2 Samuel 5:2

2Sa 5:2 Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the LORD said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel.

Ver. 2. That leddest out and broughtest in.] Educebas et reducebas.

And the Lord said to thee,] viz., When thou wast first anointed by Samuel, {1Sa 16:13} then was this word added to that sign; though for brevity’s sake it is not there mentioned. So when Christ was baptized, there came a voice from heaven. {Mat 3:16-17} And so still he sanctifieth and cleanseth his Church "with the washing of water by the word." {Eph 5:26-27}

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_5:2

Thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel.

Divine appointment and mans doing

There are both sides of the great division in evangelical theology--Arminianism and Calvinism: mans doing, and Gods planning. The Lord said that David should lead Israel; and David did lead Israel. And the people of Israel gave a fair prominence to both sides of the question. They saw that David could do what the Lord had said he should do; and they knew that the Lord had said that David should do what they saw he could do. As a practical matter, these two sides of the truth have to be considered by all of the Lords people, in all their doing and in all their judging. If a man is called of God to a special work, the man must show by his doing that he is the very man whom God has called, and who was the man to be called of God. And in judging of anothers fitness for his work, it is right for us to consider the call of God to that man, as well as that mans apparent success in his work. If the man is clearly out of the place to which he was called of God, all his ability and apparent fitness for this other place must be counted insufficient to inspire confidence in him for permanent success here. It has been well said, as to a Christians personal duty in Gods service, that he ought to work in his appointed sphere as if everything, depended on his own exertions, while he ought to trust as if everything depended on Gods strength as given to him in that sphere. (H. Clay Trumbull.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Sa 5:2. The Lord said, Thou shalt feed my people Israel — The learned Bishop Patrick very justly observes here, that this is the first time we meet with any ruler, or governor of a people, characterized under the idea of a shepherd; and it cannot but be thought remarkable that the first man so characterized was at first in fact a shepherd; and when we find him, after his advancement to the throne, still characterized by God himself under the same idea, what can be a clearer inference, than that God’s raising him to be a king was but exalting him to a nobler office of the same nature with his first? How fine a document is this to princes, that they are not, in the intention of Providence, the tyrants, but the guardians of their people! that their business is the preservation and well-being of the flock, from the duty they owe to the great Lord and owner thereof! And how fully is this document confirmed to us, when we find bad princes set forth, in the prophetic style, under the characters of roaring lions, hungry bears, and devouring wolves. It was a truly noble and princely maxim of Cyrus, that “every man that aspired to the government of others should take care to be a better man than those he ruled.” — Delaney.

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

5:2 you were the one: In the ancient world, a covenant relationship (a suzerain-vassal treaty) was sometimes formed between subjects (the vassals) and a ruler (the suzerain) because of past aid, often rescue from enemies (see Judg 8:22, Gideon; Judg 11:8-11, Jephthah; 1 Sam 11:1-15, Saul). This type of relationship is the background for the covenant concept in Scripture: God was Israel’s covenant Lord because he had freed them from Egypt (cp. Exod 19:4; 20:1-2). • the Lord told you: Israel was already aware of God’s selection of David (cp. 2 Sam 3:9). • shepherd of my people Israel: This phrase is quoted in Matt 2:6 when King Herod asks the leading priests about the prophecies concerning the Messiah.

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

2. thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel] David had won the good-will of the people as their leader in war. Cp. 1Sa_18:5; 1Sa_18:13; 1Sa_18:16.

the Lord said to thee] See note on ch. 2Sa_3:9.

Thou shalt feed] Lit. “thou shalt shepherd” (LXX. ποιμανεῖς): a natural metaphor to express the ruler’s care for his people. It is used by Greek poets, e.g. Homer, whose regular title for Agamemnon is ποιμὴν λαῶν, “shepherd of the peoples.” But it was especially appropriate in the case of David, who was taken from the sheepfolds of Bethlehem to be the shepherd of Israel (Psa_78:70-72), as the fishers of the Galilean lake were called to become “fishers of men” (Mat_4:19), and (except perhaps in Gen_49:24) it does not appear to be used in the O. T. before his time.

captain] The title given to Saul in 1Sa_9:16, &c., and to David in 1Sa_25:30 (E. V. ruler).

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.

Also in time past, when Saul was king over us,.... Even over all the tribes of Israel:

thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel; that led out the armies of Israel against their enemies, fought their battles for them, obtained victories, and brought the troops under his command home in safety; and the remembrance of these valiant acts of his, which then endeared him to the people, was now another reason for their choosing him king: and another follows, the chiefest of them all:

and the Lord said to thee; when anointed by Samuel; for though what follows is not recorded in so many words, yet the sense of it is expressed in the anointing him to be king, whose office, as such, lay in doing the following things:

thou shalt feed my people Israel; as a shepherd feeds his flock; hence kings were frequently called shepherds, and David particularly, in which he was an eminent type of Christ, see Psa 78:71,

and thou shalt be a captain over Israel; the Targum is,"and thou shalt be king over Israel;''which gives the true sense of the tribes, and which was the chief and prevailing reason with them to make him their king; and which they, at least many of them, would have done before, even immediately upon the death of Saul, but that they were persuaded by Abner to yield obedience to Ishbosheth he set up.

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

Lead out to battle. His experience in war was a great recommendation. (Haydock) --- Feed, as a shepherd, under which character he is first represented. (Haydock) --- Other rulers were afterwards honoured with the same title, (Calmet) particularly the governors of the Church, Acts xx., &c. David’s name is written without i, in the books before the captivity; whence Kennicott would infer, that the canticles were perhaps not the work of Solomon, as the i occurs there; Duid for Dud. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Thou wast our chief commander in our expeditions against the Philistines, and therefore art most fit to be king over us.

The Lord said to thee, to wit, by Samuel, 1Sa 16:11-13; for though the words vary, yet the sense is the same.

Thou shalt feed my people Israel i.e. rule them, and take care of them, as a shepherd doth of his sheep, Psa 78:70,71. This expression he useth to admonish David, that he was not made a king to advance his own glory and interest, but for the good and benefit of his people; and that he ought to rule them with all tenderness, and to watch over them with all diligence.

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

2. Thou… leddest — As general of Saul’s forces. See 1Sa_18:5.

Thou shalt feed my people — This prophecy, like that of 2Sa_3:18, is nowhere else recorded, but had probably been uttered by one of the prophets of that age. A keeper of sheep is made the shepherd of the nation, as the fishermen of Galilee were made fishers of men.

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

Thou shalt feed. In biblical language the pastoral office is that of the civil and not of the spiritual ruler. Captain; Hebrew, nagid, prince; so the Revised Version (and see note on. (1Sa_9:16) The word refers not to military matters, but to the civil administration. David had proved himself a competent leader in war when Saul was king. What Jehovah now gives is the government of Israel in time of peace. The Authorized Version renders "captain" from not perceiving that the Divine promise ensured to David far more than a military chieftainship.

Vers. 2, 10, 12 (HEBRON.) (1Ch_11:2, 9 14:2)

The shepherd king.

This is the first occasion on which we find the occupation of a shepherd made use of to describe the office of a king. Jacob, who had "fed Laban"s flocks," spoke of "the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel"; (Gen_49:24 Gen_48:15) Moses, who had "kept the flock of Jethro," prayed that Jehovah would "set a man over the congregation" as his successor, so that they might not be "as sheep having no shepherd"; (Num_27:7) here the elders declare that Jehovah said (through Samuel) to David, who "fed his father"s sheep at Bethlehem," concerning his royal destination, "Thou shalt feed raah, equivalent to "tend," "act as shepherd towards" my people Israel" (2Sa_7:7; Psa_78:70-72; Isa_44:28; Jer_50:5; Eze_34:1, Eze_34:23; Mic_5:4; Zec_13:7, etc.) "The business of a shepherd is a preparation for the office of a king to any one who is destined to preside over that most manageable of all flocks, mankind; for which reason kings are called shepherds of their people, not by way of reproach, but as a most especial and pre-eminent honour" (Philo, "Life of Moses"). "Shepherds are not owners of the sheep; but their office is to feed and govern: no more are kings proprietaries or owners of the people. "The nations," as the Scriptures saith, are "his inheritance;" but the office of kings is to govern, maintain, and protect people. And that is not without a mystery that the first king that was instituted by God, David (for Saul was but an untimely fruit), was translated from a shepherd" (Bacon). What was said to David applies to every king, ruler, magistrate, master, in the sphere over which he has legitimate authority. Consider

I THE DIVINE IDEA OF HIS OFFICE. It is an office in which authority and power:

1. Are entrusted by the ordination of God, the Proprietor, Ruler, Chief Shepherd of the people; not self-derived nor unlimited; yet investing every under shepherd with dignity.

2. Should be exercised according to the will of God, (Ps 101) in affectionate interest in the people; intimate acquaintance with them, guiding them, providing for them, defending them, restoring them, and, generally, seeking their welfare with diligence, considerateness, tenderness, patience, self-denial, and self-sacrifice. "Chrysostom writeth that the shepherds in Cappadocia have such love unto their flock, that sometimes for three days together, in following them, they are overwhelmed with snow, and yet they endure it; and in Lydia, how far they travel with the sheep for a month together in the waste deserts and parching heat of the sun; who herein do teach such as are shepherds of men that they should even not spare their own lives for the common good" (Willet).

3. Must be accounted for, as to their use, before the presence of God. "These sheep, what have they done?". (2Sa_24:17) "A king is a mortal god on earth, unto whom the living God hath lent his own name as a great honour; but withal told him he should die like a man, test he should be proud and flatter himself that God hath with his name imparted unto him his nature also" (Bacon).

II THE DIVINE SOURCE OF HIS PROSPERITY. "And David went on going and growing" after the conquest of the stronghold of Zion, etc. (vers. 6-10), which he achieved as captain, "leader and commander of the people" (as well as their shepherd) "waxed greater and greater" (2Sa_7:9) in power and fame; "and Jehovah the God of hosts" (1Sa_1:3) "was with him". (as his Shepherd, Psa_23:1, and Captain, 2Sa_22:35-37)

1. Approving of the manner in which he devoted himself to his calling. Fidelity is the necessary condition of the special favour of God; which is ever testified in the heart and conscience, and often shown by outward events. (Gen_39:2, Gen_39:21)

2. Assisting him in the performance of the duties of his calling; strengthening, upholding, directing, protecting him.

3. Accomplishing the aim of his endeavours in his calling; for no skill nor effort, without Divine cooperation, can ensure success. "Except the Lord build the house," etc.. (Psa_127:1) While God was with him (1Sa_10:11) Saul prospered; when left to himself he lost his kingdom and his life.

III THE DIVINE PURPOSE OF HIS EXALTATION AND ESTABLISHMENT IN HIS OFFICE. "And David perceived," from the friendly aid of Hiram, the erection of his palace (ver. 11), which he appears to have regarded as a pledge of the stability of his kingdom (Psalm 30., inscription), and his continued prosperity, "that Jehovah had established him," in accordance with his former choice, "king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom" (1Ch_14:2, 1Ch_14:17) "for his people Israel"s sake;" because he had chosen them to be his people, "the sheep of his pasture", (Psa_100:3) and sought their prosperity and exaltation, according to his faithful promises (2Sa_7:23) that through them all nations might be blessed, and the whole earth filled with his glory. A faithful servant recognizes in his successes:

1. An immediate purpose of good toward himself; beholding therein the hand of God and "the kindness and truth" by which it is directed; ascribing his prosperity, not to himself, but to the Lord.

2. An ulterior and larger purpose of good toward others, for whose benefit rather than his own he is exalted. (2Sa_7:8, 2Sa_7:16)

3. A powerful incentive to thankfulness, hopefulness, and fresh consecration to the service of God and his people. "It was the successiveness, the continuity of the steps, in his history, which assured him that God"s hand had been directing the whole of it. Had David, instead of maintaining the crown, which circumstances pointed out to him as his, seized violently that which was not his, he would not have perceived that the Lord had made him King of Israel; he would have felt that he had made himself so, and would have acted upon that persuasion. The government which a man wins for himself he uses for himself; that which he inwardly and practically acknowledges as conferred upon him by a righteous Being cannot be intended for himself. And thus it is that the early and mysterious teaching of David while he was in the sheepfold bore so mightily upon his life after he became king.. The deepest lesson which he had learnt was that he himself was under government; that his heart and will was the inmost circle of that authority which the winds and the sea, the moon and the stars, obeyed" (Maurice).

REMARKS.

1. The lowliest occupation is often a preparation for the highest; and hewho shows fidelity in the least is rewarded with opportunity for its exercise in the greatest.

2. The possession of authority and power severely tests men"s characters,and sometimes proves their destruction.

3. It is a good sign when one who is exalted shows more concern aboutperforming the duties than enjoying the honours of his position.

4. God sends good rulers out of his regard for the welfare of the people.

5. The best rulers are those who sympathize most with the Divinepurposes, and most humbly and faithfully "serve their generation.

6. Even the best are imperfect, and often fail to attain their loftiest aims orfulfil their early promise.

7. In One alone do we behold the perfect Shepherd-King (Joh_10:14; Heb_13:20; 1Pe_5:4; Rev_7:17) D.

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

Shalt feed - That is, rule them, and take care of them, as a shepherd doth of his sheep, Psalm lxxviii, 70, 71. This expression, he useth to admonish David, that he was not made a king to advance his own glory, but for the good of his people; whom he ought to rule with all tenderness, and to watch over with all diligence.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.