Bible Study with Dr. Thomas Constable

In the spring, when kings go out to war, David remains in Jerusalem while Joab besieges Rabbah. From his palace roof he sees Bathsheba bathing, inquires who she is, and — despite learning she is the wife of Uriah the Hittite, one of his own mighty men — summons her and commits adultery, abusing his royal power to take what was not his. When Bathsheba reports her pregnancy David tries three cover-u...

David extends covenant kindness (hesed) to Hanun, the new Ammonite king, on his father's death — but Hanun's counselors convince him the embassy is a cover for espionage. He humiliates David's envoys by shaving half their beards and cutting their garments to the waist, an act that makes war inevitable. The Ammonites hire massive Aramean mercenary forces; Joab divides the Israelite army and deliver...

Chapter 8 summarizes David's military campaigns in every direction — over the Philistines to the west, Moabites to the east, Arameans and Zobahites to the north, and Edomites to the south — establishing Israel as the leading nation in the Fertile Crescent at the opening of the tenth century B.C. In every engagement the writer credits Yahweh for the victory, and David consecrates all the captured t...

David, living in a cedar palace while the ark dwells in a tent, proposes to build God a house; Nathan initially approves, but that same night God reverses course — David is a warrior and has shed blood; his son will build the temple. Instead God promises to build a 'house' for David: four specific promises constitute the Davidic Covenant, the ideological summit of all Samuel and one of the most im...

David's first attempt to bring the ark to Jerusalem fails catastrophically: the ark is transported on a new cart — a human innovation that violates the Mosaic prescription for Levitical carrying — and when the oxen stumble and Uzzah reaches out to steady it, he is struck dead. Shaken, David leaves the ark at the house of Obed-edom, where it remains three months and brings remarkable blessing. When...

With Abner dead, Ish-bosheth's hold on the north collapses; two of his own captains assassinate him in his bed and bring his head to David, expecting reward — and are executed instead, just as the Amalekite who reported Saul's death had been. All Israel's elders gather at Hebron and anoint David king over the united nation for the third time, citing God's earlier promise that David would shepherd...

Abner's forces skirmish with Joab's men at the pool of Gibeon, where Abner kills Asahel — Joab's brother — planting the seed of a blood feud that will eventually destroy him. The house of David grows stronger and Saul's house grows weaker through the long civil war. When Ish-bosheth accuses Abner of sleeping with one of Saul's concubines, Abner defects — negotiating with David for the unification...

David again demonstrates his dependence on God by seeking the LORD's guidance before moving from Ziklag back into Judah — asking both when and where. God directs him to Hebron, where the men of Judah anoint him king in his second anointing, making explicit that they view David as the LORD's anointed. David immediately conducts diplomatic outreach to the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had honored Saul's...

An Amalekite arrives in Ziklag claiming he delivered the killing blow to Saul and bringing the royal crown and bracelet, evidently hoping David would reward him. Instead David executes the man for striking the LORD's anointed — a response that reveals David's deep regard for Yahweh's sovereignty over Israel's leadership. Three main emphases appear in chapter 1: Saul's death was his own doing, made...

Second Samuel continues where 1 Samuel ended, recording how God used David as Israel's king — his amazing successes and his tragic failures. Constable identifies the book's governing message as twofold: a person's attitude toward God creates an opportunity for God, and God's attitude toward that person creates an opportunity for him or her. Sidlow Baxter summarized the two halves as 'triumph throu...

The Philistines rout Israel at Mount Gilboa. Saul's three sons — including Jonathan — are killed. Saul is badly wounded by archers and asks his armor-bearer to run him through so the Philistines cannot torture him. The man refuses out of terror; Saul falls on his own sword. When the Philistines find the bodies, they cut off Saul's head, display his armor in the temple of Ashtaroth, and fasten the...

David and his men return to Ziklag to find it burned to the ground — the Amalekites have raided it and carried off every family member. The men weep until they have no strength, then speak of stoning David. David 'strengthened himself in the LORD his God,' inquired of Him through the priest Abiathar, and received assurance: pursue and you will certainly recover everything. They set out with 600 me...

The Philistine lords object to David and his men marching to battle against Israel — he could switch sides at the crucial moment. Achish defends David's integrity, but the commanders are unmoved: 'This fellow shall not go down with us to battle; he might become an adversary to us in the fight.' Achish dismisses David with genuine regret and praise: 'You have been as blameless in my sight as an ang...

The Philistines mass for a major battle. Saul surveys their camp and is terrified. He inquires of the LORD but receives no answer — no dreams, no Urim, no prophet — because his relationship with God has been severed by years of rebellion. In desperation he seeks out a medium at Endor, disguised. Samuel appears in a remarkable post-mortem oracle. His words are final and withering: 'The LORD has tor...

Worn down by years of flight, David concludes that the only way to escape Saul permanently is to leave Israel entirely. He takes his 600 men and their families to Achish king of Gath, who gives him the town of Ziklag as a base. For 16 months David raids Israel's southern enemies — Geshurites, Girzites, and Amalekites — while reporting to Achish that he raided Israelite territory. He leaves no surv...

The Ziphites betray David's location again and Saul camps at Hachilah with 3,000 men. David scouts the camp by night and goes down with his nephew Abishai. They find Saul asleep in the center of the camp, his spear stuck in the ground at his head. Abishai urges David to finish the task with one strike: 'God has delivered your enemy into your hand this very day.' David refuses: 'Who can put out his...

Samuel dies and all Israel mourns — the end of an era. David sends messengers to request provisions from Nabal, a wealthy but surly man of Maon. Nabal dismisses them with contempt: 'Who is David? Why should I give my bread to men I do not know?' David sets out with 400 armed men to destroy Nabal's entire household. Nabal's wise and beautiful wife Abigail intercepts David with lavish provisions and...

Saul enters the very cave where David and his men are hiding to relieve himself. David's men urge him: 'God has delivered your enemy into your hand.' Instead David creeps forward and cuts off a corner of Saul's robe — and is immediately convicted for even that. 'The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD's anointed, to put out my hand against him.' David restrains his men. Wh...

David inquires of the LORD and rescues the city of Keilah from a Philistine raid. Then God reveals that the very people he saved will hand him over to Saul — David and his 600 men escape into the wilderness of Ziph. The Ziphites betray his location. Jonathan makes his last visit to David in the wilderness of Horesh, strengthening his friend and affirming: 'You shall be king over Israel, and I shal...

David hides at the cave of Adullam, and men in distress, debt, and discontent rally to him — some 400 who will become the core of his future army. He takes his parents to Moab for protection. The prophet Gad instructs David to return to Judah. Meanwhile Saul, increasingly paranoid, accuses his servants of conspiracy under a tamarisk tree at Gibeah, holding his spear. Doeg volunteers what he saw at...

Fleeing with nothing, David goes to the priest Ahimelech at Nob. He deceives the priest, claiming to be on a secret royal mission, and obtains the consecrated showbread and Goliath's sword. Unknown to David, Doeg the Edomite — Saul's chief herdsman — is watching everything. David then flees to Gath, Goliath's own hometown. The servants recognize him and report it to Achish the king. In danger, Dav...

David and Jonathan meet secretly and devise a plan: Jonathan will explain David's absence from Saul's New Moon feast and read the king's reaction. If Saul flares in anger, David must flee permanently. They seal a long-range covenant: Jonathan will warn David via a coded arrow signal; David will show loyal kindness to Jonathan's family when he becomes king. At the feast Saul explodes when Jonathan...

Saul openly orders Jonathan and all his servants to kill David. Jonathan intercedes brilliantly, reminding Saul how David has served him, and wins a temporary reprieve — Saul swears David will not be put to death. But after David defeats the Philistines again, the evil spirit returns and Saul tries to pin David to the wall with his spear. David flees. Michal helps David escape through a window at...

Jonathan and David form a covenant of friendship: Jonathan gives David his robe, armor, sword, and bow — symbolically transferring the crown prince's rights. Women throughout Israel celebrate David's victories with the song: 'Saul has killed his thousands, but David his tens of thousands.' Saul is furious; jealousy grips him; an evil spirit torments him; he hurls his spear at David twice while Dav...

Goliath of Gath — nearly ten feet tall, armored in bronze — defies Israel's armies for 40 days. Saul and his men are paralyzed with fear. David arrives at the battlefield with food for his brothers and hears the taunt. He is indignant: 'Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?' His brother Eliab is contemptuous; Saul is doubtful. David argues his case...