2 Samuel 23:1-7 is identified as "the last words of David." What kind of message is David compelled to leave as he confronts his mortality? As a warrior and king he must have been tempted to speak some final words recalling his greatness, his unique role in the history of Israel, his military prowess. Indeed there is recorded in 1 Kings 2:1-9 another "last words of David" passage. Here David briefly acknowledges Solomon's right to rule but leaves a posthumous list of kingly orders to be carried out, insuring David's influence on the political life of Israel even after his death. Today's passage in 2 Samuel focuses more on the general qualities of leadership, less on the personal legacy of David. The Davidic covenant is still central, but it is tempered by David's own last words describing …