Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Samuel 23:7
But the man [that] shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the [same] place.
7. But the man, &c.] But the man who toucheth them must arm himself with iron and a spear shaft. The thorns cannot be touched by hand, but must be torn up with an iron hook fastened to a long handle. The expression is chosen so as to be applicable to the enemies who are figured, as well as to the thorns which figure them.
burnt with fire ] Cp. Mat 3:10; Mat 13:30; Luk 19:27; Heb 6:8.
in the same place ] Or perhaps, until they are consumed. But the word is probably not part of the true text, and should be omitted altogether.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The staff of a spear; so the meaning is, he must fill his hand, or arm himself with some iron weapon, whereby he may cut them down; or, with the staff of a spear, or some such like thing, whereby he may thrust them away from himself, that they do him no hurt. Or thus, he will be filled, or will fill himself, i. e. his hand, wherewith he attempted to touch and take them, with thorns, as
with iron and the staff of a spear; i.e. he will be as surely and sorely wounded, as if one should run the iron head and part of the wood of a spear into his hand.
And they shall be utterly burned, or, therefore; because men cannot safely touch them, therefore they will burn them up. Or, or, i.e. if they do not cut them down with iron, or thrust them away with the staff of a spear, they will burn and consume them.
In the same place, or, in their place, where they grow or stand; and they will not trouble not hazard themselves to remove them. Withal, it may imply that they shall be destroyed when and where they thought themselves most secure, even in their own place. And it may possibly intimate, that those children of Belial, the wicked and unbelieving Jews, who rejected and rebelled against the Messiah, Davids successor, and their lawful King, should be destroyed in their great, and strong, and holy city Jerusalem, where the greatest part of that people were gathered together as fuel for the fire, and were destroyed together by the Romans under Titus, where also their wicked predecessors had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in former times.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
But the man [that] shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear,…. To remove these thorns, or sons of Belial, out of the way, or to defend himself against them; or weapons of war must be made use of to conquer and destroy them, according to the sense of Ben Gersom, and which De Dieu follows; a man that meddles with them must expect to be as much hurt and wounded by them, all over the body, as if not only the point or iron head of a spear, but the wood or handle of the spear, were thrust up in him; but the former sense seems best:
and they shall be utterly burnt with fire in the [same] place: where the thorns grew, or whither they are removed, or are sitting; where persons are sitting to warm themselves by them: and this may be understood of the destruction of wicked rulers, when their kingdom is taken from them, and they are consumed root and branch; and was true not only of Saul, and his posterity, as some apply it, and of Jeroboam, and those like to him, as the above Jewish writer; but of the wicked Jews, and their rulers, those sons of Belial, who rejected the yoke of Christ, and would not have him to rule over them; to whom the Lord sent the Roman armies fenced with swords and spears, and burnt their city, and destroyed them in the same place; and may take in antichrist, and antichristian states, those sons of Belial, of the wicked , and lawless one, the son of perdition, whose city, Rome, shall be burnt with fire; and even all wicked men, at the great day of judgment, to which the Targum refers these words; when they, whose end, like thorns, is to be burnt, will be cast into the lake which burns with fire and brimstone.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(7) Fenced with iron.The thorns are to be handled with an iron hook on the end of a spear staff. The phrase, in the same place, is used only here, and its meaning is quite uncertain. The Vulg. translates, to nothing, meaning to utter destruction; the LXX. substitutes the word shame. The English rendering is as well sustained as any.
The Chaldee Targum upon these verses is very interesting, as giving the ancient Jewish interpretation of the prophecy. It is a much enlarged paraphrase, but gives a Messianic application to the whole. The following is a close translation of 2Sa. 23:1-3 : (1) These are the words of the prophecy of David, which he prophesied concerning the end of the age, concerning the days of consolation which are to come. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was exalted to the kingdom said, the anointed by the word of the God of Jacob, and appointed that he might preside over the sweetness of the praises of Israel. (2) David said, In the spirit of prophecy of the Lord I speak these things, and the words of His holiness do I order in my mouth. (3) David said, The God of Israel spake concerning me, the Strong One of Israel who ruleth over the sons of men, the true Judge, said that He would appoint for me a king; He is the Messiah, who shall arise and rule in the fear of the Lord.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2Sa 23:7. They shall be utterly burned with fire The Chaldee paraphrase gives us the following exposition of the first words of this song: “These are the words of the prophesy of David, which he prophesied concerning the consummation of all things, in the day of consolation which is to come.” And it expounds the last words thus: “Their punishment is in the hand of man, but they shall be burnt up utterly, when the house of the great judgment appears, that they may sit on the throne of judgment to judge the world.” It may be proper just to observe, that several commentators understand these words primarily of David, and secondarily only as referring to the Messiah. But we have followed that interpretation of them which seems most consistent with the text, and, for the better understanding of the whole, subjoin the following paraphrase: “Thus spoke the Lord, the God of the son of Jesse, the Lord mighty and powerful, who took me from the dust, to lift me up to a throne! Thus spoke the Spirit of the Lord, which animateth David, and dictateth to him those harmonious songs, so pleasing to his nation! It is He, it is the divine Spirit who openeth my mouth, the Spirit of that God whose protection is my happiness and my glory, who inspireth me with new accents. I declare, as the monarch of the universe, the JUST ONE, by way of eminence; a king whose spiritual government will subject the nations to him, only to cause the fear of God to flourish among them. As we behold the bright morning dispel the clouds by its splendour, and recal nature into joy, causing heat to spring up in it with the day; as a gentle shower, by opening the womb of the earth, fertilizes the fields, and causes the plant to shoot, and the green herb to spring forth; so shall be the rising of the Sun of righteousness: so shall Christ bring from heaven salvation to the world, and by illuminating mortals with his light, and vivifying them by the influence of his Spirit, cause the faithful to walk surely under his laws, in the path of perfection and immortality. By promising me that this great king shall issue from one of my descendants, what hath not the great God done for my house? What a covenant is that which he hath condescended to make with me, to assure the glory of my family, and to make it flourish for ever! A covenant immutable and eternal; a covenant, in which his promises, being gradually accomplished, will from age to age have their full effect exactly at the time appointed; a covenant, which is the sure basis of my salvation, the support of my hopes, the source of all my happiness, even in the hour of death. But how different will be the fate of the wicked, obstinately bent to reject or to break the yoke of Christ! Like thorns, which are good for nothing but to tear those who touch them, they shall be approached only to be destroyed. With a destructive sword and a sure hand, they shall most terribly be smitten, shall be crushed, shall be extirpated, and utterly burned in in eternal fire.”
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
2Sa 23:7 But the man [that] shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the [same] place.
Ver. 7. And they shall be utterly burnt with fire in the same place, ] sc., Where they grew, or whither they are thrust away. Certain it is they shall be utterly destroyed here or in hell, as those stubborn Jews were who crucified Christ. The Romans came upon them with their iron weapons, killed innumerable of them in the very same place, and burnt down their city. “And when the king heard thereof,” – that as thorns they drew blood of his dearest servants, or at least were as thorns in their eyes, Jos 4:13 untractable, untameable, and, therefore, fit for the fire, Heb 6:8 – “he was wroth, and sent forth his armies,” the Romans, “and destroyed those murderers, and burnt up their city.” Mat 22:7
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
man. Hebrew. ‘ish. App-14. = furnished.
in the same place = on the spot.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
fenced: Heb. filled
and they shall: 2Sa 22:8-10, Isa 27:4, Mat 3:10-12, Mat 13:42, Luk 19:14, Luk 19:27, Joh 15:6, 2Th 1:8, 2Th 2:8, Heb 6:8
Reciprocal: Jdg 19:22 – sons of Belial 1Sa 9:17 – reign over 1Sa 25:17 – a son of Belial Isa 33:12 – thorns Eze 2:6 – briers Mic 7:4 – General Nah 1:10 – while they be