2Sa 5, 2Sa 8, 2Sa 10, 22:44-46, Psa 22:27-28, 108:9 | ESV | STEP | Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said , Behold , we are your bone and flesh .

1 Then all the tribes of Israel ^acame to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, ^bwe are your bone and flesh. 2 In times past, when Saul was king over us, ^cit was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord said to you, ^d‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince ^{▼▼Or leader} over Israel.’” 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, ^fand King David made a covenant with them at Hebron ^gbefore the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. 4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and ^hhe reigned forty years. 5 ⁱAt Hebron he reigned over Judah ^jseven years and six months, and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years. ^{▼▼Dead Sea Scroll lacks verses 4–5}

6 ^lAnd the king and his men went to Jerusalem ^magainst the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, “You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will ward you off”—thinking, “David cannot come in here.” 7 Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, ⁿthat is, the city of David. 8 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.” 9 And David lived in the stronghold and called it ^othe city of David. And David built the city all around from the ^pMillo inward. 10 And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him.

11 ^qAnd ^rHiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, also carpenters and masons who built David a house. 12 And David knew that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

13 And David took more ^sconcubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born to David. 14 ^tAnd these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

David Defeats the Philistines

17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. But David heard of it and went down ^uto the stronghold. 18 Now the Philistines had come and spread out in ^vthe Valley of Rephaim. 19 And David ^winquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?” And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.” 20 And David came to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there. And he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like a breaking flood.” ^xTherefore the name of that place is called Baal-perazim. ^{▼▼ Baal-perazim means lord of bursting through} 21 And the Philistines left their idols there, and David and his men carried them away.

22 And the Philistines came up yet again ^zand spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. 23 ^aaAnd when David inquired of the Lord, he said, “You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come against them opposite the balsam trees. 24 And ^abwhen you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then rouse yourself, ^acfor then the Lord has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.” 25 And David did as the Lord commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba ^adto Gezer.

2 Samuel 8

David’s Victories

1 ^aeAfter this David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and David took ^afMetheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines.

2 ^agAnd he defeated Moab and he measured them with a line, making them lie down on the ground. Two lines he measured to be put to death, and one full line to be spared. And the Moabites ^ahbecame servants to David and ^aibrought tribute.

3 David also defeated ^ajHadadezer the son of Rehob, king of ^akZobah, as he went to restore his power at the river Euphrates. 4 ^alAnd David took from him 1,700 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers. And David ^amhamstrung all the chariot horses but left enough for 100 chariots. 5 ^anAnd when the ^aoSyrians of Damascus came to help ^apHadadezer king of ^aqZobah, David struck down 22,000 men of the Syrians. 6 Then David put garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Syrians ^arbecame servants to David and brought tribute. ^asAnd the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went. 7 And David took ^atthe shields of gold that were carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 And from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took very much bronze.

9 When Toi king of ^auHamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadadezer, 10 Toi sent his son Joram to King David, to ask about his health and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, for Hadadezer had often been at war with Toi. And Joram brought with him articles of silver, of gold, and of bronze. 11 ^avThese also King David dedicated to the Lord, together with the silver and gold that he dedicated from all the nations he subdued, 12 from Edom, ^awMoab, ^axthe Ammonites, ^aythe Philistines, ^azAmalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of ^baZobah.

13 And David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down 18,000 Edomites in ^bbthe Valley of Salt. 14 Then he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, ^bcand all the Edomites became David’s servants. And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.

David’s Officials

15 So David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all his people. 16 ^bdJoab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and ^beJehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder, 17 and ^bfZadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests, and ^bgSeraiah was secretary, 18 and ^bhBenaiah the son of Jehoiada was over ^{▼▼Compare 20:23, 1 Chronicles 18:17, Syriac, Targum, Vulgate; Hebrew lacks was over} the ^bjCherethites and the Pelethites, and David’s sons were priests.

2 Samuel 10

David Defeats Ammon and Syria

1 ^bkAfter this the king of the Ammonites died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. 2 And David said, “I will deal loyally ^{▼▼Or kindly; twice in this verse} with Hanun the son of ^bmNahash, as his father dealt loyally with me.” So David sent by his servants to console him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the Ammonites. 3 But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think, because David has sent comforters to you, that he is honoring your father? Has not David sent his servants to you to search the city and to spy it out and to overthrow it?” 4 So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved off half the beard of each and cut off their garments in the middle, ^bnat their hips, and sent them away. 5 When it was told David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown and then return.”

6 When the Ammonites saw that they had become a stench to David, the Ammonites sent and hired the Syrians of ^boBeth-rehob, and ^bpthe Syrians of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and the king of ^bqMaacah with 1,000 men, and the men of ^brTob, 12,000 men. 7 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the host of ^bsthe mighty men. 8 And the Ammonites came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the gate, and ^btthe Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob and ^buthe men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open country.

9 When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear, he chose some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Syrians. 10 The rest of his men he put in the charge of Abishai his brother, and he arrayed them against the Ammonites. 11 And he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come and help you. 12 ^bvBe of good courage, and ^bwlet us be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God, and ^bxmay the Lord do what seems good to him.” 13 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near to battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him. 14 And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians fled, they likewise fled before Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab returned from fighting against the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.

15 But when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they gathered themselves together. 16 And Hadadezer sent and brought out the Syrians who were beyond ^bythe Euphrates. ^{▼▼Hebrew the River} They came to Helam, with ^caShobach the commander of the army of Hadadezer at their head. 17 And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan and came to Helam. The Syrians arrayed themselves against David and fought with him. 18 And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David killed of the Syrians the men of 700 chariots, and 40,000 horsemen, and wounded ^cbShobach the commander of their army, so that he died there. 19 And when all the kings who were servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel ^ccand became subject to them. So the Syrians were afraid to save the Ammonites anymore.

2 Samuel 22:44-46

44 “You delivered me from strife with my people; ^{▼▼Septuagint with the peoples}
you kept me as the head of ^cethe nations;
^cfpeople whom I had not known served me.
45 Foreigners came cringing to me;
as soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me.
46 Foreigners lost heart
and came trembling ^{▼▼Compare Psalm 18:45; Hebrew equipped themselves} ^chout of their fortresses.

Psalms 22:27-28

27 All ^cithe ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the Lord,
and all ^cjthe families of the nations
shall worship before you.
28 For ^ckkingship belongs to the Lord,
and he rules over the nations.

Psalms 108:9

9 Moab is my washbasin;
upon Edom I cast my shoe;
^clover Philistia I shout in triumph.”