Note: 1 and 2 Samuel were initially part of a single text, also connected to the Book of Kings. We have used the traditional division here purely to focus discussion, but we should keep in mind the broader context as we read.

Summary of 2 Samuel

What 2 Samuel may have meant to its original audience...

David is the forefather of all the kings of Judah, and therefore features central in hopes for a returning Jewish king, especially for those Jews who are reading 2 Samuel from exile in Babylon. For this reason, although he makes errors, David's religious idealism is emphasized in the early part of 2 Samuel. In chapter 1:16, he piously has a man executed for killing David's rival Saul, because he had killed "God's anointed" ruler. We are reminded that God has promised to make David king over Israel and Judah in 2 Sam 3:10. In 2 Sam 5:23-25 David seeks God's guidance and wins a battle against the Philistines. His wild, near-naked dancing in 2 Sam 6:16-20 is celebrated as a religious act rather than deep shame. David is honored for his intention to build a temple in 1 Sam 7, and is promised that it will be his son that will ultimately complete the task. God carries David to victory against more enemies in 2 Sam 8:14. Later, in 2 Sam 22:51 speaks of God's eternal love for David and his descendants.

Yet an objective look at David's accomplishments show a man struggling to control his kingdom. The book clearly changes tone after the unsavory events with Uriah and Bathsheba in 2 Sam 11. While David remains king, seemingly with God's blessing, the story demonstrates a kingdom in decline.  Intrigue, rebellion and failure plague David's rule. When David makes choices that are unethical according to the law of Deuteronomy, things go poorly for him and his lands. Like the rest of the Deuteronomistic story, 2 Samuel reminds its readers that unfaithfulness to the covenant brings dire consequence. Yet 2 Samuel also justifies David’s rule as establishing the dynasty that would continue to rule Judah up until it its exile to Babylon around 586 BC, emphasizing God's commitment to his covenant with David. In David, the Jewish people see a symbol of themselves. While they may be experiencing exile and punishment in Babylon, God's covenant remains. One day, they expect to return with a Davidic king.

How Jesus might have read 2 Samuel...

Jesus’ connection to David is something of interest to the New Testament authors – especially the gospels of Matthew and Luke which both share a version of Jesus’ genealogy (family tree) that demonstrates his descent from David (Matt 1, Lk 3). Joseph’s return to Bethlehem, the town of his ancestor David, is an important plot device in the Gospel of Luke (Lk 2:4).

In our 1 Samuel section, we discussed the way that people linked Jesus’ "kingdom of God" with their expectations of driving out the Romans and rebuilding Israel’s religious monarchy. It is probably here worth pointing out that the popular understanding of this ‘kingly return’ was deeply linked with the concept of a “Messiah” or “Anointed One”. Priests, kings or other important leaders were anointed with oil as a ‘commissioning’ for their special task. So it was also believed that one day a specially ‘anointed and appointed’ ruler would emerge. The line of David or Jesse was seen as important in messianic expectations, and we see the beginning of this line here, firstly with David and then, in the birth of Solomon to Bathsheba.

Jesus is often referred to as ‘Son of David’ as a way of demonstrating people’s recognition of his kingly or messianic claims (although remember that they were still thinking in a fairly literal, rather than spiritual sense!) But all of this merely points out what other people thought about Jesus and the material in 2 Samuel. From Jesus himself, little is spoken. He refers to David and challenges these common messianic expectation when he quotes Psalm 110 in Matthew 22:41-45 as he debates with Pharisees… perhaps challenging their expectations of a kingly Davidic figure.

What 2 Samuel might mean for our faith today...

David's story reminds us that no one is perfect. At the same time, it reminds us of the promises of what can be created out of imperfection. Even as David walks a difficult line between holiness and tragedy, he lays the foundations of the established Israelite kingdom and, indeed, religion. In this sense, 2 Samuel picks up on one of the key themes that interlaces the entire Hebrew Bible - the idea that God uses the imperfect, the unpolished, the less-than-ideal to accomplish great things. Many characters of the Bible are revealed to have flaws or 'down moments', and if we are willing to see them, can see the hopeful message for all of us that our failures don't have to be the conclusion of our stories.

As a side comment, its interesting to note that David is one in a long line of 'younger brothers' who, culturally, would not be expected to inherit or take precedence in a family story. Joseph is one of the youngest of Jacob/Israel, who in turn is the younger brother to Esau, who are both the sons of Isaac, the younger brother to Ishmael. Moses was younger brother to Aaron. Even David's son, Solomon, is not the eldest or most 'logical' choice. This sub-plot suggests to us that God has some kind of preference for using the 'less prominent' members of society. This is something that Jesus also emphasizes - and calls his followers to do - when he arrives on the scene several hundred years later.

Some important questions to ask of 2 Samuel...