Paul Kretzmann Commentary - 2 Samuel 5:6 - 5:16

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Paul Kretzmann Commentary - 2 Samuel 5:6 - 5:16


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Jerusalem made the Capital

v. 6. And the king and his men,
all the soldiers of the regular army, went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, for this heathen tribe of the hill country still held the fortress of the city, Jdg_1:21; which spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither, literally, "Not wilt thou come in, but there will drive thee away the blind and the lame"; thinking, the Jebusites meant to say, David cannot come in hither. They were so firmly convinced that their fortress was impregnable that they considered the blind and the lame a sufficient guard for the defense of its walls.

v. 7. Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion,
the southern and highest hill of Jerusalem; the same is the City of David. The name Zion afterwards was applied to the Temple of Jehovah situated on this hill, and so finally was used as a designation of the Church of God, both in the Old and in the New Testament. A special incident of the siege of Jerusalem is now mentioned.

v. 8. And David said on that day,
while preparing to storm the fortress, Whosoever getteth up to the gutter and smiteth the Jebusites and the lame and the blind, that are hated of David's soul, he shall be chief and captain, 1Ch_11:6-9. The difficult passage is best rendered: Every one who conquers the Jebusites, let him cast into the waterfall both the lame and the blind, hated of David's soul. The expression "blind and lame" applied to all the Jebusites, and the order to throw the slain down the declivity was given in order to gain space for the hand-to-hand encounter in the fortress. Wherefore they said, it became a proverbial saying, The blind and the lame, undesirable people like the Jebusites, shall not come in to the house.

v. 9. So David dwelt in the fort,
making the castle his residence, and called it the City of David. And David built round about from Millo, the citadel or fortification proper, and inward; the fort being on the most exposed point, he strengthened the defenses between it and his residence. Thus the entire upper city became one huge fortress.

v. 10. And David went on and grew great,
he continued to gain in power, influence, and prestige, and the Lord God of hosts, Jehovah God of Sabaoth, was with him. He owed not only his kingdom, but all the success which attended him to the blessing of the covenant God. Jerusalem, nearer to the center of Canaan than Hebron, was now the capital of all the tribes.

v. 11. And Hiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers to David,
a formal embassy, in order to establish friendly relations with the neighboring state, and cedar-trees, whose wood was much used for costly buildings, and carpenters, and masons; and they built David an house, the first fine palace of the kings of Judah.

v. 12. And David perceived,
from the success which attended all his undertakings, that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for His people Israel's sake, because He had chosen Israel for His people and promised to make it great and powerful.

v. 13. And David took him more concubines and wives of Jerusalem,
according to the custom of Oriental monarchs, after he was come from Hebron. In the law pertaining to kings, Deu_17:17, the taking of many wives had indeed been forbidden the kings of Israel, and David found out to his sorrow that his following the custom of the heathen kings brought him much trouble and heartache. And there were yet sons and daughters born to David.

v. 14. And these be the names of those that were born unto him in Jerusalem; Shammuah, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon,


v. 15. Ibhar also, and Elishua
(or Elishama, 1Ch_3:6), and Nepheg, and Jephia,

v. 16. and Elishama, and Eliada
(or Beeliada, 1Ch_14:7), and Eliphalet. Thus God was with David and established his rule, for under His blessing alone true progress is possible.