Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and spoke, saying, “Indeed we are your bone and your flesh.
Parallel translations
- WEB Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and spoke, saying, “Behold, we are your bone and your flesh.
- KJV Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.
- BSB Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood.
- NASB Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and your flesh.
- NLT Then all the tribes of Israel went to David at Hebron and told him, “We are your own flesh and blood.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
All the tribes of Israel come to David at Hebron, acknowledging him as their kinsman. The nation finally moves to unite under him.
Overview
With Saul's house fallen, the tribes gather to David and confess, We are your bone and your flesh, affirming their shared kinship and rightful loyalty. This marks the long-awaited turning point when David is recognized by all Israel, not just Judah. The whole people coming to their shepherd-king prefigures the gathering of God's people to Christ, the true King from David's line.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- 1 Chr 11:1–3Then all Israel gathered themselves to David to Hebron, saying, “Behold, we are your bone and your flesh.
- Gen 29:14Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh.” He lived with him for a month.
- 2 Sam 19:13Say to Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my bone and my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if you aren’t captain of the army before me continually instead of Joab.’”
- Eph 5:30because we are members of his body, of his flesh and bones.
- 1 Chr 12:23–40These are the numbers of the heads of those who were armed for war, who came to David to Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to Yahweh’s word.
- Judg 9:2“Please speak in the ears of all the men of Shechem, ‘Is it better for you that all the sons of Jerubbaal, who are seventy persons, rule over you, or that one rule over you?’ Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.”
- Heb 2:14Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in the same way partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
- Deut 17:15you shall surely set him king over yourselves, whom Yahweh your God chooses. You shall set as king over you one from among your brothers. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother.
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Christ at the center
God's covenant with David — a son whose throne and kingdom would last forever (7:12–16) — finds its yes in Jesus, the Son of David who reigns without end.
How 2 Samuel 5:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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