2 Samuel 5

Notes on the verses

Chap. V. Ver. 6. Except thou take away.—Heb. “Remove,” turn on one side, “the blind and the lame.” [Dr. Kennicott’s amended translation is as 1 Sa. 19.2, The tribes come to Hebron to anoint David over Israel. 4 David’s age. 6 He taking? Then from the Jebusites, dwelleth in it. 11 Hiram sendeth to David. 13 Eleven sons are born to him in Jerusalem. 17 David, directed by God, smiteth the Philistines at Baal-perazim, 22 and again at the mi WHEN came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, Ge. 48.16. we are thy bone and thy flesh. * 1 Ki. 1.29, 2 Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and 1 ¢12 16. m he was in broughtest in Israel: and orp said to his own thee, Thou shalt feed “my peo rael, and eyes bringer of thou shalt be a captain over Israel.

i or, which was the 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king reward I to Hebron; and king David made a league gave him. f with them in Hebron before the Lord: and they anointed David king over Israel. o Ge. 9.5,6. 4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. q ¢.3.32. 5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he b Ju. 9.2. reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah. d Ps. 78.70. 6 And the king and his men went to Jeru 1s. 55.4. £2 Ki. 11.17. salem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, g 1 Ch. 29, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, h Jos. 15.63.

thou shalt not come in hither: ‘thinking, David cannot come in hither. i or, seeing, David shall 7 Nevertheless David took the strong hold of j 1 Kis… Zion: the same is the city of David. k or, Be- 8 And David said on that day, Whosoever cause th had sai getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jebueven the blind and sites, and the lame and the blind, that are the lame, he shall hated of David’s soul, he shall be chief and not come into the captain. * Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house. that the traitors could have nothing to fear from him, who was the next heir to Saul, but was a cripple, equally unable to defend either the country or himself; yet the guardian providence of God preserved him to experience the kindness of David, his father’s covenant friend.

(See (2 Samuel 9)) Chap. V. Ver. 1—25. David, being made king over all Israel, takes the strong hold of Zion, and triumphs over all his enemies.—The respect paid by David to Abner, conciliated to him all the tribes of Israel, who made a league with him. Upon this he immediately prepares to retake Jerusalem, which had now fallen back into the hands of the Jebusites, probably during the short reign of Ish-bosheth. The fort had, however, never before been taken, and was judged by the natives to be impregnable: they, therefore, manned it with invalids, the blind and the lame, who hated David’s soul; probably veterans in the army who had often fought against David, though now invalids through wounds or age.

This appears to have been a desperate undertaking, and therefore it was promised, that he who succeeded should have the chief command. Joab performed this deed of valour, and therefore, as before he was commander-in-chief in Judah, he now became commander-in-chief of all the tribes. David perceiving that the Lord had established him king over Israel, first built a house, and then furnished it wi follows: “Who spake unto David, saying, Thou shalt not come in thither; for the blind and the lame shall drive thee away, by saying, David shall not come in hither.” Ver. 8. “And David said, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites, and through the subterraneous passage reacheth the lame and the blind, who hate the life of David, (because the blind and the lame said, he shall not come into the house,) shall be chief and captain.

So Joab, the son of Zeruiah, went up first, and was chief.” |}—Bagster. i, Ver. 8. Whosoever getteth up to the gutter:—This was either an aqueduct, or some subterraneous passage, by which they did not apprehend an attack. But such attacks have not been unfrequent in more modern times. Thus Belisarius took Naples, and Edward III. entered Nottingham Castle by a subterraneous passage.— Cris. Lit. No. 484. The s in Italic, “He shall be chief and captain,” are inserted from the parallel passage, (1 Chronicles 11:6). in which we learn that Joab performed this desperate service.—That are hated of David’s soul.—Rather, “That hate David’s soul.” Wherefore they said, &c.—See Margin. “He shall not come into the house,” or fort.

By “the blind and the lame,” we understand invalid troops, which are often ere on duty, and are perhaps the best to defend a fort, though not able to endure the fatigue of marching. Ver. 14. Born in Jerusalem.—Comp. (1 Chronicles 3:5), &c. Ver. 20. Baal-perazim.—See Margin; because there the Lord brake in upon them as “the breach of waters,” when they break down their banks. Ver. 21. There they left their images.—That is, their idols, and David burned them; comp. 1 Chron. xiv, 12. The word used in this chapter, however, is more accurately rendered in the margin. On comparing the two passages, we infer, that David burned part, and carried part away as trophies of his victory. Ver. 23. Mulberry trees.—(The word bechaim, rendered mulberry trees, is rendered by Aguila, pear trees, as the LXX.

also render in (1 Chronicles 14:14-15). and so the Gulgate in both places has pyrorum. The Rabbins, however, believe bacha signifies the mulberry tree; with whom Ursinus agrees. It more probably denotes a large shrub which the Arabs still call baca, from its distilling an odoriferous gum, from bachah, to distil, as tears. Of this opinion is Celsius, who quotes a passage from Abulfadli, who describes it as a balsam shrub, having longish leaves, and bearing a large fruit with an acrid taste. M. Forskal mentions a tree by the name of beca, with leaves rather ovated, smooth, entire: its berries are poisonous and destructive to the sheep.]—B.