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2 Samuel 5

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

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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

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

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

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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.

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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.

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

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

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And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphalet.

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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.

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

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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.

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And David came to Baal–perazim, 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 Baal–perazim.

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

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

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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.

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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.

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

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2 Samuel 5

David's anointing by all Israel at Hebron and his conquest of Jerusalem mark the fulfillment of the political promises made to him and the establishment of his capital in a city that belongs to neither tribe. The account of David's military genius frames his rise as a theologically driven phenomenon, yet the same chapter records his establishment of a harem that introduces the theme of dynastic proliferation which will prove crucial to the book's later narrative of succession and fragmentation. The capture of the Jebusite stronghold of Jerusalem establishes Jerusalem as David's seat of power and the symbolic center of his united kingdom. Yet the chapter simultaneously records David's arrangement with Hiram of Tyre for the building of his palace, introducing the theme of David's increasing alignment with the structures of Near Eastern monarchy and the potential corruption of covenantal distinctiveness through international alliance. The theological weight rests on the account of David's inquiry of YHWH before his military campaign against the Philistines and YHWH's directive to grant victory. The chapter represents the apex of David's political fortune and the moment at which his kingdom seems most stable and secure, a stability that will prove short-lived.

2 Samuel 5:14

These are the names of those born to him in Jerusalem — The list of David's Jerusalem-born children continues the succession narrative. Multiple sons strengthen dynastic claims and represent different covenant alliances. Each birth enlarges the royal household.

2 Samuel 5:15

Names of David's sons born in Jerusalem — The enumeration establishes David's prolific offspring: Shammuah, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada, Eliphelet. Solomon appears among the sons born to Bath-sheba.

2 Samuel 5:16

These are the names of those born to him in Jerusalem — The continuing list shows the extent of David's household expansion. The multiple sons represent dynastic security through multiple heirs.

2 Samuel 5:17

When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up in search of David — Israel's longtime enemies react to David's full coronation. The Philistines perceive David as renewed threat and seek to strike preemptively. The military challenge represents the final test of David's kingship.

2 Samuel 5:12

And David perceived that the LORD had established him as king over Israel — David recognizes divine confirmation. His insight that the Lord has 'established' (נִשְׁמַר, niš-mar) his kingship shows theological awareness: David understands his rule as divinely secured. The reference to 'his people Israel' echoes covenant language: Israel is the Lord's people, and David is their shepherd-king.

2 Samuel 5:13

After he came from Hebron, David took more concubines and wives in Jerusalem — David expands his harem in Jerusalem, fathering more children. The proliferation of wives and concubines (פִּילַגְשִׁים, p̄îlagəšîm) signals dynastic expansion and political alliance-building. Yet the practice will eventually contribute to familial chaos.

2 Samuel 5:18

But David heard of it, and went down to the stronghold — David moves to his fortified base, the stronghold. Rather than meeting the Philistines in open field, David establishes defensive position. The tactical decision shows strategic wisdom: defend from strength.

2 Samuel 5:19

David inquired of the LORD, saying, 'Shall I go up against the Philistines?' — David consults the Lord before battle. His question seeks divine guidance on military strategy. The LORD's answer—'Go up; for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand'—grants explicit permission and promises victory.

2 Samuel 5:20

So David came to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there — David's victory at Baal-perazim (House of Bursting Forth) is decisive. The name suggests that David's forces burst through Philistine lines. 'The LORD has burst forth against my enemies before me, like a bursting flood!' — David's exclamation recognizes divine action in the victory.

2 Samuel 5:21

The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off — The Philistine idols are left behind in their flight. David takes them, possibly as trophies or to prevent their misuse. The capture of enemy religious objects symbolizes spiritual victory.

2 Samuel 5:22

Once again the Philistines came up, and spread out in the valley of Rephaim — The Philistines mount a second offensive. David again consults the Lord for strategy. This renewed conflict suggests prolonged struggle with Israel's greatest enemy.

2 Samuel 5:23

When David inquired of the LORD, he said, 'You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come upon them opposite the balsam trees' — The Lord's directive is specific: don't attack frontally; instead, circle around. The instruction to listen for 'the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees' suggests waiting for divine signal.

2 Samuel 5:24

When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then rouse yourself; for then the LORD has gone out before you to strike down the Philistines — David is to listen for the supernatural sign—the sound of marching in the treetops—which signals the Lord's advance. The Lord 'goes out before' David, fighting on his behalf.

2 Samuel 5:25

David did just as the LORD commanded him; and he struck down the Philistines from Geba all the way to Gezer — David's obedience to divine instruction results in comprehensive victory. The scope of the defeat—'from Geba all the way to Gezer'—shows the Philistines are routed across the territory. David has secured Israel's independence from Philistine domination.

2 Samuel 5:6

The king and his men marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites — David moves immediately to claim Jerusalem from the Jebusites. The city, currently held by foreigners, becomes David's target. Jerusalem represents the physical and spiritual center that will unify Israel.

2 Samuel 5:5

He reigned over Judah seven years and six months; and over Jerusalem and all Israel and Judah thirty-three years — The timeframe establishes David's extended reign. After thirty-three years ruling from Jerusalem (formerly Jebusite stronghold), David becomes Israel's defining monarch. His long reign allows consolidation of kingdom and dynastic security.

2 Samuel 5:4

David was thirty years old when he began to reign — David is at the age of priestly maturity when he begins his full reign over all Israel. His age suggests wisdom and readiness. The notation grounds David's kingship in covenant order and divine timing.

2 Samuel 5:1

Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron — The death of Ish-bosheth and elimination of Saul's line opens the way for David's coronation over all Israel. The tribes approach David with recognition of his rightful rule. The covenant is now complete: Israel acknowledges David as its king.

2 Samuel 5:2

The LORD said to you, 'It is you who shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be ruler over Israel' — The tribal elders quote the Lord's word, acknowledging that David's kingship is divinely ordained. The imagery of shepherd grounds David's authority in covenant care for the people. David is not merely warrior but shepherd.

2 Samuel 5:3

So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them — The formal covenant between David and Israel's elders establishes legitimacy. This covenant parallels the earlier covenants between David and Judah, and Abner and Israel; now it encompasses all the people. David's rule is confirmed by collective agreement and divine word.

2 Samuel 5:7

David took the stronghold of Zion; it is the city of David — The conquest of Zion (the Jebusite fortress) becomes David's great achievement. The renaming—'city of David'—marks possession and establishes it as the heart of David's kingdom. The move from Hebron to Jerusalem represents the consolidation of power.

2 Samuel 5:8

David said on that day, 'Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him get up the water shaft' — The water shaft reference suggests a clever military tactic: forcing passage through the city's water system. The victory is achieved through ingenuity, not merely force.

2 Samuel 5:9

So David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the city of David — David establishes his residence in Jerusalem's fortified center. The city becomes the symbol of his rule and the nation's unity. The move to Jerusalem marks the transition from tribal king to national monarch.

2 Samuel 5:10

And David became greater and greater, for the LORD God of hosts was with him — The narrator's assessment confirms divine favor: the Lord's presence with David accounts for his growing power and success. David's ascendancy is not merely political but theological—the Lord empowers his rise.

2 Samuel 5:11

Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David — International recognition follows David's consolidation. Hiram of Tyre, the great Phoenician king, sends envoys acknowledging David's status. The diplomatic contact signals that David is now viewed as a major power.