1 Chronicles 12:17-27

17 And David went out to meet them, and answered and said to them, If ye have come peaceably to me to help me, my heart shall be knit to you: but if [ye have come] to betray me to my enemies, seeing [there is] no wrong in my hands, the God of our fathers look [on it], and rebuke [it].
18 Then the spirit came upon Amasai, [who was] chief of the captains, [and he said], Thine [are we], David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse: peace, peace [be] to thee, and peace [be] to thy helpers; for thy God helpeth thee. Then David received them, and made them captains of the band.
19 And there fell [some] of Manasseh to David, when he came with the Philistines against Saul to battle: but they helped them not: for the lords of the Philistines upon advisement sent him away, saying, He will fall to his master Saul to [the jeopardy of] our heads.
20 And as he went to Ziklag, there fell to him of Manasseh, Adnah, and Jozabad, and Jediael, and Michael, and Jozabad, and Elihu, and Zilthai, captains of the thousands that [were] of Manasseh.
21 And they helped David against the band [of the rovers]: for they [were] all mighty men of valor, and were captains in the host.
22 For at [that] time day by day there came to David to help him, until [it was] a great host, like the host of God.
23 And these [are] the numbers of the bands [that were] ready armed to the war, [and] came to David to Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the LORD.
24 The children of Judah that bore shield and spear [were] six thousand and eight hundred, ready armed for war.
25 Of the children of Simeon, mighty men of valor for war, seven thousand and one hundred.
26 Of the children of Levi four thousand and six hundred.
27 And Jehoiada [was] the leader of the Aaronites, and with him [were] three thousand and seven hundred;

1 Chronicles 12:17-27 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 12

This chapter gives an account of those that came to David at different times, and joined and assisted him both before the death of Saul, and when persecuted by him, and after he was made king of Judah in Hebron, and before he was king of all Israel, in order to it; of the Benjaminites that came to him when at Ziklag, 1Ch 12:1-7 of the Gadites that came to him when in the hold, 1Ch 12:8-15 of some of Judah and Benjamin, who came to him in the same place, 1Ch 12:16-18, and of the Manassites at the time he came with the Philistines against Saul, 1Ch 12:19-22 and the number of the several tribes are given, that came to him at Hebron to make him king over all Israel, 1Ch 12:23-40.

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