7. Absalom and his forces pursue David and are defeated; contrary to David’s command, Joab kills Absalom (17:24–18:33)

8. David mourns Absalom’s death but is reproved by Joab (19:1-8)

I. David restored as king in Jerusalem (19:9-43)

J. Rebellion of Benjamite Sheba put down and Joab kills Amasa (20:1-26)

K. Bloodguilt of Saul’s house toward Gibeonites avenged (21:1-14)

L. Various battles with Philistines (21:15-22)

M. Poetic writings of David (22:1–23:7)

N. List of David’s mighty men and some of their exploits (23:8-39)

O. David’s census sin, its consequences and the purchase of a new altar site (24:1-25)

See the book “All Scripture Is Inspired of God and Beneficial,” pp. 53-64.

SECTIONS MISSING IN THE SEPTUAGINT VERSION

First Samuel 17:12-31, 55—1Sa 18:6a does not appear in the Septuagint Version as contained in Vatican Manuscript No. 1209. Numerous scholars have, therefore, concluded that the omissions are later additions to the Hebrew text. Arguing against this view, a commentary by C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch notes: “The notion, that the sections in question are interpolations that have crept into the text, cannot be sustained on the mere authority of the Septuagint version; since the arbitrary manner in which the translators of this version made omissions or additions at pleasure is obvious to any one.”—Biblical Commentary on the Books of Samuel, p. 177, ftn.

If it could be definitely established that actual discrepancies exist between the omitted sections and the rest of the book, the authenticity of 1 Samuel 17:12-31, 55—1Sa 18:6a would reasonably be in question. A comparison of 1 Samuel 16:18-23 and 1 Samuel 17:55-58 reveals what appears to be a contradiction, for in the latter passage Saul is depicted as asking about the identity of his own court musician and armor-bearer, David. However, it should be noted that David’s earlier being described as a “valiant, mighty man and a man of war” could have been based on his courageous acts in single-handedly killing a lion and a bear to rescue his father’s sheep. (1 Sam. 16:18; 17:34-36) Also, the Scriptures do not state that David actually served in battle as Saul’s armor-bearer before he killed Goliath. Saul’s request to Jesse was: “Let David, please, keep attending upon me, for he has found favor in my eyes.” (1 Sam. 16:22) This request does not preclude the possibility that Saul later permitted David to return to Bethlehem so that, when war broke out with the Philistines, David was then shepherding his father’s flock.

Regarding Saul’s question, “Whose son is the boy, Abner?” the aforementioned commentary observes (p. 178 ftn.): “Even if Abner had not troubled himself about the lineage of Saul’s harpist, Saul himself could not well have forgotten that David was a son of the Bethlehemite Jesse. But there was much more implied in Saul’s question. It was not the name of David’s father alone that he wanted to discover, but what kind of man the father of a youth who possessed the courage to accomplish so marvellous a heroic deed really was; and the question was put not merely in order that he might grant him an exemption of his house from taxes as the reward promised for the conquest of Goliath (ver. 25), but also in all probability that he might attach such a man to his court, since he inferred from the courage and bravery of the son the existence of similar qualities in the father. It is true that David merely replied, ‘The son of thy servant Jesse of Bethlehem;’ but it is very evident from the expression in ch. xviii. 1, ‘when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul,’ that Saul conversed with him still further about his family affairs, since the very words imply a lengthened conversation.” (For other instances where “who” involves more than mere knowledge of a person’s name, see Exodus 5:2; 1 Samuel 25:10.)

So the indications are that there is no sound reason for rejecting 1 Samuel 17:12-31, 55–1Sa 18:6a as being no part of the original text.

SANBALLAT

(San·balʹlat) [possibly, overseer of the army].

A Horonite (probably meaning a resident of Upper or Lower Beth-horon) who opposed Nehemiah’s efforts to repair the wall of Jerusalem. (Neh. 2:10) He is thought to be the Sanballat mentioned in a papyrus found at Elephantine, Egypt, which identifies him as the governor of Samaria and the father of Delaiah and Shelemiah.

Sanballat, along with Tobiah and Geshem, derided the Jews and accused them of rebelling against the king of Persia. (Neh. 2:19; 4:1) As the repair work progressed, he and other opposers conspired to fight against Jerusalem. But whatever efforts they made in this regard were ineffective, for the Jews relied on Jehovah and kept a guard posted. (Neh. 4:7-9) After the gaps in the wall of Jerusalem were filled, Sanballat and others repeatedly tried to lure Nehemiah away from the city. When this failed, he and Tobiah hired a Jew to frighten Nehemiah into wrongfully hiding in the temple. But they did not succeed.—Neh. 6:1-14.

Later, after an absence from Jerusalem, Nehemiah, upon his return, found that a grandson of High Priest Eliashib had become a son-in-law of Sanballat. Nehemiah therefore chased this grandson away.—Neh. 13:6, 7, 28.

SANCTIFICATION

The act or process of making holy or of separating or setting apart for the service or use of Jehovah God; the state of being holy, sanctified or purified. The ideas expressed by the English terms “sanctification” and “holiness” proceed from a common source in the original languages. “Sanctification,” then, draws attention to the action whereby holiness is produced, made manifest or maintained. (See HOLINESS.) Words drawn from the Hebrew verb qa·dhashʹ (having the root meaning “to be bright, new, clean”) and words related to the Greek adjective haʹgi·os are rendered “holy,” “sanctified,” “made sacred,” and “set apart.” They are applied in the Scriptures to (1) Jehovah God, (2) Jesus Christ, (3) angels, (4) men and animals, (5) things, (6) periods of time or occasions and (7) land possessions.

A better understanding of the subject can be gained by a consideration of the usage of the words in the original languages. Sometimes the Hebrew word for “sanctify” was used in the sense of preparing or making oneself ready or in fit condition. Jehovah commanded Moses to say to the complaining Israelites: “Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, as you will certainly eat meat.” (Num. 11:18) Before Israel crossed the Jordan River, Joshua ordered: “Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow Jehovah will do wonderful things in your midst.” (Josh. 3:5) In all cases the term has a religious, spiritual and moral sense. It can denote the getting away from anything that displeases Jehovah or appears bad in his eyes, including physical uncleanness. God said to Moses: “Go to the people, and you must sanctify them today and tomorrow, and they must wash their mantles. . . . because on the third day Jehovah will come down before the eyes of all the people upon Mount Sinai.” (Ex. 19:10, 11) The word is used to mean purifying or cleansing, as at 2 Samuel 11:4, which reads: “She was sanctifying herself from her uncleanness.”

Jehovah told Israel that they should be separate from the nations of the world and clean from their practices, giving Israel laws to keep them set apart, including the laws defining what was clean and what was unclean for eating. Then he gave them the reason: “For I am Jehovah your God; and you must sanctify yourselves and you must prove yourselves holy, because I am holy.”—Lev. 11:44.

JEHOVAH GOD

Jehovah God is holy and absolutely clean. As the Creator and Universal Sovereign, he has the right to the exclusive worship of all his creatures. Therefore he says that he will demonstrate his holiness, acting to sanctify himself and his name before the eyes of all creation: “I shall certainly magnify myself and sanctify myself and make myself known before the eyes of many nations; and they will have to know that I am Jehovah.” (Ezek. 38:23) Those who desire his favor, and life, must “sanctify” him and his name, that is, they must hold that name in its proper place as separate from and higher than all others. (Lev. 22:32; Isa. 8:13; 29:23) Jesus taught his followers to pray as the foremost thing: “Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified.”—Matt. 6:9.

JESUS CHRIST

Jehovah God selected his only-begotten Son and sent him to earth to do a special work in behalf of God’s name and to give his life as a ransom for humankind. But he was not received and respected by the Jewish nation as that ‘sent one’; rather, they denied his sonship and his position with his Father. He replied to them: “Do you say to me whom the Father sanctified and dispatched into the world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, I am God’s Son?”—John 10:36.

The apostle Peter writes to Christians, telling them to “sanctify the Christ as Lord in your hearts.” He shows that one who does this will stay away from what is bad and will do good. The people of the nations hold in their hearts an awe and a fear of men and of other things. But the Christian should set Christ in the right place in his affections and motivations. This would mean the recognition of his position as God’s Chief Agent of life, the Messianic king, God’s High Priest and the one who gave his life as a ransom. He should also keep Christ’s example of good conduct before him, and hold a good conscience in connection with his own conduct as a Christian. If a person, even a ruler, should harshly demand a reason for his hope, the Christian who thus sanctifies Christ in his heart will make a good defense, yet with a mild temper and deep respect.—1 Pet. 3:10-16.

ANGELS

The angels of God are called by Jesus “holy” angels, sanctified, set apart for Jehovah’s holy use. (Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26; compare Psalm 103:20.) They appear in the sacred presence of Jehovah, beholding his face.—Matt. 18:10; Luke 1:19.

MEN AND ANIMALS

In times past God has chosen certain persons whom he desired to use for his exclusive service, and sanctified them. When he determined to use the males of the tribe of Levi to take care of the sacred tabernacle and its services, he said to Moses: “As for me, look! I do take the Levites from among the sons of Israel in place of all the first-born opening the womb of the sons of Israel: and the Levites must become mine. For every first-born is mine. In the day that I struck every first-born in the land of Egypt I sanctified to myself every first-born in Israel from man to beast. They should become mine. I am Jehovah.” In order to release the firstborn of the other eleven tribes, the Israelites were required to give in exchange all the males of the tribe of Levi. Then they had to give five shekels to the sanctuary for every male firstborn above the total number of male Levites. This released the firstborn ones from being set apart for Jehovah’s exclusive service.—Num. 3:12, 13, 46-48.

After this, all male firstborn ones opening the womb were considered as sanctified but were presented at the temple and redeemed by a payment of five shekels. (Ex. 13:2; Lev. 12:1-4; Num. 18:15, 16) Those under Nazirite vows were sanctified for the period of their vow. (Num. 6:1-8) The firstborn of domestic animals were also sanctified.—Deut. 15:19; see FIRSTBORN, FIRSTLING.

The priesthood

Jehovah also purposed to set aside an exclusive family within the tribe of Levi to serve as his priests of sacrifice, namely, Aaron and his sons and their male descendants. (Ex. 28:1-3, 41) They were then hallowed or sanctified with fitting sacrifices in a symbolic series of acts described in Exodus chapter 29. Jehovah’s everlasting High Priest, Jesus Christ, and his fellow priests or underpriests, namely, those who follow Christ’s footsteps and whom God anoints to be members of Christ’s body, are also sanctified.—2 Thess. 2:13; Rev. 1:6; 5:10.

THE PROCESS OF SANCTIFICATION

There is a certain process or procedure that the one to be sanctified as a footstep follower of Christ must undergo. Using the word sanctify in the sense of purify or cleanse from sin in God’s sight, the apostle Paul wrote: “For if the blood of goats and of bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who have been defiled sanctifies to the extent of cleanness of the flesh, how much more will the blood of the Christ, who through an everlasting spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works that we may render sacred service to the living God?”—Heb. 9:13, 14.

The “blood of the Christ” signifies the value of his perfect human life; and it is this that washes away the guilt of sin of the person believing in him. Hence it really (not just typically [compare Hebrews 10:1-4]) sanctifies to the purifying of the believer’s flesh, from God’s standpoint, so that the believer has a clean conscience. Also, God declares such believer righteous and makes him suitable to be one of the underpriests of Jesus Christ. (Rom. 8:1, 30) Such ones are called haʹgi·oi, “holy ones,” “saints” (AV) or persons sanctified to God.—Eph. 2:19; Col. 1:12; compare Acts 20:32, which refers to “sanctified ones [tois he·gi·a·smeʹnois].”

So the procedure for those who are to become joint heirs with Christ is, first, that they are drawn by Jehovah God to Jesus Christ by faith in the truth of God’s Word. (John 6:44; 17:17; 2 Thess. 2:13) Accepted by Jehovah, they are “washed clean, . . . sanctified, . . . declared righteous in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the spirit of our God.” (1 Cor. 6:11) Christ thus becomes to them ‘wisdom, righteousness and sanctification and release by ransom.’ (1 Cor. 1:30) Of these, the writer of the book of Hebrews said: “For both he [Christ] who is sanctifying and those who are being sanctified all stem from one, and for this cause he is not ashamed to call them ‘brothers.”’ (Heb. 2:11) They become ‘sons of God’ and “brothers” of God’s Chief Son by spirit begetting.—Rom. 8:14-17; John 3:5, 8.

Must be maintained

The process of sanctification is not all on one side. Sanctification must be maintained, and in this the believer has a part. He can lose his sanctification or hold on to it.

Christ Jesus has set the pattern for those who are sanctified. (John 13:15) He said in prayer to God: “I am sanctifying myself in their behalf, that they also may be sanctified by means of truth.” (John 17:19) Jesus kept himself blameless and maintained his status of being set apart for the purpose of sanctifying his followers. They must maintain their sanctification down to the end of their earthly course. To do this, they must keep clear of dishonorable things and persons who practice dishonorable things, so as to be “a vessel for an honorable purpose, sanctified, useful to his owner, prepared for every good work.” (2 Tim. 2:20, 21) They must realize that it is with Christ’s own blood that they are bought, and that it is by God’s will that they “have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time.” (Heb. 10:10) They are counseled to