2 Samuel 23:4

Translations

Modern

…is like the light of the morning at sunrise of a cloudless dawn, the glistening after the rain on the sprouting grass of the earth.’

Traditional

And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.

Literal

…and as the light of the morning he rises, a morning sun, without clouds, by clear shining after the rain, the tender grass of the earth.’

Latin

…sicut lux auroræ, oriente sole, mane absque nubibus rutilat: et sicut pluviis germinat herba de terra.

Original

Hebrew

English

…is like the light of the morning at sunrise of a cloudless dawn, the glistening after the rain on the sprouting grass of the earth.’

Notes

2 Samuel 23:1–7

This passage comes from the end of David’s career and reflects on his experience as king, even as 2 Samuel 22 reflects on his experience before becoming king.

2 Samuel 21:1–24:25

The final chapters of 2 Samuel form a coda (a concluding section). This section brings together and summarizes the main themes from earlier chapters.

These chapters are thematic, not chronological (arranged by topic, not by time). Because of this, not all the events happened at the end of David’s reign (for example, 2 Samuel 22:1).

The material is arranged using a common Hebrew literary pattern called a chiasm (a mirror-like structure). In a chiasm, the first and last sections match, and the middle section is the focus.

The structure of this chiasm is as follows:

A: Saul’s sin against the Gibeonites and the punishment that affected the whole community (2 Samuel 21:1–14)
- B: David’s warriors and their heroic deeds (2 Samuel 21:15–22)
  - C: David’s Psalm (2 Samuel 22:1–51)
  - C′: David’s Psalm (2 Samuel 23:1–7)
- B′: David’s warriors and their heroic deeds (2 Samuel 23:8–39)
A′: David’s sin involving the census and the punishment that affected the whole community (2 Samuel 24:1–25)

A chiasm draws attention to the center section. Here, the center is David’s hymns. These hymns do not focus on David himself. Instead, they focus on David’s God.

Theme notes and profiles

David

Events

Reign of Davidc. 1055 BC

Related verses

Judges 5:31
So may all Your enemies perish, O LORD! But may those who love You shine like the sun at its brightest.” And the land had rest for forty years.
Psalm 72:6
May he be like rain that falls on freshly cut grass, like spring showers that water the earth.
Hosea 6:5
Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of My mouth, and My judgments go forth like lightning.
Psalm 89:36
…his offspring shall endure forever, and his throne before Me like the sun,
Proverbs 4:18
The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.
Isaiah 4:2
On that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of Israel’s survivors.
Luke 1:78–79
…because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the Dawn will visit us from on high,
Psalm 110:3
Your people shall be willing on Your day of battle. Arrayed in holy splendor, from the womb of the dawn, to You belongs the dew of Your youth.
Isaiah 60:1
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
Micah 5:7
Then the remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the LORD, like showers on the grass, which do not wait for man or linger for mankind.
Hosea 6:3
So let us know—let us press on to know the LORD. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the rain, like the spring showers that water the earth.
John 1:7
He came as a witness to testify about the Light, so that through him everyone might believe.

Glossary

Branch Psalms, Book of Samuel, Books of First and Second

Topics

Clouds: (A Morning Without) of Wise Rulers David: King of Israel: David As Prophet David: King of Israel: Last Words of Day: Artificial, Divided Into: Morning Grass: Springs out of the Earth Jesus, the Christ: Mission of Light: Shining Light: Wise Rulers Morning was Frequently Cloudless Psalms of David: At the Close of his Reign Rain: Often Succeeded by Heat and Sunshine Rulers: Character and Qualifications of The Sun: The Power and Brilliancy of Its Rising Alluded To

2 Samuel 23:4

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