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   2 Samuel 23 Concordance   
      
   Son(s) (17x)   
      
   The term “son” dominates the chapter because the passage frames   
   leadership, covenant, and legacy in relational terms rather than   
   abstract authority.   
      
   Usage categories   
      
       • David identified as a son: “the son of Jesse” grounds his kingship   
         in God’s choice, not dynastic power (23:1).   
      
       • Mighty men identified as sons of fathers: each warrior stands   
         within a lineage, not as a nameless hero (23:8–39).   
      
       • Covenant language assumes sonship: God deals with David as a chosen   
         heir, not merely as a ruler (23:5).   
      
   Theological emphasis   
      
   Sonship anchors God’s work in covenant relationship. God advances His   
   kingdom through chosen sons, not self-made men. David’s hope rests not   
   in military success but in God’s promise to establish his house. This   
   prepares the reader for the ultimate Son through whom the everlasting   
   covenant stands secure (2 Samuel 7; Luke 1:32–33).   
      
   Men (13x)   
      
   The repeated use of “men” highlights responsibility, loyalty, and   
   accountability under God’s rule.   
      
   Usage categories   
      
       • Men as covenant servants: David’s mighty men serve the Lord’s   
         anointed king (23:8–39).   
      
       • Men as instruments of God’s victory: the Lord works through   
         faithful men, not apart from them (23:10, 12).   
      
       • Men contrasted with worthless men: righteous service stands   
         opposite rebellion and lawlessness (23:6–7).   
      
   Theological emphasis   
      
   God accomplishes His purposes through obedient men who submit to His   
   authority. Strength matters, but faithfulness matters more. The passage   
   rejects both passivity and lawlessness, showing that God honors men who   
   act in obedience under His word.   
      
   Three (10x)   
      
   The repeated reference to “three” highlights select faithfulness rather   
   than numerical strength.   
      
   Usage categories   
      
       • The three chief warriors: distinguished by devotion and courage   
         (23:8–12).   
      
       • The three who retrieved water: loyalty expressed without command   
         (23:13–17).   
      
       • The three contrasted with the thirty: intimacy and faithfulness   
         outweigh rank.   
      
   Theological emphasis   
      
   God values quality of faith over quantity of force. The “three” model   
   wholehearted devotion that acts from love, not obligation. Their   
   sacrifice reveals that true loyalty flows from reverence for God’s   
   anointed king, not from pursuit of recognition.   
      
   David (9x)   
      
   David appears not primarily as a warrior, but as a prophetic king and   
   covenant recipient.   
      
   Usage categories   
      
       • David as speaker of God’s word: his last words carry divine   
         authority (23:1–2).   
      
       • David as covenant heir: his hope rests in God’s promise, not   
         personal merit (23:5).   
      
       • David as honored king: men risk their lives out of devotion to him   
         (23:15–17).   
      
   Theological emphasis   
      
   David points beyond himself. He rules under God, speaks by God’s Spirit,   
   and rests in God’s covenant. His role anticipates the greater King whose   
   reign fulfills righteousness and justice fully. The chapter presents   
   David as a type of the Messiah who rules in the fear of the Lord.   
      
   Philistines (8x)   
      
   The Philistines function as the persistent enemy opposing God’s purposes.   
      
   Usage categories   
      
       • Repeated adversaries: they continually threaten Israel (23:9–12).   
      
       • Defeated enemies: the Lord repeatedly grants victory over them   
         (23:10, 12).   
      
       • Context for faithfulness: opposition reveals who stands firm when   
         others flee.   
      
   Theological emphasis   
      
   The Philistines represent resistance to God’s rule. Victory over them   
   does not arise from superior tactics but from God’s intervention through   
   faithful obedience. Their repeated defeat underscores that God remains   
   faithful to protect His covenant people and uphold His anointed king.   
      
   Summary theological thrust   
      
   The repeated words reveal a passage centered on covenant sonship,   
   faithful service, devoted loyalty, righteous kingship, and God-given   
   victory. 2 Samuel 23 does not glorify human strength in isolation. It   
   magnifies God’s faithfulness to His covenant, His use of obedient men,   
   and His purpose to establish righteous rule through the line of David,   
   ultimately fulfilled in Christ.   
      
   Given Hebrews 11 and the "hall of faith", what conclusions should we   
   derive about God's purposes in recognizing men of faith? What   
   application does Hebrews 11 make of such examples?   
      
   God’s purposes in recognizing men of faith (Hebrews 11)   
      
   God records men of faith to testify to what pleases Him. “Without faith   
   it is impossible to please him” (11:6, ESV). The chapter does not   
   celebrate natural ability, moral perfection, or visible success. It   
   highlights trust in God’s word when fulfillment remained unseen.   
      
   God shows that faith responds to revelation, not results. Each example   
   acts because God spoke. Abel offered. Noah built. Abraham went. Moses   
   refused. Faith obeys before outcomes appear (11:7–8, ESV).   
      
   God demonstrates continuity of His redemptive plan. These men did not   
   receive what was promised in their lifetime, yet God counted their faith   
   as participation in a larger work (11:13, 39–40, ESV). Their lives point   
   forward, not inward.   
      
   God magnifies His grace, not human worthiness. The list includes flawed   
   men. Scripture remembers their faith, not their sins. God honors   
   dependence, not self-sufficiency.   
      
   God directs attention to Christ, not to the men themselves. The chapter   
   culminates by preparing the reader to look “to Jesus, the founder and   
   perfecter of our faith” (12:2, ESV). The witnesses testify. Christ fulfills.   
      
   The application Hebrews 11 makes of these examples   
      
   Imitate their faith, not merely admire their stories. “By faith”   
   functions as a repeated call to action. Faith expresses itself through   
   obedience under pressure, delay, and suffering.   
      
   Persevere when obedience costs something. Many endured loss,   
   mistreatment, and death. Scripture applies their example to believers   
   tempted to shrink back (10:38–39; 11:35–38, ESV).   
      
   Live for what God promised, not what the world offers. These men sought   
   “a better country, that is, a heavenly one” (11:16, ESV). Faith reorders   
   values and redirects hope.   
      
   Endure as part of a larger testimony. Believers now run their race   
   “surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” (12:1, ESV). Their lives   
   encourage steadfast obedience in the present.   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)