2 Samuel5chapter 5

2 Samuel 5:6

“The king and his men went to Jerusalem - This city was now in the hands of the Jebusites; but how they got possession of it is not known, probably they took it during the wars between Ish-bosheth and David. After Joshua’s death, what is called the lower city was taken by the Israelites; and it is evident that the whole city was in their possession in the time of Saul, for David brought the head of Goliath thither, 1Sa 17:54. It appears to have been a very strong fortress, and, from what follows, deemed impregnable by the Jebusites.”

2 Samuel 5:7

“Nevertheless, David took the strong hold of Zion,.... A fortress without the city, and separate from it, and which was very strong; and the taking it might facilitate the taking of the city, which yet as appears by what follows, was very difficult to do: the same is the city of David; it was afterwards so called, where he built an house, and dwelt.”

2 Samuel 5:7

“The stronghold of Zion - Or castle 1Ch 11:5, 1Ch 11:7. The ancient Zion was the hill on which the temple stood, and the castle seems to have been immediately to the north of the temple. The modern Zion lies to the southwest of the temple. The same is the city of David - The name afterward given to it 2Sa 5:9, and by which it was known in the writer’s time.”

2 Samuel 5:8

“For (here is one of Marcion's antitheses): whereas David long ago, in the capture of Zion, was offended by the blind who opposed his admission (into the stronghold). In this respect (I should rather say) that they were a type of people equally blind, who in later times would not admit Christ to be the son of David. So, on the contrary, Christ helped the blind man to show, by this act, that he was not David's son and how different in disposition he was, by being kind to the blind while David ordered them to be slain.”

2 Samuel 5:8

“To the gutter - That is, whosoever scaleth the fort, or getteth up to the top of it, where the gutter was. That are hated - The Jebusites, and the lame, and the blind, Who had probably themselves insulted him, and blasphemed God.”

2 Samuel 5:9

“David dwelt in the fort - or stronghold, (as in 2Sa 5:7) i. e. eventually, when the buildings were completed, which may not have been for two or three years. Millo appears to have been a fortress of some kind, the northern defense of the city of David, and to have been a part of the original Canaanite defenses of Zion, as appears probable also from there having been a fortress called the house of Millo in the Canaanite city of Shechem. (Jdg 9:6 note, and 2Sa 9:1-13:20.) Millo may be the native name.”

2 Samuel 5:9

“David built round about from Millo and inward--probably a row of stone bastions placed on the northern side of Mount Zion, and built by David to secure himself on that side from the Jebusites, who still lived in the lower part of the city. The house of Millo was perhaps the principal corner tower of that fortified wall.”

2 Samuel 5:9

“The church is called Sion, and the city of the living God. The Jebusites, Christ's enemies, must first be conquered and dispossessed, the blind and the lame taken away, and then Christ divides the spoil, sets up his throne there, and makes it his residence by the Spirit.”

2 Samuel 5:10

“And David went on, and grew great,.... In honour and wealth, in fame and reputation, in subduing his enemies, obtaining conquests over them, and enlarging his dominions: and the Lord God of hosts, of armies above and below: was with him: to whom all his prosperity and success was owing. The Targum is,"the Word of the Lord God of hosts was for his help,''or his helper.”

2 Samuel 5:11

“And Hiram king of Tyre,.... This was father of that Hiram that lived in the times of Solomon, whose name was Abibalus before he took the name of Hiram, which became a common name of the kings of Tyre; his former name may be seen in the ancient historians quoted by Josephus (s); of the city of Tyre; see Gill on Isa 23:1; which was built one year before the destruction of Troy (t).”

2 Samuel 5:11

“Hiram king of Tyre - Now mentioned for the first time. He survived David, and continued his friendship to Solomon (marginal references). The news of the capture of the city of the Jebusites had doubtless reached Tyre, and created a great impression of David’s power.”

2 Samuel 5:11

“Many have excelled in arts and sciences who were strangers to the covenants of promise. Yet David's house was never the worse, nor the less fit to be dedicated to God, for being built by the sons of the stranger. It is prophesied of the gospel church, The sons of the strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee, Isa. lx.”

2 Samuel 5:12

“His kingdom was established, there was nothing to shake it, none to disturb his possession or question his title. He that made him king established him, because he was to be a type of Christ, with whom God's hand should be established, and his covenant stand fast, Ps. lxxxix.”

2 Samuel 5:13

“And David took him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron,.... He had six when he was at Hebron, 2Sa 3:2, and now he took more, which was not to his honour, and contrary to the law of God, Deu 17:17; the concubines were a sort of half wives, as the word may signify, or secondary ones, and under the others: and there were yet sons and daughters born to David; besides those in Hebron mentioned in 2Sa 3:2.”

2 Samuel 5:13

“David took him more concubines - He had, in all conscience, enough before; he had, in the whole, eight wives and ten concubines. That dispensation permitted polygamy, but from the beginning it was not so; and as upon an average there are about fourteen males born to thirteen females, polygamy is unnatural, and could never have entered into the original design of God.”

2 Samuel 5:13

“We praise him not; we justify him not; nor can we scarcely excuse him. The bad example of the patriarchs might make him think there was no harm in it, and he might hope it would strengthen his interest, by multiplying his alliances, and increasing the royal family. Happy is the man that has his quiver full of these arrows.”

2 Samuel 5:14

“And these be the names of those that were born unto him in Jerusalem,.... The names of his sons, for his daughters are not mentioned, and these seem to be such only that were born of his wives, see 1Ch 3:9, Shammua, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon; these four were by Bathsheba; the first of these is called Shimea, 1Ch 3:5.”

2 Samuel 5:14

“These be the names - Eleven children are here enumerated in the Hebrew text; but the Septuagint has no less than twenty-four. I shall insert their names, and the reader if he please may collate them with the text: Sammus, Sobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ebear, Elisue, Naphek, Jephies, Elisama, Elidae, Eliphalath, Samae, Jessibath, Nathan, Galimaan, Jebaar, Theesus, Eliphalat, Naged, Naphek, Jonathan, Leasamus, Baalimath, and Eliphaath. There is no doubt some corruption in these names; there are two of the name of Nathan, two of Eliphalath, and two of Naphek; and probably Sammus and Samae are the same.”

2 Samuel 5:16

“And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphalet. Seven more by some other wife or wives; nine are mentioned in 1Ch 3:6; there being in that account two Eliphalets, and another called Nogah; which two, one of the Eliphalets, and Nogah, might die without sons, as Kimchi thinks, and so are not mentioned here.”

2 Samuel 5:17

“The hold - Not the same place which is so named in 2Sa 5:7, 2Sa 5:9, but probably the cave (or hold) of Adullam 2Sa 23:13. The invasion most probably took place before David had completed his buildings in the city of David; and is probably referred to in 2Sa 23:8-17.”

2 Samuel 5:17

“The kingdom of the Messiah, as soon as ever it was set up in the world, was thus vigorously attacked by the powers of darkness, who, with the combined force both of Jews and Gentiles, made head against it. The heathen raged, and the kings of the earth set themselves to oppose it; but all in vain, Ps. ii. The destruction will turn, as this did, upon Satan's own kingdom.”

2 Samuel 5:18

“The Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. Or "of the giants", as Jos 15:8; which lay to the west of Jerusalem; of which; see Gill on Jos 15:8; the Philistines spreading themselves in it, shows that they were very numerous.”

2 Samuel 5:19

“After that [the killing of Goliath] he never entered on a war without seeking counsel of the Lord. Thus he was victorious in all wars, and even to his last years [he] was ready to fight. And when war arose with the Philistines, he joined battle with their fierce troops, being desirous of winning renown, while careless of his own safety. But this is not the only kind of fortitude which is worthy of note.”

2 Samuel 5:19

“David inquired of the Lord - He considered himself only the captain of the Lord’s host, and therefore would not strike a stroke without the command of his Superior.”

2 Samuel 5:20

“The Lord hath broken forth - He very properly attributes the victory of Jehovah, without whose strength and counsel he could have done nothing. Baal-perazim - The plain or chief of breaches, because of the breach which God made in the Philistine army; and thus he commemorated the interference of the Lord.”

2 Samuel 5:21

“And there they left their images - An indication of the precipitancy of their flight, and the suddenness with which the Israelites burst upon them like a “breach of waters.” The King James Version rendering “Burned them,” does not give a translation (compare the margin), but a gloss, warranted by the explanation given in marginal references”

2 Samuel 5:22

“And the Philistines came up yet again,.... And, as Josephus says (z), with an army three times larger than the former: and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim; in the same place where they were before, 2Sa 5:20. (z) Antiqu. l. 7. c. 4. sect. 1.”

2 Samuel 5:23

“The mulberry trees - Rather, the Bacah-tree, and found abundantly near Mecca. It is very like the balsam-tree, and probably derives its name from the exudation of the sap in drops like tears when a leaf is torn off. Some think the valley of Baca Psa 84:6 was so called from this plant growing there.”

2 Samuel 5:23

“Go up - Directly against them, as the following words explain it. Behind - Where they least expect thee; God's purposes and promises do not exclude men's endeavours.”

2 Samuel 5:23

“God appoints him to draw back, as Israel stood still to see the salvation of the Lord. He promised him to charge the enemy himself, by an invisible host of angels,”

2 Samuel 5:24

“And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees,.... Of a going of the wind on the tops of these trees, making a rustling upon them, and that in such a manner as to resemble the going of men, or march of armies, as if they were moving in the air over the tops of the mulberry trees; which Jarchi and R. Isaiah interpret of angels being sent of God, and moving at that time to help David, and destroy the Philistines; so the Targum on 1Ch 14:”

2 Samuel 5:24

“When thou hearest the sound of a going - If there had not been an evident supernatural interference, David might have thought that the sleight or ruse de guerre which he had used was the cause of his victory. By the going in the tops of the mulberry trees probably only a rustling among the leaves is intended. The Targum says, a noise; the Arabic has it, the noise of horses’ hoofs.”

2 Samuel 5:25

“Geba - Better, as in marginal reference “Gibeon.” Gazer should be “Gezer” (Jos 10:33, etc.); it lay between the nether Bethhoron and the sea; on the direct route therefore which the Philistines, fleeing from Gibeon, would take. The exact site has now been identified (1Ki 9:16).”