1 Chronicles 12:7-17

7 and Yo`elah, and Zevadyah, the sons of Yerocham of Gedor.

8 Of the Gadi there separated themselves to David to the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for war, that could handle shield and spear; whose faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as the roes on the mountains;

9 Etzer the chief, `Ovadyah the second, Eli'av the third,

10 Mishmannah the fourth, Yirmeyahu the fifth,

11 `Attai the sixth, Eli'el the seventh,

12 Yochanan the eighth, Elzavad the ninth,

13 Yirmeyahu the tenth, Makhbannai the eleventh.

14 These of the sons of Gad were captains of the host: he who was least was equal to one hundred, and the greatest to one thousand.

15 These are those who went over the Yarden in the first month, when it had overflowed all its banks; and they put to flight all them of the valleys, both toward the east, and toward the west.

16 There came of the children of Binyamin and Yehudah to the stronghold to David.

17 David went out to meet them, and answered them, If you be come peaceably to me to help me, my heart shall be knit to you; but if [you be come] to betray me to my adversaries, seeing there is no wrong in my hands, the God of our fathers look thereon, and rebuke it.

1 Chronicles 12:7-17 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.