2 Samuel 5 Study Notes: David Becomes King of All Israel
Israel’s tribes gather at Hebron and anoint David as king over the whole nation. David captures the Jebusite stronghold of Zion and makes it his capital, grows ever stronger with God’s help, and twice defeats the Philistines after asking God for direction.
General
After defeating the Philistines at Baal-perazim, to whom did David give credit for the victory (2 Samuel 5:19-20)?
Answer: The LORD, who broke through his enemies like a flood
Once the Philistines learned that David now ruled all Israel, they went hunting for him, and David went down to his stronghold. The Philistines then fanned out across the valley called Rephaim. The Philistines were Israel’s long-time enemies on the coastal plain. David asked the LORD whether to attack, and the LORD promised to give the Philistines into his hand (5:17-19), as David had often sought God’s direction before (1 Samuel 23:2). After the victory, David said the LORD had broken out against his enemies like bursting floodwaters, and he named the place Baal-perazim to remember it (5:20). The Philistines even left their idols behind, and David’s men carried them off (5:21). Victory belongs to the LORD (Proverbs 21:31; Psalm 44:3).
- 2 Samuel 5:19-20 (BSB)“So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?” “Go up,” replied the LORD, “for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hand.” So David went to Baal-perazim, where he defeated the Philistines and said, “Like a bursting flood, the LORD has burst out against my enemies before me.” So he called that place Baal-perazim.”David inquires of the LORD, receives a promise of victory, and names the place for what the LORD did.
- 2 Samuel 5:21 (BSB)“There the Philistines abandoned their idols, and David and his men carried them away.”The Philistines leave behind their idols, and David’s men carry them off.
- 1 Samuel 23:2 (BSB)“So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go and attack these Philistines?” And the LORD said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.””David had long made a practice of asking the LORD before going into battle.
- Proverbs 21:31 (BSB)“A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.”Armies prepare for battle, but victory belongs to the LORD.
- Psalm 44:3 (BSB)“For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because You favored them.”Israel confessed that it was God’s power, not their own sword, that won their battles.
Theological
To whom did David ascribe the first of his two victories over the Philistines who camped at Rephaim (2 Samuel 5:19-20)?
Answer: The LORD, who broke through his enemies like a flood
David seeks the LORD before engaging (5:19), as was his custom (1 Samuel 23:2), and after the victory ascribes it entirely to the LORD, who broke through his enemies like floodwaters bursting through; the place name Baal-perazim memorializes the LORD’s action (5:20). The Philistines even leave their idols behind, and David’s men carry them away (5:21). Proverbs 21:31 and Psalm 44:3 state the same truth: the outcome of battle belongs to God, not to human strength.
- 2 Samuel 5:19-20 (BSB)“So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?” “Go up,” replied the LORD, “for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hand.” So David went to Baal-perazim, where he defeated the Philistines and said, “Like a bursting flood, the LORD has burst out against my enemies before me.” So he called that place Baal-perazim.”David inquires of the LORD, receives a promise of victory, and names the place for what the LORD did.
- 2 Samuel 5:21 (BSB)“There the Philistines abandoned their idols, and David and his men carried them away.”The Philistines leave behind their idols, and David’s men carry them off.
- 1 Samuel 23:2 (BSB)“So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go and attack these Philistines?” And the LORD said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.””David had long made a practice of asking the LORD before going into battle.
- Proverbs 21:31 (BSB)“A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.”Armies prepare for battle, but victory belongs to the LORD.
- Psalm 44:3 (BSB)“For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because You favored them.”Israel confessed that it was God’s power, not their own sword, that won their battles.
General
True or False: At Hebron, David bound himself by covenant to Israel’s elders in the LORD’s presence, and they then poured oil on him as king of all Israel.
Answer: True
This is true. Israel’s elders gathered at Hebron, David bound himself to them by covenant in the LORD’s presence, and they set him apart as king of the whole nation (5:3). A covenant is a binding agreement made with solemn promises, and here it was made in the LORD’s presence. To anoint is to pour oil on someone’s head to set him apart for an office. This was the third time David was anointed: first privately by Samuel among his brothers (1 Samuel 16:13), then by Judah’s men as king over Judah (2 Samuel 2:4), and now as king over all Israel. The narrator adds that David was thirty when he began to reign and reigned forty years, first in Hebron and then in Jerusalem (5:4-5). God’s word through Samuel had come to pass (1 Chronicles 11:3).
- 2 Samuel 5:3 (BSB)“So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, where King David made with them a covenant before the LORD. And they anointed him king over Israel.”The elders come to Hebron, David makes a covenant with them before the LORD, and they anoint him king over Israel.
- 1 Samuel 16:13 (BSB)“So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.”Samuel had first anointed David privately among his brothers, years before he reigned.
- 2 Samuel 2:4 (BSB)“Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.””After Saul’s death the men of Judah had anointed David king over Judah alone.
- 1 Chronicles 11:3 (BSB)“So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, where David made a covenant with them before the LORD. And they anointed him king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD through Samuel.”The Chronicler notes that this anointing happened according to the word of the LORD through Samuel.
Theological
True or False: At Hebron David entered a covenant with Israel’s elders in the LORD’s presence, after which they anointed him as king of the whole nation.
Answer: True
This is true. At Hebron David covenanted with Israel’s elders in the LORD’s presence, and they poured oil on him as king of the whole nation (5:3). This is David’s third anointing, following Samuel’s private anointing (1 Samuel 16:13) and Judah’s at Hebron (2 Samuel 2:4); the Chronicler marks it as the fulfillment of the LORD’s word through Samuel (1 Chronicles 11:3). A covenant made in God’s presence frames the kingship as accountable to God, not as bare royal power. The narrator then records David’s age at accession and the length of his reign (5:4-5).
- 2 Samuel 5:3 (BSB)“So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, where King David made with them a covenant before the LORD. And they anointed him king over Israel.”The elders come to Hebron, David makes a covenant with them before the LORD, and they anoint him king over Israel.
- 1 Samuel 16:13 (BSB)“So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.”Samuel had first anointed David privately among his brothers, years before he reigned.
- 2 Samuel 2:4 (BSB)“Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.””After Saul’s death the men of Judah had anointed David king over Judah alone.
- 1 Chronicles 11:3 (BSB)“So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, where David made a covenant with them before the LORD. And they anointed him king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD through Samuel.”The Chronicler notes that this anointing happened according to the word of the LORD through Samuel.
General
After Hiram of Tyre built him a palace, what did David realize about his kingship (2 Samuel 5:11-12)?
Answer: The LORD had set him up and raised his kingdom high for Israel’s sake
Hiram, Tyre’s king, sent messengers with cedar timber and skilled workers in wood and stone, who built David a royal house (5:11). From this David understood two things: the LORD was the one who had made his throne secure, and the LORD had raised his reign high for the good of the nation that belonged to Him (5:12). David’s throne existed to serve God’s people, not the other way around. Hiram would later say the same of Solomon’s kingship, that the LORD set him as king because He loves His people (2 Chronicles 2:11), and the queen of Sheba spoke the same way (1 Kings 10:9).
- 2 Samuel 5:11-12 (BSB)“Now Hiram king of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs, carpenters, and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David. And David realized that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.”Hiram builds David a palace, and David recognizes why the LORD has established and exalted him.
- 2 Chronicles 2:11 (BSB)“Then Hiram king of Tyre wrote a letter in reply to Solomon: “Because the LORD loves His people, He has set you over them as king.””Hiram later told Solomon that the LORD had made him king because He loves His people.
- 1 Kings 10:9 (BSB)“Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD’s eternal love for Israel, He has made you king to carry out justice and righteousness.””The queen of Sheba likewise said the LORD made Solomon king because of His love for Israel.
Theological
What did David perceive about the purpose of his exaltation once Hiram had built his palace (2 Samuel 5:11-12)?
Answer: The LORD had set him up and raised his kingdom high for Israel’s sake
Hiram’s gift of cedar and craftsmen (5:11) leads David to recognize that God had made his throne secure and raised his kingdom high for the good of His own people (5:12). The king’s elevation is subordinate to God’s love for His covenant people, a theme repeated by Hiram himself to Solomon (2 Chronicles 2:11) and by the queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10:9). Royal glory is a stewardship held on behalf of the people God has chosen.
- 2 Samuel 5:11-12 (BSB)“Now Hiram king of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs, carpenters, and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David. And David realized that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.”Hiram builds David a palace, and David recognizes why the LORD has established and exalted him.
- 2 Chronicles 2:11 (BSB)“Then Hiram king of Tyre wrote a letter in reply to Solomon: “Because the LORD loves His people, He has set you over them as king.””Hiram later told Solomon that the LORD had made him king because He loves His people.
- 1 Kings 10:9 (BSB)“Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD’s eternal love for Israel, He has made you king to carry out justice and righteousness.””The queen of Sheba likewise said the LORD made Solomon king because of His love for Israel.
General
What did the Jebusites claim when David marched against Jerusalem, and what happened (2 Samuel 5:6-7)?
Answer: They boasted he could never enter, but he captured Zion
Jerusalem was held by the Jebusites, a Canaanite people whom neither Judah nor Benjamin had managed to drive out in earlier generations (Joshua 15:63; Judges 1:21). When David led his troops against the city, the Jebusites mocked him, saying that he would never get in and that even blind and lame defenders could hold him off (5:6). Yet David took the stronghold of Zion, which became known as the City of David (5:7). That day David said that anyone attacking the Jebusites would have to go by way of the water shaft to get at those blind and lame defenders, whom the verse says David despised, and a saying about the blind, the lame, and the palace came from this (5:8). The parallel account records the same boast and the same victory (1 Chronicles 11:4-5).
- 2 Samuel 5:6-7 (BSB)“Now the king and his men marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites who inhabited the land. The Jebusites said to David: “You will never get in here. Even the blind and lame can repel you.” For they thought, “David cannot get in here.” Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion (that is, the City of David).”The Jebusites mock David’s attack, but David captures the fortress of Zion.
- Joshua 15:63 (BSB)“But the descendants of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the descendants of Judah.”The tribe of Judah had been unable to drive the Jebusites out of Jerusalem.
- Judges 1:21 (BSB)“The Benjamites, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the Benjamites.”The Benjamites also failed to remove the Jebusites, who stayed in Jerusalem for generations.
- 1 Chronicles 11:4-5 (BSB)“Then David and all the Israelites marched to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus), where the Jebusites inhabited the land. The people of Jebus said to David, “You will never get in here.” Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion (that is, the City of David).”The parallel account records the same boast and the same capture of the fortress of Zion.
Theological
What boast did the Jebusites make against David, and how did the episode end (2 Samuel 5:6-7)?
Answer: They boasted he could never enter, but he captured Zion
The Jebusites, who had held Jerusalem since the conquest despite Judah and Benjamin (Joshua 15:63; Judges 1:21), taunted David that he could not enter, since even blind and lame defenders could turn him back (5:6). Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion, thereafter called the City of David (5:7); the narrator also records David’s order about the water shaft and the saying connected with it (5:8). The Chronicler reports the same boast and capture (1 Chronicles 11:4-5). A city that had resisted Israel for generations now becomes the royal seat.
- 2 Samuel 5:6-7 (BSB)“Now the king and his men marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites who inhabited the land. The Jebusites said to David: “You will never get in here. Even the blind and lame can repel you.” For they thought, “David cannot get in here.” Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion (that is, the City of David).”The Jebusites mock David’s attack, but David captures the fortress of Zion.
- Joshua 15:63 (BSB)“But the descendants of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the descendants of Judah.”The tribe of Judah had been unable to drive the Jebusites out of Jerusalem.
- Judges 1:21 (BSB)“The Benjamites, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the Benjamites.”The Benjamites also failed to remove the Jebusites, who stayed in Jerusalem for generations.
- 1 Chronicles 11:4-5 (BSB)“Then David and all the Israelites marched to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus), where the Jebusites inhabited the land. The people of Jebus said to David, “You will never get in here.” Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion (that is, the City of David).”The parallel account records the same boast and the same capture of the fortress of Zion.
General
What reason does the narrator give for David becoming greater and greater (2 Samuel 5:10)?
Answer: He had the presence of the LORD of Hosts
Once David held Zion and built up the city around it, the narrator says he grew steadily greater, and gives the reason: he had the presence of the LORD of Hosts (5:9-10). The title LORD of Hosts presents God as the commander of heaven’s armies. The same reason has run through David’s whole story. A servant had described him to Saul as a man who had the LORD’s presence (1 Samuel 16:18), David succeeded in everything because of God’s presence (1 Samuel 18:14), and Saul came to see it too (1 Samuel 18:28). David’s rise is credited to God’s presence, not to his army, his allies, or the people’s mood.
- 2 Samuel 5:10 (BSB)“And David became greater and greater, for the LORD God of Hosts was with him.”The narrator gives the reason for David’s growing greatness.
- 1 Samuel 16:18 (BSB)“One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a mighty man of valor, a warrior, eloquent and handsome, and the LORD is with him.””Even before David entered Saul’s service, a servant described him by saying the LORD was with him.
- 1 Samuel 18:14 (BSB)“and he continued to prosper in all his ways, because the LORD was with him.”David prospered in all he did under Saul because the LORD was with him.
- 1 Samuel 18:28 (BSB)“When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David,”Saul himself came to realize that the LORD was with David.
Theological
To what does the narrator attribute David’s steadily increasing greatness (2 Samuel 5:10)?
Answer: He had the presence of the LORD of Hosts
The narrator attributes David’s growth not to military strength or alliances but to the presence of the God of Hosts (5:10). This is the refrain of David’s rise from the beginning (1 Samuel 16:18; 18:14, 28): the decisive factor in his story is the sovereign favor of God, who had chosen him. Even his capture of Zion is framed by this theological verdict.
- 2 Samuel 5:10 (BSB)“And David became greater and greater, for the LORD God of Hosts was with him.”The narrator gives the reason for David’s growing greatness.
- 1 Samuel 16:18 (BSB)“One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a mighty man of valor, a warrior, eloquent and handsome, and the LORD is with him.””Even before David entered Saul’s service, a servant described him by saying the LORD was with him.
- 1 Samuel 18:14 (BSB)“and he continued to prosper in all his ways, because the LORD was with him.”David prospered in all he did under Saul because the LORD was with him.
- 1 Samuel 18:28 (BSB)“When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David,”Saul himself came to realize that the LORD was with David.
General
What does the narrator record that David did after settling in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5:13-14)?
Answer: Took more wives and concubines, and more children were born
Once he had moved from Hebron to Jerusalem, David added concubines and wives, and his family of sons and daughters grew (5:13). A concubine was a secondary wife of lower standing. The narrator reports this without praise, and the law had warned that Israel’s king must not multiply wives, lest his heart turn away (Deuteronomy 17:17). Among the sons born in Jerusalem were Nathan and Solomon (5:14). Both names matter later, because the genealogies of Jesus run through them: Matthew traces the line through Solomon (Matthew 1:6), and Luke through Nathan (Luke 3:31).
- 2 Samuel 5:13-14 (BSB)“After he had arrived from Hebron, David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him. These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,”After moving from Hebron, David takes more wives and concubines, and more children are born to him, including Nathan and Solomon.
- Deuteronomy 17:17 (BSB)“He must not take many wives for himself, lest his heart go astray. He must not accumulate for himself large amounts of silver and gold.”The law had told Israel’s king not to multiply wives, lest his heart be led astray.
- Matthew 1:6 (BSB)“and Jesse the father of David the king. Next: David was the father of Solomon by Uriah’s wife,”Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus runs through Solomon, one of the sons born in Jerusalem.
- Luke 3:31 (BSB)“the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,”Luke’s genealogy of Jesus runs through Nathan, another of these sons.
Theological
What does the narrator report about David’s household after he moved to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5:13-14)?
Answer: Took more wives and concubines, and more children were born
David added further concubines and wives in Jerusalem, and further children were added to his family (5:13). The narrator records this without approval, and Deuteronomy 17:17 had forbidden the king to multiply wives. Yet God works His purpose through this very household: Solomon and Nathan, both born in Jerusalem (5:14), stand in the genealogies of Christ in Matthew 1:6 and Luke 3:31 respectively.
- 2 Samuel 5:13-14 (BSB)“After he had arrived from Hebron, David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him. These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,”After moving from Hebron, David takes more wives and concubines, and more children are born to him, including Nathan and Solomon.
- Deuteronomy 17:17 (BSB)“He must not take many wives for himself, lest his heart go astray. He must not accumulate for himself large amounts of silver and gold.”The law had told Israel’s king not to multiply wives, lest his heart be led astray.
- Matthew 1:6 (BSB)“and Jesse the father of David the king. Next: David was the father of Solomon by Uriah’s wife,”Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus runs through Solomon, one of the sons born in Jerusalem.
- Luke 3:31 (BSB)“the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,”Luke’s genealogy of Jesus runs through Nathan, another of these sons.
General
According to the tribes, what had the LORD said David would do for Israel (2 Samuel 5:2)?
Answer: Tend God’s people like a shepherd and rule over them
The tribes remind David of what the LORD had said: David would be a shepherd to God’s people Israel and their ruler (5:2). A shepherd guides, feeds, and protects a flock, so the picture describes a king who cares for the people rather than using them. David had been an actual shepherd before God called him, and the psalmist celebrates God taking him from tending ewes to lead Israel with an upright heart (Psalm 78:70-72). The same picture carries forward to Jesus. The prophecy Matthew records about the ruler born in Bethlehem calls Him the shepherd of God’s people Israel (Matthew 2:6), and Jesus calls Himself the good shepherd who gives Himself up for His flock (John 10:11).
- 2 Samuel 5:2 (BSB)“Even 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.’””The tribes recall the LORD’s word that David would shepherd and rule His people Israel.
- Psalm 78:70-72 (BSB)“He chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds; from tending the ewes He brought him to be shepherd of His people Jacob, of Israel His inheritance. So David shepherded them with integrity of heart and guided them with skillful hands.”The psalm celebrates God choosing David from the sheepfolds to shepherd His people with integrity.
- Matthew 2:6 (BSB)“‘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 Israel.’””The prophecy Matthew records speaks of the ruler from Bethlehem as the shepherd of God’s people Israel.
- John 10:11 (BSB)“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”Jesus calls Himself the good shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep.
Theological
How do the tribes summarize the LORD’s word concerning David’s role over Israel (2 Samuel 5:2)?
Answer: Tend God’s people like a shepherd and rule over them
The tribes cite the LORD’s designation of David as shepherd and ruler over His people (5:2). Kingship in Israel is defined pastorally: the king is an under-shepherd of a flock that belongs to God. Psalm 78:70-72 traces David’s calling from the flock to this office, and the shepherd-ruler language is carried into the New Testament: the prophecy Matthew records names the ruler from Bethlehem the shepherd of God’s people Israel (Matthew 2:6), and Jesus names Himself the good shepherd who gives Himself up for the flock (John 10:11), the greater Son of David who fulfills the office David held.
- 2 Samuel 5:2 (BSB)“Even 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.’””The tribes recall the LORD’s word that David would shepherd and rule His people Israel.
- Psalm 78:70-72 (BSB)“He chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds; from tending the ewes He brought him to be shepherd of His people Jacob, of Israel His inheritance. So David shepherded them with integrity of heart and guided them with skillful hands.”The psalm celebrates God choosing David from the sheepfolds to shepherd His people with integrity.
- Matthew 2:6 (BSB)“‘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 Israel.’””The prophecy Matthew records speaks of the ruler from Bethlehem as the shepherd of God’s people Israel.
- John 10:11 (BSB)“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”Jesus calls Himself the good shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep.
General
When the Philistines attacked a second time, what did the LORD tell David to do (2 Samuel 5:23-24)?
Answer: Circle behind them and strike when he heard marching in the treetops
The Philistines returned to the same valley, and David again asked the LORD. This time the answer was different: he was not to attack head-on but to go around to their rear and strike near the balsam trees. When he heard what sounded like marching high in the branches, he was to act at once, because that would mean the LORD had gone out before him to strike the Philistine camp (5:22-24). David did exactly what the LORD commanded and won a sweeping victory (5:25). The LORD went ahead of His people, as Deborah had told Barak (Judges 4:14) and as the law told the priest to assure Israel’s army before battle (Deuteronomy 20:4). Isaiah later pointed back to the LORD acting at Mount Perazim as a pattern of His power (Isaiah 28:21).
- 2 Samuel 5:23-24 (BSB)“So David inquired of the LORD, who answered, “Do not march straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because this will mean that the LORD has gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.””For the second battle the LORD gives different instructions and a sign that He has gone out ahead of David.
- 2 Samuel 5:25 (BSB)“So David did as the LORD had commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.”David obeys exactly and defeats the Philistines.
- Judges 4:14 (BSB)“Then Deborah said to Barak, “Arise, for this is the day that the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the LORD gone before you?” So Barak came down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him.”Deborah told Barak that the LORD had gone out before him into battle.
- Deuteronomy 20:4 (BSB)“For the LORD your God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.””Before battle the priest was to assure Israel that the LORD goes with them to fight for them.
- Isaiah 28:21 (BSB)“For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim. He will rouse Himself as in the Valley of Gibeon, to do His work, His strange work, and to perform His task, His disturbing task.”Isaiah later speaks of the LORD rising up as at Mount Perazim and in the Valley of Gibeon, places tied to His victories.
Theological
What instructions and sign did the LORD give David for the second Philistine battle (2 Samuel 5:23-24)?
Answer: Circle behind them and strike when he heard marching in the treetops
David does not assume the former tactic will serve again; he inquires anew and receives different orders: circle behind the Philistines and engage near the balsam trees when a noise like an army’s tread in the treetops signals that the LORD is advancing ahead to strike the enemy (5:23-24). David’s exact obedience and the resulting victory (5:25) display the LORD as the true Warrior of Israel, as in Judges 4:14 and Deuteronomy 20:4. Isaiah 28:21 appeals to the LORD’s action at Mount Perazim as a pattern of His power.
- 2 Samuel 5:23-24 (BSB)“So David inquired of the LORD, who answered, “Do not march straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because this will mean that the LORD has gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.””For the second battle the LORD gives different instructions and a sign that He has gone out ahead of David.
- 2 Samuel 5:25 (BSB)“So David did as the LORD had commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.”David obeys exactly and defeats the Philistines.
- Judges 4:14 (BSB)“Then Deborah said to Barak, “Arise, for this is the day that the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the LORD gone before you?” So Barak came down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him.”Deborah told Barak that the LORD had gone out before him into battle.
- Deuteronomy 20:4 (BSB)“For the LORD your God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.””Before battle the priest was to assure Israel that the LORD goes with them to fight for them.
- Isaiah 28:21 (BSB)“For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim. He will rouse Himself as in the Valley of Gibeon, to do His work, His strange work, and to perform His task, His disturbing task.”Isaiah later speaks of the LORD rising up as at Mount Perazim and in the Valley of Gibeon, places tied to His victories.
General
When representatives of all Israel’s tribes met David at Hebron, which reasons did they give for wanting him as king (2 Samuel 5:1-2)?
Answer: He was their kin, and he had led Israel’s army even under Saul
After Ish-bosheth’s death, representatives of every tribe met David at Hebron with three reasons. First, they were his own family, bound to him by blood as fellow Israelites. Second, even while Saul was still king, David had been the one leading Israel’s troops into war and home again. Third, the LORD Himself had spoken about David’s future as the leader of His people (5:1-2). The second reason matches what the narrator had said long before, that the whole nation, north and south, loved David for leading them in war (1 Samuel 18:16). The parallel account in Chronicles adds that the anointing fulfilled what God had promised by Samuel (1 Chronicles 11:3). David was not Jonathan’s son, and Jerusalem was not yet his.
- 2 Samuel 5:1-2 (BSB)“Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood. Even 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.’””Representatives of every tribe come to Hebron and give their reasons for making David king over all Israel.
- 1 Samuel 18:16 (BSB)“But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he was leading them out to battle and back.”Years earlier the narrator had recorded that all Israel and Judah loved David because he led them in battle.
- 1 Chronicles 11:3 (BSB)“So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, where David made a covenant with them before the LORD. And they anointed him king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD through Samuel.”The parallel account adds that this anointing happened in keeping with the word the LORD had spoken through Samuel.
Theological
On what grounds did Israel’s tribes ask David to reign over them at Hebron (2 Samuel 5:1-2)?
Answer: He was their kin, and he had led Israel’s army even under Saul
Israel’s tribes ground their appeal in kinship, in David’s proven military leadership under Saul, and in the LORD’s own word about him (5:1-2). The military point echoes the narrator’s earlier note about the nation’s love for David as its war leader (1 Samuel 18:16), and the Chronicler explicitly ties the anointing to God’s promise spoken by Samuel (1 Chronicles 11:3). The kingdom long promised to David now comes to him through the free consent of the tribes rather than by his own seizure of it.
- 2 Samuel 5:1-2 (BSB)“Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood. Even 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.’””Representatives of every tribe come to Hebron and give their reasons for making David king over all Israel.
- 1 Samuel 18:16 (BSB)“But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he was leading them out to battle and back.”Years earlier the narrator had recorded that all Israel and Judah loved David because he led them in battle.
- 1 Chronicles 11:3 (BSB)“So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, where David made a covenant with them before the LORD. And they anointed him king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD through Samuel.”The parallel account adds that this anointing happened in keeping with the word the LORD had spoken through Samuel.