Part of the genealogy of Christ Ruler Mentioned in the Bible by name

David

Therefore, Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, "Send me your son David, who is with the sheep."

And Jesse took a donkey and loaded it with bread and a jug of wine and a kid, and sent it with his son David to Saul.

And David came to Saul and stood before him, and he loved him greatly, and he became his armor bearer.

And Saul sent messengers to Jesse, saying, "Let David, I pray thee, remain before me, for he hath found favor (undeserved love – Hebr. chen) in my sight."

And it came to pass, when the spirit from God (Elohim) was upon Saul, that David took the harp and played with his hand, and Saul was refreshed and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

And David was the son of an Ephrathite from Bethlehem in Judah named Jesse, who had eight sons, and the man was an old man in Saul's days, having reached a ripe old age among men [so he could not go to the battlefield himself].
[David was the youngest, see verse 14. In 1 Chron. 2:13–16, only seven sons are mentioned by name. In verse 13, the three eldest are mentioned, so one of the younger ones may have died early before starting a family and therefore not been included in the Chronicles.]

And David was the youngest, and the three eldest had followed Saul.

But David went back and forth between Saul [in the valley of Elah, where the army was] and Bethlehem, to tend his father's sheep. [David lived with his father in Bethlehem, where he took care of his father's sheep, but regularly went to support his brothers in Saul's army. In verse 54, David's tent is mentioned.]

Then Jishaj said to his son David, "Take, now (I beg you – Hebr. na), to your brothers [on their behalf], an ephah [22-36 liters] of dried grain [a sack] and these ten loaves of bread – run quickly to the camp, to your brothers.

And David rose early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper, and took and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the camp just as the army was going out to battle, and he gave the battle cry.

And David left what he had brought in his hand with the keeper of the supplies and ran to the troops and greeted his brothers.

And while he was talking with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine from Gath, named Goliath, came out from the ranks of the Philistines and spoke the same words, and David heard them.

And David spoke to the man standing beside him and asked, "What shall be done to the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should reproach the army of the living God (Elohim)?"

And Eliab, his eldest brother, heard him speaking to the men, and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, "Why have you come down? And with whom have you left the sheep in the wilderness? I know your adventurous spirit and the lightness of your heart. You have come down because you want to watch the battle."

David replied, "What have I done now? Was it not just a question (a word)?"

And when the words that David spoke were heard, they told Saul, and he was brought to him.

And David said to Saul, "Let no man's courage fail (heart be discouraged). Your servant will go and fight this Philistine."

And Saul said to David, "You are not able to go against this Philistine and fight with him, for you are too young, and he has been a warrior from his youth (an experienced warrior)."

And David said to Saul, "Your servant has been tending his father's sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock

And David said, "The Lord (Yahweh) delivered me from the mouth of the lion and from the mouth of the bear, and he will deliver me from the hand of the Philistines." Then Saul said to David, "Go, and may the Lord (Yahweh) be with you."

And Saul clothed David with his garments, and put a bronze helmet upon his head, and clothed him with armor (a breastplate).

And David fastened his sword over the armor, and he tried to walk, for he had not tested it. David said to Saul, "I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them (am not accustomed to them, am not trained with them)." And he took them off.

The Philistine continued to advance, with his shield bearer in front of him, and they came closer and closer to David.

When the Philistine looked closely at David, he looked down on him (despising him), for David was only a teenager, ruddy (fair-haired) and handsome. [David was not scarred like other soldiers who had been in war before.]

The Philistine said to David, "Do you think I am a dog because you come against me with wooden sticks?" Then the Philistine called down the curse of his gods upon David.

Then the Philistine said to David, "Come here, and I will give your body (flesh) to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field."

David answered the Philistine: "You come against me with sword, spear, and javelin (lance, shorter curved sword – Hebr. kidon), but I come against you in the name of the Lord of Hosts (Yahweh Sebaots), who is the God of the armies of Israel and whom you have mocked (blasphemed, ridiculed, spoken ill of).

And it came to pass, whenthe Philistine arose and came near to meet (attack, engage in close combat with) David, that David ran quickly toward the army to meet the Philistine.

David defeated the Philistine with only a sling and a stone. He struck down the Philistine and killed him. David did not even have a sword in his hand.

And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it up to Jerusalem, but he left his equipment (weapons, armor) in his tent.
[Why did David carry Goliath's head to Jerusalem? At that time, there was a place called the Skull Place on the Mount of Olives, where the peoples who lived in the land before Israel used to gather the heads of those they had defeated in battle. It is possible that David knew about this and therefore took the head there. If so, it was a way for David to show the Jebusites, who still lived in Jerusalem, what he had done. It is also an image of Jesus defeating Satan at the Skull Place.]

[Now follows a flashback in verses 55-66 with more details about what happened before the battle. Here we are given background information on verse 25, where Saul asks for the name of David's father so that he can find out more about the man who could potentially become his son-in-law. The image given here in verses 55-58 is also that of a king who is now unable to remember simple details, which also shows that God's Spirit had left Saul. David had previously played for Saul, see 1 Sam. 16:21–23.]
And when Saul saw David going toward the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, "Abner, whose son is this young man?" And Abner replied, "As your soul lives, O king, I cannot tell you."

When David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him to Saul with the Philistine's head in his hand.

Then Saul said to him, "Whose son are you, young man?" David replied, "I am your servant, the son of Jesse the Bethlehemite."

And it came to pass, when he [David] had finished speaking with Saul, that Jonathan's soul was knit to David's soul (person), and Jonathan loved him as his own soul (as himself).

Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as his own soul.

And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, his sword, his bow, and his belt.
[Exchanging robes and weapons with each other is part of all the ceremonies associated with entering into a blood covenant. Although only a few details are mentioned here, we understand that David and Jonathan entered into a complete blood covenant. Otherwise, this would not have been mentioned, since it is something that is never done in any other situation. At that time, it was sufficient to mention one of the associated rituals, without giving a complete account, because everyone knew what it meant.]

And David went out where Saul sent him. He was very successful (wise, intelligent – Hebr. sachal), and Saul put him in charge of the warriors, and it was good in the eyes of the people and also in the eyes of Saul's servants.
[Most Greek translations do not include 1 Sam. 17:55–18:5, but it is included in the Hebrew texts.]

And it came to pass, when they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistines, that the women came out of the cities of Israel, singing and dancing to meet King Saul with tambourines, with joy and with shalishim instruments. [The Hebrew word shalishim is used only here and has to do with the word "three," which some interpret as a three-stringed instrument. It may also be an onomatopoeic word describing an instrument that sounds "shal-shal-shal," and is some kind of rhythm instrument like a rattle.]

And the women sang to each other as they played, saying:
"Saul has slain his thousands
and David his ten thousands."

And Saul became very angry, and these words were evil in his eyes, and he said, "They have credited David with ten thousand, and to me they have credited only a thousand, and the only thing he lacks is the kingdom."

And Saul watched David from that day on.

And it came to pass in the morning that an evil spirit from the Lord (Yahweh) came upon Saul [again, see 1 Sam. 16:14], and he prophesied [raged, roared, behaved violently] in the midst of the house, but David played with his hand as he used to do every day, and Saul had his spear in his hand.

And Saul hurled (swinged, threw – Hebr. tol) the spear. He said (thought): "I will pin David to the wall." [He wanted to pierce David with the spear in the wall, see 1 Sam. 19:10.] But David dodged him (literally: from his face) twice.
[Here, the usual word for throwing (Hebr. shalach) is not used, but rather the more intense verb for hurling (Hebr. tol). The word is used to describe the wind that is "hurled down" and creates a mighty storm in Jonah 1:4. The choice of words describes Saul's uncontrolled behavior as he hurls the spear with all his might at David in his anger. These are Saul's first two attempts to kill David. Not just once, but twice, he hurls his spear. David's willingness to remain in the room long enough for Saul to retrieve the spear after the first failed assassination attempt indicates courage and a willingness to help Saul overcome his torment. In total, Saul tries to kill David 14 times, see also 1 Sam. 18:17, 21; 19:1, 10, 11, 15, 20, 21, 22; 23:15; 26:2. Fourteen is also the Hebrew numerical value of David's name.]

And Saul was afraid of David because the Lord (Yahweh) was with him, but had left (departed from) Saul.

And David was successful in all his ways, and the Lord (Yahweh) was with him.

But all Israel and Judah loved David because he went out and came in before them.

And Saul said to David, "Behold, my eldest daughter Merav [meaning: "increase"] I will give to you as a wife, only you are a brave son and fight the battles of the Lord (Yahweh)." For Saul said (thought): "Let not my hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him." [Saul expresses his hope that David will be killed. This is Saul's third attempt to kill David.]

But David said to Saul, "Who am I, and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel [we are not a well-known family], that I should become the king's son-in-law?"

But when the time came for Merab, Saul's daughter, to be given to David as his wife, she was given to Adriel the Mecholite as his wife.

But Michal [meaning: "Who is like God"], Saul's daughter [the youngest, see 1 Sam. 14:49], loved David, and they told Saul, and these words pleased Saul's eyes.

And Saul said (thought), "I will give her to him, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him." Therefore Saul said to David, "You shall be my son-in-law today by one of these two." [This is Saul's fourth attempt to kill David.]

And Saul commanded his servants, "Speak to David secretly and say, 'Behold, the king has found favor in your eyes, and all his servants love you; therefore now become the king's son-in-law.

And Saul's servants spoke these words in David's ears. And David said, "Is it a small thing for you to become the king's son-in-law? Consider that I am a poor man and of little account."

And Saul's servants told him, saying, "This is what David said."

And Saul said, "Thus shall you say to David: The king's desire is not a dowry, but 100 Philistine foreskins, as vengeance on the king's enemies." For Saul thought that David would fall by the hand of the Philistines.

And when his servants told these words to David, it pleased David's eyes to become the king's son-in-law. And the days were not limited.

And David arose and went, he and his men, and slew two hundred men of the Philistines, and David took their foreskins and gave the whole number to the king, to become the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal as his wife.
[David fulfills the king's wish twice over and gives a double dowry. This shows his devotion and eagerness to become part of the royal family. Saul has no choice but to let Michal marry David.]

And Saul saw and knew (understood very well) that the Lord (Yahweh) was with David. And Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him.

And Saul was now even more afraid of David, and Saul was constantly David's enemy.

Then the princes of the Philistines came forward, and it happened that as often as they came forward, David was more successful than all of Saul's servants, so that his name became very influential (respected).

Saul spoke to Jonathan, his son, and to all his servants, that they should [find a way to] kill David. [This is Saul's fifth attempt to kill David.] But Saul's son Jonathan was very fond of (really admired, was very attached to) David.

So Jonathan told David this [warned him] and said, "Saul, my father, is seeking to kill you, therefore I beg you, be on your guard (protect yourself) tomorrow. Stay in a secluded place and hide.

And Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul and said to him, "Let not the king sin against his servant, against David, for he has not sinned against you, and his work has been very good for you [and for the whole kingdom].

He has put his life in your hand and struck down the Philistine [Goliath, see 1 Sam. 17], and the Lord (Yahweh) gave a great victory to all Israel; you saw it and rejoiced. Why then do you want to sin against innocent blood and kill David without cause?"

Jonathan called David and told him everything that had been said. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as before [and served both militarily and with music, see verses 8-9].

And there was war again, and David went out and fought against the Philistines, and smote them with a great slaughter, and they fled before him.

And an evil spirit from the Lord (Yahweh) was upon Saul [again, see 1 Sam. 16:14] as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand, and David was playing [the lyre] with his hand. [Sitting with "his spear in his hand," fully prepared for war inside his own palace, shows Saul's fear and mental imbalance. David was well aware of Saul's previous outbursts, see 1 Sam. 18:10–11, and was prepared.]

And Saul tried to pin David to the wall with his spear, but David slipped away from Saul's sight (face), and he struck the spear into the wall, and David fled [to his house] and escaped that night. [Saul's sixth attempt to kill David.]

Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch it and then kill him in the morning. [Saul's seventh attempt to kill David.] But Michal, David's wife, told him [as her brother Jonathan had done] and said, "If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed."

Then Michal let David down through the window, and he went away, fled, and escaped.

And when Saul sent messengers to take David [to the king], she said, "He is sick."

[When Saul heard this, he gave a new order.] Saul sent the messengers back to see David and said, "Bring him here in his bed so that I may kill him." [This is Saul's eighth attempt to kill David. Saul was still in the same manic state as the night before. If David was too sick to walk on his own to be killed, then he had to be brought "in his bed" to be killed.]

Now David had fled and escaped. He went to Samuel in Ramah [3 km east of Gibeah] and told him everything Saul had done to him. He and Samuel went [together, which describes their fellowship] and stayed in Naioth [the tent camps at the school of the prophets in Ramah].
[Naioth is only used in this chapter and is probably not a city, but describes a campsite in Ramah. Hebrew nave is used for shepherd's tents and navah is dwelling and also field. It is probably the name of the area where Samuel's school of prophets was located. Probably the same place mentioned in 1 Sam. 9:22 with a dining room that could seat 30 people.]

And they told Saul, saying, "Behold, David is in Naioth [the tent camps, in Samuel's dwelling] in Ramah."

Then Saul sent messengers to take David. But when they saw the company of prophets prophesying and Samuel standing as head (leader) over them, the Spirit of God (Elohim) came upon Saul's messengers, and they also prophesied.

Then he also went [the distance takes 1.5 hours to walk] to Ramah and came to the large cistern (well) that is in Secho. [In archaeological excavations from all periods, cisterns for collecting rainwater are common. They range from houses to larger public reservoirs. Secho was located somewhere between Gibeah and Ramah. Secho means "watchtower" and suggests that it was located on high ground. The Greek translation has "the well at the threshing floor in Sefi," where sefi is a transliterated Hebrew word for a mountain without trees—i.e., a lookout point.]
He [Saul] asked [those who were there], "Where are Samuel and David?"
And one said, "Behold, they are in Naioth in Ramah."

And David fled from Naioth in Ramah [because Saul was there, see 1 Sam. 19:24] and came and said to Jonathan [in Gibeah], "What have I done? What is my offense? What is my sin before your father [Saul], that he seeks my life (my soul)?"

But David swore again and said, "Your father knows very well that I have found favor (undeserved love – Hebr. chen) in your eyes. He says, 'Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be saddened,' and as surely as the Lord (Yahweh) lives and as you yourself (your soul) live, there is only one step between me and death."

And Jonathan said to David, "What does your soul desire, that I may do it for you?"

And David said to Jonathan, "Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, when I should sit with the king to eat; let me go, that I may hide myself in the field until the third day at evening.

If your father misses me at all, say, 'David asked me if he could leave so that he could run to his city of Bethlehem, for there is an annual sacrifice there for their family.

And David said to Jonathan, "Who will tell me if your father's answer is harsh (heavy, binding like a yoke)?"

And Jonathan said to David, "Come, let us go out into the field."
So they both went out into the field. [1 Sam. 19:3]

There Jonathan said to David, "The Lord (Yahweh) is the God (Elohim) of Israel [he is my witness]—when I hear from my father at this time tomorrow or the day after [the third day], behold, if it is good toward David, shall I not send to you and reveal it to you?

And Jonathan made David swear again, because of the love he had for him, for he loved him as he loved his own life (his own soul).

And David hid himself in the field, and when the new moon came, the king [Saul] sat down to eat.

And the king sat on his chair as at other times, on his chair by the wall, and Jonathan stood up, and Abner sat by Saul's side, but David's place was empty.

And it came to pass on the morning after the new moon, which was the second day, that David's place was empty, and Saul said to Jonathan, "Why has the son of Jesse [David] not come to the meal, either yesterday or today?"

And Jonathan answered Saul, "David asked me for permission to leave to go to Bethlehem,

And Saul hurled his spear at him to strike him down. Therefore Jonathan knew that his father had determined to kill David.

And Jonathan rose from the table in burning anger and ate no food on the second day of the month, for he mourned for David and because his father had put shame upon him.

And it came to pass in the morning that Jonathan went out into the field at the time which he and David had appointed, and a little lad was with him.

But the boy knew nothing, only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

And as soon as the boy had gone, David rose from his place to the south and fell on his face to the ground and bowed down three times. And they kissed each other and wept together until David could weep no more.

And Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace (shalom), since we have both sworn in the name of the Lord (Yahweh) and said, 'The Lord (Yahweh) shall be [witness] between me and you and between our descendants (between my seed and your seed) forever.

Then David came to Nov [a Levitical city in the territory of Benjamin, probably just northeast of Jerusalem on Mount Scopus, only 3 km south of David's hiding place in Anathoth], to the priest Ahimelech, and Ahimelech came trembling to meet David and said to him, "Why are you alone and have no man with you?"

David answered the priest Ahimelech, "The king has commanded me to do a task and has said to me, 'Let no one know anything about the task I am sending you on, and what I have commanded you, and I have appointed the young men to such and such a place.

And the priest answered David and said, "There is no ordinary bread under my hand, but there is holy bread [the showbread, see Ex. 25:23–30], only if the young men have kept themselves away (guarded, preserved themselves) from women." [Lev. 15:16–18]

And David answered the priest and said to him, "Since we have abstained from women these three days, when I came out, the vessels of the young men were holy, even though it was an ordinary journey, how much more so today when there will be holy bread in the vessels?"

David asked Ahimelech, "Don't you have a sword or spear here in your hand? I have neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business was urgent."

The priest replied, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in the Valley of Elah (the Valley of Terebinth) [see 1 Sam. 17]; behold, it is wrapped in a cloth and placed behind the ephod [see Ex. 28:6–14]. If you want it, take it, for there is nothing else here." And David said, "There is nothing like it; give it to me."

And David arose and fled that day from Saul and came to Achish, king of Gath. [He flees to his arch-enemy Achish, and with him he takes the sword that belonged to Achish's dead hero Goliath.]

And Achish's servants said to him, "Is this not David, the king of the land? Do they not sing of him in their dances, saying,
Saul has slain his 1,000,
and (but) David his 10,000?" [1 Sam. 18:7]

And David took these words to heart (put these words in his heart) and became very afraid of Achish, king of Gath.

Then David left there and fled to the cave of Adullam [in the Lowlands (Shefela) – halfway between Gath and Bethlehem], and when his brothers and his father's whole household heard about it, they went down to him there.

And David went from there to Mitspeh [meaning: "watchtower"] in Moab [east of the Jordan River], and he said to the king of Moab, "Let my father and my mother, I beg you, come here and stay with you until I know what God (Elohim) will do for me."

And he brought them before the king of Moab, and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold (Hebr. matsodah). [The exact location of Mizpah is not entirely certain; it is a general name for a military outpost, but it may also be a city, perhaps Kerak or Rujm el-Meshrefeh in present-day Jordan.]

And the prophet Gad said to David, "Do not stay in the stronghold; leave and go into the land of Judah." So David left and came to the forest of Hereth.

And Saul heard that David had been found and that the men were with him. Saul was now sitting in [his hometown, see 1 Sam. 10:26] Gibeah under the tamarisk tree on the hill (Hebr. ramah) with his spear in his hand [as a scepter], and all his servants were standing around him.
[Saul performed his royal duties outdoors, which was not unusual, see 1 Sam. 14:2; Judg 4:5. The tamarisk tree grew in desert landscapes and was an unusual sight in the mountainous region around Gibeah. Perhaps this was a place of worship. Saul had previously ordered David to be killed, see 1 Sam. 19:1. When he now hears where David is, he gets excited and bursts out to all his men around him. He calls them "sons of Benjamin," which indicates that he had placed people from his own tribe in leading positions. He now alludes to their loyalty to his tribe and their greed.]

And Achimelech answered the king and said, "Who among all your servants is as trustworthy as David, who is the king's son-in-law, and keeps the king's commands and is honored in your house?

And the king [Saul] said to the running guards [the bodyguards who ran in front of the chariot, see 1 Sam. 8:11] who stood beside him, "Turn back and kill the priests of the Lord (Yahweh), for their hands are also with David [they have taken his side]. They knew he was fleeing, but they did not reveal it to me."
But the king's servants did not want to lay their hands on the priests of the Lord (Yahweh) to kill them.
[This is the second time it is mentioned that those under Saul's leadership refused to obey his orders, see 1 Sam. 14:44–45. This reinforces how the Israelites believed that an earthly king had limited power and that it was important to obey God more than men, see Acts 5:29.]

One of Ahimelech's sons, Ahitub's son, named Abiathar, escaped and fled to David. [The beginning of the fulfillment of 1 Sam. 2:33, see 1 Kings 2:26.]

And Ebiathar told David that Saul had struck down the priests of the Lord (Yahweh).

Then David said to Abiathar, "I knew that day, when the Edomite Doeg was there, that he would surely tell Saul [1 Sam. 21:7]. I have brought death upon all the souls of your father's house.

And they told David, saying, "Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Qila (Keilah) and are robbing their threshing floors." [Qila is one of the cities in the Lowlands (Hebr. Shefelah – between the Mediterranean coast and the Judean Mountains). The modern Arab village of Al-Qilla has preserved the city's name. The city is located 11 km northwest of Hebron.]

And David asked the Lord (Yahweh) and said, "Shall I go and smite these Philistines?"
The Lord (Yahweh) answered David, "Go and smite the Philistines and save Qila."

And David's men said to him, "Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Qila against the army of the Philistines?"

And David asked the Lord (Yahweh) again. And the Lord (Yahweh) answered him and said, "Rev, go down to Qila, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand."

So David and his men went to Gath and fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock and struck them with a great blow (a great slaughter). Thus David saved the inhabitants of Gath.

And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Gath, that he brought down an ephod [the priest's sacred vest] in his hand.
[The ephod was the high priest's garment, a vest that covered the chest and back, see Ex. 28:6–14. It is likely that the ephod also included the Urim and Thummim, which were used to determine God's will, see Ex. 28:30.]

And it was told Saul that David had come to Qila, and Saul said, "God (Elohim) has delivered him into my hand, for he is trapped when he has entered a city that has gates and bars."

And Saul called all the people to battle, to go down to Keilah and besiege David and his men.

But David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him, and he said to the priest Ahimelech, "Bring the ephod [the priest's sacred vest]."

And David said, "Lord (Yahweh), God of Israel (Elohim), your servant has heard for certain that Saul is seeking to come to Qila to destroy the city for my sake.

David asked again, "Will the men of Qila deliver me into Saul's hand?" And the Lord (Yahweh) answered, "They will deliver you into his hand (hand you over)."

Then David and his men, who were about 600, got up and left Qila and went wherever they could go. And it was reported to Saul that David had fled from Qila, and he did not continue on his way.

And David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds [natural strongholds, caves, and cliffs that provided shelter—Hebr. masad; the same word as the famous ancient fortress Masada in the Negev desert] and remained in the mountains in the wilderness of Ziph. [Tel Sif is located just south of Hebron, a barren area with few inhabitants, where it is easy to hide.] And Saul sought him every day, but God (Elohim) did not deliver him into his hand.

And David saw that Saul came out to seek his life, and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the forest.

And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to David in the forest and strengthened (Hebr. chazaq) his hand in God (Elohim). [Jonathan urged David to be confident and courageous in the certainty that God is with him. The Lord uses the same word (Hebr. chazaq) when he encourages Joshua, see Josh. 1:6, 7, 9.]

And the two of them made a covenant before the Lord (Yahweh). And David stayed in the forest, and Jonathan went to his house.

But some Ziphites [a clan from the town of Ziph, just southeast of Hebron] went up to Saul in [his hometown] Gibeah and said, "Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds (mountain strongholds – Hebr. masad) in the forest, on the hills of Chachila, which are in the south of Jeshimon?

So they got up and went to Ziph before Saul. But David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon in the Arabah south of Jeshimon.

And Saul and his men went to search for him. And they told David, so he went down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard it, he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon.

And Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain, and David hurried to get away from Saul, for Saul and his men surrounded David and his men on all sides to capture them.

And Saul returned from pursuing David and went against the Philistines. Therefore they called the place Sela-Machelqot. [Sela means steep rock, and Machelqot means divided. The place is in the wilderness of Maon, southeast of Hebron.]

And David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds (mountain strongholds – Hebr. masad) in Ein-Gedi [in the area near the Dead Sea].

And it came to pass, when Saul had returned from pursuing the Philistines, that they told him, saying, "Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-Gedi."

And Saul took 3,000 chosen men from all Israel and went to seek David and his men on the rocks of the wild goats.

And he came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there was a cave, and Saul went in to relieve himself [literally: "cover his feet"; the same expression is used in Judges 3:24 about Eglon]. And David and his men were sitting in the innermost part of the cave.

And David's men said [whispered] to him, "Behold, the day when the Lord (Yahweh) said to you, 'Behold, I will deliver your enemies into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to you,'" and David arose and cut off the corner of Saul's robe secretly (without him noticing).

But afterward, David's heart smote him because he had cut off Saul's corner [the corner or tassel of his robe].

And David persuaded his men with these words and did not let them rise up against Saul. And Saul rose up from the cave and went on his way.

And David rose up after him and went out of the cave and called after Saul, saying, "My lord the king." And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the ground and humbled himself.

And David said to Saul, "Why do you listen to the word of men who say, 'Behold, David seeks your harm'?

And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice and wept.

And he said to David, "You are more righteous than I, for you have dealt well with me, while I have dealt badly with you.

David swore to Saul, and Saul went home. But David and his men went up to the stronghold (Hebr. matsodah) [in Ein-Gedi, see verse 1].

[This is the central passage in chapters 21-31.]
And [the prophet] Samuel died, and all Israel gathered together and mourned for him and buried him in his house in Ramah [in the hill country of Ephraim].
Then David arose and went down to the wilderness of Paran.

While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing his sheep.

So David sent ten young men and said to the young men, "Go up to [the village of] Carmel and go to Nabal and greet him in my name.

Ask the young men, and they will tell you. Therefore, let the young men find favor (undeserved love—Hebr. chen) in your eyes, for we have come on a good day (a feast day). Please give what is in your hand to your servants and to your son David.

When David's young men arrived, they repeated all the words to Naval in David's name. Then they waited (were silent).

But Naval answered David's servants and said, "Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants these days who have forsaken their masters,

And David said to his men, "Gird yourselves, every man with his sword." And they girded themselves, every man with his sword, and David girded himself with his sword, and they went up after David, about 400 men. And 200 men stayed with their belongings.

But one of the young men [in Nabal's house] told Abigail, Nabal's wife, and said, "Behold, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our lord, and he snorted at them (snorted, insulted them).

And it came to pass, when she was riding on her donkey and came down to the hiding place of the mountain, that behold, David and his men came down toward her, and she met them.

And David had said, "I have guarded all that belongs to this man in the wilderness, so that nothing was lacking to him, all that belongs to him, and he has rewarded me with evil for good.

And when Abigail saw David, she hurried to get off her donkey and fell on her face before David and bowed herself to the ground.

Then David said to Abigail (Hebr. Avigal) [here spelled Abigail (Hebr. Avigajil) without the ending jil, meaning "joy"]: "Blessed be the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim), who has sent you this day to meet me,

And David received from her hand what she had brought him, and he said to her, "Go in peace (shalom) to your house, see, I have listened to your voice and accepted your face."

When David heard that Naval was dead, he said, "Blessed be the Lord (Yahweh) who has executed my cause from Naval's hand and has restrained his servant from evil, and the evil Naval, the Lord (Yahweh) has repaid upon his own head." David then sent (an envoy) and spoke to Abigail about taking her as his wife.

And when David's servants came to Abigail at Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, "David has sent us to you to take you to him as his wife."

And Abigail hurried and arose and rode on a donkey with five of her maidens following her, and she went after David's messengers and became his wife.

David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and both became his wives.

The Ziphites [a clan from the town of Ziph, just southeast of Hebron] came to Saul at Gibeah and said, "Is David not hiding among the hills of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon?"

And Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, and took with him 3,000 chosen men of Israel to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.

And Saul encamped among the hills of Hachilah, which are before Jeshimon, by the way. But David remained in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.

So David sent out spies and learned that Saul had come with a specific purpose.

Then David got up and went to the place where Saul had camped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, and [also] Abner, the son of Ner, the commander of the army. Saul lay inside the barricade, and the people camped around him.

So David said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, "Who will go down with me to Saul at the camp?" And Abishai said, "I will go down with you."

So David and Avishai came to the people by night, and behold, Saul was lying asleep inside the camp with his spear stuck in the ground at his head, and Avner and the people were lying around him.

And Avishai said to David, "God (Elohim) has delivered your enemies into your hand today, so let me strike him, I beg you, with the spear to the ground in one blow, and I will not strike him a second time."

But David said to Avishai, "Do not destroy him, for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord's (Yahweh's) anointed and be without guilt?"

And David said, "As the Lord (Yahweh) lives, the Lord (Yahweh) shall smite him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go out to battle and be swept away.

And David took the spear and the water jug from Saul's head, and they carried them away, and no one saw it, no one knew it, nor did anyone wake up, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord (Yahweh) had fallen upon them.

And David went over to the other side and stood on the top of the mountain, far away, so that there was a great distance between them.

And David called to the people and to Abner, the son of Ner, and said, "Will you not answer, Abner?" And Abner answered and said, "Who are you who calls to the king?"

And David said to Abner, "Are you not a brave man? And who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? For one of the people came to destroy the king, your lord."

And Saul recognized David's voice and said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" David replied, "It is my voice, my lord the king."

And Saul said, "I have sinned; return, my son David, for I will no longer harm you, since my life is precious in your eyes today. See, I have been a fool and have greatly erred."

And David answered and said, "Behold the king's spear! Let a young man come over and get it.

And Saul said to David, "Blessed are you, my son David, (you shall) be mighty and victorious." David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

But David [was tired of constantly having to flee from Saul and] said in his heart (thought to himself): "One day I will be swept away (removed) by Saul's hand. There is nothing better for me than to flee to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up (grow weary of) searching for me throughout the borders of Israel, and I will escape his hand."

And David arose and went down, he and the 600 men who were with him, to Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath. [The first time David came to Gath, he was alone, or had only a few soldiers with him. Now he has his army with him and does not fear Achish, see 1 Sam. 21:3, 12; 22:1.]

And David stayed with Achish in Gath, he and his men, each man with his household, even David with his two wives, the Jezreelite Ahinoam [1 Sam. 25:43] and Abigail [short form of Abigail], the Carmelite wife of Naval [1 Sam. 25:1–42].

And it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath, and he sought no more for him.

And David said to Achish, "If I have found favor (undeserved love – Hebr. chen) in your eyes, let them give me a place in one of your towns in the country, so that I may live there, for why should your servant live in the royal city with you?"

And the number of days that David lived in the land of the Philistines was a full year and four months.

And David and his men went up and made a raid on the Geshurites, the Gizrites, and the Amalekites, for these were the inhabitants of the land from ancient times, when one goes up to Shora and to the land of Egypt.

And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the raiment. And he returned, and came to Achish.

Achish asked, "Where did you make a raid today?" And David replied, "Against southern Judah, against southern Jerachmel, and against southern Qeni."

And David left neither man nor woman alive to bring them to Gath, saying, "Otherwise they will tell us and say, 'This is what David did, and this has been his way all the time he has been in the land of the Philistines.

And Achish believed David and said, "He has made his people Israel utterly detest him, therefore he shall be my servant forever."

And it came to pass in those days [some time later] that the Philistines gathered their army for battle, to fight against Israel. Then Achish said to David, "You shall know for certain that you shall go out with me in the army, you and your men."

David replied to Achish, "Therefore, know that your servant will do as you say." Achish said to David, "Therefore, I will make you my bodyguard (literally: the guardian of my head) forever."

And the Lord (Yahweh) is angry when he speaks through me, and the Lord (Yahweh) has torn the kingdom out of your hand [1 Sam. 15:27–29] and given it to another, to David [1 Sam. 16:1–13].

And the leaders of the Philistines went out in [groups of] 100 and in [groups of] 1,000, and David and his men went over in the rear with Achish [the king of Gath].

The leaders of the Philistines asked, "What are these Hebrews doing here?" Achish replied to the leaders of the Philistines, "Is this not David, the servant of Saul, king of Israel? He has been with me for over a year (literally: 'days even years'), and I have found no fault in him since he came to me to this day?"

Is not this David the one they sing about to one another in the dance, saying, 'Saul has slain his 1,000, and David his 10,000'? [1 Sam. 18:7]

And Achish called David and said to him, "As the Lord (Yahweh) lives, you have been honest, and you have gone out and you have gone in with me in the army and have been good in my eyes, for I have found no evil in you since the day you came to me to this day, but you are not good in the eyes of the leaders.

And David said to Achish, "But what have I done? What have you found in your servant since I came to you to this day, that I cannot go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?"

And Achish answered and said to David, "I know that you are good in my eyes, like an angel (messenger) of God (Elohim), yet the leaders of the Philistines say that he shall not go up with us to battle.

And David rose early, he and his men, and departed in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

And it came to pass, when David and his men came to Ziklag [border town between Judah and the Philistines in the southwest] on the third day [since David left Achish (king of Gath) and the Philistine army, see 1 Sam. 29:10], that the Amalekites had raided the south and over Ziklag and had struck Ziklag and burned it with fire.
[The Amalekites surely remembered what David had done to them a few years earlier, see 1 Sam. 27:8. Another aspect is also Saul's failure to destroy Amalek, see 1 Sam. 15:3, 9, 17–19.]

So when David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire, and their wives and their sons and their daughters were taken captive.

Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep.

And David was hard pressed (in distress), for the people thought (began to talk about) stoning him, because they were all grieving bitterly, each for his son and for his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God (Yahweh Elohim).
[Another parallel between Saul and David is given by the author. During a time of great distress, both men sought supernatural guidance before battle. Chronologically, they probably sought guidance on the same day. One defied the Torah. Saul sought help from a medium and received the promise of death (1 Sam. 28:5–6, 19); David sought help from an Aaronic priest who used the ephod and received the promise—which was later fulfilled—of life and blessing.]

And David said to the priest Ahimelech, the son of Abiathar, "I beg you, bring the ephod here." [Ex. 28:6–14] And Ahimelech brought the ephod to David. [1 Sam. 23:6]

And David inquired of the Lord (Yahweh), saying, "Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?" And he answered him, "Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and recover everything without loss."

And David went, he and his 600 men who were with him, and came to the ravine (wadi – Hebr. nachal) Besor [2 miles south of Ziklag], where those who were last remained.

But David pursued [further south], he and 400 men, but 200 men who were so exhausted that they could not cross the ravine Besor remained [there].
[Besor is one of the largest and deepest ravines in southern Judah. The name comes from Hebr. basar, which means "to bring good news" and is the word translated as euaggelizo in Gk. – to evangelize!]

Then they met an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David and gave him bread, and he ate, and they gave him water to drink,

And David said to him, "Whose are you? Where do you come from?" And he said, "I am a young Egyptian, servant to an Amalekite, and my master left me because I fell ill three days ago.

And David said to him, "Can you take me down to this army?"
He replied, "Swear by God (Elohim) that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master, and I will take you down to this army."

And David struck them from dusk until the evening of the next day, and not a single man of them escaped, except for 400 young men who rode on camels and fled.

And David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David saved his two wives.

And there was nothing missing, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil nor anything that they had taken. David brought back everything.

And David took all the flocks and herds that they drove before the other animals and said, "This is David's spoil."

And David came to the 200 men who were exhausted and could not follow David and remained at the brook Besor, and they went out to meet David and the people who were with him. And when David came near the people, he greeted them with peace (shalom).

And all the wicked and worthless (useless – Hebr. belijaal) men among those who had gone with David said, "Since they did not go with us, we will not give them any part of the spoils we have recovered, except for each man's wife and his sons (children), so that they may go away with them and leave."

But David said, "No, you shall not do so, my brothers. See what the Lord (Yahweh) has given us. He has preserved us and given us the army that came against us into our hand.

And when David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the spoils to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, "Here is a gift for you from the spoils of the enemies of the Lord (Yahweh)."

and to those who were in Hebron
and to all the places where David himself and his men used to hunt. [Fourteen places in southern Judah are mentioned. The numerical value of David is fourteen, see also Matt. 1:17; Ps. 27.]

[The story continues from 1 Sam. 31:11–13, the year is about 1010 BC.]
After Saul's [the first king of Israel] death, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, David stayed two days in Ziklag. [1 Sam. 30]

On the third day, a man came from Saul's camp [in the Valley of Jezreel] with his clothes torn and dirt on his head [two clear signs of mourning]. When he came to David, he fell to the ground and bowed down.
[The distance between Saul's camp in Gilboa in the Valley of Jezreel down to the Negev area around Beersheba is just over 200 km, usually a 4-5 day walk, but the reference to the third day suggests that he moved quickly with this urgent news.]

David asked him, "Where do you come from?"
He answered him, "I have fled from the camp of Israel [in the Valley of Jezreel]."

David asked him, "How are things [in the war against the Philistines in the north]? Please tell me!"
He replied, "The people have fled from the battle, and many of the people have also fallen and died, and Saul and Jonathan, his son, are also dead."

David asked the young man who told him this, "How do you know that Saul and Jonathan, his son, are dead?"

And David said to the young man who had told him, "Who are you?" He replied, "I am the son of a foreign Amalekite."

David asked him, "How is it that you were not afraid to lift your hand and strike the Lord's (Yahweh's) anointed?"

[The Amalekites are the first people to attack the Israelites. It is a vicious attack in which the weakest at the rear of the line are slaughtered, see Deut. 25:17–19. Later, Moses urges them not to forget to destroy the Amalekites but to remember this well, see Deut. 25:19. Saul does not obey this command, see 1 Sam. 15, while David has just fought against the Amalekites, see verse 1. Here stands a young Amalekite who wants a reward for claiming to have killed Saul!]
And David called one of the young men and said, "Go near and attack him." And he struck him so that he died.

David said to him, "Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have killed the Lord's (Yahweh's) anointed one.

And David lamented (mourned; sang monotonously and drawn out – Hebr. qinen) this lament (Hebr. qina) over Saul and over Jonathan, his son,

And it came to pass after this, that David inquired of the Lord (Yahweh), saying, "Shall I go up to any of the cities of Judah?"
And the Lord (Yahweh) answered him, "Go up."
Then David asked, "Where shall I go up?"
And he said, "To Hebron (Hebr. Chevrón)."

So David went up there, and his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel, went with him. [1 Sam. 25]

And David also took up his men who were with him, each man with his household, and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

The men of Judah came and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.
And they told David, saying, "The men of Jabesh-Gilead were the ones who buried Saul."

And David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-Gilead, saying to them, "Blessed are you by the Lord (Yahweh) for showing kindness (caring love—Hebr. chesed) to your lord, to Saul, and for burying him.

Ish-Bosheth, Saul's son, was 40 years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned for two years. But the house of Judah followed David.
[The name Ish-Bosheth means "man of shame"; in the Books of Chronicles he is called Eshbaal, which means "Baal is there" (1 Chron. 8:33). He is not an anointed king, but someone appointed as king over all eleven tribes, except Judah, where David reigns. For two years, there is a temporary division into a Northern and Southern Kingdom before David unites the nation again.]

And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

And there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David, and the house of David grew stronger and stronger, but the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.

And David had sons born to him in Hebron (Hebr. Chevrón) [six sons, all by different mothers]: His firstborn [son] was Amnon, [born] to Ahinoam the Jezreelite;

and the sixth, Itream – [born] of David's wife Egla [may refer to Michal, see 2 Sam. 6:23]. These [six sons] were born to David in Hebron. [In Jerusalem, Solomon was born to Bathsheba, see 2 Sam. 12:24.]

And Abner was very angry at Ish-Bosheth's words and said, "Am I a dog's head belonging to Judah? Today I have shown kindness (caring love – Hebr. chesed) to your father Saul's house, to your brothers and to his friends, and have not given you into David's hand, and you accuse me today of a sin with this woman!

May God (Elohim) do so to Avner and even more, if, as the Lord (Yahweh) has sworn to David, I do not do this to him,

to remove the kingdom from the house of Saul and set up David's throne over Israel and over Judah from Dan to Beersheba."

Then Abner sent messengers to David, saying, "Whose is the land?" And he said, "Make a covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring all Israel to you."

Then David sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth, Saul's son, saying, "Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for 100 Philistine foreskins." [David and Michal had not divorced, and the bride price (equivalent) had not been returned, so she was still his wife, see 1 Sam. 18:25.]

And Avner spoke to the elders of Israel and said, "Even before, even three days ago, you sought to make David king over you,

and now you are doing so. For the Lord (Yahweh) has spoken to David, saying, 'By the hand of my servant David, I will save my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.

And Avner also spoke in Benjamin's ears [privately with the Benjaminites, out of earshot of the others], and Avner also went and spoke in David's ears in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel and to the whole house of Benjamin.

And Avner came to David at Hebron, and 20 men with him. And David prepared a feast for Avner and the men who were with him.

And Avner said to David, "I will arise and go, and I will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all that your soul desires." And David sent Avner away, and he went in peace (shalom).

And behold, David's servants and Joab came from a raid, and they had brought with them a great spoil. But Avner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace.

And when Joab came out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah [a cistern with water, according to tradition 3 km north of Hebron], but David did not know about it.

And afterward, when David heard it, he said, "I and my kingdom are without guilt before the Lord (Yahweh) forever for the blood of Avner, the son of Ner.

And David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, "Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and mourn for Abner." And King David followed the bier.

And all the people came to David and wanted him to eat bread while it was still day. But David swore an oath and said, "May God (Elohim) do so to me and more, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down."

And they brought Ish-Bosheth's head to David in Hebron and said to the king, "Behold, the head of Ish-Bosheth, Saul's son, your enemy who sought your life, and the Lord (Yahweh) has avenged my lord the king on Saul this day and on his seed (descendants)."
[The last time anyone brought a head before the king was when David brought Goliath's head before Saul, see 1 Sam. 17:57. David was rewarded with a position with the king and in the royal family, and was also exempted from taxes, see 1 Sam. 17:25. Rechab and Baanah probably expected a similar reward.]

But David answered Rechab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, "As the Lord (Yahweh) lives, who has delivered my soul from every adversity [1 Kings 1:29].

And David commanded his young men, and they struck them and cut off their hands and their feet and hung them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took Ish-Bosheth's head and buried it in Abner's tomb in Hebron. [Ish-Bosheth was 42 years old.]

And all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord (Yahweh), and they anointed David king over Israel.

Jerusalem, also referred to as Jevus (Josh 15:8), is strategically located along the east-west road from Jericho to the port city of Joppa and the north-south patriarchal road from southern Judah to Galilee in the north. During the time of the judges, the city had been defeated and partially burned down by Judah (Judges 1:8). Immediately afterwards, however, in Judges 1:9–10, it is said that they moved on to fight in other areas. The city could therefore be recaptured and rebuilt by the Jebusites. When David marched on the city, it covered an area of 10-15 hectares and was located on the southeastern ridge south of the Temple Mount (outside the medieval walls that now surround the city). The number of inhabitants inside the walls was a few thousand, but in the cities of that time it was common for a significant proportion of the inhabitants to live outside the actual city walls, either in simple houses or as semi-nomads. This means that the number of people who considered the Jebusite city their "home" may have been significantly higher. The enormous fortifications that were built as early as the patriarchal period attest to this. The city was well fortified with water supplied from the Gihon Spring on the eastern side. The steep valley sides were part of the city's defenses. The only side of the city that had no natural defenses was the north, and here they had built particularly strong walls. And the king [David] and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land. [After David's coronation in Hebron, he wants to retake Jerusalem.] But they spoke to David and said [arrogantly and confidently], "You shall not come in here, for if [you do], [even] the blind and the lame will drive you away!" They thought that David would never get into [the city].

But David took the stronghold of Zion (Hebr. matsodah), which is David's city.

Yes, David said on that day [when he attacked Jerusalem]: "Whoever wants to defeat the Jebusites, he shall reach the lame and the blind through the tunnel (the canal – Hebr. tsinor) whom David hates with his whole being (soul)!" [David also promises that whoever gets there first will lead his army, see 1 Chron. 11:6.] That is why it is said: "The blind and the lame shall not enter the house." [The house may refer to David's palace or the administrative building, see verses 8, 9, and 11.]
[David probably uses the expression "the blind and the lame" to refer to all the Jebusites who are standing and mocking him up on the walls. He does so in response to what they have shouted; it is not a general attack on the blind and the lame. David treats Jonathan's disabled son Mephibosheth very well, see 2 Sam. 4:4; 9:10.
The word tsinor can mean pipe, tunnel, or canal. It fits the partially underground tunnel that ran from the well-fortified Gihon Spring into the city. The Gihon Spring was surrounded by a defensive tower with walls 4-7 meters wide. Next to the spring was a fortified large pool/basin where the water from the Gihon Spring was collected, and water could be drawn while standing on a platform above the pool. From the Spring Tower and the pool, two parallel walls ran up to the outer entrance to what is usually called Warren's shaft system. The walls are still preserved today up to a height of 8 meters and are 3 meters wide. From there, it was possible to enter the city via a tunnel dug through the rock. The tunnel is 1-2 meters wide and in places over 3 meters high. It is perhaps through this tunnel (Hebr. tsinor) that Joab managed to get in, see 1 Chron. 11:6.]

And David lived in the stronghold [referring to the well-fortified city, which was entirely a fortress] and called it the City of David. And David built around [outside the existing city] starting from Millo (the rampart; literally "filling"), as well as its houses.
[Millo is always used in the definite form (Hebr. ha-millo). This probably refers to the stepped construction just north of the original city. Several excavations since the 1920s have revealed parts of the impressive construction that was built to widen the ridge at its narrowest point just north of the original Jebusite city that David captured. Integrated into and partly built on this artificial structure, archaeologist Eilat Mazar (1956-2021) has excavated the foundations of what she believed to be David's palace. The building is larger than the palaces found in Megiddo, for example. During excavations at Millo in 1963, an Aeolic capital was found. Such capitals were used as decoration at entrances or windows in palaces, for example at the palace in Megiddo. Such capitals were used as decoration at entrances or windows in palaces, for example, at the palace in Megiddo. This is the most skillfully executed of all capitals found to date in the entire Middle East. The eastern outer wall at Millo is 7 meters wide, so the building also constituted an improved part of the city's defenses. If this refers to David's palace, David began construction, and later (verse 11) it is reported that he enlisted the help of Hiram's skilled craftsmen to complete the building and decorate it.
The impressive building also served as an administrative center. Dozens of seals have been found at Millo, which is a sign that there were official archives in the building. A seal, also called a bulla, is a flattened lump of clay with a name or image, about 1 cm in diameter, which was used to seal important documents. The building remained in use until the destruction of Jerusalem. This is known from the names found on three of the seals. These are the names of scribes mentioned in Jeremiah, namely Gemarjahu (Shaphan's son, see Jer. 36:10), Jehuchal (Shelemja's son, see Jer. 37:3) and Gedaljahu (Pashur's son, see Jer. 38:1). In the latter verse, Jehuchal and Gedaljahu are even mentioned together! Other well-known names such as King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah were also found here in 2015 and 2018.]

And David grew more and more powerful, for the Lord (Yahweh), the God of hosts (Elohim Sebaot), was with him. [David gained more authority, the kingdom grew, and his reputation spread.]

And Hiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers to David, and cedar wood, and carpenters, and stonecutters. And they built [completed] David's house [the palace or administrative building at Millo].
[A trace of their skilled craftsmanship is probably the Aeolic capital found at Millo.]

And David knew [he understood that when one of the great kings of the time sent a delegation and contributed to the palace] that the Lord (Yahweh) had made him king over Israel and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.
[Just over a hundred years after David's time, Mesha, king of Moab, wrote down his description of the war with the Israelites. The stone known as the Mesha Stele was found in Dibon, Jordan, in 1868. It dates back to 840 BC. The description is in full harmony with the Bible's version and has 34 lines. Lines 4-5 describe the battles with "Omri, king of Israel," who was the sixth king of the Northern Kingdom and reigned from 884 to 873 BC. Line 31 probably mentions "the house of David"; two of the five letters are damaged, but new 3D technology indicates that it does indeed say "the house of David." The stone is located in Paris at the Louvre.]

And David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem after he came from Hebron, and sons and daughters were born to David.

When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David, and David heard of it and went down to the stronghold (Hebr. matsodah).
[The Philistines came from the cities of Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod on the Mediterranean coast, and Ekron and Gath a little further inland from the coast, and moved uphill towards Jerusalem. Some believe that this stronghold refers to the one in Adullam near Bethlehem, which is at a lower altitude (2 Sam. 23:14), but based on the geographical position near Refaim and Givon (verses 18, 22, and 25), it is more likely that David moved his headquarters from the palace, which was now built at a higher elevation, down to the stronghold inside the walls of Jerusalem.]

Then David inquired of the Lord (Yahweh) and said, "Shall I go out against the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hand?"
And the Lord (Yahweh) said to David, "Go out, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hand."

So David came to Baal-Perazim ["lord of breaking through"; just outside Jerusalem] and David defeated them there, and he said, "The Lord (Yahweh) has broken through my enemies before me, like water breaking through." That is why the place is called Baal-Perazim. [Hebr. Peratsim is the plural of Hebr. perets – to break, crack, make a breach in.]

There they left their idols, and David and his men took them away.

When David asked the Lord (Yahweh), he replied: "You shall not go out against them, but circle around behind them and come upon them opposite the weeping trees (Hebr. bachaim). [David should block their retreat westward through the Valley of Rephaim. The tree is probably a balsam tree (Mecca balsam, Gilead balsam) that drips sap when its branches and leaves are broken off. The name comes from the verb for crying (Hebr. bacha), see also 1 Chron. 14:14–15; Ps. 84:7.]

And David did as the Lord (Yahweh) commanded him, and he defeated the Philistines from Geva [meaning "height"; just west of Jerusalem] until they reached Gezer [along the Ajion Valley to the west, halfway to the Mediterranean coast].

And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baalah in Judah [also called Kiriath-Jearim, 13 km west of Jerusalem] to bring up from there the ark of God (Elohim), over which the Name is called, the name of the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot) who sits on the cherubim. [On the lid of the ark were two cherubim, see Ex. 25:18–19.]

And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord (Yahweh) with all manner of instruments made of cypress wood, and with kithara harps (Hebr. kinnor) and psalteries and tambourines and rattles and cymbals.

But David was upset because the Lord (Yahweh) had broken down (Hebr. perets) Uzzah, so he called that place Peres-Uzza, as it is still called today.
[Perets means to break apart and Uzza means strong. The place is located only 1 km west of Jerusalem. The ark symbolizes God's presence, person, and his promises. In the gold-plated wooden box (1.2 m long and 0.6 m wide and high) were the stone tablets with the commandments, see Ex. 25:10–22. Only the high priest was allowed to enter the ark once a year under strict restrictions, and violating this was punishable by death, see Lev. 16:2; Num. 4:15. The Levites, who were descendants of Kohath, the Kohathites, were the ones who were to perform the tasks related to the ark (Num. 4:4, 15, 17–20). The ark was to be carried (not driven on a cart) and covered with a veil (Ex. 40:19). When the ark was carried across the Jordan, it was the Levites who carried it, and the people were to keep a distance of 900 meters, see Josh. 3:4.
The house of Avinadav was in Judah, so he and his sons were probably not Levites, let alone Kohathites. Even if they were, the ark was transported completely incorrectly. The brothers Uzzah and Ahio had grown up with the ark in their house, so there is a risk that, in their familiarity, they did not have sufficient reverence for God's holiness.]

And David was afraid of the Lord (Yahweh) that day, and he said, "How can the ark of the Lord (Yahweh) come to me?"

So David did not move the ark of the Lord (Yahweh) to his city, but carried it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.

And they told King David, saying, "The Lord (Yahweh) has blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all who are with him because of the ark of God (Elohim)." And David went and brought the ark of God (Elohim) from the house of Obed-Edom to the city of David with joy.

David danced with all his might before the Lord (Yahweh), and David was clothed in a linen ephod. [David had taken off his royal robe and was dressed like all the other priests. ]

And David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord (Yahweh) with shouting and with the sound of the shofar.

And it came to pass, when the ark of the Lord (Yahweh) came into the city of David, that Michal, Saul's daughter, looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord (Yahweh), and she despised him in her heart.

And they brought in the ark of the Lord (Yahweh) and set it in its place in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it. And David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord (Yahweh).

And when David had finished the burnt offering and the peace offering, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaots).

Then David returned to bless his own household. And Michal, Saul's daughter, came out to meet David and said, "How the king of Israel has honored himself today, who has uncovered himself today in the eyes of his servants' maids, like one of the vain men who shamelessly uncover themselves!"
[David was not naked; he had taken off his royal robe in humility before God, see 2 Sam. 6:16, and was like one of the people, which annoyed Michal because she enjoyed the status of being the king's wife.]

And David said to Michal, "In the presence of the Lord (Yahweh), who chose me over your father and over all his house, to appoint me prince over the Lord's (Yahweh's) people, over Israel, in the presence of the Lord (Yahweh) I rejoiced.

"Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord:
Would you build me a house to live in?

Now you shall say this to my servant David, says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot):
It was I who took you from the pasture where you tended sheep,
to be prince over my people Israel.

Nathan told David all these words from his vision. [Everything God had said.]

[David is deeply moved when he hears Nathan recount the vision from the Lord that a descendant of his will build the Lord's temple. He goes to the meeting tent where the ark is and sits down in God's presence.]
Then King David went in and sat down before the Lord (Yahweh). [Probably in the tabernacle.] He said [asked God imploringly]:
"Who am I, Lord (Adonai), Lord (Yahweh),
and what is my house (my family, my clan),
that you have brought me this far [from a simple shepherd boy to become king of Israel]?

What else can David say to you?
[This is the third rhetorical question. David now refers to himself in the third person, which is a way of emphasizing his submission to God, and the perspective now shifts to also be God's perspective. The word "know" can also be translated as "you have treated me in a special way."]
You know your servant, Lord (Adonai), Lord (Yahweh). [Ps. 94:11; 139:1]

And after this, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and David took (liberated) Meteg-Amma from the hand of the Philistines.

And he defeated Moab and measured them with a measuring line, making them lie down on the ground, and he measured two rows, which he killed, and one whole row was allowed to live. And the Moabites became David's servants (slaves) and brought gifts.

David also defeated Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to establish his supremacy at the Euphrates River.

And David took from him 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers, and David cut the hamstrings of all the chariot horses, but spared 100 chariots. [A damaged horse could no longer be used in the cavalry, see also Josh. 11:6; 1 Chron. 18:4; Ps. 20:7; 147:10.]

And when the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, king of Zobah, David killed 22,000 of the Arameans.

Then David placed garrisons in Damascus. Aram and the Arameans became servants (slaves) to David and brought gifts. And the Lord (Yahweh) gave David victory wherever he went.

And David took the gold shields that Hadadezer's servants had and brought them to Jerusalem.

And from Betach and from Berotai, the cities of Hadadezer, David took a great amount of bronze.

And when Toi, king of Hamath, heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer,

Toi sent his son Joram to King David to congratulate him, and he blessed him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him. For Hadadezer had fought against Toi and had taken with him silver vessels, gold vessels, and bronze vessels.

David also dedicated this to the Lord (Yahweh) with the silver and gold he had dedicated from all the nations he had subjugated,

And David made a name for himself when he returned from defeating the Arameans in the Valley of Salt, 18,000 men.

And he placed garrisons in Edom, throughout Edom he placed his troops, and all the Edomites became servants (slaves) to David. And the Lord (Yahweh) gave David victory wherever he went.
[Archaeological finds in Ein Hatzevah in the Negev show defensive towers dating back to the 10th century BC.]

And David ruled over all Israel, and David administered justice and righteousness to all his people.

And David said, "Is there anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness (loving care – Hebr. chesed) for Jonathan's sake?"

Now there was a servant of Saul's house named Ziba, and they called him to David, and the king said to him, "Are you Ziba?" He said, "Your servant is he."

Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lo-Debar.

And Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and prostrated himself on the ground. But David said, "Mephibosheth!" And he answered, "Here is your servant."

And David said to him, "Do not be afraid, for I will surely show you kindness (Hebr. chesed) for the sake of Jonathan your father. I will restore all the land of your father Saul, and you shall always eat bread at my table."

And David said, "I will show mercy (caring love – Hebr. chesed) [keep my covenant] to Nahash the son of Chanon in the same way that he showed mercy (Hebr. chesed) [was loyal] to me." So David sent gifts by the hands of his servants to comfort him after the death of his father. And David's servants came to the land of the Ammonites.

But the princes of the sons of Ammon said to Chanon their lord, "Do you really think that David wants to honor your father by sending comforters to you? Hasn't David sent his servants to you to explore the city and spy on it and overthrow it?"

When they told David, he sent [messengers] to meet them, for the men were greatly humiliated (shamed). And the king [David] said, "Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then return."

And when the sons of Ammon saw that they had become detestable to David [they understood that they had humiliated David], they sent for
20,000 foot soldiers from Beit-Rachov and Tsova's Arameans,
1,000 men from the king of Maacah, and
12,000 men from Tob.
[An army totaling 33,000 men.]

And when David heard it, he sent Joab and all the army of mighty men.

And it was told David, and he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan and came to Chejlam. And the Arameans lined up in battle formation against David and fought him.

And the Arameans fled before Israel, and David slew of the Arameans seven hundred charioteers and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shovach, the captain of their army, that he died there.

[A year has now passed.] And it came to pass at the turn of the year (when the year returned, repeated itself) [the turn of the month of Adar/Nisan] at the time when kings go out [to battle, which usually happens in early spring, after the winter rains in March and before the harvest is gathered in May and all the labor is needed in the fields] that David sent Joab [as his general] and his servants (his army) with him. They destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah [present-day Amman, the capital of Jordan]. But David remained in Jerusalem.

And it came to pass in the evening [around sunset on a spring evening] that David arose from his bed [after his afternoon rest] and went up to the roof of the king's house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful (good) to look at.

And when Uriah came to him [an 8-mile walk from Rabbah to Jerusalem], David asked him how Joab was doing, how the people were doing, and how the war was going.

And David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house and wash your feet."
And Uriah left the king's house, and after him a gift [food and wine] was sent to his house from the king.

And they told David, saying, "Orija did not go down to his house." David said to Orija, "Have you not come from a journey? Why do you not go down to your house?"

And Orija said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my lord Joab and my lord's servants are camping in the open field. Should I go into my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? As you live and as your soul lives, I will not do such a thing."

And David said to Orija, "Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will let you go." So Orija stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next day.

And David called him, and he ate before him and drank, and he became drunk. In the evening he went out and lay on his bed with his lord's servants, but he did not go down to his own house.

And Joab sent messengers to David and told him everything that had happened in the battle,

And the messenger went and came and told David all that Joab had sent him (to tell).

And the messenger said to David, "The men gained the upper hand against us and came out to us in the field, but we were above them at the opening of the gate.

And David said to the messenger, "This is what you shall say to Joab: 'Do not let this matter displease you, for the sword devours in one way or another; be strong (be steadfast, secure, courageous) in the battle against the city and overthrow it,' and encourage him."

And when the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But what David had done displeased the Lord (Yahweh).
[In this chapter, David breaks three of the Ten Commandments, see Ex. 20:13, 14, 17.]

The Lord (Yahweh) sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said to him:
"There were two men who lived in a city, one rich and the other poor.

David exploded in anger at how the rich man had behaved. He said to Nathan, "As surely as the Lord (Yahweh) lives, the man who did this deserves to die.

And Nathan went to his house.
And the Lord (Yahweh) struck the child (Hebr. jeled) that Uriah's wife had borne to David, and it became very ill.

And David pleaded with God (Elohim) for the young man (Hebr. naar), and David fasted and lay all night on the ground.
[Even though Uriah is dead and David is now married to Bathsheba, the reader is reminded that the child was conceived while Uriah was alive. Three different words for the child are used in verses 14-16: son, child, and young man. Hebr. jeled is the usual word for a small child, see verses 15, 18, 19, 21, 22. The use of the word naar here (the only time in this chapter) probably reinforces David's desire for the child to grow up to be a healthy young man. A similar opposite indication of age is found in Ruth 1:5.]

And it came to pass on the seventh day that the child died. But David's servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, "Behold, while the child was still alive, we spoke to him, but he did not listen to our voice; how then can we tell him that the child is dead, lest he harm himself?"

But when David saw that the servants were whispering among themselves, David understood that the child was dead, and David said to his servants, "Is the child dead?" They replied, "He is dead."

And David arose from the ground and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes, and he came into the house of the Lord (Yahweh) and worshipped. Then he came to his own house, and he asked, and they set bread before him, and he ate.

And David comforted Bathsheba, his wife, and went in to her and lay with her, and she bore a son and named him Solomon. And the Lord loved him

And Joab sent messengers to David, saying, "I have fought against Rabbah and taken the water supply ["water city"] of the city. [Once the city's water reservoir had been captured, it was only a matter of time before the city's inhabitants would surrender.]

And David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah and fought against it and captured it.

And he took the crown of Malkam from his head, and its weight was a talent of gold [34 kg], and there were very precious stones on it, and it was placed on David's head. And he carried away the spoils from the city, very much.

And he brought out the people who were there and put them under saws and under iron harrows and under iron axes and made them pass through the brick kiln (Hebr. malben), and so he did to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
[The expression "set under" can either refer to him putting them to hard labor, i.e., "subjugating them" (the word is used that way in 2 Sam. 8:6, 14). It can also be interpreted literally to mean that he placed them under saws and other instruments of torture and death, see Heb. 11:37. The Ammonites were known for their cruelty, see 1 Sam. 11:2; Amos 1:13. The idol of the Ammonites was Milcom (also called Molech), see 1 Kings 11:5, 7, 33. The choice of words "pass through" and "brick/brick kiln" may also be a reference to the child sacrifices by fire that these peoples practiced, see Lev. 18:21; 2 Kings 23:10; Jer. 32:35; Ezek. 20:31. Now they themselves had to go through the same fire in which they had killed their children.]