Commentary for II Samuel 5:31

To the Yevusi. The fortress of Tzion was called Yevus. [Its inhabitants] were from the descendants of Avimelech. They had two idols, one [depicting] a blind person and one [depicting] a lame person. They were made to represent Yitzhok and Yakov.¹Yitzchak was blind at the end of his life (Bereshis, 27,1). Yakov was lamed during the course of his struggle with the angel (Bereishis 32,33). [Placed] in their mouths was the oath Avrohom swore to Avimelech,²Bereishis 21,23–24. This is why they were not displaced [from Tzion]. When Yerushalayim was conquored The tribe of Yehuda did not conquor the fortress [of Tzion], as the verse states, (Yehoshua, 15, 63). "However the Yevusim who lived in Yerushalyim, the descendants of Yehudah were unable to expel them. [About this verse] it is learned: Rebbe Yohoshua, the son of Levi said, They had the ability to [expel the Yevusim] but they were not permitted to.³Because of Avrohom’s oath to Avimelech. This point is made in the Sifri, Re’ey, Piska 72. However, there it’s brought in the name of Rebbe Yehoshua, the son of Korcho.

And the king and his men went to Jerusalem – In Divre HaYamim it says “And David and all of Israel went to Jerusalem…” (Divre HaYamim I 11:4) because now all of Israel were his men. Since he was now king over all of Israel he went to Jerusalem to conquer the citadel of Zion because they had a tradition that Zion was the head of kingship in Israel and only one who was king over all of Israel would conquer. Unto this day there had not been full kingship in Israel because Shaul’s kingship was not permanently established.

And he said to Dovid. Whoever said it,⁴The speaker is unidentified, but is obviously one of the Yevusim.

And the king and his men went to Jerusalem – Once the two kingships within Israel had been united, because until now the tribe of Yehudah was under David and the remaining tribes (led by Shaul’s tribe Benyamin) were under Ishboshet, and they became one kingdom under David it seemed right, and appeared to be the will of God, that the royal city should lie on a boundary that was connected to both kingly tribes. This was Jerusalem, which lay half in Yehudah and half in Benyamin as is written in the description of the borders of the land, and as the Sages taught “a strip protruded from the portion of Yehudah into the portion of Benyamin and on it the altar was built.” (Yoma 12a) We already explained (on Shoftim 1:8) that the children of Yehudah conquered their portion of Jerusalem while the children of Benyamin did not, and that is where the Jebusites dwelled: And the king and his men went – to drive out the Jebusites from the portion of Benyamin: who spoke to David, saying: 'you shall not come here – In order to understand the plain meaning of the verse, the words of the Ralbag are sweetest to me. He said that they placed statues in the form of the blind and the lame at the gates which were made in such a fashion that they swung extremely heavy iron rods. Thus no one was able to approach the gates because these statues would strike them down with their powerful motions (and it is possible that actual blind and lame people stood beneath them to help the rods move). The statues were close enough to the drainage channel that when it poured out water, its flow caused the statues and their rods to move just like a water mill – as we have seen such things with our own eyes. That is what he said. According to this, up against the gate of the city they erected a line of statues in the form of blind people and after this a line of statues in the form of lame people, and after this the drainage channel, while the citadel stood on the other side of the city. Between the city and the citadel stood the warriors, ready to fight on whichever side the enemy attempted to enter. At first David wanted to go in through the gate, and they said to him ‘you shall not come here unless you remove the blind and the lame’ meaning that it was impossible to enter unless he first removes the blind and then afterwards the lame who were driving the metal rods that prevented him from passing the gate. This is what it says ‘you shall not come here,’ that they are the one declaring that you shall not enter (that is, they will stop you.) (It is also possible that aside from this strategy, they considered these status to have godly powers as the ancient idolaters often did. They made their idols from wheels and hinges able to move and lift heavy things, and thus they deceived the foolish masses into believing that they were gods. This perspective combines with the opinion of our Sages that said the form of these idols hinted at the oath which Avraham or Yitzchak made to Avimelech.)

unless you remove the blind and the lame – Yonatan translates this phrase as ‘unless you remove the sinners and the wicked who say that David will not come here.’ We find in the rabbinic literature that the men of Yevus said to Avraham ‘make a covenant with us that your descendants will not inherit the city of Yevus, and we will sell you the Machpela cave. He did so, and the men of Yevus made bronze idols upon which they wrote the oath and then placed in the city square. When Israel came into the land they were unable to enter the city because of the oath, as it says “And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem…” (Shoftim 1:21) When David became king he wanted to enter there but they did not allow him to, as it says “…you shall not come here…” (Shmuel II 5:6) They said to him ‘you are not able until you remove these idols upon which the oath and covenant are written’ as it says “…unless you remove the blind and the lame…” (ibid.) which are the idols that have eyes but cannot see, ears but cannot hear, legs but cannot walk - those which David’s soul loathes and which he hates to hear of them and those that worship them, as it says “Therefore they say, ‘The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.’” (Shmuel II 5:8) David said to his men ‘who ever goes up first and removes the idols will be my chief officer. Yoav went up and became his chief officer, as it says “…and Yoav the son of Zeruiah ascended first and became a chief.” (Divre HaYamim I 11:6) Afterward David purchased the city of Yevus on behalf of all Israel with gold, with an eternal deed as an everlasting possession for six hundred gold pieces, as it says “And David gave to Ornan for the place shekels of gold weighing six hundred.” (Divre HaYamim I 21:25) They further said that these two idols were at the top of the tower called Tzinor (see Shmuel II 5:8). One was blind in reference to Yitzchak and the other lame in reference to Yaakov and in their mouth was the oath which Avraham swore to Avimelech, as it says “And now, swear to me here by God, that you will not lie to me or to my son or to my grandson…” (Bereshit 21:23) Therefor Israel did not conquer it when they conquered Jerusalem because the grandson of Avimelech was still alive. But in the days of David he had already died and the oath was nullified. The wise man R’ Avraham ibn Ezra explained the phrase “…unless you remove (hisircha)…” (Shmuel II 5:6) as hasir that it to say turn towards, meaning even if the blind and the lame turn to fight you then they will keep you out. That you will not come in here because the tower is so strong and we do not fear you in battle.

[The idols depicting] the blind and the lame These were their idols.

unless you remove – This was said as an exaggeration. Meaning that one cannot enter the citadel unless they remove every single person, even the blind and the lame, because if even one person is left they will be able to hold off invaders because of the size and strength of the place.

And David conquered – When he saw that it was not possible to conquer from the side of the city gate he went to the other side where the stronghold stood and conquered the stronghold of Zion. Therefore it was afterwards called the city of David, because he himself conquered it.

the stronghold of Zion – This is the name of a strong fortress next to Jebus.

“And David conquered the stronghold of Zion which is the city of David. And David said on that day; "Whoever smites the Jebusites and reaches the tzinor…” (Shmuel II 5:7-8) The tzinor is the drainage channel out which the water flows. With the elimination of the tzinor one would also destroy the blind and lame whom David hated because they prevented him from coming into the house. The one who does this will receive some reward which was not made explicit, therefore they said that there were ‘blind and lame’ there while in reality it was this (the tzinor) which prevented David from coming into the house. Perhaps its destruction, aside from removing the covenant which the forefathers made with the Yevusi, is the destruction of the building where these images were. With the destruction of this tzinor these idols would be destroyed. It is possible that one can say in explanation that there was possibly a place that one could not enter without passing before these idols. And these idols were made in such a way that they caused extremely heavy iron rods to swing powerfully across the entrance, therefore no one could pass lest they be struck by the rods. We have heard that such statues have been made in a few places, and such an idea is not so difficult to conceive for one who understands the motions of weights, winds, water and mercury – but this is not the place to explain how such things are possible. They made these idols in the form of the blind and lame because blind and lame people have sticks on which they lean. It appears to me that these idols were next to the drainage channel and they discharged the water out of their mouths. Some of the water would actually enter into them in order to move these sticks. This is why everyone had to beware not to enter there, and that when someone struck the drainage channel in order that water no longer flowed into these idols it would be far easier to destroy them.

Whoever kills the Yevusi and touches [and destroys] the towers spire Whoever kills the Yevusi and has the strength to conquor the fortress.

And [the idols of] the lame. And destroys [the idols of] the lame and the blind which were abhorrent to Dovid.

Upon which they are saying. Upon which they are saying, "The blind one and the lame one," i.e., while the blind one and the lame one are here.

[Dovid] will not come Dovid will not come here. This is a shortened verse [because] it stated, "Whoever kills the Yevusi and touches [and destroys] the tower's spire" but [the verse] does not explain what happens to the person [who reaches the spire]. However, in Divrei Hayomim I, 11, 6) it explains, "Whoever kills the Yevusi first will be made a chief and a prince." Similar to this [we find]. "Therefore, whoever kills Kayin" (Bereishis 4, 14) and [that verse] does not explain what happens to the person [who kills Kayin] but from its context, it's understood that the language conveys rebuke and anger.⁵To whoever kills Kayin.

And touches [and destroys] the tower's spire. [This word] denotes the spire of a tower because that's where their idols were placed. [During] the days of Dovid, the generations of the oath had already passed.⁶Avimelech asked Avrohom to swear “that you will not deal falsely with me, with my son or my grandson.” These three generations had already passed when Dovid attacked the Yevusim in the fortress of Tzion.

From it's low wall and inwards. A surrounding low wall; they would fill it up with earth, the summit of the mound would be in it's middle, and it would slant in all directions, that is called a מלוא, and Dovid built houses on [the wall]. That low wall surrounded the fortress.

Dovid understood. When he saw all his endeavors succeeding, and the idol worshipping kings sending him a present.

Fanned out. They dispersed.

Into the plain of Perotzim. The plain of Perotzim

Like water bursting over [walls]. Like water bursting over the walls edge.

And Dovid burnt them. Dovid and his men burnt them.

The valley of Rephaim. It is next to Yerusholoyim [as can be seen] in the book of Yehoshua (15, 8).

From opposite the trees. From opposite the trees.

The sound of stepping on the tops of the trees. These are angels stepping on the tops of the trees that I am sending to help you.

Then shout [war whoops]. Lift up [and bring forth] the sound of war and the fear of the sword Galfer in Old French, and similarly [we find] "A dog will not sharpen its tongue [growl].