under consideration. This appendix contains matter which reveals the direct government of God, two utterances of David which are a revelation of his real character, and an account of some of the deeds of the mighty men, which shows the heroic spirit of the period.

The account of the famine was one written to give a purely national lesson. Saul had broken faith with the Gibeonites, and the guilt of his action had neither been recognized nor expiated. The sin of the ruling house was the sin of the people, and it is noted by God, and must be accounted for. Hence the famine, which was only stayed when, by the sacrifice of the sons of Saul, the nation had come to consciousness of its guilt, and repented thereof.

The character of David is revealed in two psalms. In the first we find the deepest things. Such convictions as those of the absolute sovereignty of Jehovah, of His omnipotent power to deliver, of the necessity for obedience to His law, and of assurance that in the case of such obedience He ever acts for His people, constituted the underlying strength of David's character. In all likelihood the psalm was written before his sin, and if so it will readily be understood how terrible was his sorrow as he subsequently recognized his failure.

The second contains the last words of the great king. They breathe the consciousness of his own failure, and yet sing the song of the Divine faithfulness.

The reign of David was pre-eminently the heroic age in Israel's history. This is demonstrated in the whole list of the mighty men and the illustrations of their exploits which are given. It is interesting to remember that these were men who had gathered to him in Adul1am, men who elsewhere are described as in debt, in danger, and discontented. They were men possessed of natural powers which had been spoiled, hut in whom such powers had been redeemed and realized.

The book closes with one other picture, reminding us of the direct government of the people by God in that He visited king and nation with punishment for the numbering of the people. It has been objected that there was nothing sinful in this taking of a census, seeing that it had been done before in the history of the people by the direct command of God. But therein lay the contrast between previous numberings and this. They were by the commandment of God. This was done from some different motive. That the act was sinful is evident from David's consciousness that it was so, and in the presence of his confession it is not for us to criticise. As we have said, the motive undoubtedly explains the sin. Perhaps, while that motive is not explicitly stated, we may gain some idea of it from the protest of Joab, "Now the Lord thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing? " A spirit of vain-glory in numbers had taken possession of the people and the king, and there was a tendency to trust in numbers to the forgetfulness of God. The choice of David as to punishment again revealed his recognition both of the righteousness and tenderness of Jehovah. He willed that the stroke which was to fall should come directly from the Divine hand rather than through any intermediary.

The book ends with the story of the erection of the altar in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite, and in that we see finally the man after God's own heart turning the occasion of his sin and its punishment into one of worship.