2 Samuel 5:3 kjv
So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the LORD: and they anointed David king over Israel.
2 Samuel 5:3 nkjv
Therefore all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD. And they anointed David king over Israel.
2 Samuel 5:3 niv
When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel.
2 Samuel 5:3 esv
So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel.
2 Samuel 5:3 nlt
So there at Hebron, King David made a covenant before the LORD with all the elders of Israel. And they anointed him king of Israel.
2 Samuel 5 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Sam 10:1 | Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him and said, "Has not the LORD anointed you ruler over his inheritance?" | Saul's initial anointing by God's prophet. |
| 1 Sam 16:13 | Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. | David's initial private anointing by Samuel. |
| 2 Sam 2:4 | And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. | David's anointing as king over Judah previously. |
| 2 Sam 3:1 | There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. | Preceding period of national division and conflict. |
| 2 Sam 5:1 | Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, "Behold, we are your bone and your flesh." | People’s declaration of kinship and loyalty. |
| 2 Sam 5:2 | For some time, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the LORD said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.’ | People recall David's past leadership and divine promise. |
| 2 Sam 5:4 | David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. | Provides the context of David's full reign's duration. |
| Gen 15:18 | On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram... | Foundation of covenant theme with God and His people. |
| Exod 24:7-8 | He took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people... Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, "Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you." | Moses establishes covenant between God and Israel. |
| Josh 24:25 | So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. | Covenant renewal under Joshua’s leadership. |
| Deut 17:15 | you may indeed set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses. | God’s role in the selection of kings. |
| 2 Sam 7:12-16 | When your days are fulfilled... I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever... My steadfast love will not depart from him... your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever. | God’s eternal covenant with David and his dynasty. |
| Ps 89:3-4 | You have said, "I have made a covenant with My chosen one… I will establish your offspring forever and build up your throne for all generations." | Echoes and affirms the divine Davidic covenant. |
| Ps 132:11 | The LORD swore to David a sure oath from which he will not turn back: "One of your own descendants I will place on your throne." | God’s faithful promise to ensure a descendant of David. |
| Jer 33:20-21 | "If you can break My covenant with the day and My covenant with the night… then also My covenant with David My servant may be broken." | Illustrates the unbreakable nature of the Davidic covenant. |
| Ezek 37:22 | I will make them one nation in the land… and one king shall be king over them all. | Prophecy of future national unity under one king. |
| Hos 3:5 | Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God, and David their king, and they shall come in awe to the LORD and to his goodness in the latter days. | Future longing for a renewed Davidic kingship. |
| 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, and of His kingdom there will be no end. | Jesus as the ultimate heir and fulfillment of the Davidic throne. |
| Matt 1:1 | The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. | Establishes Jesus’ royal lineage through David. |
| Acts 2:36 | "Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." | Proclaims Jesus as the Messiah, the Anointed King. |
| Eph 4:3 | eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. | Highlights the theme of unity among God's people. |
| Rom 13:1 | Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God. | Reinforces the divine source of governmental authority. |
| 1 Pet 2:9 | But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. | The people of God as a "holy nation" under His authority. |
| Col 1:13 | He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son. | Believers are under the spiritual kingship of Christ. |
2 Samuel 5 verses
2 Samuel 5 3 Meaning
This verse records the formal and climactic event where the unified elders representing all the tribes of Israel come to David in Hebron, confirm their allegiance, and collectively anoint him as king over the entire nation. This act, done "before the LORD," signifies a divinely ratified covenant, formally establishing David’s reign as God's chosen leader for a united Israel after a long period of internal strife and fragmentation.
2 Samuel 5 3 Context
Chapter 5 of 2 Samuel marks the pivotal moment of David's reign, where he finally unites the fragmented kingdom of Israel under his rule. For seven and a half years, David had reigned solely over the house of Judah from Hebron, while Saul's son Ish-bosheth had precariously held power over the rest of Israel. Following Ish-bosheth’s assassination (2 Sam 4), all the tribes of Israel, having seen David’s proven leadership and recognizing his divine appointment, sought him out in Hebron. They acknowledged him as their true "bone and flesh" and the shepherd chosen by YHWH (2 Sam 5:1-2). This verse describes the formalizing of this popular and divine endorsement through a sacred covenant, establishing David as the rightful, divinely appointed king over the entirety of God's chosen nation, setting the stage for his subsequent conquest of Jerusalem and the establishment of his capital there.
2 Samuel 5 3 Word analysis
- So all the elders of Israel came: The term "elders" (Hebrew: זְקֵנִים, z'qēnim) signifies authoritative and experienced representatives from all the various tribes and clans of Israel. Their collective "coming" indicates a unified and legitimate delegation, demonstrating the consent and will of the entire nation, not merely a faction. This points to the widespread acceptance of David’s legitimate claim to the throne.
- to the king at Hebron: Hebron (Hebrew: חֶבְרֹון, ḥevrôn) served as David’s capital during his reign over Judah (2 Sam 2:11). Its choice for this national assembly underscores its historical and political significance and provides a tangible continuity for David's authority, now extending over a unified Israel.
- and King David made a covenant with them: "Made a covenant" (Hebrew: כָּרַת בְּרִית, karat bĕrît) literally translates to "cut a covenant," referring to the ancient practice of establishing a solemn and binding agreement, often sealed by sacrificial rituals where animals were divided (as in Gen 15). This signifies a profound, reciprocal, and legally binding commitment. David committed to rule justly and righteously according to divine mandates, and the elders (representing Israel) pledged allegiance and obedience to his God-ordained authority.
- in Hebron before the LORD: This phrase highlights the profound religious dimension of the covenant. "Before the LORD" (Hebrew: לִפְנֵי יְהוָה, lip̄nê Yahweh) means in the very presence of God, invoking His divine witness and ratification of the agreement. This transforms the compact from a purely political arrangement into a sacred oath, ensuring its solemnity and signifying divine approval and accountability for both parties.
- and they anointed David king over Israel: This constitutes the third anointing of David. The first was private, performed by Samuel as God's prophet (1 Sam 16:13), marking God’s initial selection. The second was public, by the men of Judah, establishing his rule over his own tribe (2 Sam 2:4). This final anointing is national and public, formally installing him as king over all twelve tribes of Israel. Anointing (Hebrew: מָשַׁח, māshaḥ) with oil symbolized divine selection, consecration, and endowment with sacred power and authority for his divinely appointed office. This act solidifies David’s legitimate and universally acknowledged rule.
2 Samuel 5 3 Bonus section
The formal act of making a covenant (karat bĕrît) in the ancient Near East was extremely grave and binding. While not explicitly detailed in 2 Sam 5:3, the ceremony often involved curses pronounced on the party who would break the covenant, sometimes dramatically symbolized by the dismemberment of an animal, signifying what should happen to the breaker of the oath. This underscores the profound gravity of the agreement between David and the elders before YHWH. Hebron's significance further cemented this unity. It was an ancient city associated with Abraham and the patriarchs, providing a powerful spiritual and historical anchor to David's kingship and the newly united Israel. This event marked not just a change in leadership, but a new era for Israel as a centralized, divinely guided monarchy, allowing it to grow into a strong regional power.
2 Samuel 5 3 Commentary
2 Samuel 5:3 is a watershed moment in biblical history, encapsulating the formal establishment of David's united kingdom. This pivotal verse marks the transition from fragmented rule to a cohesive nation under a divinely chosen monarch. The solemn covenant forged between David and the representatives of all Israel, sealed "before the LORD" in Hebron, was not merely a political power transfer but a sacred pact confirming God's specific will for David's reign. The act of anointing underscored David's consecration and divine empowerment for his role as shepherd over God's people. This moment solidified the human-divine relationship inherent in the kingship, pointing forward to the enduring Davidic covenant (2 Sam 7) and ultimately to the eternal reign of Jesus Christ, the ultimate "Anointed One," who unites all people under His perfect kingship.
- Practical usage:
- It illustrates that true leadership involves both divine calling and the consent and allegiance of the governed.
- It emphasizes the sanctity of oaths and agreements made in God's presence, highlighting the importance of integrity in our commitments.
- It reinforces the spiritual imperative of unity among God's people under divinely recognized authority, which can lead to stability and blessing.