The Meaning of 2 Samuel 23:4 Explained

2 Samuel 23:4

KJV: And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.

YLT: And as the light of morning he riseth, A morning sun -- no clouds! By the shining, by the rain, Tender grass of the earth!

Darby: And he shall be as the light or the morning, like the rising of the sun, A morning without clouds; When from the sunshine, after rain, The green grass springeth from the earth.

ASV: He shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, A morning without clouds, When the tender grass'springeth out of the earth, Through clear shining after rain.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And [he shall be] as the light  of the morning,  [when] the sun  riseth,  [even] a morning  without  clouds;  [as] the tender grass  [springing] out of the earth  by clear shining  after rain. 

What does 2 Samuel 23:4 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 23:1-7 - David's Last Song
Let us place our lips at God's disposal, that He may speak by them, and let His words be on our tongues. God's love is to our souls like morning light. It stole over our hearts in childhood so gently that we did not know when first it came. The happy experiences of those pure and holy years were like the grass-blades that glisten across the lawns soaked in dew. "Thou hast the dew of thy youth."
When our heart is breaking with domestic or public anxiety, what a comfort it is to look away to the Covenant, ordered in all things and sure. Sometimes, indeed, God's purpose in our lives seems to come to a standstill. "He maketh it not to grow," 2 Samuel 23:5. But beneath the scaffolding the building is rising, and under the ground the harvest seeds are swelling.
These verses indicate David's ideal for himself which he had not fully attained. The harp became jangled, and the strain lost its music. There is only one King who can realize all that we ask or think-our fair dream. That King is our Lord Jesus. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 23

1  David, in his last words, professes his faith in God's promises
6  The different state of the wicked
8  A catalogue of David's mighty men

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 23:4 mean?

And [he shall be] like the light of the morning [when] rises the sun a morning without clouds by clear shining after rain [Like] the tender grass [springing] out of the earth
וּכְא֥וֹר בֹּ֖קֶר יִזְרַח־ שָׁ֑מֶשׁ בֹּ֚קֶר לֹ֣א עָב֔וֹת מִנֹּ֥גַהּ מִמָּטָ֖ר דֶּ֥שֶׁא מֵאָֽרֶץ

וּכְא֥וֹר  And  [he  shall  be]  like  the  light 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k, Noun, common singular construct
Root: אֹור  
Sense: light.
בֹּ֖קֶר  of  the  morning 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֹּקֶר 
Sense: morning, break of day.
יִזְרַח־  [when]  rises 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: זָרַח  
Sense: to rise, come forth, break out, arise, rise up, shine.
שָׁ֑מֶשׁ  the  sun 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: שֶׁמֶשׁ  
Sense: sun.
בֹּ֚קֶר  a  morning 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֹּקֶר 
Sense: morning, break of day.
לֹ֣א  without 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
עָב֔וֹת  clouds 
Parse: Noun, common plural
Root: עָב 
Sense: darkness, cloud, thicket.
מִנֹּ֥גַהּ  by  clear  shining 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular
Root: נׄגַהּ  
Sense: brightness.
מִמָּטָ֖ר  after  rain 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָטָר  
Sense: rain.
דֶּ֥שֶׁא  [Like]  the  tender  grass  [springing] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דֶּשֶׁא  
Sense: grass, new grass, green herb, vegetation, young.
מֵאָֽרֶץ  out  of  the  earth 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.