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David Occupies Jerusalem

Then the king and his men advanced to Jerusalem against the Jebusites who lived in the land. The Jebusites[a] said to David, “You cannot invade this place! Even the blind and the lame will turn you back, saying, ‘David cannot invade this place!’”

But David captured the fortress of Zion (that is, the City of David). David said on that day, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites must approach the ‘lame’ and the ‘blind’ who are David’s enemies[b] by going through the water tunnel.”[c] For this reason it is said, “The blind and the lame cannot enter the palace.”[d]

So David lived in the fortress and called it the City of David. David built all around it, from the terrace inwards. 10 David’s power grew steadily, for the Lord God[e] of Heaven’s Armies[f] was with him.[g]

11 King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs, carpenters, and stonemasons. They built a palace[h] for David. 12 David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that he had elevated his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. 13 David married more concubines and wives from Jerusalem after he arrived from Hebron. Even more sons and daughters were born to David. 14 These are the names of children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 5:6 tn The Hebrew text has “he” rather than “the Jebusites.” The referent has been specified in the translation for clarity. In the Syriac Peshitta and some mss of the Targum the verb is plural rather than singular.
  2. 2 Samuel 5:8 tc There is some confusion among the witnesses concerning this word. The Kethib is the Qal perfect third common plural שָׂנְאוּ (saneʾu, “they hated”), referring to the Jebusites’ attitude toward David. The Qere is the Qal passive participle construct plural שְׂנֻאֵי (senuʾe, “hated”), referring to David’s attitude toward the Jebusites. 4QSama has the Qal perfect third person feminine singular שָׂנְאָה (saneʾah, “hated”), the subject of which would be “the soul of David.” The difference is minor and the translation adopted above works for either the Kethib or the Qere.
  3. 2 Samuel 5:8 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term has been debated. For a survey of various views, see P. K. McCarter, II Samuel (AB), 139-40. sn If a water tunnel is in view here, it is probably the so-called Warren’s Shaft that extends up from Hezekiah’s tunnel. It would have provided a means for surprise attack against the occupants of the City of David. The LXX seems not to understand the reference here, translating “by the water shaft” as “with a small knife.”
  4. 2 Samuel 5:8 tn Heb “the house.” TEV takes this as a reference to the temple (“the Lord’s house”).
  5. 2 Samuel 5:10 tc 4QSama and the LXX lack the word “God,” probably due to harmonization with the more common biblical phrase “the Lord of hosts.”
  6. 2 Samuel 5:10 tn Traditionally, “the Lord God of hosts” (KJV, NASB); NIV, NLT “the Lord God Almighty”; CEV “the Lord (+ God NCV) All-Powerful.”
  7. 2 Samuel 5:10 tn The translation assumes that the disjunctive clause is circumstantial-causal, giving the reason for David’s success.
  8. 2 Samuel 5:11 tn Heb “a house.”

The Capture and Growth of Jerusalem

The king and his men went to Jerusalem, to the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land. They said to David, “You will not come here, for even the blind and the lame can turn you back, saying, ‘David cannot come here.’” David captured the fortress of Zion, the city of David. David had said, “On that day when we attack the Jebusites,[a] one must attack the lame and the blind, those who hate the soul of David, by means of the water supply.” For thus the blind and the lame would say, “He cannot come into the house.” David occupied the fortress and called it the city of David. And David built all around it from the Millo and inward.[b]

10 David continued growing stronger and stronger,[c] and Yahweh the God of hosts was with him. 11 So Hiram, the king of Tyre, sent messengers to David, along with cedar trees and craftsmen skilled in wood and in stone masonry,[d] and they built a house for David. 12 David realized that Yahweh had established him as king over Israel and that he had exalted his kingdom because of his people Israel. 13 David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem after he came from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born to him. 14 These are the names of the ones born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua and Shobab and Nathan and Solomon; 15 Ibhar and Elishua and Nepheg and Japhia; 16 Elishama and Eliada and Eliphelet.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 5:8 Literally “in all of the striking down the Jebusites”
  2. 2 Samuel 5:9 Literally “to the house”
  3. 2 Samuel 5:10 Literally “went going and great”
  4. 2 Samuel 5:11 Literally “skilled craftsmen of wood and skilled craftsmen of stone wall”