We had an account of David's sons, 2 Sam. iii. 2, &c., and v. 14, &c.
1. He had many sons; and no doubt wrote as he thought, Ps. cxxvii. 5.
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of these arrows. 2. Some of
them were a grief to him, as Amnon, Absalom, and Adonijah; and we do
not read of any of them that imitated his piety or devotion except
Solomon, and he came far short of it. 3. One of them, which Bath-sheba
bore to him, he called Nathan, probably in honour of Nathan the
prophet, who reproved him for his sin in that matter and was
instrumental to bring him to repentance. It seems he loved him the
better for it as long as he lived. It is wisdom to esteem those our
best friends that deal faithfully with us. From this son of David our
Lord Jesus descended, as appears Luke iii. 31. 4. Here are two
Elishamas, and two Eliphelets, v. 6, 8. Probably the two former were
dead, and therefore David called two more by their names, which he
would not have done if there had been any ill omen in this practice as
some fancy. 5. David had many concubines; but their children are not
named, as not worthy of the honour (v. 9), the rather because the
concubines had dealt treacherously with David in the affair of Absalom.
6. Of all David's sons Solomon was chosen to succeed him, perhaps not
for any personal merits (his wisdom was God's gift), but so, Father,
because it seemed good unto thee.