2 Samuel
Chapter 5
David, King of Israel
All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said: “We are your bone and flesh.
In the past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led Israel. And the Lord said to you, ‘You shall be the shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be commander over Israel.’”
Before the Lord, King David agreed with the elders of Israel who came to him at Hebron. They anointed him king of Israel.
David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for forty years:
he reigned over Judah, from Hebron, seven and a half years; and over Israel and Judah, from Jerusalem, for thirty-three years.
Conquest of Jerusalem
The king and his men set out for Jerusalem to fight the Jebusites who lived there. They said to David: “If you try to break in here, the blind and the lame will drive you away,” which meant that David could not get in.
Yet David captured the fortress of Zion, which became the “city of David.”
That day, David said: “Whoever wants to defeat the Jebusites, let him reach these lame and blind David’s enemies through the tunnel for fetching water.” From this came the saying, “The blind and the lame shall not enter the house.”
David lived in the fortress, calling it the city of David, and proceeded to build the city around it, from the Millo and inside as well.
David grew more powerful, for the Lord, the God of Hosts, was with him.
Hiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers to David with cedar trees, carpenters, and masons to build a house for David.
David then understood that the Lord had made him king over Israel and had exalted his reign for the sake of his people Israel.
After David had come from Hebron, he took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him.
These are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,
Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia,
Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.
Battles with the Philistines
When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king of Israel, they went to search for him. On hearing this, David went down to the stronghold.
When the Philistines overran the valley of Rephaim,
David consulted the Lord:“Shall I attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?” The Lord answered David: “Go ahead, for I will certainly deliver the Philistines into your hands.”
So David came to Baal-perazim, where he defeated them. He said: “The Lord has scattered my enemies before me like a sudden bursting flood.” That place is called Baal-perazim.
There, the Philistines left their idols, and David and his men picked them up.
The Philistines went up again and overran the valley of Rephaim.
David consulted the Lord, who said: “Do not go up straight, but circle and attack them from behind when you are in front of the balsam trees.
Once you hear a marching sound on top of the balsam trees, act quickly, for the Lord is going ahead of you to attack the Philistine army.”
David obeyed the Lord’s command and struck down the Philistines from Giba to as far as Gezer.
Commentaries
David, King of Israel.
With Abner and Ishbaal gone, David becomes the center of all hopes. A growing sense of brotherhood replaces Israel’s opposition to Judah. What Abimelech told the men of Shechem to support his claim to the throne (Judges 9) is reflected in how the tribes recognize David. The covenant between the king and the people has a constitutional tone, implying an oath of mutual loyalty and often including several clauses. The elders, as leaders of the entire population, serve as mediators in the anointing process.
Conquest of Jerusalem.
The conquest of Jerusalem and its establishment as the kingdom’s capital probably took place after the final victory over the Philistines, possibly following other foreign campaigns. The author strongly highlights the theological connection between David’s selection as king and Jerusalem’s designation as the capital. From that point on, they will form a strong unity as a new act of the Lord and the beginning of a new historical era. Therefore, it makes sense to present these two events together at the start of the narrative. David chooses to establish a new capital—a city without tribal ties, well located, and of great strategic importance: Jerusalem, a symbol of Canaanite resilience and resistance.
David’s decision demonstrates boldness and foresight. It is bold because it involves a risky challenge, and a failed attack could damage the new king’s reputation. Foresight, as history shows, makes Jerusalem spiritually important for Israel and later for the Jews, far beyond its physical, strategic, and urban value. By examining the facts, David recognizes his divine destiny: he is a king by God’s grace, serving the people not as a privilege but as a responsibility. Since the people belong to the Lord, David acts as a vassal and mediator serving them. His role as a vassal in Gath and likely in Hebron reflects the new historical context. Verses 13-16 indicate the future heir: he will be one of the sons born in Jerusalem, not from Hebron.