1 Nowe these bee the last words of Dauid: Dauid the sonne of Iesse saide, and the man who was raised vp on high, the Anointed of the God of Iacob, and the sweet Psalmist of Israel, said,
2 The spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.
3 The God of Israel said, the Rocke of Israel spake to me: he that ruleth ouer men must be iust, ruling in the feare of God:
4 And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the Sunne riseth, euen a morning, without cloudes; as the tender grasse springing out of the earth by cleare shining after raine:
5 Although my house be not so with God: yet he hath made with mee an euerlasting couenant, ordred in al things and sure: for this is all my saluation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.
6 ¶ But the sonnes of Belial shall bee all of them as thornes thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands,
7 But the man that shal touch them, must be fenced with yron, and the staffe of a speare, and they shall bee vtterly burnt with fire in the same place.
8 ¶ These be the names of the mightie men whome Dauid had: The Tachmonite that sate in the seat, chiefe among the captaines, (the same was Adino the Eznite:) hee lift vp his speare against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.
9 And after him was Eleazar the sonne of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mightie men with Dauid, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battell, and the men of Israel were gone away.
10 He arose, and smote the Philistines vntill his hand was wearie, and his hand claue vnto the sword: and the Lord wrought a great victorie that day, and the people returned after him onely to spoile.
11 And after him was Shammah the sonne of Agee the Hararite: and the Philistines were gathered together into a troupe, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines.
12 But hee stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slewe the Philistines: and the Lord wrought a great victorie.
13 And three of the thirtie chiefe went downe and came to Dauid in the haruest time, vnto the caue of Adullam: and the troupe of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim.
14 And Dauid was then in an holde, and the garison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.
15 And Dauid longed, and said, Oh that one would giue mee drinke of the water of the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate.
16 And the three mightie men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the Well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and tooke it, and brought it to Dauid: neuerthelesse he would not drinke thereof, but powred it out vnto the Lord.
17 And he said, Be it farre from me, O Lord, that I should doe this: is not this the blood of the men that went in ieopardie of their liues? therefore he would not drinke it. These things did these three mightie men.
18 And Abishai the brother of Ioab, the sonne of Zeruiah, was chiefe among three, and he lift vp his speare against three hundred, and slew them, and had the name among three.
19 Was hee not most honourable of three? therefore he was their captaine: howbeit, hee attained not vnto the first three.
20 And Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada the sonne of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many actes, he slew two lion-like men of Moab: hee went downe also, and slewe a Lyon in the middest of a pit in time of snow.
21 And he slew an Egyptian a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a speare in his hand; but he went downe to him with a staffe, and plucked the speare out of the Egyptians hand, and slewe him with his owne speare.
22 These things did Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, and had the name among three mightie men.
23 Hee was more honourable then the thirtie, but hee attained not to the first three: and Dauid set him ouer his guard.
24 Asahel the brother of Ioab was one of the thirtie: Elhanan the sonne of Dodo of Bethlehem,
25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,
26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the sonne of Ikkesh the Tekoite,
27 Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,
28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,
29 Heleb the sonne of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the sonne of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Beniamin.
30 Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brookes of Gaash,
31 Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaueth the Barhumite,
32 Elihaba the Shaalbonite: of the sonnes of Iashen, Ionathan,
33 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the sonne of Sharar the Hararite,
34 Eliphelet the sonne of Ahasbai, the sonne of the Maachathite, Eliam the sonne of Ahithophel the Gilonite,
35 Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,
36 Igal the sonne of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,
37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, armour-bearer to Ioab the sonne of Zeruiah,
38 Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite,
39 Uriah the Hittite: thirtie and seuen in all.
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.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.