2 Samuel 5:1–25

5:2 Second, looking back to the reign of Saul, they remember David’s prowess as the one who in fact (“you” is emphatic) “led out and brought in Israel.” He has a track record as an effective general (cf. 1 Sam. 18:7, 12–16).

Third, they confirm—albeit belatedly—David’s divine designation as king (1 Sam. 16:12–13) and so implement the regulation regarding joint selection of a king: “You may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose” (Deut. 17:15).

As in 2 Samuel 3:18, we cannot trace the specific source of the divine revelation the elders summarize: “You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.” Though used here for the first time of an Israelite king, “shepherd” (cf. 7:7) is a common metaphor for a ruler’s defending, guiding, and providing for the well-being of his people. However, “my people” emphasizes the Lord’s rights over them as their ultimate King who has appointed David as his subordinate, a “prince” or “ruler” (Hb. nagid; cf. comments on 1 Sam. 9:16; 10:1).

5:3 “So all the elders of Israel came” is probably an instance of repetitive resumption of the main storyline rather than an indication of a second delegation reaching Hebron. As a result of this constitutional consultation, “King David”—with the title now used in its fullest sense (cf. 3:31)—“made a covenant with them.” This is instituted through a religious ceremony in which both parties pledge an oath “before the Lord” to accept the rights and duties pertaining to them; it is David who “made” (lit., “cut”) the covenant as the superior party. This is in effect a constitutional monarchy, not just because it adheres to the Lord’s stipulations but also because of arrangements negotiated with representatives of the people.

“They anointed David king over Israel.” This is the third time David is anointed (cf. 1 Sam. 16:13; 2 Sam. 2:4), as the elders from the north formally acknowledge his status in the name of the northern tribes.

5:4–5 Formulas similar to those later employed in Kings to provide data about a king are used here to summarize David’s reign (cf. comment on 2:10–11). “David was thirty years old when he began to reign” in Hebron, with thirty perhaps recognized as an age of maturity (Num. 4:47; Luke 3:23). His reign is in two phases, “seven years and six months” over Judah and “thirty-three years” over the whole nation from Jerusalem. So the total of “forty years” is a precise figure, not a conventional one merely representing a complete period of time.

5:6 One measure of a king’s prestige is his capital, and thus this presentation of highlights of David’s reign begins with his strategic capture of Jerusalem not long after becoming king of all Israel. David and his troops “went” on anything but a friendly visit to the small but heavily fortified stronghold called Jebus by the Canaanites (Judg. 19:10). At the conquest, the unwalled settlement to the west of Jebus had been temporarily in the hands of Judah (Judg. 1:8), but the citadel itself on the hill to the east had not been taken. In moving against it, David complies with the divine allocation of Jebusite territory to Abraham and his heirs (Gen. 15:21) and removes an enemy fortress from the center of the land.

The Jebusites are certain that the citadel, situated on an elevated, wedge-shaped piece of land between the Tyropoeon and Kidron Valleys, is impregnable. So they taunt David: “You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will ward you off [lit., “turn you back”].” Even if its defenders cannot see or walk properly, the fortress will withstand any attack.

5:7 Despite the Jebusites’ boast, David is able to take the “stronghold of Zion” (cf. comment on 5:17–18). “Zion” (possibly meaning “fortress” or “citadel”) at that time referred to the citadel lying to the south of, and lower than, the (later) Temple Mount. It became known as the “city of David” both because he had commanded the troops that captured it (v. 6; cf. 12:28) and because he made it his capital.

5:8 Further details are given of the capture, without mentioning Joab’s role (unlike 1 Chron. 11:6, which clarifies how Joab became David’s chief general). David’s strategy is not frontal assault but surreptitious entry. He challenges any soldier sufficiently bold to try to “get up” (lit., “touch” or “reach”) by using the sides of a “water shaft” to sneak up it and surprise the defenders. Such vertical tunnels in the limestone rock were used to draw water from the Kidron into the fortress.

The quotation marks around “the lame and the blind” show that David is using, though in reverse order, words from the Jebusite taunt that have infuriated him.

The saying “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house” is not David’s but one that will later become popular. It is unclear which “house” is in view—David’s palace or the temple. Perhaps no Jebusite defender was allowed to enter his palace, though 2 Samuel 24:16 indicates that some Jebusites were absorbed into his kingdom.

5:9 Jerusalem was a splendid choice for a capital because of its central location between Judah and the northern tribes, because it was previously unaligned with any specific tribe, and because of its natural defenses. Though Jerusalem’s water supply was a weakness in time of siege, the immediate problem facing David is lack of space. Since the “stronghold” of Zion (v. 7) is too small for his growing family and all his followers, he engages in extensive building works. The Millo (lit., “filling”) is probably a ravine north of the citadel surrounded by retaining walls and filled with debris to form a platform for construction.

5:10 “David became greater and greater” in his military and political prestige (cf. 3:1), but the key to his success is that “the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him” (cf. comment on 1 Sam. 16:18). This divine title is a fuller form of that found in 1 Samuel 1:3.

5:11 David’s rising power also wins him international recognition. On the Mediterranean coast north of Carmel, in what is now southern Lebanon, lay the city of Tyre.¹ At this time it had become the leading city of Phoenicia and the center of their vast maritime and commercial empire. As traders and seafarers, they were not interested in establishing a land-based empire and so enjoyed good relations with David and Solomon (cf. 1 Kings 5:1).

Mention of Hiram raises chronological questions. It is fairly well established that he reigned 980–947 BC, succeeding his father, Abibaal.² In that case David’s palace may not have been built until around 979–976, two decades after the capture of Jerusalem, after Absalom had returned from exile (2 Sam. 14:21–24).

Hiram’s messengers are probably a high-ranking trade delegation. “Cedar trees” from the mountains of Lebanon in the hinterland of Tyre were famed for their durable wood. Logs would be floated down the coast before being hauled inland to Jerusalem. The Phoenicians were also known for their construction skills. With carpenters working in wood and masons in stone, they build David a palace.

5:12 Recognition by Tyre deepens David’s awareness that “the Lord had established him king over Israel.” Furthermore, David demonstrates his grasp of the essence of covenant kingship by not focusing on personal achievement or prestige but rather acknowledging that through his reign the Lord is prospering the affairs of his covenant people as a whole (cf. comments on 7:24–26). This is the perspective kings of Israel were intended to adopt.

5:13 This section supplements the information concerning the growth of David’s family in Hebron (3:2–5). In Jerusalem he “took more concubines and wives” (and so had to provide space to house them). Since a dynasty with heirs is less likely to be wiped out, the continuing expansion of the royal household could be seen as a sign of divine blessing. But whether or not David recognizes it, the increased numbers in his harem certainly contravene the stipulation of Deuteronomy 17:17 (cf. comment on 2 Sam. 3:3–5).

“From Jerusalem” does not necessarily imply that these women are Jebusites. Rather the point is that, unlike some of David’s earlier wives, these women are not foreigners but are drawn from court circles—e.g., Bathsheba (11:3), mother of the first four sons listed. The order “concubines and wives” is unexpected and has been taken to hint at the narrator’s disapproval. More probably, however, the wives are mentioned second in order to lead into the list of their sons, who alone are eligible to succeed David on the throne.

5:14–16 The names listed consist exclusively of sons: eleven of them, two fewer than the corresponding lists in 1 Chronicles 3:5–8; 14:4–7; Eliphelet (or Elpelet) and Nogah may have died young. This list ends with another Eliphelet, possibly named after this dead brother. The first four are sons of Bathsheba (1 Chron. 3:5), among whom Solomon is always named last, presumably as the youngest—in which case it is the tenth in line who will be David’s successor. It is only of Solomon and Nathan that we possess further information. The latter figures in the genealogy of Jesus provided by Luke (Luke 3:31), whereas Matthew traces Jesus’ descent through Solomon (Matt. 1:6–7). The informed reader also detects in Solomon’s name a foreshadowing of darker events to come.

5:17–18 David also provides his kingdom with security from its greatest external threat, the Philistines. When David ruled only Judah, the Philistines were not displeased to see two rival groups weakening Israel and did not intervene. When David is installed as king of all Israel, however, their perception changes. “All the Philistines” are mobilized to quash the perceived threat from a united Israel. “To search for David” uses the same verb as in the repeated references to Saul’s seeking David in order to kill him (1 Sam. 19:2), and the Philistines move out of their territory with the same aim. They attack and occupy the Valley of Rephaim, just southwest of Jerusalem.³ By encamping there, they are probably not reacting to David’s capture of Jerusalem but are aiming to drive a wedge between the newly united territories.

The identity of the “stronghold” to which David goes is disputed. If he has already captured Jerusalem, the reference might be to the stronghold of Zion (2 Sam. 5:7), but, in light of “went down” and of 23:13–14, the reference is probably to the cave of Adullam (1 Sam. 22:1–4), even though it is some distance from the enemy. David evidently intends to resort to the guerrilla style of warfare to which he has become accustomed.

5:19 Facing this grave threat, David takes care to inquire of the Lord for guidance as to how to proceed (cf. comment on 2:1). He asks two Yes/No questions, and a positive response is given to each. “Go up” is used in its military sense of “take offensive action against.” The emphasized verb in “I will certainly give” conveys the Lord’s assurance to David of success.

5:20 David moves down from the hills to the south of the valley and, enabled by the Lord, breaks through the Philistine defensive outposts like a torrent of water sweeping away everyone in front of it. “Therefore” introduces the explanation that because of this incident the place is named “Baal-perazim” (“the Lord of breakings through”), a compound of baʻal, clearly a reference to the Lord and an acknowledgment of his role, and the verb “to break through” (cf. 6:8), which is also found in “has broken through” and “breaking.”

5:21 The Philistines had taken their idols into battle with them in much the same way the Israelites had earlier taken the ark to guarantee victory (1 Samuel 4), but in a reversal of the earlier encounter it is the Philistines who panic and abandon their sacred objects. In the parallel passage in 1 Chronicles 14:12 it is said that David ordered the idols to be burned (as required by Deut. 7:5, 25), no doubt after these trophies of victory had been transported elsewhere.

5:22 Although the Philistines have suffered a major reverse, David constitutes such a major menace to their domination of the region that they muster their resources and “[come] up yet again.” There is no indication of how much later this occurs, but their strategy remains the same, occupying the Valley of Rephaim in order to separate the northern tribes from those in the south. If in the meantime David has captured Jerusalem, there would be the additional target of depriving David of that base.

5:23 Once more David “inquired of the Lord,” presumably with questions similar to those used earlier (v. 19). This time, however, he is directed not to mount a frontal challenge but rather to “go around to their rear” and attack them near a wood of “balsam trees” (the exact species remains unidentified).

5:24 Furthermore, the Lord will signal when David is to attack. “The sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees” may be divinely caused through control of the wind, or it may be produced by a direct miracle associated with the Lord’s presence. Then David is to move smartly into action because “the Lord has gone out before you.” This is holy war in which the Lord of hosts leads his army into battle to “strike down the army of the Philistines.”

5:25 David’s compliance with his Overlord’s directions is the secret of his success. The Philistines flee north toward Geba before turning west to Gezer.⁴ In the parallel passage in 1 Chronicles 14:16 (and also in the LXX here) it is the nearby Gibeon that is mentioned, a reading adopted by some translations. David pursues the Philistines well into their own territory and removes the threat they pose to Israel.