Commentary - 2 Samuel 17:27-29

Bird's-eye view

In these closing verses of 2 Samuel 17, the scene shifts dramatically from the high-stakes political maneuvering in Absalom's court to the dusty wilderness where David and his followers have fled. The tension of Hushai's successful counter-espionage and Ahithophel's tragic end gives way to a moment of profound, earthy grace. David, the anointed king, is a fugitive. He and his people are exhausted, hungry, and thirsty. At this point of extreme vulnerability, God's unseen hand of providence becomes visible through the actions of three unlikely benefactors: an Ammonite, a man from a place of obscurity, and a wealthy Gileadite. They do not bring armies or weapons, but beds, food, and pottery. This passage is a potent illustration of God's tender care for His people, demonstrating that His deliverance often arrives in the form of ordinary kindness and tangible provision, meeting the most basic human needs as a sign of His covenant faithfulness.

This is not just a logistical footnote in the narrative of a civil war. It is a theological statement. While Absalom gathers all Israel "like the sand that is by the sea for multitude" (2 Sam. 17:11), God is arranging for a few faithful men to bring cheese and lentils. The contrast is stark. Man's strategy is overwhelming force; God's strategy is timely grace. This moment serves to strengthen David and his men for the coming battle, but more importantly, it serves to remind the reader that the kingdom of God is sustained not by human might, but by the quiet, steady stream of God's providential care, often mediated through the hands of unexpected people in unexpected places.

Outline

God's Unseen Hand in Common Grace

This passage is a masterclass in divine providence. God had just worked through the high-level counsel of Hushai to defeat the shrewd advice of Ahithophel, a strategic move that saved David from immediate destruction. But God's sovereignty is not limited to the courts of kings and the schemes of counselors. It extends to the pantry and the sheepfold. The text makes it clear that God's deliverance of David was a two-pronged effort. He confounded the enemy's wisdom (v. 14) and He supplied His servant's need (v. 29). We must learn to see God's hand in both. We pray for God to thwart the plans of the wicked, and we should also pray for our daily bread, recognizing both as acts of His sovereign goodness. The arrival of this caravan of supplies was as much a part of God's plan to save David as was Hushai's risky deception. God is God of the grand strategy and the roasted grain.

Verse by Verse Commentary

v. 27 Now it happened that when David had come to Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim,

The verse begins by setting the scene: David has reached Mahanaim. The name means "two camps" or "two hosts," a place where Jacob once met the angels of God (Gen. 32:2). It is a place of divine encounter, and here David, in his distress, is about to be met by a host of earthly provision, which is its own kind of angelic visitation. The narrative then immediately introduces our three benefactors. The list is significant. First, we have Shobi, the son of Nahash, from the capital of the Ammonites. This is startling. The Ammonites were traditional enemies of Israel. David had fought a brutal war against them (2 Sam. 10-12). It's possible Shobi was a brother of Hanun, whom David had defeated, and that David had installed Shobi as a vassal king. Regardless, an Ammonite is bringing aid to Israel's fugitive king. This is grace from an unexpected quarter, a picture of the gospel's power to break down walls of hostility. God can raise up supporters from among our enemies.

Next is Machir, son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar. We've met Machir before. He was the man who had cared for Mephibosheth, Jonathan's crippled son, before David brought him to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 9:4-5). Lo-debar means "no pasture" or "place of no word." It's a place of barrenness and obscurity. Yet from this place of nothingness comes a man of great loyalty and substance. He was faithful to Saul's house, and now he is faithful to David's. His loyalty is not to a political party, but to the Lord's anointed. He is a picture of steadfast faithfulness in a time of national chaos.

Finally, there is Barzillai the Gileadite, a man of great wealth and standing from the region east of the Jordan. He represents the established, loyal Israelite who recognizes his true king even when that king is on the run. These three men form a wonderful trinity of grace: a former enemy, a humble servant from an obscure place, and a wealthy nobleman. God's provision for His people comes from all sorts of places and through all sorts of people. He is not limited by our expectations.

v. 28 brought beds, basins, pottery, wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, roasted seeds,

The list of provisions is wonderfully mundane and profoundly gracious. It is not a list of military supplies, but of domestic comforts. They brought beds. David and his men were not just soldiers; they were weary refugees. They needed a place to lie down. This is an act of tender mercy. God cares about His people's rest. They brought basins and pottery, the basic implements for eating and washing. This is about restoring dignity and order to a chaotic situation. And then comes the food. It is not just survival rations, but a variety of staples. Wheat and barley for bread, flour for baking, roasted grain and seeds for a quick and nourishing meal, and beans and lentils for hearty stews. This is not just sustenance; it is a feast. It is an expression of abundance in the middle of the wilderness. This is how our God provides. He does not just give us what we need to scrape by; His grace is lavish and overflowing. He prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies (Ps. 23:5).

v. 29 honey, curds, sheep, and cheese of the herd, for David and for the people who were with him, to eat; for they said, “The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.”

The list continues with delicacies. Honey and curds, sheep for fresh meat, and cheese. This goes far beyond mere necessity. This is a gift of love. This provision is a tangible sign that though David has been rejected by his son and a portion of his kingdom, he has not been abandoned by his God. The provision is explicitly "for David and for the people who were with him." True loyalty to the king means caring for the king's people. You cannot claim to love David while letting his followers starve.

The verse concludes with the simple, compassionate reasoning of these men: "for they said, 'The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.'" There is no complex political calculation here. There is no demand for future favor. There is simply a clear-eyed assessment of human need and a compassionate response. This is practical godliness. They saw a problem and they met the need. This is what love does. It sees hunger and provides food. It sees weariness and provides rest. It sees thirst and provides drink. In this, these men are a type of Christ, who saw our desperate state in the wilderness of sin and brought the lavish provision of His own life to meet our need. Their simple statement is a rebuke to all who would spiritualize the faith into something disconnected from the real, physical needs of others. The people were hungry, and so they were fed. It is as simple and as profound as that.

Application

This passage is a profound encouragement to all believers who find themselves in a wilderness season. When you are fleeing, when you are exhausted, when your resources are gone, look for God's provision. It will often come from unexpected places and in very practical ways. God's answer to your desperation may not be a thunderclap from heaven, but a neighbor with a casserole, a friend with a bed for the night, or an old acquaintance with a timely word of encouragement. We must have eyes to see the Shobis, Machirs, and Barzillais that God sends into our lives. Their kindness is God's kindness.

Furthermore, we are called to be these kinds of people. The world is a wilderness, and it is full of people who are hungry, weary, and thirsty. Our calling as Christians is to see that need and meet it with the resources God has given us. We are to be agents of God's common grace. We are to bring beds to the weary, food to the hungry, and drink to the thirsty. This is not the whole of the gospel, but it is an essential outworking of it. When we meet the tangible needs of others in the name of Christ, we are demonstrating the character of our providing God and adorning the doctrine we profess. We are showing the world that our King is not a distant tyrant, but a loving Father who knows what His children need and provides for them with lavish generosity.