1 Chronicles 12:9-19

9 Ezer was the prince (Ezer was their leader), Obadiah the second, Eliab the third,
10 Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremy the fifth,
11 Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,
12 Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth,
13 Jeremy the tenth (Jeremiah the tenth), Machbanai the eleventh;
14 these of the sons of Gad were princes of the host; and the least, that is, he that had the least power, was sovereign over an hundred knights, and the most was over a thousand. (these of the Gadites were leaders of the army; and the least, that is, he who had the least power, was the ruler of a hundred horsemen, and he who had the most power, ruled over a thousand.)
15 These it be that passed over (the) Jordan in the first month, when it was wont to flow over his brinks; and they drove away all men, that is, heathen men, that dwelled in the valleys at the east coast, and [at the] west coast. (These it were who passed over the Jordan River in the first month, when it was wont to overflow its banks; and they drove away all the people, that is, all the heathen, who lived in the valleys to the east, and to the west.)
16 And also (some) men of Benjamin and of Judah came to the stronghold, wherein David dwelled (where David lived).
17 And David went out against them, and said, If ye come peaceable to me, for to help me, mine heart be joined to you; forsooth if ye set ambush to me for mine adversaries, since I have not wickedness in the hands, God of our fathers see and deem. (And David went out to meet them, and said, If ye have come in peace to me, yea, to help me, my heart shall be joined to you; but if ye set ambush against me for my adversaries, since I have no wickedness in my hands, let the God of our fathers see and judge.)
18 And the spirit clothed Amasai, the prince among (the) thirty, and he said, O! David, we be thine, and thou, son of Jesse, we shall be with thee; peace, peace to thee, and peace to thine helpers, for thy Lord God helpeth thee. Therefore David received them, and made [them] princes of the company. (And the spirit clothed Amasai, later the leader of The Thirty, and he said, O! David, we be thine, and thou, son of Jesse, we shall be with thee; peace, peace to thee, and peace to thine helpers, for the Lord thy God helpeth thee. And so David received them, and made them leaders in his army.)
19 And (some) men of Manasseh fled over to David, when he came with Philistines to fight against Saul, and he fought not with them; for after that the princes of Philistines had taken counsel, they sent him again, and said, With peril of our head, he shall turn again to Saul his lord. (And some men of Manasseh fled over to David, when he came with the Philistines to fight against Saul, though he did not fight with them; for after that the princes, or the leaders, of the Philistines had taken counsel, they sent him away, for they said, He shall return to his lord Saul, at the peril of our own heads.)

1 Chronicles 12:9-19 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.