Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

5:6-13 The account of David's kingship over Israel starts with the capture of Jerusalem, on the boundary between Judah and Benjamin. It had not been controlled by any tribe, and thus it was both symbolically and geographically better suited to be the capital of all Israel than Hebron (in central Judah). Jerusalem was the "Salem" of Melchizedek (Gen. 14:18). It has been fortified since the Middle Bronze Age, i.e., the first half of the second millennium b.c. In the second half of the millennium it was one of the city-states of Canaan that was under the influence of Egypt. Several letters from the king of Jerusalem to the pharaoh exist among the fourteenth-century Amarna letters. The Jebusites are listed among the Canaanites in Gen. 10:16 and, broadly speaking, were considered to be among the Amorites (Josh. 10:5). The city was too strong to be conquered at the time of Joshua (Josh. 15:63; Judg. 1:21). The Jebusite city, the stronghold of Zion, was located on the western slope of the Kidron Valley above the city's water source, the spring of Gihon. An extensive network of water tunnels has been excavated, one of which was probably the water shaft through which David's men entered the city. This water shaft is often identified with "Warren's Shaft," which is directly over the water channel near the spring, though recent archaeological finds have challenged this. According to 1 Chron. 11:6, Joab led the attack and was therefore made David's chief commander.

5:6-8 the blind and the lame will ward you off. The Jebusites probably meant that the fortifications were so strong that the city needed no able-bodied defenders. David quotes their words in ordering the attack, referring to the Jebusite defenders as "the blind and the lame." The blind and the lame shall not come into the house may mean that the Jebusites were not allowed at David's court.

5:6 The Canaanite or Jebusite city of Jerusalem was located on a hill known as "Ophel." It is located in the southeastern part of the modern city. The Ophel was inhabited as far back as the Chalcolithic period (3rd millennium b.c.). The city is mentioned in Egyptian texts from the twentieth century b.c.

5:8 water shaft. See note on vv. 6-13.

5:9 the Millo. Cf. 1 Kings 9:15, 24; 11:27; 1 Chron. 11:8; 2 Chron. 32:5. The Hebrew word means "the fill." It was a series of terrace walls, built on a steep slope, supporting the fill behind it in order to create level areas. Houses were then built on these artificial platforms, which were connected by narrow staircases. It was apparently the king's duty to look after this construction. During heavy rainfalls, the fill became heavy and increased the pressure on the terrace walls, thus requiring regular maintenance of these walls. When this construction was neglected, the houses would fall down the steep slope and the city would disintegrate. Remains of these supporting walls have been found on the eastern slope of the city of David.

5:10 For the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him, as he was when David was first anointed in 1 Sam. 16:18.

5:11 Hiram king of Tyre is mentioned in 1 Kings 5:1-18 as a friend of Solomon who provides the cedars to build the temple, just as here he provides David with cedars to build his house. Tyre was a trading empire, and it was in its interest to keep the inland trade routes, especially those through Israel to Egypt, open to its merchants. According to Josephus, however, Hiram did not begin to reign until near the end of David's own reign. If that is correct, either this construction should be dated toward the end of David's reign or the Hiram in 1 Kings is the successor (probably son) of the Hiram here, who continued his father's good relationship with David. The cedars of Lebanon (which have now all but disappeared) were famous throughout the Near East. There are Assyrian reliefs of men cutting them down and transporting them to Nineveh.

5:13-14 This is a summary statement about David's kingship in Jerusalem (cf. 3:2-5); it does not mean that these sons were all born before 5:17. The birth of Solomon is mentioned in 12:24. None of the other sons play a major role in the Samuel-Kings narratives. The parallel passages 1 Chron. 3:5-8 and 14:4-7 list two more sons in addition, and comparison with a Dead Sea Scroll suggests that the two names might have been omitted in the Masoretic text of Samuel. Nathan (2 Sam. 5:14) was an ancestor of Jesus (Luke 3:31; see note on Luke 3:23-38), as was Solomon (Matt. 1:6-7).

5:17-21 Until now the Philistines may have considered that David was to some extent still their vassal (1 Samuel 27); at least they must have been happy about his struggle with Ish-bosheth. But when David becomes king over Israel (i.e., both Israel and Judah) and even captures Jerusalem, they realize that he is a threat. went down to the stronghold. This is probably a stronghold toward the Philistine country. The Valley of Rephaim is the valley leading toward Jerusalem from the southwest. The incident in 2 Sam. 23:13-17 may have happened at this time. David inquired of the Lord as he did in 1 Sam. 23:2, 11; 30:8; and 2 Sam. 2:1. like a bursting flood. Throughout the ancient Near East writings, battles are described in terms of floods. "Baal" in Baal-perazim is here a common noun meaning "lord" (see note on 4:4). The Philistines left their idols there (5:21) is a reversal of 1 Samuel 4, where the Philistines carried off the ark of the covenant. According to 1 Chron. 14:12, David had the idols burned.

5:22-25 It may be that the sound of marching was a distinct sound caused by the Lord that frightened the Philistines (as in 2 Kings 7:6). Another possibility is that the Philistines knew the sound was the sound of trees, so David was able to use the sound as cover for his attack. By this victory, David drove the Philistines out of the central hill country.