INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 5 In this chapter we have an account of all the tribes of Israel coming to Hebron, and anointing David king over them, 2 Samuel 5:1; of his expedition against the Jebusites in Jerusalem, and taking from them the strong hold of Zion, 2 Samuel 5:6; of his building an house for himself, and of his building up his family,...
Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron,.... All the rest of the tribes, save the tribe of Judah, who had made him king over them in Hebron seven years ago. These were ambassadors sent in the name of the several tribes to him, quickly after the deaths of Abner and Ishbosheth; from having any hand in which David had sufficiently...
How far Abner's deserting the house of Saul, his murder, and the murder of Ish-bosheth, might contribute to the perfecting of the revolution, and the establishing of David as king over all Israel, does not appear; but, it should seem, that happy change followed presently thereupon, which in this chapter we have an account of. Here is, I. David...
Also in time past, when Saul was king over us,.... Even over all the tribes of Israel: thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel; that led out the armies of Israel against their enemies, fought their battles for them, obtained victories, and brought the troops under his command home in safety; and the remembrance of these valiant acts...
So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron,.... Which either explains what is meant by the tribes coming to him, 2 Samuel 5:1; namely, coming by their elders as their representatives; or else the meaning is, that the messengers the tribes sent, when they returned and reported the favourable reception they had met with from David; the...
David [was] thirty years old when he began reign,.... Over Judah, which was the age of his antitype Christ, when he entered upon his public ministry, Lu 3:23; [and] he reigned forty years; and six months, as appears by 2 Samuel 5:5; but the months are not mentioned, only the round number of years given: two reasons the Jews (a) give for this; the...
In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months,.... So long the kingdom of Israel continued in the house of Saul after his death; and by this it appears that David was near thirty eight years of age when the elders of Israel came and made him their king: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah;...
And the king and his men went to Jerusalem,.... Which, at least part of it, belonged to the tribe of Benjamin; and therefore until all Israel, and that tribe, with the rest, made him king, he did not attempt the reduction of it, but now he immediately set out on an expedition against it: unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: who...
Nevertheless, David took the strong hold of Zion,.... A fortress without the city, and separate from it, and which was very strong; and the taking it might facilitate the taking of the city, which yet as appears by what follows, was very difficult to do: the same [is] the city of David; it was afterwards so called, where he built an house, and...
And David said on that day,.... On which he took the strong hold of Zion: whosoever getteth up to the gutter; where it is generally supposed the blind and lame were, whether images or real men: but what is meant by "Tzinnur", we render "gutter", is not easy to say; we follow some of the Jewish writers, who take it to be a canal, or water spout,...
So David dwelt in the fort,.... The strong hold of Zion, which he took: and called it the city of David; from his own name, to keep up the memory of his taking it, and of his habitation in it: and David built round about, from Millo and inward; built a wall about it, and enlarged the place, increased the buildings both within and without. Millo is...
And David went on, and grew great,.... In honour and wealth, in fame and reputation, in subduing his enemies, obtaining conquests over them, and enlarging his dominions: and the Lord God of hosts, of armies above and below, [was] with him: to whom all his prosperity and success was owing. The Targum is, "the Word of the Lord God of hosts was for...
And Hiram king of Tyre,.... This was father of that Hiram that lived in the times of Solomon, whose name was Abibalus before he took the name of Hiram, which became a common name of the kings of Tyre; his former name may be seen in the ancient historians quoted by Josephus (s); of the city of Tyre, [See comments on Isaiah 23:1]; which was built...
And David perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel,.... By the prosperity and success which attended him in everything he set his hand to: and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel's sake; for their advantage and glory more than for his own.
And David took [him] more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron,.... He had six when he was at Hebron, 2 Samuel 3:2, and now he took more, which was not to his honour, and contrary to the law of God, Deuteronomy 17:17; the concubines were a sort of half wives, as the word may signify, or secondary ones, and under the...
And these [be] the names of those that were born unto him in Jerusalem,.... The names of his sons, for his daughters are not mentioned, and these seem to be such only that were born of his wives, see 1 Chronicles 3:9; Shammua, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon; these four were by Bathsheba; the first of these is called Shimea, 1 Chronicles 3:5.
And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphalet. Seven more by some other wife or wives; nine are mentioned in 1 Chronicles 3:6; there being in that account two Eliphalets, and another called Nogah; which two, one of the Eliphalets, and Nogah, might die without sons, as Kimchi thinks, and so are not mentioned here.
But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel,.... That the civil war in the nation was now at an end, which they hoped would have issued in their destruction, and therefore lay still and quiet; but now being united under the government of David, and he hereby greatly strengthened and become powerful; and hearing...
But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David, To thrust him down, and kill him if they could, and so put an end to his prosperous reign.