2 Samuel 5:1

DAVID WAS ANOINTED KING OVER ALL ISRAEL;

HE CAPTURED JERUSALEM;

HE BUILT HIMSELF A CEDAR HOUSE AND TOOK MORE WIVES AND CONCUBINES;

AND HE DEFEATED THE PHILISTINES TWICE

With this chapter we have the beginning of a major section of 2Samuel, namely, 2 Samuel 5-10, where we have an abbreviated and condensed record of David's successes. A record of his sins, sorrows and disasters of his later years appear in the following section, 2 Samuel 11-20. Willis pointed out that this section carries the record of seven major events of King David's reign, these being: "(1) the conquest of Jerusalem; (2) two victories over the Philistines; (3) Bringing the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem; (4) God's prophecy that of David's posterity one would arise to build God a `house'; (5) David's victories; (6) his kindness to the son of Jonathan; and (7) victories over the Ammonites and Syrians."[1]

The first two of these seven major happenings occur in this chapter.

DAVID WAS ANOINTED KING OVER ALL ISRAEL

"Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and said, "Behold, we are your bone and flesh. In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you that led out and brought in Israel; and the Lord said to you, `You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.' So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months; and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years."

"All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron" (2 Samuel 5:1). We learn from 2 Samuel 5:3 that they `all came' in the person of their representatives, the elders.

"David made a covenant with them" (2 Samuel 5:3). We have no way of knowing what this covenant contained and not even what any of the provisions of it were; but it fully satisfied Israel, and they promptly anointed David king.

"They anointed David king over Israel" (2 Samuel 5:3). This was his third anointing. (1) He was anointed by Samuel, but at first that anointing remained a secret. Samuel did not wish to precipitate a war. (2) Then after the death of Saul, Judah made David king over them at Hebron, where he was anointed a second time. (3) This was the third.

"Before the Lord" (2 Samuel 5:3). Cook suggested that the tabernacle and altar at this time might already have been moved to Hebron. Certainly, "Abiathar and Zadok the priests were both with David, although the Ark was still at Kearjath-jearim."[2] The expression "before the Lord" indicates that solemn religious ceremonies accompanied the making of the covenant between David and the elders of Israel.

Although the heir apparent to Saul's throne was still alive, being about thirteen years old, "There was no thought in anyone's mind that Mephibosheth, Saul's grandson, should reign. The situation demanded a warrior, not a cripple."[3]

"David was thirty years old when he began to reign" (2 Samuel 5:4). This is a very interesting chronological statement.

"This proves that the earlier years of Saul's reign (during which Jonathan grew up to be a man) are passed over in silence, and that the events narrated in 1 Samuel 13 to the end of the book did not occupy a period of more than ten years. If David was twenty years old at the time he slew Goliath, four years in Saul's service, four years wandering from place to place, one year and four months in the country of the Philistines, then a few months after Saul's death would bring him to the age of thirty."[4]

This emphasizes what we have frequently pointed out that these accounts in the historical books of the Bible are extremely condensed and abbreviated.

"And he reigned forty years" (2 Samuel 5:4-5). Caird stated that, "The seven years and six months of his reign in Hebron may be accurate; but the remaining thirty-three years have probably been added to bring the total up to forty."[5] This is exactly the type of critical comment which is offensive to believers. Where is the proof of any such thing?