2 Samuel 2:1

Contextual Overview

¹Some time later, David inquired of the Lord: “Should I go to one of the towns of Judah?”¹ It happened after this, that David inquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Yehudah? the LORD said to him, Go up. David said, Where shall I go up? He said, To Hevron. ¹ And it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the Lord , saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the Lord said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron. ¹ It happened after this that David inquired of Yahweh, saying, "Shall I go up into one of the cities of Judah?" And Yahweh said to him, "Go up." David asked, "Where shall I go up?" And he said, "To Hebron." ¹ After this David inquired of the Lord , "Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?" And the Lord said to him, "Go up." David said, "To which shall I go up?" And he said, "To Hebron." ¹ Later, David prayed to the Lord , saying, "Should I go up to any of the cities of Judah?" The Lord said to David, "Go." David asked, "Where should I go?" The Lord answered, "To Hebron." ¹ Afterward David inquired of the Lord , "Should I go up to one of the cities of Judah?" The Lord told him, "Go up." David asked, "Where should I go?" The Lord replied, "To Hebron." ¹So it happened after this that David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go up into one of the cities of Judah?" And the LORD said to him, "Go up." David asked, "Where shall I go?" And He said, "To Hebron."¹ Then it came about afterward that David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah?" And the LORD said to him, "Go up." So David said, "Where shall I go up?" And He said, "To Hebron."¹ After this, Dauid asked counsel of the Lord, saying, Shall I go vp into any of the cities of Iudah? And the Lord sayd vnto him, Goe vp. And Dauid sayd Whither shall I goe? Hee then answered, Vnto Hebron.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

inquired: 2 Samuel 5:19, 2 Samuel 5:23, Numbers 27:21, Judges 1:1, 1 Samuel 23:2, 1 Samuel 23:4, 1 Samuel 23:9-12, 1 Samuel 30:7, 1 Samuel 30:8, Psalms 25:4, Psalms 25:5, Psalms 27:4, Psalms 143:8, Proverbs 3:5, Proverbs 3:6, Ezekiel 36:37

Hebron: 2 Samuel 2:11, 2 Samuel 5:1-3, 2 Samuel 15:7, Genesis 32:2, Numbers 13:22, Joshua 14:14, Joshua 14:15, 1 Samuel 30:31, 1 Kings 2:11, 1 Chronicles 29:7

Reciprocal: Genesis 35:27 - Mamre Joshua 9:14 - asked not Joshua 21:11 - is Hebron 2 Samuel 15:10 - Hebron 1 Chronicles 11:1 - Hebron 1 Chronicles 14:10 - inquired 2 Chronicles 18:4 - Inquire

Cross-References

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the eretz.

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth—

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the sky and the earth.

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God (Elohim) created [by forming from nothing] the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heauen and the earth.

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And it came to pass after this,.... After David had heard of the death of Saul and Jonathan, and made a lamentation over them, perhaps the next day; since David and his men are only said to mourn, and weep, and fast till even, 2 Samuel 1:10;

that David inquired of the Lord; of the Word of the Lord, as the Targum, by Abiathar the priest, and through the Urim and Thummim, in the ephod he had put on on this occasion:

saying, shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? though the Lord had promised him the kingdom, and he had been anointed by Samuel by his appointment, yet he was not hasty to take it into his hands, but was desirous of acting according to the will of God, and by his direction, and wait his time when and where he should go and take possession of it; he mentions Judah because it was his own tribe, and where he had the most friends:

and the Lord said unto him, go up; from Ziklag into the tribe of Judah, but did not mention any particular place whither he should go; hence another question was put:

and David said, whither shall I go up? To what town or city in the tribe of Judah? whether Jerusalem or any other?

And he said, unto Hebron; a city of the priests, a city of refuge, Joshua 21:13, twenty miles from Jerusalem, or more, which is not directed to, because it was then chiefly in the hands of the Jebusites, and because, as Procopius Gazaeus says, Hebron was now the metropolis of Judah.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Enquired of the Lord - Through Abiathar, the high priest. The death of Saul and Jonathan had entirely changed David’s position, and therefore he needed divine guidance how to act under the new circumstances in which he was placed. Compare the marginal references.

Hebron was well suited for the temporary capital of David’s kingdom, being situated in a strong position in the mountains of Judah, amidst David’s friends, and withal having especially sacred associations (see the marginal references note). It appears to have also been the center of a district 2 Samuel 2:3.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER II

David, by the direction of God, goes up to Hebron, and is

there anointed king over the house of Judah, 1-4.

He congratulates the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead on their

kindness in rescuing the bodies of Saul and his sons from

the Philistines, 5-7.

Abner anoints Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, king over Gilead, the

Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel; over

whom he reigned two years, 8-10.

David reigns over Judah, in Hebron, seven years and six months,

11.

Account of a battle between Abner, captain of the Israelites,

and Joab, captain of the men of Judah; in which the former

are routed with the loss of three hundred and sixty men: but

Asahel, the brother of Joab, is killed by Abner, 12-32.

NOTES ON CHAP. II

Verse 2 Samuel 2:1. David inquired of the Lord — By means of Abiathar the priest; for he did not know whether the different tribes were willing to receive him, though he was fully persuaded that God had appointed him king over Israel.

Unto Hebron. — The metropolis of the tribe of Judah, one of the richest regions in Judea. The mountains of Hebron were famed for fruits, herbage, and honey; and many parts were well adapted for vines, olives, and different kinds of grain, abounding in springs of excellent water, as the most accurate travellers have asserted.