David Captures Jerusalem

In the mid-11th century BC, David was anointed king of the tribe of Judah in Hebron. After reigning for two years, Saul’s son Ish-bosheth was assassinated by his own soldiers. Subsequently, the Hebrew tribes sent elders to Hebron to anoint David “king over Israel,” and David became king of the unified Israelite kingdom. In the Bible, David is the second anointed king of Israel.

Under King David’s rule, the nation experienced great prosperity. Not only did he completely eliminate the Philistine threat, but he even took the offensive, driving the Philistines out of the land. After this, King David launched foreign wars, bringing the entire eastern Mediterranean coast—except for Phoenicia and a small part of Philistine territory—under his dominion. However, Hebron, located in the south and belonging to the tribe of Judah, was geographically isolated and far from the eleven northern tribes, which was not conducive to national development. Therefore, David needed a more ideal capital to promote the unity of God’s people. Jerusalem, situated on the border between the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, belonged to no particular tribe at the time, transcending inter-tribal rivalries, making it the ideal location for the capital of the twelve tribes.

Jerusalem had been a royal city since the time of Abraham (Genesis 14:17-19). It had ample water sources, a commanding high position, and was naturally protected by valleys on its eastern, southern, and western sides, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. Consequently, even though the Israelites had been in Canaan for over four hundred years, the Jebusites still firmly held Jerusalem (Joshua 15:63). Jerusalem was located on the side of the east-west highway that ran from the Jordan River through Jericho to the coastal road, and also alongside the north-south highway that passed through the central highlands from Beersheba northward. Its location was extremely critical. If David wanted to fully obtain God’s Promised Land, he first had to capture Jerusalem. The Jebusites taunted David, saying, “You will not enter here; even the blind and the lame can repel you.” They believed David could never get in.

Jerusalem’s fortifications were extremely strong. King David exerted every effort to capture Jerusalem and declared that the first one to enter the city would become chief and commander. Under the leadership of David’s nephew Joab, the Israelite army secretly entered the city through the water tunnel of the Gihon Spring outside the city. After entering Jerusalem, King David declared it the capital of the Kingdom of Israel.

“Zion” originally referred to the hill south of Jerusalem. Later, it became a poetic name for the entire city of Jerusalem, and Mount Moriah, where the Temple stood, was also called Mount Zion. “The stronghold of Zion” means “the fortress of Zion.” After David captured it, it was renamed “the City of David.”