II Samuel 5:8 · Bible study
2 Samuel 5:8 Commentary: The Water Tunnel and the Taunt of the Lame and Blind
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
David captures Jerusalem through a water tunnel. The meaning of the 'lame and blind' taunt and how it became a proverb. Exegesis and history.
Research Summary
- Meaning: David captured Jerusalem through a water tunnel, turning the Jebusite taunt back on them; the “blind and lame” were mockers or the garrison, not a condemnation of disabled persons.
- Key words: Tsinnor (H6794, water conduit only here and Ps 42:7); nakah (H5221, strike); pis'sach (H6455, lame); ivver (H5787, blind); sane (H8130, hate).
- Main debate: Whether “blind and lame” were literal disabled defenders placed to mock, or a metaphorical taunt for the entire garrison; and whether the proverb excluded disabled people from the temple or was simply a saying against unwelcome persons.
- Theological theme: God uses unconventional means and hidden paths to establish His king; human pride is turned to humility.
- Best use: A narrative of God-given victory through unexpected strategy; a caution against taking taunts too literally; a call to find God’s hidden ways when obstacles seem insurmountable.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
On 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.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
David 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.”
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And 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.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And 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.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And 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.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
For David had offered that day a reward to whosoever should strike the Jebusites and get up to the gutters of the tops of the houses, and take away the blind and the lame that hated the soul of David: therefore it is said in the proverb: The blind and the lame shall not come into the temple.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
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.
E disse Davi aquele dia: Quem chegará até os canais, e ferirá ao jebuseu, e aos coxos e cegos, aos quais a alma de Davi aborrece? Por isto se disse: Cego nem coxo não entrará em casa.
David avait dit en ce jour: Quiconque battra les Jébusiens et atteindra le canal, quiconque frappera ces boiteux et ces aveugles qui sont les ennemis de David… C’ est pourquoi l’ on dit: L’ aveugle et le boiteux n’ entreront point dans la maison.
Da sprach David desselben Tages: Wer die Jebusiter schlägt und erlangt die Dachrinnen, die Lahmen und die Blinden, denen die Seele Davids feind ist...! Daher spricht man: Laß keinen Blinden und Lahmen ins Haus kommen.
Want David zeide ten zelven dage: Al wie de Jebusieten slaat, en geraakt aan die watergoot, en die kreupelen, en die blinden, die van Davids ziel gehaat zijn, die zal tot een hoofd en tot een overste zijn; daarom zegt men: Een blinde en kreupele zal in het huis niet komen.
E Davide disse in quel giorno: “Chiunque batterà i Gebusei giungendo fino al canale, e respingerà gli zoppi ed i ciechi che sono odiati da Davide…” Donde il detto: “Il cieco e lo zoppo non entreranno nella Casa”.
Bo rzekł był Dawid onego dnia: Ktobykolwiek zabił Jebuzejczyka, a wszedłby na rynny, a pobił te ślepe i chrome, które ma w nienawiści dusza Dawidowa, postanowię go hetmanem. Dla tegoż mawiano: Ślepy i chromy nie wnijdzie do tego domu.
И сказал Давид в тот день: всякий, убивая Иевусеев, пусть поражает копьем и хромых и слепых, ненавидящих душу Давида. Посему и говорится: слепой и хромой не войдет в дом [Господень].
當 日，大衛 說：「誰 攻打 耶布斯人，當上 水溝 攻打我 心裡 所恨惡的 瘸子、 瞎子。」從 此 有俗語說：「在那裡有瞎子、瘸子，他不能 進 屋去。」
And 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.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Samuel 5:8
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that David turned the Jebusites' taunt back on them. The Jebusites had boasted that even the blind and lame could keep David out (v. 6). So David, after capturing the stronghold through a water channel (tsinnor), declared that his men should strike not only the Jebusites but also those blind and lame who had been placed on the walls to mock him. Barnes and Matthew Henry treat the phrase as a war cry, David calling the enemy garrison itself blind and lame in derision. The resulting proverb, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house,” arose from this event, though its exact sense is debated: it may have been a saying to exclude obnoxious persons (Barnes) or a rule David established to bar the disabled from the palace (Wesley). The key point shared across traditions is that the language is taunting and situational, not a general condemnation of people with disabilities.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: High
Main views:
- Literal disabled defenders: Jebusites placed actual disabled people on the walls to mock David (Barnes, Matthew Henry). The Hebrew construct 'blind and lame' is taken literally as people with those conditions.
- Derisive epithet for the garrison: David calls the entire Jebusite garrison 'blind and lame' as a retort (Cambridge, Keil & Delitzsch). The words are used mockingly, not describing actual disability.
- Taunt origin for a proverbial exclusion: The proverb arose from David’s order that no blind or lame Jebusite be allowed into his palace—a specific war measure, not a permanent law (Wesley, Barnes). The saying later passed into common use for anyone unwelcome.
- Temple exclusion interpretation: The Septuagint and Vulgate read 'into the house of the Lord' or 'temple,' leading some to see a rule against disabled persons in worship. Most modern commentators reject this as a mistranslation; Leviticus 21:18 only forbade priests with certain conditions from serving, not all disabled people from entering.
What is clear: David captured the Jebusite stronghold of Zion by an unexpected water shaft, and the event generated a proverb about the blind and lame not entering the house, regardless of the exact identity of those terms.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the 'blind and lame' | They are the Jebusite defenders or their mockers, not a general category of disabled people being condemned. | Some see them as actual disabled individuals placed on the walls to taunt David; others see the phrase as a derisive name for the whole garrison, using 'blind and lame' metaphorically. |
| Meaning of the proverb | The saying came from this event and was used proverbially in Israel. | Is it a literal exclusion of blind and lame persons from the palace/temple (Wesley, Douay) or a general saying about unwanted people (Barnes)? The Septuagint and Vulgate read 'into the house of the Lord,' while the Hebrew says simply 'the house.' |
| Nature of the water shaft (tsinnor) | It was a conduit or channel that gave access to the citadel; Joab used it to gain entry. | Whether it was a surface watercourse, a subterranean tunnel (Gill, Keil), or a gutter on the roof (KJV 'gutter') is debated. Josephus describes 'subterranean cavities.' |
| Textual reconstruction of the verse | The Hebrew is difficult and the apodosis ('he shall be chief') is missing; it is supplied from 1 Chronicles 11:6. | The Cambridge Bible calls the passage 'obscure and probably corrupt'; others accept the traditional reading. Various reconstructions exist regarding the syntax of the first clause. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jerusalem (then Jebus) sat on a mountain ridge surrounded by deep valleys on three sides, a natural fortress. The Jebusites had held it since before the conquest of Canaan. Though Judah and Benjamin had taken the lower city (Judges 1:8, 21), the citadel on Mount Zion remained in Canaanite hands for centuries. By David's time, it appeared impregnable. The Jebusites were so confident they taunted David's army, saying even the blind and lame could defend it (v. 6). This was a typical ancient taunt, meant to humiliate the attacking force.
David needed a capital that unified all the tribes. Hebron had served for Judah, but Jerusalem, on the border of Judah and Benjamin, was ideal. His first act as king over all Israel was to take this stronghold. The key to the conquest was a tsinnor, the Hebrew word appears only here and in Psalm 42:7, where it means a water conduit or waterfall. Most scholars (Gill, Keil & Delitzsch, Barnes) believe it refers to a subterranean water channel dug through the rock to bring water into the city. By climbing up through this narrow shaft, Joab surprised the garrison from inside. Josephus confirms this tactic: David promised command of the army to the first man up the water shaft, Joab son of Zeruiah (1 Chronicles 11:6).
The Jebusites' misplaced pride and the bravery of David's men turned an insult into a proverb that would echo for generations.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note significant difficulty with the Hebrew text of this verse. The apodosis (“he shall be chief and captain”) is not present in the Masoretic text; it is supplied from 1 Chronicles 11:6 in many English versions (KJV, ASV). The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges calls the passage “obscure and probably corrupt.” The Septuagint and Vulgate differ: the LXX reads “let him slay with the sword both the lame and the blind,” while the Vulgate offers a paraphrase involving the waterpipes of the houses. No significant textual variant is cited that would change the overall narrative, but the precise wording remains uncertain.
Reception History
This verse has been read with caution throughout church history, often misunderstood as a divine endorsement of excluding disabled persons from worship. The Septuagint and Vulgate already shifted the meaning by reading “house of the Lord” or “temple,” influencing medieval interpretation. Later Reformation commentators like Matthew Henry and John Wesley emphasized the taunt context and the strategic nature of the water shaft. Modern evangelical scholarship (Barnes, Keil & Delitzsch) has clarified that the “blind and lame” language is a derisive war taunt, not a theological statement. The passage has also been used in discussions of God’s sovereignty over seemingly impossible obstacles, a theme in hymns and sermons about Jerusalem’s capture.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Mockery turned into motivation. The Jebusites mocked David's ability to take the city. Instead of backing down, David used their own words as fuel (v. 6, 8). God can turn the insults of the enemy into the catalyst for breakthrough.
- Hidden entry, surprising victory. The water tunnel was a forgotten or overlooked access point. Victory often comes through unexpected means, what seems weak or hidden becomes the path God uses (1 Chronicles 11:6; 1 Corinthians 1:27, 28).
- From taunt to testimony. A saying born in arrogance became a reminder of God's deliverance. The proverb “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house” likely began as a taunt but was transformed into a saying about who could enter the king's presence.
Five-point outline
- David's first move as king: unite the tribes by capturing a neutral capital (v. 5, 6).
- The Jebusite taunt exposed their pride and security in the city's defenses.
- David's response: promise a reward for the first man up the water shaft, Joab accepted the challenge.
- The capture accomplished, David gave the order to strike even the mockers, using their own words against them.
- The resulting proverb taught that God's anointed king would not be kept out by any obstacle.
Illustration hooks
- A hidden path through a familiar obstacle. A teacher who assumes a student cannot learn because of a disability, until someone finds a way to reach that student through a different approach, like a water tunnel no one thought to use.
- Turning a taunt into a victory shout. A team that gets mocked before a game uses the insult as extra motivation to win. The taunt becomes part of the victory story.
- An overlooked resource. A church with limited visible resources discovers that the one thing it has, a space, a skill, a willing volunteer, is exactly what God uses.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God hate people with disabilities? (No, the “blind and lame” here is a taunt, not a divine verdict.)
- Why does the Bible include such harsh language? (It records the raw speech of a war situation, not a statement of God's character.)
- How can I trust God when my obstacles seem impossible? (David faced a fortress no one had taken; God gave him an unconventional way.)
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows how God can use human pride and taunts to accomplish His purposes. The Jebusites thought their stronghold was secure; David found a hidden path. As you discuss, consider what obstacles in your life might have a hidden solution.
Discussion questions
- What do the Jebusites' words tell you about their view of David? About their view of themselves?
- Why do you think David chose Jerusalem as his capital? What factors made it valuable?
- The word tsinnor (water shaft) is rare. What does the method of attack suggest about God's ways of bringing victory?
- How did David “turn the taunt” when he called the Jebusite defenders blind and lame? Was he mocking disability, or using their own words against them?
- Look at 1 Chronicles 11:6. What role did Joab play in this victory? How do individual acts of courage contribute to God’s larger plan?
- The proverb “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house” has been interpreted in different ways. Why is it important to read this as a specific war saying rather than a rule about worship?
- In what ways might God be calling you to find the “water tunnel” in a situation that seems impossible?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Joshua 15:16 | Caleb said, “He who strikes Kiriath Sepher, and takes it, to him I will give Achsah my daughter as wife.” |
| Joshua 15:17 | Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife. |
| I Samuel 17:25 | The men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? He has surely come up to defy Israel. The king will give great riches to the man who kills him, and will give him his daughter, and will make his father’s house tax-free in Israel.” |
| I Chronicles 11:6 | David had said, “Whoever strikes the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain.” Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and was made chief. |
| I Chronicles 11:9 | David grew greater and greater, for Yahweh of Armies was with him. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes explains that the blind and the lame were either actual disabled people set on the wall in mockery, or a scornful name the Jebusites gave their garrison. In either case the phrase became a proverb for anyone hated or unwelcome.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The passage is almost certainly corrupt and the original meaning is lost. Two explanations survive: either David sarcastically repeats the Jebusites' taunt, commanding his men to hurl the "lame and blind" defenders down the cliff, or he directs them to scale the fortress through a water channel. Both readings face serious problems.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes explain that the saying about the blind and lame not entering the house came from David’s own declaration on that day. David promised to reward whoever struck the Jebusites, specifically targeting those he called lame and blind, whom he hated. So the people took this as a proverb excluding such persons from the house.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill focuses on the Hebrew word "Tzinnur," traditionally translated as "gutter." He argues it more likely means a subterranean passage or aqueduct, citing Josephus and Jewish traditions about secret tunnels into Jerusalem. This interpretation suggests Joab entered the city through a hidden underground route.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes three possible meanings for the phrase: a hidden underground passage, a water channel used to defend the gate from fire, or a reference to dashing enemies against a cliff. The commentators present these options without choosing one, leaving the exact sense uncertain.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch reads David's command as a sarcastic turn on the Jebusites' taunt: every defender, whom David labels "lame and blind," is to be hurled down the precipice (zinnor). The proverb "blind
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees the conquest of Zion as the moment the covenant God takes his royal seat on Mount Zion. This makes Zion the theocratic capital, the dwelling-place of the Lord among his people and the symbolic centre from which the Messiah will one day rule over all nations.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry highlights the Jebusites' mocking boast that their blind and lame could keep David out, showing their contempt for God's anointed king. He also traces Jerusalem's long history from Melchizedek through the tribal allotments, presenting David's capture as a long-overdue restoration of this central city under unified Israel.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley explains how the Jebusites' taunt about the blind and lame guarding Zion became a proverb. David later barred such persons from the fort, establishing this exclusion to memorialize his victory and the Jebusites' insolence.