David Captures Jerusalem
Jerusalem was a Jebusite stronghold that had held out through the entire period of the judges, and its defenders taunted David that even the blind and the lame could keep him out. He took it — by the water shaft, according to the text, and Chronicles adds that Joab led the assault and won the command of the army by it.
The choice of capital was shrewd. The city sat on the border between Judah and the northern tribes and belonged to neither, so it carried no tribal claim; it was defensible on three sides; and it was David's by conquest rather than inheritance.
He then brought the ark up, dancing before it in a linen ephod — to the contempt of his wife Michal, whose objection closes the chapter without reconciliation. City and sanctuary were joined, and Jerusalem became the centre of the nation's worship.
Where in scripture
[1] Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and spoke, saying, “Behold, we are your bone and your flesh. [2] In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led Israel out and in. Yahweh said to you, ‘You will be shepherd of my people Israel, and you will be prince over Israel.’” [3] So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron, and king David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Yahweh; and they anointed David king over Israel. [4] David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. [5] 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 5:1–16 — opening verses
[1] David again gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. [2] David arose, and went with all the people who were with him, from Baale Judah, to bring up from there God’s ark, which is called by the Name, even the name of Yahweh of Armies who sits above the cherubim. [3] They set God’s ark on a new cart, and brought it out of Abinadab’s house that was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart. [4] They brought it out of Abinadab’s house, which was in the hill, with God’s ark; and Ahio went before the ark. [5] David and all the house of Israel played before Yahweh with all kinds of instruments made of cypress wood, with harps, with stringed instruments, with tambourines, with castanets, and with cymbals. …
2 Samuel 6:1–23 — opening verses
[1] Then all Israel gathered themselves to David to Hebron, saying, “Behold, we are your bone and your flesh. [2] In times past, even when Saul was king, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. Yahweh your God said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over my people Israel.’” [3] So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Yahweh; and they anointed David king over Israel, according to Yahweh’s word by Samuel. [4] David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (also called Jebus); and the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, were there. [5] The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You will not come in here.” Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion. The same is David’s city. …
1 Chronicles 11:1–9 — opening verses
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.
