2 Samuel 5:8 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Whosoever, &c.— Dr. Kennicott observes, that the Hebrew word צנור zinnor, gutter, occurs but once more in the Bible, and does not seem commonly understood in this place. The English version calls it a gutter; the Vulgate, pipes; Vatablus, channels; Junius and Tremellius, a common sewer; Poole, a pipe for water; and Bochart, a bed or channel of a river. But most interpreters agree in making the words signify something hollow, and in applying it to water; which might well be applied to a subterraneous passage, or great hollow, through which men could pass and repass for water. That this zinnor, in the text, was such an under-ground passage, might be strongly presumed from the text itself; but it is proved to have been so by Josephus. For, speaking of this very transaction, he says, "The citadel being as yet in possession of the enemy, the king promised that he would make any one general of all his forces who should ascend into the citadel through the subterraneous cavities." Here, then, we have the subterraneous cavities most remarkably answering to zenur, and putting this interpretation upon a very solid footing. I shall only add upon this point, that the true sense of the obscure word צנור zinnor in this place, remarkably occurs in the commentary of Hugo de Vienna; where it is explained by "subterraneous passages through which there was a communication to the town." That the preposition ב beth, prefixed in the Hebrew to zinnor, sometimes signifies through, is evident from Noldius; and that it signifies so in this place, is certain from the nature of the context, and the testimony of Josephus. See Antiq. lib. 7: cap. 3. Thus far Dr. Kennicott; upon which Dr. Chandler has the following remarks: "I am perfectly of his mind, that the blind and the lame were really such. But when David attacked the fort, he gave orders, that, 'whoever should smite the Jebusites, וינע veiiggng, let him smite also בצנור bezinnor, εν παραξι φιδι with the sword, as the LXX render it, both the lame and the blind.' And I think some instrument or weapon seems plainly to be intended by the very construction. And it may be observed, that and this word in the Arabic dialect signifies the handle of a shield, or a shield itself; and accordingly the Arabic and Syriac render the word in this very place by a shield; and this gives a good sense: 'Let him also strike with a shield both the blind and the lame.' We may observe also, that the word is rendered by the Chaldee, a strong hold; by Kimchi, the fortress, or strong place; and if we understand the word in this sense, the version will be, 'Whoever smites the Jebusites, let him also strike at, or in, the fortress, the lame and the blind.' If we understand by בצנור bezinnor, a canal, an aqueduct, water-pipe, or channel, we may then render the words, 'Whoever smites the Jebusites, let him also strike into the channel or brook, the blind and the lame.' That the future tense in the Hebrew is used for the imperative mood, is too well known to need any proof. Dr. Kennicott's conjecture, who renders the word by subterraneous passage, is certainly very ingenious, but I want authority for it." See Rev. p. 176. These lame and blind are said to be hated of David's soul. But certainly, as Houbigant well observes, they should rather be rendered, conformably to the Hebrew, as well as the LXX, who hate David's soul. The words, he shall be chief and captain, are not in the Hebrew. David's proposal to the army is begun, and a circumstance or two mentioned; but the reward proposed, and the person rewarded, are totally omitted. The words in the coinciding chapter of Chronicles, regularly fill up this omission; and we may add, that St. Jerome expressly asserts, that they are to be understood. Houbigant, however, does not see any such necessity. He translates the verse thus: But on the same day David gave this command, Whoever is about to kill a Jebusite, let him rush with a dagger upon the lame and the blind, who hate the soul of David: therefore came this proverb, the blind and the lame shall not enter the house. He renders the word zenur, a dagger, with the LXX, and herein agrees with Dr. Chandler; and he thinks that David calls the Jebusites the lame and the blind in contempt. Pfeiffer, in his Dubia Vexata, gives us the following interpretation of the text, 2 Samuel 5:6. "And the king and his men went to Jerusalem; (undertook an expedition against the Jebusites, who possessed that land) but they said to David, Thou shalt not come in hither unless thou shalt first remove these lame and these blind (pointed at, as it were, with the finger, by way of reproach; as much as to say, it is impossible for David to come in hither; for, as he cannot remove the blind and the lame from their station, we may be secure for the rest). 2 Samuel 5:7. But David took the fortress of Zion, which otherwise is called the city of David. 2 Samuel 5:8. And David said on that day, (having heard the taunt of the Jebusites,) Whoever shall smite the Jebusites, and shall reach to the canals of the city, and at the same time shall smite those lame and blind, (placed there by way of reproach,) hateful to David, because of that reproach; he shall be chief: (as it is supplied, 1 Chronicles 11:6.) Therefore they say (proverbially) the blind and the lame must not enter this house, the proverb being taken from those blind and lame who were besieged and were afterwards killed, never to return to their home." Dr. Delaney is of opinion, that the 115th Psalm was written by David as a triumphal song of thanksgiving for this victory.