[Our focus will be on two major areas:] “Chapters 1-5, David’s rise to kingship over Judah and Israel, and Chapters 6-12, the consolidation of the empire.” (“An Introduction To 1 and 2 Samuel,” in Studies in Scripture, Vol. 3. Edited by Kent P. Jackson and Robert L. Millet. Salt Lake City: Randall Book Co., 1985, 262).

“David wisely chose this city as his capital, for Jerusalem was a city between the northern and southern tribes of Israel but it belonged to neither of them because it was still held by the Canaanite Jebusites.” (Old Testament Institute Student Manual:Genesis-2 Samuel. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1980. [Second Edition, Revised, 1981], 289).

“The manner of conquering the city has been much discussed because of the problematical word rendered ‘gutter’ (2 Samuel 5:8). The word most likely designates a channel or a shaft, as it is similarly used in Mishnaic Hebrew. The shaft running up perpendicularly from a water conduit cut into the rock fifty feet west from Gihon, discovered by Sis C. Warren in 1867, would have given people inside the city walls access to water in time of siege and would have made a possible avenue for invaders to enter and open the gates of the city from within. Joab is said to have accomplished that initial entry (see 1 Chronicles 11:6).” (Old Testament Institute Student Manual: Genesis-2 Samuel. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1980. [Second Edition. Revised. 1981], 289).

“Here we find the first mention in the Bible of the word Zion. It is equated directly with the city of David, which was an eleven-acre finger-shaped hilltop south and east of the present city of Jerusalem.” (“David, The King of Israel (2 Samuel) in Studies in Scriptures, Vol. 3. Edited by Kent P. Jackson and Robert L. Millet. Salt Lake City: Randall Book Co., 1985, 300-301).

“The ark was the tangible object that symbolized the presence of God, his throne, his glory, his divine majesty. Man was to approach the ark only upon strict compliance to rituals of personal cleansing and propitiation for his sins. However well-meaning his intentions, Uzzah approached casually what could only be approached under the strictest conditions. Touching the ark, the throne of the divine glory and visible pledge of the invisible presence of the Lord, was a violation of the majesty of the holy God. Uzzah was, therefore, a type of all who with good intentions, humanly speaking, yet with unsanctified minds, interfere in the affairs of the kingdom of God,… ” (Old Testament Institute Student Manual: Genesis-2 Samuel. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1980, [Second Edition, Revised, 1981], 292).

“It promised that David’s lineage would continue on the throne, and unlike Saul’s lineage, would not be overthrown after his death. But it is clearly a Messianic prophecy as well. Jesus, the Messiah, was called David, he would receive the throne of David, he would hold the key of David and he would sit upon the throne of David… .Clearly, only one person can sit upon the throne of David (that is, rule over the house of Israel) forever and ever, and that one is Christ. He came into mortality as a descendant of David and as an heir to his throne both physically and spiritually.” (Old Testament Institute Student Manual: Genesis-2 Samuel. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1980, [Second Edition. Revised, 1981], 290)

“Had Judah been a free and independent nation, ruled by the rightful sovereign, Joseph the carpenter would have been her crowned king; and his lawful successor to the throne would have been Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” (Jesus The Christ. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co. , 1915, [Thirty-fifth Edition, 1963], 87).

“This is the parable: Two men lived in the same city–one was poor and the other was rich. The rich man had a great many flocks and herds, but the poor man only had one little ewe lamb. The poor man’s family had nourished this lamb from its birth, and it had grown up with the family until it was considered one of their children. The lamb ate from the poor man’s plate, drank from his cup, and slept in his bosom at night.

“One day the rich man had a visitor. He didn’t want to feed the visitor from his own flock, so he took the poor man’s lamb and killed and dressed it instead.” (New Insights into the Old Testament. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1993, 161-162).

“[While] the child born of their illicit union did not live,… there is no reason to look upon this as ‘punishment’ for the child for the sins of the parents.” (Introduction to the Old Testament, Part I. Provo: Brigham Young University Press, 1972, [Second Edition], 185).

“In…[this] psalm to the Lord, David expresses a desire to help others repent, saying, ‘I will teach transgressors thy ways and sinners shall be converted unto thee” (Psalm 51:13). Even though David forfeited his exaltation because he arranged the death of Uriah, [D&C 132:39], we can learn from his repentant attitude as he sought forgiveness for the sin of adultery. His words in Psalms 51 teach many aspects of true repentance.” (Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1996, [2001], 114).

(1) Recognition; (2) Remorse; (3) Renounce and confess; (4) Resolution –forsake weakness and live righteously; (5) Restitution; and, (6) Remission of sins by the Lord.” (Principles and Practices of the Restored Gospel. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1992, 269-278).

“Although David was brave and had great intellect, administrative ability, and faithfulness early in life, he failed in one important thing-to endure to the end. David was a great example in his fulfillment of his calling as king, and a tragic example in his falling from glory. We can learn from both aspects of his life.” (Old Testament Institute Student Manual: Genesis-2 Samuel. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1980, [Second Edition, Revised, 1981], 292).

“It appears that David promised Bathsheba that her next son would be his royal heir, for actions later were taken upon such an assumption. (See 2 Samuel 12:24 and 1 Kings 1:17, also, 1 Chronicles 22:9).” (Introduction to the Old Testament, Part I. Provo: Brigham Young Press, 1972, [Second Edition], 186).

“The books of 1-2 Chronicles were written sometime after the return of the Jews from exile… [while] some of Chronicles seems to simply quote [from Samuel and Kings]… Chronicles emphasizes different points. For example, Chronicles includes much more detail about temple articles and temple events since at the time Chronicles was written the Jews had a temple but no kings” (Old Testament Seminary Student Study Guide. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2002, 118).

“The purpose of Chronicles was to help the returning exiles remember their relationship with the Lord and with the former united nation of Israel. The genealogies in 1 Chronicles 1-9 and the account of the success of the Davidic kingdom in 1 Chronicles 10-29 reminded Israel of the Lord’s hand in choosing and guiding his people. Nearly half of the material in Chronicles was taken from the books of Samuel and Kings, but the author included only material he felt helped the people see themselves as God’s chosen people. Almost everything that would detract from that image, such as David’s sin against Uriah and the rebellion of Absalom, was left out. In 2 Chronicles 1-9 the writer emphasized the glory of the temple Solomon built and the importance of temple worship. Nothing was written about Solomon’s foreign wives or his idolatry. The history of the kings of Judah, particularly in 2 Chronicles 10-32, illustrates that having a king or even a temple was not a guarantee of divine protection and blessing. Only when the king and the people were obedient to God’s laws were the promises of the Abrahamic covenant realized.” (Old Testament Teacher Resource Manual. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1998, 144).

“The Old Testament contains two separate histories of Israel. The longest and most familiar of the two is found in the books from Genesis through 2 Kings, which recount in sequence the events from the creation of the world in Genesis to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Exile in 2 Kings 25. The second history is found in the books of Chronicles and Ezra and Nehemiah… It begins with Adam, in 1 Chronicles and continues through the return from the Exile, the rebuilding of the temple, and the restoration of Israel recounted in Ezra and Nehemiah… a reader will begin at Genesis and read a continuous historical narrative to the end of 2 Kings and will then start reading the history over again with Chronicle and continue through Nehemiah.” (“Kings and Chronicles,” in Studies in Scripture, Vol. 4. Edited by Kent P. Jackson. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1993, 4).

“In Hebrew the name of the book of Chronicles (dibre hayyamim) can be translated “daily events,” or perhaps simply as “annals.” In the Greek Septuagint it was called “the things left out” (paraleipomena)… While much of the story is the same as that in Genesis through Kings, there are many additions, deletions, and significant differences in the way it is told that make it a very valuable source in the study of biblical history.” (“Kings and Chronicles,” in Studies in Scripture, Vol. 4. Edited by Kent P. Jackson. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1993, 8-9).

“A certain man wanted to know about a house in a faraway place. He found two separate descriptions written by men who had been in the house at various times. The house had twelve rooms and the furniture had been changed from time to time over the years. While both accounts told something about each room, one was more detailed about the rooms in the north wing and other told more about those in the south wing. Neither of the two separate accounts of the house were thorough in their description. In order to get a more complete and balanced view of the house, the man decided he should read both accounts.

“Explanation: The man is each of us reading the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles. The house is the house of Israel. The twelve main rooms are the twelve tribes. The northern wing is Israel. The southern wing is Judah. Changing the furniture is the succession of kings, prophets, and people.” (Old Testament: Part Two Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Supplement. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1980, 31).