2 Samuel 2:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. When they told David, "It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul,"

NIV: Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king over the tribe of Judah. When David was told that it was the men from Jabesh Gilead who had buried Saul,

NASB: Then the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, 'It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.'

CSB: Then the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. They told David: "It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul."

NLT: Then the men of Judah came to David and anointed him king over the people of Judah. When David heard that the men of Jabesh-gilead had buried Saul,

KJV: And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men of Jabeshgilead were they that buried Saul.

NKJV: Then the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, “The men of Jabesh Gilead were the ones who buried Saul.”

Despite the fact Saul was king of all Israel, the nation was never unified. His death makes it worse. The Philistines have moved into the northern region around Galilee (1 Samuel 31:7), and Saul's three warrior sons also died in battle (1 Samuel 31:2). The tribes have no centralized government or army.

The elders of the tribe of Judah are aware of this. They also know that David is from Judah, he's a powerful warrior and leader, he already has a highly effective army, and he sent them presents (1 Samuel 30:26–31). It only makes sense that he should be king.

In Jacob's last days, he gave blessings and prophecies to his sons. He told Judah, "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples." (Genesis 49:10) After Saul, a Benjamite, continued to disobey God, God sent Samuel to anoint David, from Judah, as Saul's successor (1 Samuel 16:12–13). The fulfillment of both prophecies begins now.

David makes several political moves designed to patch any alienation the Israelites feel toward him. One was sending presents to the elders of Judah. After Saul and Jonathan died, David wrote a psalm of remorse and sent it all over Judah (2 Samuel 1:17–26). Another clever step comes next. The men of Jabesh-gilead retrieved the desecrated bodies of Saul and his sons from the Philistines and buried them properly (1 Samuel 31:8–13). When David hears, he sends them thanks and a subtle invitation to join him (2 Samuel 2:4–7).

Second Samuel 2:1–4 depicts the moment David becomes king of Judah. David and his men had plundered the Amalekites when they rescued their families, and David sent some of the treasure to the elders in Judah (1 Samuel 30:16–31). With Saul dead, David becomes king of Judah—but not yet over all Israelites. David already executed the man who boasted he killed Saul. David then sent a lament across the land (2 Samuel 1). Next, he publicly thanks the men who rescued Saul's and his sons' bodies from the Philistines (2 Samuel 2:4–7). It seems David is trying to win favor with the Israelites peacefully. Sadly, peace won't last.

David returns to Israel, where he is anointed king over Judah, and settles in Hebron. Abner declares Saul's son Ish-bosheth king over Israel. David blesses the men of Jabesh-gilead for burying Saul's remains. Abner, leading Ish-bosheth's men, faces off against Joab, leading David's fighters, at Gibeon. In a fierce, one-sided battle, Abner kills Joab's brother, but David's men overwhelm Abner's Benjaminite fighters, losing twenty but killing 360. Abner and the survivors prepare for a last stand on the hill of Ammah, but Joab calls off the battle when Abner pleads with him to stop. Both sides return home.

Saul and three of his sons are dead (1 Samuel 31:1–4). David becomes king of Judah, and Saul's son Ish-bosheth is king of the remaining tribes. When the two sides meet in battle, Ish-bosheth's army fares poorly. David continues to grow stronger over two years of fighting. Ish-bosheth's general Abner appears to make a futile attempt to take the crown from his king, then starts the work to peacefully hand David the crown of Israel (2 Samuel 3:1–12).

Second Samuel continues the story of David, who will become king over Judah. The other tribes of Israel are resistant, eventually sparking a civil war. David wins and makes Jerusalem his capital. Early success is followed by moral failure and controversy in David's house. The book of 1 Kings will begin by detailing David's decline and death.