meta: {"file": "/data/tomer/Sefaria-Export/txt/Tanakh/Commentary/Radak/Prophets/Radak on II Samuel/English/merged.txt"}
text: Radak on II Samuel
  רד"ק על שמואל ב
  merged
  
  This file contains merged sections from the following text versions:
  -Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology
  -
  -Sefaria Community Translation
  -
  
  Radak on II Samuel
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  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.
  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.
  
  
  
  
  
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  "And David danced before HaShem with all his might" - Danced with all his strength and concentration.  And its targum is "praised." 
  
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  And she despised him in her heart - When she saw him from the window, she despised him in her heart because she thought it was not honorable for the king to behave in the manner of the common people, even before the ark, and afterwards, when he went to his house, she said directly, "What was honored today..."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Migdol. Magdil is the ketiv ("written" tradition of the Masoretic Text), and the keri ("recited" tradition of the Masoretic Text) is with a vav, like in Psalms [18:51] in the keri! So too, the keri is migdol with a cholam [i.e., a vowel creating an 'o' sound like in the name "Jo"], and it is a descriptor, and the idea is [all] one.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  And the angel stretched out his hand - The Holy One projected the image of an angel with a drawn sword in his hand stretched over Jerusalem. He placed it next to the threshing floor of Aravnah the Jebusite in order that David would see it there and pray, and that Gd would be entreated of him there in that place. Then when the plague stopped it would be a sign to David that this is the place of entreaty and there will be the Holy Temple, the house of prayer and service - just as Gd commanded him through the prophet Gad to build there an altar. His prayer was answered through fire which came down from the heavens to consume his offering as it says in Divre HaYamim.
  
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  Aravnah the king – He was the king of the Jebusites who dwelled in Jerusalem. Even in the days of David the Jebusites remained in Jerusalem, just as they had remained there after the conquest by Yehudah, as it is written “…but the Jebusites dwelt with the children of Judah in Jerusalem to this day.” (Yehoshua 15:63) They lived as a subject people, paying a tax of servitude to Yehudah and Benyamin in order to keep their homes, vineyards and fields. This field and threshing floor belonged to Aravnah the Jebusite and he wanted to give them to David, but he did not want to accept them except as a full purchase. Even after David conquered the stronghold, he allowed the Jebusites who had been there originally under tax and servitude to stay in the city of Jerusalem until Shlomo built the Holy Temple. These Jebusites were not one of the seven nations, but rather Phillistines descended from Avimelech as I explained in the book of Yehoshua. Therefore it was permissible to leave them settled in the land on the condition that they not cause others to sin, as it says “They shall not dwell in your land, lest they cause you to sin against Me…” (Shemot 23:33) So long as they are not sinning, meaning that they have accepted upon themselves the seven Noachide laws, it is permissible to leave them in the land. In some versions the Targum translated ‘All this Aravnah the king gave to the king’ as ‘Aravnah gave to the king that which the king asked of him.’