1 Chronicles 11

1 Then all Yisra'el gathered themselves to David to Hevron, saying, Behold, we are your bone and your flesh.

2 In times past, even when Sha'ul was king, it was you who led out and brought in Yisra'el: and the LORD your God said to you, You shall be shepherd of my people Yisra'el, and you shall be prince over my people Yisra'el.

3 So all the Zakenim of Yisra'el came to the king to Hevron; and David made a covenant with them in Hevron before the LORD; and they anointed David king over Yisra'el, according to the word of the LORD by Shemu'el.

4 David and all Yisra'el went to Yerushalayim (the same is Yevus); and the Yevusi, the inhabitants of the land, were there.

5 The inhabitants of Yevus said to David, You shall not come in here. Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Tziyon; the same is the city of David.

6 David said, Whoever strikes the Yevusi first shall be chief and captain. Yo'av the son of Tzeru'yah went up first, and was made chief.

7 David lived in the stronghold; therefore they called it the city of David.

8 He built the city round about, from Millo even round about; and Yo'av repaired the rest of the city.

9 David grew greater and greater; for the LORD of Hosts was with him.

10 Now these are the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who shown themselves strong with him in his kingdom, together with all Yisra'el, to make him king, according to the word of the LORD concerning Yisra'el.

11 This is the number of the mighty men whom David had: Yashov`am, the son of a Hakhmoni, the chief of the thirty; he lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them at one time.

12 After him was El`azar the son of Dodo, the Achochi, who was one of the three mighty men.

13 He was with David at Pas-Dammim, and there the Pelishtim were gathered together to battle, where was a plot of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Pelishtim.

14 They stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and killed the Pelishtim; and the LORD saved them by a great victory.

15 Three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, into the cave of `Adullam; and the host of the Pelishtim were encamped in the valley of Refa'im.

16 David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Pelishtim was then in Beit-Lechem.

17 David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me water to drink of the well of Beit-Lechem, which is by the gate!

18 The three broke through the host of the Pelishtim, and drew water out of the well of Beit-Lechem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but David would not drink of it, but poured it out to the LORD,

19 and said, My God forbid it me, that I should do this: shall I drink the blood of these men who have put their lives in jeopardy? for with [the jeopardy of] their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.

20 Avishai, the brother of Yo'av, he was chief of the three; for he lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name among the three.

21 Of the three, he was more honorable than the two, and was made their captain: however he didn't attain to the [first] three.

22 Benayah the son of Yehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kavtz'el, who had done mighty deeds, he killed the two [sons of] Ari'el of Mo'av: he went down also and killed a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow.

23 He killed a Mitzrian, a man of great stature, five cubits high; and in the Mitzrian's hand was a spear like a weaver's beam; and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Mitzrian's hand, and killed him with his own spear.

24 These things did Benayah the son of Yehoiada, and had a name among the three mighty men.

25 Behold, he was more honorable than the thirty, but he didn't attain to the [first] three: and David set him over his guard.

26 Also the mighty men of the armies: `Asa'el the brother of Yo'av, Elchanan the son of Dodo of Beit-Lechem,

27 Shammot the Harorite, Heletz the Pelonite,

28 `Ira the son of `Ikkesh the Tekoite, Avi-Ezer the `Antotite,

29 Sibbekhai the Hushatite, Ilai the Achochi,

30 Maharai the Netofatite, Heled the son of Ba`anah the Netofatite,

31 Itai the son of Rivai of Gevah of the children of Binyamin, Benayah the Pir`atonite,

32 Hurai of the brooks of Ga`ash, Aviel the `Arvati,

33 `Azmavet the Baharumite, Elyachba the Sha`alvonite,

34 the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Yonatan the son of Shagee the Harari,

35 Achi'am the son of Sacar the Harari, Eliphal the son of Ur,

36 Hefer the Mekheratite, Achiyah the Pelonite,

37 Hetzro the Karmelite, Na`arai the son of Ezbai,

38 Yo'el the brother of Natan, Mivchar the son of Hagri,

39 Tzelek the `Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armor bearer of Yo'av the son of Tzeru'yah,

40 `Ira the Yitri, Garev the Yitri,

41 Uriyah the Hittite, Zavad the son of Achlai,

42 `Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a chief of the Re'uveni, and thirty with him,

43 Hanan the son of Ma`akhah, and Yoshafat the Mitni,

44 Uzzia the `Ashterati, Shama and Ye`i'el the sons of Hotam the `Aro`eri,

45 Yedi`a'el the son of Shimri, and Yocha his brother, the Titzi,

46 Eli'el the Machavim, and Yerivai, and Yoshavyah, the sons of Elnaam, and Yitmah the Mo'avite,

47 Eli'el, and `Oved, and Ya`asi'el 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.

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