2 samuel 23 and 24

Read 2 Samuel 23 and 24 at Bible Gateway.

The Hebrew paragraph divisions:

2 Sam 23:1-7 {p} The last words of David: The king who is coming from his house
2 Sam 23:8 {s} Josheb-Basshebeth, chief of David’s mighty men
2 Sam 23:9-10 {s} Eleazar, second of the three of David’s chief mighty men
2 Sam 23:11-12 {s} Shammah, third of the three of David’s chief mighty men
2 Sam 23:13-15 {s} David longed for the water of Bethlehem, when the Philistines were garrisoned there
2 Sam 23:16-17 {s} The three mighty men drew it for him + he poured it out to the LORD
2 Sam 23:18-19 {s} Abishai, brother of Joab, chief of another three
2 Sam 23:20-39 {p} The names of the remaining mighty men of David, 39 in all
2 Sam 24:1-2 {s} David moved to number the people the people of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba
2 Sam 24:3-10a {p} The captains of the army numbered 1,300,000 men of war/ David’s heart condemned him
2 Sam 24:10b-11a {p} David confessed + repented of his sin
2 Sam 24:11b-13 {s} The LORD offers David a choice between three judgments
2 Sam 24:14-16 {s} Plague for three days + the LORD relented from destruction
2 Sam 24:17 {p} David: I have sinned, but not these sheep; let Your hand be against me
2 Sam 24:18-23a {s} David instructed to erect an altar on the site where the angel stood
2 Sam 24:23b-25 {p} David did so, the Lord heeded the prayers for the land + stayed the plague

The strong themes:

2 Sam 23:1-7 {p} The last words of David: The king who is coming from his house
2 Sam 23:8-39 {sx6+p} Names + deeds of David’s mighty men, 39 in all
2 Sam 24:1-10a {s+p} David numbered 1,300,000 men of war of Israel, but his heart condemned him
2 Sam 24:10b-11a {p} David confessed + repented of his sin
2 Sam 24:11b-17 {s+s+p} David: Let the judgment ordained against the sheep be against me
2 Sam 24:18-25 {s+p} David erected an altar + offered sacrifices/ the land healed + the plague stayed

The last chapters of Samuel form a chiastic structure, which prophesies of Messiah:

1a) 2 Sam 21:1-14, Famine in the land for 3 years/ after that, God heeded the prayer for the land;

1b) 2 Sam 21:15-22, David’s mighty men slew the sons of the giant, when there was war against the Philistines;

1c) 2 Sam 22:1-51, Praise to the Lord who delivers the King from all His enemies + subdues the people under Him;

central axis) 2 Sam 23:1, David: raised up on high + anointed of God + sweet psalmist of Israel;

2c) 2 Sam 23:1-7, The Ruler from the house of David, in an everlasting covenant with God;

2b) 2 Sam 23:8-39, The names and deeds of David’s mighty men;

2a) 2 Sam 24:1-25, Plague in the land for 3 days/ after that, the LORD heeded the prayers for the land.

Three is a sign of Messiah in Torah, and we see here in the life of David, the Messianic type, a sign of Messiah as well. At the end of three days, Messiah rose from the dead in triumph over sin, death, and all the power of the devil. Scripture prophesies of Messiah’s resurrection in that at the end of three years or three days, the Lord heeds the prayer for the land, and the land is delivered from famine and plague, the means of destruction.

The center of the structure is all about the King of Israel, Messiah Yeshua, the anointed of God, and His just reign, victorious over all His enemies. It is interesting that wrapping the center, are the deeds and exploits of David’s mighty men. We saw this yesterday: Messiah makes disciples who do the works that He does, and greater works than these do they do, just as the mighty men were inspired to valor and great deeds by David’s example. Victory over giants in the mighty name of Yeshua is our prophesied, promised inheritance! I almost feel sorry for them, for before one even rears its head in my circumstances, its end has been foretold from the beginning: it is going down! ♥