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All Israel Anoints David King

Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and spoke saying, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood. Even before, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led Israel out and back. Also Adonai said to you, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel and be ruler over Israel.’” So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David cut a covenant with them at Hebron before Adonai. Then they anointed David king over Israel.

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David’s Rise and Capture of Zion

11 Then all Israel gathered to David at Hebron, saying: “Behold, we are your own flesh and blood. In the past, even when Saul was king, you were the one that led out and brought in Israel. Adonai your God also said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel and you shall be ruler over My people Israel.’”

When all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Adonai. They anointed David king over Israel, in keeping with the word of Adonai by the hand of Samuel.

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23 Day by day men came to David to help him until there was a great army like the army of God.

24 These are the numbers of the heads of those armed for war who came to David in Hebron to transfer Saul’s kingdom to him, according to the word of Adonai:

25 The sons of Judah that bore shield and spear were 6,800, armed for war;

26 from the sons of Simeon, 7,100 brave warriors ready for war;

27 from the sons of Levi 4,600; 28 Jehoiada the leader of the Aaronides and with him 3,700; 29 Zadok, a young mighty man of valor, with 22 commanders from his clan;

30 from the sons of Benjamin, Saul’s kinsmen, 3,000 for up to that time the majority of them had kept their allegiance to Saul’s house;

31 from the sons of Ephraim 20,800 valliant warriors, famous men in their clan; 32 from the half-tribe of Manasseh 18,000 who were designated by name to come and make David king;

33 from the sons of Issachar—men who know how to interpret the signs of the times to determine what Israel should do—200 chiefs with all their kinsmen under their command;

34 from Zebulun 50,000 warriors prepared for battle, arrayed with all types of weapons of war and ready to give their undivided loyalty;

35 from Naphtali 1,000 officers, along with 37,000 with shield and spear;

36 from the Danites, 28,600 equipped for battle;

37 from Asher 40,000 experienced warriors arrayed for battle;

38 and from beyond the Jordan, from the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh 120,000 armed with every type of weapons of war.

39 All these fighting men, prepared for the battle line, came to Hebron with a whole heart to make David king over all Israel. All the rest of Israel were also of one heart to make David king. 40 So they were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their kinsmen had given them provision.

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Master of Breakthroughs

17 Now when the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines marched up searching for David. When David heard about it, he went down to the stronghold. 18 The Philistines came and spread out in the valley of Rephaim. 19 Then David inquired of Adonai saying, “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You give them over into my hand?”

Adonai answered David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines over into your hand.”

20 So David came to Baal-perazim[a] and David struck them down there. So he said, “Adonai has broken through my enemies before me like the breakthrough of waters!” That is why he named that place Baal-perazim. 21 They abandoned their idols there, so David and his men removed them.

22 But the Philistines marched up and spread out in the valley of Rephaim again. 23 When David inquired of Adonai, He said, “Do not go up; instead circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. 24 Now it will be when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you must act, for then Adonai will have gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines. 25 David did just as Adonai had commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 5:20 Meaning, Master of breakthroughs.

David Breaks Through at Baal-perazim

When the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up in search of David, but David heard of it and went out before them. Now the Philistines had come and raided the Valley of Rephaim. 10 So David inquired of God, asking, “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You give them over into my hand?”

Then Adonai said to him, “Go up! I will give them over into your hand.”

11 So they came up to Baal-perazim, where David defeated them. David said, “God burst out against my enemies by my hand, like waters burst out!” Therefore they called the name of that place Baal-perazim[a]. 12 They abandoned their gods there, so David ordered and they were burned with fire.

13 But the Philistines again raided the valley. 14 So David again inquired of God, and God said to him, “Do not go up after them, but circle around behind them and come against them in front of the baca trees[b]. 15 As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the baca trees, then go out to battle. For God has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.”

16 David did just as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer.

17 So the fame of David spread throughout every land, and Adonai brought the fear of him upon all nations.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 14:11 Meaning, the lord who breaks through.
  2. 1 Chronicles 14:14 Meaning is unclear; sometimes translated as balsam trees, mulberry tree or shrubs.

Securing Jerusalem

Now the king and his soldiers marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the region. But they said to David, “You’ll never get in here! Even the blind and the lame could ward you off,” thinking, “David can’t get in here.” Nevertheless, David did capture the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David). On that day David said, “Whoever would conquer the Jebusites must strike through the water shaft to those ‘lame and blind’ whom David’s soul despises.” That is why they used to say, “The blind or lame couldn’t get into the house.” So David occupied the stronghold and renamed it the City of David. Then David fortified it all round from the Millo inward. 10 David continued to grow stronger, for Adonai Elohim-Tzva’ot was with him.

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Then David and all Israel went to Jerusalem—that is Jebus, where the Jebusite inhabitants of the land lived. Now the residents of Jebus said to David, “You cannot get in here!” Nevertheless David captured the stronghold of Zion, which is now the city of David.

David had said, “Whoever strikes down the Jebusites first will be commander-in-chief.” So Joab son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became commander. David lived in the stronghold; for this reason it is called the city of David. He fortified the city all around, from the Millo to the surrounding walls, and Joab repaired the rest of the city. David grew more and more powerful because Adonai-Tzva’ot was with him.

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Six were born to him in Hebron. There he reigned seven years and six months; then in Jerusalem he reigned 33 years.

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13 Then David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born to David.

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David was 30 years old when he began to reign and he reigned 40 years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned 33 years over all Israel and Judah.

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11 Then King Hiram of Tyre sent envoys to David with cedar logs, carpenters and masons; and they built a palace for David. 12 David then realized that Adonai had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.

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14 Now King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, as well as cedar logs, stonemasons and carpenters, to build a palace for him. Then David knew that Adonai had established him king over Israel, for his kingdom was highly exalted for the sake of His people

Israel.

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Ark Retrieved from Kiriath-jearim

13 Then David consulted with the officers of the thousands and of the hundreds, with every leader. David said to the entire assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and is from Adonai Eloheinu, let us spread the word to our kinsmen who remain in all the regions of Israel, along with the kohanim and Levites in their towns and pasturelands to come and join us. Let us bring the Ark of our God back to us—for we did not inquire of it in the days of Saul.” The entire assembly agreed to do so, for the proposal seemed right in the eyes of all the people.

So David assembled all Israel from the Shihor of Egypt to the entrance of Hamat, to bring the Ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.

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Ark Comes Into Jerusalem

Now David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, 30,000. Then David and all the people who were with him arose and set out from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name[a], the very Name of Adonai-Tzva’ot who is enthroned between the cheruvim. So they loaded the ark of God on a new cart and carried it out of the house of Abinadab that was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s sons, drove the new cart as they brought it from the house of Abinadab (which was on the hill) with the ark of God, and Ahio was walking in front of the ark.

Meanwhile David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating before Adonai with all kinds of instruments made of cypress wood, with harps, lyres, tambourines, three-stringed instruments and cymbals[b]. But when they reached the threshing floor of Nahon, Uzzah reached out to the ark of God and grasped it, for the oxen had stumbled. Then the anger of Adonai was kindled against Uzzah. God struck him down there for his irreverence, so that he died there beside the ark of God. David was upset because of Adonai’s outburst against Uzzah. That place is called Perez-uzzah[c] to this day.

So David was frightened of Adonai that day. Then he said, “How can the ark of Adonai come to me?” 10 David was unwilling to move the ark of Adonai to him, to the City of David; instead, David diverted it to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. 11 So the ark of Adonai remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months; meanwhile Adonai blessed Obed-edom and his entire household.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 6:2 Meaning, the unspeakable name of God, see Adonai in the glossary.
  2. 2 Samuel 6:5 Heb. related to three; triangle or three-barred sistrum.
  3. 2 Samuel 6:8 Meaning, outburst of Uzzah.

Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out and came to the house of Ish-bosheth at the heat of the day, as he was taking his midday nap. When they came within the house, as though to get wheat, they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab and his brother Baanah escaped. When they had gotten within the house, he was lying on his bed in his bedroom, they stabbed him and killed him, then beheaded him and took his head, and traveled by the way of the Arabah all night. Then they brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David in Hebron, and said to the king, “Here is the head of Saul’s son Ish-bosheth, your enemy, who sought your life. Today Adonai has avenged my lord the king of Saul and his offspring.”

Then David answered Rechab and his brother Baanah, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, saying to them, “As Adonai lives, who redeemed my soul out of all distress, 10 when someone informed me saying, ‘Look, Saul is dead!’ thinking he was a bearer of good news, I seized him and killed him in Ziklag, instead of rewarding him for his news. 11 How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous person in his own house and on his bed! Should I not now require his blood from your hands and rid the earth of you?” 12 Then David commanded the young men, and they slew them, cut off their hands and their legs, and hung them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.

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