Add parallel Print Page Options

Chapter 5

David King of Israel. (A)All the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron, and they said: “Look! We are your bone and your flesh. In days past, when Saul was still our king, you were the one who led Israel out in all its battles and brought it back. And the Lord said to you: You shall shepherd my people Israel; you shall be ruler over Israel.”(B) Then all the elders of Israel came to the king in Hebron, and at Hebron King David made a covenant with them in the presence of the Lord; and they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years: in Hebron he was king over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he was king thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.(C)

Capture of Zion.[a] (D)Then the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites who inhabited the land. They told David, “You shall not enter here: the blind and the lame will drive you away!” which was their way of saying, “David shall not enter here.”(E) David nevertheless captured the fortress of Zion, which is the City of David. On that day David said: “All who wish to strike at the Jebusites must attack through the water shaft. The lame and the blind shall be the personal enemies of David.” That is why it is said, “The blind and the lame shall not enter the palace.”(F) David took up residence in the fortress which he called the City of David. David built up the city on all sides, from the Millo toward the center.(G) 10 David became ever more powerful, for the Lord of hosts was with him.(H) 11 (I)Hiram, king of Tyre, sent envoys to David along with cedar wood, and carpenters and masons, who built a house for David.(J) 12 David now knew[b] that the Lord had truly established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

David’s Family in Jerusalem. 13 (K)David took more concubines and wives in Jerusalem after he had come from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born to him. 14 These are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.

Rout of the Philistines. 17 When the Philistines had heard that David was anointed king over Israel, they marched out in force to come after him. When David heard this, he went down to the refuge.[c] 18 Meanwhile the Philistines had come and deployed themselves in the valley of Rephaim.[d] 19 David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I attack the Philistines, and will you deliver them into my power?” The Lord answered David: Attack, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your power. 20 So David went to Baal-perazim,[e] and he defeated them there. He said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me just as water breaks through a dam.” Therefore that place was called Baal-perazim. 21 The Philistines abandoned their gods there, and David and his men carried them away. 22 Once again the Philistines came up and deployed themselves in the valley of Rephaim, 23 and again David inquired of the Lord, who replied: Do not attack the front—circle behind them and come against them near the balsam trees. 24 When you hear the sound of marching[f] in the tops of the balsam trees, act decisively, for then the Lord has already gone before you to strike the army of the Philistines. 25 David did as the Lord commanded him, and routed the Philistines from Gibeon as far as Gezer.

Footnotes

  1. 5:6–12 David’s most important military exploit, the taking of Jerusalem, is here presented before his battles with the Philistines, vv. 17–25, which took place earlier. The sense of vv. 6 and 8 is in doubt. Perhaps the Jebusites boasted that Jerusalem was impregnable, using a metaphorical or proverbial expression that claimed the city was defensible even by people not suited for military action. The saying then received a different sense (v. 8), to the effect that “the blind and the lame” were David’s enemies. Mt 21:14 and Lk 14:13 seem to play off, and transform, this saying.
  2. 5:12 David now knew: Hiram’s carpenters and masons built David a house of cedar, the very model of a Canaanite king’s palace. This house then represented the consolidation of David’s royal power, in the Canaanite mode, with Jerusalem as David’s personal fiefdom and capital city.
  3. 5:17 Refuge: probably near Adullam (1 Sm 22:1–5).
  4. 5:18–25 The successive defeats of the Philistines in the valley of Rephaim southwest of Jerusalem had the effect of blocking their access to the mountain ridge near Gibeon, and confining them to their holdings on the coast and in the foothills beyond Gezer to the west and south.
  5. 5:20 Baal-perazim: here the title ba‘al, “master, lord,” refers to the Lord; perazim is the plural of perez, which means “breaking” or “bursting,” as in 6:8.
  6. 5:24 Sound of marching: the wind in the treetops suggestive of the footsteps of the Lord and the heavenly host.

David Becomes King Over Israel(A)

All the tribes of Israel(B) came to David at Hebron and said, “We are your own flesh and blood.(C) In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns.(D) And the Lord said(E) to you, ‘You will shepherd(F) my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.(G)’”

When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a covenant(H) with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed(I) David king over Israel.

David was thirty years old(J) when he became king, and he reigned(K) forty(L) years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months,(M) and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.

David Conquers Jerusalem(N)(O)

The king and his men marched to Jerusalem(P) to attack the Jebusites,(Q) who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, “You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off.” They thought, “David cannot get in here.” Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion(R)—which is the City of David.(S)

On that day David had said, “Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft(T) to reach those ‘lame and blind’(U) who are David’s enemies.[a]” That is why they say, “The ‘blind and lame’ will not enter the palace.”

David then took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built up the area around it, from the terraces[b](V) inward. 10 And he became more and more powerful,(W) because the Lord God Almighty(X) was with him.(Y)

11 Now Hiram(Z) king of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David. 12 Then David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom(AA) for the sake of his people Israel.

13 After he left Hebron, David took more concubines and wives(AB) in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him. 14 These are the names of the children born to him there:(AC) Shammua, Shobab, Nathan,(AD) Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet.

David Defeats the Philistines(AE)

17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold.(AF) 18 Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim;(AG) 19 so David inquired(AH) of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?”

The Lord answered him, “Go, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands.”

20 So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, “As waters break out, the Lord has broken out against my enemies before me.” So that place was called Baal Perazim.[c](AI) 21 The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off.(AJ)

22 Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; 23 so David inquired of the Lord, and he answered, “Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. 24 As soon as you hear the sound(AK) of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front(AL) of you to strike the Philistine army.” 25 So David did as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines(AM) all the way from Gibeon[d](AN) to Gezer.(AO)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 5:8 Or are hated by David
  2. 2 Samuel 5:9 Or the Millo
  3. 2 Samuel 5:20 Baal Perazim means the lord who breaks out.
  4. 2 Samuel 5:25 Septuagint (see also 1 Chron. 14:16); Hebrew Geba

Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.

Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the Lord said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel.

So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the Lord: and they anointed David king over Israel.

David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.

In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.

And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither: thinking, David cannot come in hither.

Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion: the same is the city of David.

And David said on that day, Whosoever getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind that are hated of David's soul, he shall be chief and captain. Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.

So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward.

10 And David went on, and grew great, and the Lord God of hosts was with him.

11 And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons: and they built David an house.

12 And David perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel's sake.

13 And David took him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron: and there were yet sons and daughters born to David.

14 And these be the names of those that were born unto him in Jerusalem; Shammuah, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon,

15 Ibhar also, and Elishua, and Nepheg, and Japhia,

16 And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphalet.

17 But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David; and David heard of it, and went down to the hold.

18 The Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.

19 And David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the Lord said unto David, Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand.

20 And David came to Baalperazim, and David smote them there, and said, The Lord hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters. Therefore he called the name of that place Baalperazim.

21 And there they left their images, and David and his men burned them.

22 And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.

23 And when David enquired of the Lord, he said, Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees.

24 And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then shall the Lord go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines.

25 And David did so, as the Lord had commanded him; and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gazer.