1. 2 Samuel 5:7 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

What is the stronghold ("fortress," NIV) of Zion?

2 Samuel 5:7 (ESV)

7 Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.

The stronghold of Zion is a reference to the city of Jerusalem or the City of David. This is the first mention of the term Zion in the Bible. It refers to the mountain around which the city was built (1 Kings 8:1). Later, the term would be used in reference to the temple area (Psalm 74:2–3; Psalm 84:7), the city as a whole (Psalm 87:2–3; Psalm 147:12), the people of God (Isaiah 49:14; Isaiah 51:16), and the centre of the Lord’s kingdom (Isaiah 2:3; Isaiah 4:3–5; Micah 4:7; Zechariah 8:1–3).1