2 Samuel 5 8

2 Samuel 5:8 kjv

And David said on 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.

2 Samuel 5:8 nkjv

Now David said on that day, "Whoever climbs up by way of the water shaft and defeats the Jebusites (the lame and the blind, who are hated by David's soul), he shall be chief and captain." Therefore they say, "The blind and the lame shall not come into the house."

2 Samuel 5:8 niv

On that day David had said, "Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft to reach those 'lame and blind' who are David's enemies." That is why they say, "The 'blind and lame' will not enter the palace."

2 Samuel 5:8 esv

And David said on that day, "Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him get up the water shaft to attack 'the lame and the blind,' who are hated by David's soul." Therefore it is said, "The blind and the lame shall not come into the house."

2 Samuel 5:8 nlt

On the day of the attack, David said to his troops, "I hate those 'lame' and 'blind' Jebusites. Whoever attacks them should strike by going into the city through the water tunnel. " That is the origin of the saying, "The blind and the lame may not enter the house."

2 Samuel 5 verses

2 Samuel 5 8 Meaning

Second Samuel 5:8 records David's challenge to his men for conquering Jerusalem (then called Jebus) from the Jebusites. The verse highlights the Jebusites' defiant mockery, boasting that even the blind and the lame could defend their impenetrable fortress against David. In response, David declared that anyone striking the Jebusites must do so by assaulting their seemingly vulnerable "water shaft" and defeating these "blind and lame" figures, who were an abomination to him due to their insolence. This pivotal event gave rise to a well-known Israelite saying, "The blind and the lame shall not come into the house," symbolizing their complete expulsion or exclusion due to their contemptuous challenge.

2 Samuel 5 8 Context

Second Samuel chapter 5 marks a pivotal turning point in David's reign. After seven and a half years ruling over Judah from Hebron, David is finally anointed king over all Israel (2 Sam 5:1-3), unifying the northern and southern tribes. Immediately after this anointing, David sets his sights on capturing Jerusalem from the Jebusites (2 Sam 5:6). Jerusalem was strategically vital: it was a neutral territory not belonging to any of the twelve tribes, positioned between Judah and Benjamin, and heavily fortified with natural defenses. Its acquisition would centralize David's kingdom both politically and spiritually.

The Jebusites, confident in their city's impregnability, mock David by stating that "even the blind and the lame" could defend it against him (2 Sam 5:6). This taunt, whether literal (disabled guardians on the walls) or symbolic (a figurative expression for the city's invincibility, or even a superstitious belief that their 'gods' manifested as these figures would protect it), greatly enraged David. The verse in question records David's immediate, fiery response, offering a reward to the man who would exploit the city's perceived weak point: the water shaft, believed to be the only vulnerable access. This act was not merely a military conquest but a significant act of defiance against a deeply entrenched spiritual and physical stronghold.

2 Samuel 5 8 Word Analysis

• And David said (וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד, wa-yōmer Dāwid): Signifies David's immediate and authoritative command. It underscores his direct leadership and personal resolve in the face of the Jebusite taunt. This was a king making a crucial, strategic decision.
• on that day (בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא, bayyōm ha-hū’): Emphasizes the significance and urgency of the moment. This was the decisive day for taking the Jebusite stronghold. It highlights the direct reaction to the taunt.
• "Whoever strikes the Jebusites" (כָּל־מַכֵּה יְבוּסִי, kāl-makkēh Yəvūsî): This is an incentive, a call for a volunteer or champion. The one who accomplished this feat would be highly honored (as 1 Chr 11:6 shows, Joab was made chief). It points to the direct military engagement and the target.
• "let him get up the water shaft" (וְיִגַּע בַּצִּנּוֹר, wə-yiggaʿ bat-tzinnôr):
  • וְיִגַּע (wə-yiggaʿ): Lit., "and let him touch" or "reach," often translated as "get up," "strike," or "conquer." It implies access and overcoming.
  • בַּצִּנּוֹר (bat-tzinnôr): "through the tzinnor." This is the crucial element. The Hebrew tzinnor can mean a conduit, channel, waterpipe, or spout. In the context of ancient Jerusalem, it refers to the water shaft that led from within the city walls down to the Gihon Spring outside the city, which was Jerusalem's primary water source. This was a sophisticated, defensible system for access to water during a siege, but it could also be exploited by an intrepid attacker as an entry point into the city's defenses. It reveals David's astute military intelligence.
• "and attack the blind and the lame" (וְאֶת־הָעִוְרִים וְאֶת־הַפִּסְּחִים, wəʾet-hāʿiwwərîm wəʾet-happisseḥîm):
  • הָעִוְרִים (hāʿiwwərîm): "the blind ones."
  • הַפִּסְּחִים (happisseḥîm): "the lame ones."
  • These terms refer to the individuals the Jebusites boasted could defend their city. It’s important to note the double sense. On one hand, it refers to literal disabled individuals used as a taunt; on the other, it could metaphorically represent the 'blindness' and 'lameness' of their idolatrous defenses or even their confidence that even "helpless" guardians were enough to withstand David. The command "attack them" or "touch them" means to utterly conquer and invalidate their taunt, specifically these contemptible figures who personified the mockery.
• "who are hated by David's soul" (אֲשֶׁר שָׂנְאָה נֶפֶשׁ דָּוִד, ʾăšer śānʾāh nepeš Dāvid):
  • שָׂנְאָה (śānʾāh): "hated."
  • נֶפֶשׁ דָּוִד (nepeš Dāvid): "David's soul." This expression highlights David's deep, personal animosity not necessarily toward physically disabled people but specifically toward the contemptuous taunt and spiritual arrogance of the Jebusites. It was a spiritual and psychological affront.
• "Therefore it is said," (עַל־כֵּן יֹאמְרוּ, ʿal-kēn yōmrû): Introduces a proverb or well-known saying. It signifies that David's act and words established a lasting maxim.
• "The blind and the lame shall not come into the house." (עִוֵּר וּפִסֵּחַ לֹא יָבוֹא בָיִת, ʿiwwēr ūpisseaḥ lōʾ yāvōʾ vāyit):
  • לֹא יָבוֹא (lōʾ yāvōʾ): "shall not come." A firm exclusion.
  • בָיִת (vayit): "into the house." This "house" is debated. Initially, it most likely referred to "David's house" (his palace, or his newly conquered city of Jerusalem/City of David) as a place where the mockers would never be welcome. In later Jewish tradition (Talmud, rabbinic commentary), it was sometimes interpreted in relation to the Temple, implying exclusion of physically blemished priests from service, connecting it with Lev 21:18. However, in this direct context, it primarily refers to the permanent exclusion of these taunting, arrogant Jebusites (symbolized by their "blind and lame" guardians/boasts) from any place of honor or welcome within the newly established Israelite capital.

2 Samuel 5 8 Bonus Section

• Archaeological Insights: The tzinnor or "water shaft" is strongly associated with the Gihon Spring system in Jerusalem. Archeologists have identified a major shaft (known as Warren's Shaft after its discoverer) and an intricate tunnel system that brought water from the spring outside the city walls into an accessible pool or chamber within the city's defenses. This system was vital for the city's survival during sieges and indeed represented a vulnerable point for determined attackers. The exploit likely involved scaling this vertical shaft, making Joab's feat (mentioned in 1 Chr 11:6) one of extraordinary bravery and skill.
• Polemical Interpretation: The Jebusites' taunt likely carried a polemical weight, challenging David's God and His divine appointment. In the ancient world, physical deformity could be associated with curses, divine punishment, or could paradoxically make someone a sacred figure, as some cultures believed the disabled were closer to the spirit world. The Jebusites may have meant that their deities or their magical practices protected the city so completely that even its most vulnerable members could guard it, effectively defying David's God. David's conquest and his subsequent edict served to dismantle this false belief system, asserting the supremacy of Yahweh and His anointed king over the spiritual arrogance and perceived invincibility of pagan strongholds.
• The Proverb's Evolution: While the primary interpretation of "the house" (Hebrew: bayit) in 2 Samuel 5:8 is David's new capital and dwelling, some Jewish tradition linked it to exclusion from temple service. It is essential to distinguish the direct historical context of the verse (the Jebusites' mockery) from later rabbinic interpretations related to Levitical purity laws concerning priests with blemishes, demonstrating how biblical sayings could acquire layered meanings over time within Israel's evolving spiritual understanding.

2 Samuel 5 8 Commentary

Second Samuel 5:8 encapsulates David's righteous indignation and strategic genius in the conquest of Jerusalem. The Jebusite taunt of "blind and lame" defenders was not just an insult to David's military prowess but possibly a deep-seated spiritual challenge. Ancient peoples often associated physical imperfections with divine disfavor or saw particular figures (even those with disabilities) as holding spiritual significance or embodying powerful curses, or they could simply be using the disabled as symbols of ultimate weakness to mock their enemy's perceived lack of strength. David’s fury likely stemmed from the sheer arrogance of such a boast against a divinely anointed king.

His response demonstrates a blend of practical leadership and spiritual conviction. By ordering his men to go "up the water shaft," David targeted the tzinnor, the lifeline of the city. Archaeological findings, particularly Warren's Shaft near the Gihon Spring in Jerusalem, suggest a complex system of tunnels and shafts that allowed the city's inhabitants access to water without leaving the fortified walls. For David to identify and exploit this hidden vulnerability shows remarkable strategic insight. The "attacking" or "touching" of the blind and the lame was a symbolic and decisive action: it was about thoroughly defeating not just the Jebusite soldiers but also dismantling their arrogant pride and invalidating their superstitious or scornful reliance on "the blind and the lame" as their defense. This decisive blow rendered their mocking utterly meaningless and turned their words against them.

The resulting proverb, "The blind and the lame shall not come into the house," became a lasting memorial of this conquest. Its initial meaning clearly indicated the exclusion of the boastful Jebusite element, personified by their taunt, from the new "house" of David, i.e., Jerusalem, the City of David. Over time, while the immediate context concerned the punishment of arrogance and mockery, the proverb's phrasing naturally resonated with existing Mosaic laws regarding ritual purity and physical blemishes, particularly in priestly service (Lev 21:18). This verse is not a blanket condemnation or exclusion of all disabled people, as God's law also provided protections for the blind and lame (Deut 27:18) and the New Testament demonstrates Jesus' compassionate healing and inclusion of them (Matt 11:5; Luke 14:13). Rather, in 2 Samuel 5:8, it's a pointed statement against the specific, scornful arrogance displayed by the Jebusites and a symbolic rejection of anything that defames or stands against God's chosen king and his divinely appointed city. The "house" became a place of spiritual and political significance where the spirit of such defiance had no place.