2 Samuel 23:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But worthless men are all like thorns that are thrown away, for they cannot be taken with the hand;

NIV: But evil men are all to be cast aside like thorns, which are not gathered with the hand.

NASB: But the worthless, every one of them, are like scattered thorns, Because they cannot be taken in hand;

CSB: But all the wicked are like thorns raked aside; they can never be picked up by hand.

NLT: But the godless are like thorns to be thrown away, for they tear the hand that touches them.

KJV: But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:

NKJV: But the sons of rebellion shall all be as thorns thrust away, Because they cannot be taken with hands.

Second Samuel 23:1–7 is in the center of the 2 Samuel 21—24 chiasm: a mirrored grouping of themes. As the center, it gives the essential message: David's success is because of God's protection and blessing. After the introduction that asserts David is a Spirit-led prophet (2 Samuel 23:1–3a), the psalm is also a chiasm: A. 2 Samuel 23:3b–4: Good kings bring blessing. B. 2 Samuel 23:5: God is the source of all blessing. A'. 2 Samuel 23:6–7: Worthless men should be destroyed.

Second Samuel 23 has two distinct sections. David has already written a psalm honoring God for his deliverance and blessing (2 Samuel 22). Second Samuel 23:1–7 is a shorter psalm that identifies David as a prophet and compares good kings, God, and bad men. Second Samuel 23:8–39 lists many of the men God used to protect David, make him king, and keep Israel safe. The roll call is repeated, with some variations, in 1 Chronicles 11:10–47. The book of 1 and 2 Samuel ends with David's decision to count his troops; a sin that God punishes with a pestilence that kills 70,000 men (2 Samuel 24).

Second Samuel 23 gives David's last psalm and a roll call of his warriors. The psalm is part of the center of a reflection structure seen in 2 Samuel 21—24. The mirror of themes, called a "chiasm," emphasizes that God alone is responsible for David's success and safety. Second Samuel 21:15–22 and 23:8–39 list some of the warriors God used to protect David and Israel. Second Samuel 21:1–14 and 24:1–25 show that God's blessings are despite the kings' failures, not because they deserved God's favor. The book of 1 Kings begins the transfer of power from David to his son Solomon.

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.

Accessed 6/8/2026 11:14:37 PM