2 Samuel 5:2
in 2 Samuel 5Even in times past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them back. And to you the LORD said, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be ruler over them.’”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was thou that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and Jehovah said to thee, Thou shalt be shepherd of my people Israel, and thou shalt be prince over Israel.
KJV
Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the Lord said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 5
Commentary
2 notes on this verseShalt feed - That is, rule them, and take care of them, as a shepherd doth of his sheep, Psalm lxxviii, 70, 71. This expression, he useth to admonish David, that he was not made a king to advance his own glory, but for the good of his people; whom he ought to rule with all tenderness, and to watch over with all diligence.
This site's exposition
thy bone and thy flesh
on 2 Samuel 5:1-3
The tribes call David bone and flesh, then recall that even under Saul it was David who led Israel out and brought them in, the shepherd's work the Lord names next: thou shalt feed my people Israel. Verse 3 is the third stage of one anointing, private at Bethlehem in 1 Samuel 16:13, over Judah alone at 2 Samuel 2:4, and now over all Israel here before the Lord at Hebron. The years between the private anointing and this public throne, spent as a hunted outlaw, are read by later writers as a figure of Christ's own time between his anointing and his coming kingdom, a reading Blaikie draws out in his exposition of the outlaw years.
The words behind it
28 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| גַּם־ | gam- | both | H1571 → | 769 times |
| אֶתְמ֣וֹל | ʾetmol | yesterday | H865 → | |
| גַּם־ | gam- | as well as | H1571 → | 769 times |
| שִׁלְשׁ֗וֹם | shilshom | three days ago | H8032 → | |
| בִּהְי֨וֹת | bihyot | when was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| שָׁא֥וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| מֶ֙לֶךְ֙ | melekh | king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| עָלֵ֔ינוּ | ʾaleinu | over us | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| אַתָּ֗ה | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| הָיִ֛יתָ | hayitah | you were | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| הַמּוֹצִ֥יא | hamotzi' | the [one who] led out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| וְהַמֵּבִ֖יא | vehamevi' | and the [one who] brought | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָ֜ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לְךָ֗ | lekha | to <the> you | ||
| אַתָּ֨ה | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| תִרְעֶ֤ה | tireh | you will shepherd | H7462 → | 177 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עַמִּי֙ | ʾami | people my | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וְאַתָּ֛ה | veatah | and you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| תִּהְיֶ֥ה | tihyeh | you will become | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לְנָגִ֖יד | lenagid | <into> ruler | H5057 → | 45 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
גַּם־both
gam-H1571 →769 times
אֶתְמ֣וֹלyesterday
ʾetmolH865 →
גַּם־as well as
gam-H1571 →769 times
שִׁלְשׁ֗וֹםthree days ago
shilshomH8032 →
בִּהְי֨וֹתwhen was
bihyotH1961 →3559 times
שָׁא֥וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
מֶ֙לֶךְ֙king
melekhH4428 →2525 times
עָלֵ֔ינוּover us
ʾaleinuH5921 →5755 times
אַתָּ֗הyou
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
הָיִ֛יתָyou were
hayitahH1961 →3559 times
הַמּוֹצִ֥יאthe [one who] led out
hamotzi'H3318 →1067 times
וְהַמֵּבִ֖יאand the [one who] brought
vehamevi'H935 →2568 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
יְהוָ֜הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לְךָ֗to <the> you
lekha
אַתָּ֨הyou
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
תִרְעֶ֤הyou will shepherd
tirehH7462 →177 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עַמִּי֙people my
ʾamiH5971 →1873 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וְאַתָּ֛הand you
veatahH859 →1094 times
תִּהְיֶ֥הyou will become
tihyehH1961 →3559 times
לְנָגִ֖יד<into> ruler
lenagidH5057 →45 times
עַל־over
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 2:6‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of My people…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 34:23–25
I will appoint over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them. He will feed them and be their shepherd.
- Micah 5:2
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel—One whose origins are of old, from the days…
- John 7:42
Doesn’t the Scripture say that the Christ will come from the line of David and from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?”
- Ezekiel 34:23–25
Through
John 10:11I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
it leads to
- Isaiah 40:11
He tends His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. He gently leads the nursing ewes.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 23:1
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
- John 10:14–15
I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me,
- John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
- Revelation 7:17
For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. ‘He will lead them to springs of living water,’ and ‘God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”
- Isaiah 40:11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Samuel

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and W. G. Blaikie, The Second Book of Samuel (Expositor's Bible).
