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Showing 4751 to 4775 of 4963 results

4751. Northern Kings Defeated

Joshua 11:1-23

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... , whose king led this northern coalition. Applying the principle of herem (see commentary on 6:1–27), Joshua has the king executed and the people totally destroyed. The city is also burned (11:10–11). From there, the Israelites attack and take the remaining royal cities that are part of the coalition, again applying the principle of herem, in accordance with Moses’s command (Deut. 7:1–2; 20:16–17). The goods and livestock the Israelites plunder for themselves. Only they do not burn these cities ...

4752. Division of the Rest of the Land

Joshua 18:1-10

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the last round of land distribution. It also suggests that Joshua must have been hoping for more progress in actual land possession before drawing lots for tribes whose inheritance would include some of the land yet to be possessed. Joshua’s instructions for the remaining seven tribes are for each tribe to send three men so that together they will form a team to map out the land. The tribes that have already received their inheritance will essentially be allowed to keep what has already been allotted to ...

4753. Gideon

Judges 6:1-40

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the Lord has promised to save Israel by his hand (6:36–37; cf. 6:16), Gideon needs further assurances (6:36–40). After asking for a sign and receiving confirmation from the Lord as his piece of fleece becomes wet while the surrounding ground remained dry, Gideon asks for the reverse to happen, probably to make sure that the previous sign was not caused naturally by the sun evaporating the dew on the ground faster than the dew that had saturated the fleece. The Lord graciously accommodates the second ...

4754. Wives for the Benjamites

Judges 21:1-25

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... to spare all the virgins so that they can be given to the Benjamites as wives. But that still leaves them two hundred virgins short. Knowing that young women go out dancing at an annual festival to the Lord at Shiloh, the elders tell the remaining Benjamites to hide at the vineyard and to each abduct a young woman when they come out dancing. This way, since the parents did not willingly give their daughters to them in marriage, their collective oath will not be violated. The Benjamites then go and ...

4755. Eli and Samuel

1 Sam 1:1-28

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... not sound like the Hebrew word for “requested” or “asked,” which is a theme word in the section (see also 1:27–28). Instead, the name Saul means “requested,” and Samuel perhaps means “his name is El” (although the name’s precise meaning remains obscure). However, the name Samuel also sounds similar to the phrase “God had heard,” so there might be a subtle wordplay intended. The name itself might connect the son to God’s merciful answer to Hannah’s request. The explanation for the ...

4756. Israel Asks for a King

1 Samuel 8:1-22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... , flocks, and livestock. Samuel asserts that eventually the people will feel like the king’s slaves and will cry out to God for relief, just as they have cried for help during times of foreign oppression. Ignoring the urgency of Samuel’s arguments, the people remain firm in their desire for a king. Their minds are made up even though Samuel has pointed out the painful consequences of establishing a monarchy. When Samuel takes their decision to the Lord, God tells him to “give them a king” (8:22).

4757. Saul Rescues the City of Jabesh

1 Sam 11:1-15

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Samuel (e.g., NRSV, The Message); the NIV includes it in a footnote at 11:1: Now Nahash king of the Ammonites oppressed the Gadites and Reubenites severely. He gouged out all their right eyes and struck terror and dread in Israel. Not a man remained among the Israelites beyond the Jordan whose right eye was not gouged out by Nahash king of the Ammonites, except that seven thousand men fled from the Ammonites and entered Jabesh Gilead. From this lost piece we learn that Nahash has previously reconquered area ...

4758. Samuel's Farewell Speech

1 Samuel 12:1-25

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Jabesh Gilead, the monarchy brings with it a new danger. Will the people put their trust in a human leader at the expense of their faith in the Lord? Samuel warns that both the people and the king must serve and obey the Lord. The covenant structure remains the same, for the Lord demands the unwavering allegiance of all the people. To impress on the Israelites the evil inherent in their request for a king—and their rejection of God as king—the Lord sends thunder and rain in the dry season (12:16–18 ...

4759. David’s Fame

1 Sam 16:1-23

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... . He also enjoys divine favor (16:18). By bringing David to his court, Saul gives his successor valuable training, during which David might have made important personal and political connections. Saul likes David very much and asks Jesse if David might remain in his service. While the court service introduces David to the inner workings of the monarchy, what catapults David into the public eye is his heroic victory over Goliath, an event that also betokens his later successes and eventual domination of ...

4760. David and Jonathan

1 Samuel 20:1-42

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... . David uses the situation as a test of Saul’s intentions. He asks Jonathan to give Saul a false excuse for his absence and to note Saul’s response: if Saul accepts the excuse, David is safe, but if Saul is angered, his desire to kill David remains. Sensing that Saul’s jealousy might make future contact with David impossible, Jonathan takes David outside for a long talk (20:11–23). He promises to carry out David’s wishes at the festival and to let David know if he should stay or flee. But beyond ...

4761. Saul Kills the Priest of Nob

1 Samuel 22:6-23

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... destruction normally reserved for Israel’s worst enemies. Only one person escapes and reaches David with the news: a son of Ahimelek named Abiathar. When David hears about the massacre, he admits that his deception has contributed heavily to the priests’ deaths. Abiathar remains with David and uses the ephod with the Urim and Thummim to inquire of the Lord for David. Meanwhile Saul is left without any guidance from prophet or priest. The general movement of David’s flight is toward the south and east ...

4762. Saul Takes His Life

1 Samuel 31:1-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... his sons, and return home. They remember how Saul rescued their city from the threat of the Ammonites when he first became king. Because the bodies have been mutilated, they are cremated rather than buried, though the bones are to some extent preserved and buried. Years later, David has the remains of Saul and Jonathan transferred to the family tomb of Saul’s father, Kish, in one of the towns of Benjamin (2 Sam. 21:11–14). To mourn the death of Saul, the people of Jabesh Gilead fast for seven days.

4763. Joab Murders Abner

2 Sam 3:22–4:12

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... :33–34). To emphasize his sorrowful attitude David fasts the rest of the day. By regarding Abner’s death as a great tragedy, David convinces the nation that he was not implicated in the murder, and the fragile alliance with the northern tribes remains intact. At the same time, David probably should have taken some direct disciplinary action against Joab, who seems not to have lost any power. David’s failure to discipline his officers and his sons constitutes one of his greatest weaknesses, and it will ...

4764. David Becomes King Over Israel

2 Samuel 5:1-5

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... his leadership ability over the years. Even during Saul’s reign, some soldiers from the northern tribes have defected to David (1 Chron. 12:1–22), but now the entire nation rallies around him. David is almost thirty-eight years old, and he will remain king until he is seventy. In the next thirty-three years David strengthens the nation and extends her borders in every direction. Before David dies, Israel has become a stable and secure force in the region between Egypt to the south and the Phoenician ...

4765. The Ark Brought to Jerusalem

2 Samuel 6:1-23

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... priest. When his wife Michal sees him dressed in this fashion, leaping and dancing before the Lord, she is shocked. David does not try to bring the tabernacle to Jerusalem but sets up a special tent for the ark. Instead, Moses’s “Tent of Meeting” remains at Gibeon, about six miles northwest of Jerusalem (cf. 2 Chron. 1:3). David wants to build a permanent temple to honor the ark, as we learn in 2 Samuel 7. With the ark safely in Jerusalem, David sacrifices burnt offerings and fellowship offerings and ...

4766. David's Victories

2 Samuel 8:1-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... , located about sixty-five miles northeast of the Sea of Galilee and an important trade center. Damascus was closely allied with Zobah, and when these Arameans come to the aid of Hadadezer, David also subdues them and places garrisons in Damascus. Israel remains in control of this Aramean stronghold until well into Solomon’s reign. As a result of his military success, David receives significant wealth in the form of plunder and tribute payments from surrounding nations (8:7–14). Bronze, silver, and gold ...

4767. David’s Success

2 Samuel 9:1-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... and his family are given the responsibility of working the land for Mephibosheth, and from 16:3–4 we learn that Ziba really wanted control of Saul’s land himself. For the time being, however, Ziba seems willing to serve Mephibosheth, and, unlike others who later rebel against David, Mephibosheth remains loyal to the king the rest of his life.

4768. David’s Song

2 Samuel 22:1-51

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... –51) he exalts “God, the Rock, my Savior!” (22:47). Through the prophet Nathan, God made a covenant with David, promising that his dynasty would last forever (2 Sam. 7:12–16); and David acknowledges that the Lord’s “unfailing kindness” (22:51) was a guarantee that the covenant would remain valid. Such a faithful God is one whom David wishes to praise “among the nations” (22:50).

4769. Accession of a Younger Son

1 Kings 1:1-53

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... may have expected that such a momentous oath would have been mentioned if it was sworn. A slight irony will emerge here: Bathsheba is instructed to ask David about an (alleged) oath-swearing, and her own name means “daughter of swear an oath”! But still, the question remains as to why Nathan would counsel Bathsheba in this manner. We recall that Nathan has had dealings with David and Bathsheba before. In 2 Samuel 12:25, Nathan is sent by God to bring a new name for baby Solomon; in the book of Genesis a ...

4770. Security Clearance

1 Kings 2:1-46

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the Jordan David swore an oath to Shimei (2 Sam. 19:23), but David also said that Solomon was a wise man and would know what to do (1 Kings 2:9). Solomon now addresses Shimei (2:36–46) and commands him to build a house and remain in Jerusalem, with a severe restriction on travel. In light of Adonijah’s demise, it might have been wise for Shimei to “hear” (a Hebrew wordplay on the name Shimei) Solomon’s injunction, but chasing some fugitives to Gath, Shimei temporarily leaves the city. It does not ...

4771. Solomon's Wisdom

1 Kings 4:29-34

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... his far-reaching fame. Solomon’s intellectual authority extends even to matters of flora and fauna, with no shortage of audience. Even foreign kings journey to hear this original Renaissance man, a composer of songs and proverbs. A key question remains: how will these remarkable capabilities and the extraordinary gift of such wisdom be used? According to the NIV translation of 4:29, Solomon has “breadth of understanding,” a phrase that could literally be rendered “broadness of mind.” In Proverbs ...

4772. Dedication of the Temple

1 Kings 8:22-66

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... ’s transcendence, and one guesses that the prayer must have had an overwhelmingly positive reception. The concluding stage of the ceremony (8:54–66) comprises a corporate blessing by the king (with a call for fully committed [Hebrew shalom] hearts), abundant sacrifices, and a joyful dismissal. If the nation can remain this united, then Solomon’s leadership will bequeath an enduring legacy.

4773. Solomon's Wives

1 Kings 11:1-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... . Once more God speaks to Solomon, but this time the warnings are over and a decision is announced: the king’s divided heart will lead to a divided nation. Reminiscent of the earlier conflict between Saul and David, an underling will arise to inherit the kingdom, yet one tribe will remain under the aegis of the Davidic house, on account of the promise articulated in 2 Samuel 7.

4774. Israel Rebels Against Reheboam

1 Kings 12:1-33

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... for the fulfillment of the prophetic word spoken by Ahijah. Rehoboam’s obstinacy is met with a song, featuring recycled lyrics first sung by the leader of the rebel alliance in 2 Samuel 20, Sheba son of Bikri. Evidently the song has remained popular in the northern imagination during the reign of Solomon and now resurfaces with a vengeance, as it becomes the rallying cry whereby the kingdom is drastically reduced, just as Ahijah’s prophetic word declared. Sending Adoniram—first mentioned in 2 Samuel ...

4775. Naboth's

1 Kings 21:1-29

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... for this confrontation is “Naboth’s vineyard,” the very place the crime is set in motion. Ahab is seemingly held liable for Jezebel’s atrocity, but the latter is not exempt; like her husband, Jezebel will suffer the ignominy of dogs consuming her remains. The scene is interrupted with a penetrating aside (21:25–26) about Ahab’s vile conduct, reinforcing a key moment from the start of the chapter: Naboth refuses to sell his property, but Ahab has sold himself to do evil, incited by his wife ...

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