Shmuel Bais 5:3

3 So all the zekenim of Yisroel came to HaMelech at Chevron; and Dovid HaMelech cut a Brit with them in Chevron before Hashem; v’yimshechu (and they anointed) Dovid Melech Yisroel.

Shmuel Bais 5:3 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 5:3

So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron
Which either explains what is meant by the tribes coming to him, ( 2 Samuel 5:1 ) ; namely, coming by their elders as their representatives; or else the meaning is, that the messengers the tribes sent, when they returned and reported the favourable reception they had met with from David; the elders of the several tribes, the princes or principal men met, and came together to David in Hebron:

and King David made a league with them before the Lord;
the states of the nation; he entered into a covenant with them; he on his part promising to rule them in justice and judgment according to the laws, and they promising to yield a cheerful obedience to him in all things just and lawful: and this was done "before the Lord"; either before the ark of the Lord, as Abarbinel; but that was in Kirjathjearim, from whence it was after this brought by David to this city; rather, as Kimchi observes, wherever all Israel, or the greater part of them, were assembled, there the divine Shechinah or Majesty dwelt; so that what was done in a public assembly was reckoned as done before the Lord, and in his presence; or this covenant was made before the Lord, and each party appealed to him as witness of it, so that it was a very solemn one:

and they anointed David king over Israel;
that is, over all Israel, which was the third time of his being anointed; the first was by Samuel, pointing out the person the Lord chose and appointed king; the second was by the tribe of Judah, when they invested him with the office of a king over them; and now by all the tribes, when he was inaugurated into the whole kingdom of Israel; and not only the elders came at this time, but great numbers of the people from the several tribes, and continued with David some days, eating, drinking and rejoicing, see ( 1 Chronicles 12:1-40 ) .

Shmuel Bais 5:3 In-Context

1 Then came kol Shivtei Yisroel to Dovid unto Chevron, and spoke, saying, Hineni, we are thy etzem and thy basar.

2 Also in time past, when Sha’ul was melech over us, thou wast he that didst lead out and brought in Yisroel; and Hashem said to thee, Thou shalt feed [like a shepherd] My people Yisroel, and thou shalt become Nagid over Yisroel.

3 So all the zekenim of Yisroel came to HaMelech at Chevron; and Dovid HaMelech cut a Brit with them in Chevron before Hashem; v’yimshechu (and they anointed) Dovid Melech Yisroel.

4 Dovid was in age shloshim shanah when he began to reign, and he reigned arba’im shanim.

5 In Chevron he reigned over Yehudah sheva shanim and shishah chodashim; and in Yerushalayim he reigned shloshim v’shalosh shanah over kol Yisroel and Yehudah.