1 Chronicles 11

All Israel makes David king

1 All the Israelites gathered around David at Hebron. "We're your own flesh and blood," they said.

2 "In the past, even when Saul ruled over us, you were the one who led Israel. The LORD your God told you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become a leader over my people Israel.'"

3 So all of Israel's elders came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them before the LORD. They anointed David to make him king over Israel, just as the LORD had promised through Samuel.

David captures Jerusalem

4 Then David and all Israel marched to Jerusalem, that is, Jebus, where the Jebusites lived.

5 The people who lived in Jebus told David, "You'll never get in here!" But David captured the mountain fortress of Zion, which became David's City.

6 David had said, "The first one to kill a Jebusite will become commander in chief!" Joab, Zeruiah's son, was the first to attack and so became commander in chief.

7 David occupied the fortress, so it was renamed David's City.

8 He also built up the city on all sides, including its own foundations and the surrounding areas, while Joab restored the rest of the city.

9 David grew increasingly powerful, and the LORD of heavenly forces was with him.

David and his warriors

10 These are the commanders of David's warriors who continued to support him while he was king. Together with all Israel, they made him king, as the LORD had promised Israel.

11 This is the list of David's warriors: Jashobeam, a Hacmonite, was commander of the Thirty. He raised his spear against eight hundred, killing them on a single occasion.

12 Next in command came Eleazar, Dodo's son the Ahohite, who was one of the three warriors.

13 He was with David at Pas-dammim. The Philistines were gathered there for battle, where part of a field was full of barley. When the people ran away from the Philistines,

14 he and David stood in the middle of the field, held their ground, and defeated the Philistines. So the LORD achieved a great victory.

15 Three of the thirty commanders went down from the rock to David at the fortress of Adullam, while the army of the Philistines camped in the Rephaim Valley.

16 At that time David was in the fortress, and a Philistine fort was in Bethlehem.

17 David had a craving and said, "If only someone could give me a drink of water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem."

18 So the three warriors broke through the Philistine camp and drew water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it and poured it out to the LORD.

19 "God forbid that I should do that," he said. "Isn't this the blood of men who risked their lives?" So he refused to drink it. Since they had brought it at the risk of their lives, David refused to drink it. These were the kinds of things the three warriors did.

20 Abishai, Joab's brother, was chief of the Thirty. He raised his spear against the three hundred men he had slain, but he wasn't considered one of the Three.

21 He was the most famous of the Thirty. He became their commander, but he wasn't among the Three.

22 Benaiah, Jehoiada's son from Kabzeel, was a hero who performed great deeds. He killed two of Moab's leaders, and on a snowy day went down into a pit where he killed a lion.

23 He also killed an Egyptian seven and a half feet tall, who was holding a spear like a weaver's beam. Benaiah went down to him with a club, grabbed the spear from the Egyptian's hand, and killed him with it.

24 These were the exploits of Benaiah, Jehoiada's son; he wasn't considered one of the three warriors.

25 He was famous among the Thirty, but didn't become one of the Three. David placed him in command of his own bodyguard.

26 The mighty warriors: Asahel, Joab's brother; Elhanan, Dodo's son from Bethlehem;

27 Shammoth from Haror; Helez from Pelon;

28 Ira, Ikkesh's son from Tekoa; Abiezer from Anathoth;

29 Sibbecai the Hushathite; Ilai from Ahoh;

30 Maharai from Netophah; Heled, Baanah's son from Netophah;

31 Ithai, Ribai's son from Gibeah of the Benjaminites; Benaiah from Pirathon;

32 Hurai from the Gaash ravines; Abiel the Arbathite;

33 Azmaveth from Baharum; Eliahba from Shaalbon;

34 Hashem the Gizonite; Jonathan, Shagee's son from Harar;

35 Ahiam, Sachar's son from Harar; Eliphal, Ur's son;

36 Hepher the Mecherathite; Ahijah the Pelonite;

37 Hezro from Carmel; Naarai, Ezbai's son;

38 Joel, Nathan's brother; Mibhar, Hagri's son;

39 Zelek the Ammonite; Naharai from Beeroth, Zeruiah's son and the armor-bearer for Joab;

40 Ira from Ither; Gareb from Ither;

41 Uriah the Hittite; Zabad, Ahlai's son;

42 Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, a leader of the Reubenites, and thirty with him;

43 Hanan, Maacah's son; Joshaphat the Mithnite;

44 Uzzia the Ashterathite; Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite;

45 Jediael, Shimri's son, and his brother Joha the Tizite;

46 Eliel the Mahavite; Jeribai and Joshaviah, Elnaam's sons; Ithmah the Moabite;

47 Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

1 Chronicles 11 Commentary

Chapter 11

David raised to the throne. (1-9) A list of David's mighty men. (10-47)

Verses 1-9 David was brought to possess the throne of Israel after he had reigned seven years in Hebron, over Judah only. God's counsels will be fulfilled at last, whatever difficulties lie in the way. The way to be truly great, is to be really useful, to devote all our talents to the Lord.

Verses 10-47 An account is given of David's worthies, the great men who served him. Yet David reckoned his success, not as from the mighty men that were with him, but from the mighty God, whose presence is all in all. In strengthening him, they strengthened themselves and their own interest, for his advancement was theirs. We shall gain by what we do in our places for the support of the kingdom of the Son of David; and those that are faithful to Him, shall find their names registered much more to their honour, than these are in the records of fame.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or cave; cf 2 Sam 23:14
• [b]. Syr; MT three
• [c]. Heb Ariel
• [d]. MT the family of Hashem

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 11

This chapter treats of David's being anointed king by all Israel, 1Ch 11:1-3, which agrees with 2Sa 5:1-3 \\See Gill on "2Sa 5:1"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 5:2"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 5:3"\\ and of his taking Jerusalem from the Jebusites, 1Ch 11:4-9 the account of which we have 2Sa 5:6-10. \\See Gill on "2Sa 5:6"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 5:7"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 5:8"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 5:9"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 5:10"\\ only here we are told, that it was Joab that smote the Jebusites first, and so was made chief captain according to David's promise; and that he also repaired the rest of the city David built round about; perhaps the fortifications demolished in taking it, 1Ch 11:6,8 or rather, as others give the sense, he "saved alive" {b} those that remained in the city, after he had slain the lame and the blind; though a learned {c} writer conjectures it should be read, "and Joab hyhy was made rv the governor of the city"; and the Targum is,

``Joab governed the rest of the city.''

And then follows an account of David's mighty men and worthies, 1Ch 11:10-41 of whom see the notes on \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:8"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:9"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:10"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:11"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:12"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:13"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:14"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:15"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:16"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:17"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:18"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:19"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:20"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:21"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:22"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:23"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:24"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:25"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:26"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:27"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:28"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:29"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:30"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:31"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:32"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:33"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:34"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:35"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:36"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:37"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:38"\\ \\See Gill on "2Sa 23:39"\\ and others are added here, 1Ch 11:42-47 of whom we know no more than their names.

{b} rav ta hyxy "vivas conservavit urbis reliquias", Junius & Tremellius; Strigelius in Poli Synops. in loc. {c} Dr. Kennicot's State of the Hebrew Text, dissert. 1. p. 54. 18633-941231-2014-1Ch11.2