The Famine, Its Cause, and Its Remedy: Chapters 21–24 form an appendix to 2 Samuel. They are distinct from the preceding narrative, which continues in 1 Kings chapter 1. They contain six independent sections only marginally related to each other. Each section includes information and incidents relating to David that the writers thought was helpful or important for their readers to be aware of but that did not fit in with the natural flow of the main narratives.

A. F. Kirkpatrick (The Second Book of Samuel, p. 21) identifies a structure to this appendix to 2 Samuel, describing it as “a general supplement to the history of David’s reign illustrating a) God’s providential discipline of Israel, by two national punishments, b) David’s character, by two of his own writings and c) the heroic spiri…