Poole on 2 Samuel 23:2, 3: The Divine Inspiration of David's Last Words

Verse 2:[1]  (2 Pet. 1:21) The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.

[The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me (thus Munster, Pagnine, Tigurinus, Piscator)]  Through me, from a comparison with the following member, by my tongue (Piscator).  ‎דִּבֶּר־בִּי, He spoke in me (Montanus, Septuagint, Junius and Tremellius).

[And His word by my tongue (thus Junius and Tremellius, Piscator, Pagnine)]  Understanding, was produced (Pagnine, similarly the Syriac, Arabic).  ‎וּמִלָּת֖וֹ עַל־לְשׁוֹנִֽי׃, and His word upon my tongue (Vatablus), or on my tongue (Munster, Tigurinus), understanding, was (Munster, Tigurinus, Vatablus), that is, the Holy Spirit spoke the Psalms through me (Vatablus, similarly Osiander).  The words are His, not mine.  And so I most wholeheartedly commend this doctrine, especially concerning the promised Messiah, to all that hold eternal salvation dear (Osiander).  David is not boasting, but setting forth those things for edification.  He ascribes to the Holy Spirit, not only the inner inspiration, but also the very words (Martyr).  There are those that elicit the three persons of the Deity (Martyr, thus Osiander, Strigelius).  1.  The Spirit of the Lord speaks.  He attributes to the Holy Spirit, a.  the Act of speaking, but Actions are of persons, not of accidental properties.  Therefore, He is a person.  b.  The Work of God, for the Psalms are from God, Acts 4:25.  See also 2 Peter 1:21.  Therefore, He has a divine nature.  2.  The God of Israel spoke, verse 3; here they understand the Father.  3.  The Rock of Israel said, that is, the Son, who both is and is called the Rock, 1 Corinthians 10:4 (Martyr); Isaiah 28:16; 1 Peter 2:6 (Osiander).  It (the doctrine of the Trinity) is effectually proven out of many passages, and, when we see the Scriptures allude to this, we ought to embrace it (Martyr).

The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, etc.:  The following words, and consequently the other words and Psalms composed and uttered by me upon the like solemn occasions, are not to be looked upon as my private fancies or human inventions, but both the matter and the words of them are suggested and governed by God’s Spirit, which is the great Teacher of the church.

Verse 3:[2]  The God of Israel said, (Deut. 32:4, 31; 2 Sam. 22:2, 32) the Rock of Israel spake to me, (Ps. 110:2) He that ruleth (or, Be thou ruler, etc.[3]) over men must be just, ruling (Ex. 18:21; 2 Chron. 19:7, 9) in the fear of God.

[The God of Israel said to me[4] (thus Pagnine, nearly all interpreters)]  ‎לִי, to me; concerning me (Jonathan); of me (Munster, Dieu, Vatablus).  ‎לִי is taken for בַּעֲבוּרִי, on my account; He had promised through Samuel that He was going to establish me as king[5] (Vatablus out of Munster).

[The mighty one of Israel spoke, ‎צוּר]  The rock or crag (Montanus, Vatablus, Junius and Tremellius), the mightiest (Arabic, Munster, Tigurinus, thus the Syriac), of Israel, that is, whom Israel worships (Vatablus).  By these words He shows the firmness of His words; that is to say, God is not false, or infirm, who might be unwilling, or unable, to fulfill His words; but mighty, and ruling over the affairs of men, etc. (Sanchez).

The Rock of Israel; he who is the strength, and defence, and protector of his people; which he here manifests by obliging and directing kings and rulers so to manage their power and authority as may most conduce to their comfort and benefit.  Spake to me, by way of command; or, of me, by way of prediction and promise concerning me and my house, and the Messias who is to come out of my loins.

[The ruler of men, the just ruler in the fear of God,‎מוֹשֵׁל֙ בָּאָדָ֔ם צַדִּ֕יק מוֹשֵׁ֖ל יִרְאַ֥ת אֱלֹהִֽים׃]  They render and receive these words in a variety of ways:  [1.  Some expound them of God, and connect them with what precedes as part of the title ascribed to God (thus Lyra, Sanchez, certain interpreters in Martyr).]  The Mightiest of Israel, who is at the head of just men, who rules over those fearing God (Syriac, similarly the Arabic, Sanchez).  He is said to rule in fear, not because He Himself fears, but He brings it to pass that His own reverence Him (Martyr).  [2.  Others take them of Messiah.]  The true Judge said, that He established me as king; He is Messiah, who is going to be, so that He might arise and rule in the fear of the Lord (Jonathan).  The Rock of the Israelites spoke, the just ruler among men, the one ruling in the fear of God (Strigelius, similarly Osiander), more correctly, the ruler of the fear of God; that is, who governs His subjects by His Spirit, in such a way that as a result of the fear of God they are study holiness of life (Osiander).  [Elsewhere it is said of Messiah, that He shall rule in the fear of the Lord, and that He was anointed with the spirit of the fear of the Lord.[6]]  The Deity of the Israelites, the just governor of men, a religious governor:  Hebrew, the governor of the fear of God,[7] that is, furnished with the fear of God.  Neither is it strange, that he attributes to God the fear of God:  for he speaks of Christ, who received a human nature to be governed by the Father, as it is in Psalm 2 (Castalio).  The appellation of rock proves that the Messiah is God, which appellation in the Psalms is attributed to the true God alone, Psalm 18:2, 31, 46; 144:1.[8]  That He is man is taught by that particle, Ruler among men (Strigelius).  [3.  Others understand them of David as king; and that in a twofold manner, either, 1.  as a promise, or prediction:]  The ruler shall be among men just (in or with righteousness [Vatablus]), and a ruler in the fear of the Lord (Pagnine); that is, He foretold that I was going to be a King just and fearing God (Vatablus, similarly Martyr).  [Or, 2.  as a precept given to David, and with him to all kings.]  A ruler over men (those men [Junius and Tremellius], namely, the Israelites [Junius]; I prefer men in an indefinite sense [Piscator]) just (understanding, shall be [Piscator, Junius and Tremellius], or let him be [Tigurinus], or ought to be [Munster]):  let the ruler have a fear of God (Tigurinus); ruling in (or with [Munster]) the fear of God (Junius and Tremellius, Munster), understanding, he shall be (Piscator).

He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God:  thus it is a precept or declaration of the duty of kings, and particularly of Solomon his son, (to whom as a dying man he gives this advice,) and of his successors the kings of God’s Israel, for whose instruction he gives this rule.  And so here are the two principal parts of a king’s duty, answerable to the two tables of God’s law, justice towards men, and piety towards God, both which he is to maintain and promote among his people; to which if you add benignity and clemency, whereby a king renders his government not frightful and burdensome, but acceptable and amiable to his people, which possibly may be meant by the following similitudes, here is a complete character of an excellent prince or governor.  Others make it a prophecy of Christ; and then the words are or may be thus rendered, There shall be a Ruler over men, (or rather, among men,[9] as the Hebrew word properly signifies, to wit, the Messias, who, though he be the eternal and invisible God, yet shall visibly appear and rule among men,) a just or righteous one, (a title oft given to Christ, as Isaiah 53:11; Jeremiah 23:5, 6; 33:15; Zechariah 9:9) ruling in the fear of the Lord, making it his great business to advance the service, and worship, and glory of the Lord; or, as it is in the Hebrew, ruling the fear of the Lord,[10] that is, governing and ordering the worship of God, which is oft called the fear of God.  And so this clause is added to prevent or remove scandals and offences which might be taken at the Messias when he should come, because of his changing and abrogating the ceremonial law; and to insinuate that he should have no less power in the governing of God’s house and worship than Moses had, and that he might make such laws as he thought meet.  And if this be the meaning of the place, then as Jacob, being greatly afflicted with the troubles which he by the Spirit of prophecy foresaw were coming upon his posterity, comforts himself with the thoughts of that great and glorious salvation of God, which he also foresaw and waited for, Genesis 49:18; so David, reflecting upon the great disorders, and miscarriages, and calamities which had already arisen in his house, and either wisely presaging or foreseeing by the Spirit of the Lord, 2 Samuel 23:2, that the same sins and miseries should befall his posterity and successors, he supports and comforts himself with this consideration, that one of them should be a most excellent person, just, and pious, and merciful, and an unspeakable blessing to David himself, and to all his family and people, and to the whole world, even the great Messias, who was undoubtedly revealed to and expected by David, as appears by many passages of the Psalms, and by other scriptures.

[1] Hebrew:  ‎ר֥וּחַ יְהוָ֖ה דִּבֶּר־בִּ֑י וּמִלָּת֖וֹ עַל־לְשׁוֹנִֽי׃

[2] Hebrew:  ‎אָמַר֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לִ֥י דִבֶּ֖ר צ֣וּר יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל מוֹשֵׁל֙ בָּאָדָ֔ם צַדִּ֕יק מוֹשֵׁ֖ל יִרְאַ֥ת אֱלֹהִֽים׃

[3] Hebrew:  ‎מוֹשֵׁל֙ בָּאָדָ֔ם צַדִּ֕יק.

[4] Hebrew:  ‎אָמַר֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לִ֥י.

[5] See 1 Samuel 16.

[6] Isaiah 11:2, 3.

[7] Hebrew:  ‎מוֹשֵׁ֖ל יִרְאַ֥ת אֱלֹהִֽים׃.

[8] Psalm 144:1:  “Blessed be the Lord my strength (‎צוּרִי), which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight…”

[9] Hebrew:  ‎בָּאָדָם.

[10] Hebrew:  ‎מוֹשֵׁ֖ל יִרְאַ֥ת אֱלֹהִֽים׃.