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Pentecost Season · Christ the King · Year B

2 Samuel 23:1-7

The Last Words of David

November 21, 2027

King David Playing the Harp, Gerard van Honthorst
King David Playing the Harp, Gerard van Honthorst, 1622Centraal Museum, Utrecht
Honthorst learned his candlelight in Rome from Caravaggio's followers, and the Dutch called him Gherardo delle Notti for it. Here the light comes off the harp itself.A psalm of praise is a sung thing, and this is the singer with the instrument in his hands.Gerard van HonthorstA Utrecht painter (1592-1656) who went to Rome, learned Caravaggio's night lighting there, and brought it home. The Italians called him Gherardo delle Notti, Gerard of the Nights.Centraal Museum, UtrechtThe oldest municipal museum in the Netherlands, and the home of the Utrecht Caravaggisti who brought Italian night-lighting north.Centraal Museum, Utrecht
Revised Common Lectionary
GospelJohn 18:33-37Jn 18:33-37
EpistleRev. 1:4b-8Rev 1:4b-8
Old Testament2 Sam. 23:1-72 Sm 23:1-7Alt. OTDan. 7:9-10, 13-14Dn 7:9-10, 13-14
PsalterPs. 132:1-12, (13-18)Ps 132:1-12, (13-18)Alt. PsalmPs. 93Ps 93

Overview & Insights

"The Spirit of the LORD speaks through me, his word is upon my tongue." (2 Samuel 23:2)

David's final oracle celebrates the just ruler who governs in the fear of God, likened to the light of morning. It rests on God's everlasting covenant with his house.

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Commentary

Working Preacher (Year B, Christ the King) Working Preacher

Commentary on this exact Year B first reading.

Enduring Word: 2 Samuel 23Enduring Word: 2 Sm 23 Enduring Word · David Guzik

Verse by verse study of David's last words.

BibleHub Commentaries: 2 Samuel 23BibleHub Commentaries: 2 Sm 23 BibleHub

Classic commentators gathered on the oracle.

Precept Austin: 2 Samuel 23Precept Austin: 2 Sm 23 Precept Austin

Detailed study notes and cross references.

Barnes Notes: 2 Samuel 23Barnes Notes: 2 Sm 23 StudyLight

A historic commentary on the passage.

Background & Word Study

Sefaria: II Samuel 23 (Hebrew) Sefaria

Hebrew text with classic Jewish commentary.

BibleHub Interlinear: 2 Samuel 23:1BibleHub Interlinear: 2 Sm 23:1 BibleHub

Hebrew text with parsing for word study.

BibleProject: 2 Samuel OverviewBibleProject: 2 Sm Overview BibleProject

Visual overview of the narrative of 2 Samuel.

The Church Fathers

Catena: 2 Samuel 23Catena: 2 Sm 23 Catena

Patristic comment gathered verse by verse.

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