1 Chronicles 11:5 kjv
And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, Thou shalt not come hither. Nevertheless David took the castle of Zion, which is the city of David.
1 Chronicles 11:5 nkjv
But the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, "You shall not come in here!" Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David).
1 Chronicles 11:5 niv
said to David, "You will not get in here." Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion?which is the City of David.
1 Chronicles 11:5 esv
The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, "You will not come in here." Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.
1 Chronicles 11:5 nlt
The people of Jebus taunted David, saying, "You'll never get in here!" But David captured the fortress of Zion, which is now called the City of David.
1 Chronicles 11 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sam 5:6-7 | And the king and his men went to Jerusalem...who said to David, “You will not come in here... David took the stronghold of Zion...the city of David.” | Parallel account, adding Jebusites' taunt. |
| 1 Chron 11:4 | And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem...to the Jebusites. | Immediate context of the expedition. |
| Josh 15:63 | As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the people of Judah could not drive them out... | Jerusalem's prior unconquered status. |
| Judg 1:21 | But the people of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem... | Another failure to conquer Jerusalem. |
| 1 Sam 16:1, 13 | ...I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons... And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David... | God's prior anointing of David as king. |
| 1 Chron 12:38-40 | All these, men of war, arrayed for battle, came to Hebron with a whole heart to make David king over all Israel...and all Israel rejoiced. | David confirmed king by all Israel. |
| 2 Sam 7:12-16 | Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever. | The Davidic Covenant, establishing his dynasty. |
| Ps 2:6 | “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” | God establishing His king in Zion. |
| Ps 9:11 | Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion! | Zion as the dwelling place of the Lord. |
| Ps 48:1-2 | Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, his holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation...is Mount Zion... | The glory and beauty of Mount Zion. |
| Ps 78:67-68 | He rejected the tent of Joseph; he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion... | God's choice of Judah and Zion. |
| Ps 87:1-3 | On the holy mountains stands his foundation; the Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob. | God's profound love for Zion. |
| Ps 110:1-2 | The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. | Messianic prophecy, King ruling from Zion. |
| Isa 2:2-3 | ...the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains...and all the nations shall flow to it...For from Zion shall go forth the law... | Zion as the future spiritual center for nations. |
| Mic 4:1-2 | It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established...and peoples shall flow to it...For from Zion shall go out the law... | Prophecy mirroring Isa 2, universal draw to Zion. |
| Joel 3:17 | So you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain. Jerusalem shall be holy. | God's dwelling in Zion, its holiness. |
| Zech 8:3 | Thus says the Lord: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city... | God's promised return and dwelling in Zion. |
| Lk 1:32-33 | He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever... | Fulfillment in Christ, David's greater Son. |
| Acts 2:29-30 | Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried... Being therefore a prophet... he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades... | David as a type of Christ, prophetic voice for New Covenant fulfillment. |
| Heb 12:22 | But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem... | Believers approach the spiritual Zion. |
| Rev 3:7 | “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David...'" | Christ holding authority like David. |
| Rev 22:16 | “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” | Jesus as the ultimate heir of David. |
1 Chronicles 11 verses
1 Chronicles 11 5 Meaning
This verse details a pivotal event in David's reign: the capture of Jerusalem, previously known as Jebus. Despite the arrogant challenge from its Jebusite inhabitants who boasted of their impregnable fortress, David successfully seized the "castle of Zion," which he then renamed the "city of David." This act established Jerusalem as the political and spiritual capital of the united kingdom of Israel, fulfilling God's sovereign plan for His chosen king and people.
1 Chronicles 11 5 Context
Chapter 11 of 1 Chronicles follows the listing of David's mighty warriors and begins his reign as king over all Israel (11:1-3). Prior to this, David had been king only over Judah for seven years in Hebron (2 Sam 5:5). His immediate goal after being universally recognized as king was to secure a central capital. Jerusalem, then known as Jebus, was ideal: it was centrally located between Judah and the northern tribes, a neutral territory not tied to any single tribe, and naturally defensible on its high ground. The Jebusites, a Canaanite people, had stubbornly held onto the city for centuries, even after the initial Israelite conquest of Canaan (Josh 15:63; Judg 1:21). Their defiance in 1 Chronicles 11:5 highlights their pride in their fortified stronghold and their perceived invincibility, possibly making a polemic against the God of Israel by presuming their defenses were greater than His chosen king. David’s successful capture of this defiant city, therefore, was a demonstration of divine favor and marked the consolidation of his kingdom, transitioning Israel from a loose confederation to a unified monarchy with a secure political and religious center.
1 Chronicles 11 5 Word analysis
- And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, "Thou shalt not come hither."
- And the inhabitants of Jebus: "Jebus" (יְבוּס, Yĕbûs) was the pre-Israelite name for Jerusalem. The "inhabitants" were the Jebusites, a Canaanite tribe that retained control of the city despite Israel's earlier conquests. Their long-standing defiance reflected a stubborn pagan presence within the Promised Land.
- said to David, "Thou shalt not come hither": (לֹא תָבֹא הֵנָּה, lo’ tavoh hennah) This is a strong, defiant challenge. It indicates the Jebusites' confidence in their city's fortifications, implying it was impregnable even to the mighty David. In 2 Sam 5:6, they famously added, "but the blind and the lame will ward you off," a mocking boast of their fortress's strength, believing it required no fit warriors to defend. This verbal taunt underscored their hubris and underestimation of David's divine commission.
- Nevertheless David took the castle of Zion, which is the city of David.
- Nevertheless David took: (וַיִּלְכֹּד דָּוִיד, wayyilkod David) The term "Nevertheless" powerfully highlights David's resolute action despite the direct opposition. It signifies a decisive victory that overrides human obstacles. "Took" (lakad) means to seize, capture, or conquer, emphasizing a military act.
- the castle of Zion: (מְצֻדַת צִיּוֹן, metzudat Tziyyon) "Castle" or "stronghold" (metzudah) refers to a highly fortified place. "Zion" (Tziyyon) specifically designates the highest, southeastern hill of Jerusalem, where the Jebusite fortress was located. Over time, "Zion" expanded in meaning to refer to the entire city of Jerusalem, the land of Judah, and ultimately became a theological term for God's holy dwelling place and the spiritual center of His people. The capture of this stronghold marked a profound symbolic shift, taking control of a site of deep historical and future religious significance.
- which is the city of David: (הִיא עִיר דָּוִיד, hi’ ‘Ir David) This phrase indicates a renaming and repurposing of the captured Jebusite stronghold. By calling it "the city of David," David asserted his absolute dominion and made it his royal residence and administrative center. It wasn't just a military occupation; it was the foundation of his capital and the embodiment of his new, divinely sanctioned rule over all Israel, preparing it to eventually become the chosen place for the Ark of the Covenant and, later, the Temple.
1 Chronicles 11 5 Bonus section
The conquest of Jerusalem and its renaming marked a shift from a militarily unconquered, pagan enclave within the Promised Land to the spiritual and political capital of the twelve tribes. This transformation laid the physical and symbolic groundwork for the establishment of the Davidic covenant and the future Messianic hope. While the immediate historical context in Chronicles emphasizes the unified kingdom under David, for the post-exilic audience, it also served as a reminder of God's faithfulness to His promises concerning the Davidic line and the central role of Jerusalem, inspiring hope for restoration. The story highlights that God's plan cannot be thwarted by human pride or impregnable fortresses; where humans declared "you shall not come," God's chosen one prevailed, embodying God's sovereignty over all earthly powers.
1 Chronicles 11 5 Commentary
1 Chronicles 11:5 succinctly captures a defining moment in Israelite history and David’s reign. The Jebusites' defiant refusal underscored their belief in the invulnerability of their fortress, a direct challenge to the authority of David and, implicitly, the God who had chosen him. David's immediate action to capture "the castle of Zion" directly counters this arrogance, demonstrating his military prowess combined with divine enablement. The subsequent renaming of the city to "the city of David" solidified his kingship, centralized the political administration, and paved the way for Jerusalem's future as the spiritual heart of Israel. This conquest was not merely a strategic military victory but a theological event: God's chosen king established His rule in God's chosen city, setting the stage for the building of the Temple and the establishment of the enduring Davidic dynasty and its associated prophecies pointing to the Messiah.