2 Kings 5:1
Then all the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron, saying: Behold we are thy bone and thy flesh.
Open 2 Kings 5:1 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Et venerunt universæ tribus Israël ad David in Hebron, dicentes : Ecce nos os tuum et caro tua sumus.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- Καὶ παραγίνονται πᾶσαι αἱ φυλαὶ Ἰσραὴλ πρὸς Δαυεὶδ εἰς Χεβρὼν καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ Ἰδοὺ ὀστᾶ σου καὶ σάρκες σου ἡμεῖς.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וַיָּבֹ֜אוּ כָּל שִׁבְטֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל אֶל דָּוִ֖ד חֶבְר֑וֹנָה וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לֵאמֹ֔ר הִנְנ֛וּ עַצְמְךָ֥ וּֽבְשָׂרְךָ֖ אֲנָֽחְנוּ
Haydock's commentary
Tribes. Thus were God's promises sweetly fulfilled, and David obtained the quiet dominion over all Israel, excepting perhaps a few of the tribe of Benjamin, according to the Vulgate, 1 Paralipomenon xii. 29. an army of 340,822 was collected on this occasion; and David signalized the commencement of his reign, by the taking of Jerusalem. (Calmet)
The tribe is Issachar is not specified in the text; but Josephus asserts, that 20,000 of them assembled; so that the army would amount to 359 (Salien) or 60[360?] thousand, besides the 822. (Calmet)
These might be considered as deputies of all the rest of their brethren, 1 Paralipomenon xii. 38. They were abundantly supplied with all necessities. (Salien)
Flesh, of the same nation, as Moses had specified, Deuteronomy xvii. 15. (Calmet)
They now relinquish all the seeds of division, which had before hindered them from joining with their brethren of Juda. Kennicott discovers several important alterations, by comparing this history with 1 Chronicles xi. (Dissert. i.) (Haydock)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Gregory Nazianzen Funeral Oration on the Great S. Basil, Bishop of Cæsarea in Cappadocia
73. Further, to run over the Judges, or the most illustrious of the Judges, there is “Samuel among those that call upon His Name,” who was given to God before his birth, and sanctified immediately after his birth, and the anointer with his horn of kings and priests. But was not Basil as an infant consecrated to God from the womb, and offered with a coat at the altar, and was he not a seer of heavenly things, and anointed of the Lord, and the anointer of those who are perfected by the Spirit? Among the kings, David is celebrated, whose victories and trophies gained from the enemy are on record, but his most characteristic trait was his gentleness, and, before his kingly office, his power with the harp, able to soothe even the evil spirit. …
St Ambrose On the Duties of the Clergy, Chapter VII. What is useful is the same as what is virtuous; nothing is more useful than love, which is gained by gentleness, courtesy, kindness, justice, and the other virtues, as we are given to understand from the histories of Moses and David. Lastly, confidence springs from love, and again love from confidence
35. What further should I say? He opened not his mouth to those planning deceit, and, as though hearing not, he thought no word should be returned, nor did be answer their reproaches. When he was evil spoken of, he prayed, when he was cursed, he blessed. He walked in simplicity of heart, and fled from the proud. He was a follower of those unspotted from the world, one who mixed ashes with his food when bewailing his sins, and mingled his drink with weeping. Worthily, then, was he called for by all the people. All the tribes of Israel came to him saying: “Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. Also yesterday and the day before when Saul lived, and reigned, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel. …
St John Cassian The Conferences of John Cassian. Part I. Containing Conferences I-X, Chapter X. That the word flesh is not used with one single meaning only
We find that the word flesh is used in holy Scripture with many different meanings: for sometimes it stands for the whole man, i.e., for that which consists of body and soul, as here “And the Word was made flesh,” and “All flesh shall see the salvation of our God.” Sometimes it stands for sinful and carnal men, as here “My spirit shall not remain in those men, because they are flesh.” Sometimes it is used for sins themselves, as here: “But ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit,” and again “Flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdom of God:” lastly there follows, “Neither shall corruption inherit incorruption.” Sometimes it stands for consanguinity and relationship, as here: “Behold we are thy bone and thy flesh,” and the Apostle says: “If by any means I may provoke to emulation them who are my flesh, and save some of them.” We must therefore inquire in which of these four meanings …