2 Samuel 20:23

DAVID'S GREAT OFFICERS. (Sa2 20:23-26)

Now Joab was over all the host of Israel--David, whatever his private wishes, found that he possessed not the power of removing Joab; so winking at the murder of Amasa, he re-established that officer in his former post of commander-in-chief. The enumeration of David's cabinet is here given to show that the government was re-established in its wonted course.

Next: 2 Samuel Chapter 21

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

2Sa 20:23 Now Joab [was] over all the host of Israel: and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada [was] over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites:

Ver. 23. Now Joab was over all the host.] He would be so; neither was it in David’s power to put him by; so great a sway bare he in the army, who were all for General Joab. Neither, indeed, could David well spare him, so necessary was his service.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Sa 20:23-24. Joab was over all the host — The king continued him in the chief command of the army, because the good success of this, and of the former expedition under his conduct, had so fixed his interest with the soldiers, and others of David’s fastest friends, that he could not be displaced without danger. Adoram was over the tribute — That is, he was the treasurer or receiver of the king’s revenue. Jehoshaphat was recorder — See on 2Sa 8:16.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

DAVID’S OFFICIALS, 2Sa_20:23-26.

This list differs from that given in 2Sa_8:16-18, only in the addition of the names of Adoram and Ira the Jairite, and belongs to a later period of David’s reign. Our author seems to have had before him the records of Jehoshaphat, the king’s recorder, and finding therein these two lists, he inserted them both at the proper places in his own narrative to show how few changes the king made among his officials in a reign of forty years.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

20:23-26 This list of David’s leaders and the similar list in 8:15-18 bracket chs 9–20 in David’s life. Even after the major crises described in these 12 chapters, David’s monarchy did not fall apart; he still had an intact administration.

20:23 In 8:16, Joab was called “commander of the army,” but here he is commander of the army of Israel. David’s wider control of Israel was established when the northern secessionist movements were defeated.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Here is an account of the state of David's court after his restoration. Joab retained the office of general, being too great to be displaced. Benaiah, as before, was captain of the guards. Here is one new office erected, which we had not (Sa2 8:16-18), that of treasurer, or one over the tribute, for it was not till towards the latter end of his time that David began to raise taxes. Adoram was long in this office, but it cost him his life at last, Kg1 12:18.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 23. Joab was over all the host] He had murdered Amasa, and seized on the supreme command: and such was his power at present, and the service which he had rendered to the state by quelling the rebellion of Sheba, that David was obliged to continue him; and dared not to call him to account for his murders without endangering the safety of the state by a civil war.

Benaiah - over the Cherethites] Benaiah was over the archers and slingers. 2Sa 8:18.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

23. Joab] Retaining his post in spite of David’s resolution to depose him.

the Cherethites] So the Qrî and the Sept. and Vulg.: but the Kthîbh has the Cari, a word found in 2Ki_11:4; 2Ki_11:19 (E. V. wrongly captains), and like Cherethites variously explained to mean executioners, the body-guard acting in that capacity, or Carians, foreign mercenaries employed as a body-guard.

23–26. The officers of David’s court

A similar list has already been given in ch. 2Sa_8:16-18. There the account of the general administration of the kingdom appropriately follows the summary record of the wars by which that kingdom was established; and the repetition of it here, after David’s restoration to the throne, is equally appropriate. Some differences between the lists are explained by their belonging to different periods.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Now Joab was over all the host of Israel,.... Established in the post in which he formerly was; either having been never displaced, which though David thought to do, he was not able to effect it, because of his power and influence with the people; or if he had displaced him, which by some things in this chapter seemed to be the case, yet Amasa being dead, and the rebellion crushed by Joab, which still made him more haughty, and increased his popularity, David saw it most advisable to replace him; and because mention is made of him, as established in his office as general over the whole army, an account is given of the rest of David's officers; and the rather, as it was a sort of beginning his reign anew, after quelling the above rebellions:

and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites, and over the Pelethites; was continued in his post, see Sa2 8:18.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Now Joab ... - This is by no means an unmeaning repetition. Joab had been dismissed to make room for Amasa, and was now, as the result of his successful expedition against Sheba, and the death of Amasa, reinstated in his command. Moreover, this was a fresh beginning of David’s reign, and therefore a statement of his chief officers is as proper as in 2Sa 8:16, when he had just established himself on the throne of Israel. Compare 1Ki 4:2-6.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Joab was over all the host of Israel: the good success of this and of the former expedition, under the conduct of Joab, had so fixed his interest in the army, and others of David’s fastest friends, that the king could not without danger to the public weal displace him.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Now Josh, etc. With this list of his chief officers, the narrator closes the history of David"s reign; for the remaining four chapters form a kind of appendix. A similar list closes ch. 8., where, too, there is a break in the history, the previous narra-tire having been a summary of the rapid rise of David"s empire. In this section, ch. 9-20, we have a more full and detailed account of David"s wars, leading on to his crime and its punishment. The rest of David"s life we may trust was calm and uneventful, but it was the life of a sorrow stricken man; and the sword again woke up against his family when his end was approaching, and filled his dying hours with grief and trouble. This list is much later in date than that previously given, though most of the officers are the same. Cherethites. This is a correction of the Massorites to make the passage agree with 2Sa_8:18. The K"tib has cari, a word which occurs in 2Ki_11:4, 2Ki_11:19, where in the Authorized Version it is translated "captains," but in the Revised Version Carites, which here appears only in the margin. But there is no reason why the place of the Cherethites should not have been taken by Carian mercenaries later on in David"s reign, though really we know too little about such matters to be able to form a judgment. Some commentators translate cari "digger," and suppose that it means executioner; but why a digger should have such a meaning is inexplicable. It may be interesting to add that the Caftans were famous in old times as mercenaries. During the reign of Manasseh, Psammetichus won the throne of all Egypt by the aid of Caftans, and from that period they took a leading part in all Egyptian wars. The age of David is much more antique, but as there was constant communication between Phoenicia and Asia Minor and Greece, there is nothing improbable in David taking Caftans into his service in place of the Philistine Cherethites. His connection with them would soon cease after he left Ziklag.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

David's Ministers of State. - The second section of the history of David's reign closes, like the first (Sa2 8:16.), with a list of the leading ministers of state. The author evidently found the two lists in his sources, and included them both in his work, for the simple reason that they belonged to different periods, as the difference in the names of some of the officers clearly shows, and that they supplemented on another. The list before us belongs to a later period of David's reign than the one in Sa2 8:16-18. In addition to the office-bearers mentioned in 2 Samuel 8, we find here Adoram over the tribute, and Ira the Kairite a confidential counsellor (cohen: see at Sa2 8:18), in the place of the sons of David noticed in Sa2 8:18. The others are the same in both lists. The Chethib הכרי is to be read הכּרי (cf. Kg2 11:4, Kg2 11:19), from כוּר, perfodit, and is synonymous with הכּרתי (see at Sa2 8:18). Adoram is the same person as Adoniram, who is mentioned in Kg1 4:6 and Kg1 5:14 as overseer over the tributary service in the time of Solomon; as we may see from the fact, that the latter is also called Adoram in Kg1 12:18, and Hadoram in Ch2 10:18. Hadoram is apparently only a contracted form of the name, and not merely a copyist's mistake for Adoniram. But when we find that, according to the passage cited, the same man filled this office under three kings, we must bear in mind that he did not enter upon it till the close of David's reign, as he is not mentioned in Sa2 8:16., and that his name only occurs in connection with Rehoboam's ascent of the throne; so that there is no ground for assuming that he filled the office for any length of time under that monarch. המּס does not mean vectigal, i.e., tribute or tributary service, but tributary labourers. The derivation of the word is uncertain, and has been disputed. The appointment of a special prefect over the tributary labourers can hardly have taken place before the closing years of David's reign, when the king organized the internal administration of the kingdom more firmly than before. On the tributary labourers, see at Kg1 5:13. Ira the Jairite is never mentioned again. There is no ground for altering Jairi (the Jairite) into Jithri (the Jithrite), as Thenius proposes, since the rendering given in the Syriac ("from Jathir") is merely an inference from Sa2 23:38; and the assumption upon which this conclusion is founded, viz., that Ira, the hero mentioned in Sa2 23:38, is the same person as Ira the royal cohen, is altogether unfounded.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

Now

"Now" marks a break in the main story line. This new section gives background information about the men who served King David. (See: Background Information)

Joab was over ... Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over ... Adoniram was over

The phrase "was over" refers to having authority over a group of people. AT: "Joab had authority over ... Benaiah son of Jehoiada had authority over ... Adoniram had authority over" (See: Idiom)

Jehoiada ... Jehoshaphat ... Ahilud

Translate the names of these men the same as you did in 2 Samuel 8:16-18. (See: How to Translate Names)

Kerethites ... Pelethites

Translate the names of these people groups the same as you did in 2 Samuel 8:16-18. (See: How to Translate Names)

the men who did forced labor

"the slave workers"

Adoniram ... Sheva ... Ira

These are names of men. (See: How to Translate Names)

Jairite

This is the name of a people group. (See: How to Translate Names)

translationWords

Joab

Benaiah

labor

Jehoshaphat

scribe

Zadok

Abiathar

priest

chief

to minister

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

Yoav commanded the entire army. Despite the fact that Dovid had said to Amosoh, "I will make you the commanding general in Yoav's stead", now that Amsoh was dead Yoav was not replaced. And because of Yoav [remaining commander], he [Dovid] had to appoint his [Yoav's] friends.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.