Dating the Famine and Plague

Many have noted that chapters 21 - 24 of 2 Samuel are separated chronologically from the rest of David's story. Consequently, it is difficult to date the stories. The stories of military heoism and lists of special military forces undoubtedly occurred in the military conquests during the first half of David's reign. Dating of the famine and plague will be considered in the following paragraphs.

God brought a three-year famine on the land because Saul had killed some Gibeonites whom Israel had sworn to spare in the time of Joshua (2 Sam. 21:1-14). The famine must have ended after David became king over all Israel in his eighth year as king. The text also says that David spared Jonathan's son, Mephibosheth, so the end of the famine occurred after David befriended Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth was five years old when Saul was killed and David became king (2 Sam. 4:4), and eight additional years would make him thirteen if the famine ended during David's eighth year. However, it appears that the famine could not have ended that early in David's reign because 2 Sam. 9:12 appears to say that Mephibosheth had a young son when David befriended him. For that reason, the end of the famine should probably be placed closer to the sixteenth year of David's reign when Mephibosheth would have been twenty-one.

God sent a three-day plague on Israel after David numbered the people (2 Sam. 24, 1 Chron. 21). Chronicles omits all of David's troubles with regard to his sons Amnon and Absalom, and goes from the fall of the Ammonites to the census. Therefore, it is not clear whether the census occurred during or after David's troubles with his son. We have placed it during those troubles for three reasons. First, David spoke of making plans and assembling materials for the temple during his "affliction" (1 Chron. 22:14 ASV, Young's Literal Translation). If this is a reference to the troubles he experienced through his sons and as a consequence of his own sin, then the census and purchase of the temple site occurred before Absalom's rebellion. Second, David making preparations for the temple during the last half of his reign would explain his statement that he did so because Solomon was "young and inexperienced" (1 Chron. 22:5). Solomon would have been less than twenty years old during that time. (Solomon was born after the fall of Rabbah in the middle of David's 40-year reign.) Third, Chronicles does not make the transition to David being old until 1 Chron. 23:1. Although he does not appear as feeble as in 1 Kings 1, he is said to stand on only one occasion (1 Chron. 28:2) after he became old. Preparations were probably made when he was younger and more energetic. For these reasons, we place the census and plague a few years before Absalom's rebellion.

For a full chronology of David's reign, see the Index to Major Periods in David's Life.

Goliath's Head at Jerusalem

After David killed Goliath and the Israelite army routed the Philistines, he plundered Goliath's armor and took Goliath's head to Jerusalem.

And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent. (1 Samuel 17:54, ESV)

Some have considered the curious statement about Jerusalem to be an anachronism. Although Jerusalem was in the hands of the Jebusites, the display of Goliath's head at Jerusalem fit a pattern of victory celebrations in that era. The pattern is described in more detail when the Philistines killed King Saul on Mt. Gilboa.

So they cut off his head and stripped off his armor and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines, to carry the good news to the house of their idols and to the people. They put his armor in the temple of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. (1 Samuel 31:9-10, ESV)

Here, the post-victory events included 1) plundering the battleground, 2) putting Saul's armor in the temple of Ashtaroth, and 3) fastening his body to the wall of Beth-shan. Although most of the plunder probably went to the soldiers, Saul's armor became a trophy displayed in the temple of one of their gods, and his body was hung on the wall of Beth-shan to threaten any Israelites still in the area.

The missing part in the aftermath of David's victory over Goliath appears to be the placement of a trophy in the temple of the Lord. However, we learn in the story of David that Goliath's sword was being kept among the sacred things with the priests at Nob.

And the priest said, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in the Valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it, for there is none but that here." And David said, "There is none like that; give it to me." (1 Samuel 21:9, ESV)

With this information in place, it appears that David followed a predictable pattern after he killed Goliath. He plundered Goliath's armor, deposited Goliath's sword as a trophy with the priests at Nob, and displayed Goliath's head at Jerusalem.

The display of a fallen hero served as an intimidating threat to one's enemies, so why was it displayed at Jerusalem rather than one of the Philistine cities? David had particular hatred for the Jebusites of Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5:8). Perhaps they were allied with the Philistines or had invited the Philistines to invade the land. The head of Goliath served notice to the Jebusites that the Israelites had defeated the stronger Philistines and that the Jebusites could no longer trust their walls for protection.

The Enduring Dream

972-970 B.C.; age 68-70; regnal years 38-40

Adonijah's Ambition Thwarted

• David's health declines
  1 Kings 1:1-4
• Adonijah proclaims himself king
  1 Kings 1:5-10
• Bathsheba and Nathan appeal to David
  1 Kings 1:11-27
• David has Solomon proclaimed king the first time
  1 Kings 1:28-40
• Adonijah obtains clemency
  1 Kings 1:41-53

Power Passed to Solomon

• David reveals his plans to Solomon
  
• 1 Chron. 22:6-19
• David organizes temple service under Solomon
  
• 1 Chron. 23:1 - 26:32
• David transfers the army, government, and royal property to Solomon
  1 Chron. 27:1-34
• David commits the plans for the temple to Israel and Solomon
  1 Chron. 28:1-21
• David collects and dedicates gifts for the temple
  1 Chron. 29:1-20
• David has Solomon proclaimed king a second time
  1 Chron. 29:21-25
• David advises Solomon privately
  1 Kings 2:1-9

David dies
1 Kings 2:10-12 [1 Chron. 29:26-30]