1 It happened after this that David ainquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up to any of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” David said, “Where shall I go up?” And He said, “To bHebron.”
2 So David went up there, and his atwo wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite.
3 And David brought up athe men who were with him, every man with his household. So they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.
4aThen the men of Judah came, and there they banointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, c“The men of Jabesh Gilead weretheones who buried Saul.”
5 So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and said to them, a“You are blessed of the Lord, for you have shown this kindness to your lord, to Saul, and have buried him.
6 And now may athe Lord show kindness and truth to you. I also will repay you this kindness, because you have done this thing.
7 Now therefore, let your hands be strengthened, and be valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”
Ishbosheth Made King of Israel
8 But aAbner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took1 Ishbosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to bMahanaim;
9 and he made him king over aGilead, over the bAshurites, over cJezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
10 Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. Only the house of Judah followed David.
11 And athe time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
Israel and Judah at War
12 Now Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to aGibeon.
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 II Samuel 2:3.
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