\\INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL\\

This book, in many copies of the Hebrew Bible, is carried on without
any new title put unto it; the reason of it is, because, by some, this,
with the preceding, has been reckoned but one book: hence the Jews say
{a}, Samuel wrote his book, not his books; in others it is called
Samuel Second; and by the Vulgate Latin the Second Book of Samuel,
which we call the Second of Kings; though why his name should be put to
it at all I see not, since it neither concerns him, nor could it be
written by him, being an history of events after his death. The Greek
version calls it the Second of Kings; and the Syriac version, the
Second Book of the Kings of Israel; whereas there is but one king of
Israel it makes mention of, and of whose actions only it is an history;
and therefore with greater propriety it is called, as the Arabic
version, the Book of David the Prophet, of whose reign, from the
beginning to the end of it, it gives an account: wherefore Isidore {b}
thinks it was written by David; and if so, it has this mark of
simplicity and integrity, that the writer does not spare himself, nor
conceal his own faults, and particularly that very capital one, the
affair of Bathsheba, and also his numbering of the people; but it is
most probable that it was written by Nathan and Gad {c}, see
\\#1Ch 29:29\\; but whoever was the penman of it, there is no doubt to
be made of its being written by inspiration, or that it is canonical;
which has never been questioned, since there stands in it a famous
prophecy concerning the building of the temple by a son of David, which
had an exact accomplishment, \\#2Sa 7:12,13\\; as well as of the family
of David, for a great while to come, which also was fulfilled,
\\#2Sa 7:19\\; and an eminent passage concerning the Messiah, the son of
David, and of his divine sonship, \\#2Sa 7:14\\; quoted by the Apostle
Paul in proof of it, \\#Heb 1:5\\. It contains an history of about
forty years, for so long David reigned, seven years and six months in
Hebron, over Judah, and thirty three years in Jerusalem, over all
Israel and Judah; and this book relates his last words.

{a} T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 14. 2.
{b} Origin. l. 6. c. 2.
{c} Alting. Theolog. Hist. loc. 2. p. 86.


\\INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 1\\

This chapter contains an account of the death of Saul and Jonathan, as
related to David by an Amalekite, \\#2Sa 1:1-10\\; of the sorrow he and his
men were filled with at the news of it, \\#2Sa 1:11,12\\; of his order to
put to death the messenger that brought the tidings, for his concern in
the death of Saul, according to his own testimony, \\#2Sa 1:13-16\\; and of
a lamentation composed by David on this occasion, \\#2Sa 1:17-27\\.