2 Samuel! Trivia Quiz

Answer: The man said that he had killed Saul.

The reason that David had the messenger killed was because the man said, "So I stood beside him and killed him, because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive. And I took the crown that was on his head and the band on his arm and have brought them here to my lord." (2 Samuel: 1)

There are contradictions between the first and second books of Samuel, in the account of Saul's death. The first book, chapter 31 says that Saul had asked his armor-bearer to kill him, but the armor-bearer refused, so Saul fell upon his sword, committing suicide. The second book says that the messenger, an Amalekite, killed Saul at Saul's request, because Saul was dying but did not want to be taken prisoner by the approaching victorious army.

There are many possibilities, say commentators: that Saul did fall upon his sword, but did not die, and was close to death. Propped upon his spear (not his sword, because the sword was in his body), he saw the Amalekite and asked him to hasten the death. If this is the case, the Amalekite told the truth that he killed Saul. Another possibility was that Saul was indeed dead when the Amalekite came upon him, and the Amalekite lied. The Amalekite might have been looting the bodies and decided that David would reward him if he claimed to have killed what the man assumed was David's enemy. So he brought Saul's crown and armlet to David, expecting a reward. Another possibility is that the Amalekite was witness to the armor-bearer's refusal to kill Saul, Saul's suicide, and then the armor-bearer's suicide and made up the story which was similar to the truth, writing himself into the tale.

The "messenger lied" option sounds the most reasonable to me, since the armor-bearer would not have committed suicide if Saul was still alive and talking. The first book of Samuel says that after Saul killed himself, the armor-bearer took his own life. The armor-bearers were tasked to protect the king, and while the king was alive, they would keep to their task if they were good servants. By the accounting in 1 Samuel, this armor-bearer was a good servant.

Killing a king anointed by God was wrong in David's eyes; David had had opportunities to kill Saul and had not taken them. David had the Amalekite killed for saying he murdered the anointed of God. If he lied, then he died for the lie.

Question submitted by Allison03.

Answer: False

First, David was King over Judah for two years while Saul's son was alive. He was the rightful king of all of Israel but had not yet taken the throne over the entire country. Rightful means he was chosen by God to be king.

Question submitted by Ilona_Ritter.

Answer: Amnon

See 2 Samuel Chapter 13 for more details. Absalom was the full-brother of Tamar who murdered Amnon, their half-brother, for raping Tamar.

Solomon and Nathan aren't mentioned in that chapter, but they are some of David's other sons that the Bible discusses elsewhere.

King David had many wives. Ahinoam was Amnon's mother. Maacah (NOT to be confused with Michal, David's first wife who bore no children) was the mother of Absalom and Tamar. Bathsheba was the mother of Solomon and Nathan.

Question submitted by Ceduh.

Answer: Mephibosheth

Mephibosheth is first mentioned in 2 Samuel 4:5. It is told that he is lame because he fell when he was five and was fleeing from something with his nurse. Later on after Jonathan's death his son comes to King David afraid of being killed but David remembers his promise to Jonathan and invites Mephibosheth to live in the castle.

Question submitted by Ilona_Ritter.

Answer: Hanun

In 2 Samuel 10, David hears that Hanun had been named King of the Ammonites after the death of his father Nahash. He decided to show kindness to him and sent a group of men to offer a message of sympathy to the new king. However, the Ammonite commanders convinced King Hanun that they were spies sent by David to spy out the land. Hanun decided to make a public disgrace out of them and sent them back to David. The misunderstanding resulted in a battle that cost the Ammonites and their allies over 40,000 soldiers as they were defeated by the Israelites.

Question submitted by J-Zilch.

Answer: Danced

David danced for joy before The Lord. He was clad in a priestly ephod. It has been said that he was scantily clad, because of Michal's accusation of disrobing and acting in a shameful manner. Different translations use words like "half-naked" (NIV) but others say "exposing himself to the view of slave girls of his followers, as a commoner might expose himself!" (NABRE) The ephod was a priestly apron, and there is no cause to think that David would wear only the ephod, and in fact be naked under it. This is usually not the case. It has been suggested by commentators that Michal was complaining that David wore a LINEN ephod, not a more ornate garment, and was dressed humbly and not as befitting a king, and objected to his behavior while he dressed this way. David was dressed in a priestly way and in a humble way, at that. In fact, David was dancing with joy and Michal complained "How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today..." (NIV) or "How the king of Israel has honored himself today..." (NABRE) -- she disdained his unkingly behavior, exposing himself as a commoner would by dancing! The only one who said that David was "disrobed" (NIV) was Michal who despised him. Was he disrobed as in "nude" or disrobed as in "not in kingly robes"?

David's response? "...but I will demean myself even more" (NABRE)... "And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight" (KJV) ... "I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor." (NIV) Held in honor? Undignified? These words sound like David was humble in dress, but would be respected still. I say David danced with abandon, but did not abandon his clothes.

Question submitted by Allison03.

Answer: Absalom

The correct answer is Absalom, one of David's sons who actually conspired to murder his father to become the king.

Despite his flaws, Absalom seemed to greatly love and respect his sister, Tamar. According to verse 27 of 2 Samuel 14, Absalom named his own daughter Tamar, evidently as a tribute to his sister. The Scriptures do NOT mention the name of the mother of Absalom's little girl that he named Tamar.

Question submitted by Ceduh.

Answer: False

No, 1 Kings discusses Abishag. It states in the New American Standard Bible: "Now King David was old, advanced in age; and they covered him with clothes, but he could not keep warm. So his servants said to him, 'Let them seek a young virgin for my lord the king, and let her attend the king and become his nurse; and let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may keep warm.' So they searched for a beautiful girl throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king. The girl was very beautiful; and she became the king's nurse and served him, but the king did not cohabit with her" (1 Kings 1: 1-4).

However, don't feel too bad if you got the answer wrong. It can be difficult to memorize what part of the Bible says what sometimes, especially in the Old Testament! 2 Samuel actually does mention Abigail, one of David's wives.

Question submitted by Ceduh.

Answer: No, I insist on paying you for it.

See 2 Samuel 24:18-25. In verse 24, David explains why: 'I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing'.

Question submitted by cal562301.

Answer: Shepherd

See v2. Here David uses many of the same descriptions of God as he uses in the Psalms he wrote: Rock (Psalm 71:3),Fortress (Psalm 31:3), Deliverer (Psalm 144:2). However, he does not use perhaps his most famous description of God - Shepherd (Psalm 23:1).

Question submitted by cal562301.