2 Samuel 5:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And David inquired of the Lord, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?" And the Lord said to David, "Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand."

NIV: so David inquired of the Lord, "Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?" The Lord answered him, "Go, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands."

NASB: So David inquired of the Lord, saying, 'Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You hand them over to me?' And the Lord said to David, 'Go up, for I will certainly hand the Philistines over to you.'

CSB: Then David inquired of the Lord: "Should I attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" The Lord replied to David, "Attack, for I will certainly hand the Philistines over to you."

NLT: So David asked the Lord, 'Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?' The Lord replied to David, 'Yes, go ahead. I will certainly hand them over to you.'

KJV: And David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the Lord said unto David, Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand.

NKJV: So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?” And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand.”

David has made a habit of asking the Lord what he should do when facing a potential battle. It's likely that many kings sought favor or approval from their gods before battle. King Saul was so dependent on this religious practice that he felt the need to carry it out even after he knew that the Lord had rejected him (1 Samuel 28:5–6).

David doesn't ask this as a superstition or a mere religious exercise. He asks in full dependence on the God of Israel. He doesn't ask God for victory. He first asks if God wants him to fight, and then if God will let him win. David does so repeatedly in similar moments (1 Samuel 23:2, 11; 30:8; 2 Samuel 2:1). Even if the Philistine army far outnumbers his own, he knows God will make him victorious.

David seeks an answer from the Lord by means of an oracle. He probably calls for Abiathar, the priest who has been with him for many years, to perform this ritual with the use of the Urim and Thummim, according to the instructions given in the law of Moses (Exodus 28:4–30). David would have asked the Lord a series of yes-no questions answered by casting lots.

Through this method, David learns that God will give David and his men victory. David takes his army and routs the Philistines so badly they leave behind their pagan idols. David orders his men to burn them (1 Chronicles 14:12). They are useless against God (2 Samuel 5:20).

Second 2 Samuel 5:17–25 explains how David confronts the Philistines as king of Israel. He has been fighting the Philistines since he was a boy (1 Samuel 17), and one of the reasons Israel has accepted him as king is because of his reputation as a military commander (2 Samuel 3:17–19; 5:2). This section is repeated in 1 Chronicles 14:8–17. The battles continue a series of examples of how God is blessing David's new kingship (2 Samuel 5). Second Samuel 5—10 describes David's successes as a man and a king. Second Samuel 11—24 describes his failures and their consequences.

Second Samuel 5 is a series of vignettes describing how God blesses David after his inauguration as king over the nation. David took Jerusalem from the Jebusites and made the city the nation's capital (2 Samuel 5:6–9). His first international ally, Hiram, king of Tyre, built his palace (2 Samuel 5:11). His family grew: exponentially (2 Samuel 5:13–16)! And he soundly beat his enemies (2 Samuel 5:17–25). David did all this because of God's favor, to bless the nation, not through his own skill or because of any good in him (2 Samuel 5:10, 12). First Chronicles 11:1–9 and 14:1–17 also record these events.

Second Samuel 5 is a pivot point for all of Israel's history. After Saul's son Ish-bosheth is killed, no opposition remains to David's kingship (2 Samuel 4:5–6). Convinced by Abner before his death to follow David (2 Samuel 3:17–19), the elders of Israel gather at Hebron to anoint David king over the entire nation. David moves his capital to Jerusalem and defends the nation against the Philistines. Now, he has enough security to bring the ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:1–15). The following chapters seem to collectively describe David's accomplishments (2 Samuel 5:9—10:19) and his mistakes (2 Samuel 11—20).

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.