Big Idea: The Lord expects his chosen servants to promote righteousness and to find hope in his faithful promises.

Understanding the Text

This poem is titled “the last words of David” (v. 1). It begins with a divine oracle that the Lord’s Spirit has spoken through David (vv. 2–4). This is followed by David’s response, which reflects on God’s covenantal commitment to him (vv. 5–7). The reference to David as the Lord’s “anointed” (v. 1) links this poem with the one that immediately precedes it (cf. 2 Sam. 22:51). As noted above, these poems, as a tandem, form the pivot within the epilogue’s concentric structure. They provide a theological summary of David’s career and, together with Hannah’s song (1 Sam. 2:1–10), a thematic framework for the books of Samuel. For a more detailed discussion,…