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3,811 commentary entries
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible
Abigail Meets David. (b. c. 1057.)
ABIGAIL MEETS DAVID. (B. C. 1057.) We have here an account of Abigail's prudent management for the preserving of her husband and family from the destruction that was just coming upon them; and we find that she did her p…
David Blesses Abigail. (b. c. 1057.)
DAVID BLESSES ABIGAIL. (B. C. 1057.) As an ear-ring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear, Proverbs 25:12. Abigail was a wise reprover of David's passion, and he gave an obedi…
David Marries Abigail. (b. c. 1057.)
DAVID MARRIES ABIGAIL. (B. C. 1057.) We are now to attend Nabal's funeral and Abigail's wedding. I. Nabal's funeral. The apostle speaks of some that were twice dead, Jude 1:12. We have hare Nabal thrice dead, though but…
Saul Again Pursues David. (b. c. 1056.)
SAUL AGAIN PURSUES DAVID. (B. C. 1056.) Here, 1. Saul gets information of David's movements and acts offensively. The Ziphites came to him and told him where David now was, in the same place where he was when they forme…
David Spares Saul's Life. (b. c. 1056.)
DAVID SPARES SAUL'S LIFE. (B. C. 1056.) Here is, I. David's bold adventure into Saul's camp in the night, accompanied only by his kinsman Abishai, the son of Zeruiah. He proposed it to him and to another of his confidan…
David Expostulates with Saul. (b. c. 1056.)
DAVID EXPOSTULATES WITH SAUL. (B. C. 1056.) David having got safely from Saul's camp himself, and having brought with him proofs sufficient that he had been there, posts himself conveniently, so that they might hear him…
Saul Relents. (b. c. 1056.)
SAUL RELENTS. (B. C. 1056.) Here is, I. Saul's penitent confession of his fault and folly in persecuting David and his promise to do so no more. This second instance of David's respect to him wrought more upon him than…
David Returns to Gath. (b. c. 1055.)
DAVID RETURNS TO GATH. (B. C. 1055.) Here is, I. The prevalency of David's fear, which was the effect of the weakness of his faith (1 Samuel 27:1): He said to his heart (so it may be read), in his communings with it con…
David Smites the Amalekites. (b. c. 1055.)
DAVID SMITES THE AMALEKITES. (B. C. 1055.) Here is an account of David's actions while he was in the land of the Philistines, a fierce attack he made upon some remains of the devoted nations, his success in it, and the…
The Philistines Make War on Israel. (b. c. 1055.)
THE PHILISTINES MAKE WAR ON ISRAEL. (B. C. 1055.) Here is, I. The design of the Philistines against Israel. They resolved to fight them, 1 Samuel 28:1. If the Israelites had not forsaken God, there would have been no Ph…
Saul Consults the Witch at Endor. (b. c. 1055.)
SAUL CONSULTS THE WITCH AT ENDOR. (B. C. 1055.) Here, I. Saul seeks for a witch, 1 Samuel 28:7. When God answered him not, if he had humbled himself by repentance and persevered in seeking God, who knows but that at len…
Saul's Death Foretold. (b. c. 1055.)
SAUL'S DEATH FORETOLD. (B. C. 1055.) We have here the conference between Saul and Satan. Saul came in disguise (1 Samuel 28:8), but Satan soon discovered him, 1 Samuel 28:12. Satan comes in disguise, in the disguise of…
Saul's Despair. (b. c. 1055.)
SAUL'S DESPAIR. (B. C. 1055.) We are here told how Saul received this terrible message from the ghost he consulted. He desired to be told what he should do (1 Samuel 28:15), but was only told what he had not done and wh…
David with the Philistines. (b. c. 1055.)
DAVID WITH THE PHILISTINES. (B. C. 1055.) Here is, I. The great strait that David was in, which we may suppose he himself was aware of, though we read not of his asking advice from God, nor of any project of his own to…
David Leaves the Philistines. (b. c. 1055.)
DAVID LEAVES THE PHILISTINES. (B. C. 1055.) If the reasons Achish had to trust David were stronger than the reasons which the princes offered why they should distrust him (as I do not see that, in policy, they were, for…
Ziklag Burnt. (b. c. 1055.)
ZIKLAG BURNT. (B. C. 1055.) Here we have, I. The descent which the Amalekites made upon Ziklag in David's absence, and the desolations they made there. They surprised the city when it was left unguarded, plundered it, b…
David Recovers the Spoil. (b. c. 1055.)
DAVID RECOVERS THE SPOIL. (B. C. 1055.) Solomon observes that the righteous is delivered out of trouble and the wicked cometh in his stead, that the just falleth seven times a-day and riseth again; so it was with David.…
David's Division of the Spoil. (b. c. 1055.)
DAVID'S DIVISION OF THE SPOIL. (B. C. 1055.) We have here an account of the distribution of the spoil which as taken from the Amalekites. When the Amalekites had carried away a rich booty from the land of Judah and the…
The Death of Saul. (b. c. 1055.)
THE DEATH OF SAUL. (B. C. 1055.) The day of recompence has now come, in which Saul must account for the blood of the Amalekites which he had sinfully spared, and that of the priests which he had more sinfully spilt; tha…
The Disposal of Saul's Body. (b. c. 1055.)
THE DISPOSAL OF SAUL'S BODY. (B. C. 1055.) The scripture makes no mention of the souls of Saul and his sons, what became of them after they were dead (secret things belong not to us), but of their bodies only. I. How th…
David's Concern at Saul's Fate. (b. c. 1055.)
DAVID'S CONCERN AT SAUL'S FATE. (B. C. 1055.) Here is, I. David settling again in Ziklag, his own city, after he had rescued his family and friends out of the hands of the Amalekites (2 Samuel 1:1): He abode in Ziklag.…
Matthew Henry on 2 Samuel 1:11-16
Here is, I. David's reception of these tidings. So far was he from falling into a transport of joy, as the Amalekite expected, that he fell into a passion of weeping, rent his clothes (2 Samuel 1:11), mourned and fasted…
David's Lamentation for Jonathan. (b. c. 1055.)
DAVID'S LAMENTATION FOR JONATHAN. (B. C. 1055.) When David had rent his clothes, mourned, and wept, and fasted, for the death of Saul, and done justice upon him who made himself guilty of it, one would think he had made…
David Made King at Hebron. (b. c. 1053.)
DAVID MADE KING AT HEBRON. (B. C. 1053.) When Saul and Jonathan were dead, though David knew himself anointed to be king, and now saw his way very clear, yet he did not immediately send messengers through all the coasts…