2 Samuel 5:9

9 And David dwelled in the tower, and called it the city of David; and he builded by compass from Millo, and within. (And David lived in the stronghold, and called it the City of David; and he built all around from Millo, inwards.)

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.

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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 Forsooth David took the tower of Zion; this is the city of David. (But David captured the stronghold, or the fortress, of Zion; this is known as the City of David.)

8 For David had purposed in that day to have given meed to him, that had smitten Jebusites, and that had touched the gutters of the house roofs, and that had taken away lame men and blind, hating the life of David. Therefore it is said in common speech, A blind man and a lame shall not enter into the temple. (For David had put forth a reward that day, to anyone who struck down the Jebusites, yea, up to the gutters of the housetops, and who did away even the crippled and the blind, yea, any and all who hated the life of David. And so it is said in common speech, No one blind or crippled shall enter into the Temple.)

9 And David dwelled in the tower, and called it the city of David; and he builded by compass from Millo, and within. (And David lived in the stronghold, and called it the City of David; and he built all around from Millo, inwards.)

10 And he entered profiting, and increasing; and the Lord God of hosts was with him.

11 Also Hiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and craftsmen of wood, and craftsmen of stones to (make) walls; and they builded the house of David.