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
And David said on that day ,.... On which he took the strong hold of Zion: whosoever getteth up to the gutter ; where it is generally supposed the blind and lame were, whether images or real men: but what is meant by "Tzinnur", we render "gutter", is not easy to say; we follow some of the Jewish writers, who take it to be a canal, or water spout, used to carry off the water from roofs of houses into cisterns, as the word is rendered in Psalm 42:7 ; which is the only place besides this... read more
So David dwelt in the fort ,.... The strong hold of Zion, which he took: and called it the city of David ; from his own name, to keep up the memory of his taking it, and of his habitation in it: and David built round about, from Millo and inward ; built a wall about it, and enlarged the place, increased the buildings both within and without. Millo is supposed to be a ditch round the fort, full of water, from whence it had its name; or was a large hollow place which divided the fort... 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
Whosoever getteth up to the gutter. The word rendered "gutter" occurs elsewhere only in Psalms 42:7 , where it is translated "waterspout." Josephus thinks that it was an underground passage or drain. Ewald argues that it was a precipice, and others that it was a dent or hollow in the rocky face of the ravine, which David had noticed and thought practicable. The view of Josephus, suggested to him probably by his knowledge of the way in which the site of Jerusalem is honeycombed by tunnels,... read more
David dwelt in the fort. It was the stronghold or citadel of Zion which David took for his abode; but as he needed space for the dwellings of his mighty men, and for those who would soon flock for trade and security to the capital, David proceeded to fortify the whole of the summit. His works began from "the Millo," rendered "the citadel" by the LXX . Many, deriving the name from a Hebrew root signifying to fill, think that it was a mound, but Nature had herself supplied fit heights for... 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