2 Samuel 5
PAT2 Samuel 5:1
J. HEN came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron. That is, ambassadors were sent from every tribe, by a common agreement among them. And spake, saying, We are thy bone and thy flesh.] They were not overcome by the arms, but by the piety and justice of David, to acknowledge him their king: for which they gave several reasons. The first is general; that he was qualified by the law of God, (Deut.xvii. 15.) which required they should choose one of their brethren, and not a stranger. Now he was of the same blood with them, being descended from the same common father, Israel.-
2 Samuel 5:2
Also in time past, when Saul was king, thou least he that led out and brought in Israel. They were induced, also by his valour and conduct, which he had shewn, they well remembered, in the reign of Saul: when he was so successfulin many expeditions, that he became the darling of all the people, (1 Sam. xviii. 5. 15, 16. 30.). And the Lord said to thee, Tliou shaltfeed my people Israel, and thou shalt be captain over Israel.] This was the chiefest argument of all; that God they knew had designed himlong ago to be their king: having said by the prophet Samuel, that he should/eecZ, that is, rule and govern them,- and fighttheir battles. We do not read these words any where recorded before now: but Samuel having anointed him, no doubt frequently spake of his office, under the name of the pastor of the people. And it is the first time we find a governor described by this name in Scripture: though much used afterward by the prophets, who speak in this language; particularly Ezek. xxxiv. 23. and many other places. Whence our Lord Christ is called the good Shepherd, and the great Shepherd; that is, ruler of his people: and both the Greeks and the Romans have borrowed this word, to express a supreme governor. And truly such rulers as take care of their people, as a shepherd doth of his flock, are Divine blessings: whom Isaiah calls nursing fathers, xlix. 23. On the contrary, they who lay heavy burdens on* their people, fleecing, or rather flaying, them by cruel oppressions, are called by the prophets roaring lions, hungry bears, and devouring wolves, Ezek. xix. 2. xxii. 27. Nahum ii. 11, 12. Habak. i. 8. Zdphan. iii. 3. Prov. xxvii. 15.; companions of thieves, Isa. i. 23.; whales, dragons, or rather crocodiles, Ezek. xxix. 3. Psal. Ixxiv. 13, 14.; leopards, Jer.‘V. G. and such-like odious names. Ver. 3: So all the elders of Israel came to the king in Hebron.] He gave the messengers such a kind reception, and so thankfully declared liis acceptance of the offer they made him, that, upon their return with his answer, the elders of Israel came to wait upon him’ Bywham some understand the senators of the great Sanhedrin: but that is a fancy which I have often confuted. The plain meaning is, that the chief persons of authority, in every tribe, came in the name of the rest of that tribe, whom they represented. And king David made a league with them in Hebron.] It is not said what the contents of this league or contract was. The Jews think it was principally, that there should bo an act of oblivion of all the injuries which the people of Israel had done* to Judah, or they to them, in the reign of Ish-bosheth. But this is too narrow a sense: it is more* probable, that he assured them he would govern them justly and kindly, according to the law of God; and they promised to obey him sincerely and faithfully, according to the same law. Before the Lord.] The ark of God’s presence was not in Hebron; and therefore it is a question how it could be said,, that he made a leagnfc before the Lord. But see what I have said of this, Judg. xx. 1. •And they anointed David king over Israel.] They desired the high-priest to anoint him, whose office it was: and thereby expressed their consent he should reign over them. So Procopius GazDeus interprets these words, (as he doth ii.<4.) Iterum suffragiis, &c. All the tribes again chose him, by their votes, to be their king. He was anointed three times; first by Samuel, in his father’s house; (ISam. xvi. 13.) then when the tribe of Judah owned him for their king; (chap. ii. of this book, ver. 4.) and now when all Israel did the same. For which Abarbinel gives* this reason: " David’s unction was repeated so often, that it might be the foundation, and root/ and principle, of all’ his posterity;" who needed no unction, being anointed in him: unless there was any controversy abtfut the sue cession.
2 Samuel 5:4
- David teas thirty years old when he began to reign; and he reigned forty years. It is uncertain how old he was when he was first anointed by Samuel; and how long after he came to the court of Saul; and how long he* was in exilo from" it.’ About which men’s opinions are very different: for some think, as the Jews do in Seder’ Olam Rabba, that he was near nine-and-twenty years old when Sdmuel first anointed him: and consequently but one year in exile. Others (which is the truer opinion) that he w r as twenty years old’ at his first unction, and so almost ten 1 years in exile. But it is sufficient for us to know, what.we are here told; that he was thirty years old at his second unction in Hebron, immediately after Saul’s death.
2 Samuel 5:5
In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months; and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Isfael and Judah. By this it appears, that immediately after his third unction, he made his attempt upon Jerusalem, as it here follows, otherwise he could not have reigned there so long.
2 Samuel 5:6
And the king and his men went to Jerusalem. His first warlike enterprise, after he was their king, was against Jerusalem, which he resolved to reduce out of the CHA£. /V.j] THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL. hands of the Jebusites; who hitherto possessed a^bble part of it, viz. the fort of Zion, which they held, though the Israelites dwelt in the other part of the, city. Unto the Jebusites, the inhabiters,ofthe city.] That is, of that part of the land. (Josh. xv. 63. Judg. i. 21.xix. 10, 11.) Which spake unto David.] When he came to set down his army against the fortress. Saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither: thinking, David cannot come in hither.] They imagined their fortress to be so impregnable, that, by way of contempt and scorn, they told him, the blind and the lame were able to defend it against him, and all his forces. So Bochartus translates these words, " Non hue accedes," &c. TIiou shalt not come up hither, but the blind and the lame will drive thee away; i. e. the most feeble and cowardly among us. Which he thinks is so plain a sense, that he wonders men of great learning should seek for any other. (Lib.Jv. Phaleg. cap. 36.) But so it is, a great many by the blind and the lame understand the images of their gods (particularly our learned Gregory hath a whole dissertation about it). As if they had said, Our gods, whom ye call blind and lame, that have, eyes and see not,-fect and walk not, (as it is Psal. cxv.) they shall defend us: and you must overcome them, before you overcome us. Luther himself thus explains the sense: “These blind and lame (saith he) were the idols of the Jebusites; which, to irritate David, they set upon their walls, as their patrons and defenders: and they did as good as say, Thou dost not fight with us, but with our gods; who will easily repel thee.” As for the fancy of R. Eliezer, in his Pirkc, cap. 36. it is altogether groundless; which is, that when Abraham bought the buryingplacc, in Machpelah, of the children of Heth, he sealed a covenant with them, that when his seed should possess the land of Canaan (as they believed they would), they should not possess the city of Jebus. Which covenant they now engraved upon brazen statues, and set them upon their walls; saying, Thou canst not enter here, unless thou break the oath of Abraham. (See also Bartoloccius, in his Kirjath-sepher, par. ii. p. 89, &c.)
2 Samuel 5:7
Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion: the same is the city of David. Their taunts and jeers did not discourage David, but he assaulted the fort and took it, and made it his royal scat.
2 Samuel 5:8
And David said on that day. When the assault was made. Whosoever getteth tip into the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites, &c] i. e. Cuts off their pipes of water, or their cisterns into which the water fell; for the Hebrew word tzinnor, which we translate gutter, is no where found but in this place, and in Psal. xlii. 7. and by St. Jerome is translated fistula. But I know not how we come to transpose the words, he that smiteth the Jebusites, behind -the other, which in the Hebrew are first. lie that smiteth the Jebusites, let him throw down into the ditch (which was by the wall) both the blind and the lame, which David extremely hates. Thus Bochart translates the words in; the place abovenamed, which, if it be admitted, there is no need to add those words (out.of 1 Chron. xi, 6.) to make put the sense, he shall M chief and captain: forjhc sense is complete without them. Wherefore tliey said, Tlie blind and the lame shall no t enter into the house.’] Or, as it is in the margin, Because they had said, even the blind and the lame, He.shallnot come into the house. That is, because they had taunted him with the blind and lame, as if they could defend the fort, and hinder him from coming into it; therefore he was highly provoked to wish they might be thrown down headlong from their walls into the ditch. And then.by the house is meant, neither the house of David, nor the house of the Lord (as; many take it), but that veryfort wherein the Jebusites had dwelt; from which hereafter they were excluded. And indeed it is a very large word in the Hebrew, signifying any place. If we could admit the fancy oftlt. Eliezer, that tfie Jebusites engraved the oath of Abraham upon brazen statues, whereby they pretended that fort was secured to them and their posterity, such an abominable forgery must needs highly incense David, whose soul hated such impudent frauds.
2 Samuel 5:9
So David dwelt in the fort, and called it, The city of David: and David built round about, from Millo and inward. The fort was not wide enough to contain the whole court, and all his guards, and others that had occasion to come hither: and therefore he built round about it from Millo.. Which some take;for that low place which lay between the fort and the city: which was now filled with people, and thence called Millo., Ver. 10; And David went on,. and grew great.] He proceeded to enlarge his dominions, as well as his royal city. And the Lord God of hosts was with him.] This was the cause of his great prosperity, that God, who commands all the armies of heaven and earth, directed and blessed him in all his enterprises.
2 Samuel 5:11
And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers unto David. To compliment him upon his succession to the.throne,and taking Jerusalem. Which was a great honour; for Hiram was a potent prince, and yet courted David’s friepdship; because he saw how prosperous he was. And this friendship continued all David’s days, unto the reign of Solomon. When his son, of the same name, expressed the same affection to him, that his father had done to David. And cedar-trees, and carpenters, and masons: and they built David a house.] Hearing David intended to settle in the fort he had taken, Hiram sent him both materials and artificcrs^to build him a palace. For the Jews being given to feeding cattle, and husbandry, were not very skilful in manufacture^.
2 Samuel 5:12
And David perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel. For he had both subdued his enemies, and raised him up friends. And that he had exalted his kingdom for his peoplelsraeVs sake.] It is an excellent reflection which Conradus Pellicanus made long ago upon these words: " This.is the greatest grace of a king, that he certainly believes himself to be made a king by God, for the sake of the people: and let him often call to mind, the people were not created or ordained by God for the king."
2 Samuel 5:13
And David took him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron. The difference between a wife and a concubine, the Talmudists generally say, was, that the latter had neither dowry settledupon I her, nor was taken with all the rites and solemnities of marriage: yet was a wife of a lower rank, as well as the former which had both. See Selden, lib. de Successionibus, cap. 3. and, \yhat I have already. noted, Gen.xxii.24 Microsoft® ~ T2 A COMMENTARY UPON [chap. and elsewhere, flow many David had of both sorts, it Isaiah 1 not certain: but we read of six ivives he had before, 111* 2, 8ccJ And the Jews, after their way, endeavour to prove from xi. 8. of this book, that he had eighteen in all: which * number it was not lawful for the king to exceed; unless he divorced any of them, and took others in their room. (Sec Schickard, de Jure Ncpo, cap. 3. Thcor. 9. and Grotius, de Jure Belli et Pacis, lib. ii.cap. 5. sect. 9. and ray notes on Dcut.‘xvii. 17.) And there were yet sons and daughters born to David.’] It was looked upon as a piece of political wisdom in princes, to endeavour to have many children: that, by matching them into many potent families, they might strengthen their interest, and have the more supporters of their authority. * Vcr.14. And these be the names of them that were born to him in Jerusalem; Shainmiiah, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon.] These are the very same names with those in 1 Chron. iii. 5. only a little variation in the first.
2 Samuel 5:15
Ibhar also, and Elishua, and Nepheg 9 and Japhia.
2 Samuel 5:16
And Elishama, and Elidda, and Eliphalet. Here are only seven sons mentioned in these two verses: but in 1 Chron. iii. 8, Sec. there are nine. Of which “Kimchi gives this account; that here he mentions only the sons he had by his wives; but there are some added which ■he had by his concubines: which doth not well agree with what there follows, (ver. 9.) *
2 Samuel 5:17
But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel. So that now Israel and Judah were united under one head, they thought it behoved them to bestir themselves: whereas they seem to have been quiet while the war lasted between Israel and Judah in the time of Ish-boshcth, hoping they might destroy one another. * All the Philistines went tip to seek David.] They raised all, the forces they were able, to find out David and fight him, before he was settled in his new kingdom. The friendship between him and king Achish was so great, that one would have thought they should have lived in peace. But either Achish was dead, or the lords of the Philistines, who were very powerful, overruled him, as thcy.did when they forced him to send David out of their army, (1 Sam.xxix. G,&c.) * - And David heard of it, and went down to the hold.] Intelligence being brought him of their motions, he went from the fort of Zion, to some other strong place below; where his army might conveniently have their rendezvous.
2 Samuel 5:18
The Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. Which in Josh. xv. 8. we translate the valley of giants, lying westward of Jerusalem; which perhaps they thought to assault. •
2 Samuel 5:19
And David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into my Jiand?. Though David went into a strong hold, he did not trust to that, nor intend merely to stand upon his defence: yet would not give them battle, till he was encouraged by God to do it. - And the Lord said, Go up; for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thy hand.] A full assurance of victory took away all fear of their great numbers, which is expressed by their spreading themselves in the forcnamed valley.
2 Samuel 5:20
And David came to Baahperazim. For thither the Philistines marched from Rephaim, where they first pitched; as appears from 1 Chron. xiv. 11. And David smote them there.] Routed their army, and slew a great many of them in that place. And said, Hie Lord hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters.] Overpowered and scattered them;* as waters, when they make a breach in a bank, overflow and carry all before them. TJiereforc he called the name of that place Baal-perazim.] That it might put him and his posterity in mind of God’s great power and goodness, which he shewed in this place, where the Philistines were put into such a consternation, that they forgat, when they fled, to carry away their gods with them; as it here follows.
2 Samuel 5:21
And there they left their images. Which they had brought into the field with them; to be carried before their host, as a token of the presence of their gods with them. Thus wc read in 2 Chron. xxv. 14. that the Edomitcs had their gods along with them when they fought with Araaziah. And perhaps they learnt (his from the Israelites, who carried the ark (the symbol of God’s presence) in their army when they went to fight with these Philistines: who saw it, and took it, as the Israelites now did their images, 1 Sam. iv. 4, 5, &c. But behold here the difference between the* ark and these images. - For when the ark fell into the hands of the Philistines, it sorelyplagued them, as wc read in the foregoing book: but their images had no power, to hurt the Israelites, nor secure themselves from being burnt by them, as it here follows. And David and his?nen burnt them.] According to the command of God, Dcut. vii.5.
2 Samuel 5:22
And the. Philistines came tip again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. They saw that their all lay at stake, and therefore they mustered up their whole strength; and perhaps procured the assistance of other people, to try their fortune (as we now speak) in another battle. So Joscphus relates, that the Syrians and Phoenicians joined them, and came up, r£>nrXa<rfy
2 Samuel 5:23
And when David inquired of the Lord. Though he had been so Successful, yet he would attempt nothing without God’s direction; to whom, he knew, he owed the former victory. He said, Thou shalt not go up.] That is, not directly; to fight in a pitched battle, as they did before. So tho following words explain it. But fetch a compass behind them.’] Where they suspected no danger. And come upon them over against the mulberry-trees.] A place well known to David; who was taught by God.himself, not to expect victory always by main strength; but sometimes to make use of stratagems. *
2 Samuel 5:24
- And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry-trees. In the Hebrew it is beroshe, which should not be rendered in the tops (for men do not walk on the tops of trees), but in the beginnings: in the very entrance of the place, where the mulbcrry-trccs were planted; where God intended to make a sound, as if a vast number of men were marching to fall upon the Philistines. There is no doubt but the Hebrew word rosch signifies not only the head, but the beginning of any thing. So Bochart observes, in his Phaleg. lib. iii. cap. 22. as in Nahum iii. 10. the top (as we translate it) the head of every street, is the beginning, of those streets. Microsoft ® CHAP. VI.] THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL. And Isa. li. 20. Jer. xxii. 6. Gilead is called the head of Lihanus, because Libanus begins where Gilead ends. Then bestir thyself.’] Fall upon the Philistines. For then shall the Lord go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines.’] By making such a noise of a mighty host coming to assault them, that they should be amazed, and have no apprehension of David’s army coming behind them. ■’•’ • Vcr. 25. And David did so, as the Lord commanded him; and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to’ Gazer.] He pursued them to the very confines of their own land; for Josephus saith concerning Gazer, ri§e lariv opog avrC>v t?)$ x^? a ^> ^at *’ was M ie b° r( t er of their country.