שמואל ב, פרק ה׳, פסוק ה׳

David's reign unfolded in two distinct stages, reflecting the gradual unification of the kingdom. He first established a regional rule in Hebron over Judah, which lasted for seven and a half years. Later, he consolidated power and ruled over the entire nation from Jerusalem for thirty-three years. Adding these periods together yields a total of forty years and six months. However, general biblical summaries record his total reign as exactly forty years.

The primary approach among commentators to explain this gap is that the number forty represents a complete and significant era, prompting a rounded count. The remaining six months were left out of the grand total because they do not constitute a full year. Additionally, there is a general principle that a larger, dominant number naturally absorbs a smaller fraction [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Beyond this practical calculation, deeper traditions explore the absence of these six months [רד״ק]. One perspective suggests that David actually ruled in Jerusalem for slightly less than thirty-three years, but the time was rounded up specifically to bring honor to the city of Jerusalem. Other explanations connect the missing time to periods when David's kingship was either compromised or temporarily suspended. Some attribute this gap to a six-month period when his army commander, Joab, was stationed in Edom. Another tradition links these months to the time David was forced to flee from his son Absalom. During that escape, David effectively lost his royal status and lived as a commoner, even bringing the type of atonement sacrifice required of an ordinary citizen. Because he lacked practical authority during that time, those months were deducted from his official years on the throne.