2 Samuel 5:8

Verse

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.”

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

Douay-Rheims 1899

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.

Free Bible Version

At that time he said, “If we are to successfully conquer the Jebusites we'll have to go up the water shaft to attack these ‘lame and blind’ —these people who hate David. This is why it's said, ‘The blind and the lame will never enter the house.’”

Geneva Bible 1599

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.

King James (Authorized) 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.

Translation for Translators

On that day, David said to his soldiers, “Those who want to get rid of the Jebus people-group should go through the water tunnel to enter the city. Then they can attack those people whom I [SYN] detest—and we will find out if any blind and crippled people will be able to stop them!” That is why people say, “Blind and crippled people cannot enter Yahweh’s temple.”

Unlocked Literal Bible

At that time David said, “Those who attack the Jebusites will have to go through the water shaft to reach the 'lame and the blind' who are David's enemies.” That is why people say, “The 'blind and the lame' must not enter the palace.”

Noah Webster Bible

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 go up to the watercourse and strike those lame and blind, who are hated by David’s soul.” Therefore they say, “The blind and the lame can’t come into the house.”

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.'

Context

David Conquers Jerusalem

⁷Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion (that is, the City of David). ⁸On 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.”

Summary

This verse describes David's strategy to conquer the Jebusite stronghold of Jerusalem by offering a reward to anyone who defeats the Jebusites. It showcases David's military prowess and determination to secure Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The successful capture of the city led to its establishment as the political and religious center of the nation. This event marked a significant milestone in David's reign as king, solidifying his power and influence over the land.

Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill
Tyndale

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Whosoever getteth up to the gutter--This is thought by some to mean a subterranean passage; by others a spout through which water was poured upon the fire which the besiegers often applied to the woodwork at the gateways, and by the projections of which a skilful climber might make his ascent good; a third class render the words, "whosoever dasheth them against the precipice" (Ch1 11:6).

John Gill Bible Commentary

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 Psa 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 , "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 Ecc 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; See Gill on Jer 39:4; 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 Ch1 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.)