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2 Samuel 5
New International Version
2 Samuel 5
New International Version
David Becomes King Over Israel(A)
5 All the tribes of Israel(B) came to David at Hebron and said, “We are your own flesh and blood.(C) 2 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)’”
3 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.
4 David was thirty years old(J) when he became king, and he reigned(K) forty(L) years. 5 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)
6 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.” 7 Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion(R)—which is the City of David.(S)
8 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.”
9 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
- 2 Samuel 5:8 Or are hated by David
- 2 Samuel 5:9 Or the Millo
- 2 Samuel 5:20 Baal Perazim means the lord who breaks out.
- 2 Samuel 5:25 Septuagint (see also 1 Chron. 14:16); Hebrew Geba
2 Samuel 5
Amplified Bible
2 Samuel 5
Amplified Bible
David King over All Israel
5 Then [a]all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and your flesh. 2 In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led Israel out [to war] and brought Israel in [from battle]. And the Lord told you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel and be ruler over them.’”(A) 3 So all the elders (tribal leaders) of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord; and they anointed him king over Israel. 4 David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years. 5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.
6 Now the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, “You shall not enter here, for the blind and the lame [even the weakest among us] will turn you away”; they thought, “David cannot come in here [because the walls are impenetrable].” 7 Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold (fortress) of Zion, that is, the City of David. 8 Then David said on that day, “Whoever strikes the Jebusites, let him go up through the [underground] water shaft to strike the lame and the blind, who are detested by David’s soul [because of their arrogance].” So [for that reason] they say, “The blind or the lame (Jebusites) shall not come into the [royal] house [of Israel].”(B) 9 So David lived in the stronghold and called it the City of David. And he built all around [the surrounding area] from the [b]Millo [fortification] and inward. 10 David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts (armies), was with him.
11 Now Hiram the king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees, carpenters, and stonemasons; and they built a house (palace) for David. 12 And David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for His people Israel’s sake.
13 David took more [c]concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron; and more sons and daughters were born to him. 14 And these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
War with the Philistines
17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to look for him, but he heard about it and went down to the [d]stronghold. 18 Now the Philistines had come and spread out [for battle] in the Valley of Rephaim. 19 David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You hand them over to me?” And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly hand them over to you.” 20 So David came to Baal-perazim, and he defeated them there, and said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me, like a breakthrough of water.” So he named that place Baal-perazim (master of breakthroughs). 21 The Philistines abandoned their [pagan] idols there, so David and his men took them away [to be burned].
22 The Philistines came up once again and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. 23 When David inquired of the Lord, He said, “You shall not go up, but circle around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees. 24 And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you shall pay attention and act promptly, for at that time the Lord will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.” 25 David did just as the Lord had commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 5:1 David had already been king of Judah at Hebron for more than seven years; now all the tribes recognize his kingship.
- 2 Samuel 5:9 The exact nature of the Millo is unclear, but most scholars believe it was some sort of military fortification such as a tower, a citadel, a significant part of a wall or even an earth-fill or terraced rampart. It was located on the eastern side of the City of David. It was later repaired by King Hezekiah.
- 2 Samuel 5:13 See note Gen 22:24.
- 2 Samuel 5:17 Heb Masada.
2 Samuel 5
New Living Translation
2 Samuel 5
New Living Translation
David Becomes King of All Israel
5 Then all the tribes of Israel went to David at Hebron and told him, “We are your own flesh and blood. 2 In the past,[a] when Saul was our king, you were the one who really led the forces of Israel. And the Lord told you, ‘You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be Israel’s leader.’”
3 So there at Hebron, King David made a covenant before the Lord with all the elders of Israel. And they anointed him king of Israel.
4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in all. 5 He had reigned over Judah from Hebron for seven years and six months, and from Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years.
David Captures Jerusalem
6 David then led his men to Jerusalem to fight against the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of the land who were living there. The Jebusites taunted David, saying, “You’ll never get in here! Even the blind and lame could keep you out!” For the Jebusites thought they were safe. 7 But David captured the fortress of Zion, which is now called the City of David.
8 On the day of the attack, David said to his troops, “I hate those ‘lame’ and ‘blind’ Jebusites.[b] Whoever attacks them should strike by going into the city through the water tunnel.[c]” That is the origin of the saying, “The blind and the lame may not enter the house.”[d]
9 So David made the fortress his home, and he called it the City of David. He extended the city, starting at the supporting terraces[e] and working inward. 10 And David became more and more powerful, because the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies was with him.
11 Then King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar timber and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built David a palace. 12 And David realized that the Lord had confirmed him as king over Israel and had blessed his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.
13 After moving from Hebron to Jerusalem, David married more concubines and wives, and they had more sons and daughters. 14 These are the names of David’s sons who were born in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
David Conquers the Philistines
17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king of Israel, they mobilized all their forces to capture him. But David was told they were coming, so he went into the stronghold. 18 The Philistines arrived and spread out across the valley of Rephaim. 19 So David asked the Lord, “Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?”
The Lord replied to David, “Yes, go ahead. I will certainly hand them over to you.”
20 So David went to Baal-perazim and defeated the Philistines there. “The Lord did it!” David exclaimed. “He burst through my enemies like a raging flood!” So he named that place Baal-perazim (which means “the Lord who bursts through”). 21 The Philistines had abandoned their idols there, so David and his men confiscated them.
22 But after a while the Philistines returned and again spread out across the valley of Rephaim. 23 And again David asked the Lord what to do. “Do not attack them straight on,” the Lord replied. “Instead, circle around behind and attack them near the poplar[f] trees. 24 When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the poplar trees, be on the alert! That will be the signal that the Lord is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistine army.” 25 So David did what the Lord commanded, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon[g] to Gezer.
Footnotes
- 5:2 Or For some time.
- 5:8a Or Those ‘lame’ and ‘blind’ Jebusites hate me.
- 5:8b Or with scaling hooks. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
- 5:8c The meaning of this saying is uncertain.
- 5:9 Hebrew the millo. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
- 5:23 Or aspen, or balsam; also in 5:24. The exact identification of this tree is uncertain.
- 5:25 As in Greek version (see also 1 Chr 14:16); Hebrew reads Geba.
2 Samuel 5
The Message
2 Samuel 5
The Message
5 1-2 Before long all the tribes of Israel approached David in Hebron and said, “Look at us—your own flesh and blood! In time past when Saul was our king, you were the one who really ran the country. Even then God said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel and you’ll be the prince.’”
3 All the leaders of Israel met with King David at Hebron, and the king made a treaty with them in the presence of God. And so they anointed David king over Israel.
* * *
4-5 David was thirty years old when he became king, and ruled for forty years. In Hebron he ruled Judah for seven and a half years. In Jerusalem he ruled all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years.
6 David and his men immediately set out for Jerusalem to take on the Jebusites, who lived in that country. But they said, “You might as well go home! Even the blind and the lame could keep you out. You can’t get in here!” They had convinced themselves that David couldn’t break through.
7-8 But David went right ahead and captured the fortress of Zion, known ever since as the City of David. That day David said, “To get the best of these Jebusites, one must target the water system, not to mention this so-called lame and blind bunch that David hates.” (In fact, he was so sick and tired of it, people coined the expression, “No lame and blind allowed in the palace.”)
9-10 David made the fortress city his home and named it “City of David.” He developed the city from the outside terraces inward. David proceeded with a longer stride, a larger embrace since the God-of-the-Angel-Armies was with him.
11-12 It was at this time that Hiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers to David, along with timbers of cedar. He also sent carpenters and masons to build a house for David. David took this as a sign that God had confirmed him as king of Israel, giving his kingship world prominence for the sake of Israel, his people.
13-16 David took on more concubines and wives from Jerusalem after he left Hebron. And more sons and daughters were born to him. These are the names of those born to him in Jerusalem:
Shammua,
Shobab,
Nathan,
Solomon,
Ibhar,
Elishua,
Nepheg,
Japhia,
Elishama,
Eliada,
Eliphelet.
17-18 When the Philistines got word that David had been made king over all Israel, they came on the hunt for him. David heard of it and went down to the stronghold. When the Philistines arrived, they deployed their forces in Rephaim Valley.
19 Then David prayed to God: “Shall I go up and fight the Philistines? Will you help me beat them?”
20-21 “Go up,” God replied. “Count on me. I’ll help you beat them.”
David then went straight to Baal Perazim, and smashed them to pieces. Afterward David said, “God exploded on my enemies like a gush of water.” That’s why David named the place Baal Perazim (The-Master-Who-Explodes). The retreating Philistines dumped their idols, and David and his soldiers took them away.
22-23 Later there was a repeat performance. The Philistines came up again and deployed their troops in the Rephaim Valley. David again prayed to God.
23-24 This time God said, “Don’t attack them head-on. Instead, circle around behind them and ambush them from the grove of sacred trees. When you hear the sound of shuffling in the trees, get ready to move out. It’s a signal that God is going ahead of you to smash the Philistine camp.”
25 David did exactly what God told him. He routed the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.
2 Samuel 5
Contemporary English Version
2 Samuel 5
Contemporary English Version
David Becomes King of Israel
(1 Chronicles 11.1-3)
5 Israel's leaders met with David at Hebron and said, “We are your relatives. 2 Even when Saul was king, you led our nation in battle. And the Lord promised that someday you would rule Israel and take care of us like a shepherd.”
3 During the meeting, David made an agreement with the leaders and asked the Lord to be their witness. Then the leaders poured olive oil on David's head to show that he was now the king of Israel.
4 (A) David was 30 years old when he became king, and he ruled for 40 years. 5 He lived in Hebron for the first seven and a half years and ruled only Judah. Then he moved to Jerusalem, where he ruled both Israel and Judah for 33 years.
How David Captured Jerusalem
(1 Chronicles 11.4-9; 14.1,2)
6 (B) The Jebusites lived in Jerusalem, and David led his army there to attack them. The Jebusites did not think he could get in, so they told him, “You can't get in here! We could keep you out, even if we couldn't see or walk!”
7-9 David told his troops, “You will have to go up through the water tunnel to get those Jebusites. I hate people like them[a] who can't walk or see.”
That's why there is still a rule that says, “Only people who can walk and see are allowed in the temple.”[b]
David captured the fortress on Mount Zion, then he moved there and named it David's City. He had the city rebuilt, starting with the landfill to the east. 10 David became a great and strong ruler, because the Lord All-Powerful was on his side.
11 King Hiram of Tyre sent some officials to David. Carpenters and stone workers came with them, and they brought cedar logs so they could build David a palace.
12 David knew that the Lord had made him king of Israel and that he had made him a powerful ruler for the good of his people.
David's Sons Born in Jerusalem
(1 Chronicles 14.3-7)
13 After David left Hebron and moved to Jerusalem, he married many women[c] from Jerusalem,[d] and he had a lot of children. 14 His sons who were born there were Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada,[e] and Eliphelet.
David Fights the Philistines
(1 Chronicles 14.8-17)
17 The Philistines heard that David was now king of Israel, and they came into the hill country to try and capture him. But David found out and went into his fortress.[f] 18 So the Philistines camped in Rephaim Valley.[g]
19 David asked the Lord, “Should I attack the Philistines? Will you let me win?”
The Lord told David, “Attack! I will let you win.”
20 David attacked the Philistines and defeated them. Then he said, “I watched the Lord break through my enemies like a mighty flood.” So he named the place “The Lord Broke Through.”[h] 21 David and his troops also carried away the idols that the Philistines had left behind.
22 Some time later, the Philistines came back into the hill country and camped in Rephaim Valley. 23 David asked the Lord what he should do, and the Lord answered:
Don't attack them from the front. Circle around behind and attack from among the balsam[i] trees. 24 Wait until you hear a sound in the treetops like marching troops. Then attack quickly! That sound will mean I have marched out ahead of you to fight the Philistine army.
25 David obeyed the Lord and defeated the Philistines. He even chased them all the way from Geba to the entrance to Gezer.
Footnotes
- 5.7-9 You will … them: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 5.7-9 temple: Or “palace.”
- 5.13 married many women: Some of these women were second-class wives (see the note at 3.7).
- 5.13 from Jerusalem: Or “in Jerusalem.”
- 5.16 Eliada: See 1 Chronicles 3.6-8. First Chronicles 14.7 has “Beeliada.”
- 5.17 fortress: Probably the fortress of Adullam, which was David's former hideout (see 1 Samuel 22.1,4; 24.22). Or it could refer to the older walled city of Jerusalem, called the “fortress on Mount Zion” in verses 7-9.
- 5.18 Rephaim Valley: A few kilometers southwest of Jerusalem.
- 5.20 The Lord Broke Through: Or “Baal-Perazim.”
- 5.23 balsam: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
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