2 Samuel 2:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And David brought up his men who were with him, everyone with his household, and they lived in the towns of Hebron.

NIV: David also took the men who were with him, each with his family, and they settled in Hebron and its towns.

NASB: And David brought up his men who were with him, each with his household; and they settled in the cities of Hebron.

CSB: In addition, David brought the men who were with him, each one with his family, and they settled in the towns near Hebron.

NLT: and his men and their families all moved to Judah, and they settled in the villages near Hebron.

KJV: And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

NKJV: And David brought up the men who were with him, every man with his household. So they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

David fled from Saul's murderous wrath with nothing but Goliath's sword, a couple of loaves of bread, and the clothes on his back (1 Samuel 21:6, 9). He first hid in the Philistine city of Gath, but the servants of the king recognized him. Next, David fled to a cave in the wilderness. Before long, his brothers joined him. Then people from everywhere who were in distress or debt gathered around him. David tucked his parents away with the king of Moab, but before long, he was responsible for 600 fighting men and their families, not to mention his two wives (1 Samuel 21:10—22:4; 23:13).

These people have been with David the entire time he evaded Saul. They've stood by while David spared Saul's life twice (1 Samuel 24:1–7; 26:6–12). They've followed him back to Gath and have been a hair's-breadth from joining the Philistine army against the Israelites (1 Samuel 27, 29). And they've rescued their families from the Amalekites (1 Samuel 30).

Now, Saul is dead, and they're finally safe in Israelite territory, in Judah. Soon, David will be king of Judah (2 Samuel 2:4). Their peace is relative; they will still fight other nations, but at least they have a home. In five years, Saul's former commander Joab will install Saul's son Ish-bosheth as king of the rest of Israel. David's men will fight in a civil war for two years before David becomes king of all Israel (2 Samuel 5:1–5).

Hebron, at that time, sat along a ridge in an area rich with more than twenty freshwater springs. Hebron will remain David's home base and capital until he conquers Jerusalem and makes it the capital of the unified Israel (2 Samuel 5:1–10).

Second Samuel 2:1–4 depicts the moment David becomes king of Judah. David and his men had plundered the Amalekites when they rescued their families, and David sent some of the treasure to the elders in Judah (1 Samuel 30:16–31). With Saul dead, David becomes king of Judah—but not yet over all Israelites. David already executed the man who boasted he killed Saul. David then sent a lament across the land (2 Samuel 1). Next, he publicly thanks the men who rescued Saul's and his sons' bodies from the Philistines (2 Samuel 2:4–7). It seems David is trying to win favor with the Israelites peacefully. Sadly, peace won't last.

David returns to Israel, where he is anointed king over Judah, and settles in Hebron. Abner declares Saul's son Ish-bosheth king over Israel. David blesses the men of Jabesh-gilead for burying Saul's remains. Abner, leading Ish-bosheth's men, faces off against Joab, leading David's fighters, at Gibeon. In a fierce, one-sided battle, Abner kills Joab's brother, but David's men overwhelm Abner's Benjaminite fighters, losing twenty but killing 360. Abner and the survivors prepare for a last stand on the hill of Ammah, but Joab calls off the battle when Abner pleads with him to stop. Both sides return home.

Saul and three of his sons are dead (1 Samuel 31:1–4). David becomes king of Judah, and Saul's son Ish-bosheth is king of the remaining tribes. When the two sides meet in battle, Ish-bosheth's army fares poorly. David continues to grow stronger over two years of fighting. Ish-bosheth's general Abner appears to make a futile attempt to take the crown from his king, then starts the work to peacefully hand David the crown of Israel (2 Samuel 3:1–12).

Second Samuel continues the story of David, who will become king over Judah. The other tribes of Israel are resistant, eventually sparking a civil war. David wins and makes Jerusalem his capital. Early success is followed by moral failure and controversy in David's house. The book of 1 Kings will begin by detailing David's decline and death.