Outline: The Reign of King David
As recounted in 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Chronicles, 1 Kings, and the Psalms
EVENTS, beginning, for timeline and clarity, with the reign of Saul, as covered in 1 Samuel (note that the sin of David with Bathsheba and the rebellions of Absalom are not covered in 1 Chronicles but only in 2 Samuel, and that the rebellion of Adonijah is also not covered in 1 Chronicles but in 1 Kings—the Chronicles of the Kings, therefore, does not address the family intrigue):
Saul, from the tribe of Benjamin, is anointed, at God’s direction, by the priest and prophet Samuel
Saul disobeys the Law by offering sacrifice, so Samuel tells him his kingdom will not endure (1 Samuel 13)
Saul fails to follow the LORD’s command regarding the Amalekites, so Samuel tells him his kingdom will be given to another better than him (1 Samuel 15)
David, from the tribe of Judah, is anointed, also at God’s direction, by Samuel as king, but Saul still completes his 42-year reign, with David spending much time on the run from Saul’s murderous jealousy
Death of Saul, with three out of four of his sons, at the hand of the Philistines (Day 109 & Day 119)
David rules over Judah in Hebron for 7 1/2 years, while there is war between the house of David and the house of Saul (Day 111)
David is finally made king over all Israel and conquers Jerusalem (Day 121)
David builds his house in Jerusalem, defeats the Philistines, and brings the ark of God to Jerusalem (Day 124)
David desires to build God a house, but God tells David instead He will build him a lasting kingdom (Day 127)
David has victories over Aram, Edom, Moab, the sons of Ammon, the Philistines, Amalek, and the Arameans (Day 129 & Day 131)
The sin of David: while Joab, commander of David’s army, is fighting with the Ammonites, David stays in Jerusalem, sinning with Bathsheba, resulting in her becoming pregnant, and having her husband Uriah killed; David joins Joab in victory over the Ammonites, but wars with the Philistines resume (God pronounced three consequences for David’s sin: his first child with Bathsheba died, he would never be free from the sword, and evil would arise from his own household, with someone would committing adultery with his wives in broad daylight) (Day 133)
The rebellion of Absalom: the third consequence for David’s sin begins with his firstborn son Amnon raping his sister Tamar (daughter of different mother and sister to David’s third born son Absalom). When David does not appropriately intervene, Absalom kills Amnon two years later and then flees to his grandfather, the king of Geshur in Aram (Damascus), for three years. Joab eventually intervenes to have Absalom brought back, but David does not see his face for two years, angering Absalom. After 40 years, Absalom rebels against King David. David flees Jerusalem with his household and supporters, leaving ten concubines behind to keep the house, and Absalom enters Jerusalem (Day 135).
The defeat of Absalom: Ahithophel counsels that Absalom go into his father’s concubines on the roof before all Israel and then requests to attack David, but David had sent his friend Hushai the Archite, who the Lord used to thwart Ahithophel’s counsel and advise that Absalom lead Israel into war; the plan is communicated to David via the priest’s sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan; David flees beyond the Jordan, Israel is defeated before the servants of David, and Absalom is killed (Day 137)
The re-establishment of David as king over all Israel: Israel and Judah fight over what right each have in the king; Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite, leads a revolt of Israel against following David; David had promised Amasa, who had led Absalom’s army, that he would lead his, but Joab deceitfully kills Amasa; the men of war lay siege to the city where Sheba is staying; a wise woman arranges with Joab to give Sheba over to save the city and they throw his head down to him over the wall, so David is firmly re-established as king; there are three years of famine, so David seeks the Lord, who tells him the famine is because of Saul’s betrayal of the Gibeonites; David asks the Gibeonites what would make it right and they ask for seven men of Saul’s sons to hang; once this is done, David honors the dead, and God is then moved by prayer again; the Philistines go to war with Israel again and David becomes weary in battle, so the men of David say he should not go out to war any longer (Day 139)
The sinful census: David is incited by an angry God to number Israel, resulting in his trusting in the mercy of God for punishment, building an altar on Mount Moriah to stay God’s plague, and determining the location of the house of the LORD that Solomon would build (Day 143)
the rebellion of Adonijah resulting in Solomon being anointed king for the first time [covered in 1 Kings 1-2] (Day 149)
David assigns the roles of the Levites in service to house of the Lord that Solomon was to build [covered in 1 Chronicles 23-25] (Day 145)
enumeration of the assigned roles in David’s kingdom, charge to Solomon and all with duties in the kingdom, plan of temple given to Solomon, offering from King David and the people for the temple, Solomon anointed for the second time as ruler and Zadok as priest, David dies [covered in 1 Chronicles 26-29] (Day 147)
the establishment of Solomon as king with retribution to David’s enemies [covered in 1 Kings 1-2] (Day 149)
SHORTER SUMMARY (followed by even more detailed summary below—note that the sin of David with Bathsheba and the rebellions of Absalom are not covered in 1 Chronicles but only in 2 Samuel):
1 Chronicles 10 (Day 119), also 1 Samuel 28-31, Day 109: war with Philistines and death of Saul
Saul dies at the hand of the Philistines, with three out of four of his sons
Jabesh-Gilead, who Saul had defended when he was first anointed (Day 100), rescued the bodies of Saul and his sons, whom the Philistines had treated with disrespect (David later blesses them for their action)
2 Samuel 1-4 (Day 111): David’s rule over Judah in Hebron and war between Judah and Israel
David kills the Amalekite who came to Ziklag to inform him of Saul’s death (because he claimed to kill the wounded Saul at Saul’s request), and mourns for Saul and Jonathan, his best friend
the Lord tells him to go to Hebron where he is anointed and serves as King of Judah for 7 1/2 years
Saul’s commander, Abner the son of Ner, makes Saul’s son Ish-bosheth king over the rest of the tribes of Israel, until Ish-bosheth questions Abner about his relationship with Saul’s concubine, inspiring him to approach David about making him king over all Israel (David demands Saul bring him his wife Michal, which he does)
there is war between Judah and Israel, with Abner killing David’s commander Joab’s brother, for which Joab retaliates by killing Abner after Abner had met with David, causing David to curse Joab and all his father’s house
David kills two commanders of Ish-bosheth who traitorously killed him
Psalms 6, 8-10, 14, 16, 19, 21 (Day 112)
1 Chronicles 1-2: genealogies from Adam through the time of David, including much detail about David’s tribe of Judah (Day 113)
Psalms 43-45, 49, 84-85, 87 (Day 114)
1 Chronicles 3-5 (Day 115): genealogies of the tribes of Israel from around the time of David that extend into later history (the exile of the northern kingdom of Israel to Assyria and the exile of the kingdom of Judah to Babylon and their subsequent return to Israel)
1 Chronicles 6 (Day 117): genealogy of the tribe of Levi, including Samuel who was from Ephraim but served as priest, and appointments by David for service of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, including the singers Heman (family of Kohath, also the priestly family of Aaron), Asaph (family of Gershon), and Ethan (family of Merari)
Psalms 81, 88, 92-93 (Day 118)
1 Chronicles 7-9 (Day 119): continued genealogies of the tribes of Israel, including the genealogy of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin, as well genealogies of those who lived and served in Jerusalem
2 Samuel 5:1-10, 1 Chronicles 11-12 (Day 121): David is made king over all Israel and conquers Jerusalem
the tribes of Israel come to David at Hebron, make a covenant with him, and anoint him king over Israel, “according to the word of the LORD through Samuel” (1 Chronicles 11:3b); he “was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years,” 7 1/2 years in Hebron over Judah and 33 years in Jerusalem over all Israel and Judah (2 Samuel 5:4-5)
he conquers the Jebusites in Jerusalem, capturing the stonghold of Zion, making it the city of David; the first to strike down a Jebusite was promised to be chief and commander and the honor goes to Joab the son of Zeriuah [David’s nephew]
recounting of all the mighty men and men of war who came to, supported, and fought for David
“David became greater and greater, for the LORD God of hosts was with him” (2 Samuel 5:10, 1 Chronicles 11:9)
2 Samuel 5:11-6:23/1 Chronicles 13-16 (Day 124): David builds his house in Jerusalem, defeats the Philistines, and brings the ark of God to Jerusalem
Hiram king of Tyre helps build a house for David in Jerusalem, so he realizes God has established him as king; he takes more wives and concubines and has more chlldren
the Philistines come up against him twice but David defeats them both time with the direction of the Lord
David gathers thirty thousand of the chosen men of Israel and goes up to bring up the ark from the house of Abinadab; they build a new cart to carry it and Abinadab’s sons Uzzah and Ahio lead it; when the cart nearly upsets the ark, Uzzah puts out his hand to steady it, and God strikes him down for his irreverence; David fears the Lord and puts the ark aside in the house of Obed-edom, where it stays three months, and the Lord blesses Obed-edom and his household
David seeks the command of Moses and learns the Levites should carry the ark on poles; they successfully bring the ark to Jerusalem, with music and singing, and David dancing before the Lord; when Michal sees David dancing, she despises him (and has no children until the day of her death); the ark is placed in a tent that David pitches for it; burnt offerings and peace offerings are offered, and all the people of Israel are given food from David in celebration; Asaph leads the people in a psalm of thanksgiving; David assigns the Levites to serve before the ark of the covenant as gatekeepers, musicians, and singers; "he left Zadok the priest and his relatives the priests before the tabernacle of the LORD in the high place which was at Gibeon, to offer burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of burnt offering continually morning and evening, even according to all that is written in the law of the LORD, which He commanded Israel”
Psalms 1-2, 15, 22-24, 47, 68 (Day 125)
Psalms 89, 96, 100, 101, 105, 132 (Day 126)
2 Samuel 7/1 Chronicles 17 (Day 127): David desires to build God a house, but God tells him instead He will build him a lasting house
God has given King David rest from his enemies and he dwells in a house of cedar, so he is concerned that the ark of God dwells in a tent in Jerusalem
God speaks to David through Nathan the prophet that He has not asked for a house of cedar to be built for Him
He does promise David that He will establish his kingdom and his son will build a house for the Lord, and that David’s kingdom will be established forever
David responds with a prayer of praise
Psalms 25, 29, 33, 36, 39 (Day 128)
2 Samuel 8-9/1 Chronicles 18 (Day 129): “the Lord helped David wherever he went,” so he defeats all his enemies
Aram, Edom, Moab, the sons of Ammon, the Philistines, Amalek
David dedicates all the silver, gold, and bronze which he had carried away from all the nations to the Lord
for Jonathan’s sake, David restores all of Saul’s land and all that belonged to him to Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth (with his servant Ziba overseeing), and brings Mephibosheth to live with him in Jerusalem and eat at the king’s table as his own son
Psalms 50, 53, 60, 75 (Day 130)
2 Samuel 10/1 Chronicles 19 (Day 131): the Ammonites hire the Arameans to fight Israel, and they both flee before Israel, with the Arameans conceding defeat
Hanun succeeds his father as king of the Ammonites [descendants of Lot] and David sends tribute, given that Hanun’s father had shown kindness to David
Hanun’s princes are suspicious, give bad counsel, and David’s servants are publicly humiliated
when the Ammonites see they are odious to Israel, they hire Arameans [descendants of Abraham’s brother Nahor] to help them fight against Israel
David sends Joab and the army of Israel to fight against them; he prevails against the Ammonites, and his brother and his men prevail against the Aramens; the Arameans flee and gather more support, but are defeated by David, and resolve not to fight with Israel anymore
Psalms 20, 65-67, 69-70 (Day 131 & Day 132)
2 Samuel 11-12/1 Chronicles 20: (Day 133): David’s greatest sin, resulting in forgiveness with consequence, while Joab is still fighting the Ammonites
Joab goes out with the army of Israel to fight the Ammonites but David stays home; David sees Bathsheba, takes her, and she becomes pregnant; he summons her husband Uriah the Hitite, who has too much integrity, even when drunk, to go to his house when the army is at war, so David has Joab place him in a vulnerable position in the war so that he, and others, are killed
after the period of mourning, David takes Bathsheba as his wife and she has a son; Nathan the prophet confronts David’s sin; David repents and God forgives but the consequences are great: the child dies, the sword is not removed from David’s house, and he will be betrayed in the open, not in secret like Uriah
Joab warns David that if he does not join the war, Joab will get the credit; David defeats the Ammonites
wars begin again with the Philistines, whom David had previously defeated
Psalms 32, 51, 86, 122 (Day 134)
2 Samuel 13-15 (Day 135): the rebellion of Absalom
David’s firstborn son Amnon rapes his brother (by different mother) Absalom’s sister Tamar
David is angry but does nothing (Deuteronomy 22:22-30 would suggest either Amnon should have been forced to marry Tamar, or been killed)
Absalom waits two years but then has Amnon murdered
Absalom flees to Talmai the son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur, who is actually his granfather, in Aram, for three years
David mourns for Amnon and longs for Absalom
Joab has a wise woman speak to David, acting as if she is speaking about her own situation with her own sons; David perceives Joab has sent her and that she is talking about his own situation; David directs Joab to bring back Absalom, but Absalom is sent to his house and does not see David or Joab for two years, until he has Joab’s fields set on fire; David finally sees Absalom and kisses him
Absalom then provides for himself a chariot and horses and fifty men as runners before him; he sits at the gate and calls to anyone who comes to the king for judgment and says that no one would listen to them on the part of the king, thus stealing away the hearts of the men of Israel
after 40 years, Absalom conspires against the king, declaring himself king in Hebron; David flees Jerusalem with his household, except for ten concubines to keep the house
Zadok and Abiathar the priests come with the ark of the covenant of God, offering to go with David, but he tells them to go back and keep him informed of what is going on in the city; David learns his counselor Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom, so he prays to make his counsel foolishness; David asks his friend Hushai the Archite to return and offer service to Absalom, serving to thwart Ahithophel’s counsel and reporting to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, who will then send the information by Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son, to David
Psalms 3-4, 12-13, 28, 55 (Day 136)
2 Samuel 16-18 (Day 137): Absalom’s betrayal, war with his father, and defeat
Mephibosheth’s servant Ziba meets David as he leaves Jerusalem with gifts of donkeys, food, and wine; Ziba claims Mephibosheth has betrayed David, so David grants Ziba all of Mephibosheth’s possessions
Shimei the Benjamite comes out cursing David; Abishai the son of Zeruiah wants to kill him, but David says to let him curse as the Lord has told him, saying, “Perhaps the LORD will look on my affliction and return good to me instead of his cursing this day”
When Absalom enters Jerusalem, Hushai, David’s friend, meets him, pledging support, as David had requested, hoping that he will thwart the counsel of Ahithophel (2 Samuel 15:34)
Ahithophel advises that Absalom go in to David’s concubines so all Israel will hear he has made himself odious to his father; he does so in a tent on the roof, as Nathan prophesied
Ahithophel then advises that he be allowed to attack David that night with 12,000 men; Hushai instead advises that Absalom draw all Israel to him and lead them into battle himself; Hushai’s advice is accepted, because the Lord had ordained to thwart the counsel of Ahithophel, and Ahithophel kills himself
Hushai shares the plan with priests Zadok and Abiathar; a maidservant goes and tells their sons Jonathan and Ahimaaz at En-rogel; a lad sees them there and tells Absalom, so they hide in the well in the courtyard of a man in Bahurim and the woman lies to Absalom’s servants who are looking for them; when they are able to come out of hiding, they go and tell King David the plan of war and that he and the people should cross over the Jordan
David numbers the people and puts one-third each under the command of Joab, Abishai, and Ittai the Gittite; the people ask David to stay behind for his and their protection; David asks the people to deal gently with Absalom
the battle takes place in the forest of Ephraim and Israel is defeated before David, with 20,000 dying
Absalom gets caught by his hair in an oak tree; a man tells Joab, who does not understand why the men didn’t kill him, but the man heard David’s request, so Joab kills him
Joab blows the trumpet that the battle is over and they bury Absalom in the forest, placing a great heap of stones over him
Joab sends a Cushite as a runner to tell David the outcome and Ahimaaz wants to run as well; Ahimaaz tells David they have defeated those who rose up against him, and then the Cushite tells him of Absalom’s death, and David mourns
Psalms 26, 40, 58, 61-62, 64 (Day 138)
2 Samuel 19-21 (Day 139): re-establishment of David as king over all Israel
David weeps and mourns for Absalom, but Joab warns that he is shaming those who fought for him
Israel is ready to bring back David as king, and David sends to Zadok and Abiathar to encourage Judah to bring him back and they go across the Jordan to bring him back
Shimei, who cursed him, and Ziba, who lied to him, meet him, and David declines to punish them
Mephibosheth meets him, unshaven and uncared for, explaining that Ziba had betrayed him and slandered him to the king
the men of Israel and men of Judah fight over what right each have in the king
Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite, leads a revolt of Israel against following David
David had promised Amasa, who had led Absalom’s army, that he would lead his; David asks Amasa to call out the men of Judah and return in three days, but he is late in returning, so he sends Abishai in pursuit of Sheba; Joab’s men go with him and Joab deceitfully kills Amasa; the men of war lay siege to the city where Sheba is staying; a wise woman arranges with Joab to give Sheba over to save the city and they throw his head down to him over the wall, so David is firmly re-established as king
there are three years of famine, so David seeks the Lord, who tells him the famine is because of Saul’s betrayal of the Gibeonites; David asks the Gibeonites what would make it right and they ask for seven men of Saul’s sons to hang; once this is done, David honors the dead, including Saul and Jonathan, by burying them all in the country of Benjamin in Zela, in the grave of Kish, Saul's father; God is then moved by prayer again
the Philistines go to war with Israel again and David becomes weary in battle, so the men of David say he should not go out to war any longer
Psalms 5, 38, 41, 42 (Day 140)
2 Samuel 22-23 (Day 141): psalms of praise by David to God; summary of the mighty men of David
Psalms 57, 95, 97-99 (Day 141 & Day 142)
2 Samuel 24/1 Chronicles 21-22 (Day 143): the sinful census
God is mad at Israel, so He incites David, via Satan, to number Israel and Judah
David gives the command to Joab, who numbers all but Benjamin and Levi, because the command is abhorrent to Joab
David realizes he has sinned; through Gad the seer, David is given three options: seven years of famine, three months of fleeing before his foes, or three days of pestilence, and David chooses the latter, trusting in the mercy of God
70,000 men are killed in the plague, but the Lord relents and stops the destroying angel before he destroys Jerusalem
David asks for the Lord to punish him and his house, instead of the people, so the Lord tells him, through Gad the seer again, to erect on altar on the threshing floor of Ornan (Araunah) the Jebusite; Ornan is willing to give David everything he needs, but David gives him full price, not wanting to sacrifice that which cost him nothing
David offers burnt and peace offerings, the Lord answers with fire from heaven, and the Lord is moved by prayer to hold the plague back
David declares that site should be the house of the Lord
David begins to gather the raw materials needed for his son Solomon to build the temple, he gives Solomon directions, and commands all the leaders of Israel to help Solomon
Psalms 30, 108-110 (Day 143 & Day 144)
1 Chronicles 23-25 (Day 145): David assigns the roles of the Levites in service to house of the Lord that Solomon was to build
when he is old, before he dies, David makes Solomon king
he gathers together all the leaders of Israel with the priests and the Levites; a census is taken of the Levites from 30 years old and upward; 38,000 men are divided into: 24,000 to oversee the work of the house of the LORD, 6,000 officers and judges,4,000 gatekeepers, 4,000 to praise the LORD with instruments David made; they are divided into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari
David counts the Levites from 20 years old and upwards and revises their duties given that, “The LORD God of Israel has given rest to His people, and He dwells in Jerusalem forever. Also, the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all its utensils for its service”
at the time of David, descendants of Aaron’s sons Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests: Zadok of the sons of Eleazar and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar; there were sixteen heads of fathers’ households of the descendants of Eleazar and eight of the descendants of Ithamar, according to their fathers’ households; these families are divided by lot in order to assign their duties
in addition to the priests, the rest of the sons of Levi are also divided by lot to assign their duties
David also sets aside the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to prophesy with lyres, harps, and cymbals
Psalms 131, 138-139, 143-145 (Day 146)
1 Chronicles 26-29 (Day 147): enumeration of the assigned roles in David’s kingdom, charge to Solomon and all with duties in the kingdom, plan of temple given to Solomon, offering from King David and the people for the temple, Solomon anointed as ruler and Zadok as priest, David dies
David makes assignments for the gatekeepers, those who are in charge of the treasures of the house of the Lord, those who are in charge of outside duties as officers and judges both west and east of the Jordan, the officers of the divisions of the army, the princes (chief officers) for each tribe of Israel, and those in charge of the king’s storehouses, agricultural workers, vineyards, olive and sycamore trees, stores of oil, cattle, camels, donkeys, and flocks
David “assembled at Jerusalem all the officials of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the commanders of the divisions that served the king, and the commanders of thousands, and the commanders of hundreds, and the overseers of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, with the officials and the mighty men, even all the valiant men” and he charges them all to support Solomon as king and builder of the temple; he shares that God had chosen Solomon, and he beseeches Solomon to follow the Lord; he also shares his plans for the temple, its building and its administration, that God had given him; David donates for the temple, as do those who are gathered; they make sacrifices to the Lord, and feast with gladness
“they made Solomon the son of David king a second time, and they anointed him as ruler for the LORD and Zadok as priest”
then David “died in a ripe old age, full of days, riches and honor; and his son Solomon reigned in his place”
Psalms 127, 111-118 (Day 147 & Day 148)
1 Kings 1-2 (Day 149): the rebellion of Adonijah resulting in Solomon being anointed king for the first time [should be placed chronologically before 1 Chronicles 23-29, when Solomon is anointed for the second time]
Abishag the Shunammite, a virgin, is chosen to attend to King David in his old age
presumably because he sees his father was frail, David’s fourth son Adonijah (his first and third sons are dead, and we don’t know any more about his second son Chileab [see 2 Samuel 3:2-5]) sees his opportunity to succeed David as king
Adonijah had plotted with with Joab, commander of the army, and with Abiathar the priest, “But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah”
Adonijah holds a sacrifice outside of Jerusalem and invites “all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants. But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, and Solomon his brother”
Nathan the prophet speaks to Bathsheba, warning her that their lives are in danger and instructing her to go ask David if Adonijah being king was his will, when he had promised Solomon would be king, and Nathan says he will come after her and confirm her words
after David learns what has happened from Bathsheba and Nathan, he calls “Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada”; he instructs them to put Solomon on his mule, take him to Gihon [a spring near Jerusalem] and have Zadok and Nathan anoint him there as king; they did so and then blow the trumpet; the people rejoice so loudly that Adonijah and his guests hear it; Jonathan, the son of Abiathar the priest, tells Adonijah and his guests what has happened; they are terrified and flee; Adonijah goes and takes hold of the horns of the altar; Solomon promises Adonijah he will not kill him if he is a worthy man and sends him to his own house
David instructs Solomon regarding those who have betrayed him
David dies and is buried, and Solomon’s kingdom is firmly established
Adonijah asks Bathsheba to ask Solomon for Abishag for his wife; Solomon kills Adonijah for this request
Solomon then deals with those who betrayed David: he dismisses Abiathar as priest, fulfilling the word of the Lord concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh; he has Joab killed and appoints Benaiah the son of Jehoiada over the army in his place; he tells Shimei, who cursed David, that he can stay in Jerusalem but will have him killed if he leaves, but three years later he leaves to retrieve servants who fled, and Solomon has him killed
“Thus the kingdom was established in the hands of Solomon.”
DETAILED SUMMARY:
1 Chronicles 10 (Day 119): death of Saul
This is placed in our reading after the genealogies in 1 Chronicles 1-9 (below) that are relevant to the time of David, but the story is a complementary, and shorter, version to that found in 1 Samuel 28-31, which we read on Day 109.
The Philistines fought, and prevailed, against Israel on Mount Gilboa. Saul and three of his four sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, all died.
Saul was wounded by an archer. He said to his armor bearer, “‘Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, otherwise these uncircumcised will come and abuse me.’ But his armor bearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took his sword and fell on it. When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword and died.”
The men of Israel fled the cities of the valley, “and the Philistines came and lived in them.”
“when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. So they stripped him and took his head and his armor and sent messengers around the land of the Philistines to carry the good news to their idols and to the people. They put his armor in the house of their gods and fastened his head in the house of Dagon.”
“When all Jabesh-gilead [who Saul defended after he had been anointed by Samuel, 1 Samuel 11, Day 100] heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul, all the valiant men arose and took away the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons and brought them to Jabesh, and they buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.”
“So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against the LORD, because of the word of the LORD which he did not keep; and also because he asked counsel of a medium, making inquiry of it, and did not inquire of the LORD. Therefore He killed him and turned the kingdom to David the son of Jesse.”
2 Samuel 1-4 (Day 111): David’s rule in Hebron
David is in Ziklag (of the Philistines, where he had been hiding from Saul) after his slaughter of the Amalekites who had raided Ziklag while he had gone to fight with Achish, king of Gath of the Philistines against Israel (but had been turned back by the protests of the lords of the Philistines)
an Amalekite comes to report to David that Israel has lost in the battle against the Philistines and that Saul and Jonathan are dead; the Amalekite claims he found Saul alive and Saul asked him to kill him and he did so because he didn’t think Saul could live anyway; David kills the Amalekite because he had been unafraid to destroy the Lord’s anointed servant Saul
David and his men mourn for Saul and Jonathan, with David writing and teaching a song of lament
David inquires of the Lord and the Lord tells him to go to Hebron, with his two wives Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigian the widow of Nabal the Carmelite; there the men of Judah anoint David king over Judah (he stays in Hebron seven years and six months)
David is told that Jabesh-Gilead had shown Saul and his sons honor by rescuing their bodies from the Philistines, so David blesses them
Saul’s commander, Abner the son of Ner, makes Saul’s son Ish-bosheth king over the rest of the tribes of Israel (he was forty and reigned two years)
Abner meets Joab, David’s commander, the son of Zeruiah (David’s sister), with their men, by the pool of Gibeon; Abner proposes a military contest that basically turns into a long-running war between the two sides, with David’s side prevailing and getting progressively stronger; on this first day of battle, Joab’s brother Asahel pursues Joab; Joab warns him to retreat but when he doesn’t, Abner kills him; Joab and his other brother Abshai pursue Abner but are unable to overtake him, so Abner counsels them to stop the pursuit, which they do
a total of six sons are born to David (Amnon, Chilean, Absalom, Adonijah, Shephatiah, Ithream), by six different wives (Ahinoam, Abigail, Maacah, Haggith, Abital, Eglah)
Abner takes Saul’s concubine for himself and Ish-bosheth accuses him over it, making Abner angry and inspiring him to transfer the kingdom of Israel to David; Abner sends David a message to make such a covenant, but David says he’ll only see Abner if he brings his first wife Michal with him; Michal is taken from her second husband, who she had been given to after David fled Saul, her father; Abner then comes to David in Hebron and tells him his plan to make him king over all Israel and leaves in peace
Joab had been out on a raid when Abner met with David and is angry when he returns; he calls Abner back deceptively, and he and Abishai kill him; David leads the people in mourning over Abner, making clear that he did not approve of this vengeful killing; David also curses Joab and all his father’s house
two men of Ish-bosheth kill him and bring his head to David in Hebron; David then has these men killed as punishment for this traitorous killing
Psalms 6, 8-10, 14, 16, 19, 21 (Day 112)
1 Chronicles 1-2: genealogy from Adam through the time of David (Day 113)
genealogy from Adam through David: Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah, Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah, Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor, Terah, Abraham, Isaac, Israel, Juday, Perez, Hezron, Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salma, Boaz, Obed, Jesse, David.
“Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah, Shem, Ham and Japeth.” 1 Chronicles 1:1-4)
“Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah, Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor, Terah, Abram, that is Abraham.” (1 Chronicles 1:24-27)
“The sons of Abraham were Isaac and Ishmael.” (1 Chronicles 1:28)
“The sons of Isaac were Esau and Israel.” (1 Chronicles 1:34b)
“These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.” (1 Chronicles 2:1-2)
“The sons of Judah were Er, Onan and Shelah; these three were born to him by Bath-shua the Canaanitess….Tamar his daughter-in-law bore him Perez and Zerah. Judah had five sons in all. The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.” (1 Chronicles 2:3-5)
“Now the sons of Hezron, who were born to him were Jerahmeel, Ram and Chelubai. Ram became the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, leader of the sons of Judah; Nahshon became the father of Salma, Salma became the father of Boaz, Boaz became the father of Obed, and Obed became the father of Jesse; and Jesse became the father of Eliab his firstborn, then Abinadab the second, Shimea the third, Nethanel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, Ozem the sixth, David the seventh; and their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. And the three sons of Zeruiah were Abshai, Joab and Asahel. Abigail bore Amasa” (1 Chronicles 2:9-17a)
Noah’s sons: Shem (Israel), Ham (Canaan), Japheth
“The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras. The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Diphath, and Togarmah. The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim and Rodanim.” (1 Chronicles 1:5-7)
[Some of these names become relevant regarding prophecies at the end of the age. Those of us not of Shem or Ham are likely of Japheth]
“The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
“The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raama and Sabteca; and the sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan. Cush became the father of Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one in the earth.
“Mizraim became the father of the people of Lud, Anam, Lehab, Naphtuh, Pathrus,
“Casluh, from which the Philistines came, and Caphtor.
“Canaan became the father of Sidon, his firstborn, Heth, and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, the Arvadites, the Zemarites and the Hamathites.” (1 Chronicles 1:8-16)
Abraham’s sons: Isaac, Ishmael, and the sons of Keturah, Abraham’s concubine after Sarah died: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah (1 Chronicles 1:28-33)
sons of Ishmael: Nebaioth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, Kedemah [12, like the sons of Isaac’s son Israel (Jacob)]
Isaac’s sons: Esau and Israel (Jacob) (1 Chronicles 1:34-37)
“The sons of Esau were Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam and Korah.
“The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zephi, Gatam, Kenaz, Timna and Amalek.”
[The Amalekites, who attacked Israel after they escaped from Egypt, were descendants of Esau.]
“Now the chiefs of Edom were: chief Timna, chief Aliah, chief Jetheth, chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon, chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar, chief Magdiel, chief Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom.” (1 Chronicles 51b-54)
[Edom is Esau. The descendants of Esau inhabited Edom after the sons of Seir.]
“The sons of Seir” (1 Chronicles 1:38-42)
[Notice we don’t know who the father of Seir is. Strong’s Concordance describes Seir as the “patriarch of the Horites, the inhabitants of Edom before the descendants of Esau, the Edomites.”]
“were Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer and Dishan.”
“Now these are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king of the sons of Israel reigned”: Bela was the son of Beor, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah, Husham of the land of the Temanites, Hadad the son of Bedad (who defeated Midian in the field of Moab), Samlah of Masrekah, Shaul of Rehoboth by the River, Baal-hanan the son of Achbor, Hadad…Then Hadad died.” (1 Chronicles 1:43-51a)
[The next line is “Now the chiefs of Edom were…”, so this appears to distinguish the sons of Seir from the sons of Esau who lived in Edom.]
Judah’s sons (1 Chronicles 2:3-12)
“Er, Onan and Shelah; these three were born to him by Bath-shua the Canaanitess. And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, so He put him to death. Tamar his daughter-in-law bore him Perez [from whom David is descended] and Zerah.
“The sons of Zerah were Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol and Dara; five of them in all. The son of Carmi was Achar, the troubler of Israel, who violated the ban [after the defeat of Jericho, Joshua 7, Day 83].”
Perez son’s: Hezron and Hamu.”
sons of Hezron: Jerahmeel, Ram, Chelubai, Caleb, Segub, Ashhur
Ram is in the line of David: Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salma, Boaz [married Ruth], Obed, Jesse
Jesse’s sons: Eliab, Abinadab, Shimea, Nethanel, Raddai, Ozem, David (the seventh) (1 Chronicles 2:13-15)
Jesse’s daughters (sisters of David): Zeruiah and Abigail (1 Chronicles 2:16-17)
the three sons of Zeruiah were Abshai, Joab [David’s commander was his nephew] and Asahel [killed by Saul’s commander Abner]
Abigail bore Amasa [became the general for David’s rebellious son Absalom]
sons of Hezron (son of Perez, son of Judah): Jerahmeel, Ram, Caleb (Chelubai), Segub, Ashhur (1 Chronicles 2:18-55)
Jerahmeel
father of Ram, Bunah, Oren, Ozem and Ahijah (and Onam by Atarah)
Ram: Maaz, Jamin and Eker
Onam: Shammai and Jada
Shammai: Nadab and Abishur
Nadab: Seled and Appaim
Appaim: Ishi
Ishi: Sheshan
Sheshan: Ahlai (daughter given in marriage to Sheshan’s Egyptian servant)
Attai bore Nathan. bore Zabad [one of David’s mighty warriors], bore Ephlal, bore Obed, bore Jehu, bore Azariah, bore Helez, bore Eleasah, bore Sismai, bore Shallum, bore Jekamiah, bore Elishama
Abishur: Ahban and Molid
Jada: Jether and Jonathan
Jonathan: Peleth and Zaza
Ram = line of David
Caleb (Chelubai): [was prolific. It’s hard to follow all his wives, concubines, and sons] : Mesha, Jesher, Shobab, Ardon, Hur, Haran, Moza, Gazez, Sheber, Tirhanah, Shaaph, Sheva, daughter Achsah, Jahdai? (son or concubine who bore Regem, Jotham, Geshan Pelet, Ephah, Shaaph)
sons by wife Azubah and by Jerioth (Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon) (1 Chronicles 2:18)
son Mesha: Ziph [Ziphites betrayed David to Saul]
Ziph: Mareshah
Mareshah: Hebron
Hebron: Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, Shema
Shema: Raham, father of Jorkeam
Rekem: Shammai, father of Maon, father of Bethzur
when wife Azubah died, “married Ephrath, who bore him Hur. Hur became the father of Uri, and Uri became the father of Bezalel.” (1 Chronicles 2:19)
The sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah (1 Chronicles 2:50b-54):
Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim
sons: Haroeh, half of the Manahathites, and the families of Kiriath-jearim: the Ithrites, the Puthites, the Shumathites and the Mishraites; from these came the Zorathites and the Eshtaolites
Salma the father of Bethlehem
and the Netophathites, Atroth-beth-joab and half of the Manahathites, the Zorites
Hareph the father of Beth-gader
“Ephah, Caleb’s concubine, bore Haran, Moza and Gazez” (1 Chronicles 2:46)
“Haran became the father of Gazez”
“The sons of Jahdai were Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah and Shaaph” (1 Chronicles 2:47) [it’s hard to tell if these are sons by a concubine or sons of a son of Caleb]
“Maacah, Caleb’s concubine, bore Sheber and Tirhanah. She also bore Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbena and the father of Gibea” (1 Chronicles 2:48-49a)
“the daughter of Caleb was Achsah” (1 Chronicles 2:49b)
“The families of scribes who lived at Jabez were the Tirathites, the Shimeathites and the Sucathites. Those are the Kenites [tribe of father-in-law of Moses] who came from Hammath [a city in Naphtali], the father of the house of Rechab.” [part of the Calebites, see also 1 Chronicles 4:9-10]
Segub, by the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead
Segub became the father of Jair, who had twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead
taken from him by Geshur and Aram, other sons of Machir, the father of Gilead
Ashhur, the father of Tekoa
Psalms 43-45, 49, 84-85, 87 (Day 114)
1 Chronicles 3-5 (Day 115): these genealogies extend from around the time of David all the way to the exile of the northern kingdom of Israel to Assyria and the exile of the kingdom of Judah to Babylon and their subsequent return to Israel; “sons” is a broad term that can imply “descendants”
sons of David in Hebron, seven years and six months (1 Chronicles 3:1-4)
six sons by six different wives: Amnon, Daniel, Absalom, Adonijah, Shephatiah, Ithream (Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, Abigail the Carmelitess, Maacah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur, Haggith, Abital, Eglah)
sons of David in Jerusalem, 33 years (1 Chronicles 3:5-9)
four sons by Bath-shua the daughter of Ammiel: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon
nine other sons: Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada, Eliphelet
besides the sons of the concubines
Tamar was their sister
line of kings of Judah: David, Solomon, Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehshaphat, Joram, Ahaziah, Joash, Amaziah, Azariah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah (1 Chronicles 3:10-14)
sons of Josiah: Johanan, Jehoiakim, Zedekiah, Shallum (1 Chronicles 3:15-24)
sons of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, Zedekiah his son
sons of Jeconiah, the prisoner: Shealtiel, Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, Nedabiah
sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel, Shimei
sons of Zerubbabel: Meshullam, Hananiah, (Shelomith was their sister), and Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, Jushab-hesed
sons of Hananiah: Pelatiah, Jeshaiah, the sons of Rephaiah, the sons of Arnan, the sons of Obadiah, the sons of Shecaniah
descendants of Shecaniah: Shemaiah
sons of Shemaiah: Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, Shaphat
sons of Neariah: Elioenai, Hizkiah, Azrikam
sons of Elioenai: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, Anani
“sons” [descendants] of Judah: Perez (son), Hezron (grandson by Perez), Carmi (grandson by Zerah), Hur (great-great-grandson by Caleb, son of Hezron, son of Perez), Shobal (son of Hur and father of Kiriath-jearim (1 Chronicles 4:1, see also 1 Chronicles 2:3-12 and 1 Chronicles 2:18-55, above, on Day 113)
sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, the father of Bethlehem:
“Reaiah the son of Shobal became the father of Jahath, and Jahath became the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These were the families of the Zorathites. These were the sons of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma and Idbash; and the name of their sister was Hazzelelponi. Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah” (1 Chronicles 4:2-4)
Ashhur (son of Hezron, son of Perez, son of Judah), the father of Tekoa (1 Chronicles 4:5-14):
“had two wives, Helah and Naarah. Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah. The sons of Helah were Zereth, Izhar and Ethnan. Koz became the father of Anub and Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum.
“Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez saying, “Because I bore him with pain.” Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!” And God granted him what he requested.”
“Chelub the brother of Shuhah became the father of Mehir, who was the father of Eshton. Eshton became the father of Beth-rapha and Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Ir-nahash. These are the men of Recah.”
“Now the sons of Kenaz were Othniel and Seraiah. And the sons of Othniel were Hathath and Meonothai. Meonothai became the father of Ophrah, and Seraiah became the father of Joab the father of Ge-harashim, for they were craftsmen.”
“The sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh [descendant of Judah, only spy besides Joshua, servant of Moses, to give a faithful report]
“were Iru, Elah and Naam; and the son of Elah was Kenaz. The sons of Jehallelel were Ziph and Ziphah, Tiria and Asarel. The sons of Ezrah were Jether, Mered, Epher and Jalon. (And these are the sons of Bithia the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered took) and she conceived and bore Miriam, Shammai and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. His Jewish wife bore Jered the father of Gedor, and Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. The sons of the wife of Hodiah, the sister of Naham, were the fathers of Keilah the Garmite and Eshtemoa the Maacathite. The sons of Shimon were Amnon and Rinnah, Benhanan and Tilon. And the sons of Ishi were Zoheth and Ben-zoheth” (1 Chronicles 4:15-20).
“The sons of Shelah the son of Judah [his older brothers, Er and Onan, were wicked and died, and their father Judah failed to have Shelah fulfill his responsibility to Er’s widow Tamar]
“were Er the father of Lecah and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of the linen workers at Beth-ashbea; and Jokim, the men of Cozeba, Joash, Saraph, who ruled in Moab, and Jashubi-lehem. And the records are ancient. These were the potters and the inhabitants of Netaim and Gederah; they lived there with the king for his work” (1 Chronicles 4:21-23).
“sons” [descendants] of Simeon:
“were Nemuel and Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul; Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son. The sons of Mishma were Hammuel his son, Zaccur his son, Shimei his son. Now Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brothers did not have many sons, nor did all their family multiply like the sons of Judah. They lived at Beersheba, Moladah and Hazar-shual, at Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth-biri and Shaaraim. These were their cities until the reign of David. Their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen and Ashan, five cities; and all their villages that were around the same cities as far as Baal. These were their settlements, and they have their genealogy.
“Meshobab and Jamlech and Joshah the son of Amaziah, and Joel and Jehu the son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel, and Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah; these mentioned by name were leaders in their families; and their fathers’ houses increased greatly. They went to the entrance of Gedor, even to the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks. They found rich and good pasture, and the land was broad and quiet and peaceful; for those who lived there formerly were Hamites. These, recorded by name, came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and attacked their tents and the Meunites who were found there, and destroyed them utterly to this day, and lived in their place, because there was pasture there for their flocks. From them, from the sons of Simeon, five hundred men went to Mount Seir, with Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi, as their leaders. They destroyed the remnant of the Amalekites who escaped, and have lived there to this day” (1 Chronicles 4:24-43)
“sons” [descendants] of Reuben
“the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel; so that he is not enrolled in the genealogy according to the birthright. Though Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came the leader, yet the birthright belonged to Joseph)” (1 Chronicles 5:1-2)
Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi
“The sons of Joel were Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son, Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son, Beerah his son, whom Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria carried away into exile; he was leader of the Reubenites. His kinsmen by their families, in the genealogy of their generations, were Jeiel the chief, then Zechariah and Bela the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, who lived in Aroer, even to Nebo and Baal-meon. To the east he settled as far as the entrance of the wilderness from the river Euphrates, because their cattle had increased in the land of Gilead. In the days of Saul they made war with the Hagrites, who fell by their hand, so that they occupied their tents throughout all the land east of Gilead” (1 Chronicles 5:4-10).
“sons” [descendants] of Gad
“lived opposite [Reuben] in the land of Bashan as far as Salecah.
“Joel was the chief and Shapham the second, then Janai and Shaphat in Bashan. Their kinsmen of their fathers’ households were Michael, Meshullan, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, Eber, seven. These were the sons of Abihail, the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz; Ahi the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, was head of their fathers’ households. They lived in Gilead, in Bashan and in its towns, and in all the pasture lands of Sharon, as far as their borders. All of these were enrolled in the genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel” (1 Chronicles 5:11-17).
“sons of Reuben and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh
“consisting of valiant men, men who bore shield and sword and shot with bow and were skillful in battle, were 44,760, who went to war. They made war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish and Nodab. They were helped against them, and the Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hand; for they cried out to God in the battle, and He answered their prayers because they trusted in Him. They took away their cattle: their 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, 2,000 donkeys; and 100,000 men. For many fell slain, because the war was of God. And they settled in their place until the exile” (1 Chronicles 5:18-22).
“sons of the half-tribe of Manasseh
“lived in the land; from Bashan to Baal-hermon and Senir and Mount Hermon they were numerous. These were the heads of their fathers’ households, even Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah and Jahdiel, mighty men of valor, famous men, heads of their fathers’ households.
“But they acted treacherously against the God of their fathers and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul, king of Assyria, even the spirit of Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away into exile, namely the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara and to the river of Gozan, to this day” (1 Chronicles 5:23-26).
1 Chronicles 6 (Day 117): genealogy of the tribe of Levi: listed because “these are those whom David appointed over the service of song in the house of the LORD, after the ark rested there. They ministered with song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, until Solomon had built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem; and they served in their office according to their order….Their kinsmen the Levites were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God. But Aaron and his sons offered on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense, for all the work of the most holy place, and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded” (1 Chronicles 6:31-32,48-49). [This chapter also describes the cities, with their pasture lands, that the sons of Levi were given throughout all the tribes of Israel (1 Chronicles 6:54-81).
“The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath and Merari” (1 Chronicles 6:1)
The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar (Amminadab), Hebron, Uzziel
The children of Amram: Aaron, Moses, Miriam
the sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, Ithamar
the priestly line: Aaron, Eleazar, Phinehas, Abishua, Bukki, Uzzi, Zerahiah, Meraioth, Amariah, Ahitub, Zadok, Ahimaaz, Azariah, Johanan, Azariah (it was he who served as the priest in the house which Solomon built in Jerusalem), Amariah, Ahitub, Zadok, Shallum, Hilkiah, Azariah, Seraiah, Jehozadak (went along when the LORD carried Judah and Jerusalem away into exile by Nebuchadnezzar)
“Eleazar became the father of Phinehas, and Phinehas became the father of Abishua, and Abishua became the father of Bukki, and Bukki became the father of Uzzi, and Uzzi became the father of Zerahiah, and Zerahiah became the father of Meraioth, Meraioth became the father of Amariah, and Amariah became the father of Ahitub, and Ahitub became the father of Zadok, and Zadok became the father of Ahimaaz, and Ahimaaz became the father of Azariah, and Azariah became the father of Johanan, and Johanan became the father of Azariah (it was he who served as the priest in the house which Solomon built in Jerusalem), and Azariah became the father of Amariah, and Amariah became the father of Ahitub, and Ahitub became the father of Zadok, and Zadok became the father of Shallum, and Shallum became the father of Hilkiah, and Hilkiah became the father of Azariah, and Azariah became the father of Seraiah, and Seraiah became the father of Jehozadak; and Jehozadak went along when the LORD carried Judah and Jerusalem away into exile by Nebuchadnezzar” (1 Chronicles 6:4-15).
“These are the sons of Aaron [to the time of David’s appointing them]: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, Zadok his son, Ahimaaz his son” (1 Chronicles 6:50-53).
the sons of Amminadab (Izhar): “Korah his son, Assir his son, Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son and Assir his son, Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son and Shaul his son” (1 Chronicles 6:22-24)
sons of Elkanah: Amasai, Ahimoth (1 Chronicles 6:25)
“the sons of Elkanah were Zophai his son and Nahath his son, Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son” (1 Chronicles 6:26-27)
“The sons of Samuel were Joel the firstborn, and Abijah the second” (1 Chronicles 6:28).
Appointed by David to serve with their sons (1 Chronicles 6:33b):
“From the sons of the Kohathites were Heman the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel, the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel” (1 Chronicles 6:33b-38)
The sons of Gershom: Libni, Shimei (1 Chronicles 6:17)
“Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Jeatherai his son” (1 Chronicles 6:20-21)
Appointed by David to serve with their sons (1 Chronicles 6:33b):
“Heman’s brother Asaph stood at his right hand, even Asaph the son of Berechiah, the son of Shimea, the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchijah, the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, the son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi” (1 Chronicles 6:39-43).
The sons of Merari: Mahli, Mushi
“Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son, Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, Asaiah his son” (1 Chronicles 6:29-30)
Appointed by David to serve with their sons (1 Chronicles 6:33b):
“On the left hand were their kinsmen the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah, the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer, the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi” (1 Chronicles 6:44-47).
Psalms 81, 88, 92-93 (Day 118)
1 Chronicles 7-9 (Day 119): hardest genealogies to follow; the genealogies of Issachar, Benjamin, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, and Asher follow a pattern we’re used to from previous chapters, but 1 Chronicles 8 & 9 record those who lived and served in Jerusalem; there is an abrupt line in the middle: “So all Israel was enrolled by genealogies; and behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel. And Judah was carried away into exile to Babylon for their unfaithfulness” (1 Chronicles 9:1); one can imagine different texts and records from different time periods and recorders being gathered for this book, making its thread a little harder to follow; these genealogies also include the genealogy of Saul, from the tribe of Benjamin
sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub, Shimron (1 Chronicles 7:1-5)
sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, Samuel
“heads of their fathers’ households”, “mighty men of valor in their generations”
“their number in the days of David was 22,600”
son of Uzzi: Izrahiah
sons of Izrahiah: Michael, Obadiah, Joel, Isshiah
“all five of them were chief men. With them by their generations according to their fathers’ households were 36,000 troops of the army for war, for they had many wives and sons. Their relatives among all the families of Issachar were mighty men of valor, enrolled by genealogy, in all 87,000.”
sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Jediael (1 Chronicles 7:6-12, 1 Chronicles 8 [recorded twice with differing detail, and including the genealogy of Saul, which is also recorded in 1 Chronicles 9:35-44])
sons of Bela: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, Iri
“heads of fathers’ households”, “mighty men of valor”
“22,034 enrolled by genealogy”
“Shuppim and Huppim were the sons of Ir [Iri]”
sons of Becher: Zermirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, Alemeth
“20,200 mighty men of valor”
son of Jediael: Bilhan
sons of Bilhan: Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, Ahishahar
“17,200 mighty men of valor, who were ready to go out with the army to war”
“Hushim was the son of Aher”
1 Chronicles 8 version of the sons of Benjamin: Bela, Ashbel, Aharah, Nohah, Rapha
Bela had sons: Addar, Gera, Abihud, Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, Gera, Shephuphan, Huram
sons of Ehud: “these are the heads of fathers’ households of the inhabitants of Geba, and they carried them into exile to Manahath, namely, Naaman, Ahijah and Gera—he carried them into exile”
“he became the father of Uzza and Ahihud”
“Shaharaim became the father of children in the country of Moab after he had sent away Hushim and Baara his wives”
“By Hodesh his wife he became the father of Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, Jeuz, Sachia, Mirmah”
“By Hushim he became the father of Abitub and Elpaal”
“The sons of Elpaal were Eber, Misham, and Shemed, who built Ono and Lod, with its towns; and Beriah and Shema, who were heads of fathers’ households of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who put to flight the inhabitants of Gath; and Ahio, Shashak and Jeremoth”
“Zebadiah, Arad, Eder, Michael, Ishpah and Joha were the sons of Beriah”
“Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, Ishmerai, Izliah and Jobab were the sons of Elpaal”
“Jakim, Zichri, Zabdi, Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel, Adaiah, Beraiah and Shimrath were the sons of Shimei”
“Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, Abdon, Zichri, Hanan, Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah, Iphdeiah, and Penuel were the sons of Shasak”
“Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, Jaareshiah, Elijah and Zichri were the sons of Jeroham”
“These were heads of the fathers’ households according to their generations, chief men who lived in Jerusalem” (1 Chronicles 8:1-28)
“Now in Gibeon” [Levitical city of Benjamin near Jerusalem, relatives of Saul, see also 1 Chronicles 9:35-44 below] (1 Chronicles 8:29-40):
Jeiel, the father of Gibeon, with his wife Maacah:
Abdon, Zur, Kish, Baal, Nadab, Gedor, Ahio, Zecher
“Mikloth became the father of Shimeah. And they also lived with their relatives in Jerusalem opposite their other relatives”
“Ner became the father of Kish, and Kish became the father of Saul”
“Saul became the father of Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab and Eshbaal”
“The son of Jonathan was Merib-baal”
“Merib-baal became the father of Micah”
“sons of Micah were Pithon, Melech, Tarea and Ahaz”
“Ahaz became the father of Jehoaddah”
“Jehoaddah became the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth and Zimri”
“Zimri became the father of Moza”
Moza became the father of Binea, Raphah, Eleasah, Azel
Azel had six sons: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, Hanan
The sons of Eshek his brother were Ulam, Jeush, Eliphelet
The sons of Ulam were mighty men of valor, archers, and had many sons and grandsons, 150 of them.”
“All these were of the sons of Benjamin.”
sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, Shallum (the sons of Bilhah [Rachel’s maid]) (1 Chronicles 7:13)
sons of Manasseh (1 Chronicles 7:14-19)
“Asriel, whom his Aramean concubine bore” and “Machir the father of Gilead”
“Machir took a wife for Huppim and Shuppim [Benjamite sons of Iri, above], whose sister’s name was Maacah. And the name of the second was Zelophehad. Zelophehad had daughters.”
“Maacah the wife of Machir bore”: Peresh, Sheresh
Sheresh’ sons: Ulam, Rakem
son of Ulam: Bedan
“These were the sons of Gilead the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh”
“The sons of Shemida were Ahian and Shechem and Likhi and Aniam”
“His sister Hammolecheth bore Ishhod and Abiezer and Mahlah”
sons of Ephraim (1 Chronicles 7:20-29)
“Shuthelah and Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath his son, Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, and Ezer and Elead whom the men of Gath who were born in the land killed, because they came down to take their livestock. Their father Ephraim mourned many days, and his relatives came to comfort him. Then he went in to his wife, and she conceived and bore a son, and he named him Beriah, because misfortune had come upon his house”
“His daughter was Sheerah, who built lower and upper Beth-horon, also Uzzen-sheerah. Rephah was his son along with Resheph, Telah his son, Tahan his son, Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son, Non his son and Joshua his son”
“Their possessions and settlements were Bethel with its towns, and to the east Naaran, and to the west Gezer with its towns, and Shechem with its towns as far as Ayyahwith its towns, and along the borders of the sons of Manasseh, Beth-shean with its towns, Taanach with its towns, Megiddo with its towns, Dor with its towns. In these lived the sons of Joseph the son of Israel.”
sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and Serah their sister (1 Chronicles 7:30-40)
sons of Beriah: Heber, Malchiel
Malchiel was the father of Birzaith
Heber became the father of Japhlet, Shomer, Hotham, and Shua their sister
sons of Japhlet: Pasach, Bimhal, Ashvath
sons of Shemer: Ahi, Rohgah, Jehubbah, Aram
sons of his brother Helem: Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, Amal
sons of Zophah: Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah, Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, Beera
sons of Jether: Jephunneh, Pispa, Ara
sons of Ulla: Arah, Hanniel, Rizia
“All these were the sons of Asher, heads of the fathers’ houses, choice and mighty men of valor, heads of the princes. And the number of them enrolled by genealogy for service in war was 26,000 men.”
“These were heads of fathers’ households of the Levites according to their generations, chief men, who lived in Jerusalem” (1 Chronicles 9:34):
“the first who lived in their possessions in their cities were Israel, the priests, the Levites and the temple servants” (1 Chronicles 9:2)
“Some of the sons of Judah, of the sons of Benjamin and of the sons of Ephraim and Manasseh lived in Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 9:3-9):
“Uthai the son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, from the sons of Perez the son of Judah”
“From the Shilonitesm [previously lived in Shiloh, where the tabernacle was at first] were Asaiah the firstborn and his sons”
“From the sons of Zerah [son of Judah by Tamar] were Jeuel and their relatives, 690 of them”
“From the sons of Benjamin were Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hassenuah, and Ibneiah the son of Jeroham, and Elah the son of Uzzi, the son of Michri, and Meshullam the son of Shephatiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah; and their relatives according to their generations, 956. All these were heads of fathers’ households according to their fathers’ houses”
“From the priests were Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, Jachin, and Azariah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the chief officer of the house of God; and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah, and Maasai the son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer; and their relatives, heads of their fathers’ households, 1,760 very able men for the work of the service of the house of God” (1 Chronicles 9:10-13).
“Of the Levites were Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari; and Bakbakkar, Heresh and Galal and Mattaniah the son of Mica, the son of Zichri, the son of Asaph, and Obadiah the son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun, and Berechiah the son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites” (1 Chronicles 9:14-16).
gatekeepers: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman and their relatives “(Shallum the chief being stationed until now at the king’s gate to the east). These were the gatekeepers for the camp of the sons of Levi” (1 Chronicles 9:17-18)
“Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his relatives of his father’s house, the Korahites, were over the work of the service, keepers of the thresholds of the tent; and their fathers had been over the camp of the LORD, keepers of the entrance” (1 Chronicles 9:19).
“Phinehas the son of Eleazar was ruler over them previously, and the LORD was with him” (1 Chronicles 9:20).
“Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was gatekeeper of the entrance of the tent of meeting” (1 Chronicles 9:21).
“All these who were chosen to be gatekeepers at the thresholds were 212. These were enrolled by genealogy in their villages, whom David and Samuel the seer appointed in their office of trust. So they and their sons had charge of the gates of the house of the LORD, even the house of the tent, as guards. The gatekeepers were on the four sides, to the east, west, north and south. Their relatives in their villages were to come in every seven days from time to time to be with them; for the four chief gatekeepers who were Levites, were in an office of trust, and were over the chambers and over the treasuries in the house of God. They spent the night around the house of God, because the watch was committed to them; and they were in charge of opening it morning by morning” (1 Chronicles 9:22-27).
“some of them had charge of the utensils of service, for they counted them when they brought them in and when they took them out” (1 Chronicles 9:28)
“Some of them also were appointed over the furniture and over all the utensils of the sanctuary and over the fine flour and the wine and the oil and the frankincense and the spices” (1 Chronicles 9:29).
“Some of the sons of the priests prepared the mixing of the spices” (1 Chronicles 9:30).
“Mattithiah, one of the Levites, who was the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, had the responsibility over the things which were baked in pans” (1 Chronicles 9:31).
“Some of their relatives of the sons of the Kohathites were over the showbread to prepare it every sabbath” (1 Chronicles 9:32).
singers (1 Chronicles 9:33).
“heads of fathers’ households of the Levites”
“lived in the chambers of the temple free from other service; for they were engaged in their work day and night”
those who lived in Gibeon [Levitical city of Benjamin near Jerusalem] and were relatives of Saul (1 Chronicles 9:35-44):
Jeiel the father of Gibeon, with his wife Maacah, and their sons: Abdon, Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, Mikloth
“Mikloth became the father of Shimeam”
“And they also lived with their relatives in Jerusalem opposite their other relatives.”
“Ner became the father of Kish, and Kish became the father of Saul”
“Saul became the father of Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab and Eshbaal”
“The son of Jonathan was Merib-baal”
“Merib-baal became the father of Micah”
“The sons of Micah were Pithon, Melech, Tahrea and Ahaz”
“Ahaz became the father of Jarah”
“Jarah became the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth and Zimri”
“Zimri became the father of Moza”
Moza became the father of Binea, Rephaiah, Eleasah, Azel
Azel had six sons: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, Hanan
1 Chronicles 10 (Day 119): death of Saul [summarized at the beginning of this document, complementary version to 1 Samuel 28-31 on Day 109]
2 Samuel 5:1-10, 1 Chronicles 11-12 (Day 121): David is made king over all Israel and conquers Jerusalem
“all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them before the LORD at Hebron; then they anointed David king over Israel” (2 Samuel 5:3) “according to the word of the LORD through Samuel” (1 Chronicles 11:3b)
“David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years. At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah” (2 Samuel 5:4-5).
“the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites…David captured the stronghold of Zion, that is the city of David” (2 Samuel 5:6a-7) “David had said, ‘Whoever strikes down a Jebusite first shall be chief and commander.’ Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became chief” (1 Chronicles 11:6)
“David became greater and greater, for the LORD God of hosts was with him” (2 Samuel 5:10, 1 Chronicles 11:9
the list of “the heads of the mighty men whom David had, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel” (1 Chronicles 11:10-47), including: Abshai the brother of Joab, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Uriah the Hittite
the list of “the ones who came to David at Ziklag, while he was still restricted because of Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men who helped him in war…they were Saul’s kinsmen from Benjamin” (1 Chronicles 12:1-7)
“From the Gadites there came over to David in the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for war, who could handle shield and spear, and whose faces were like the faces of lions” (1 Chronicles 12:8-15)
“some of the sons of Benjamin and Judah came to the stronghold to David” (1 Chronicles 12:16-18)
“David went out to meet them, and said to them, ‘If you come peacefully to me to help me, my heart shall be united with you; but if to betray me to my adversaries, since there is no wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers look on it and decide.’ Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, who was the chief of the thirty, and he said,
‘We are yours, O David,
And with you, O son of Jesse!
Peace, peace to you,
And peace to him who helps you;
Indeed, your God helps you!’
Then David received them and made them captains of the band.”
“From Manasseh also some defected to David when he was about to go to battle with the Philistines against Saul. But they did not help them, for the lords of the Philistines after consultation sent him away, saying, ‘At the cost of our heads he may defect to his master Saul.’ As he went to Ziklag there defected to him from Manasseh…They helped David against the band of raiders, for they were all mighty men of valor, and were captains in the army”
“For day by day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army like the army of God” (1 Chronicles 12:19-22)
“the numbers of the divisions equipped for war, who came to David at Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the LORD” (1 Chronicles 12:23-37):
sons of Judah: 6,800
sons of Simeon: 7,100
sons of Levi: 4,600
“Jehoiada was the leader of the house of Aaron, and with him were 3,700, also Zadok, a young man mighty of valor, and of his father’s house twenty-two captains”
sons of Benjamin, Saul’s kinsmen: 3,000
“for until now the greatest part of them had kept their allegiance to the house of Saul”
sons of Ephraim: 20,800
half-tribe of Manasseh: 18,000
sons of Issachar: “men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their kinsmen were at their command”
Zebulun: 50,000
Naphtali: “1,000 captains, and with them 37,000 with shield and spear”
Danites: 28,600
Asher: 40,000
“From the other side of the Jordan, of the Reubenites and the Gadites and of the half-tribe of Manasseh”: 120,000
“All these, being men of war who could draw up in battle formation, came to Hebron with a perfect heart to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest also of Israel were of one mind to make David king. They were there with David three days, eating and drinking….There was joy indeed in Israel” (1 Chronicles 12:38-40).
2 Samuel 5:11-6:23/1 Chronicles 13-16 (Day 124): David builds his house in Jerusalem, defeats the Philistines, and brings the ark of God to Jerusalem
“Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees and carpenters and stonemasons; and they built a house for David. And David realized that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel” (2 Samuel 5:11-12, 1 Chronicles 14:1-2).
“David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem…these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet” or “Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Beeliada and Eliphelet” (2 Samuel 5:13-14, 1 Chronicles 14:1-2). [Difference in list may be timing of recording and different recorded nicknames.]
“When the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek out David; and when David heard of it, he went down to the stronghold….Then David inquired of the LORD, saying, ‘Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You give them into my hand?’ And the LORD said to David, ‘Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.’ So David came to Baal-perazim and defeated them there” (2 Samuel 5:17-20a,1 Chronicles 14:8-12).
“the Philistines came up once again and….David did so, just as the LORD had commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer” (2 Samuel 5:22-25, 1 Chronicles 14:13-16). “Then the fame of David went out into all the lands; and the LORD brought the fear of him on all the nations” (1 Chronicles 14:13-17).
“David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand….to bring up from [Kiriath-jearim, 1 Samuel 7:1, Day 99] the ark of God which is called by the Name, the very name of the LORD of hosts who is enthroned above the cherubim. They placed the ark of God on a new cart that they might bring it from the house of Abinadab which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were leading the new cart….Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen nearly upset it. And the anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God….And David was unwilling to move the ark of the LORD into the city of David with him; but David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. Thus the ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-edom and all his household” (2 Samuel 6:1-11, 1 Chronicles 13).
David “prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. Then David said, ‘No one is to carry the ark of God but the Levites; for the LORD chose them to carry the ark of God and to minister to Him forever.’…David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites….‘You are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites; consecrate yourselves both you and your relatives, that you may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel to the place that I have prepared for it. Because you did not carry it at the first, the LORD our God made an outburst on us, for we did not seek Him according to the ordinance.’…The sons of the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles thereon, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD” (1 Chronicles 15:1-15).
“David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with gladness….And David was dancing before the LORD with all his might, and David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the LORD with shouting and the sound of the trumpet. Then it happened as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart….David said to Michal, ‘It was before the LORD, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel; therefore I will celebrate before the LORD. I will be more lightly esteemed than this and will be humble in my own eyes, but with the maids of whom you have spoken, with them I will be distinguished.’ Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death” (2 Samuel 5:12-16,20-23, 1 Chronicles 15:25-28).
“So they brought in the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it” (2 Samuel 5:11-17a, 1 Chronicles 16:1-3).
“on that day David first assigned Asaph and his relatives to give thanks to the LORD” (1 Chronicles 16:7)
“he left Asaph and his relatives there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD to minister before the ark continually, as every day’s work required; and Obed-edom with his 68 relatives; Obed-edom, also the son of Jeduthun, and Hosah as gatekeepers. He left Zadok the priest and his relatives the priests before the tabernacle of the LORD in the high place which was at Gibeon, to offer burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of burnt offering continually morning and evening, even according to all that is written in the law of the LORD, which He commanded Israel. With them were Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest who were chosen, who were designated by name, to give thanks to the LORD, because His lovingkindness is everlasting. And with them were Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those who should sound aloud, and with instruments for the songs of God, and the sons of Jeduthun for the gate” (1 Chronicles 16:37-42)
Psalms 1-2, 15, 22-24, 47, 68 (Day 125)
Psalms 89, 96, 100, 101, 105, 132 (Day 126)
2 Samuel 7/1 Chronicles 17 (Day 127): David desires to build God a house, but God tells him instead He will build David a lasting house
“when the king lived in his house, and the LORD had given him rest on every side from all his enemies, that the king said to Nathan the prophet, ‘See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within tent curtains.’…in the same night the word of the LORD…‘Are you the one who should build Me a house to dwell in?…did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, which I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?”’” (2 Samuel 7:1-7, 1 Chronicles 17:1-6).
“I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever….My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever” (2 Samuel 7:8-17, 1 Chronicles 17:7-15).
“Then David the king went in and sat before the LORD…’You have established for Yourself Your people Israel as Your own people forever, and You, O LORD, have become their God….the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house, confirm it forever, and do as You have spoken, that Your name may be magnified forever, by saying, “The LORD of hosts is God over Israel”; and may the house of Your servant David be established before You. For You, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have made a revelation to Your servant, saying, “I will build you a house”; therefore Your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to You. Now, O Lord GOD, You are God, and Your words are truth, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant. Now therefore, may it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You. For You, O Lord GOD, have spoken; and with Your blessing may the house of Your servant be blessed forever’” (2 Samuel 7:18-29, 1 Chronicles 17:16-22).
Psalms 25, 29, 33, 36, 39 (Day 128)
2 Samuel 8-9/1 Chronicles 18 (Day 129): “the Lord helped David wherever he went,” so he defeats all his enemies
“David defeated the Philistines” [Canaanites, descendants of Ham] (2 Samuel 8:1, 1 Chronicles 18:1)
“He defeated Moab” [descendants of Lot] (2 Samuel 8:2, 1 Chronicles 18:2)
“David defeated Hadadezer, the son of Rehob king of Zobah [Syrian] (2 Samuel 8:3-4, 1 Chronicles 18:3-4)
“When the Arameans of Damascus [Abraham’s brother Nahor and his descendants, including Rebekah, Leah, and Rachel, were Arameans (Genesis 25:20] came to help Hadadezer, king of Zobah, David killed 22,000 Arameans” (2 Samuel 8:5, 1 Chronicles 18:5-6a)
“And the LORD helped David wherever he went” (2 Samuel 8:6b,14b; 1 Chronicles 18:6b,13b)
“when Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated all the army of Hadadezer king of Zobah, he sent Hadoram his son to King David to greet him and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and had defeated him; for Hadadezer had been at war with Tou. And Hadoram brought all kinds of articles of gold and silver and bronze” (1 Chronicles 18:9-10, 2 Samuel 8:9-10)
“King David also dedicated these to the LORD, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated from all the nations which he had subdued: from Aram [Syrian] and Moab and the sons of Ammon [descendants of Lot] and the Philistines [Canaanites] and Amalek [descendants of Esau}, and from the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah [Syrian]” (2 Samuel 8:11-12, 1 Chronicles 18:11)
“Abishai the son of Zeruiah defeated 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. Then he put garrisons in Edom [Esau], and all the Edomites became servants to David” (1 Chronicles 18:12-13a, 2 Samuel 8:14a)
“So David reigned over all Israel; and David administered justice and righteousness for all his people” (2 Samuel 8:15, 1 Chronicles 18:14).
“Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder. Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests, and Seraiah (aka Shavsha) was secretary. Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief ministers” (2 Samuel 8:16-18, 1 Chronicles 18:15-17).
“Then David said, ‘Is there yet anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?’ Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David….‘There is still a son of Jonathan who is crippled in both feet.’…King David sent and brought him….Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and prostrated himself….So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table as one of the king’s sons. Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica” (2 Samuel 9:1-13).
Psalms 50, 53, 60, 75 (Day 130)
2 Samuel 10/1 Chronicles 19 (Day 131): the Ammonites hire the Arameans to fight Israel, and they both flee before Israel, with the Arameans conceding defeat
“it happened afterwards that the king of the Ammonites [descendants of Lot] died, and Hanun his son became king in his place. Then David said, ‘I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me.’ So David sent some of his servants to console him concerning his father….the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, ‘Do you think that David is honoring your father because he has sent consolers to you? Has David not sent his servants to you in order to search the city, to spy it out and overthrow it?’ So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved off half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle as far as their hips, and sent them away. When they told it to David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly humiliated….when the sons of Ammon saw that they had become odious to David, the sons of Ammon sent and hired the Arameans…When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army, the mighty men. The sons of Ammon came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the city, while the Arameans…were by themselves in the field….when Joab saw that the battle was set against him in front and in the rear, he selected from all the choice men of Israel, and arrayed them against the Arameans. But the remainder of the people he placed in the hand of Abishai his brother, and he arrayed them against the sons of Ammon’Be strong, and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may the LORD do what is good in His sight.’…When the sons of Ammon saw that the Arameans fled, they also fled…When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they gathered themselves together….when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together….And the Arameans arrayed themselves to meet David and fought against him. But the Arameans fled before Israel….When all the kings, servants of Hadadezer, saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them. So the Arameans feared to help the sons of Ammon anymore” (2 Samuel 10, 1 Chronicles 19)
Psalms 20, 65-67, 69-70 (Day 131 & Day 132)
2 Samuel 11-12/1 Chronicles 20 (Day 133): David’s greatest sin, resulting in forgiveness with consequence, while Joab is still fighting the Ammonites
“it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem (2 Samuel 11:1 , 1 Chronicles 20:1a)
“from the roof [David] saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance…‘Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite’….David sent messengers and took her, and when she came to him, he lay with her….The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, ‘I am pregnant.’…David sent to Joab, saying, ‘Send me Uriah the Hittite.’…Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house….‘The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in temporary shelters, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? By your life and the life of your soul, I will not do this thing.’…he made him drunk; and in the evening he went out to lie on his bed with his lord’s servants, but he did not go down to his house….David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah…‘Place Uriah in the front line of the fiercest battle and withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and die.’…Joab sent and reported to David all the events of the war…The messenger said to David, ‘The men prevailed against us and came out against us in the field, but we pressed them as far as the entrance of the gate. Moreover, the archers shot at your servants from the wall; so some of the king’s servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.’ Then David said to the messenger, ‘Thus you shall say to Joab, “Do not let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another; make your battle against the city stronger and overthrow it”; and so encourage him’” (2 Samuel 11:1-25 [1 Chronicles 20 does not cover the events with Bathsheba and Uriah])
“when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. When the time of mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house and she became his wife; then she bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD” (2 Samuel 11:26-27).
“the LORD sent Nathan to David” and he told him a story of a rich man stealing a poor man’s beloved pet ewe lamb to prepare for a guest. “Then David’s anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, ‘As the LORD lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die. He must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion.’ Nathan then said to David, ‘You are the man!” (2 Samuel 12:1-7a)
“Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘Why have you despised the word of the LORD by doing evil in His sight?…the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife….I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun’” (2 Samuel 12:1-7b-12).
“Then David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the LORD.’ And Nathan said to David, ‘The LORD also has taken away your sin; you shall not die. However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die’”(2 Samuel 12:13-14).
“Then the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s widow bore to David, so that he was very sick. David therefore inquired of God for the child; and David fasted and went and lay all night on the ground….Then it happened on the seventh day that the child died…So David arose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he came into the house of the LORD and worshiped…and when he requested, they set food before him and he ate….‘While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, “Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to me, that the child may live.” But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me’” (2 Samuel 12:15b-23).
“David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her; and she gave birth to a son, and he named him Solomon. Now the LORD loved him and sent word through Nathan the prophet, and he named him Jedidiah [beloved of the Lord] for the LORD’S sake” (2 Samuel 12:24-25).
“Joab sent messengers to David and said, ‘I have fought against Rabbah, I have even captured the city of waters. Now therefore, gather the rest of the people together and camp against the city and capture it, or I will capture the city myself and it will be named after me.’ So David gathered all the people and went to Rabbah, fought against it and captured it. Then he took the crown of their king…and it was placed on David’s head. And he brought out the spoil of the city in great amounts. He also brought out the people who were in it, and set them under saws, sharp iron instruments, and iron axes, and made them pass through the brick kiln. And thus he did to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem” (2 Samuel 12:26-31, 1 Chronicles 20:1-3)
“after this, that war broke out at Gezer with the Philistines…there was war with the Philistines again….Again there was war at Gath” (1 Chronicles 20:4-8)
Psalms 32, 51, 86, 122 (Day 134)
2 Samuel 13-15 (Day 135): the rebellion of Absalom (only covered in 2 Samuel and not in 1 Chronicles)
“Absalom the son of David [his third son, born to him at Hebron, to his wife Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur (2 Samuel 3:3)] had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar, and Amnon the son of David loved her [Amnon was David’s firstborn, also born to him at Hebron, with his second wife Ahinoam the Jezreelitess (2 Samuel 3:2)] Michal, Saul’s daughter, was David’s first wife and she never had any children. Bathsheba appears to have been his eighth wife, and she had four children, including Solomon and, interestingly, Nathan, likely named for the prophet (1 Chronicles 3:5)]
“Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother; and Jonadab was a very shrewd man…Jonadab then said to him, ‘Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill; when your father comes to see you, say to him, “Please let my sister Tamar come and give me some food to eat, and let her prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat from her hand.”’ So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill; when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.’ Then David sent to the house for Tamar”
“When she brought them to him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, ‘Come, lie with me, my sister.’ But she answered him, ‘No, my brother, do not violate me, for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this disgraceful thing! As for me, where could I get rid of my reproach? And as for you, you will be like one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.’ However, he would not listen to her; since he was stronger than she, he violated her and lay with her.”
“Then Amnon hated her with a very great hatred; for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, ‘Get up, go away!’ But she said to him, ‘No, because this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you have done to me!’…Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her long-sleeved garment which was on her; and she put her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went.”
“Tamar remained and was desolate in her brother Absalom’s house. Now when King David heard of all these matters, he was very angry” [Deuteronomy 22:22-30 would suggest either Amnon should have been forced to marry Tamar, or been killed, but David did nothing]
“after two full years that Absalom had sheepshearers…near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king’s sons….Absalom commanded his servants, saying, ‘See now, when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, “Strike Amnon,” then put him to death. Do not fear; have not I myself commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant.’ The servants of Absalom did to Amnon just as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose and each mounted his mule and fled.”
“Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur [his grandfather]. And David mourned for his son every day. So Absalom had fled and gone to Geshur, and was there three years. The heart of King David longed to go out to Absalom; for he was comforted concerning Amnon, since he was dead.”
“Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was inclined toward Absalom. So Joab sent to Tekoa and brought a wise woman from there and said to her, ‘Please pretend to be a mourner.’ After David’s reaction to the scenario Joab told her to present, she tells David, “‘in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring back his banished one….God does not take away life, but plans ways so that the banished one will not be cast out from him.’…So the king said, ‘Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?’…Then the king said to Joab, ‘Behold now, I will surely do this thing; go therefore, bring back the young man Absalom.’…So Joab arose and went to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. However the king said, ‘Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face.’ So Absalom turned to his own house and did not see the king’s face.”
“Now in all Israel was no one as handsome as Absalom, so highly praised…To Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar; she was a woman of beautiful appearance….Now Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, and did not see the king’s face”
“Therefore he said to his servants, ‘See, Joab’s field is next to mine…go and set it on fire.’…Then Joab arose, came to Absalom at his house….‘Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me still to be there. Now therefore, let me see the king’s face, and if there is iniquity in me, let him put me to death.’…Thus he came to the king and prostrated himself on his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.”
“Absalom provided for himself a chariot and horses and fifty men as runners before him. Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way to the gate…Absalom dealt with all Israel who came to the king for judgment; so Absalom stole away the hearts of the men of Israel.”
“at the end of forty years that Absalom….arose and went to Hebron. But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, ‘As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, “Absalom is king in Hebron.”’ Then two hundred men went with Absalom from Jerusalem, who were invited and went innocently,and they did not know anything. And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor….And the conspiracy was strong, for the people increased continually with Absalom.”
“Then a messenger came to David, saying, ‘The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.’ David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, ‘Arise and let us flee, for otherwise none of us will escape from Absalom.’…So the king went out and all his household with him. But the king left ten concubines to keep the house.”
“behold, Zadok also came, and all the Levites with him carrying the ark of the covenant of God…The king said to Zadok, ‘Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the sight of the LORD, then He will bring me back again and show me both it and His habitation. But if He should say thus, “I have no delight in you,” behold, here I am, let Him do to me as seems good to Him.’”
“David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went”
“someone told David, saying, ‘Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.’ And David said, ‘O LORD, I pray, make the counsel of Ahithophel foolishness.’ It happened as David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, that behold, Hushai the Archite met him….David said to him, ‘If you pass over with me, then you will be a burden to me. But if you return to the city, and say to Absalom, “I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father’s servant in time past, so I will now be your servant,” then you can thwart the counsel of Ahithophel for me. Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So it shall be that whatever you hear from the king’s house, you shall report to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. Behold their two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son; and by them you shall send me everything that you hear.’ So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.”
Psalms 3-4, 12-13, 28, 55 (Day 136)
2 Samuel 16-18 (Day 137): Absalom’s betrayal, war with his father, and defeat (only covered in 2 Samuel and not in 1 Chronicles)
“when David had passed a little beyond the summit [of the Mount of Olives, leaving Jerusalem (2 Samuel 15:30)], behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth [son of Jonathan, son of Saul] met him….‘The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride, and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine, for whoever is faint in the wilderness to drink’….‘And where is your master’s son?’ And Ziba said to the king, ‘Behold, he is staying in Jerusalem, for he said, “Today the house of Israel will restore the kingdom of my father to me.”’ So the king said to Ziba, ‘Behold, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.’
“there came out from there a man of the family of the house of Saul whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera; he came out cursing continually as he came. He threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David….‘Get out, get out, you man of bloodshed, and worthless fellow! The LORD has returned upon you all the bloodshed of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the LORD has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. And behold, you are taken in your own evil, for you are a man of bloodshed!’”
“Abishai the son of Zeruiah [David’s nephew and brother of Joab, David’s commander] said to the king, ‘Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over now and cut off his head.’ But the king said, ‘What have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah? If he curses, and if the LORD has told him, “Curse David,” then who shall say, “Why have you done so?”’ Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, ‘Behold, my son who came out from me seeks my life; how much more now this Benjamite? Let him alone and let him curse, for the LORD has told him. Perhaps the LORD will look on my affliction and return good to me instead of his cursing this day.’”
“Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, entered Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him….Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, came to Absalom [at David’s request (2 Samuel 15:32-37)]….’For whom the LORD, this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his I will be, and with him I will remain.’”
“Ahithophel said to Absalom, ‘Go in to your father’s concubines, whom he has left to keep the house; then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself odious to your father. The hands of all who are with you will also be strengthened.’ So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom went in to his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel. The advice of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if one inquired of the word of God; so was all the advice of Ahithophel regarded by both David and Absalom.”
“Ahithophel said to Absalom, ‘Please let me choose 12,000 men that I may arise and pursue David tonight. I will come upon him while he is weary and exhausted and terrify him, so that all the people who are with him will flee. Then I will strike down the king alone, and I will bring back all the people to you. The return of everyone depends on the man you seek; then all the people will be at peace.’”
“Absalom said, ‘Now call Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear what he has to say.’…Hushai said to Absalom, ‘This time the advice that Ahithophel has given is not good….I counsel that all Israel be surely gathered to you…and that you personally go into battle.’…Absalom and all the men of Israel said, ‘The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.’ For the LORD had ordained to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the LORD might bring calamity on Absalom.”
“Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, ‘send quickly and tell David, saying, “Do not spend the night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means cross over, or else the king and all the people who are with him will be destroyed.”’ Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel, and a maidservant would go and tell them, and they would go and tell King David, for they could not be seen entering the city. But a lad did see them and told Absalom; so the two of them departed quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard, and they went down into it”….they came up out of the well and went and told King David; and they said to David, ‘Arise and cross over the water quickly for thus Ahithophel has counseled against you.’ Then David and all the people who were with him arose and crossed the Jordan”
“when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and arose and went to his home, to his city, and set his house in order, and strangled himself”
“Absalom crossed the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. Absalom set Amasa over the army in place of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Ithra the Israelite, who went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother” [another sister of David, so Amasa was Joab’s cousin]
“David numbered the people who were with him and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. David sent the people out, one third under the command of Joab, one third under the command of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and one third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, ‘I myself will surely go out with you also.’ But the people said, ‘You should not go out; for if we indeed flee, they will not care about us; even if half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us; therefore now it is better that you be ready to help us from the city.’ Then the king said to them, ‘Whatever seems best to you I will do.’ So the king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and thousands.”
“The king charged Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.’ And all the people heard when the king charged all the commanders concerning Absalom.”
“the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim. The people of Israel were defeated there before the servants of David, and the slaughter there that day was great, 20,000 men. For the battle there was spread over the whole countryside, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.”
“Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak. And his head caught fast in the oak, so he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him kept going…..Joab….took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak. And ten young men who carried Joab’s armor gathered around and struck Absalom and killed him.”
“Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained the people. They took Absalom and cast him into a deep pit in the forest and erected over him a very great heap of stones. And all Israel fled, each to his tent.”
“Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, ‘Please let me run and bring the king news that the LORD has freed him from the hand of his enemies.’ But Joab said to him, ‘You are not the man to carry news this day, but you shall carry news another day; however, you shall carry no news today because the king’s son is dead.’ Then Joab said to the Cushite, ‘Go, tell the king what you have seen.’ So the Cushite bowed to Joab and ran. Now Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said once more to Joab, ‘But whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite.’ And Joab said, ‘Why would you run, my son, since you will have no reward for going?’ ‘But whatever happens,’ he said, ‘I will run.’ So he said to him, ‘Run.’ Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and passed up.”
“Ahimaaz called and said to the king, ‘All is well.’ And he prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground. And he said, ‘Blessed is the LORD your God, who has delivered up the men who lifted their hands against my lord the king.’ The king said, ‘Is it well with the young man Absalom?’…Behold, the Cushite arrived, and the Cushite said, ‘Let my lord the king receive good news, for the LORD has freed you this day from the hand of all those who rose up against you.’ Then the king said to the Cushite, ‘Is it well with the young man Absalom?’ And the Cushite answered, ‘Let the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you for evil, be as that young man!’”
“The king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And thus he said as he walked, ‘O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!’”
Psalms 26, 40, 58, 61-62, 64 (Day 138)
2 Samuel 19-21 (Day 139): re-establishment of David as king over all Israel (only covered in 2 Samuel and not in 1 Chronicles)
“it was told Joab, ‘Behold, the king is weeping and mourns for Absalom.’ The victory that day was turned to mourning for all the people”
“Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, ‘Today you have covered with shame the faces of all your servants, who today have saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters, the lives of your wives, and the lives of your concubines, by loving those who hate you, and by hating those who love you. For you have shown today that princes and servants are nothing to you; for I know this day that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then you would be pleased. Now therefore arise, go out and speak kindly to your servants, for I swear by the LORD, if you do not go out, surely not a man will pass the night with you, and this will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now.’”
“So the king arose and sat in the gate….Now Israel had fled, each to his tent. All the people were quarreling throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, ‘The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies and saved us from the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled out of the land from Absalom. However, Absalom, whom we anointed over us, has died in battle. Now then, why are you silent about bringing the king back?’”
“Then King David sent to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, saying, ‘Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, “Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house, since the word of all Israel has come to the king, even to his house? You are my brothers; you are my bone and my flesh. Why then should you be the last to bring back the king?” Say to Amasa, “Are you not my bone and my flesh? May God do so to me, and more also, if you will not be commander of the army before me continually in place of Joab.”’ Thus he turned the hearts of all the men of Judah as one man….The king then returned and came as far as the Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal in order to go to meet the king, to bring the king across the Jordan.”
“Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite who was from Bahurim, hurried and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David. There were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, with Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they rushed to the Jordan before the king. Then they kept crossing the ford to bring over the king’s household, and to do what was good in his sight. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king as he was about to cross the Jordan. So he said to the king, ‘Let not my lord consider me guilty, nor remember what your servant did wrong on the day when my lord the king came out from Jerusalem, so that the king would take it to heart. For your servant knows that I have sinned; therefore behold, I have come today, the first of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.’ But Abishai the son of Zeruiah said, ‘Should not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD’S anointed?’ David then said, ‘What have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah, that you should this day be an adversary to me? Should any man be put to death in Israel today? For do I not know that I am king over Israel today?’ The king said to Shimei, ‘You shall not die.’ Thus the king swore to him.”
“Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king; and he had neither cared for his feet, nor trimmed his mustache, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came home in peace….‘O my lord, the king, my servant deceived me; for your servant said, “I will saddle a donkey for myself that I may ride on it and go with the king,” because your servant is lame. Moreover, he has slandered your servant to my lord the king; but my lord the king is like the angel of God, therefore do what is good in your sight. For all my father’s household was nothing but dead men before my lord the king; yet you set your servant among those who ate at your own table. What right do I have yet that I should complain anymore to the king?’ So the king said to him, ‘Why do you still speak of your affairs? I have decided, “You and Ziba shall divide the land.”’ Mephibosheth said to the king, ‘Let him even take it all, since my lord the king has come safely to his own house.’”
“Barzillai the Gileadite…had sustained the king while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very great man….’here is your servant Chimham, let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what is good in your sight.’”
“the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him; and all the people of Judah and also half the people of Israel accompanied the king. And behold, all the men of Israel came to the king and said to the king, ‘Why had our brothers the men of Judah stolen you away, and brought the king and his household and all David’s men with him over the Jordan?’ Then all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, ‘Because the king is a close relative to us. Why then are you angry about this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king’s expense, or has anything been taken for us?’ But the men of Israel answered the men of Judah and said, ‘We have ten parts in the king, therefore we also have more claim on David than you. Why then did you treat us with contempt? Was it not our advice first to bring back our king?’ Yet the words of the men of Judah were harsher than the words of the men of Israel.”
“a worthless fellow happened to be there whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite; and he blew the trumpet and said,
‘We have no portion in David,
Nor do we have inheritance in the son of Jesse;
Every man to his tents, O Israel!’
So all the men of Israel withdrew from following David and followed Sheba the son of Bichri; but the men of Judah remained steadfast to their king, from the Jordan even to Jerusalem.”“David came to his house at Jerusalem, and the king took the ten women, the concubines whom he had left to keep the house, and placed them under guard and provided them with sustenance, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up until the day of their death, living as widows.”
“the king said to Amasa, ‘Call out the men of Judah for me within three days, and be present here yourself.’ So Amasa went to call out the men of Judah, but he delayed longer than the set time which he had appointed him. And David said to Abishai, ‘Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom; take your lord’s servants and pursue him, so that he does not find for himself fortified cities and escape from our sight.’ So Joab’s men went out after him, along with the Cherethites and the Pelethites and all the mighty men; and they went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.”
“When they were at the large stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them….Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.But Amasa was not on guard against the sword which was in Joab’s hand so he struck him in the belly with it and poured out his inward parts on the ground, and did not strike him again, and he died.”
“Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri. Now there stood by him one of Joab’s young men, and said, ‘Whoever favors Joab and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab.’ But Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he removed Amasa from the highway into the field and threw a garment over him when he saw that everyone who came by him stood still. As soon as he was removed from the highway, all the men passed on after Joab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.”
“They came and besieged him in Abel Beth-maacah, and they cast up a siege ramp against the city, and it stood by the rampart; and all the people who were with Joab were wreaking destruction in order to topple the wall. Then a wise woman called from the city….’I am of those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel. You are seeking to destroy a city, even a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?’ Joab replied, ‘Far be it, far be it from me that I should swallow up or destroy! Such is not the case. But a man from the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has lifted up his hand against King David. Only hand him over, and I will depart from the city.’ And the woman said to Joab, ‘Behold, his head will be thrown to you over the wall.’ Then the woman wisely came to all the people. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri and threw it to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they were dispersed from the city, each to his tent. Joab also returned to the king at Jerusalem.”
“Joab was over the whole army of Israel, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and Adoram was over the forced labor, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder; and Sheva was scribe, and Zadok and Abiathar were priests; and Ira the Jairite was also a priest to David.”
“there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David sought the presence of the LORD. And the LORD said, ‘It is for Saul and his bloody house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.’ So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them (now the Gibeonites were not of the sons of Israel but of the remnant of the Amorites, and the sons of Israel made a covenant with them, but Saul had sought to kill them in his zeal for the sons of Israel and Judah)….‘What should I do for you? And how can I make atonement that you may bless the inheritance of the LORD?’….‘The man who consumed us and who planned to exterminate us from remaining within any border of Israel, let seven men from his sons be given to us, and we will hang them before the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the LORD.’ And the king said, ‘I will give them.’”
“But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the oath of the LORD which was between them, between David and Saul’s son Jonathan. So the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, Armoni and Mephibosheth whom she had borne to Saul, and the five sons of Merab the daughter of Saul, whom she had borne to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite. Then he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the mountain before the LORD, so that the seven of them fell together”
“And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until it rained on them from the sky; and she allowed neither the birds of the sky to rest on them by day nor the beasts of the field by night. When it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done, then David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the open square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them on the day the Philistines struck down Saul in Gilboa. He brought up the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from there, and they gathered the bones of those who had been hanged. They buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zela, in the grave of Kish his father; thus they did all that the king commanded, and after that God was moved by prayer for the land.”
“the Philistines were at war again with Israel, David went down and his servants with him; and as they fought against the Philistines, David became weary. Then Ishbi-benob, who was among the descendants of the giant, the weight of whose spear was three hundred shekels of bronze in weight, was girded with a new sword, and he intended to kill David. But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, ‘You shall not go out again with us to battle, so that you do not extinguish the lamp of Israel.’”
“there was war again with the Philistines at Gob; then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Saph, who was among the descendants of the giant. There was war with the Philistines again at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. There was war at Gath again, where there was a man of great stature who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number; and he also had been born to the giant. When he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei, David’s brother, struck him down. These four were born to the giant in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.”
Psalms 5, 38, 41, 42 (Day 140)
2 Samuel 22-23 (Day 141): psalms of praise by David to God; summary of the mighty men of David
“And David spoke the words of this song to the LORD in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said,
‘The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge;
My savior, You save me from violence.
I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies.
For the waves of death encompassed me;
The torrents of destruction overwhelmed me;
The cords of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
In my distress I called upon the LORD,
Yes, I cried to my God;
And from His temple He heard my voice,
And my cry for help came into His ears.
Then the earth shook and quaked,
The foundations of heaven were trembling
And were shaken, because He was angry.
Smoke went up out of His nostrils,
Fire from His mouth devoured;
Coals were kindled by it.
He bowed the heavens also, and came down
With thick darkness under His feet.
And He rode on a cherub and flew;
And He appeared on the wings of the wind.
And He made darkness canopies around Him,
A mass of waters, thick clouds of the sky.
From the brightness before Him
Coals of fire were kindled.
The LORD thundered from heaven,
And the Most High uttered His voice.
And He sent out arrows, and scattered them,
Lightning, and routed them.
Then the channels of the sea appeared,
The foundations of the world were laid bare
By the rebuke of the LORD,
At the blast of the breath of His nostrils.
He sent from on high, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the LORD was my support.
He also brought me forth into a broad place;
He rescued me, because He delighted in me.
The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.
For I have kept the ways of the LORD,
And have not acted wickedly against my God.
For all His ordinances were before me,
And as for His statutes, I did not depart from them.
I was also blameless toward Him,
And I kept myself from my iniquity.
Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
According to my cleanness before His eyes.
With the kind You show Yourself kind,
With the blameless You show Yourself blameless;
With the pure You show Yourself pure,
And with the perverted You show Yourself astute.
And You save an afflicted people;
But Your eyes are on the haughty whom You abase.
For You are my lamp, O LORD;
And the LORD illumines my darkness.
For by You I can run upon a troop;
By my God I can leap over a wall.
As for God, His way is blameless;
The word of the LORD is tested;
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
For who is God, besides the LORD?
And who is a rock, besides our God?
God is my strong fortress;
And He sets the blameless in His way.
He makes my feet like hinds’ feet,
And sets me on my high places.
He trains my hands for battle,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You have also given me the shield of Your salvation,
And Your help makes me great.
You enlarge my steps under me,
And my feet have not slipped.
I pursued my enemies and destroyed them,
And I did not turn back until they were consumed.
And I have devoured them and shattered them, so that they did not rise;
And they fell under my feet.
For You have girded me with strength for battle;
You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me,
And I destroyed those who hated me.
They looked, but there was none to save;
Even to the LORD, but He did not answer them.
Then I pulverized them as the dust of the earth;
I crushed and stamped them as the mire of the streets.
You have also delivered me from the contentions of my people;
You have kept me as head of the nations;
A people whom I have not known serve me.
Foreigners pretend obedience to me;
As soon as they hear, they obey me.
Foreigners lose heart,
And come trembling out of their fortresses.
The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock;
And exalted be God, the rock of my salvation,
The God who executes vengeance for me,
And brings down peoples under me,
Who also brings me out from my enemies;
You even lift me above those who rise up against me;
You rescue me from the violent man.
Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the nations,
And I will sing praises to Your name.
He is a tower of deliverance to His king,
And shows lovingkindness to His anointed,
To David and his descendants forever (2 Samuel 22:1-51).’”“Now these are the last words of David.
David the son of Jesse declares,
The man who was raised on high declares,
The anointed of the God of Jacob,
And the sweet psalmist of Israel,
‘The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me,
And His word was on my tongue.
The God of Israel said,
The Rock of Israel spoke to me,
“He who rules over men righteously,
Who rules in the fear of God,Is as the light of the morning when the sun rises,
A morning without clouds,
When the tender grass springs out of the earth,
Through sunshine after rain.”
Truly is not my house so with God?
For He has made an everlasting covenant with me,
Ordered in all things, and secured;
For all my salvation and all my desire,
Will He not indeed make it grow?
But the worthless, every one of them will be thrust away like thorns,
Because they cannot be taken in hand;
But 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 (2 Samuel 23:1-9).’”“These are the names of the mighty men whom David had:
“Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains, he was called Adino the Eznite, because of eight hundred slain by him at one time…
“Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there to battle and the men of Israel had withdrawn. He arose and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary and clung to the sword, and the LORD brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to strip the slain….
“Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered into a troop where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistines. But he took his stand in the midst of the plot, defended it and struck the Philistines; and the LORD brought about a great victory.
“Then three of the thirty chief men went down and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam, while the troop of the Philistines was camping in the valley of Rephaim. David was then in the stronghold, while the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. David had a craving and said, ‘Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate!’ So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD; and he said, ‘Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?’ Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.
“Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. And he swung his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name as well as the three. He was most honored of the thirty, therefore he became their commander; however, he did not attain to the three…
“Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day. He killed an Egyptian, an impressive man. Now the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but he went down to him with a club and snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and had a name as well as the three mighty men. He was honored among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David appointed him over his guard.
“Asahel the brother of Joab was among the thirty
“Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem
“Shammah the Harodite
“Elika the Harodite
“Helez the Paltite
“Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite
“Abiezer the Anathothite
“Mebunnai the Hushathite
“Zalmon the Ahohite
“Maharai the Netophathite
“Heleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite
“Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin
“Benaiah a Pirathonite
“Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash
“Abi-albon the Arbathite
“Azmaveth the Barhumite
“Eliahba the Shaalbonite
“the sons of Jashen
“Jonathan
“Shammah the Hararite
“Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite
“Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maacathite
“Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite
“Hezro the Carmelite
“Paarai the Arbite
“Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah
“Bani the Gadite
“Zelek the Ammonite
“Naharai the Beerothite
“armor bearers of Joab the son of Zeruiah, Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, Uriah the Hittite
“thirty-seven in all.”
Psalms 57, 95, 97-99 (Day 141 & Day 142)
2 Samuel 24/1 Chronicles 21-22 (Day 143): the sinful census
“again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel [see 2 Samuel 22, where the Lord caused a 3-year famine because of Saul’s breaking the covenant with the Gibeonites (Joshua 9)], and it incited David against them to say, ‘Go, number Israel and Judah’” (2 Samuel 24:1); “Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel” (1 Chronicles 21:1)
“The king said to Joab the commander of the army who was with him, ‘Go about now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and register the people, that I may know the number of the people.’…So Joab and the commanders of the army went out from the presence of the king to register the people of Israel….So when they had gone about through the whole land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. And Joab gave the number of the registration of the people to the king; and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men” (2 Samuel 24:2-9); “Joab gave the number of the census of all the people to David. And all Israel were 1,100,000 men who drew the sword; and Judah was 470,000 men who drew the sword. But he did not number Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king’s command was abhorrent to Joab” (1 Chronicles 21:4-6)
“God was displeased with this thing, so He struck Israel (1 Chronicles 21:7); “David’s heart troubled him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the LORD, ‘I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O LORD, please take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.’ When David arose in the morning, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, ‘Go and speak to David, “Thus the LORD says, ‘I am offering you three things; choose for yourself one of them, which I will do to you.’”’ So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him, ‘Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ pestilence in your land? Now consider and see what answer I shall return to Him who sent me.’ Then David said to Gad, ‘I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of the LORD for His mercies are great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man’” (2 Samuel 24:10-14, 1 Chronicles 21:8-13)
“So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning until the appointed time, and seventy thousand men of the people from Dan to Beersheba died” (2 Samuel 24:15, 1 Chronicles 21:14)
“When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel who destroyed the people, ‘It is enough! Now relax your hand!’ And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite” (2 Samuel 24:16) or “Ornan the Jebusite. Then David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between earth and heaven, with his drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, covered with sackcloth, fell on their faces” (1 Chronicles 21:15-16)
“Then David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who was striking down the people, and said, ‘Behold, it is I who have sinned, and it is I who have done wrong; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let Your hand be against me and against my father’s house’” (2 Samuel 24:17, 1 Chronicles 21:17)
“So Gad came to David that day and said to him, ‘Go up, erect an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.’ David went up according to the word of Gad, just as the LORD had commanded.” “Ornan turned back and saw the angel, and his four sons who were with him hid themselves. And Ornan was threshing wheat.”“Araunah looked down and saw the king and his servants crossing over toward him; and Araunah went out and bowed his face to the ground before the king. Then Araunah said, ‘Why has my lord the king come to his servant?’ And David said, ‘To buy the threshing floor from you, in order to build an altar to the LORD, that the plague may be held back from the people.’ Araunah said to David, ‘Let my lord the king take and offer up what is good in his sight. Look, the oxen for the burnt offering, the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood. Everything, O king, Araunah gives to the king.’ And Araunahsaid to the king, ‘May the LORD your God accept you.’ However, the king said to Araunah, ‘No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, for I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which cost me nothing.’ So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver” or “David gave Ornan 600 shekels of gold by weight for the site” (2 Samuel 24:18-24, 1 Chronicles 21:18-25)
“David built there an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.” “And he called to the LORD and He answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. The LORD commanded the angel, and he put his sword back in its sheath. At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he offered sacrifice there. For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were in the high place at Gibeon at that time. But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was terrified by the sword of the angel of the LORD.” “Thus the LORD was moved by prayer for the land, and the plague was held back from Israel.” (2 Samuel 24:25, 1 Chronicles 21:26-30)
“Then David said, ‘This is the house of the LORD God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel” (1 Chronicles 22:1).
“David gave orders to gather the foreigners who were in the land of Israel, and he set stonecutters to hew out stones to build the house of God. David prepared large quantities of iron to make the nails for the doors of the gates and for the clamps, and more bronze than could be weighed; and timbers of cedar logs beyond number, for the Sidonians and Tyrians brought large quantities of cedar timber to David. David said, ‘My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the LORD shall be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all lands. Therefore now I will make preparation for it.’ So David made ample preparations before his death” (1 Chronicles 22:2-5).
“Then he called for his son Solomon, and charged him to build a house for the LORD God of Israel. David said to Solomon, ‘My son, I had intended to build a house to the name of the LORD my God. But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “You have shed much blood and have waged great wars; you shall not build a house to My name, because you have shed so much blood on the earth before Me. Behold, a son will be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side; for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. He shall build a house for My name, and he shall be My son and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.” Now, my son, the LORD be with you that you may be successful, and build the house of the LORD your God just as He has spoken concerning you. Only the LORD give you discretion and understanding, and give you charge over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the LORD your God. Then you will prosper, if you are careful to observe the statutes and the ordinances which the LORD commanded Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and courageous, do not fear nor be dismayed. Now behold, with great pains I have prepared for the house of the LORD 100,000 talents of gold and 1,000,000 talents of silver, and bronze and iron beyond weight, for they are in great quantity; also timber and stone I have prepared, and you may add to them. Moreover, there are many workmen with you, stonecutters and masons of stone and carpenters, and all men who are skillful in every kind of work. Of the gold, the silver and the bronze and the iron there is no limit. Arise and work, and may the LORD be with you’” (1 Chronicles 22:6-16).
“David also commanded all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon, saying, ‘Is not the LORD your God with you? And has He not given you rest on every side? For He has given the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the LORD and before His people. Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God; arise, therefore, and build the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy vessels of God into the house that is to be built for the name of the LORD’” (1 Chronicles 22:17-19).
Psalms 30, 108-110 (Day 143 & Day 144)
1 Chronicles 23-25 (Day 145): David assigns the roles of the Levites in service to house of the Lord that Solomon was to build
“Now when David reached old age, he made his son Solomon king over Israel.”
“he gathered together all the leaders of Israel with the priests and the Levites”
“The Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward”
“their number by census of men was 38,000”
“24,000 were to oversee the work of the house of the LORD; and 6,000 were officers and judges, and 4,000 were gatekeepers, and 4,000 were praising the LORD with the instruments which David made for giving praise”
“David divided them into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari”
“The sons of Kohath were four: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. And Aaron was set apart to sanctify him as most holy, he and his sons forever, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister to Him and to bless in His name forever.”
“But as for Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi. The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer.”
“These were the sons of Levi according to their fathers’ households, even the heads of the fathers’ households of those of them who were counted, in the number of names by their census, doing the work for the service of the house of the LORD, from twenty years old and upward.”
“For David said, ‘The LORD God of Israel has given rest to His people, and He dwells in Jerusalem forever. Also, the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all its utensils for its service.’”
“For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered from twenty years old and upward. For their office is to assist the sons of Aaron with the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts and in the chambers and in the purifying of all holy things, even the work of the service of the house of God, and with the show bread, and the fine flour for a grain offering, and unleavened wafers, or what is baked in the pan or what is well-mixed, and all measures of volume and size. They are to stand every morning to thank and to praise the LORD, and likewise at evening, and to offer all burnt offerings to the LORD, on the sabbaths, the new moons and the fixed festivals in the number set by the ordinance concerning them, continually before the LORD. Thus they are to keep charge of the tent of meeting, and charge of the holy place, and charge of the sons of Aaron their relatives, for the service of the house of the LORD.”
“the divisions of the descendants of Aaron were these: the sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. But Nadab and Abihu died before their father and had no sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests.”
“David, with Zadok of the sons of Eleazar and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, divided them according to their offices for their ministry.”
“there were sixteen heads of fathers’ households of the descendants of Eleazar and eight of the descendants of Ithamar”
“David and the commanders of the army set apart for the service some of the sons of Asaph and of Heman and of Jeduthun, who were to prophesy with lyres, harps and cymbals”
“Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the direction of the king. Their number who were trained in singing to the LORD, with their relatives, all who were skillful, was 288.”
“They cast lots for their duties, all alike, the small as well as the great, the teacher as well as the pupil.”
Psalms 131, 138-139, 143-145 (Day 146)
1 Chronicles 26-29 (Day 147): enumeration of the assigned roles in David’s kingdom, charge to Solomon and all with duties in the kingdom, plan of temple given to Solomon, offering from King David and the people for the temple, Solomon anointed as ruler and Zadok as priest, David dies
“For the divisions of the gatekeepers…the chief men, were given duties like their relatives to minister in the house of the LORD. They cast lots, the small and the great alike, according to their fathers’ households, for every gate….These were the divisions of the gatekeepers of the sons of Korah and of the sons of Merari.”
“The Levites, their relatives, had charge of the treasures of the house of God and of the treasures of the dedicated gifts….This Shelomoth and his relatives had charge of all the treasures of the dedicated gifts which King David and the heads of the fathers’ households, the commanders of thousands and hundreds, and the commanders of the army, had dedicated. They dedicated part of the spoil won in battles to repair the house of the LORD. And all that Samuel the seer had dedicated and Saul the son of Kish, Abner the son of Ner and Joab the son of Zeruiah, everyone who had dedicated anything, all of this was in the care of Shelomoth and his relatives.”
“As for the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons were assigned to outside duties for Israel, as officers and judges.”
“As for the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his relatives, 1,700 capable men, had charge of the affairs of Israel west of the Jordan, for all the work of the LORD and the service of the king….King David made them overseers of the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of the Manassites concerning all the affairs of God and of the king.”
“this is the enumeration of the sons of Israel, the heads of fathers’ households, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and their officers who served the king in all the affairs of the divisions which came in and went out month by month throughout all the months of the year, each division numbering 24,000:
“Jashobeam the son of Zabdiel had charge of the first division for the first month”
“Dodai the Ahohite and his division had charge of the division for the second month”
“The third commander of the army for the third month was Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada the priest”
“The fourth for the fourth month was Asahel the brother of Joab, and Zebadiah his son after him”
“The fifth for the fifth month was the commander Shamhuth the Izrahite”
“The sixth for the sixth month was Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite”
“The seventh for the seventh month was Helez the Pelonite of the sons of Ephraim”
“The eighth for the eighth month was Sibbecai the Hushathite of the Zerahites”
“The ninth for the ninth month was Abiezer the Anathothite of the Benjamites”
“The tenth for the tenth month was Maharai the Netophathite of the Zerahites”
“The eleventh for the eleventh month was Benaiah the Pirathonite of the sons of Ephraim”
“The twelfth for the twelfth month was Heldai the Netophathite of Othniel”
“in charge of the tribes of Israel:
“chief officer for the Reubenites was Eliezer the son of Zichri”
“for the Simeonites, Shephatiah the son of Maacah”
“for Levi, Hashabiah the son of Kemuel”
“for Aaron, Zadok”
“for Judah, Elihu, one of David’s brothers”
“for Issachar, Omri the son of Michael”
“for Zebulun, Ishmaiah the son of Obadiah”
“for Naphtali, Jeremoth the son of Azriel”
“for the sons of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Azaziah”
“for the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joel the son of Pedaiah”
“for the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead, Iddo the son of Zechariah”
“for Benjamin, Jaasiel the son of Abner”
“for Dan, Azarel the son of Jeroham”
“These were the princes of the tribes of Israel.”
“But David did not count those twenty years of age and under, because the LORD had said He would multiply Israel as the stars of heaven. Joab the son of Zeruiah had begun to count them, but did not finish; and because of this, wrath came upon Israel, and the number was not included in the account of the chronicles of King David.”
“Azmaveth the son of Adiel had charge of the king’s storehouses”
“Jonathan the son of Uzziah had charge of the storehouses in the country, in the cities, in the villages and in the towers”
“Ezri the son of Chelub had charge of the agricultural workers who tilled the soil
“Shimei the Ramathite had charge of the vineyards; and Zabdi the Shiphmite had charge of the produce of the vineyards stored in the wine cellars. Baal-hanan the Gederite had charge of the olive and sycamore trees in the Shephelah; and Joash had charge of the stores of oil. Shitrai the Sharonite had charge of the cattle which were grazing in Sharon; and Shaphat the son of Adlai had charge of the cattle in the valleys. Obil the Ishmaelite had charge of the camels; and Jehdeiah the Meronothite had charge of the donkeys. Jaziz the Hagrite had charge of the flocks”
“All these were overseers of the property which belonged to King David.”
“Also Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a counselor, a man of understanding, and a scribe; and Jehiel the son of Hachmoni tutored the king’s sons. Ahithophel was counselor to the king; and Hushai the Archite was the king’s friend. Jehoiada the son of Benaiah, and Abiathar succeeded Ahithophel; and Joab was the commander of the king’s army.”
“David assembled at Jerusalem all the officials of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the commanders of the divisions that served the king, and the commanders of thousands, and the commanders of hundreds, and the overseers of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, with the officials and the mighty men, even all the valiant men”
“Then King David rose to his feet and said, ‘Listen to me, my brethren and my people; I had intended to build a permanent home for the ark of the covenant of the LORD and for the footstool of our God. So I had made preparations to build it. But God said to me, “You shall not build a house for My name because you are a man of war and have shed blood.” Yet, the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me from all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever. For He has chosen Judah to be a leader; and in the house of Judah, my father’s house, and among the sons of my father He took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel. Of all my sons (for the LORD has given me many sons), He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. He said to me, “Your son Solomon is the one who shall build My house and My courts; for I have chosen him to be a son to Me, and I will be a father to him. I will establish his kingdom forever if he resolutely performs My commandments and My ordinances, as is done now.”
‘So now, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God, observe and seek after all the commandments of the LORD your God so that you may possess the good land and bequeath it to your sons after you forever.
‘As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be courageous and act.’”
“Then David gave to his son Solomon the plan
“of the porch of the temple, its buildings, its storehouses, its upper rooms, its inner rooms and the room for the mercy seat; and the plan of all that he had in mind, for the courts of the house of the LORD, and for all the surrounding rooms, for the storehouses of the house of God and for the storehouses of the dedicated things; also for the divisions of the priests and the Levites and for all the work of the service of the house of the LORD and for all the utensils of service in the house of the LORD; for the golden utensils, the weight of gold for all utensils for every kind of service; for the silver utensils, the weight of silver for all utensils for every kind of service; and the weight of gold for the golden lampstands and their golden lamps, with the weight of each lampstand and its lamps; and the weight of silver for the silver lampstands, with the weight of each lampstandand its lamps according to the use of each lampstand; and the gold by weight for the tables of showbread, for each table; and silver for the silver tables; and the forks, the basins, and the pitchers of pure gold; and for the golden bowls with the weight for each bowl; and for the silver bowls with the weight for each bowl; and for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the model of the chariot, even the cherubim that spread out their wings and covered the ark of the covenant of the LORD.”
“‘All this,’ said David, ‘the LORD made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, all the details of this pattern.’”
“Then David said to his son Solomon, ‘Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished. Now behold, there are the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God, and every willing man of any skill will be with you in all the work for all kinds of service. The officials also and all the people will be entirely at your command.’”
“Then King David said to the entire assembly, ‘My son Solomon, whom alone God has chosen, is still young and inexperienced and the work is great; for the temple is not for man, but for the LORD God.
‘Now with all my ability I have provided for the house of my God the gold for the things of gold, and the silver for the things of silver, and the bronze for the things of bronze, the iron for the things of iron, and wood for the things of wood, onyx stones and inlaid stones, stones of antimony and stones of various colors, and all kinds of precious stones and alabaster in abundance. Moreover, in my delight in the house of my God, the treasure I have of gold and silver, I give to the house of my God, over and above all that I have already provided for the holy temple, namely, 3,000 talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and 7,000 talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the buildings; of gold for the things of gold and of silver for the things of silver, that is, for all the work done by the craftsmen.
‘Who then is willing to consecrate himself this day to the LORD?’
“Then the rulers of the fathers’ households, and the princes of the tribes of Israel, and the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, with the overseers over the king’s work, offered willingly; and for the service for the house of God they gave
“5,000 talents and 10,000 darics of gold, and 10,000 talents of silver, and 18,000 talents of brass, and 100,000 talents of iron. Whoever possessed precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the LORD, in care of Jehiel the Gershonite.”
“Then the people rejoiced because they had offered so willingly, for they made their offering to the LORD with a whole heart, and King David also rejoiced greatly.”
“So David blessed the LORD in the sight of all the assembly; and David said, ‘Blessed are You, O LORD God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name. But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given You. For we are sojourners before You, and tenants, as all our fathers were; our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no hope. O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided to build You a house for Your holy name, it is from Your hand, and all is Yours. Since I know, O my God, that You try the heart and delight in uprightness, I, in the integrity of my heart, have willingly offered all these things; so now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here, make their offerings willingly to You. O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, our fathers, preserve this forever in the intentions of the heart of Your people, and direct their heart to You; and give to my son Solomon a perfect heart to keep Your commandments, Your testimonies and Your statutes, and to do them all, and to build the temple, for which I have made provision.’
“Then David said to all the assembly, ‘Now bless the LORD your God.’ And all the assembly blessed the LORD, the God of their fathers, and bowed low and did homage to the LORD and to the king.
“On the next day they made sacrifices to the LORD and offered burnt offerings to the LORD, 1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams and 1,000 lambs, with their drink offerings and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. So they ate and drank that day before the LORD with great gladness.”
“And they made Solomon the son of David king a second time, and they anointed him as ruler for the LORD and Zadok as priest. Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king instead of David his father; and he prospered, and all Israel obeyed him. All the officials, the mighty men, and also all the sons of King David pledged allegiance to King Solomon. The LORD highly exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed on him royal majesty which had not been on any king before him in Israel.”
“Now David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. The period which he reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned in Hebron seven years and in Jerusalem thirty-three years.”
“Then he died in a ripe old age, full of days, riches and honor; and his son Solomon reigned in his place. Now the acts of King David, from first to last, are written in the chronicles of Samuel the seer, in the chronicles of Nathan the prophet and in the chronicles of Gad the seer, with all his reign, his power, and the circumstances which came on him, on Israel, and on all the kingdoms of the lands.”
Psalms 127, 111-118 (Day 147 & Day 148)
1 Kings 1-2 (Day 149): the rebellion of Adonijah resulting in Solomon being anointed king for the first time [should be placed chronologically before 1 Chronicles 23-29, when Solomon is anointed for the second time]
“Now King David was old, advanced in age; and they covered him with clothes, but he could not keep warm. So his servants said to him, ‘Let them seek a young virgin for my lord the king, and let her attend the king and become his nurse; and let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may keep warm.’ So they searched for a beautiful girl throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king. The girl was very beautiful; and she became the king’s nurse and served him, but the king did not cohabit with her.”
“Adonijah the son of Haggith [David’s fourth son; his first Amnon and third Absalom were already dead; we never hear more about his second son Chileab (2 Samuel 3:2-5)] exalted himself, saying, ‘I will be king.’ So he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen with fifty men to run before him. His father had never crossed him at any time by asking, ‘Why have you done so?’” And he was also a very handsome man, and he was born after Absalom.”
“He had conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest [who David had protected after Saul had his father Ahimelech and 85 other priests killed (1 Samuel 22:18-23)]; and following Adonijah they helped him.”
“But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.”
“Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fatlings by the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En-rogel; and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants. But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, and Solomon his brother.”
“Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, ‘Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know it? So now come, please let me give you counsel and save your life and the life of your son Solomon. Go at once to King David and say to him, “Have you not, my lord, O king, sworn to your maidservant, saying, ‘Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne’? Why then has Adonijah become king?” ‘Behold, while you are still there speaking with the king, I will come in after you and confirm your words.’”
“Bathsheba went in to the king in the bedroom. Now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was ministering to the king. Then Bathsheba bowed and prostrated herself before the king. And the king said, ‘What do you wish?’ She said to him, ‘My lord, you swore to your maidservant by the LORD your God, saying, “Surely your son Solomon shall be king after me and he shall sit on my throne.” Now, behold, Adonijah is king; and now, my lord the king, you do not know it. He has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king and Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant. As for you now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. Otherwise it will come about, as soon as my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered offenders.’”
“while she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in. They told the king, saying, ‘Here is Nathan the prophet.’ And when he came in before the king, he prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground. Then Nathan said, ‘My lord the king, have you said, “Adonijah shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? For he has gone down today and has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons and the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest, and behold, they are eating and drinking before him; and they say, “Long live King Adonijah!” But me, even me your servant, and Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and your servant Solomon, he has not invited. Has this thing been done by my lord the king, and you have not shown to your servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?’”
“King David said, ‘Call Bathsheba to me.’ And she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. The king vowed and said, ‘As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress, surely as I vowed to you by the LORD the God of Israel, saying, “Your son Solomon shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place”; I will indeed do so this day.’ Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground, and prostrated herself before the king and said, ‘May my lord King David live forever.’”
“King David said, ‘Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.’ And they came into the king’s presence. The king said to them, ‘Take with you the servants of your lord, and have my son Solomon ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon. Let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there as king over Israel, and blow the trumpet and say, “Long live King Solomon!” Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne and be king in my place; for I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.’ Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, ‘Amen! Thus may the LORD, the God of my lord the king, say. As the LORD has been with my lord the king, so may He be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David!’”
“Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon. Zadok the priest then took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ All the people went up after him, and the people were playing on flutes and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth shook at their noise.”
“Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, ‘Why is the city making such an uproar?’ While he was still speaking, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. Then Adonijah said, ‘Come in, for you are a valiant man and bring good news.’ But Jonathan replied to Adonijah, ‘No! Our lord King David has made Solomon king. The king has also sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites; and they have made him ride on the king’s mule. Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon, and they have come up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise which you have heard. Besides, Solomon has even taken his seat on the throne of the kingdom. Moreover, the king’s servants came to bless our lord King David, saying, “May your God make the name of Solomon better than your name and his throne greater than your throne!” And the king bowed himself on the bed. The king has also said thus, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who has granted one to sit on my throne today while my own eyes see it.”’
“all the guests of Adonijah were terrified; and they arose and each went on his way. And Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, and he arose, went and took hold of the horns of the altar.”
“it was told Solomon, saying, ‘Behold, Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon, for behold, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, “Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.”’ Solomon said, ‘If he is a worthy man, not one of his hairs will fall to the ground; but if wickedness is found in him, he will die.’ So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and prostrated himself before King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, ‘Go to your house.’”
“As David’s time to die drew near, he charged Solomon his son, saying, ‘I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man. Keep the charge of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn, so that the LORD may carry out His promise which He spoke concerning me, saying, “If your sons are careful of their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.”’
“‘you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner, and to Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed; he also shed the blood of war in peace. And he put the blood of war on his belt about his waist, and on his sandals on his feet. So act according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray hair go down to Sheol in peace. But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table; for they assisted me when I fled from Absalom your brother. Behold, there is with you Shimei the son of Gera the Benjamite, of Bahurim; now it was he who cursed me with a violent curse on the day I went to Mahanaim. But when he came down to me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the LORD, saying, “I will not put you to death with the sword.” Now therefore, do not let him go unpunished, for you are a wise man; and you will know what you ought to do to him, and you will bring his gray hair down to Sheol with blood.’”
“David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. The days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years he reigned in Hebron and thirty-three years he reigned in Jerusalem.”
“Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.”
“Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, ‘Do you come peacefully?’ And he said, ‘Peacefully.’ Then he said, ‘I have something to say to you.’ And she said, ‘Speak.’ So he said, ‘You know that the kingdom was mine and that all Israel expected me to be king; however, the kingdom has turned about and become my brother’s, for it was his from the LORD. Now I am making one request of you; do not refuse me.’ And she said to him, ‘Speak.’ Then he said, ‘Please speak to Solomon the king, for he will not refuse you, that he may give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife.’ Bathsheba said, ‘Very well; I will speak to the king for you.’”
“So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king arose to meet her, bowed before her, and sat on his throne; then he had a throne set for the king’s mother, and she sat on his right. Then she said, ‘I am making one small request of you; do not refuse me.’ And the king said to her, ‘Ask, my mother, for I will not refuse you.’ So she said, ‘Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as a wife.’ King Solomon answered and said to his mother, ‘And why are you asking Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him also the kingdom—for he is my older brother—even for him, for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah!’ Then King Solomon swore by the LORD, saying, ‘May God do so to me and more also, if Adonijah has not spoken this word against his own life. Now therefore, as the LORD lives, who has established me and set me on the throne of David my father and who has made me a house as He promised, surely Adonijah shall be put to death today.’ So King Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him so that he died.”
“to Abiathar the priest the king said, ‘Go to Anathoth to your own field, for you deserve to die; but I will not put you to death at this time, because you carried the ark of the Lord GOD before my father David, and because you were afflicted in everything with which my father was afflicted.’ So Solomon dismissed Abiathar from being priest to the LORD, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD, which He had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.”
“the news came to Joab, for Joab had followed Adonijah, although he had not followed Absalom. And Joab fled to the tent of the LORD and took hold of the horns of the altar. It was told King Solomon that Joab had fled to the tent of the LORD, and behold, he is beside the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, ‘Go, fall upon him.’ So Benaiah came to the tent of the LORD and said to him, ‘Thus the king has said, “Come out.”’ But he said, ‘No, for I will die here.’ And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, ‘Thus spoke Joab, and thus he answered me.’ The king said to him, ‘Do as he has spoken and fall upon him and bury him, that you may remove from me and from my father’s house the blood which Joab shed without cause. The LORD will return his blood on his own head, because he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he and killed them with the sword, while my father David did not know it: Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah. So shall their blood return on the head of Joab and on the head of his descendants forever; but to David and his descendants and his house and his throne, may there be peace from the LORD forever.’ Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and fell upon him and put him to death, and he was buried at his own house in the wilderness.”
“The king appointed Benaiah the son of Jehoiada over the army in his place, and the king appointed Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar.”
“the king sent and called for Shimei and said to him, ‘Build for yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, and do not go out from there to any place. For on the day you go out and cross over the brook Kidron, you will know for certain that you shall surely die; your blood shall be on your own head.’ Shimei then said to the king, ‘The word is good. As my lord the king has said, so your servant will do.’ So Shimei lived in Jerusalem many days. But it came about at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, ‘Behold, your servants are in Gath.’ Then Shimei arose and saddled his donkey, and went to Gath to Achish to look for his servants. And Shimei went and brought his servants from Gath. It was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and had returned. So the king sent and called for Shimei and said to him, ‘Did I not make you swear by the LORD and solemnly warn you, saying, “You will know for certain that on the day you depart and go anywhere, you shall surely die”? And you said to me, “The word which I have heard is good.” Why then have you not kept the oath of the LORD, and the command which I have laid on you?’ The king also said to Shimei, ‘You know all the evil which you acknowledge in your heart, which you did to my father David; therefore the LORD shall return your evil on your own head. But King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD forever.’ So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he went out and fell upon him so that he died.”
“Thus the kingdom was established in the hands of Solomon.”