Chapter 5
David as King of Israel.[a] 1 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said: “Listen to us. We are your own flesh and blood. 2 In former days, when Saul was our king, you were the one who led the Israelites on their campaigns and brought them back. Moreover, the Lord said to you: ‘You shall be the shepherd of my people Israel and be the ruler of Israel.’ ” 3 Then all the elders of Israel came to David, the king of Hebron, and David made a covenant with them there before the Lord. After this they anointed David as king of Israel.
4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for forty years. 5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah for seven years and six months, and then in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years.
Capture of Zion. 6 Then the king and his men marched to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites who inhabited the land. These people said to David: “You will never come in here. Even the blind and the lame will stop you in your tracks.” In this way they showed their contempt for David and his forces.
7 [b]Despite their boast, David did take the stronghold of Zion, which is now known as the City of David. 8 David had said on that day: “All those who are eager to attack the Jebusites must scale the water shaft to attack the lame and the blind, the bitter enemies of David.” Therefore, it is said: “The blind and the lame shall not enter the palace.”
9 David then took up residence in the stronghold and called it the City of David. After that, he constructed a wall around it from the Millo[c] inward. 10 David steadily continued to grow more powerful, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him.
11 King Hiram of Tyre sent envoys to David with cedar wood, and he also supplied carpenters and stonemasons who built a palace for David. 12 Then David had no doubt at all that the Lord had established him as king of Israel and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.
13 David’s Family in Jerusalem. After he departed from Hebron, David took more concubines and wives in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him.[d] 14 These are the names of those children who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
17 Rout of the Philistines.[e] When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king of Israel, they all went forth in search of him. When David learned of this, he sought refuge in the stronghold. 18 After the Philistines arrived and deployed their forces in the valley of Rephaim, 19 David inquired of the Lord: “Shall I go forth and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my power?” The Lord replied to David: “Go forth and attack them! I shall deliver the Philistines into your hands.”
20 Therefore, David went forth to Baal-perazim and defeated them there. Then he said: “The Lord has broken through the battle lines of my enemies as though they had been breached by the flood waters of a river.” That is why that place is called Baal-perazim. 21 The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them away.
22 However, the Philistines made another invasion and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. 23 Then David once again consulted the Lord, who said: “Do not attack them from the front. Rather, encircle them from the rear and attack them in front of the balsam trees. 24 When you hear the sound of marching in the top of the balsam trees, advance immediately, for then you will know that the Lord has gone forth ahead of you to strike down the army of the Philistines.”
25 David followed the instructions of the Lord, and he routed the Philistines from Gibeon all the way to Gezer.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 5:1 Jerusalem, which had not belonged to either Judah or Israel, will be the sign of the nation’s political unity and, quite soon, of its religious unity as well; it will be the symbol of God’s presence in the midst of humanity. Both the Jewish and, later, the Christian traditions will meditate deeply on the mystery of Jerusalem; the Church will be seen as the new Jerusalem (Gal 4:26; Heb 12:22), the Jerusalem of the last times, which in turn prepares the way for the “Jerusalem that is to come” (see Rev 21).
- 2 Samuel 5:7 Stronghold of Zion: the name “Zion” continued in use and was extended to include the entire hill on which the temple would later be built (see 2 Sam 24:15-25; 2 Chr 3:1).
- 2 Samuel 5:9 Millo: a supporting terrace or embankment, the precise form of which we do not know, formed the southern extremity of the City of David (see 1 Ki 9:15; 2 Chr 32:5).
- 2 Samuel 5:13 David’s love for God seems to have been matched by his love for women. Unfortunately, his many children later caused many problems for him and for Israel.
- 2 Samuel 5:17 David had somewhat of an unholy alliance with the Philistines who turned against him when he was intent on uniting Israel. David’s reliance on the Lord and obedience in following his instructions in attacking the Philistines was rewarded once again.