· Translation: KJV

2 Samuel 2:11The time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

The setting

Hebron, Israel, ~1003 BC. David has been ruling only the southern tribe of Judah for over seven years, while civil war rages. Hebron is 20 miles south of Jerusalem. Modern-day West Bank, Palestinian territory.

The emotion here: recording God's precise timing with reverent attention to detail

The original word

šānaḥ (שָׁנָה) — year, emphasizing the slow passage of time and endurance

Why it matters

Hebron was where Abraham bought a burial cave 1,000 years earlier — David chose a place with deep history

Read with care

What most readers miss in 2 Samuel 2:11

The precise timing (7 years, 6 months) shows this wasn't random — God's timing is exact

Common misconceptionPeople think David became king immediately after being anointed as a boy, but he waited decades and ruled only part of Israel for over 7 years first.

Bible Genome reading

2 Samuel 2:11 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerNarrator
EraUnited Kingdom
Primary emotionresting
Literary typenarrative

Emotional genome

Comfort power30%
Quotability30%
Memorability40%
Crisis relevance30%
Standalone60%
Themes:chronologypatience

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open 2 Samuel 2

2 Samuel 2:11 comes from the book of 2 Samuel, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is resting, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is conversational. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include chronology, patience. Notable phrases: seven years and six months; David was king in Hebron.

Your reflection

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