1 Chronicles 11:1-9

David Becomes King

11:1 All Israel joined David at Hebron and said, “Look, we are your very flesh and blood! ¹  11:2 In the past, even when Saul was king, you were Israel’s commanding general. ²  The Lord your God said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel; you will rule over my people Israel.’” 11:3 When all the leaders ³  of Israel came to the king at Hebron, David made an agreement ⁴  with them in Hebron before the Lord. They anointed ⁵  David king over Israel, just as the Lord had announced through Samuel. ⁶ 

David Conquers Jerusalem

11:4 David and the whole Israelite army ⁷  advanced to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus). ⁸  (The Jebusites, the land’s original inhabitants, lived there.) ⁹  11:5 The residents of Jebus said to David, “You cannot invade this place!” But David captured the fortress of Zion (that is, the City of David). 11:6 ¹⁰  David said, “Whoever attacks ¹¹  the Jebusites first will become commanding general!” ¹²  So Joab son of Zeruiah attacked ¹³  first and became commander. ¹⁴  11:7 David lived in the fortress; for this reason it is called the City of David. 11:8 He built up the city around it, from the terrace to the surrounding walls; ¹⁵  Joab restored the rest of the city. 11:9 David’s power steadily grew, for the Lord who commands armies was with him. ¹⁶ 

[11:1]  ¹ tn Heb “look, your bone and your flesh [are] we.”

[11:2]  ² tn Heb “you were the one who led out and the one who brought in Israel.”

[11:3]  ³ tn Heb “elders.”

[11:3]  ⁴ tn Or “covenant.”

[11:3]  ⁵ tn Or “They poured olive oil on David to designate him as king.”

[11:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Samuel.”

[11:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “all Israel.”

[11:4]  ⁸ sn Jebus was an older name for the city of Jerusalem (cf. Josh 15:8; Judg 1:21).

[11:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “and there [were] the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land.”

[11:6]  ¹⁰ sn Verse 6 inserts into the narrative parenthetical information about Joab’s role in the conquest of the city. Verse 7 then picks up where v. 5 left off.

[11:6]  ¹¹ tn Or perhaps “strikes down.”

[11:6]  ¹² tn Heb “head and officer.”

[11:6]  ¹³ tn Heb “went up.”

[11:6]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “head.”

[11:8]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “to that which surrounds.” On the referent here as “the surrounding walls,” see HALOT 740 s.v. סָבִיב.

[11:9]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and David went, going and becoming great, and the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, Lord of hosts] was with him.”