26427394 ii-samuel-5-commentary

TARY
Written and edited by Glenn Pease
PREFACE
This commentary is designed to give Bible students the thinking and wisdom of
many other authors all in one place to save the time of research. It is far from
perfect, for I quote from sources that have many imperfections, but the content is
clear and valuable. Sometimes I do not know the author, and anyone who does
know the author can write me, and I will give credit where it is deserved. Some I
quote may, for some good reason, desire that their wisdom not be made available in
this way. They also can write and have me delete their quotes. My e-mail is
glenn_p86@yahoo.com
David Becomes King Over Israel
1. All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and
said, "We are your own flesh and blood.
1. All the tribes sent their representatives to king David with a united voice that
proclaimed they were one with him. We are family, and we come to declare that the
family fight is over.
2. Pink, “It is precious to see that these words of all the tribes of Israel, "we are thy
bone and thy flesh," were used by them as a plea. They had long ignored his rights
and resisted his claims. They had been in open revolt against him, and deserved
nought but judgment at his hands. But now they humbled themselves before him,
and pleaded their near relation to him as a reason why he should forgive their ill-usage
of him. They were his brethren, and on that ground they sought his clemency.
3. Gill, “we [are] thy bone and thy flesh; for though he was of the tribe of Judah, yet
as all the tribes sprung from one man, they were all one bone, flesh, and blood; all
nearly related to each other, all of the same general family of which David was; and
so, according to their law, a fit person to be their king, (Deuteronomy 16:18-17:13) ;
and from whom they might expect clemency and tenderness, being so near akin to
them.”

2. In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the
one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the
LORD said to you, 'You will shepherd my people Israel,
and you will become their ruler.' "
1. We thought this was a secret, but the leaders of Israel knew it all along, even
when they joined Saul in trying to capture and kill David. They obviously lived in
fear of Saul, or they would not have gone along with his insane desire to rid the
world of David. Here were people who knew the plan and will of God for David to
be the next king, and yet they fought and resisted that will. We all tend to operate in
ignorance, for we do not know whom God may desire to be the leader of our land.
We vote based on party allegiance, or personal preferences, but we do not have any
knowledge about God's selection. These people had such knowledge and still voted
for the wrong man. This is why it took so long for David to get to the throne. It was
human weakness, and resistance to the will of God.
1B. Paul Apple, “From the time that David had killed Goliath – led them even when
Saul was on the throne; God used David mightily; “Saul has slain his thousands, and
David his ten thousands” 1 Sam. 18:7 -- people looked to David for defense and
victory over the Philistines; 1 Sam. 18:14 “David was prospering in all his ways for
the Lord was with him” --people came to him for justice even when in exile -- 1 Sam.
22:1-2; being an elder does not come from having an official title slapped on you …
but from faithfully doing the work of the ministry.”
1C. These leaders of Israel knew all along that David was anointed to be their king,
and yet they resisted and refused to let him be king. Instead they followed Abner,
and then Ish-bosheth. This foolish delay led to years of civil war and not only wasted
time, but wasted lives. Alan Carr his put together this list of the waste. The parallel,
of course, is the folly of people who know that Jesus is Savior and Lord, but who put
off submitting to him, and waste years, and resources that could be used for the
glory of God. Life is filled with tragic waste because people delay in doing what they
know is the will of God. Here is Alan's comments:
A Time Of Tragic Waste – In any war there are casualties. A quick look at 2
Samuel 2-4 reveals that the casualties in this war were severe. Let me list a few of
them.
1. 2:16-17 – Many men died in the first conflict of this war
2. 2:18-29, 32 – A young soldier named Asahel was slain by a seasoned
warrior named Abner.
3. 2:30-31 – 20 of David’s men are dead and 360 of Abner’s men die.
4. 3:27-29 – Abner is murdered by Joab
5. 4:1-12 – Ishbosheth is beheaded while he sleeps by two assassins, and they
are executed by David when they take the head of Ishbosheth to David.

Sadly, none of this ever had to be! If Israel had only bowed to the will of
the Lord and accepted David as their King, they could have been all that
grief and bloodshed. Their partial submission cost them plenty!
2. Pink, " “This too is very blessed when we look through the type to the antitype.
These humbled revolters now praised David for his former services, which before
they had overlooked; and now acknowledged the Lord’s appointment of him, which
before they had resisted. So it is in the experience of the converted. While in the
service of Saul (Satan) we have no appreciation of the work Christ has done and no
apprehension of the position of honor to which God has elevated Him: the depths of
humiliation into which the Beloved of the Father entered and the unspeakable
suffering which He endured on behalf of His people, melted not our hearts; nor did
the scepter which He now wields bring us into loving subjection to Him. But
conversion alters all this!
But more: "the Lord said to thee, Thou shalt feed My people Israel, and thou shalt be a
captain over Israel." They not only praised David for his former services, but recognizing
him as the divinely appointed shepherd of Israel they determined to put themselves
under his protection, desiring that he would rule over them in tenderness and
righteousness, for their safety and comfort, and that he would lead them forth to
victory over his enemies. This too finds its counterpart in the history of those who
are truly converted: they realize they have many foes, both within and without,
which are far too powerful for them to conquer, and therefore do they "commit the
keeping of their souls to Him" (1 Pet. 4: 19), assured that "He is able to keep . . .
against that Day" (2 Tim. 1:12). Yes, He who is bone of our bone and flesh of our
flesh is "mighty to save," "able to save unto the uttermost them that come unto God
by Him" (Heb. 7:25).
3. Deffinbaugh, "The Israelites recognize David's leadership over them in the past,
even while Saul was their king. When the people demand a king, they want a king
who will “go out before them to fight their battles” (see 1 Samuel 8:19-20).
Fundamentally, Saul defaults on his responsibility to lead Israel in battle, and it is
David who does what they have sought in a king. It was not Saul who went up
against Goliath, but David. It was not Saul who led Israel in battle, but David (at
least a one of their commanders). The Israelite elders recognize David's leadership
in doing what a king is supposed to do. In effect, the elders of Israel are
acknowledging that even when Saul was their king, David acted more like a king
than he did. They are not choosing to follow an unknown commodity (as they do
with Saul), but a man who has proven himself to be “a mighty man of valor, a
warrior” (see 1 Samuel 16:18).
The elders of Israel submit themselves to the Word of God as they recognize David
as God's choice for the next king of Israel. David has been publicly anointed as
Israel's next king (1 Samuel 16:1-13). Saul knows that David is to be Israel's next
king (1 Samuel 24:20), as do Abigail (1 Samuel 25:30), as do the Philistines (1
Samuel 21:11). All Israel has to know that David is the one God has designed to be

king in Saul's place (2 Samuel 3:9-10, 18). The Israelites are not surprised to learn
that David is Israel's next king; although they are a little slow to act on this
revelation. When the elders of Israel come to David, it is in obedience to the revealed
will of God. This is far better than their previous rebellion against God by
demanding a king in 1 Samuel 8."
4444.... ““““The house of Saul is now defunct and David is finally King of a united Israel. We
are ready for the next stage of this history. What is more, David has behaved
righteously throughout the period of civil war. If God has used sin sinlessly to put
David on the throne - the murder of Abner and the assassination of Ish-Bosheth - he
has protected David from any involvement in the sins of those around him and
David is able to demonstrate his innocence in a way that seems to have convinced
the generality of Israel that David had nothing to do with Saul's death or the death
of his commander, Abner, or his remaining son, Ish-Bosheth. David's magnanimity
to Saul's household will be further demonstrated later in his kindness to Jonathan's
son, Mephibosheth, but it has been displayed impressively in these early chapters of
2 Samuel. In other words he is being displayed as a man who loves justice and will
act to enforce it, who trusts the Lord and will not seek by sinful means to advance
the interests of his house or the nation. In this, of course, he is an image of Jesus
Christ, who would proceed in his ministry by the way of righteousness and never
make use of sinful means to advance his work.” unknown author
3. When all the elders of Israel had come to King David
at Hebron, the king made a compact with them at
Hebron before the LORD , and they anointed David
king over Israel.
1. David Chadwell summarizes this chapter, "The context of this situation should be
seen as David's determination to continue to unite Israel as a single kingdom. In 2
Samuel 5 we learn numerous things. (1) David was made King over all Israel. He
was requested to lead the Hebrews as a shepherd, not as a dictator. (2) David made
Jerusalem the new capitol of the nation. Jerusalem was not under Israel's control or
Judah's control--it previously belonged to the Jebusites. Thus it is a "neutral" city
that favored neither side as far as past history was concerned. (3) David made
Jerusalem his royal city by having his palace built there. He settled in his new home,
married additional wives and added concubines, had eleven sons who were born in
Jerusalem (the author named them and acknowledged that daughters were also
born to David at that time), (4) and the Philistines were decisively defeated."
1B. Constable, "In 1004 B.C. David became king of all Israel and Judah. This was
his third anointing (cf. 1 Sam. 16:13; 2 Sam. 2:4). The people acknowledged David's
previous military leadership of all Israel as well as God's choice of him to shepherd

His people as their king. "In the ancient East, shepherd at an early date became a
title of honor applied to divinities and rulers alike." This is the first time the Bible
refers to a specific human ruler as a shepherd, though as an analogy the term
appears earlier (

um. 27:17) and with reference to God (Gen. 48:15; 49:24). The

ew Testament refers to David's greatest son, Jesus Christ, as the "Good
Shepherd" (John 10:11, 14), the "Great Shepherd" (Heb. 13:20), and the "Chief
Shepherd" (1 Pet. 5:4). The fact that Samuel had anointed David when he was a
youth was evidently now common knowledge in Israel. Therefore we should regard
previous resistances to his assuming the throne after Saul's death as rebellions
against the known will of God. The covenant (v. 3) was an agreement between the
people and the king before God. Probably it included a fresh commitment to the
Mosaic Covenant."
1C. Gill, “...he entered into a covenant with them; he on his part promising to rule
them in justice and judgment according to the laws, and they promising to yield a
cheerful obedience to him in all things just and lawful: and this was done "before
the Lord"; either before the ark of the Lord, as Abarbinel; but that was in
Kirjathjearim, from whence it was after this brought by David to this city; rather,
as Kimchi observes, wherever all Israel, or the greater part of them, were
assembled, there the divine Shechinah or Majesty dwelt; so that what was done in a
public assembly was reckoned as done before the Lord, and in his presence; or this
covenant was made before the Lord, and each party appealed to him as witness of it,
so that it was a very solemn one.”
2. Brian Morgan, “The nation's understanding of the office of king had grown
considerably since the days of their naive euphoria at Saul's coronation. Then they
said, "Give us a king like all the other nations," and Saul was given a blank check.

ow, after decades of suffering under a self- serving despot, and numerous
examples of betrayal in high places, David's kingship is endorsed only in the form of
a covenant of mutual acceptance. "Shepherd" becomes the defining term of office.
The shepherd lives for the well being of the flock, not the other way around. He is
responsible to feed, nurture and care for them. And the best shepherds will even die
for their flock (compare Ezekiel 34 and John 10). The second term, "ruler" (nagid)
speaks of the king providing military protection for the flock (Fokkelman), and
makes room for the kingship of the Lord, to whom the king is ultimately subject.
So here is David's third anointing. It is the culmination of a long journey which he
began as a boy shepherding sheep.

ow he becomes the shepherd of an entire
nation. But it is equally the story of a nation who, through the pain of wrong
choices, has come to learn what the work of a true king is all about. The concept of
dictator is transformed to shepherd. And it is God's story. In his sovereignty, God
brings both people and king together at the proper time, to be wed in a covenant of
loyal-love. The shepherd and his people are finally one.”
3. Maclaren,“So David has reached the throne at last. Schooled by suffering, and in

the full maturity of his powers, enriched by the singularly varied experiences of his
changeful life, tempered by the swift alternations of heat and cold, polished by
friction, consolidated by heavy blows, he has been welded into a fitting instrument
for God’s purposes. Thus does He ever prepare for larger service. Thus does He
ever reward patient trust. Through trials to a throne is the law for all noble lives in
regard to their earthly progress, as well as in regard to the relation between earth
and heaven. But David is not only a pattern instance of how God trains His servants,
but he is a prophetic person; and in his progress to his kingdom we have dimly, but
really, shadowed the path by which his Son and Lord attains to His,—a path thickly
strewn with thorns, and plunging into ‘valleys of the shadow of death’ compared
with which David’s darkest hour was sunny. The psalms of the persecuted exile
have sounding through them a deeper sorrow; for they ‘testified beforehand the
sufferings of Christ.’ ‘

o cross, no crown,’ is the lesson of David’s earlier life.”
4. Pink, " 1 Chronicles 12:23-40 supplies fuller light upon the opening verses of 2
Samuel 5. There we are shown not only the numbers which came unto David from
each tribe, and with what zeal and sincerity they came, but also the gracious
reception they met with. The one whom they had so grievously wronged did not
refuse to accept them, but instead gave them a hearty and royal welcome: "And
there they were with David three days (typically, now on resurrection ground),
eating and drinking" (v. 39)—at perfect ease in his presence; "for there was joy in
Israel" (v. 40)."
3. Pink has lengthy comments on this passage. We cannot quote all, but will give
what we feel is the most important insights. "The son of Saul, though feeble and
unknown, was preferred to David; and David left the wilderness, only to be engaged
in a long and destructive struggle with those who should have welcomed him as the
gift of God for their blessing. So slowly does the hand of God effectuate its purposes
—so resolute are men in refusing to recognize any thing save that which gratifies the
tendencies of their nature, or approves itself to the calculation of their self-interest.
For seven years and six months, Abner and all the tribes of Israel fiercely assailed
David: and yet afterwards, they were not ashamed to confess, that they knew that
David was he whom God had destined to be the deliverer of Israel. They knew this,
and yet for seven years they sought to destroy him; and no doubt, all the while,
spoke of themselves, and were spoken of by others, as conscientious men fulfilling an
apprehended duty in adhering to the house of Saul. So easy is it to speak well of evil,
and to encourage iniquity by smooth words of falsehood.
"At last, however, God accomplished the long cherished desire of His servant’s
heart—the desire that He had Himself implanted—and David became the head and
governor of Israel" (B. W.

ewton). Yes, at last the hearts of these rebels were
subdued; at last they were willing to submit themselves unto David’s scepter. Ah,
note well the particular character in which David was owned by them: "thou shalt be
a captain over Israel." As we have pointed out in the introductory paragraphs, the
surrender of the men of the eleven tribes unto David, was a type of the sinner’s

conversion. This presents to us a vital and fundamental aspect of salvation which
has wellnigh disappeared from modern "evangelism." What is conversion? True
and saving conversion, we mean. It is far, far more than a believing that Jesus
Christ is the incarnate Son of God, and that He made an atonement for our sins.
Thousands believe that who are yet dead in trespasses and sins!
Conversion consists not in believing certain facts or truths made known in Holy
Writ, but lies in the complete surrender of the heart and life to a divine Person. It
consists in a throwing down of the weapons of our rebellion against Him. It is the
total disowning of allegiance to the old master—Satan, sin, self, and a declaring "we
will have this Man to reign over us" (Luke 19:14). It is owning the claims of Christ
and bowing to His rights of absolute dominion over us. It is taking His yoke upon us,
submitting unto His scepter, yielding to His blessed will. In a word, it is "receiving
Christ Jesus the Lord" (Col 2:6), giving Him the throne of our hearts, turning over
to Him the control and regulation of our lives. And, my reader, nothing short of this
is a Scriptural conversion: anything else is make-believe, a lying substitute, a fatal
deception.
In the passage now before us, these Israelites, who had for so long resisted the
claims of David, serving under the banner of his adversary instead, now desired the
king of Judah to be their king. It is evident that a great change had been wrought in
them—wrought in them by God, though He was pleased to use circumstances to
incline toward or prepare for that change: we purposely qualify our terms, for it
should be quite obvious that no mere "circumstances" could have wrought such a
change in their attitude toward the ruler of God’s appointment, unless He had so
"used" or influenced them by the same. So it is in connection with conversion: the
distressing "circumstances" of a sinner may be used of the Spirit to convict him of
the vanity of everything beneath the sun, and to teach him that no real heart
satisfaction is to be found in mere things—even though those "things" may be an
earthly mansion, with every thing in it that the flesh craves; but He must perform a
miracle of grace within the soul before any descendant of Adam is willing to pay full
allegiance to Christ as King!
4. David was thirty years old when he became king, and
he reigned forty years.
1. Constable, "Thirty years old (v. 4) was regarded as an ideal age at which to take
on responsibility (cf.

um. 4:3; Lk. 3:23)." Three prominent descendants of Jacob
began their ministries at or near the age of 30: Joseph (Gen. 41:46), David (v. 4),
and Jesus (Luke 3:23). The total years David reigned were 1011-971 B.C."

2. It was a long hard struggle for David to get to the throne, but he was a better man
for all his trials in getting there. W. Taylor wrote, “Success is not usually a sud-den
thing, or, if it be so, it is not a wholesome thing. Generally speaking, it is a
matter of time, and trial, and diligence, and study. The heat of the conservatory,
which brings the flower rapidly to maturity, does also nurse it into weakness, so that
its beauty is only short-lived; but the plant that grows in the open air is
strengthened while it grows, and is able to withstand even the biting winter's cold.
Resistance is necessary to the development of power ; and the greatest misfortune
that can befall a youth is to have no difficulties whatever with which to contend. It is
by over-mastering obstacles that a man's character is mainly made. Hence, let no
one be discouraged who is called in early life to struggle with adversity. He is
thereby only making himself for his future life-work.”
3. Ralph Waldo Emerson, “If one advances confidently in the direction of his
dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a
success unexpected in common hours.” David had reached a level of success that he
had dreamed of since he was a teenager. He goes on yet to higher and greater things,
but he has here reached the primary goal of his life to be the king of all Israel.
4. David is finally reaping the fruit of his faithfulness to God. The road of obedience
to God's known will has its share of pot holes and speed bumps, but it is the only
road that will get you to where God wants you to be. God chose David to be king,
but it took a lot of perseverance on his part to get to the throne. An unknown poet
wrote,
We must not hope to be mowers,
And to gather the ripe old ears,
Unless we have first been sowers
And watered the furrows with tears.
It is not just as we take it,
This mystical world of ours,
Life's field will yield as we make it
A harvest of thorns or of flowers.
5. David's life is a good illustration of the need for a goal to pursue. If you have a
goal to aim for, it makes it much easier to keep on striving to reach it when there are
obstacles in the way. If you have no goal, it does not matter if you give up and do not
press on, for you do not have the motivation to keep going. If you have an important
goal to reach, it will keep your focus on the right direction when circumstances are
forcing you to be distracted by other things. David could have become a permanent
outlaw, and settled down in his partnership with the enemies of Israel, but he never
gave up until he reached his goal of becoming king. We need to get a goal and keep
pursuing it until we reach it by the grace and guidance of God. Larry S. Chengges
wrote-
“Reach For Your Goals

Whatever the goal we're pursuing,
no matter how rugged the climb,
we're certain to get there by trying our best,
and taking one day at a time.
"Forever" is hard to imagine,
"The Future" may seem far away --
but every new dawn brings a wonderful
chance to do what we can on that day.
As you reach for the goals you would like
to achieve, may you find all the strength you
will need -- to meet every challenge, one step
at a time till the day when you proudly
SUCCEED!”
5555.... In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six
months, and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and
Judah thirty-three years.
1. Phillip S. Washburn, "How did Jerusalem get to be Jerusalem? The answer:
more or less the same way Washington D.C. got to be Washington D. C. Just look at
where Washington D.C., where the District of Columbia, is located. It's
approximately midway between the northern and southern colonies that became the
first thirteen states. Washington D.C. was neither north nor south. The actual site
belonged to no state. To this day it's a district, not a state.
And why did they feel the need to do this? To pick a neutral site? Answer: because
the union they were trying to put together was fragile...was a touch and go thing.
From the start the north and the south were profoundly at odds with each other.

ow, according to the Bible, David makes Jerusalem his Royal City--his seat of
government. Why? Same reason: to make possible a fragile union between two
territories profoundly at odds with each other."
David Conquers Jerusalem
6. The king and his men marched to Jerusalem to
attack the Jebusites, who lived there. The Jebusites said

to David, "You will not get in here; even the blind and
the lame can ward you off." They thought, "David
cannot get in here."
1. David wasted no time in taking action as the leader of all Israel. He was
determined that Jerusalem would be his capital city, and he marched with his army
to take it as soon as he became king. He does take it, but there is so little told us of
how it happened that commentators are mystified as to why there is no description
of one of the most important battles of David's life.
1B. Robert Roe, "David is now king of all Israel with headquarters at Hebron, the
capital of Judah. He wants to move his capital to Jerusalem, the city where, in
Abraham's time, Melchizedek was king and God was the High Priest. This was
brilliant thinking. It would eliminate the foreign wedge between the southern and
northern tribes. At this time, though, the city was called Jebus and was partially
held by the Jebusites, the local Canaanites. Jerusalem was a city of hills. Mt. Zion,
the southern hill, was very high and had valleys on two sides so it needed defence on
only one side. The Jebusites had built a citadel on that side and for 400 hundred
years had successfully resisted the attempts of the Jews to displace them. At this
time, the northern part of Jebus was inhabited by the Benjamites and the southern
part by the Jebusites who were quite safe in their citadel. They had a water supply
which had been provided by digging a 40 ft. shaft through rock down to the one
perpetual spring in all of Jerusalem which was just outside of this hill. They had
access to the water through this shaft and could sit up there with an abundant
supply of water. Incidentally, this is the same water source that Hezekiah accessed
by digging a 1800' tunnel from the Pool of Siloam. You can walk through it today.
This has been a source of water for Jerusalem for many years. It was very helpful
during sieges. Outside Jerusalem there is nothing. Any invading army attempting a
siege had to bring water from a long distance. It was quite a burden on them.
Meanwhile the Jews could sit inside the city drinking bubbly, fresh, pure, spring
water. At the time we are discussing here, so could the Jebusites. The place where
God wanted to establish his name was a defiant force of Amorites. It was the ideal
city for David to take. It did not belong to anybody yet, literally, that is. If he wanted
to unite the tribes of Israel, instead of some city that would cause jealousy, here was
a city in Benjamin, yet not really belonging to Benjamin, which had been
unconquerable for 400 years. It had real political implications. It would bring the
tribes together in a neutral position, and, if he could take it, it would display David's
remarkable ability to fight, to be their king, their leader, their captain. So his first
move in attempting to consolidate his empire was to move against the Jebusites. He
probably did it immediately because he had a large group of troops here which had
gathered to make him king."
2. Pink has the most detailed comments on the life of David. It is hard to choose
from his many comments. Here is the best from my perspective: “In 2 Samuel 5:6-9

a brief record is given of David wresting the stronghold of Zion out of the hands of
the Canaanites, and of his making it the capital of his kingdom. This, it is to be
noted, is the first thing recorded of our hero after all the tribes of Israel had made
him their king. By noting that order we pointed out that the coronation of David,
after the season which is now to be considered by us. In the previous chapter, we
pointed out that the coronation of David, after the season of his humiliation, was a
beautiful foreshadowing of the exaltation of His Son and Lord, the enthronement on
High of that blessed One who had been, in the main, despised and rejected by men
on earth. It therefore follows that the noble exploits of David after he came to the
throne, strikingly prefigured the work and triumphs of our ascended and glorified
Redeemer. It is thus, by looking beneath the mere historical upon the pages of the
Old Testament that we discover "in the volume of the Book" it is written of Christ.
The long-cherished desire of David’s heart—implanted there by God Himself—had
been accomplished, and he was now the head and governor of Israel. His real work
had only just commenced, his most glorious achievements were still to be
accomplished. His being crowned king over all Israel was but preparatory unto the
royal conquests he was to make. His previous exploits only served to manifest his
qualifications for the honored position and the important work which God had
appointed him. So it was with the Antitype. The enthronement of the Mediator at
the right hand of the Majesty on high was but the introduction to the stupendous
undertaking which God had assigned Him, for "He must reign till He bath put all
enemies under His feet" (1 Cor. 15:25)—a very plain intimation that His "reign"
has already commenced. The life-work, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
simply laid the foundation upon which His royal conquests are now being achieved.
It is a great and serious mistake made by many to suppose that the Lord Jesus is
now inactive, and to regard His being "seated" as denoting a state of inertia—such
Scriptures as Acts 7:55 and Revelation 2:1 ought at once to correct such an idea.
The word "sat" in Scripture marks an end and a beginning: the process of
preparation is ended, and established order is begun (cf. Gen. 2:2; Acts 2:3). We say
again that the real work of Christ (His atonement but laying the foundation thereof)
began only after He was invested with "all power (i.e. ‘authority’) in heaven and in
earth" (Matthew 28:18). This was plainly announced in the Messianic Psalms: after
God has set His king upon His holy hill of Zion, He was to ask of Him and the
heathen would be given Him for His inheritance, and He would reign over them
with a "rod of iron" (Ps. 2). "Rule Thou in the midst of Thine enemies," was the
Father’s word to Him (Ps. 110).
To His chosen servants the Lord Jesus declared "Lo, I am with you alway, unto the
end of the world" (Matthew 28:20). On the day of Pentecost Peter declared,
"Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the
Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He (Jesus) hath shed forth this, which ye now
see and hear" (Acts 2:33). Later, we are told, "they went forth, and preached
everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the Word with signs
following" (Mark 16:20). There is much in the book of Revelation which makes

known to us the various activities in which the ascended Saviour is engaged, into
which we cannot enter. But sufficient has here been produced to show that the King
of saints is now wielding His mighty scepter to good effect.
Most blessedly was that which has been before us above typed out by the crowned
David. Upon his ascension to the throne he was far from indulging in ease or self-luxuriation.
It was now that his best achievements were accomplished. In that
section of 2 Samuel which we are entering we behold David capturing the
stronghold of Zion, vanquishing the Philistines, providing a resting-place for the
holy ark, and being concerned in building a temple for the worship of Jehovah. So
blessed is each of these incidents, so rich is their typical and spiritual import, that
we purpose, the Lord enabling, to devote a chapter unto the separate consideration
of each of them. May the Spirit of Truth graciously undertake for both writer and
reader, giving us eyes to see and hearts to appreciate the "wondrous things" hidden
away in this portion of God’s Holy Word."
3. Henry, ""If Salem, the place which Melchizedek was king of, was Jerusalem (as
seems probable from Ps. 76:2), it was famous in Abraham’s time; Joshua in his
times found it the chief city of the south part of Canaan: Joshua 10:1, 3. it fell to
Benjamin’s lot (Josh. 18:28), but joined close to Judah’s (Josh. 15:8). The children
of Judah had taken it (Judges 1:8), but the children of Benjamin suffered the
Jebusites to dwell among them (Judges 1:21); and they grew so upon them that it
became a city of Jebusites (Judges 19:21).

ow the very first exploit David did after
he was anointed king over all Israel, was to gain Jerusalem out of the hands of the
Jebusites; which, because it belonged to Benjamin, he could not well attempt till that
tribe, which long adhered to Saul’s house, submitted to him"
4. The Jebusites had nothing but insulting contempt for David and his army. They
said our handicap people could defend us against you. We will give our soldiers a
vacation, and leave our defenses in the hands of the blind and lame, and sleep in
peace with no fear of you. This sounds a lot like the pride and overconfidence that
David remembers hearing from Goliath before he shut him up by removing his
head.
5. Constable, "Jerusalem was an excellent choice for a capital. It stood on the
border between Benjamin and Judah so both tribes felt they had a claim to it. It was
better than Hebron in southern Judah far from the northern tribes, or Shechem,
Shiloh, or some other northern town that would have been too far from the
Judahites. Joshua had captured Jerusalem (Josh. 10), but shortly after that the
native inhabitants, the Jebusites, retook it (Judg. 1:21). The Jebusites were
descendants of Jebus, the third son of Canaan (Gen. 10:16; 1 Chron. 1:14).
It seems to have remained in Jebusite control since then. Its elevated location,
surrounded on three sides by valleys, made it fairly easy to defend. David may have
chosen Jerusalem also because he appears to have seen himself as the spiritual
successor of Melchizedek, a former king of Jerusalem in Abraham's day (Gen. 14;
cf. Ps. 110:4-6) One scholar estimated that the population of the city at this time was

about 2,500 people "Jerusalem is usually described as a city-state, and the position
envisaged after its storming by David and his troops is that it remained a city-state;
the coming of David meant only a change of city ruler. . . . The inhabitants
remained, but their fortress had now become the personal possession of David and
was under his control. Joab captured the city for David, and from then on people
referred to it as the City of David and Zion (1 Chron. 11:6)."
6. Keil, “ The Jebusites relied upon the unusual natural advantages of their citadel,
which stood upon Mount Zion, a mountain shut in by deep valleys on three different
sides; so that in their haughty self-security they imagined that they did not even
need to employ healthy and powerful warriors to resist the attack made by David,
but that the blind and lame would suffice.”
7. Gill, “which many understand of their idols and images, which had eyes, but saw
not, and feet, but walked not, which therefore David and his men in derision called
the blind and lame; these the Jebusites placed for the defence of their city, and put
great confidence in them for the security of it, and therefore said to David, unless
you can remove these, which you scornfully call the blind and the lame, you will
never be able to take the place. And certain it is the Heathens had their tutelar gods
for their cities as well as their houses, in which they greatly trusted for their safety;
and therefore with the Romans, when they besieged a city, the first thing they
attempted to do was by any means, as by songs particularly, to get the tutelar gods
out of it F2; believing otherwise it would never be taken by them; or if it could, it
was not lawful to make the gods captives F3: and to this sense most of the Jewish
commentators agree, as Kimchi, Jarchi, Ben Gersom, and R. Isaiah, who take them
to be images; some say, made of brass, which were placed either in the streets of the
city, or on the towers: it was usual with all nations to place on their walls both their
household and country gods, to defend them from the enemy F4. A learned
countryman of ours F5 is of opinion that these were statues or images talismanically
made, under a certain constellation, by some skilful in astrology, placed in the recess
of the fort, and intrusted with the keeping of it, and in which the utmost confidence
was put: but it seems better with Aben Ezra and Abarbinel, and so Josephus F6, to
understand this of blind and lame men; and that the sense is, that the Jebusites had
such an opinion of the strength of their city, that a few blind and lame men were
sufficient to defend it against David and his army; and perhaps in contempt of him
placed some invalids, blind and lame men, on the walls of it, and jeeringly told him,
that unless he could remove them, he would never take the city:”
7777....

evertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion,
the City of David.

1. Words have power, but they can also be weak and meaningless, as were the words
of the Jebusites. David did not pay attention to their words. He just went ahead and
got in the city anyway and took it for his own capital. The words of men need not
stop us when we have the Word of God to move forward.
2. "The choice of Jerusalem was a master-stroke and, of course, that decision still
reverberates in the politics of our world 3,000 years later. Zion seems to have been
the name of the hill on which the fortress stood (remember, Jerusalem would have
been much smaller in those days), a name that subsequently was extended to cover
the entire city, and then, by metonymy, to the entire nation of which it was the
capital. We do the same today when we speak of Washington consulting with
London about the situation in Kabul. Ponder for a moment those two names -
Jerusalem and Zion - and their place in the culture of the world and the heart of the
church: all because of David's decision to make his capital this particular Jebusite
city. Jerusalem in Christian thought and song is the church of Christ, it is also the
image of heaven itself." author unknown
3. Brian Morgan, "There is no emotional response recorded of David, nor is a single
detail of the battle given. There is but one verb of action, indicating that David
captured the stronghold of Zion. The silence, and the glaring absence of detail,
speak of the ease with which the city fell. The only thing we are privy to is the
inscription of the county recorder, who inscribes the city's new name in the books:
"the stronghold of Zion, the city of David." With one stroke of the pen, the long-time
settlers are dispossessed and the new king moves in. The once impenetrable
stronghold is now David's city."
4. Rossier, “Often facts of immense bearing are treated by the Word in a very few
verses. We cannot measure the value that God sets on an event by the length of the
account about it. Sometimes a short parenthesis contains a vast amount of most
profound truths, for example: the parenthesis in the first chapter of Ephesians
which unfolds the counsels of God concerning Christ and the Church (Eph. 1: 20-
23). Likewise the first three verses of Revelation 21 introduce us into all the glories
of eternity. And again, Psalm 23 in six verses gives us the entire life, conduct, and
experiences of the believer on earth from the cross to his introduction into the house
of the Lord. We could vastly multiply these examples. We find one such example in
the passage before us now. It concerns the capture of Jerusalem. This is the
beginning of an entirely new manner in which God now acts: it is the establishment
of His grace in the person of the king — power united with grace in order to
accomplish God's intentions when on man's side everything has failed.”
5. Maclaren, “2 Samuel 5:7 tells what the answer to this mocking shout from the
ramparts was, David did the impossible, and took the city. Courage built on faith
has a way of making the world’s predictions of what it cannot do look rather
ridiculous. David wastes no words in answering the taunt; but it stirs him to fierce
anger, and nerves him and his men for their desperate charge. The obscure words in

2 Samuel 5:8 , which he speaks to his soldiers, do not need the supplement given in
the Authorized Version. The king’s quick eye had seen a practical path for scaling
the cliffs up some watercourse, where there might be projections or vegetation to
pull oneself up by, or shelter which would hide the assailants from the defenders;
and he bids any one who would smite the Jebusites take that road up, and, when he
is up, ‘smite.’ He heartens his men for the assault by his description of the enemy.
They had talked about ‘blind and lame’; that is what they really are, or as unable to
stand against the Israelites’ fierce and sudden burst as if they were: and
furthermore, they are’ hated of David’s soul.’ It is a flash of the rage of battle which
shows us David in a new light. He was a born captain as well as king; and here he
exhibits the general’s power to see, as by instinct, the weak point and to hurl his
men on it. His swift decision and fiery eloquence stir his men’s blood like the sound
of a trumpet.
The proverb that rose from the capture is best read as in the Revised Version:
‘There are the blind and the lame; he cannot come into the house.’
The point of it seems to be that, notwithstanding the bragging Jebusites, he did
‘come into the house’; and so its use would be to ridicule boasting confidence that
was falsified by events, as the Jebusites’ had been. It was worth while to record the
boast and its end; for they teach the always seasonable lesson of the folly of over-confidence
in apparently impregnable defences. It is a lesson of worldly prudence,
but still more of religion. There is always some ‘watercourse’ overlooked by us, up
which the enemy may make his way. Overestimate of our own strength and its
companion folly, flippant underestimate of the enemy’s power, are, in all worldly
affairs, the sure precursors of disaster; and in the Christian life the only safe temper
is that of the man who ‘feareth always,’ as knowing his own weakness and the
strength of his foe, and thereby is driven to that trust which casts out fear.”
8. On that day, David said, "Anyone who conquers the
Jebusites will have to use the water shaft to reach those
'lame and blind' who are David's enemies. " That is
why they say, "The 'blind and lame' will not enter the
palace."
1. Pink, “The literal or material "Zion" was a steep hill which lay just outside
Jerusalem, to the south west, on which had been built a fortress to protect the city.
It had two heads or peaks: Moriah, on which the temple was afterwards erected,
and the other on which was built the future residence of the kings of Israel. So steep
and inaccessible was Zion that, like a smaller Gibraltar, it had remained in the
hands of Israel’s foes. But undeterred by the natural difficulties and unmoved by

the contemptuous confidence of the Jebusites, David succeeded in wresting it from
the enemy, and became the founder of that Jerusalem which existed from that time
onwards."
2. Barnes, “The only access to the citadel was where the water had worn a channel
(some understand a subterranean channel), and where there was, in consequence,
some vegetation in the rock. Joab (see the marginal reference) took the hint, and
with all the activity that had distinguished his brother Anabel 2Sa_2:18, climbed up
first. The blind and the lame are either literally such, placed there in derision by the
Jebusites who thought the stronghold impregnable, or they are the Jebusite
garrison, so called in derision by David.
Wherefore they said ... - i. e. it became a proverb (as in 1Sa_19:24). The proverb
seems merely to have arisen from the blind and the lame being the hated of David’s
soul, and hence, to have been used proverbially of any that were hated, or
unwelcome, or disagreeable.”
3. Rober Roe, "In I Chronicles 11, he issues a challenge, whoever is first up the
water shaft and attacks the Jebusites shall be commander and captain of all Israel,
and Joab does just that. Joab may be an unprincipled character but he is smart, and
he is a good leader. He takes the gang up through the water shaft, breaks out into
the city and takes the whole citadel. He may have had in mind how the city of
Babylon was taken. Babylon also was impregnable. It was designed to be self-sustaining
with fields for growing food within its thick walls. With the Euphrates
river running through the middle of it, all nature of crops, fruits, nuts, cereals, could
be grown. It was fourteen miles on each side and had walls thick enough to race four
horse chariots along the top rushing troops from place to place. Well, Darius, the
Mede was pretty smart. When he wanted to take the city, which was down on the
plain, up behind the hill he built a viaduct. Then one night, when he wanted to take
the city, he collapsed the walls into the river thus making a dam and forcing the
water down this viaduct and around the city. His troops, then, just followed the
receding water down the river bed, walked under the city walls and slaughtered the
inhabitants. This is very much akin to what Joab did. This could be where David got
his idea of slipping up the shaft."
9. David then took up residence in the fortress and
called it the City of David. He built up the area around
it, from the supporting terraces inward.
1. Once you start quoting Pink it is hard to know where to stop. He has more than
what I am quoting, but this long quote gives his thought quite clearly. "

would be little or no difficulty in our perceiving the typical significance of the above
were it not that so many of our minds have been blinded by the errors of modern
"dispensationalism." A careful study of the connections in which "Zion" is found in
the Psalms and Prophets, makes it clear that "Zion" was the name by which the Old
Testament Church was usually called. "For the Lord hath chosen Zion; He hath
desired it for His habitation. This is My rest forever: here will I dwell; for I have
desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread. I
will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.
There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for Mine
Anointed" (Ps. 132:13-17). Let the dubious (and also the interested) reader ponder
such verses as Psalms 74:2; 87:5; 102:13; 128:5; 133:3; Isaiah 51:16.
The Old Testament Church was designated "Zion" after the mount on which the
Temple was built, whither the tribes of Israel went up to worship Jehovah, who
dwelt between the cherubim. This name was duly transferred to the

ew Testament
Church, which is grafted into the Old, as the teaching upon the "olive" tree in
Romans 11 shows, and as the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 2:19-22 and 3:6 expressly
states. Such passages as Romans 11:26 (note carefully it is "out of Sion" and not
"unto Sion"); Hebrews 12:22; 1 Peter 2:6; Revelation 14:1, make it plain that the

ew Testament Church is denominated "Sion," for the Church is now God’s abode
upon earth, His "temple" (2 Cor. 6:16), His "city" (Eph. 2:19), His "Jerusalem"
(Gal. 4:26—"which is above" is not to be understood astronomically, but means
"which excels"). Thus, all that is spoken of "Zion," of "the city of God," of
"Jerusalem" in the Old Testament in a spiritual way belongs unto Christians now,
and is for their faith to appropriate and enjoy.
The history of Jerusalem and Zion (for they are inseparably connected) accurately
foreshadowed what is found spiritually in the antitype. The first reference to the
same in Scripture presents that city as being under the benign scepter of
Melchizedek (Gen. 14: 18): so, originally, the Church was blest with all spiritual
blessings in Christ (Eph. 1:3). But, next, we see this city no longer in subjection to
the servant of God, but fallen into the hands of the heathen: so the Church
apostatized in Adam, God’s elect sinking to the natural level of the non-elect. Zion
now became inhabited by a race who were under the curse of God (Gen. 9:25): so, in
consequence of the Fall, God’s elect were by nature "the children of wrath even as
others" (Eph. 2:3). For centuries Zion refused to be subject unto the people of God
(Josh. 15:63, Judges 1:21); so the Gentiles were "aliens from the commonwealth of
Israel" etc. (Eph. 2:11, 12).
But, eventually, Zion was subdued and captured by David, and made his royal residence,
the Temple also being erected upon one of its mounts. Thus the stronghold of the enemy
was converted into a habitation of God, and became the throne of His government upon
earth. Wondrous figure was this of Christ’s conquest of the Gentile Church (Acts 15:14)
unto Himself, wresting it out of the hand of the enemy, bringing it into subjection
unto Himself, and setting up His throne in the hearts of its individual members.
Announcement to this effect was made by the Saviour when He declared, in view of
His immediate death (v. 32), "

ow shall the Prince of this world be cast out" (John
12:31). Satan was to be dethroned and driven from his dominion, so that Christ

would "draw" unto Himself many of those over whom the devil had reigned (Eph.
2:2). It is to be noted that the tense of the verb there denotes that the "casting out"
of Satan would be as gradual as the "drawing" (Alford).
At the Cross the Lord Jesus "spoiled principalities and powers," and at His ascension He
"made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it" (Col. 2:15 and cf. Eph. 4:8).
At Calvary Satan’s hold over the world was broken: "the Prince of this world is judged"
(John 16:11). Then it was that the "strong man" (the devil) was "overcome" by One
stronger than himself, his armor being taken from him, and his "spoils" (captives) divided
(Luke 11:21, 22). And a manifestation of this fact is made every time an elect soul is
"delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of God’s
dear Son" (Col. 1:13). Christ’s frequent casting out of demons. from the bodies of
men during the days of His flesh presaged His delivering the souls of His redeemed
from the dominion of Satan during this Gospel era.
That which our present type sets forth is not the Lord Jesus paying the ransom-price
for the purchase of His people (particularly, those among the Gentiles), but His
actual redeeming or delivering them from the power of the enemy. As David’s
capture of Zion followed his coronation, so that work his conquest prefigured
pointed to the victorious activities of Christ after His ascension. It is that which was
foretold in Psalm 110: 1-3. First, "Sit Thou at My right hand." Second, "The Lord
shall send the rod of Thy strength (the Gospel in the power of the Spirit) out of
Zion." Third, "Thy people shall be willing in the day of Thy power." One by one
those whom the Father gave to Christ are subdued by His grace, made willing to
throw down the weapons of their warfare against His Son, and His throne is set up
in their hearts (2 Cor. 10:5).
10. And he became more and more powerful, because
the LORD God Almighty was with him.
1. Pink, " The tide of fortune had turned, and the once despised fugitive now waxed
great in power and reputation, in wealth and honor, subduing his enemies, and
enlarging his dominion. But all his success and prosperity was entirely owing to
Jehovah showing Himself strong on his behalf: without His enablement, none of us
can accomplish anything good (John 15:5)."
2. Peter Wade, “God's secrets of success are the only secrets that really have
guaranteed results. Certainly there is help in the many success books, magazines,
and tapes that are now available, but I believe God planned success for His people
from the beginning of time. In Joshua 1:8 God said, "This Book of the Law shall not
depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may
observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way
prosperous, and then you will have good success." In my particular copy of the

Bible I have underlined the two words "then", so that the guarantee stands out
when I read that passage. This promise of prosperity and success is clearly based
upon knowing God's principles and acting upon them. To know these principles you
must meditate in the Bible day and night, that is, constantly. Then you must act
upon the rich, divine prospering ideas that God will give you. "You will make your
way prosperous..." You will do the work, but God has guaranteed the success. “
11

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