What is the meaning of 2 Samuel 3:35? Then all the people came • The crowd gathering around David shows public recognition of his leadership in the wake of Abner’s death (2 Samuel 3:31–32). • Their nearness underscores how closely the nation watched David’s response, much like Israel later observed him when he returned the ark (2 Samuel 6:15–16). • David’s openness before “all the people” reinforces that “nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight” (Hebrews 4:13), calling us to transparent sorrow when sin or tragedy occurs. and urged David to eat something while it was still day • Friends often try to comfort mourners with food (Genesis 37:34–35; John 11:19). • Eating “while it was still day” would have lessened the intensity of David’s public mourning, possibly signaling that his grief had already begun to lift. • Their urging highlights a cultural expectation to resume normal life quickly, yet Ecclesiastes reminds us there is “a time to mourn” (Ecclesiastes 3:4). but David took an oath • Rather than accept the kindness, David binds himself with a vow (cf. Numbers 30:2), illustrating the seriousness with which he viewed Abner’s murder. • Oaths were solemn, calling God as witness (1 Samuel 24:21–22); David’s word had to match his actions (Matthew 5:37). • By swearing publicly, he distances himself from Joab’s guilt (2 Samuel 3:28) and affirms that justice matters more than personal comfort. saying, “May God punish me, and ever so severely” • This standard oath formula (Ruth 1:17; 1 Samuel 3:17) invokes divine discipline if broken, stressing that fidelity to God outweighs physical hunger. • It places David under the covenant’s blessings and curses (Deuteronomy 28:58–59), signaling that he expects God to police his integrity. • Such self-imposed accountability models how leaders must submit to God, not manipulate public opinion. “if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets!” • David chooses a daylight fast, matching earlier acts of grief (2 Samuel 1:12) and anticipating his later fast for the child of Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12:16–17). • Waiting “before the sun sets” recalls Saul’s misguided daytime fast (1 Samuel 14:24), but here it expresses righteous sorrow, not rashness. • The fast allows time for reflection and for Israel to see that David seeks justice, aligning with Proverbs 21:3: “To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.” summary David refuses food until evening, swearing an oath that invites God’s judgment if he breaks it. His fast proves heartfelt grief for Abner, clears him of any complicity in the murder, and demonstrates to the watching nation that righteousness and justice outweigh personal comfort. |
    |