2 Samuel 5:1-11

David Anointed as King over All of Israel

1 So all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and they said, "Here we [are], {we are your flesh and blood}.
2 {For some time}, when Saul was king over us, {you were leading Israel in and out}. Yahweh had said to you, 'You shall be the shepherd of my people Israel, and you will be the leader over Israel.'"
3 All the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David {made a covenant} with them at Hebron in the presence of Yahweh; then they anointed David as king over Israel.
4 David [was] thirty years old when he began to reign; he reigned forty years.
5 He reigned over Judah at Hebron [for] seven years and six months; and he reigned over all Israel and Judah at Jerusalem [for] thirty-three years.

The Capture and Growth of Jerusalem

6 The king and his men went to Jerusalem, to the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land. They said to David, "You will not come here, for even the blind and the lame can turn you back, saying, 'David cannot come here.'"
7 David captured the fortress of Zion, the city of David.
8 David had said, "On that day {when we attack the Jebusites}, one must attack the lame and the blind, [those] who hate the soul of David, by [means of] the water supply." For thus the blind and the lame would say, "He cannot come into the house."
9 David occupied the fortress and called it the city of David. And David built all around [it] from the Millo and {inward}.
10 David {continued growing stronger and stronger}, and Yahweh the God of hosts [was] with him.
11 So Hiram, the king of Tyre, sent messengers to David, [along with] cedar trees and {craftsmen skilled in wood and in stone masonry}, and they built a house for David.

2 Samuel 5:1-11 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 5

In this chapter we have an account of all the tribes of Israel coming to Hebron, and anointing David king over them, 2Sa 5:1-5; of his expedition against the Jebusites in Jerusalem, and taking from them the strong hold of Zion, 2Sa 5:6-10; of his building an house for himself, and of his building up his family, by taking more wives and concubines, and having more children, whose names are given, 2Sa 5:11-16; and of an invasion of the land by the Philistines, and David's victory over them, 2Sa 5:17-25.

Footnotes 8

  • [a]. Literally "We [are] your bone and your flesh"
  • [b]. Literally "Both yesterday and three days before"
  • [c]. Literally "you were going out and coming in, Israel." (So Kethib; Qere reads "bringing out and bringing in Israel")
  • [d]. Literally "cut a covenant"
  • [e]. Literally "in all of the striking down the Jebusites"
  • [f]. Literally "to the house"
  • [g]. Literally "went going and great"
  • [h]. Literally "skilled craftsmen of wood and skilled craftsmen of stone wall"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.