2 Samuel 23:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: but the man who touches them arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear, and they are utterly consumed with fire."

NIV: Whoever touches thorns uses a tool of iron or the shaft of a spear; they are burned up where they lie."

NASB: Instead, the man who touches them Must be armed with iron and the shaft of a spear, And they will be completely burned with fire in their place.'

CSB: The man who touches them must be armed with iron and the shaft of a spear. They will be completely burned up on the spot.

NLT: One must use iron tools to chop them down; they will be totally consumed by fire.'

KJV: But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place.

NKJV: But the man who touches them Must be armed with iron and the shaft of a spear, And they shall be utterly burned with fire in their place.”

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 5/25/2026 2:30:35 AM