Useful Bible Studies > 2 Samuel Commentary > chapter 5
Jerusalem was a good place for David’s government, and so it became his capital city. David also considered it a good and pleasant place to bring up his own family. He brought them there from Hebron, which was previously their home (3:1-5).
David needed a palace for his large family, and to carry out his official duties. He imported cedar wood from the great trees in Lebanon, north of Israel. Tyre, on the coast of Lebanon, had become an important trading city. Its king would later help Solomon to build his palaces and the temple (the house of God) in Jerusalem (1 Kings chapter 5). Solomon’s palace would be much larger than David’s palace; Solomon had many more wives (1 Kings 11:3). However, David still needed the king of Tyre’s help to build his palace. David considered it to be a very splendid palace (7:1-2).
David’s palace was in the strongest part of Jerusalem, which his army had taken from the people called Jebusites (5:6-8). David called that area ‘the city of David’. Another name for Jerusalem is Zion (5:7); probably that name refers particularly to one of the hills on which Jerusalem stands (Psalm 125:1-2). The original name of the city was simply Salem, which means peace (Genesis 14:18; Hebrews 7:2). So Jerusalem is the city of peace; and God’s people should pray for its success, and especially for its people to know peace (a right relationship) with God (Psalm 122:6-9).
Next part: David's wives and family (2 Samuel 5:13-16)
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