2 Samuel 5 · Verse 8

2 Samuel 5:8

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.
2 Samuel 5:8, King James Version

2 Samuel 5:8 in other translations

BSBOn 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.”
WEBDavid 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.”
ASVAnd 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.
YLTAnd 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.'
DARBYAnd David said on that day, Whoever smites the Jebusites and gets up to the watercourse, and the lame and the blind hated of David's soul...! Therefore they say, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.
BBEAnd 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.
WebsterAnd 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.

What does 2 Samuel 5:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
8. 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" (1Ch 11:6).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Samuel 5:6-10

The enemies of God's people are often very confident of their own strength, and most secure when their day to fall draws nigh. But the pride and insolence of the Jebusites animated David, and the Lord God of hosts was with him. Thus in the day of God's power, Satan's strong-hold, the human heart, is changed into a habitation of God through the Spirit, and into a throne on which the Son of David rules, and brings…

Read the full comment on 2 Samuel 5:6-10 →

2 Samuel 5:8 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
דָּוִ֜דda.VidDavidH1732
בַּיּ֣וֹםbai.Yomon the dayH3117
הַה֗וּאha.Hu'<the> thatH1931
כָּל\־kol-anyH3605
מַכֵּ֤הma.Keh[one who] strikesH5221
יְבֻסִי֙ye.vu.Si<of> a JebusiteH2983
וְיִגַּ֣עve.yi.Ga'and let him approachH5060
בַּצִּנּ֔וֹרba.tzi.Norby the water tunnelH6794
וְאֶת\־ve.'Et<and> <obj.>H853
הַפִּסְחִים֙ha.pis.Chimthe lame [people]H6455
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
הַ֣עִוְרִ֔יםha.'iv.Rimthe blind [people]H5787
שְׂנֻאֵ֖יse.nov[who are] hatedH8130
נֶ֣פֶשׁNe.feshof [the] self ofH5315
דָּוִ֑דda.VidDavidH1732
עַל\־'al-there-H5921
כֵּן֙ken-foreH3651
יֹֽאמְר֔וּyo.me.Rupeople sayH559
עִוֵּ֣ר'i.Vera blind [person]H5787
וּפִסֵּ֔חַu.fi.Se.achand a lame [person]H6455
לֹ֥אlo'notH3808
יָב֖וֹאya.Vo'he will goH935
אֶל\־'el-intoH413
הַבָּֽיִת\׃ha.Ba.yitthe houseH1004

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Samuel 5:8

  • Joshua 15:16-17

    And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjath–sepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife. And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.

  • 1 Chronicles 11:6-9

    And David said, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain. So Joab the son of Zeruiah went first up, and was chief. And David dwelt in the castle; therefore they called it the city of David. And he built the city round about, even from Millo round about: and Joab repaired the rest of the city. So David waxed greater and greater: for the Lord of hosts was with him.

  • 1 Samuel 17:25

    And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Whosoever.
Jos 15:16,17; 1Sa 17:25
he shall be.
1Ch 11:6-9
Wherefore, etc. or, Because they had said, even the blindand the lame, he shall not come into the house.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Samuel 5:7

    Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion: the same is the city of David.

  • 2 Samuel 5:8

    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.

  • 2 Samuel 5:9

    So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward.

Read all of 2 Samuel 5

2 Samuel 5:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y dijo David aquel día: ¿Quién llegará hasta las canales, y herirá al Jebuseo, y á los cojos y ciegos, á los cuales el alma de David aborrece? Por esto se dijo: Ciego ni cojo no entrará en casa.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et David dit en ce jour-là: Quiconque frappera les Jébusiens et atteindra le canal, et les boiteux et les aveugles qui sont haïs de l’âme de David…! C’est pourquoi on dit: L’aveugle et le boiteux n’entreront pas dans la maison.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und David sprach an selbigem Tage: Wer die Jebusiter schlägt und an die Wasserleitung gelangt, und die Lahmen und die Blinden schlägt, welche der Seele Davids verhaßt sind! Daher spricht man: Ein Blinder und ein Lahmer darf nicht ins Haus kommen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Proposuerat enim David in die illa præmium, qui percussisset Jebusæum, et tetigisset domatum fistulas, et abstulisset cæcos et claudos odientes animam David. Idcirco dicitur in proverbio: Cæcus et claudus non intrabunt in templum.