2 Samuel 2:1
ESV
After this David inquired of the Lord, "Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?" And the Lord said to him, "Go up." David said, "To which shall I go up?" And he said, "To Hebron."
NIV
In the course of time, David inquired of the Lord. "Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?" he asked. The Lord said, "Go up." David asked, "Where shall I go?" "To Hebron," the Lord answered.
NASB
Then it came about afterward that David inquired of the Lord, saying, 'Shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah?' And the Lord said to him, 'Go up.' So David said, 'Where shall I go up?' And He said, 'To Hebron.'
CSB
Some time later, David inquired of the Lord: "Should I go to one of the towns of Judah?" The Lord answered him, "Go." Then David asked, "Where should I go?" "To Hebron," the Lord replied.
NLT
After this, David asked the Lord, 'Should I move back to one of the towns of Judah?' 'Yes,' the Lord replied. Then David asked, 'Which town should I go to?' 'To Hebron,' the Lord answered.
KJV
And it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the Lord said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.
NKJV
It happened after this that David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up to any of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” David said, “Where shall I go up?” And He said, “To Hebron.”
What does 2 Samuel 2:1 mean?
Despite his grief and the heartfelt way in which he honored Saul, the king's death introduces a new season for David and those who follow him (1 Samuel 31:1–4; 2 Samuel 1:17–27). No longer will they have to live on the run or hide out in the territory of the Philistines. They can come home and settle down. More importantly, the time has come for David to become king.But it won't be that easy, and David knows it. That's why he's determined to ask for the Lord's direct guidance in whatever step he takes next. David asks the Lord if he should move, with his family and his men, away from Ziklag to occupy one of the cities of the territory of Judah in Israel. The text doesn't say how exactly David asks the Lord this question. He may ask the priest Abiathar to cast the Urim and Thummim, kept in the priestly ephod, as he has before (Exodus 28:30; 1 Samuel 23:9; 30:7).
However David made his inquiry, he asks the Lord one question and then a follow-up question: Should I relocate to the territory of Judah? God says yes. Then: Which city should we move to? God says he should go to the city of Hebron.
Hebron is a significant city in Jewish history. Abraham spent time in Hebron (Genesis 13:8). Joshua gave it to Caleb for his faithfulness to the Lord (Joshua 14:13). It was also one of the priestly cities given to the Levites (Joshua 21:13). More importantly in David's time, Hebron was in the heart of Judah, not far from his hometown of Bethlehem. Strategically, the city sat on a ridge, making it more defensible.
Strategically for David, it's one of the cities he sent the spoils of his battle with the Amalekites (1 Samuel 30:26–31).
