1 Chronicles 12

These are the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was still shut out from Saul son of Kish and had to stay out of sight. They were among the strong fighters who helped him in battle.

1Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag, while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish: and they were among the mighty men, helpers of the war.

NoteZiklag was a town in Philistine territory. While Saul was hunting him, David took service with a Philistine king and was given Ziklag as his base, so these men were crossing over to a fugitive living among Israel's enemies. The King James "kept himself close" means kept out of sight, in hiding; the Hebrew phrase is literally "shut off from the presence of Saul," which can mean either barred from court or in hiding from him.

2They carried bows, and they could sling stones and shoot arrows with either the right hand or the left. They were relatives of Saul, from the tribe of Benjamin.

2They were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows out of a bow, even of Saul’s brethren of Benjamin.

NoteA sling was a serious battlefield weapon, not a toy: a leather pouch on two cords, whirled and released to throw a stone hard enough to kill. Being able to use either hand with bow and sling was a prized skill, and the men of Benjamin were famous for it. The point of the verse is that these men were Saul's own kinsmen, from his own tribe, and they came over to David anyway.

3Their chief was Ahiezer, then Joash. Both were sons of Shemaah from Gibeah. Then Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; Berachah; Jehu from Anathoth;

3The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; and Jeziel, and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; and Berachah, and Jehu the Antothite,

Note"The Gibeathite," "the Antothite" and the rest are place-names used the way surnames are: the man from Gibeah, the man from Anathoth. Gibeah was Saul's own hometown, so the list opens with men from the king's home ground.

4Ismaiah from Gibeon, a strong fighter among the Thirty and a leader over the Thirty; Jeremiah; Jahaziel; Johanan; Josabad from Gederah;

4And Ismaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty; and Jeremiah, and Jahaziel, and Johanan, and Josabad the Gederathite,

Note"The Thirty" was a named corps of David's elite fighters, a standing list of his best soldiers, recorded in full elsewhere (1 Chronicles 11). To be counted among them was a formal rank, not a description.

5Eluzai; Jerimoth; Bealiah; Shemariah; Shephatiah from Haruph;

5Eluzai, and Jerimoth, and Bealiah, and Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite,

6Elkanah, Jesiah, Azareel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, who were from the family of Korah;

6Elkanah, and Jesiah, and Azareel, and Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korhites,

Note"Korhites" (Korahites) may mean descendants of Korah in the tribe of Levi, or men of a Judean family or place of the same name. The text does not say which, and both are possible.

7and Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham from Gedor.

7And Joelah, and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.

8Some men of the tribe of Gad left their own people and went over to David at his stronghold in the desert. They were strong fighters, trained for war and able to handle the large shield and the spear. Their faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as fast as wild deer on the mountains.

8And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David into the hold to the wilderness men of might, and men of war fit for the battle, that could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as the roes upon the mountains;

NoteA "hold" is a stronghold, a fortified refuge in rough country, of the kind David used while on the run. The two shields named are different pieces of equipment: a large one covering most of the body, and a small one carried on the arm. The animal in the King James, the "roe," is a gazelle, proverbial in Hebrew for speed.

9Ezer was the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third,

9Ezer the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third,

NoteThe numbering that follows (first, second, third) is a ranked list. It may indicate order of command or simply the order in which the names were recorded; the text does not explain it.

10Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth,

10Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth,

11Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,

11Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,

12Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth,

12Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth,

13Jeremiah the tenth, Machbanai the eleventh.

13Jeremiah the tenth, Machbanai the eleventh.

14These men of Gad were army commanders. The weakest of them was a match for a hundred men, and the strongest for a thousand.

14These were of the sons of Gad, captains of the host: one of the least was over an hundred, and the greatest over a thousand.

NoteThe King James "one of the least was over an hundred" can be read two ways: that the lowest-ranking of them commanded a hundred men, or that he was a match for a hundred in a fight. Hebrew allows both, and translators divide over it.

15These are the ones who crossed the Jordan River in the first month, when the river was flooding over all its banks. They drove out everyone living in the valleys, both to the east and to the west.

15These are they that went over Jordan in the first month, when it had overflown all his banks; and they put to flight all them of the valleys, both toward the east, and toward the west.

NoteThe first month is spring, roughly March–April. The Jordan floods then with snowmelt from the northern mountains, so crossing it at that season was dangerous, the detail is there to show what these men were willing to do.

16Other men from the tribes of Benjamin and Judah also came to David at his stronghold.

16And there came of the children of Benjamin and Judah to the hold unto David.

17David went out to meet them and said, "If you have come to me in peace, to help me, then my heart will be joined to yours. But if you have come to hand me over to my enemies, when I have done no wrong, then may the God of our fathers see it and judge it."

17And David went out to meet them, and answered and said unto them, If ye be come peaceably unto me to help me, mine heart shall be knit unto you: but if ye be come to betray me to mine enemies, seeing there is no wrong in mine hands, the God of our fathers look thereon, and rebuke it.

Note"My heart shall be knit unto you" is an idiom for being bound in loyalty and affection, the same language used for close friendship and alliance. "No wrong in mine hands" uses the hands to stand for a person's actions: David is saying he has done nothing to deserve betrayal. He is calling on God to act as judge between them, which is how oaths of this kind were framed.

18Then the Spirit came on Amasai, the chief of the officers, and he said, "We are yours, David. We are with you, son of Jesse. Peace, peace to you, and peace to those who help you, because your God helps you." So David welcomed them and made them leaders of his troops.

18Then 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 unto thee, and peace be to thine helpers; for thy God helpeth thee. Then David received them, and made them captains of the band.

NoteThe Hebrew says the Spirit "clothed itself with" Amasai, a vivid idiom for a person being taken over and speaking beyond himself. His reply is in verse form, which is why the words repeat. "Son of Jesse" was how Saul spoke of David contemptuously, refusing to use his name; here the same phrase is turned into a pledge of loyalty.

19Some men from the tribe of Manasseh went over to David when he marched out with the Philistines to fight against Saul. But David and his men did not end up helping the Philistines, because the Philistine rulers talked it over and sent him away. They said, "If he goes back to his master Saul, it will cost us our heads."

19And 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.

NoteThe background is in 1 Samuel 29. David, then living under Philistine protection, marched out with the Philistine army against Saul; their commanders refused to trust him and sent him home before the battle. "The lords of the Philistines" were the rulers of the five Philistine cities, who acted together in war. "He will fall to his master" means he will desert to Saul's side in the middle of the fight.

20As David was going to Ziklag, these men of Manasseh joined him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zilthai. They were commanders over units of a thousand men in Manasseh.

20As 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.

21They helped David fight against the raiding bands, for they were all strong fighters and were commanders in the army.

21And they helped David against the band of the rovers: for they were all mighty men of valour, and were captains in the host.

Note"Rovers" in 1611 English means raiders, armed bands who lived by plundering. The reference is to the raiding parties that operated around Ziklag, including the Amalekites who burned the town and carried off David's people (1 Samuel 30).

22Day after day, at that time, more men came to David to help him, until he had a great army, an army like the army of God.

22For at that time day by day there came to David to help him, until it was a great host, like the host of God.

Note"The host of God" is a Hebrew way of saying an immense army, vast beyond ordinary reckoning. It can also be read as a comparison to God's own heavenly armies; the phrase carries both senses.

23Here are the numbers of the armed troops who came to David at Hebron, ready for war, to turn Saul's kingdom over to him, just as the LORD had said:

23And 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.

NoteHebron was the chief city of Judah, in the southern hill country, and the place where David was first made king. "According to the word of the LORD" points back to Samuel's anointing of David years earlier, when Saul was still on the throne.

24From Judah, 6,800 men who carried shields and spears, armed and ready for war.

24The children of Judah that bare shield and spear were six thousand and eight hundred, ready armed to the war.

NoteThe Hebrew word translated "thousand" can also mean a military unit or clan contingent, which need not have held a literal thousand men. The totals in this chapter come to well over three hundred thousand, and scholars disagree about whether the figures are literal head-counts or counts of units.

25From Simeon, 7,100 strong fighters ready for war.

25Of the children of Simeon, mighty men of valour for the war, seven thousand and one hundred.

26From Levi, 4,600 men.

26Of the children of Levi four thousand and six hundred.

NoteLevi was the tribe set apart for duties at the sanctuary rather than for land or war, which is why listing them among armed men is worth the chronicler's notice.

27Jehoiada was the leader of the family of Aaron, and with him 3,700 men,

27And Jehoiada was the leader of the Aaronites, and with him were three thousand and seven hundred;

Note"Aaronites" means the descendants of Aaron, the branch of Levi from which priests were drawn.

28and Zadok, a young man and a strong fighter, along with twenty-two commanders from his own family.

28And Zadok, a young man mighty of valour, and of his father’s house twenty and two captains.

NoteThis Zadok became the leading priest of David's reign and of Solomon's after him; the chronicler notes him here as a young man just entering the story.

29From Benjamin, Saul's own tribe, 3,000 men. Up until then, most of Benjamin had stayed loyal to Saul's family.

29And of the children of Benjamin, the kindred of Saul, three thousand: for hitherto the greatest part of them had kept the ward of the house of Saul.

Note"Kept the ward of the house of Saul" means held guard duty for, and so remained loyal to, Saul's family. The small number from Benjamin reflects that most of Saul's own tribe had not yet come over.

30From Ephraim, 20,800 strong fighters, well known in their own family groups.

30And of the children of Ephraim twenty thousand and eight hundred, mighty men of valour, famous throughout the house of their fathers.

31From the half tribe of Manasseh, 18,000 men who were named one by one to go and make David king.

31And of the half tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, which were expressed by name, to come and make David king.

Note"Expressed by name" means enrolled individually, each man listed by name on a register rather than counted in a lump, a formal muster.

32From Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do: 200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command.

32And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.

Note"Understanding of the times" is disputed. It may mean political judgment, knowing how to read the situation, or knowledge of the calendar and seasons, which the tribe of Issachar was later said to have. The Hebrew supports both readings.

33From Zebulun, 50,000 experienced soldiers ready to march out to battle with every kind of weapon. They could hold their battle lines, and they were not divided in their loyalty.

33Of Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, with all instruments of war, fifty thousand, which could keep rank: they were not of double heart.

Note"Keep rank" means holding a disciplined battle formation, which took training and was what separated an army from a mob. "Not of double heart" translates a Hebrew idiom, literally "without a heart and a heart": that is, not of two minds, undivided in loyalty.

34From Naphtali, 1,000 commanders, and with them 37,000 men carrying shields and spears.

34And of Naphtali a thousand captains, and with them with shield and spear thirty and seven thousand.

35From Dan, 28,600 men trained for war.

35And of the Danites expert in war twenty and eight thousand and six hundred.

36From Asher, 40,000 experienced soldiers ready to march out to battle.

36And of Asher, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, forty thousand.

37From east of the Jordan River, from the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh, 120,000 men armed with every kind of weapon for battle.

37And on the other side of Jordan, of the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and of the half tribe of Manasseh, with all manner of instruments of war for the battle, an hundred and twenty thousand.

NoteThe territory east of the Jordan belonged to Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh, outside the main body of the land, and the farthest of the tribes from Hebron.

38All these fighting men, who could hold their battle lines, came to Hebron fully set on making David king over all Israel. And all the rest of Israel agreed as one that David should be king.

38All these men of war, that could keep rank, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel: and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king.

Note"With a perfect heart" translates a Hebrew phrase meaning whole or undivided in purpose; it is about single-mindedness, not moral perfection.

39They stayed there with David for three days, eating and drinking, because their relatives had prepared supplies for them.

39And there they were with David three days, eating and drinking: for their brethren had prepared for them.

NoteA multi-day feast was the normal public form of making a king: the eating and drinking together sealed the agreement as much as it celebrated it.

40Also, people from nearby, and even from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali, brought food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen. They brought plenty of flour, cakes of pressed figs, bunches of raisins, wine, oil, cattle, and sheep, because there was joy in Israel.

40Moreover they that were nigh them, even unto Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought bread on asses, and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen, and meat, meal, cakes of figs, and bunches of raisins, and wine, and oil, and oxen, and sheep abundantly: for there was joy in Israel.

Note"Meat" in 1611 English means food of any kind, not flesh; "meal" means ground flour. Figs and raisins were pressed into hard cakes, which kept for months and were standard provisions for traveling and for armies on the march.