The First Book of the Chronicles

Chapter 11

David by general consent is made king at Hebron, 1-3. He wins the castle of Zion from the Jebusites by Joab's valor, 4-9. A catalog of David's mighty men, 10-47.

1 Then all Israel gathered themselves to David at Hebron, saying, "Behold, we are your bone and your flesh. 2 And moreover, in time past, even when Saul was king, you were he who led out and brought in Israel. And the LORD your God said to you, 'You shall feed my people Israel and you shall be ruler over my people Israel.'" 3 Therefore, all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron. And David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the LORD. And they anointed David king over Israel according to the word of the LORD by Samuel.

4 And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus, where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land. 5 And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, "You shall not come here." Nevertheless, David took the castle of Zion, which is the city of David. 6 And David said, "Whoever smites the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain." So Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first and was chief. 7 And David dwelt in the castle; therefore, they called it, The City of David. 8 And he built the city around, even from Millo around. And Joab repaired the rest of the city. 9 So David became greater and greater, for the LORD of hosts was with him.

10 These also are the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom and with all Israel, to make him king according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel. 11 And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had: Jashobeam a Hachmonite, the chief of the captains. He lifted his spear against three hundred slain by him at one time.

12 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men. 13 He was with David at Pas-dammim, and there the Philistines were gathered to battle, where a parcel of ground full of barley was, and the people fled from before the Philistines. 14 And they set themselves in the midst of that parcel, delivered it, and slew the Philistines, and the LORD saved them by a great deliverance.

15 Now three of the thirty captains went down to David, to the rock at the cave of Adullam, and the host of the Philistines encamped in the valley of Rephaim. 16 And David was then in the hold, and the Philistines' garrison was then at Beth-lehem. 17 And David longed and said, "Oh that someone would give me drink of the water of the well of Beth-lehem that is at the gate!" 18 And the three broke through the host of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem that was by the gate, 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 forbids me that I should do this thing. 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 three mightiest did these things.

20 And Abishai the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three. For lifting his spear against three hundred, he slew them, and had a name among the three. 21 Of the three, he was more honorable than the two, for he was their captain, but he did not attain to the first three.

22 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lion-like men of Moab. Also he went down and slew a lion in a pit on a snowy day. 23 And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high. And in the Egyptian's hand was a spear like a weaver's beam. And he went down to him with a staff, plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear. 24 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did these things and had a name among the three mighty men. 25 Behold, he was honorable among the thirty, but did not attain to the first three. And David set him over his guard.

26 Also the valiant men of the armies were Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem, 27 Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite, 28 Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Antothite, 29 Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, 30 Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite, 31 Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah who pertained to the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite, 32 Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, 33 Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, 34 The sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shage the Hararite, 35 Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphel the son of Ur, 36 Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, 37 Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the son of Ezbai, 38 Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Haggeri, 39 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite—the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, 40 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 41 Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai, 42 Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite—a captain of the Reubenites, and thirty with him, 43 Hanan the son of Maachah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite, 44 Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jehiel the sons of Hothan the Aroerite, 45 Jediael the son of Shimri and Joha his brother the Tizite, 46 Eliel the Mehavite, Jeribai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite, 47 Eliel, Obed, and Jasiel the Mesobaite.

Commentary

Matthew Henry Commentary - 1st Chronicles, Chapter 11[➚]

Notes

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