Commentaria in II Regum (II Samuelis)
Chapter 5
The eleven tribes make David their king and anoint him in Hebron. Soon, verse 6, David slays the Jebusites and wrests from them the citadel of Sion, where Hiram has a house built for David; where David, verse 13, multiplies wives and sons. Finally, verse 18, he strikes down the Philistines, first, and second, verse 23, God giving David a sign, the sound of one going on the tops of the pear trees.
1. And all the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron, saying: Behold we are thy bone and thy flesh. 2. Moreover yesterday and the day before, when Saul was our king, thou wast he that led out and brought in Israel: and the Lord said to thee: Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be prince over Israel. 3. The ancients also of Israel came to the king to Hebron, and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the Lord: and they anointed David to be king over Israel. 4. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. 5. In Hebron he reigned over Juda seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Juda. 6. And the king and all the men that were with him went to Jerusalem to the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: and it was said to David by them: Thou shalt not come in hither, unless thou take away the blind and the lame, saying: David shall not come in hither. 7. But David took the castle of Sion, the same is the city of David. 8. For David had proposed that day a reward to him that should strike the Jebusites, and get up to the tops of the gutters of the houses, and take away the blind and the lame that hate the soul of David: therefore it is said in the proverb: The blind and the lame shall not come into the temple. 9. And David dwelt in the castle, and called it the City of David: and built round about from Mello and inwards. 10. And he went on prospering and growing up, and the Lord God of hosts was with him. 11. And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons to build walls: and they built David a house. 12. And David knew that the Lord had confirmed him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom over his people Israel. 13. And David took more concubines and wives of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron: and there were more sons and daughters born to David. 14. And these are the names of them that were born to him in Jerusalem: Samua, and Sobab, Elioda, and Eliphaleth. 17. And the Philistines hearing that they had anointed David king over Israel, all went up to seek David; and when David heard of it, he went down to a stronghold. 18. And the Philistines coming spread themselves in the valley of Raphaim. 19. And David consulted the Lord, saying: Shall I go up to the Philistines? and wilt thou deliver them into my hand? And the Lord said to David: Go up, for I will certainly deliver the Philistines into thy hand. 20. And David came to Baal-Pharasim, and defeated them there, and he said: The Lord hath divided my enemies before me, as waters are divided. Therefore the name of that place was called Baal-Pharasim. 21. And they left there their idols, which David and his men took away. 22. And the Philistines came up again, and spread themselves in the valley of Raphaim. 23. And David consulted the Lord: Shall I go up against the Philistines, and wilt thou deliver them into my hands? He answered: Go not up against them, but fetch a compass behind them, and thou shalt come upon them over against the pear trees. 24. And when thou shalt hear the sound of one going in the tops of the pear trees, then shalt thou join battle: for then will the Lord go out before thy face, to strike the army of the Philistines. 25. And David did as the Lord had commanded him, and he smote the Philistines from Gabaa until thou come to Gezer.
1. AND ALL THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL CAME TO DAVID IN HEBRON—to make him their king by the common consent of all. See 1 Paralipomenon 12:23 and following, where the coming and order of the tribes is described at length.
SAYING: BEHOLD WE ARE THY BONE AND THY FLESH—that is, we are thy kinsmen, so the Chaldee: lest anyone should think that David was related by blood only to the tribe of Juda, from which he sprang, and was therefore king of the tribe of Juda alone, for this reason the other eleven tribes here assert that David is also their kinsman; for all the tribes were of one blood, since they were descended from the twelve brothers, the Patriarchs, sons of Jacob. This is therefore the first reason why they choose David as their king, that he has sprung from them and is joined to them by blood: the second reason follows.
2. MOREOVER YESTERDAY AND THE DAY BEFORE, WHEN SAUL WAS OUR KING, THOU WAST HE THAT LED OUT AND BROUGHT IN ISRAEL—that is: Under King Saul thou didst rule the people more than Saul, and for him didst always fight successfully; it is therefore fitting that now Saul is dead thou shouldst go on ruling us as king. The third reason follows, taken from God’s decree and oracle concerning David’s kingdom, given through Samuel.
AND THE LORD SAID TO THEE: THOU SHALT FEED MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.—“Thou shalt feed,” that is, thou shalt rule; for this is the Hebrew tire and the Greek poimaneis. Hence let kings know that they ought to rule by feeding the people, in the way in which a shepherd feeds sheep; wherefore Homer calls King Agamemnon poimena laon, that is, shepherd of the peoples.
3. AND KING DAVID MADE A LEAGUE WITH THEM IN HEBRON BEFORE THE LORD—that is, before the whole assembly and synagogue of the faithful people, or of the twelve tribes, over which God presided; for the ark of God was not in Hebron; wherefore the league could not be sanctioned before it. This “league” was a mutual promise, in which David promised that he would faithfully administer the kingdom of Israel according to the laws established by God, Deuteronomy 17:16 and following. The Israelites on their part promised to be obedient and faithful to him.
AND THEY ANOINTED DAVID TO BE KING OVER ISRAEL.— David was anointed king of Israel three times: first, secretly in his father’s house by Samuel; second, publicly by the tribe of Juda alone and entire; third, here by all the tribes. David was a type of Christ, who also was anointed in three ways: first, by the grace of the personal union, on account of which he obtained right over all the elect of God, as their prince and head; second, by the grace of redemption in death, on account of which “God hath exalted him, and hath given him a name which is above all names,” and he in fact began to reign over the fathers whom he led out from the subterranean places, and a few Apostles and disciples; third, by the grace of supreme triumph: when “all power was given to him in heaven and on earth,” and the Holy Spirit being sent and the yoke taken from the neck, all nations served him; and this is fulfilled daily according to Psalm 2: “Ask of me, and I will give thee the Gentiles for thy inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession.” (Of the capital city of the synagogue. See what I have said of Jerusalem at Judges chap. 1 and elsewhere.)
THOU SHALT NOT COME IN HITHER, UNLESS THOU TAKE AWAY THE BLIND AND THE LAME, SAYING: DAVID SHALL NOT COME IN HITHER.—Who are these blind and lame? First, some think they were images and statues of blind and lame men