1 All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “We are your own flesh and blood. 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.’”
All of Israel knew this and yet David spent one year and four months in Philistia, not to mention all the time being chased by Saul prior to that, and then seven years in Hebron before they all realized this. We have all had this experience, God speaks a word to us but we don’t want to receive it until we finally realize that word is our salvation.
3 When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel.
Is this the third time he has been anointed? First by Samuel, then by Judah and now by all of Israel. They made a covenant with him. Saul served a purpose, he made the Israelites much smarter, not so willing to go down that road a second time. This time we have a king plus a covenant. Although we don’t know the detail of the covenant a king who has a covenant with the people is known as a “constitutional monarchy”. An important step towards a democracy.
4 David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years. 5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.
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.” 7 Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion—which is the City of David.
There are various interpretations of this because the description is not that clear, but I think the best is that “the blind and the lame” refers to idols
8 On that day David had said, “Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft to reach those ‘lame and blind’ who are David’s enemies.[a]” That is why they say, “The ‘blind and lame’ will not enter the palace.”
The water shaft is also translated by some as “gutter”. Now it is idiotic to thing they had a bunch of blind and lame people on top of the wall and on the roof with the gutter. However, we are all familiar with idols, statues on buildings and on the roof. Statues of people and busts of people could derisively be called “the blind and the lame” and it would explain this rule that they will not enter the palace. I could see David giving orders to toss all these statues down off the roof into a ravine where they would be smashed and broken up.
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 terraces[b] inward. 10 And he became more and more powerful, because the Lord God Almighty was with him.
11 Now Hiram king of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David. 12 Then David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.
13 After he left Hebron, David took more concubines and wives in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him. 14 These are the names of the children born to him there: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet.
I think David’s decision here was quite insightful. He is just made king of all Israel, so where do you put your palace? You don’t want to displace some other Lord, you don’t want to stay too far south in Hebron. You need a central location and since Jerusalem had not yet been fully conquered that is the ideal place. All of Israel will appreciate taking that city from the Jebusites. A mountain in the center of Israel where you can build a palace fit for a king.
David Defeats the Philistines
17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold. 18 Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; 19 so David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?”
The Lord answered him, “Go, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands.”
20 So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, “As waters break out, the Lord has broken out against my enemies before me.” So that place was called Baal Perazim.[c] 21 The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off.
22 Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; 23 so David inquired of the Lord, and he answered, “Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. 24 As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.” 25 So David did as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon[d] to Gezer.
When David returned to Israel he asked God where he should go and God said Hebron. Therefore I think it is quite reasonable to conclude that he also asked God where he should set up the capital and God told him Jerusalem. Before attacking the Philistines each time he asked God and God gave him the winning strategy. Therefore I think it is safe to say he did that before attacking Jerusalem and the Jebusites as well. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in God, you need to have the full assurance of faith concerning this before you could truly reign as a king.
All of Israel knew this and yet David spent one year and four months in Philistia, not to mention all the time being chased by Saul prior to that, and then seven years in Hebron before they all realized this. We have all had this experience, God speaks a word to us but we don’t want to receive it until we finally realize that word is our salvation.
3 When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel.
Is this the third time he has been anointed? First by Samuel, then by Judah and now by all of Israel. They made a covenant with him. Saul served a purpose, he made the Israelites much smarter, not so willing to go down that road a second time. This time we have a king plus a covenant. Although we don’t know the detail of the covenant a king who has a covenant with the people is known as a “constitutional monarchy”. An important step towards a democracy.
4 David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years. 5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.
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.” 7 Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion—which is the City of David.
There are various interpretations of this because the description is not that clear, but I think the best is that “the blind and the lame” refers to idols
8 On that day David had said, “Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft to reach those ‘lame and blind’ who are David’s enemies.[a]” That is why they say, “The ‘blind and lame’ will not enter the palace.”
The water shaft is also translated by some as “gutter”. Now it is idiotic to thing they had a bunch of blind and lame people on top of the wall and on the roof with the gutter. However, we are all familiar with idols, statues on buildings and on the roof. Statues of people and busts of people could derisively be called “the blind and the lame” and it would explain this rule that they will not enter the palace. I could see David giving orders to toss all these statues down off the roof into a ravine where they would be smashed and broken up.
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 terraces[b] inward. 10 And he became more and more powerful, because the Lord God Almighty was with him.
11 Now Hiram king of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David. 12 Then David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.
13 After he left Hebron, David took more concubines and wives in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him. 14 These are the names of the children born to him there: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet.
I think David’s decision here was quite insightful. He is just made king of all Israel, so where do you put your palace? You don’t want to displace some other Lord, you don’t want to stay too far south in Hebron. You need a central location and since Jerusalem had not yet been fully conquered that is the ideal place. All of Israel will appreciate taking that city from the Jebusites. A mountain in the center of Israel where you can build a palace fit for a king.
David Defeats the Philistines
17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold. 18 Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; 19 so David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?”
The Lord answered him, “Go, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands.”
20 So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, “As waters break out, the Lord has broken out against my enemies before me.” So that place was called Baal Perazim.[c] 21 The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off.
22 Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; 23 so David inquired of the Lord, and he answered, “Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. 24 As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.” 25 So David did as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon[d] to Gezer.
When David returned to Israel he asked God where he should go and God said Hebron. Therefore I think it is quite reasonable to conclude that he also asked God where he should set up the capital and God told him Jerusalem. Before attacking the Philistines each time he asked God and God gave him the winning strategy. Therefore I think it is safe to say he did that before attacking Jerusalem and the Jebusites as well. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in God, you need to have the full assurance of faith concerning this before you could truly reign as a king.