2 Samuel 5:9

9 David made the fortress city his home and named it "City of David." He developed the city from the outside terraces inward.

2 Samuel 5:9 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 5:9

So David dwelt in the fort
The strong hold of Zion, which he took:

and called it the city of David;
from his own name, to keep up the memory of his taking it, and of his habitation in it:

and David built round about, from Millo and inward;
built a wall about it, and enlarged the place, increased the buildings both within and without. Millo is supposed to be a ditch round the fort, full of water, from whence it had its name; or was a large hollow place which divided the fort from the lower city, and which afterwards Solomon filled up, and made it a level, and therefore is called so here by anticipation; though Jarchi says it was done by David. According to Dr. Lightfoot {o}, it was a part or Sion, or some hillock, east up against it on the west side; his first sense is best, Millo being no other than the fortress or citadel; which, as Josephus says F16, David joined to the lower city, and made them one body, and erecting walls about it made Joab superintendent of them; and this was the "round about", or circuit, which David made, reaching from Millo, or the citadel, to that again, which is meant by "inward", or "to the house" F17, as it should be rendered; that is, to the house of Millo, as in ( 2 Kings 12:20 ) ; and so it is said ( 1 Chronicles 11:8 ) ; that David built the city "from Millo round about"; that is, to the same place from whence he began F18.


FOOTNOTES:

F15 Works, vol. 2. Chorograph. Cent. c. 24. p. 25.
F16 Antiqu. l. 7. c. 3. sect. 2.
F17 (htybw) "et ad domum".
F18 See Dr. Kennicott, ut supra, (Dissert. 1.) p. 49

2 Samuel 5:9 In-Context

7 But David went right ahead and captured the fortress of Zion, known ever since as the City of David.
8 That day David said, "To get the best of these Jebusites, one must target the water system, not to mention this so-called lame and blind bunch that David hates." (In fact, he was so sick and tired of it, people coined the expression, "No lame and blind allowed in the palace.")
9 David made the fortress city his home and named it "City of David." He developed the city from the outside terraces inward.
10 David proceeded with a longer stride, a larger embrace since the God-of-the-Angel-Armies was with him.
11 It was at this time that Hiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers to David, along with timbers of cedar. He also sent carpenters and masons to build a house for David.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.