2 Samuel 5 5

2 Samuel 5:5 kjv

In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.

2 Samuel 5:5 nkjv

In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

2 Samuel 5:5 niv

In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.

2 Samuel 5:5 esv

At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.

2 Samuel 5:5 nlt

He had reigned over Judah from Hebron for seven years and six months, and from Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years.

2 Samuel 5 verses

2 Samuel 5 5 Meaning

2 Samuel 5:5 precisely delineates the two phases of King David's reign, marking the foundational period in Hebron and the extensive, unifying period from Jerusalem. It signifies God's appointed timing and David's divinely established authority over all twelve tribes, fulfilling previous promises and laying the groundwork for the Davidic covenant. The verse encapsulates David's entire duration of kingship, emphasizing both his tribal beginnings and his national zenith.

2 Samuel 5 5 Context

2 Samuel 5:5 functions as a historical summary statement following David's anointing as king over all Israel (2 Sam 5:3). It chronologically outlines the two distinct phases of his reign, initially confined to Hebron, governing only Judah, and subsequently expanded to Jerusalem, uniting both Judah and Israel. This verse not only confirms the length of his overall rule (40 years) but also implicitly highlights the strategic and theological significance of Jerusalem becoming the nation's capital, a transition marking the consolidation of the kingdom and fulfilling divine plans for the Davidic dynasty. It sets the stage for the narrative of Jerusalem's conquest and the establishment of the ark there.

2 Samuel 5 5 Word analysis

• In Hebron: חֶבְרוֹן (Khevron). An ancient and significant city, meaning "association" or "confederacy." It was previously where Abraham purchased the Cave of Machpelah (Gen 23:19), making it a burial site for the patriarchs. For David, it was the first divinely appointed capital, providing a base among his own tribe, Judah, before he united the wider nation. Its long-standing historical and religious significance validated David's initial claim.
• he reigned: מָלַךְ (malakh). A standard verb indicating kingship. This active verb emphasizes David's direct, God-appointed rule. In biblical context, it implies not merely holding power but ruling with divine authority and responsibility, especially given his prior anointing by Samuel.
• over Judah: יְהוּדָה (Yehudah). Refers to the tribe of Judah, David's ancestral tribe. This specifies the limited scope of his initial kingship for seven years and six months, a period of transition and civil war with the house of Saul. This detail highlights God's strategic, incremental establishment of David's kingdom.
• seven years and six months: שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים וְשִׁשָּׁה חֳדָשִׁים (sheva shanim v'shishah chodeshim). This precise detail underscores the historical accuracy and meticulous record-keeping in the Bible. It signifies a specific, measured period ordained by God before the full kingdom was consolidated. The half-year indicates that no detail, even seemingly minor, is irrelevant in God's timeline.
• and in Jerusalem: יְרוּשָׁלַיִם (Yerushalayim). A strategically vital city, captured from the Jebusites (2 Sam 5:6-9), transformed by David into the "City of David." Its significance is profound; it became the political, religious, and future spiritual capital, a neutral site outside tribal claims that could unify the entire nation. Its name suggests "foundation of peace" or "city of peace."
• he reigned: (malakh) - same as above, indicating continuation of divine kingship but now with expanded dominion.
• thirty-three years: שְׁלֹשִׁים וְשָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים (shloshim v'shalosh shanim). This precise figure again emphasizes historical exactitude. It indicates the bulk of David's reign was spent ruling over a unified Israel, solidifying his kingdom's foundations.
• over all Israel and Judah: כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוּדָה (kol-Yisrael vihûdâh). This crucial phrase marks the culmination of the process—David’s kingship expanded from his tribe to encompass all twelve tribes. "Israel and Judah" highlights the original division or distinct identity that David bridged, achieving a united kingdom under his God-ordained rule, foreshadowing ultimate unity.

Words-group by Words-group analysis

• "In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months": This phrase details the initial, transitional phase of David's kingship. It signifies a period of divine providence guiding David's limited reign within his own tribe before the greater national calling. This specific duration demonstrates God's controlled timing for establishing David's throne.
• "and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah": This phrase marks the climax and primary duration of David's reign. It highlights the strategic shift of the capital to Jerusalem, a neutral and powerful site. The phrase "all Israel and Judah" underscores the political and spiritual unity David achieved under his rule, a direct fulfillment of God's promise for him to rule over all of God's people. This combined with the previous period confirms his forty-year reign (seven and a half plus thirty-three equals forty years total approximately).

2 Samuel 5 5 Bonus section

The precise durations given (7 years 6 months and 33 years) combine to a total of 40 years, which in biblical numerology often signifies a complete generation, a period of testing, or a divinely appointed period of judgment and transition. This total duration further elevates the significance of David's reign as a foundational era in Israel's history, perfectly orchestrated by divine providence. Furthermore, David’s careful transition from Hebron to Jerusalem reflects wisdom in leadership: first solidifying support among his own tribe, then establishing a central capital capable of unifying a diverse and often divided people. The fact that Jerusalem was not part of any particular tribe’s inheritance helped it serve as a truly national capital, solidifying national identity under the newly centralized government and priesthood David established.

2 Samuel 5 5 Commentary

2 Samuel 5:5 provides a concise, pivotal summary of David's reign, marking the culmination of God's patient plan to establish His chosen king. It encapsulates forty years of kingship, precisely divided into an initial partial rule from Hebron over Judah and a more extensive, unified reign from Jerusalem over both Israel and Judah. This shift from Hebron, a city tied to the patriarchs, to Jerusalem, a newly conquered strategic city, symbolically represents David's transition from a tribal leader to the unifier of a divinely ordained kingdom. The precise numbers (7.5 and 33 years) highlight the historical accuracy and the intentional divine timing of God in establishing David's throne. It solidifies his position as the central figure of God's redemptive plan leading to the Davidic covenant and the future Messiah.