2 Samuel 5:8

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He said that day, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites must go through the water shaft to reach the lame and the blind who are despised by David.” For this reason it is said, “The blind and the lame will never enter the house.”

Hebrew Names Version
David said on that day, Whoever strikes the Yevusi, let him get up to the watercourse, and [strike] the lame and the blind, who are hated of David's soul. Therefore they say, There are the blind and the lame; he can't come into the house.

King James Version
And David said on that day, Whosoever getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind that are hated of David's soul, he shall be chief and captain. Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.

Lexham English Bible
David had said, "On that day when we attack the Jebusites, one must attack the lame and the blind, those who hate the soul of David, by means of the water supply." For thus the blind and the lame would say, "He cannot come into the house."

English Standard Version
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."

New Century Version
That day David said to his men, "To defeat the Jebusites you must go through the water tunnel. Then you can reach those ‘crippled' and ‘blind' enemies. This is why people say, ‘The blind and the crippled may not enter the palace.'"

New English Translation
David said on that day, "Whoever attacks the Jebusites must approach the ‘lame' and the ‘blind' who are David's enemies by going through the water tunnel." For this reason it is said, "The blind and the lame cannot enter the palace."

Amplified Bible
Then David said on that day, "Whoever strikes the Jebusites, let him go up through the [underground] water shaft to strike the lame and the blind, who are detested by David's soul [because of their arrogance]." So [for that reason] they say, "The blind or the lame (Jebusites) shall not come into the [royal] house [of Israel]."

New American Standard Bible
And David said on that day, "Whoever strikes the Jebusites is to reach those who limp and those who are blind, who are hated by David's soul, through the water tunnel." For that reason they say, "People who are blind and people who limp shall not come into the house."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Nowe Dauid had sayd the same day, Whosoeuer smiteth the Iebusites, and getteth vp to the gutters and smiteth the lame and blinde, which Dauids soule hateth, I will preferre him: therefore they saide, The blinde and the lame shall not come into that house.

Legacy Standard Bible
And David said on that day, "Whoever would strike down the Jebusites, let him reach the lame and the blind, who are hated by David's soul, through the water tunnel." Therefore they say, "The blind or the lame shall not come into the house."

Complete Jewish Bible
What David said on that day was, "In order to attack the Y'vusi, you have to climb up [from the spring outside the city] through the water tunnel. Then you can do away with those [so-called] ‘lame and blind'" (whom David despises — hence the expression, "The ‘blind and lame' keep him from entering the house").

Darby Translation
And David said on that day, Whoever smites the Jebusites and gets up to the watercourse, and the lame and the blind hated of David's soul …! Therefore they say, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.

Easy-to-Read Version
That day David said to his men, "Whenever you strike at the Jebusites, aim for the throat and kill them." David said this because he hates to have people left who are crippled and blind. That is why people now say, "The lame and blind are not allowed in the temple."

George Lamsa Translation
And David said on that day, Whosoever smites a Jebusite and whosoever strikes with a weapon the blind and the lame, he is a hater of Davids soul. Therefore they say, The blind and the lame shall not come into the temple.

Good News Translation
That day David said to his men, "Does anybody here hate the Jebusites as much as I do? Enough to kill them? Then go up through the water tunnel and attack those poor blind cripples." (That is why it is said, "The blind and the crippled cannot enter the Lord 's house.")

Literal Translation
And David said on that day, Anyone who strikes the Jebusite, approaching at the water shaft, let him capture the lame and the blind, the hated of the soul of David. On this account they say, Theblind and the lame shall not enter into thehouse.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then sayde Dauid the same daye: Who so euer smyteth the Iebusites, and optayneth the perquellies, the lame & the blynde, which (Iebusites) Dauids soule hateth. Herof cometh the prouerbe: Let no blynde ner lame come in to the house.

American Standard Version
And David said on that day, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites, let him get up to the watercourse, and smite the lame and the blind, that are hated of David's soul. Wherefore they say, There are the blind and the lame; he cannot come into the house.

Bible in Basic English
And that day David said, Whoever makes an attack on the Jebusites, let him go up by the water-pipe, and put to death all the blind and feeble-footed who are hated by David. And this is why they say, The blind and feeble-footed may not come into the house.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Dauid sayde the same day: Whosoeuer smyteth the Iebusites, and getteth vp to the gutters of the houses, and smyteth the lame and the blinde, hated of Dauid soule, [I will preferre him.] Wherfore they said: The blinde and the lame shal not come into that house.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And David said on that day: 'Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites, and getteth up to the gutter, and [taketh away] the lame and the blind, that are hated of David's soul--.' Wherefore they say: 'There are the blind and the lame; he cannot come into the house.'

King James Version (1611)
And Dauid said on that day, Whosoeuer getteth vp to the gutter, and smiteth the Iebusites, and the lame, and the blind, that are hated of Dauids soule, he shall be chiefe and captaine: Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And David said on that day, Every one that smites the Jebusite, let him attack with the dagger both the lame and the blind, and those that hate the soul of David. Therefore they say, The lame and the blind shall not enter into the house of the Lord.

English Revised Version
And David said on that day, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites, let him get up to the watercourse, and [smite] the lame and the blind, that are hated of David’s soul. Wherefore they say, There are the blind and the lame; he cannot come into the house.

Berean Standard Bible
On that day he said, "Whoever attacks the Jebusites must use the water shaft to reach the lame and blind who are despised by David." That is why it is said, "The blind and the lame will never enter the palace."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For Dauid hadde `sette forth meede in that dai to hym, that hadde smyte Jebusei, and hadde touchid the goteris of roouys, and hadde take awey lame men and blynde, hatynge the lijf of Dauid. Therfor it is seid in prouerbe, A blynde man and lame schulen not entre in to the temple.

Young's Literal Translation
And David saith on that day, `Any one smiting the Jebusite, (let him go up by the watercourse), and the lame and the blind -- the hated of David's soul,' -- because the blind and lame say, `He doth not come into the house.'

Update Bible Version
And David said on that day, Whoever smites the Jebusites, let him reach the watershaft and the lame and the blind, who hated David's soul. Therefore they say, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.

Webster's Bible Translation
And David said on that day, Whoever getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind, [that are] hated by David's soul, [he shall be chief and captain]: Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.

World English Bible
David said on that day, Whoever strikes the Jebusites, let him get up to the watercourse, and [strike] the lame and the blind, who are hated of David's soul. Therefore they say, There are the blind and the lame; he can't come into the house.

New King James Version
Now David said on that day, "Whoever climbs up by way of the water shaft and defeats the Jebusites (the lame and the blind, who are hated by David's soul), he shall be chief and captain." 1 Chronicles 11:6">[fn] Therefore they say, "The blind and the lame shall not come into the house."

New Living Translation
On the day of the attack, David said to his troops, "I hate those ‘lame' and ‘blind' Jebusites. Whoever attacks them should strike by going into the city through the water tunnel." That is the origin of the saying, "The blind and the lame may not enter the house."

New Life Bible
David said on that day, "Whoever would kill the Jebusites, let him go up through the hole where the water flows, to those who cannot walk or see and who are hated by David's soul." So it is said, "Those who cannot see or walk will not come to the house."

New Revised Standard
David had said on that day, "Whoever would strike down the Jebusites, let him get up the water shaft to attack the lame and the blind, those whom David hates." Therefore it is said, "The blind and the lame shall not come into the house."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And David said, on that day - Whosoever is smiting the Jebusites, then let him reach as far as the aqueduct. But, as for the lame and the blind, they were the hated of David's soul, - for which cause, they kept on saying, Blind and lame! he will not enter the place.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For David had offered that day a reward to whosoever should strike the Jebusites and get up to the gutters of the tops of the houses, and take away the blind and the lame that hated the soul of David: therefore it is said in the proverb: The blind and the lame shall not come into the temple.

Revised Standard Version
And David said on that day, "Whoever would smite the Jeb'usites, 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."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
David said on that day, "Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him reach the lame and the blind, who are hated by David's soul, through the water tunnel." Therefore they say, "The blind or the lame shall not come into the house."

Contextual Overview

⁶ David and his men immediately set out for Jerusalem to take on the Jebusites, who lived in that country. But they said, "You might as well go home! Even the blind and the lame could keep you out. You can't get in here!" They had convinced themselves that David couldn't break through. ⁷But David went right ahead and captured the fortress of Zion, known ever since as the City of David. That day David said, "To get the best of these Jebusites, one must target the water system, not to mention this so-called lame and blind bunch that David hates." (In fact, he was so sick and tired of it, people coined the expression, "No lame and blind allowed in the palace.") ⁹David made the fortress city his home and named it "City of David." He developed the city from the outside terraces inward. David proceeded with a longer stride, a larger embrace since the God -of-the-Angel-Armies was with him.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Whosoever: Joshua 15:16, Joshua 15:17, 1 Samuel 17:25

he shall be: 1 Chronicles 11:6-9

Wherefore: etc. or, Because they had said, even the blind and the lame, he shall not come into the house

Reciprocal: Joshua 18:28 - Jebusi 2 Samuel 5:6 - which spake 2 Samuel 24:16 - the Jebusite Joel 2:7 - climb

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And David said on that day,.... On which he took the strong hold of Zion:

whosoever getteth up to the gutter; where it is generally supposed the blind and lame were, whether images or real men: but what is meant by "Tzinnur", we render "gutter", is not easy to say; we follow some of the Jewish writers, who take it to be a canal, or water spout, used to carry off the water from roofs of houses into cisterns, as the word is rendered in Psalms 42:7; which is the only place besides this in which it is used in Scripture; but R. Isaiah takes it to be the bar or bolt of the gate, and the sense to be, whoever got up to the gate, and got in at that, unbolting it, or breaking through it; the Targum interprets it of the tower of the city, or strong fortress, and so Abarbinel; but Jarchi says it was a ditch, agreeably to which Bochart h translates the words, and indeed more agreeably to the order of them;

"whosoever smites the Jebusites, let him cast into the ditch (next the wall) both the blind and the lame, extremely hated by David.''

But a learned modern writer i gives a more ingenious and probable interpretation of these words thus;

"whosoever (first) smiteth the Jebusites, and through the subterraneous passages reaches the lame and the blind, c.''

and which seems to be favoured by Josephus, as he observes who says k, the king promised the command of the whole army to him who should

δια των υποκειμενων φαραγγων, "through the subterraneous cavities", go up to the citadel, and take it: to which I would add that the word is used in the Chaldee paraphrase of Ecclesiastes 1:7, of the several subterraneous passages, through which the rivers flow out of and reflow into the ocean: remarkable is the note of Theodoret,

"a certain Hebrew says, Aquila renders it "through a pipe"; on which, he observes, David being willing to spare the walls of the city, ordered the citizens should enter into the city by an aqueduct;''

according to the Jews, there, was a cave underground, which reached from the king's house in Jerusalem to Jericho, when it was taken by Nebuchadnezzar; Ecclesiastes 1:7- :; in which story there may be a mixture of fable; yet it is not improbable that there was such a subterraneous passage; since Dio Cassius l speaks of several such, through which the Jews made their escape in the last siege of the city:

and smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind; or even the lame and the blind men the Jebusites had placed to mock David; and therefore it follows,

[that are] hated of David's soul: because he was despised and jeered at by them, and through them: if these could be understood of their idols and images, the phrase would be easily accounted for, nothing being more abominable to David than idolatry:

[he shall be chief and captain]; these words are not in the original text here, but are supplied from 1 Chronicles 11:6; that is, he shall be chief commander of the army, as Joab became, who was the first that went up and smote them:

wherefore they said, the blind and the lame shall not come into the house; that is, either the Jebusites said this, that their images, called in derision by David the blind and the lame, if these did not keep David out, they should never be intrusted with the safety of their fort any more m; or rather because the blind and the lame men said this of David, he shall not come into the house, the fort, or citadel, therefore David hated them; which is the sense of the above learned writer n.

h Phaleg. l. 4. c. 36. col. 304. i Dr. Kennicott's Dissert. 1. p. 35. k Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 3. sect. 1.) l Hist. l. 66. m Gregory, ut supra. (Notes and Observations, &c. ch. 7.) n Dr. Kennicott, ut supra. (Dissert. 1. p. 35.)

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

i. e. “Whosoever will smite the Jebusites, let him reach both the lame and the blind, who are the hated of David’s soul, by the gutter or water-course, and he shall be chief.” The only access to the citadel was where the water had worn a channel (some understand a subterranean channel), and where there was, in consequence, some vegetation in the rock. Joab (see the marginal reference) took the hint, and with all the activity that had distinguished his brother Anabel 2 Samuel 2:18, climbed up first. The blind and the lame are either literally such, placed there in derision by the Jebusites who thought the stronghold impregnable, or they are the Jebusite garrison, so called in derision by David.

Wherefore they said ... - i. e. it became a proverb (as in 1 Samuel 19:24). The proverb seems merely to have arisen from the blind and the lame being the hated of David’s soul, and hence, to have been used proverbially of any that were hated, or unwelcome, or disagreeable.