2 Samuel 21:17

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(17) And smote.—The original leaves it doubtful whether Abishai is the nominative to the verb, or whether it should be simply he, referring to David. 2Samuel 21:22 seems to imply that one at least of the sons of the giant fell by David’s own hand.

Sware unto him.—This was a solemn transaction, by which David should hereafter be restrained from personal exposure in battle. That he should be spoken of as “the light of Israel” implies that his government over all Israel had continued long enough already to make its immense benefits sensible.

Benson Commentary

2 Samuel 21:17. That thou quench not the light of Israel — Lest thou be slain, and thereby thy people lose their glory and happiness, and even be utterly ruined. Good kings are, in Scripture, justly called the light of their people, because the beauty and glory, the conduct and direction, the comfort and safety, and welfare of a people depend greatly upon them. A noble image this of a king!

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

21:15-22 These events seem to have taken place towards the end of David's reign. David fainted, but he did not flee, and God sent help in the time of need. In spiritual conflicts, even strong saints sometimes wax faint; then Satan attacks them furiously; but those who stand their ground and resist him, shall be relieved and made more than conquerors. Death is a Christian's last enemy, and a son of Anak; but through Him that triumphed for us, believers shall be more than conquerors at last, even over that enemy.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Ishbi-benob - A corrupt reading. The whole passage should perhaps run thus: "And David waxed faint. So they halted in Gob (as in 2 Samuel 21:18-19). And there was a man (in Gob) which was of the sons of the giant, etc."

Sons of the giant - The "giant" here 2 Samuel 21:18, 2 Samuel 21:20, 2 Samuel 21:22 is "ha-Raphah," whence, the "Rephaim" Genesis 14:5; Deuteronomy 2:11. The sons of Ha-raphah, or Rephaim, are different from the "Nephilim," or Giants Genesis 6:4; Numbers 13:33. The sons of Anak were not strictly Rephaim, but Nephilim.

Three hundred shekels of brass - About eight pounds. Goliath's spear's head weighed "six hundred shekels of iron."

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

15-22. Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel—Although the Philistines had completely succumbed to the army of David, yet the appearance of any gigantic champions among them revived their courage and stirred them up to renewed inroads on the Hebrew territory. Four successive contests they provoked during the latter period of David's reign, in the first of which the king ran so imminent a risk of his life that he was no longer allowed to encounter the perils of the battlefield.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Lest thou be slain, and thereby thy people be ruined. Good kings are in Scripture justly called the light of their people, as 1 Kings 11:36 15:4 Psalm 132:17, because the beauty and glory, the conduct and direction, the comfort, and safety, and welfare of a people depend upon them, and come from them.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him,.... Observing him in danger, made haste to his relief:

and smote the Philistine, and killed him; it seems as if Abishai engaged with the Philistine, and killed him; but inasmuch as it will bear to be interpreted of David, and since the four giants here and hereafter mentioned are said to fall by the hand of David and his servants, 2 Samuel 21:22, it may be thought that this man fell by his hand; seeing it is clear that all the rest fell by the hands of his servants:

then the men of David sware unto him; after they had observed the danger he was exposed unto, and how narrowly he escaped with his life:

saying, thou shalt go no more with us to battle; they had persuaded him not to go to the battle with Absalom; they had suffered him to go with them now, he being, no doubt, forward and pressing to it; but now they were resolute, and determined he should never go more:

that thou quench not the light of Israel; signifying that their glory and prosperity depended on his life, and that, should he be taken away, they should be in affliction and adversity, their honour and their happiness would be at an end; the Targum is,"thou mayest not extinguish the kingdom of Israel,''the light and glory of it.

Geneva Study Bible

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the {n} light of Israel.

(n) For the glory and wealth of the country stands in the preservation of the godly magistrate.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

17. and smote] Perhaps, and he (David) smote; as 2 Samuel 21:22 seems to imply that one of them fell by David’s own hand.

that thou quench not the light of Israel] Extinguishing the lamp is a natural metaphor for changing the light of prosperity into the darkness of calamity; and in particular David’s sovereignty was the lamp which God’s favour had lighted for the well-being of His people. An Arab in misfortune says, “Fate has put out my lamp.” Cp. Job 18:6; Proverbs 13:9. The expression light of Israel seems to indicate that David was already king of all Israel, and if so, the incident may have happened in one of the wars recorded in ch. 2 Samuel 5:17-25.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 17. - The men of David sware unto him. David's men were specifically the mighties, who had so long been his friends and companions. They now bound him by an oath never again to fight in person, lest he should be singled out for combat by some warrior among the enemy and slain. The light of Israel. The lamp in the dwelling was the proof that there was life there, and so it became the symbol of prosperity. In Job 18:5, 6 the extinction of the lamp signifies the destruction of the family. David was evidently now king, and under him Israel was advancing to freedom and empire. His death would have plunged the nation back into weakness and probable ruin. 2 Samuel 21:17

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The danger into which the king had been brought in this war, and out of which he had been rescued solely by Abishai's timely help, induced his attendants to make him swear that he would not go into battle any more in person. לו נשׁבּע, administered an oath to him, i.e., fixed him by a promise on oath. תכבּה ולא תכבּ, "and shalt not extinguish the light of Israel." David had become the light of Israel from the fact that Jehovah was his light (2 Samuel 22:29), or, according to the parallel passage in Psalm 18:29, that Jehovah had lighted his lamp and enlightened his darkness, i.e., had lifted him out of a state of humiliation and obscurity into one of honour and glory. The light (or lamp) is a figure used to represent the light of life as continually burning, i.e., life in prosperity and honour. David's regal life and actions were the light which the grace of God had kindled for the benefit of Israel. This light he was not to extinguish, namely by going into the midst of war and so exposing his valuable life to danger.