The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You will not come in here”: It is probable that the quotation here was not actually something that the people of Jebus spoke directly to David but rather a message that was conveyed to him by intermediaries. You will not come in here is a literal translation of the Hebrew. In this context the Hebrew words seem to be a boast, so it is appropriate to say “You cannot invade this place” ( NET Bible). New Living Translation says “You’ll never get in here,” and New Century Version is similar with “You can’t get inside our city.” Most translations take the Hebrew as a boast, but it is also possible to interpret the Hebrew here to be a plea to David and his army by saying “Do not come in here.” The adverb here refers to the city of Jebus and is rendered “our city” by New Century Version and Bible en français courant for the sake of clarity. The direct quotation may have to be rendered indirectly in certain languages (so Good News Translation).

Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion: David and his army captured the city in spite of the Jebusites’ firm belief that he would be unable to do so and in spite of their resistance. This event is described in greater detail in the next verse. Nevertheless translates the common Hebrew conjunction, and the context clearly requires a transition word that marks contrast.

The Hebrew term for stronghold refers generally to a fortified place (see 1 Sam 22.4). Here and in the parallel text of 2 Sam 5.7 it refers specifically to the part of Jerusalem which was strongly fortified and very difficult to capture. Originally the name Zion referred to the fortress built on the southeastern ridge of what later became the city of Jerusalem. Later it referred both to the Temple area that Solomon built immediately to the north of the fortress (see Psa 2.6; 78.68) and to the entire city of Jerusalem (see Isa 2.3). For the latter usage Good News Translation often uses the more common name “Jerusalem” when the Hebrew says “Zion,” as in Isa 1.8 and Psa 69.35.

That is, the city of David: Since the readers would have been quite familiar with the expression the city of David, it was added to make it clear that Jerusalem was intended. But because Jerusalem was not referred to in this way at the time of its capture, Good News Translation fills in the information that this was a later name by saying “it became known as ‘David’s City.’ ” Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente similarly says “which was later called ‘City of David.’ ” Other translations include “now known as the City of David” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy) and “named thereafter City of David” (Bible en français courant). In the Old Testament the city of David refers to a specific part of what later became the larger city of Jerusalem. That part is the long, narrow, triangular-shaped ridge located below the Temple mount on the southern end of the eastern ridge (see, for example, Neh 3.15). The eastern ridge and the western ridge of Jerusalem are divided by the Tyropoeon Valley.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .