2 SAMUEL 1

DAVID SADDENED BY THE NEWS OF SAUL’S DEATH 

After the battle with the Amalkites, David returns to Ziklag, where he was living with the Philistines. David knew that a battle was happening between Israel and the Philistines, but was unaware that Saul and his sons died.

An Amalakite messenger travels to Ziklag to tell David of Saul’s death. Instead of telling David the truth of what happened to Saul, that he ended his own life by falling on his sword, the messenger takes credit for killing King Saul.

Instead of being excited by this news and proud of the messenger, David mourns Saul's death and has the messenger killed for claiming to have killed Saul. David knew not to kill God’s appointed king and he was appalled that the Amalkite messenger would be proud of killing Saul.

Although Saul attempted to kill David on many occasions, David is saddened and distressed by Saul’s death and the death of Jonathan, his closest friend.

2 SAMUEL 2

DAVID APPOINTS LEADERSHIP OVER THE TRIBE OF JUDAH

After asking God for guidance, David is sent to the city of Hebron in Judah. David and his two wives pack up all of their belongings and travel to Judah. The people of Judah anoint David as king over Judah, the largest tribe of Israel. David thanks the men of Jabesh-gilead, who buried Saul’s body.

Meanwhile, Saul’s commander Abner makes Saul’s living son, Ish-bosheth, king over Israel, the role that is supposed to be given to David. Only the tribe of Judah follows David and honors him as king.

After a few years, Abner (Saul's commander) and Joab (David’s commander) meet up at Gibeon. There they start a series of twelve battles, one-on-one style similar to David and Goliath. David and Joab’s men are victorious over Abner’s men.

Abner chases down Asahel, one of David’s nephews, and kills him. After this, Abner asked Joab to blow the trumpet and end the battle.

2 SAMUEL 3

ABNER SIDES WITH DAVID, BUT JOAB CONTESTS

As time goes on, David grows stronger and has many children with his now six wives. Abner is also gaining strength and popularity among the eleven tribes, but then things take a turn for the worse. Ish-bosheth, the king of Israel, claims that Abner has been sleeping with one of Saul’s concubines. Although Saul is dead, this accusation greatly offends Abner, and Abner felt betrayed by Ish-bosheth.

Because Abner is so offended by the allegation, he turns to follow David instead of Ish-bosheth, wanting David to serve as king over all twelve tribes. David tells Abner that he can join him, as long as he brings Michal back to David. Michal was David’s first wife who Saul had taken away from him.

Abner agrees to this deal and sets out to convince the eleven tribes to accept David as king over all Israel. This plan sounds great to Abner and David, but not to Joab. Because Abner is a recent enemy, Joab did not trust Abner’s intentions. Abner was also the one who killed Joab’s brother, Asahel. Joab had enough of Abner and murders him, which grieves David greatly.

2 SAMUEL 4

THE DEATH OF ISH-BOSHETH

The only remaining descendants of Saul are Rechab, Baanah, and Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth. Rechab and Baanah are military leaders, but Mephibosheth is very young and physically crippled.

Ish-bosheth hears of the death of Abner and is also grieved, even though they were enemies at the time of his death. After receiving this news, Ish-bosheth’s courage fails, making him appear weak and alarming the Israelites. Afraid of having a weak ruler, two of Ish-bosheth’s military leaders and Saul’s remaining relatives murder Ish-boseth in his sleep.

Rechab and Baanah, the two men who killed Ish-bosheth, go to tell David the news. Similar to when he heard the news of Saul’s death, David is saddened by this news and has them killed.

2 SAMUEL 5

DAVID APPOINTED KING OVER ALL TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL

Now that Saul, Abner, and Ish-bosheth have died, the tribes meet at Hebron and David is finally anointed king over all of Israel. Remembering God’s promise, the people refer to David as the shepherd of Israel. David is thirty years old when he becomes king, the same age that Jesus started His public ministry.

David seizes Jerusalem from the Jebusites and makes it Israel’s capital. He also obtains the fortress of Zion, which is renamed the City of David. God is with David, and he grows greater and greater.

David’s success angers the Philistines, but God allows David to defeat them. After a long stretch of trials, David experiences prosperity and victory!

2 SAMUEL 6

THE ARK OF THE COVENANT TRANSPORTED TO JERUSALEM

David gathers the people of Israel to move the ark of the covenant back into Jerusalem, using a cart carried by oxen. As they are carrying the ark, a man named Uzzah reaches out and touches the ark when one of the oxen stumbles. Uzzah is immediately stuck down and killed. David is saddened and scared by Uzzah’s sudden death. Instead of continuing on his journey with the ark, David stays in the home of a man named Obed-edom for three months.

God blesses Obed-edom and the home where the ark is kept for three months. Eventually David transports the ark to Jerusalem. Once the ark is in Israel’s capital city, David dances in celebration! David’s wife Michal sees David rejoicing and despises him in her heart. Although we are unsure of Michal’s reason for despising David, it is clear that she did not rejoice over the symbol of God’s law and presence arriving in Jerusalem. David disregards Michal’s response and worships God regardless of the consequences or opinions of others.

Another account of this story is recorded in 1 Chronicles 13-16.

2 SAMUEL 7

GOD PROMISES AN ETERNAL KING FROM THE LINE OF DAVID

David decides he wants to build a temple or a house for the presence of God. David realizes that he is living in a beautiful cedar house, but the ark of God is residing in a tent. The prophet Nathan encourages David to do all that is in his heart and build the home for God.

Although Nathan has good intentions, God appears to Nathan telling him to instruct David not to build a house. Instead, God will build a house for David. God clarifies that David’s house will not be a physical house, but a legacy and kingdom that will endure forever. God uses the descendants of David to establish a new eternal throne.

David is amazed at God’s kindness and generosity and responds by praising God. Eventually, God would send Jesus through the descendants of David. Although David’s descendants will not always be on the throne in Israel, God promises David that an everlasting king would be established from his lineage. This promise is known as the Davidic Covenant.

1 Samuel 7:12 - When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom.

2 SAMUEL 8

DAVID WAS A JUST + VICTORIOUS RULER OF ISRAEL

David serves as a victorious leader of Israel, defeating the Philistines, the Moabites, the Arameans, and the Edomites. David is given silver, bronze, and gold for his role in winning the battles, but dedicates all these things to the Lord. God is with David and the Israelites and gives victory to David wherever he goes. David continues to reign over Israel with justice.

2 SAMUEL 9

DAVID SHOWS KINDNESS + GENEROSITY TO MEPHIBOSHETH

David asks his servant Ziba to find any living relatives of Saul. David has a very tumultuous relationship with Saul, but wants to show kindness to his ancestors. Ziba finds one of Jonathan’s sons, Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson. Mephibosheth is crippled in both of his feet and describes himself as a “dead dog.”

When David finds Mephibosheth, he is crippled and poor, had no land and no living family. Upon seeing Mephibosheth, David promises to restore Saul’s land to Mephibosheth and include him at the royal table. After David’s generosity, Mephibosheth’s inheritance is restored and he is invited to dine with the king!

2 SAMUEL 10

ISRAEL’S DEFEAT OF THE AMMONITES + ARAMEANS

David receives the news that Nahash, the king of the Ammonites, has died. David sends some messengers to console Hanun, Nahash’s son. When the messengers arrive in Ammon, Nahash assumes they are spies, so he cuts off their beards and half of the robes, leaving them exposed and humiliated.

The Ammonites hired the Syrians (also called Arameans) to help them battle the Israelites, but David, Joab, and the Israelites are able to defeat them all. After this defeat, the Syrians no longer want to team up in battle with the Ammonites.

2 SAMUEL 11

DAVID’S ADULTERY + CONSPIRACY TO MURER

In the springtime, the kings are typically in battle, but David remains behind in Jerusalem. One day, David is on his rooftop and sees a beautiful woman named Bathsheba. David sends someone to take her, although she is married to a man named Uriah, and David sleeps with her.

Uriah is one of David’s mighty men (referenced in 1 Chronicles 11) and is off at war. When Bathsheba realizes she is pregnant, David wants to trick Uriah into thinking that the child is his own. David calls Uriah home from battle, in efforts for him to sleep with Bathsheba, but Uriah is dedicated to the battle and would not go back to the comfort of his own home.

Instead of coming forward, David sends a message to Joab, one of Israel’s military leaders, telling him to put Uriah on the front lines in the most dangerous position. The Ammonites killed many Israelites and David ensured Uriah was one of them. When Bathsheba heard that her husband died, she lamented his death. David takes Bathsheba and makes her his wife.

God is displeased with David’s actions. In this chapter alone, David commits adultery, murder, and likely sexual assault.

2 SAMUEL 12

THE LASTING CONSEQUENCES OF DAVID’S SIN

God sends Nathan to David to share a meaningful story. Nathan tells David of a wealthy man with lots of sheep who stole and killed a poor man’s only lamb, whom he loved dearly. David is enraged that the rich man would do such a thing, stealing something of personal and emotional value to someone who had far less than himself. David says the rich man should be killed and that the poor man should be repaid four times as many lambs.

Nathan says to David “You are the rich man!” David is exposed for his sin and greed. Nathan explains to David that God has abundantly provided for David, but he still sinned greatly. Because of David’s sin, there would be four major consequences. 1) The sword will not depart from David’s house, meaning Israel would continue facing battles in war. 2) Evil would come out of the house of David, meaning some of David’s descendants would bring trouble on Israel. 3) David would lose his many wives, and 4) lastly, David’s son with Bathsheba would die.

Although these consequences are severe, God could have killed David for his actions. Even in His anger, God shows mercy for David’s life.

Seven days after David’s son is born, he dies. During those seven days, David fasted and laid on the ground. Once the child died, the servants were afraid to tell David because they did not want him to harm himself in his grief. After David realizes his son has died, he gets up, cleans himself and his clothing, and worships God. Even in the worst of circumstances, David trusts God’s judgment.

David comforts Bathsheba after the death of their child. This time as his wife, David sleeps with Bathsheba and she becomes pregnant with a son named Solomon.

The Israelites are still at war with the Ammonites in the city of Rabbah. David participates in this battle and the city of Rabbah is captured. In their victory, the Israelites place the Ammonite king’s crown on David’s head.

2 SAMUEL 13

AMNON’S WRONGDOING + ABSALOM’S RESPONSE

Amnon, David’s firstborn son, lusts after his beautiful half-sister Tamar. Amnon receives terrible advice from a distant relative named Jonadab, who tells him to pretend to be ill in bed so that he could be in a position of leverage to rape her. While Amnon is pretending to be ill, he asks David to send Tamar to bring him food. Tamar diligently makes food for her half-brother and brings it to him. When Amnon attempts to sleep with her, Tamar says no. But because Amnon is larger and stronger than her, he is able to violate and rape his half-sister.

After this horrible act, Amnon now hates Tamar. Although scripture records Amnon as having loved Tamer, we can see from his actions that this was not true and that he confused love with lust. Not only does Amnon rape Tamar, he sends her away and locks her out. In the culture of Israel at this time, Tamar would most likely remain single and childless since she was no longer a virgin. Amnon took away her virginity, and possibly her future. Tamar grieves her loss, putting ash on her face and tearing her robes. Tamar lives a lonely desolate life with her brother, David’s other son, Absalom, who no longer speaks to Amnon. David is informed about what happened and is angered.

Two years later, Absalom is ready for revenge. He tricks Amnon into traveling with him, gets him drunk, and instructs his servants to kill him. After Amnon’s death, Absalom is David’s oldest living son and heir to the throne.

All of David’s other sons flee after hearing of Amnon’s murder. David is incorrectly told that all of his sons died, not only Amnon. As David is grieving the loss of his sons, Jonadab goes to tell David the truth that it was only Amnon who had died. Absalom, afraid in his guilt, flees to Geshur to get away. All of David’s other sons go to find David, and he weeps. Years pass and David grieves his missing son, wanting to be reunited with Absalom.

2 SAMUEL 14

ABSALOM + DAVID REUNITE

Joab, David’s military leader, knows that David’s heart longs for Absalom. Joab sends a woman named Tekoa to David, who pretends to be in mourning and tells a story about two brothers, one who killed the other. David’s response to the story reveals how he feels about Absalom, and He agrees to make amends with Absalom. David sends Joab to bring Absalom back from Geshur.

Once Joab returns to Jerusalem with Absalom, David instructs Joab to separate Absalom. Absalom lives apart from David without seeing him for two years. Absalom is the most attractive man in Israel, he has no blemish from head to toe and has very lush, long hair.

Absalom has been waiting for a long time and wants to see David, so he calls for Joab. When Joab does not respond to Absalom, Absalom sets his nearby fields on fire. Absalom gets Joab’s attention and Joab allows Absalom to see the king. When they see each other, Absalom bows humbly before David, and David kisses and embraces him. David loves his son and is happy to see him regardless of what he has done.

2 SAMUEL 15

ABSALOM’S BETRAYAL OF DAVID

What seems like a sweet reunion between Absalom and David is really just a trick! Absalom, David’s estranged son, is not trying to make peace. Instead, he is conspiring to take David’s throne. Absalom collects horses and chariots to prepare for battle.

Absalom sits by the city gates, waiting for people who want advice and counsel from David. Absalom stops them on their way in and wins them over, telling them anything they want to hear. Instead of sending them to David, he woos them for personal gain.

After a few years, Absalom asks David if he could travel to Hebron to “fulfill a vow” that he made back when he lived in Geshur. Absalom is lying about the vow and really leaves to gather the men, chariots, and horses he has been secretly collecting.

David’s messengers let him know what is happening, that Absalom betrayed him and is plotting to overthrow Jerusalem. David decides not to battle with his son and instead flees, leaving his concubines, the priests, and the ark of the covenant behind.

David finds out that Ahithophel, one of his most trusted mentors and advisors, betrayed him and joined Absalom. Luckily David finds a friend named Hushai, who serves as a spy to inform David what is happening back in Jerusalem.

2 SAMUEL 16

ABSALOM’S WICKEDNESS ON DISPLAY

David flees to Jerusalem to avoid war with his son, Absalom.

Ziba, one of Mephibosheth’s servants, brings David donkeys, bread, fruit, and wine. Ziba wants Israel to return under David’s kingship, not Absalom’s or Mephibosheth’s. David thanks Ziba by giving him all that belonged to Mephibosheth.

David travels to Bahurim and meets Shimei, a descendant of Saul who hates David. Shimei insults David and throws rocks at him, shouting at him to go away. Another man, Abishai, threatens to kill David.

Absalom and his army arrive in Jerusalem. Hushai, David’s spy, pretends to show allegiance to Absalom instead of David. Ahithophel, who had previously been David’s advisor, gives Absalom terrible advice: to sleep with David’s concubines as a sign of disgrace to his father. Absalom takes this advice and sleeps with David’s concubines publicly for all of Israel to witness.

2 SAMUEL 17

HUSHAI INFORMS DAVID OF ABSALOM’S PLANS TO ATTACK

Ahithophel orders Absalom to gather 12,000 men and attack David, but Absalom wants Hushai’s opinion too. Hushai tells Absalom to create an even bigger army, gathering men from all of Israel. Hushai did this to give himself time to warn David of the attack.

Absalom listens to Hushai’s advice over Ahithophel’s advice. Ahithophel hangs himself, possibly to avoid death upon David’s eventual return.

Absalom crosses the Jordan with his men, ready for a battle with David. Absalom appoints Amasa over the army instead of Joab, who David had previously appointed. Hushai sends messengers to David in Mahanaim to bring him food and supplies as well as inform him of Absalom’s plans.

2 SAMUEL 18

JOAB KILLS ABSALOM

David gathers his army and divides them into three groups led by Joab, Absahai, and Ittai. During the battle, Absalom rides a mule and gets caught in a tree, left dangling by his head.

The men who find him do not want to be responsible for killing David’s son. Instead, Joab is alerted that Absalom is stuck. Joab takes the opportunity to kill Absalom, throwing three javelins at him while he is hanging. Absalom is killed and the news is brought to David.

Even though David has been delivered from his enemies and regained the throne, he still mourns the death of his son. David loved his children even when they turned on him, modeling God’s love for His creation.

2 SAMUEL 19

DAVID REGAINS THE THRONE 

David weeps and mourns over the loss of his son Absalom, despite his attempts to overthrow David. Joab confronted David, telling him that it was better for his wicked son to die. Joab accuses David of loving those who hate him and hating those who love him. Joab is not compassionate towards David over the loss of his son because Absalom’s wickedness threatened David’s reign.

Although David had been overthrown by Absalom, Absalom was killed, which made David king once again. David decides to appoint Amasa, who was previously Absalom’s commander, to be in charge of the Israeli army instead of Joab.

Shimei, a man who previously harassed David, comes to David to apologize. Although his actions are punishable by death, David forgives him. Ziba, one of Mephibosheth’s servants, tells David that Mephibosheth was disloyal to David. Mephibosheth denies these claims. Unsure of what to do, David split everything evenly between them. David’s previous interactions with Shimei and Ziba are recorded in 2 Samuel 16.

An older man named Barzillai showed kindness and generosity to David. In response, David asks him to accompany him in Jerusalem, but Barzillai does not go with David.

2 SAMUEL 20

JOAB DEFEATS AMASA + SHEBA

Sheba, who is described as “a worthless man,” summons the Israelites to follow him instead of David. All of the Israelites turn to follow Sheba, except for the tribe of Judah. David turns to Amasa, the man he chose over Joab to lead the Israelite army. David asks him to gather the men of Judah, but Amasa takes far longer than David expected.

David warns Abishai that Sheba is far more dangerous than Absalom ever was—a bold statement! Joab, David’s previous military leader, finds Amasa and stabs him to death. Joab commands Amasa’s army to follow him instead.

David’s men go after Sheba and attack the city where he is hiding. With the help of a wise woman, the attack on the city is stopped, protecting the innocent people and killing Sheba alone. Sheba's head was thrown over a wall into Joab’s possession!