2 Samuel 6:19

And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed every one to his house.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(19) A good piece of flesh.—A peculiar word, used only here and in 1Chronicles 16:3, but the context shows that it is rightly interpreted in the English. The phrase “a flagon of wine” (used also in 1Chronicles 16:3; Song of Solomon 2:5; Hosea 3:1) should be translated “a cluster of grapes or raisins.”

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

6:12-19 It became evident, that happy was the man who had the ark near him. Christ is indeed a Stone of stumbling, and a Rock of offence, to those that are disobedient; but to those that believe, he is a Corner-stone, elect, precious, 1Pe 2:6-8. Let us be religious. Is the ark a blessing to others' houses? We may have it, and the blessing of it, without fetching it away from our neighbours. David, at first setting out, offered sacrifices to God. We are likely to speed in our enterprises, when we begin with God, and give diligence to seek peace with him. And we are so unworthy, and our services are so defiled, that all our joy in God must be connected with repentance and faith in the Redeemer's atoning blood. David attended with high expressions of joy. We ought to serve God with our whole body and soul, and with every endowment and power we possess. On this occasion David laid aside his royal robes, and put on a plain linen dress. David prayed with and for the people, and as a prophet, solemnly blessed them in the name of the Lord.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A good piece of flesh - The word thus paraphrased is only found here and in marginal reference A piece of meat from the peace offerings is probably meant. From the fact that the chronicler explains the preceding cake by the more common word loaf, but leaves this obscure word unexplained, one might infer that it was already obsolete and unknown in his time. The Septuagint translates it: "a cake baked on the hearth;" the Vulgate "a piece of roast beef."

A flagon of wine - Rather, "a cake" of grapes or raisins Hosea 3:1; Sol 2:5, or made with oil or mead.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

19. cake of bread—unleavened and slender.

a good piece of flesh—roast beef.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

No text from Poole on this verse.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And he dealt among all the people,.... Gave a dole unto them, divided among them:

even among the whole multitude of Israel: and if there were so many as at first, there were thirty thousand of them, 2 Samuel 6:1; and perhaps more, since it follows:

as well to the women as men; to both the one and the other; and the women, it is very probable, were not among those that went to fetch the ark, but assembled to attend the entrance of it into the city, and were present at the solemnities of its settlement:

to everyone a cake of bread; or a loaf of bread, of what quantity is not said, no doubt sufficient for anyone person, or more:

and a good piece of flesh: not only that was good in quality, but large in quantity, a very large piece of it; the Jews say (s) the sixth part of a bullock, they dividing it into six parts as we into four quarters; but it is not likely that such a quantity of flesh should be given to each person:

and a flagon of wine; but what such a vessel held cannot be said, though at least we may suppose it equal to a bottle of ours, or more; see Sol 2:5,

so all the people departed everyone to his house; to refresh themselves with the provisions David had given them.

(s) T. Bab. Pesachim, fol. 36. 3.

Geneva Study Bible

And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed every one to his house.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

19. dealt] In the old sense of divided or distributed, from A. S. dælan, to distribute, from which comes dole, a portion dealt out. Cp. Isaiah 58:7; Romans 12:3.

a cake of bread] The Heb. word for cake occurs elsewhere only in the Pentateuch, and is always applied to cakes prepared for sacrificial purposes.

a good piece of flesh] The word is only found elsewhere in the parallel passage of 1 Chr., and is of uncertain meaning. The most probable conjectures are (1) a piece of roast meat (Vulg.); (2) a portion of flesh; (3) a measure of wine.

a flagon of wine] More probably, a cake of raisins.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 19. - A cake of bread, and a good piece... and a flagon. Of the first of the three gifts there is no doubt. It was the round dough cake baked for sacrificial meals (Leviticus 8:26). So, too, there is no doubt of the third; it means "a cake of raisins" (see Song of Solomon 2:5; Hosea 3:1, in which latter place raisins, or dried grapes, are expressly mentioned, boldly rendered in the Authorized Version "wine"). The Revised Version has given the correct rendering of the passage. The second word occurs only here, but the rendering of the Authorized Version is that of the Jews; and as it is some common domestic term not likely to be found in literature, but well known in every kitchen, they are most probably right. On the same sort of local authority Jerome renders it in the Vulgate "a piece of beef for roasting." As it is coupled with the bread and the raisin cake, we may feel sure that it was a portion of the flesh of the animals which had been killed in Sacrifice, and which the people were now permitted to take to their homes. 2 Samuel 6:19

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

When the offering of sacrifice was over, David blessed the people in the name of the Lord, as Solomon did afterwards at the dedication of the temple (1 Kings 8:55), and gave to all the (assembled) people, both men and women, to every one a slice of bread, a measure (of wine), and a cake for a festal meal, i.e., for the sacrificial meal, which was celebrated with the shelamim after the offering of the sacrifices, and after the king had concluded the liturgical festival with a benediction. לחם חלּת is a round cake of bread, baked for sacrificial meals, and synonymous with כּכּר־לחם (1 Chronicles 16:3), as we may see from a comparison of Exodus 29:23 with Leviticus 8:26 (see the commentary on Leviticus 8:2). But the meaning of the ἁπ. λεγ. אשׁפּר is uncertain, and has been much disputed. Most of the Rabbins understand it as signifying a piece of flesh or roast meat, deriving the word from אשׁ and פּר; but this is certainly false. There is more to be said in favour of the derivation proposed by L. de Dieu, viz., from the Ethiopic שׁפר, netiri, from which Gesenius and Roediger (Ges. Thes. p. 1470) have drawn their explanation of the word as signifying a measure of wine or other beverage. For אשׁישׁה, the meaning grape-cake or raisin-cake is established by Son of Sol 2:5 and Hosea 3:1 (vid., Hengstenberg, Christol. on Hosea 3:1). The people returned home after the festal meal.