Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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2 Samuel
Book: 2 Samuel
Chapter: 23
Overview:
David's last words.
(1-7) David's mighty men.
(8-39)
1-7 These words of
David are very worthy of regard. Let those
who have had long experience of
God's
Goodness, and the
pleasantness of heavenly
Wisdom, when they come to finish their
course,
Bear their
Testimony to the
Truth of the promise.
David
avows his Divine
Inspiration, that the
Spirit of
God spake
By
him. He, and other holy men, spake and wrote as they were moved
By the
Holy Ghost. In many things he had his own neglect and
wrong conduct to blame. But
David comforted himself that the
Lord had made with him an
Everlasting Covenant.
By this he
principally intended the
Covenant of
Mercy and peace, which the
Lord made with him as a sinner, who believed in the promised
Saviour, who embraced the promised blessing, who yielded up
himself to the
Lord, to be his redeemed servant. Believers shall
for ever enjoy
Covenant blessings; and
God the
Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost, shall be for ever glorified in their
Salvation. Thus
Pardon,
Righteousness,
Grace, and eternal
Life, are secured as
the
Gift of
God through
Jesus Christ. There is an infinite
Fulness of
Grace and all blessings treasured up in
Christ, for
those who seek his
Salvation. This
Covenant was all
David's
Salvation, he
So Well knew the holy
Law of
God and the extent of
his own sinfulness, that he perceived what was needful for his
own case in this
Salvation. It was therefore all his desire. In
comparison, all earthly objects lost their attractions; he was
willing to give them up, or to die and leave them, that he might
enjoy full happiness, Ps 73:24-28. Still the power of evil,
and the weakness of his
Faith,
Hope, and
Love, were his grief
and
Burden. Doubtless he would have allowed that his own
slackness and want of care were the cause; but the
Hope that he
should soon be made perfect in
Glory, encouraged him in his
dying moments.
8-39 David once earnestly longed for the water at the
Well of
Bethlehem. It seems to be an instance of weakness. He was
thirsty; with the water of that
Well he had often refreshed
himself when a youth, and it was without due thought that he
desired it. Were his valiant men
So forward to expose
themselves, upon the least hint of their
Prince's mind, and
So
eager to please him, and shall not we long to approve ourselves
to our
Lord Jesus,
By ready compliance with his will, as shown
us
By his
Word,
Spirit, and
Providence? But
David poured out the
water as a
Drink-
Offering to the
Lord. Thus he would
Cross his
own foolish fancy, and punish himself for indulging it, and show
that he had sober thoughts to correct his rash ones, and knew
how to deny himself. Did
David look upon that water as very
precious which was got at the hazard of these men's
Blood, and
shall not we much more value those benefits for purchasing which
our blessed
Saviour shed his
Blood? Let all beware of neglecting
So great
Salvation.