2 Samuel 5:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David. And David built the city all around from the Millo inward.

NIV: David then took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built up the area around it, from the terraces inward.

NASB: So David lived in the stronghold, and called it the city of David. And David built all around from the Millo and inward.

CSB: David took up residence in the stronghold, which he named the city of David. He built it up all the way around from the supporting terraces inward.

NLT: So David made the fortress his home, and he called it the City of David. He extended the city, starting at the supporting terraces and working inward.

KJV: So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward.

NKJV: Then David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the City of David. And David built all around from the Millo and inward.

David has defeated the Jebusites in Jebus and moved his headquarters from Hebron. The official name of the city is Jerusalem, meaning "teaching of peace." It's also called Zion, which refers either to a fortress or a dry and sunny place. David also considers Jerusalem his own city: the city of the king of the united tribes of Israel that sits on the border of his tribe of Judah and Benjamin, the tribe of the previous king. It's just north of Bethlehem, David's hometown. Because David took Jerusalem from the Jebusites, he neither inconveniences established Jewish settlements nor gives any tribe a special claim on his loyalties.

David's first task after taking possession of the city is to start building it up. The word for the Millo means "the fill" and refers to terraced walls (1 Kings 9:24; 11:27; 2 Chronicles 32:5). These were built into the steep hillside and then filled with rock and earth to create level platforms for houses and other structures. Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of these terraces below Jerusalem from the time of the Jebusites.

Soon, David will settle in. The king of Tyre will give him supplies and craftsmen to build his palace. David's family will grow there (2 Samuel 5:13–16). David will build a tent on top of the mount to house the ark of the Covenant (2 Samuel 6:17). Eventually, his son Solomon will build God's temple on that mount (1 Kings 6). To this day, Jerusalem is known as the City of David, and although it is not the political capital, it's the most important city in Israel to the Jews, Muslims, and Christians of the world.

When David took "Jerusalem," the city was just a small plot off the southwest corner of the modern-day temple mount. David didn't conquer all of Jerusalem as we know it in the 21st century. In fact, he will later buy Mt. Moriah—the temple mount—from a Jebusite—and designate it as the future site of the temple (2 Samuel 24:18–25; 1 Chronicles 22:1).

Second Samuel 5:6–10 describes David's establishment of a new capital city. He has been in Hebron, in the heart of Judah, for seven years. He decides to move to Jebus, an easily defendable city closer to central Israel. He and his men take it from the native Jebusites, and he renames it Jerusalem. David knows he owes his success to God and God alone. David's people move in, and the king of Tyre helps him build a house where he has many more children (2 Samuel 5:11–16). This information is also found in 1 Chronicles 11:2–9.

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).