Bible Strands
2 Samuel 5:7
Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion (that is, the City of David).
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator reports David’s military advance against the Jebusites who occupied Jerusalem. At this moment, the text records the successful seizure of their fortified position despite the Jebusites’ earlier taunts that David could not enter.
The words — The verb וַ/יִּלְכֹּ֣ד (va/i.yil.Kod) means "he captured," acting on מְצֻדַ֣ת (me.tzu.Dat), "the fortress/stronghold," of צִיּ֑וֹן (tzi.Yon), "Zion." The phrase הִ֖יא עִ֥יר (hi' 'ir) functions as a literal identifier, stating "it is the city of David."
The thread — The conquered site is consistently labeled the City of David in 1 Kings 2:10, 2 Samuel 6:12, and 2 Samuel 6:16. The narrative thread tracks the location’s shift from a Jebusite defensive position to the established capital of David’s rule.
Why it lands — The text requires a reader to note the historical completion of David’s campaign and the naming of the conquered hill. It demands attention to how a military victory establishes a new political center without adding doctrinal commentary.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion: the same is the city of David.
Cross-references
- 1 Kings 2:10 Then David rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David.
- 2 Samuel 6:12 Now it was reported to King David, “The LORD has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and had the ark of God brought up from the house of Obed-edom into the City of David with rejoicing.
- 2 Samuel 6:16 As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked down from a window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, and she despised him in her heart.
- 2 Samuel 5:9 So David took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built it up all the way around, from the supporting terraces inward.
- 2 Samuel 6:10 So he was unwilling to move the ark of the LORD to the City of David; instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.
- 1 Kings 3:1 Later, Solomon formed an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying his daughter. Solomon brought her to the City of David until he had finished building his palace and the house of the LORD, as well as the wall around Jerusalem.
- 1 Kings 8:1 At that time Solomon assembled before him in Jerusalem the elders of Israel—all the tribal heads and family leaders of the Israelites—to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Zion, the City of David.
- 1 Chronicles 11:7 So David took up residence in the fortress; that is why it was called the City of David.
- 2 Chronicles 5:2 At that time Solomon assembled in Jerusalem the elders of Israel—all the tribal heads and family leaders of the Israelites—to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Zion, the City of David.
- 2 Chronicles 24:16 And Jehoiada was buried with the kings in the City of David, because he had done what was good in Israel for God and His temple.