2 Samuel 5:1-5·~1 min

David Anointed King of All Israel

The tribes and elders come to David at Hebron, name their kinship with him, recall his earlier leadership, and anoint him king over all Israel under a covenant before the LORD.

T¹hen all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood. ²Even in times past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them back. And to you the LORD said, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be ruler over them.’” ³So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, where King David made with them a covenant before the LORD. And they anointed him king over Israel.

The narrative then fixes David’s reign in time, noting his age, the full length of his rule, and the shift from seven years in Hebron to thirty-three in Jerusalem over all Israel and Judah.

⁴David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years. ⁵In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

Section summaryAll Israel comes to Hebron to acknowledge what has already been true in practice and in the LORD’s word: David is the shepherd and ruler appointed for them. The elders make covenant with him before the LORD, and his reign is measured from Hebron to Jerusalem.

Role in the chapterThis opening section brings the divided kingdom into one public act of recognition. It establishes David’s rule as both politically received and grounded in the LORD’s prior choosing.