David Becomes King of All Israel

Before David became king over all Israel, supporters were already gathering around him. Some came to David at Ziklag while he was still hiding from Saul. Others joined him at the stronghold in the wilderness. Men from Benjamin, Judah, Gad, and Manasseh are named among those who came, and they helped David in war.

When some men from Benjamin and Judah came to David’s stronghold, David asked whether they had come in peace or to hand him over to his enemies. Then the Spirit came on Amasai, who declared that they belonged with David and were on his side. David received them and made them captains of the band.

Later, armed men from many tribes came to Hebron to turn Saul’s kingdom over to David, according to the word of the Lord. Chronicles lists numbers from Judah, Simeon, Levi, Benjamin, Ephraim, the half-tribe of Manasseh, Issachar, Zebulun, Naphtali, Dan, Asher, and the tribes across the Jordan. They came with whole hearts, and the rest of Israel also wanted David as king.

Then all Israel came to David at Hebron. They said, in effect, that they were his own flesh and blood. They remembered that even while Saul was king, David had led Israel, and they said that the Lord had spoken of David as shepherd and ruler of his people. So the elders came to Hebron, David made a covenant with them before the Lord, and they anointed him king over Israel.

David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for forty years altogether. In Hebron he had reigned over Judah for seven years and six months, and after this he reigned for thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah. The gathered men stayed with David for three days, eating and drinking, and there was joy in Israel.