2 Samuel Themes

King David's family is more dysfunctional than most—David's not exactly Ward Cleaver. We see his family being created through rather unusual means: reclaiming a wife (Michal) who had been remarri...

If someone betrays someone else, it's a sure sign that they're eventually going to get their comeuppance… at least, most of the time. Betrayal seems to be one of the more serious sins (Dante puts...

Wait. A book featuring war, rape, incest, adultery, and espionage has compassion and forgiveness? Yep. And if we may say so, they're very refreshing. Moments of niceness are like a brief break from...

You know what they say: revenge is a dish best served cold. And never is that truer than in 2 Samuel. Joab and Absalom both wait to carry out their acts of blood vengeance, and (initially, at least...

It's not just the humans in 2 Samuel who are big on loyalty. It's really important to God, too. Whereas betrayal seems bound to rebound back on the betrayer, loyalty pays major dividends. Even in c...

Though there's a ton of justice in 2 Samuel, it's debatable how much of it is really just. For example, God kills David's baby son because David (not, obviously, the baby) had Uriah murdered in ord...

Guns n' Roses once asked, "What's so civil about war anyway?" 2 Samuel doesn't have an answer to that question—but it provides numerous examples of civil war and rebellion. These wars are about u...