2 Samuel 5:6-16

David in Jerusalem. 2 Samuel 5:6-16

6 And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither: thinking, David cannot come in hither.
7 Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion: the same is the city of David.

8 And David said unto that day, Whosoever getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind, that are hated of David's soul, he shall be chief and captain. Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.

9 So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward.
10 And David went on, and grew great, 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: and they built David a house.
12 And David perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel's sake.
13 And David took him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron: and there were yet sons and daughters born to David.

14 And these be the names of those that were born unto him in Jerusalem; Shammua, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon,

15 Ibhar also, and Elishua, and Nepheg, and Japhia,
16 And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphalet.

4.

How was Jerusalem taken? 2 Samuel 5:6-7

There was no better place in the promised land for a capitol than the city of Jebusites which had formerly borne the name, Jebus. All former attempts to capture the city had failed. So secure did the inhabitants of the city feel that they taunted David by saying, Except thou shalt take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither (2 Samuel 5:6). The men dwelling in Jerusalem thought that even those who were halt and blind and lame among them could successfully defend the city against the onslaughts of David's men.

Zion and Millo are both ridges in the city of Jerusalem, Zion is the more easterly and the higher of the two. Millo was a stronghold built up by David. This same stronghold was strengthened by Solomon and rebuilt by Hezekiah.
Joab, the son of Zeruiah, first smote the Jebusites. He entered the city through a water main that emptied at a point below the main stronghold. David had announced that whoever was first to get into the city would become his captain. Joab performed this feat and thus became captain of David's armies.

5.

Where was the stronghold of Zion? 2 Samuel 5:7

In David's time the city of Jerusalem was confined to the summit of Mount Zion, and the stronghold of its defenses was a fortification called Millo. Recent excavations have been made at the southern end of Mount Moriah, leading to the erroneous conclusion that Mount Zion, the city of David, was down on Ophel. This was disproved by Warren and Conder in their excavations during the middle of the nineteenth century. Mount Zion itself, was completely isolated by surrounding ravines, except at the northwest corner, where a narrow saddle of rock connected it with higher ground, stretching off in that direction. The modern Joppa gate stands at the top of this saddle. This would be the usual way to attack the city, but David went in from the south through the water course and was able to surprise the people. Josephus tells of David's capturing a lower city before he assaulted the citadel, but this cannot be verified. The city was indeed a great city, and found its way into the heart of David who praised it in such lines as those in the forty-eighth Psalm:

1.

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.

2.

Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

3.

God is known in her places for a refuge.

12.

Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof.

13.

Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following. For this our God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even unto death.

Psalms 48

The city has continued as one of the world's most ancient and most important centers of human activity. A rundown of some important incidents in the history of Jerusalem reveals these dates and events:

1010 B.C.

Taken by David

967

First Temple built by Solomon

587

City taken by Nebuchadnezzar

537

Reoccupied by the Jews

516

Second Temple dedicated

168

City taken by Antiochus Epiphanes and Temple desecrated

165

Temple cleansed by Judas Maccabaeus

63

City taken by Pompey

11

Third Temple built by Herod

70 A.D.

City taken and Temple destroyed by Titus

136

City rebuilt by Hadrian

614

City taken by the Persians

629

Retaken by Heraclitus

637

Taken by the Mohammedans

1099

Taken by the Crusaders

1187

Taken by Saladin

1229

Surrendered to the Emperor Frederic II

1244

Taken by the Tartars

1247

Taken by the Sultan of Egypt

1517

Taken by the Ottoman Sultan Selim I

1917

Taken from the Turks by the Allied Forces of Great Britain, France, and Italy

1956

Divided between Israel and Jordan

6.

Why did Hiram, king of Tyre, send messengers to David? 2 Samuel 5:11-12

Significant is the statement, And David waxed greater and greater; for Jehovah, the God of hosts, was with him (2 Samuel 5:10). Hiram, the king of Tyre, could see that David was growing stronger and stronger. Hiram knew that the cedar trees, carpenters, and masons would be needed by a king of a growing empire. He knew too, that the new king would need a palace. He provided these and enabled David to have a place to live befitting a king. The people of Tyre depended upon the south-country for their food supply. The king of Tyre wanted to be a friend of David'S.

7.

Why did David take more wives? 2 Samuel 5:13

David was taking his place among kings of the Near East; these kings normally had many wives. David already had seven wives, according to the account in 2 Samuel 3:2-5, if we include Michal. His family is not only mentioned here and in the third chapter, but throughout this narrative. We know that David later married Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah (2 Samuel 11:27). In all of these listings we find that he also had nineteen sons. Mention is made of only one daughter, Tamar (2 Samuel 13:1).