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. read more
The facts are: 1 . The tribes of Israel come to Hebron to formally acknowledge David as rightful king. 2 . They assign three reasons for their united action. 3 . A solemn league being made between David and the tribes, they anoint him king over Israel. 4 . The question of the crown being settled, David applies himself to the acquisition of Jerusalem as the seat of government. 5 . Being proudly defied by the Jebusites, on account of the strength of their position, he... read more
( 1 Chronicles 11:2 , 1 Chronicles 11:9 ; 1 Chronicles 14:2 ). ( HEBRON .) The shepherd king. This is the first occasion on which we find the occupation of a shepherd made use of to describe the office of a king. Jacob, who had "fed Laban's flocks," spoke of "the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel" ( Genesis 49:24 ; Genesis 48:15 ); Moses, who had "kept the flock of Jethro," prayed that Jehovah would "set a man over the congregation" as his successor, so that they might not be "as... read more
( 1 Chronicles 11:4-9 ) Jerusalem. David's first act after his anointing amidst the assembled tribes ( 1 Chronicles 12:38-40 ) was to place himself at the head of his army, and march against Jebus, the capital of the Jebusites. With this place he was familiar from his boyhood, and often, perhaps, wondered why it was suffered to remain so long unsubdued ( Joshua 1:3 , Joshua 1:4 ). He perceived its advantages as a site for the capital of his kingdom, and the necessity of its... read more
The stronghold of Zion: the same is the city of David. Zion was the hill on the southwestern side of the city; but we learn from 2 Samuel 5:9 that the Jebusites had not occupied the whole of it, but a part only, which was their stronghold, round which there would be scattered dwellings, as the whole tribe dwelt there. The total area of the hill top was about sixty acres, and it was now quickly covered with houses, and called "the city of David," after its captor. The view of Dr. Birch... read more
The stronghold of Zion - Or castle 1 Chronicles 11:5, 1 Chronicles 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 2 Samuel 5:9, and by which it was known in the writer’s time. read more
5:1-10:19 DAVID ESTABLISHES HIS KINGDOMConquest of Jerusalem (5:1-25)All the tribes of Israel now sent a representative force of soldiers to Hebron to present themselves to David, their new king (5:1-3; 1 Chronicles 12:23-40). The two-year civil war had now finished, and for the next five and a half years David reigned in Hebron over a unified Israel (4-5; cf. 2:10-11).David probably realized that so long as he remained in the territory of his own tribe in the south, the northern tribes would... read more
the strong hold of Zion : i.e. the hill of Ophel, immediately south of Moriah. Zion. First occurrence. Occurs 154 times in O.T. (7 x 22, App-10 ); used later (especially in prophecy) of the whole city. See App-68 . the City of David . Which is on Jebus, therefore, and not on the west side. First occurrence. Occurs forty times in O.T. Used of Zion five times ( 2Sa 5:7 , 2 Samuel 5:9 ; 1Ki 8:1 . 1 Chronicles 11:5 . 2 Chronicles 5:2 ). read more
7. the stronghold of Zion—Whether Zion be the southwestern hill commonly so-called, or the peak now level on the north of the temple mount, it is the towering height which catches the eye from every quarter—"the hill fort," "the rocky hold" of Jerusalem. read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Samuel 5:6-10
If Salem, the place of which Melchizedec was king, was Jerusalem (as seems probable from Ps. 76:2), it was famous in Abraham's time. Joshua, in his time, found it the chief city of the south part of Canaan, Josh. 10:1-3. It fell to Benjamin's lot (Josh. 18:28), but joined close to Judah?s, Josh. 15:8. The children of Judah had taken it (Jdg. 1:8), but the children of Benjamin suffered the Jebusites to dwell among them (Jdg. 1:21), and they grew so upon them that it became a city of Jebusites,... read more