A.(15) Now therefore that I am come to speak of this thing unto my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid: and thy handmaid said, I will now speak unto the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his handmaid. (16) For the king will hear, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.

B.(17) Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: therefore the LORD thy God will be with thee.

C.(18) Then the king answered and said unto the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak. (19) And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this?

D. And the woman answered and said, As thy soul liveth, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from ought that my lord the king hath spoken:

C’. for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid: (20) To fetch about this form of speech hath thy servant Joab done this thing:

B’. and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.

A’.(21) And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again. (22) And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himself, and thanked the king: and Joab said, To day thy servant knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king hath fulfilled the request of his servant.

A) Abishai, the brother of Joab (v18)

B) Was he not most honourable of three? therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three (v19)

C) And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada (v20)

D) He slew an Egyptian (v21)

E) And the Egyptian had a spear in his hand (v21)

F) But he went down to him with a staff (v21)

e) And plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand (v21)

d) And slew him with his own spear (v21)

c) These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada (v22)

b) He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three (v23)

a) Asahel the brother of Joab (v24)

A.(10) …  So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.

B. (11) And one of Joab’s men stood by him, and said, He that favoureth Joab, and he that is for David, let him go after (Achar) Joab.

C.(12) And Amasa wallowed in blood in the midst of the highway.

D. And when the man saw that all the people stood still,

E. he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast a cloth upon him,

D’. when he saw that every one that came by him stood still.

C’.(13) When he was removed out of the highway,

B’. all the people went on after (Achar) Joab,

A’. to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.

(ESV)

A  because you love

B  those who hate you

B’  and hate

A’  those who love you.

A) Now ABSALOM in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself

B) A PILLAR, which is in the king’s dale:

C) for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance:

B′) and he called THE PILLAR after his own name:

A′) and it is called unto this day, ABSALOM’S place.

A (2) And Saul’s son had two men that were captains of bands: the name of the one was BAANAH,

B (2) and the name of the other RECHAB,

C (2, 3) THE SONS OF RIMMON A BEEROTHITE, of the children of Benjamin: (for Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin: And THE BEEROTHITES fled to Gittaim, and were sojourners there until this day.)

D (4) And JONATHAN,

E (4) SAUL’S son,

F (4) had a son that was lame of his feet.

E′ (4) He was five years old when the tidings came of SAUL

D′ (4) and JONATHAN out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

C′ (5) And THE SONS OF RIMMON THE BEEROTHITE,

B′ (5) RECHAB

A′ (5) and BAANAH, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, who lay on a bed at noon.

(Note: This song is also found in the book of Psalms. Although having some minor verbal differences this 18th Psalm shares the same chiastic structure.

B and B’ illustrate a complete reversal of situation. In B David is praying to God for deliverance from the persecution and afflictions from his enemies, and God hears him. In B’ the tide has turned – it is now David’s enemies who must hear him and submit to him and they are now afraid.

C and C’ are connected through the language of war and destruction. In C we have a powerful description of God as an all-powerful warrior, angry and destructive. In C’ it is David, enabled by God, who destroys/consumes/beats his enemies.

D and D’ both use language that talks of the security God provides. David is removed from danger and placed into safety. As in D’, David is taken somewhere safe, where his feet will not slip and where the ground is stable and broad, so in D we find that it is God who is that support, who delivers David to an open space and hence the opposite of the enclosing ‘waves’ and ‘sorrows’ of B.

The central section uses a repeating phrase structure that succinctly summarises all the dealings of God with mankind that the song refers to – His mercy, His righteousness, His judgement, His salvation.)

2 Samuel 22

(1-2a)  And David spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul: And he said,

A  (2b-3)  The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.

B  (4-7)  I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid; The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me; In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.

C  (8-16)

(i)  (8)  Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth.

(ii)  (9)  There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.

(iii)  (10)  He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet.

(iv)  (11)  And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind.

(iii’)  (12)  And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies.

(ii’)  (13)  Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled.

(i’)  (14-16)  The LORD thundered from heaven, and the most High uttered his voice. And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them. And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

D  (17-20)  He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters; He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me. They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay. He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

E  (21-25)

(i)  (21a)  The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands

(ii)  (21b)  hath he recompensed me.

(iii)  (22)  For I have kept the ways of the LORD,
and have not wickedly departed from my God.

(iv)  (23)  For all his judgments were before me:
and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them.

(iii’)  (24)  I was also upright before him,
and have kept myself from mine iniquity.

(ii’)  (25a)  Therefore the LORD hath recompensed me

(i’)  (25b)  according to my righteousness;
according to my cleanness in his eye sight.

X  (26-28)

(26a)  With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful,

(26b)  and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright.

(27a)  With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure;

(27b)  and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury.

(28)  And the afflicted people thou wilt save:
but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down.

E’  (29-33)  For thou art my lamp, O LORD:
and the LORD will lighten my darkness.
For by thee I have run through a troop:
by my God have I leaped over a wall.
As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the LORD is tried:
he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.
For who is God, save the LORD?
and who is a rock, save our God?
God is my strength and power:
and he maketh my way perfect.

D’  (34-37)  He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet:
and setteth me upon my high places.
He teacheth my hands to war;
so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation:
and thy gentleness hath made me great.
Thou hast enlarged my steps under me;
so that my feet did not slip.

C’  (38-43)  I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them;
and turned not again until I had consumed them.
And I have consumed them, and wounded them,
that they could not arise:
yea, they are fallen under my feet.
For thou hast girded me with strength to battle:
them that rose up against me hast thou subdued under me.
Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies,
that I might destroy them that hate me.
They looked, but there was none to save;
even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.
Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth,
I did stamp them as the mire of the street,
and did spread them abroad.

B’  (44-46)  Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people,
thou hast kept me to be head of the heathen:
a people which I knew not shall serve me.
Strangers shall submit themselves unto me:
as soon as they hear (8085), they shall be obedient (8085) unto me. Strangers shall fade away, and they shall be afraid out of their close places.

A’  (47-51)  The LORD liveth;
and blessed be my rock;
and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.
It is God that avengeth me,
and that bringeth down the people under me,
And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies:
thou also hast lifted me up on high
above them that rose up against me:
thou hast delivered me from the violent man.
Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.
He is the tower of salvation for his king:
and sheweth mercy to his anointed,
unto David, and to his seed for evermore.

Not sure that this is right, but it’s a start. Comments would be appreciated.

A  (19)  The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!

B  (20)  Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.

C  (21-22a)  Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil. From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty,

D  (22b)  the bow of Jonathan turned not back,

D’  (22c)  and the sword of Saul returned not empty.

C’  (23)  Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.

B’  (24)  Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel.

A’  (25-27)  How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places. I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!

A. (11) Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house.

B.( 12) And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels,

C. and I will establish his kingdom.

D.(13) He shall build an house for my name,

C.’ and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

B’.(14a) I will be his father, and he shall be my son.  If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: (15). But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.

A’. (16)  And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.