II Samuel 5:9 · Bible study
2 Samuel 5:9 Commentary: David's Fortification
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the meaning of Millo in II Samuel 5:9 and how David's building from Millo inward established Jerusalem as his fortified capital.
Research Summary
- Meaning: David fortifies Jerusalem as his capital, building from the northern defense (Millo) inward.
- Key words: Millo (rampart/fortress), built (banah), inward (bayitah).
- Main debate: The exact nature of Millo, whether a separate fortress (Barnes, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown), a terraced rampart, or a filled ditch (Gill).
- Theological theme: God establishes David's kingdom by giving him a secure capital, and David responds with faithful building.
- Best use: Historical narrative that shows David's strategic wisdom and God's faithfulness in establishing his reign.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
So David took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built it up all the way around, from the supporting terraces inward.
WEB World English Bible 2000
David lived in the stronghold, and called it David’s city. David built around from Millo and inward.
KJV King James Version 1769
So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And David dwelleth in the fortress, and calleth it--City of David, and David buildeth round about, from Millo and inward,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
So David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from the Millo and inward.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And David dwelt in the castle, and called it, The city of David: and built round about from Mello and inwards.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y David moró en la fortaleza, y púsole por nombre la Ciudad de David: y edificó alrededor, desde Millo para adentro.
E Davi morou na fortaleza e pôs-lhe por nome a Cidade de Davi: e edificou ao redor, desde Milo para dentro.
David s’ établit dans la forteresse, qu’ il appela cité de David. Il fit de tous côtés des constructions, en dehors et en dedans de Millo.
Also wohnte David auf der Burg und hieß sie Davids Stadt. Und David baute ringsumher von Millo an einwärts.
Alzo woonde David in den burg en noemde dien Davids stad. En David bouwde rondom van Millo af en binnenwaarts.
E Davide abitò nella fortezza e la chiamò “la città di Davide”; e vi fece attorno delle costruzioni cominciando da Millo, e nell’interno.
I mieszkał Dawid na onym zamku a przezwał go miastem Dawidowem, a pobudował je Dawid wszędy w koło od Mello, i wewnątrz.
И поселился Давид в крепости, и назвал ее городом Давидовым, и обстроил кругом от Милло и внутри.
大衛 住 在保障裡，給保障 起名叫 大衛 城。大衛 又從 米羅 以裡，周圍 築牆。
So David took the strong tower for his living-place, naming it the town of David. And David took in hand the building of the town all round, starting from the Millo.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Samuel 5:9
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Millo (Hebrew: הַמִּלּוֹא) was a key defensive structure on the northern side of Mount Zion, the only approach vulnerable to attack. Barnes calls it 'the northern defense of the city of David,' a part of the original Canaanite defenses. Cambridge describes it as 'the outermost defence of the city.' Gill suggests a ditch or hollow, while Jamieson-Fausset-Brown sees 'a row of stone bastions' on the northern side. The precise nature is uncertain, but all agree Millo was the anchor point for David's expansion. Building 'from Millo and inward' means David fortified the city southward from Millo, securing the captured stronghold as a capital. This strategic move established Jerusalem as the political and religious center of Israel.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Millo as a separate fortress: Barnes and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown identify Millo as a distinct fortress or bastion on the north side, part of original Canaanite defenses.
- Millo as a filled ditch or rampart: Gill and others connect the Hebrew root (to fill) with a filled hollow or terraced platform, possibly a defensive earthwork.
What is clear: David used Millo as the northern anchor to fortify Jerusalem, extending the city southward under its protection, establishing his capital.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of Millo | Millo was a key defensive structure on the northern side of Mount Zion, part of the city's fortifications. | Some see it as a separate fortress (Barnes, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown), others as a filled-in ditch or terraced rampart (Gill), and still others as a general rampart (Cambridge). |
| Direction of building: 'from Millo and inward' | David built southward from Millo, expanding the city under its protection. | Gill argues 'inward' should be rendered 'to the house' (of Millo), suggesting a circuit returning to Millo itself, while others see it as expanding the inhabited area within the walls. |
| Significance of naming 'city of David' | David renamed the captured stronghold to mark his claim and establish Jerusalem as his capital. | Some emphasize political unification (a neutral capital for Judah and Israel); others see a personal claim of authority and legacy. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jerusalem had been a Jebusite stronghold since before the conquest. Though Judah took the city in Judges 1:8, the Jebusites remained in control of the citadel of Zion. This rocky ridge, surrounded by deep valleys on three sides, was naturally defensible. The only vulnerable quarter was the north. David captured the stronghold in a daring assault (2 Samuel 5:6-8) and immediately set about making it his capital.
The term Millo appears only here and in later references to Solomon and Hezekiah’s building projects (1 Kings 9:15, 24; 2 Chronicles 32:5). The Hebrew root suggests something filled in, a terraced rampart or raised platform. Barnes notes Millo was probably the northern defenses of the original Canaanite Zion. By building 'from Millo and inward,' David expanded the city south of this bulwark, protected on the north by Millo and on other sides by cliffs.
This was a political masterstroke. Jerusalem lay on the border of Judah and Benjamin, neutral tribal ground. Naming it 'the city of David' claimed it as his own, unifying the nation around a single capital. The Chronicler adds that Joab repaired the rest of the city (1 Chronicles 11:8), showing this was a comprehensive fortification project.
Textual Notes
The consulted commentaries note no significant textual variants for this verse. The parallel account in 1 Chronicles 11:8 adds that 'Joab repaired the rest of the city,' but the Masoretic text of 2 Samuel 5:9 is stable across major manuscripts and versions.
Reception History
Early Christian interpreters saw Jerusalem as a type of the Church, with David’s fortification prefiguring Christ building His people on a secure foundation. Medieval allegorists read Millo as a symbol of faith or good works protecting the soul. Reformation-era commentators like Matthew Henry and John Wesley focused on the historical narrative: David’s political wisdom in choosing a neutral capital and his dependence on God’s presence for success. In modern scholarship, Millo has been studied archaeologically and compared with similar structures at Shechem (Judges 9:6), confirming its role as a key defensive feature. Across traditions, this verse has been valued as a model of godly leadership: secure the vulnerable point, build with purpose, and acknowledge God as the source of growth.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- David took possession. He captured the Jebusite stronghold and made it his own dwelling place.
- David claimed and named. He renamed the stronghold "the city of David," stamping his identity on it.
- David built and secured. He fortified from Millo inward, creating a secure base for his reign.
Five-point outline
- Conquest. David's victory over the Jebusites (vv.6-8).
- Residence. He lived in the stronghold, showing personal commitment to Jerusalem.
- Renaming. Calling it David's city signified a new era for Israel's capital.
- Fortification. Building from Millo inward, starting with the weakest point and extending protection.
- Blessing. Verses 10-12 show God's favor: David grew great because Yahweh was with him.
Illustration hooks
- Buying an old house and fixing it up: you start with the weakest spot (the roof, the foundation) and build outward to make it safe. David began at Millo, the vulnerable north side.
- A company opening a new office: the first thing is security, locks, alarms, a safe base. David secured his capital before expanding.
- Planting a garden: you first fence the most exposed side, then plant inward. Millo was that protective fence.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why did David choose Jerusalem instead of Hebron?
- What exactly was Millo, and does it matter today?
- How does a small detail like building "from Millo inward" show God's hand in establishing David's kingdom?
Leading a Discussion
David's capture of Jerusalem and his fortification from Millo inward mark a turning point. The stronghold on Zion becomes the City of David, the future site of the temple and the heart of Israel's worship. This passage shows how God gives his people a secure foundation, often by starting with what is vulnerable and building from there.
Discussion questions
- What does the text tell us about David's actions after capturing the stronghold? List each action (v.9).
- Why do you think David called the city by his own name? What message did that send to Israel and to the Jebusites?
- What do we learn from the commentaries about the location and function of Millo? How did it shape David's building plan?
- How does building "from Millo and inward" show wisdom in leadership? What principles might it teach about approaching challenges?
- Verse 10 says "David grew greater and greater, for Yahweh was with him." How does this connect to the building project described in v.9?
- In what ways do we need to identify our own "Millo", the vulnerable point that needs fortifying first?
- How does this story encourage us to trust God’s provision of a secure foundation for our lives?
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)
| Judges 9:6 | All the men of Shechem assembled themselves together with all the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king by the oak of the pillar that was in Shechem. |
| Judges 9:20 | but if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the men of Shechem and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem and from the house of Millo and devour Abimelech.” |
| II Samuel 5:7 | Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion. This is David’s city. |
| I Kings 9:15 | This is the reason of the forced labor which King Solomon conscripted: to build Yahweh’s house, his own house, Millo, Jerusalem’s wall, Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. |
| I Kings 9:24 | But Pharaoh’s daughter came up out of David’s city to her house which Solomon had built for her. Then he built Millo. |
| I Kings 11:27 | This was the reason why he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breach of his father David’s city. |
| I Chronicles 11:8 | He built the city all around, from Millo even around; and Joab repaired the rest of the city. |
| II Chronicles 32:5 | He took courage, built up all the wall that was broken down, and raised it up to the towers, with the other wall outside, and strengthened Millo in David’s city, and made weapons and shields in abundance. |
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
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What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes clarifies that David's building around the fort was not immediate but took years, and that Millo was a northern Canaanite defense work protecting the city of David from that side. He interprets "built round about" as constructing houses and streets south of Millo, sheltered north by the fortress and on other sides by steep ravines.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that "the fort" here is the same word for "stronghold" or "castle" used elsewhere. "Millo" refers to the city's outermost defense, and "inward" means under its protection; the Chronicler adds that Joab repaired the rest of the city.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Note observes that David took possession of the captured stronghold and renamed it the city of David. The comment draws attention to the building work starting from Millo, likely a defensive terrace or rampart, and extending inward, indicating a deliberate and orderly fortification.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill identifies Millo as the fortress or citadel, not just a ditch or hollow. He argues that David built the city wall from Millo and back again, making it the starting and ending point of the construction, effectively uniting the fort with the lower city.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB interprets David's construction from Millo inward as a defensive line of stone bastions on the north side of Mount Zion. This fortification was meant to secure the area against Jebusites still living in the lower city. The house of Millo was likely the main corner tower of that wall.
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 David's capture of Zion as
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 identifies Millo as a civic building, likely a town hall or state house, situated close to the wall of the city of Zion. His point focuses on giving this location a clear administrative and political function rather than leaving it as an obscure or purely military structure.