2 Samuel 23:10

10 cumque ascendissent viri Israhel ipse stetit et percussit Philistheos donec deficeret manus eius et obrigesceret cum gladio fecitque Dominus salutem magnam in die illa et populus qui fugerat reversus est ad caesorum spolia detrahenda

2 Samuel 23:10 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 23:10

He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary,
&c.] He rose up when the Israelites fled, and stood his ground alone, and fought with the Philistines, and smote them with his sword, until his hand was weary with smiting:

and his hand clave unto the sword;
which was contracted by holding it so long, and grasping it so hard, that it could not easily be got out of it; or through the quantity of blood which ran upon his hand, as it was shed, so Josephus ^F20; and which being congealed, and dried, caused his hand to stick to the hilt of his sword, so that they were, as it were, glued together by it; or the sense may be only, that though weary, he did not drop his sword, but held it fast till he had destroyed the enemy:

and the Lord wrought a great victory that day;
for to him it must be ascribed, and not to the strength and valour of the man:

and the people returned after him only to spoil;
they that fled, when they saw what a victory was obtained by him, returned and came after him; not to help him in smiting, but to spoil those that were slain, and strip them of what they had.

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 Antiqu. l. 7. c. 12. sect. 4.

2 Samuel 23:10 In-Context

8 haec nomina fortium David Sedens in cathedra sapientissimus princeps inter tres ipse est quasi tenerrimus ligni vermiculus qui octingentos interfecit impetu uno

9 post hunc Eleazar filius patrui eius Ahoi inter tres fortes qui erant cum David quando exprobraverunt Philisthim et congregati sunt illuc in proelium

10 cumque ascendissent viri Israhel ipse stetit et percussit Philistheos donec deficeret manus eius et obrigesceret cum gladio fecitque Dominus salutem magnam in die illa et populus qui fugerat reversus est ad caesorum spolia detrahenda

11 et post hunc Semma filius Age de Arari et congregati sunt Philisthim in statione erat quippe ibi ager plenus lente cumque fugisset populus a facie Philisthim

12 stetit ille in medio agri et tuitus est eum percussitque Philistheos et fecit Dominus salutem magnam