2 Samuel 5:4
ESV
David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.
NIV
David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years.
NASB
David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty years.
CSB
David was thirty years old when he began his reign; he reigned forty years.
NLT
David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in all.
KJV
David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.
NKJV
David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.
What does 2 Samuel 5:4 mean?
David has finally been anointed by all the tribes of Israel as their king. This fulfills God's promise made when David was a young man (1 Samuel 16:13). David's long and storied reign as king of Israel begins when he is thirty and continues until he is seventy years old. Throughout the account of David's reign, the count of years always begins when he is made king of the tribe of Judah (2 Samuel 2:4), seven years before he became king of the united Israel.It's important to remember that David became the king over Israel at exactly the right time, not too early and not too late. The Lord allowed David to spend his twenties developing his leadership skills and growing more dependent on God while protecting 600 men and their families and running from Saul. He then spent seven-and-a-half years ruling one tribe filled with familiar, loyal people in a smaller geographic area. Those valuable experiences will serve David well as he leads Israel for the rest of his life.
Thirty is an important age in Israel. It was the age at which a Levite man could begin service at the temple (Numbers 4:3), the age Joseph was when he started serving Pharaoh (Genesis 41:46), and the approximate age of Jesus when He began his ministry (Luke 3:23). David's son, Solomon, will also reign for forty years (1 Kings 11:42).
