The story of David becoming king — after years of waiting, running, and hiding, the shepherd who was anointed as a boy finally sits on the throne over all Israel.
This account is found in 2 Samuel 5, after the death of Saul.
The Story of David Becomes King
After Saul died, all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron. They told him plainly that they were his own bone and flesh, and that even in Saul’s day it was David who had led Israel out and brought them home.
The elders reminded David of the LORD’s promise: that he would feed God’s people Israel and be a captain over them. So the elders made a covenant with David at Hebron before the LORD, and there they anointed him king over all Israel.
David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in all. He ruled over Judah from Hebron for seven and a half years, then over all Israel and Judah from Jerusalem for another thirty-three years.
David and his men marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites who held the land. They mocked him, saying even the blind and lame could keep him out, but David captured the stronghold of Zion. He lived in the fort and called it the City of David.
David grew greater and greater, because the LORD God of hosts was with him. When the Philistines came against him, he asked the LORD before each battle, and God gave him the victory and established his kingdom.
Key Verses
“They anointed David king over Israel” 2 Samuel 5:3
“David was thirty years old when he began to reign … he reigned forty years” 2 Samuel 5:4
“David took the strong hold of Zion” 2 Samuel 5:7
“David went on, and grew great, and the LORD God of hosts” 2 Samuel 5:10
Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), a public-domain translation.
What the Story of David Becomes King Teaches Us
The story shows a promise finally kept. Years earlier God had chosen David, and now, in God’s own time, the whole nation recognized what the LORD had already decided.
It also shows where David’s strength came from. He grew great not because of his own skill alone, but because the LORD God of hosts was with him, and he sought God before he acted.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What happens in this story?
In 2 Samuel 5, all the tribes of Israel come to David at Hebron and anoint him king. He then captures Jerusalem from the Jebusites and makes it the City of David.
How old was David when he became king?
David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in all.
What city did David capture?
David took the stronghold of Zion from the Jebusites and named it the City of David. It became Jerusalem, his capital.
Why did David succeed as king?
The Bible says David grew greater and greater because the LORD God of hosts was with him.
Where is this story in the Bible?
It is found in 2 Samuel 5.