2 Samuel 5:8

And Dauid said on that day, Whosoeuer getteth vp to the gutter, and smiteth the Iebusites, and the lame, and the blind, that are hated of Dauids soule, he shall be chiefe and captaine: Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house. 2 Samuel 5:8 (KJV)

Prior to this verse David had been anointed king over Judah by Samuel (1 Samuel 16) and was later recognized by the tribe of Judah as king over all Israel (2 Samuel 2:4). After Saul’s death a period of conflict and divided loyalty among the tribes gave way to a united acknowledgment of David’s reign in 2 Samuel 5. David dwelt in the place over against the Millo, naming it the city of David, and from this stronghold he led his forces to capture the Jebusite city of Jerusalem. The Jebusites had trusted the city’s high walls and fortifications, believing them impregnable, yet David seized the stronghold of Zion, which thereafter became known as the City of David.

The verse records a specific challenge in the conquest: a gutter or water shaft that supplied the inhabitants. David uses figurative language when he says, “Whosoever getteth up to the gutter.” This means that whoever successfully ascends the water shaft, enters the city, and defeats the Jebusites—including the lame and blind inhabitants—would be appointed chief and captain. The phrase “that are hated of David’s soul” reflects David’s determination to remove the Jebusites, his enemies, rather than personal animosity toward physically disabled persons.

The concluding statement, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house,” can be understood symbolically. It indicates that the Jebusites, represented by the blind and the lame, would be excluded from the house of David and from the kingdom of Israel. Thus the passage emphasizes both the strategic triumph over Jerusalem’s defenses and the decisive removal of the hostile Jebusite presence, establishing David’s secure rule over the united nation.