2 Samuel 21:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid and attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David 's men swore to him, "You shall no longer go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel."

NIV: But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue; he struck the Philistine down and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, saying, "Never again will you go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel will not be extinguished."

NASB: But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, saying, 'You shall not go out again with us to battle, so that you do not extinguish the lamp of Israel.'

CSB: But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him: "You must never again go out with us to battle. You must not extinguish the lamp of Israel."

NLT: But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue and killed the Philistine. Then David’s men declared, 'You are not going out to battle with us again! Why risk snuffing out the light of Israel?'

KJV: But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.

NKJV: But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, “You shall go out no more with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.”

Second Samuel 21:15–17 notes the moment when David's men retire him from active military duty. David mostly leaves the fighting to the army under Joab and Abishai. In the battle against David's traitorous son, he tried to join, but his men wouldn't let him (2 Samuel 18:2–3). The army is once again fighting the Philistines. A giant singles David out and tries to kill him but Abishai rushes to the rescue. David's men tell him he can no longer go to battle: he's too important to the nation. The text then describes several other fights against Philistine giants (2 Samuel 21:18–22).

Second Samuel 21 records several varied stories of David's reign. A famine strikes the land because Saul and his household had attacked the Gibeonites, who had tricked Joshua into a treaty (Joshua 9). The Gibeonites ask for seven of Saul's descendants, whom they kill and hang in their city. Saul's concubine Rizpah protects them from birds and beasts until David orders them removed and buried in the family tomb. Next, David's men forcibly retire him from active military service and go on to slay several giant Philistine warriors. The battles against the giants are also recorded in 2 Chronicles 20:4–8.

Second Samuel 21 presents the first two levels of a mirrored view of David's reign (2 Samuel 21—24). First, David learns a famine is due to Saul's attack on the protected Gibeonites (Joshua 9). David gives them seven of Saul's male descendants, and God lifts the famine. In the second section, David retires from military service, and his men kill Philistine giants. The giants are also mentioned in 1 Chronicles 20:4–8. Section three is David's praise to God (2 Samuel 22:1—23:7). The fourth records David's mighty men's exploits (2 Samuel 23:8–38). The fifth is David's sinful census (2 Samuel 24).

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.