2 Samuel 23:3
in 2 Samuel 23The God of Israel spoke; the Rock of Israel said to me, ‘He who rules the people with justice, who rules in the fear of God,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spake to me: One that ruleth over men righteously, That ruleth in the fear of God,
KJV
The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 23
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThe Rock of Israel - The Fountain whence Israel was derived. He that ruleth over men must be just - More literally, מושל באדם צדיק moshel baadam tsaddik, He that ruleth in man is the just one; or, The just one is the ruler among men. Ruling in the fear of God - It is by God’s fear that Jesus Christ rules the hearts of all his followers; and he who has not the fear of God before his eyes, can never be a Christian.
This site's exposition
the last words of David
on 2 Samuel 23:1-3
David's titles are stacked in rising order: son of Jesse, the man raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel. The Spirit of the LORD spake by me is David's own account of how the psalms were made, one of only four occurrences of that name of the Spirit in these two books, and Acts 1:16 says the same thing of him from the other side. The oracle itself is one sentence: he that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.
This site's exposition
the Rock of Israel said
Adam Clarke notes the Hebrew can be read the just one rules among men, which points to a coming righteous king. Matthew Henry reads it as the duty of every king who rules the people, for when the Rock of Israel speaks to a king, he is told his duty in the fear of God. Must is for the king, in Henry's proverb.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And so here is, First, The duty of magistrates enjoined them. When a king was spoken to from God he was not to be complimented with the height of his dignity and the extent of his power, but to be told his duty. "Must is for the king," we say.
The God of Israel said,....
It is herein well ordered, that whatever is required in the covenant is promised, and that every transgression in the covenant does not throw us out of covenant, and that it puts our salvation, not in our own keeping, but in the keeping of a Mediator.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the Rock of Israel--This metaphor, which is commonly applied by the sacred writers to the Almighty, was very expressive to the minds of the Hebrew people.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אָמַר֙ | ʾamar | he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֣י | ʾelohei | [the] God of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| לִ֥י | li | to <the> me | ||
| דִבֶּ֖ר | diber | he spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| צ֣וּר | tzur | [the] rock of | H6697 → | 78 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| מוֹשֵׁל֙ | moshel | [one who] rules | H4910 → | |
| בָּאָדָ֔ם | baadam | over <the> humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
| צַדִּ֕יק | tzadik | righteous | H6662 → | |
| מוֹשֵׁ֖ל | moshel | [one who] rules | H4910 → | |
| יִרְאַ֥ת | yirat | [the] fear of | H3374 → | |
| אֱלֹהִֽים׃ | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
אָמַר֙he said
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
אֱלֹהֵ֣י[the] God of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
לִ֥יto <the> me
li
דִבֶּ֖רhe spoke
diberH1696 →1141 times
צ֣וּר[the] rock of
tzurH6697 →78 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
מוֹשֵׁל֙[one who] rules
moshelH4910 →
בָּאָדָ֔םover <the> humankind
baadamH120 →551 times
צַדִּ֕יקrighteous
tzadikH6662 →
מוֹשֵׁ֖ל[one who] rules
moshelH4910 →
יִרְאַ֥ת[the] fear of
yiratH3374 →
אֱלֹהִֽים׃God
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 32:4He is the Rock, His work is perfect; all His ways are just. A God of faithfulness without injustice, righteous and upright is He.
it leads to
- Psalms 18:30–31
As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
- Psalms 92:15
to proclaim, “The LORD is upright; He is my Rock, and in Him there is no unrighteousness.”
- Isaiah 26:4
Trust in the LORD forever, because GOD the LORD is the Rock eternal.
- Daniel 4:37
Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all His works are true and all His ways are just. And He is able to humble those who walk in…
- 2 Samuel 22:31–32
As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
- Psalms 18:30–31
Through
Exodus 18:21Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
it leads to
- Acts 6:3
Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men confirmed to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will appoint this responsibility to them
- Deuteronomy 1:13–17
Choose for yourselves wise, understanding, and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will appoint them as your leaders.”
- 2 Chronicles 19:5–10
He appointed judges in the land, in each of the fortified cities of Judah.
- Acts 6:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Samuel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Books of Samuel and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.