This book is the history of the reign of king David. We had in the

foregoing book an account of his designation to the government, and his

struggles with Saul, which ended at length in the death of his

persecutor. This book begins with his accession to the throne, and is

entirely taken up with the affairs of the government during the forty

years he reigned, and therefore is entitled by the LXX. The

Third Book of the Kings. It gives us an account of David’s triumphs

and his troubles.

I. His triumphs over the house of Saul

(ch. i.-iv.),

over the Jebusites and Philistines

(ch. v.),

at the bringing up of the ark

(ch. vi. and vii.),

over the neighbouring nations that opposed him

(ch. viii.-x.);

and so far the history is agreeable to what we might expect from

David’s character and the choice made of him. But his cloud has a dark

side.

II. We have his troubles, the causes of them, his sin in the matter of

Uriah

(ch. xi. and xii.),

the troubles themselves from the sin of Amnon

(ch. xiii.),

the rebellion of Absalom

(ch. xiv.-xix.)

and of Sheba

(ch. xx.),

and the plague in Israel for his numbering the people

(ch. xxiv.),

besides the famine of the Gibeonites,

ch. xxi.

His son we have

(ch. xxii.),

and his words and worthies,

ch. xxiii.

Many things in his history are very instructive; but for the hero who

is the subject of it, though in many instances he appears here very

great, and very good, and very much the favourite of heaven, yet it

must be confessed that his honour shines brighter in his Psalms than in

his Annals.