2 Samuel 23:4

2 Samuel 23:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.
• New International Version (NIV)he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings grass from the earth.’
• English Standard Version (ESV)he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises, A morning without clouds, Like the tender grass springing out of the earth, By clear shining after rain.’

Context of 2 Samuel 23:4

2‘The Spirit of the Lord gives me his message. I speak what he tells me to say. 3Israel's God has spoken. The one who keeps Israel safe said to me, “A king should rule over people in a way that is right and fair. He should show that he respects and obeys God. A king who rules like that is like the light of the sun at dawn. He is like the sky when it has no clouds in it in the morning. He is like bright sun after rain, that helps the grass to grow strongly.” 5That is how God will bless my descendants. He has made a promise to me that will continue for ever. It is a strong promise that will never change. I know that he will always help me. He will do for me everything that I hope for. 6But God will remove all wicked people. He will throw them away like weeds. They are like thorn bushes that you cannot pull out with your hands.

2 Samuel 23:4 word by word

וּכְא֥וֹר בֹּ֖קֶר יִזְרַח־שָׁ֑מֶשׁ בֹּ֚קֶר לֹ֣א עָב֔וֹת מִנֹּ֥גַהּ מִמָּטָ֖ר דֶּ֥שֶׁא מֵאָֽרֶץ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• as the lightאוֹר'ôr · lightH216
• of the morningבֹּ֫קֶרbôqer · morningH1242
• the sunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁshemesh · sunH8121
• risethזָרַחzârach · to riseH2224
• withoutלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
• cloudsעָב‛âb · cloudH5645
• the tender grassדֶּ֫שֶׁאdeshe' · grassH1877
• out of the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: soilH776
• by clear shiningנֹ֫גַהּnôgahh · brightnessH5051
• after rainמָטַרmâţâr · rainH4306

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 23:4

• Judges 5:31I pray that all your enemies will die as Sisera died, Lord! But I pray that those who love you will shine brightly. May they be strong like the sun at dawn.’ After that, there was peace in Israel for 40 years.
• Psalms 89:36His descendants will always rule. His kingdom will continue to be there for ever, as long as the sun shines.
• Psalms 110:3When you go to fight your enemies, your people will be happy to fight beside you. As the sun rises on the day of battle, your young men will be there, on the hills round Zion.
• Proverbs 4:18The life of righteous people is like the sun at dawn. It gets brighter and brighter until midday.
• Isaiah 60:1Stand up! Shine brightly! Now your light has come! The Lord's glory has risen to shine on you.
• Hosea 6:5I sent my prophets to warn you. They gave you my messages that I would punish you. Now that punishment will certainly happen to you! I will suddenly come to judge you, like the sun that rises at dawn.
• Malachi 4:2‘But it will be different for you who respect my name. My power to make you well again will come to you. It will be like the sun that rises to shine on you. When that happens, you will be very happy. You will jump up and down like young cows when someone lets them go free.
• Luke 1:78Our God will forgive us because he is very kind. He will send someone from the highest place. When this person comes, it will be like the sunrise for us.
• John 1:7He came to tell people about the light. God wanted everyone to believe in the one who is the light.
• Hosea 6:3We should respect the Lord's authority. We must try to know him better. Then he will certainly come to rescue us. He will come to us as surely as the sun appears each morning. He will help us as surely as the rain comes in spring and it makes the ground wet for plants to grow.’
• Deuteronomy 32:2My teaching will be like the rain that falls. My messages will help the people who hear them, as rain helps new grass to grow.
• Psalms 72:6May the king be a blessing to his people, like rain that falls on grass that lies in the fields. May he be like rain that brings water to the soil.
• Isaiah 4:2In that day, the branch of the Lord will be great and beautiful. The land will give fruit and crops. Those people who remain in Israel will be proud and happy because of the food that the land supplies.
• Micah 5:7And later, Jacob's people who are still alive will be in many countries. They will be everywhere, like water on the ground in the early morning, or rain on the grass. The Lord sends the water to help the plants, but no human can make it stay.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 23:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4He shall be as the light of the morning - This verse is very obscure, for it does not appear from it who the person is of whom the prophet speaks. As the Messiah seems to be the whole subject of these last words of David, he is probably the person intended. One of Dr. Kennicott's MSS. Supplies the word יהוה Yehovah ; and he therefore translates, As the light of the morning ariseth Jehovah (see below) He shall be the Sun of righteousness, bringing…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Comparisons illustrating the prosperity of the righteous king.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-7This passage comes from the end of David’s career and reflects on his experience as king, even as 2 Samuel 22 reflects on his experience before becoming king.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain--Little patches of grass are seen rapidly springing up in Palestine after rain; and even where the ground has been long parched and bare, within a few days or hours after the enriching showers begin to fall, the face of the earth is so renewed that it is covered over with a pure fresh mantle of green.Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 23:4

• David
• Jesus, the Christ
• Psalms
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• David
• Sure
• Troop
• Abishai
• Amasai
• Christ, Offices of
• Clear; Clearness
• Cloud
• Genealogy
• Grass

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings