2 Samuel 23:39 kjv
Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all.
2 Samuel 23:39 nkjv
and Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.
2 Samuel 23:39 niv
and Uriah the Hittite. There were thirty-seven in all.
2 Samuel 23:39 esv
Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.
2 Samuel 23:39 nlt
Uriah the Hittite.
There were thirty-seven in all.
2 Samuel 23 39 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sam 11:3 | So David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba… the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” | Uriah identified as Bathsheba's husband. |
| 2 Sam 11:8-9 | David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” …But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house… | Uriah's integrity and faithfulness to duty. |
| 2 Sam 11:11 | Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in booths... shall I then go to my house to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife?” | Uriah's unwavering commitment to the covenant and military. |
| 2 Sam 11:14-17 | In the morning David wrote a letter… “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting… and fall back from him…” | David's heinous plot to murder Uriah. |
| 2 Sam 12:1-12 | Nathan’s rebuke to David, detailing the parable of the rich man and the poor man’s ewe lamb. | Nathan confronts David concerning Uriah's murder. |
| 2 Sam 12:9-10 | “Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword…” | God's judgment pronounced for the sin against Uriah. |
| 1 Kings 15:5 | “Because David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.” | David's only explicit major failure acknowledged. |
| 1 Chr 11:41 | Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai, | Parallel list of David's mighty men confirming Uriah's inclusion. |
| Gen 23:7 | Abraham rose and bowed to the people of the land, the Hittites. | Historical presence of Hittites in Canaan. |
| Josh 1:4 | “From the wilderness and the Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites…” | Hittites as inhabitants of the promised land. |
| Ruth 4:10 | And that Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife… | God's inclusion of a Moabite in Israel's lineage. |
| Josh 2:9-11 | Rahab the harlot and her family spared for believing in the God of Israel. | God's acceptance of a non-Israelite in the covenant community. |
| Mt 1:6 | And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah. | Uriah implicitly mentioned in the Messiah's genealogy, acknowledging David's sin and God's sovereign plan. |
| Ps 51:1-4 | Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love… against you, you only, have I sinned… | David's deep repentance, generally associated with his sin concerning Bathsheba and Uriah. |
| Isa 56:3-7 | Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, “The Lord will surely separate me from his people.” | God's welcoming of foreigners who choose to serve Him. |
| Zech 8:23 | “Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew…” | Future inclusion of Gentiles in God's people. |
| Acts 10:34-35 | “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” | God's non-discriminatory acceptance of believers from all backgrounds. |
| Eph 2:19-20 | So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. | Believers (including Gentiles) are integrated into God's spiritual family. |
| Col 3:11 | Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. | Spiritual unity transcends ethnic or social status. |
| Heb 11:32-34 | Of David… who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises… | Faith heroes, showing God uses imperfect instruments, David's faith despite his failures. |
| Rev 22:15 | Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral… | A stark contrast to the integrity expected of God’s people, indirectly highlighting Uriah's righteous character. |
2 Samuel 23 verses
2 Samuel 23 39 Meaning
This verse serves as the concluding entry for the detailed list of David's mighty men, identifying Uriah the Hittite as the final named individual in the company. It succinctly states his name, ethnicity, and the numerical count of the renowned warriors. Its placement profoundly highlights Uriah's significance and integrity within David's most trusted circle, especially considering the tragic circumstances of his death detailed earlier in the narrative, directly implicating David's great sin.
2 Samuel 23 39 Context
2 Samuel 23 concludes David's life narrative within the book by presenting two key sections: David's "last words" (verses 1-7), a prophetic psalm summarizing his ideal as God's chosen king and a glimpse into future kingdom hopes, followed by the lengthy list of his mighty warriors (verses 8-39). The verse under analysis, 2 Samuel 23:39, brings this latter section to a definitive close. Historically, this list compiles the names of elite military personnel who played crucial roles in securing and maintaining David's kingdom. Its purpose is not merely to enumerate but to laud the extraordinary bravery and loyalty of these men. The inclusion of Uriah at the very end serves as a poignant reminder of one of the greatest moral failures of David's reign, bringing into stark relief the contrast between human sin and divine faithfulness, and the tragic fate of an exceedingly righteous man caught in the web of that sin. It underscores that even in a list glorifying David's kingdom, the unvarnished truth of his past cannot be overlooked.
2 Samuel 23 39 Word analysis
- Uriah (אֽוּרִיָּה - Uriyah):
- Meaning: "My Light is Yahweh" or "Yahweh is Light."
- Significance: This name holds profound irony. Despite bearing a name praising God as light, his literal life light was extinguished by the very man, David, who was supposed to be a representative of Yahweh's light on earth. It accentuates the depth of David's sin in extinguishing such a faithful man, whose very name was a testament to his God. His inclusion on this honor roll is a statement about his enduring faithfulness, which contrasted sharply with David's failure.
- the Hittite (הַֽחִתִּי - ha-Khitti):
- Meaning: Denotes his ethnic origin as a member of the Hittite people.
- Significance: This detail is crucial. The Hittites were among the Canaanite peoples inhabiting the land before Israel's full conquest (Gen 15:20, Ex 3:8). Uriah's inclusion in David's elite forces and his profound loyalty demonstrates that faith and integrity were not exclusive to Israelite ethnicity. It showcases God's broader work among people and the possibility for non-Israelites to genuinely serve the true God and His anointed, highlighting a broader divine redemptive plan that extends beyond strict ethnic lines, foreshadowing the inclusion of Gentiles in God's family (as seen in the New Testament). It may also indirectly polemicize against any strictly exclusive, tribalistic worldview of the time, presenting an example of a righteous "foreigner."
- total, thirty-seven (שְׁלֹשִׁים וְשִׁבְעָה - sh'loshim v'shiv'ah):
- Meaning: "thirty and seven" literally, signifying a final numerical summation.
- Significance: This phrase is an administrative closing mark for the preceding list of mighty men. It does not carry deep numerical symbolism in itself but simply states the final tally of prominent names listed. Its most profound significance is its immediate preceding entry: Uriah. The number 37 effectively "seals" Uriah's position on this esteemed roster, cementing his legacy not just as a mighty warrior, but as the symbolic end-point of this celebrated group, indelibly linking his name to one of David's darkest chapters while simultaneously testifying to his unmatched character that merited such inclusion.
2 Samuel 23 39 Bonus section
The presence of Uriah, a Hittite, in the inner circle of David's most elite warriors reinforces a theological truth evident throughout Scripture: God's work of salvation and His covenant extended beyond ethnic Israel, even in the Old Testament. Examples like Ruth the Moabite, Rahab the Canaanite, and others illustrate a recurring theme of God's acceptance of and interaction with non-Israelites who placed their faith or allegiance with the God of Israel. This inclusion foreshadows the New Testament revelation of the church, where all nations are invited into God's family through faith in Jesus Christ, effectively breaking down barriers of Jew and Gentile (Gal 3:28). Uriah's unblemished record of faithfulness and courage, particularly in stark contrast to the flawed character of Israel's greatest king at that moment, underscores that genuine piety is not bound by heritage but by the heart's disposition towards the divine will and truth.
2 Samuel 23 39 Commentary
2 Samuel 23:39 is a terse but incredibly potent verse, sealing the esteemed list of David’s mighty warriors with the name of Uriah the Hittite. Its conciseness speaks volumes. By including Uriah – a non-Israelite – and highlighting his position in this distinguished list, the Bible immortalizes his exemplary character: loyalty, dedication, and integrity even unto death. This contrasts sharply with King David's egregious sin in orchestrating Uriah's demise to conceal his affair with Bathsheba. The list does not shy away from David's greatest failing, using the inclusion of Uriah's name as a constant, sobering reminder of the moral cost of power and temptation. It affirms that true worth in God's eyes transcends ethnicity or status and that faithful service is honored, even when the leader, David, failed so miserably. It serves as a stark example of God's unbiased perspective on righteousness and accountability, revealing how human sin is intertwined with divine judgment and grace in the historical narrative of His people.