10 Now these are the chief of David's men of war who were his strong supporters in the kingdom, and, with all Israel, made him king, as the Lord had said about Israel.
So all the responsible men of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and David made an agreement with them in Hebron before the Lord; and they put the holy oil on David and made him king over Israel, as the Lord had said by Samuel.
And the Lord said to Samuel, How long will you go on sorrowing for Saul, seeing that I have put him from his place as king over Israel? Take oil in your vessel and go; I will send you to Jesse, the Beth-lehemite: for I have got a king for myself among his sons.
So he sent and made him come in. Now he had red hair and beautiful eyes and pleasing looks. And the Lord said, Come, put the oil on him, for this is he. Then Samuel took the bottle of oil, and put the oil on him there among his brothers: and from that day the spirit of the Lord came on David with power. So Samuel went back to Ramah. Now the spirit of the Lord had gone from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord was troubling him.
Then Abner had a talk with the chief men of Israel, saying, In the past it was your desire to make David your king: so now, do it: For the Lord has said of David, By the hand of my servant David I will make my people Israel safe from the Philistines, and from all who are against them.
And Abner said to David, Now I will go, and make all Israel come to my lord the king, so that they may make an agreement with you, and your kingdom may be as wide as your heart's desire. Then David sent Abner away and he went in peace.
These are the names of David's men of war: Ishbaal the Hachmonite, chief of the three; his axe was lifted up against eight hundred put to death at one time. After him was Eleazar, the son of Dodai the Ahohite, one of the three great fighters, who was with David in Pas-dammim when the Philistines came together there for the fight; and when the men of Israel had gone in flight, He was with David and went on fighting the Philistines till his hand became tired and stiff from gripping his sword: and that day the Lord gave a great salvation, and the people came back after him only to take the goods of the Philistines. After him was Shammah, the son of Ela the Hararite. And the Philistines came together in Lehi, where there was a bit of land full of seed; and the people went in flight from the Philistines. But he kept his place in the middle of the bit of land, and kept back their attack and overcame the Philistines: and the Lord gave a great salvation. And three of the thirty went down at the start of the grain-cutting, and they came to David at the strong place of Adullam; and the band of Philistines had taken up their position in the valley of Rephaim. And at that time David had taken cover in the strong place, and an armed force of the Philistines was in Beth-lehem. And David, moved by a strong desire, said, If only someone would give me a drink of water from the water-hole of Beth-lehem, by the doorway into the town! And the three men, forcing their way through the Philistine army, got water from the water-hole of Beth-lehem, by the doorway into the town, and took it back to David: but he would not take it, but, draining it out, made an offering of it to the Lord. And he said, Far be it from me, O Lord, to do this; how may I take as my drink the life-blood of men who have put their lives in danger? So he would not take it. These things did the three great men of war. And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. He put to death three hundred with his spear, and he got for himself a name among the thirty. Was he not the noblest of the thirty? so he was made their captain: but he was not equal to the first three. And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, a fighting man of Kabzeel, had done great acts; he put to death the two sons of Ariel of Moab: he went down into a hole and put a lion to death in time of snow: And he made an attack on an Egyptian, a tall man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a stick, and pulling the spear out of the hands of the Egyptian, put him to death with that same spear. These were the acts of Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, who had a great name among the thirty men of war. He was honoured over the rest of the thirty, but he was not equal to the first three. And David put him over the fighting men who kept him safe. Asahel, the brother of Joab, was one of the thirty; and Elhanan, the son of Dodai, of Beth-lehem, Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, Helez the Paltite, Ira, the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite, Sibbecai the Hushathite, Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, Heldai, the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai, the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the valleys of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, Azmaveth of Bahurim, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, Jashen the Gunite, Jonathan, the son of Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam, the son of Sharar the Hararite, Eliphelet, the son of Ahasbai the Maacathite, Eliam, the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Archite, Igal, the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, who had the care of the arms of Joab, son of Zeruiah, Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in number.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » John Gill's Exposition of the Bible » Commentary on 1 Chronicles 11
Commentary on 1 Chronicles 11 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 11
This chapter treats of David's being anointed king by all Israel, 1 Chronicles 11:1, which agrees with 2 Samuel 5:1 See Gill on 2 Samuel 5:1 See Gill on 2 Samuel 5:2 See Gill on 2 Samuel 5:3 and of his taking Jerusalem from the Jebusites, 1 Chronicles 11:4 the account of which we have 2 Samuel 5:6. See Gill on 2 Samuel 5:6 See Gill on 2 Samuel 5:7 See Gill on 2 Samuel 5:8 See Gill on 2 Samuel 5:9 See Gill on 2 Samuel 5:10 only here we are told, that it was Joab that smote the Jebusites first, and so was made chief captain according to David's promise; and that he also repaired the rest of the city David built round about; perhaps the fortifications demolished in taking it, 1 Chronicles 11:6 or rather, as others give the sense, he "saved alive"F2יחיה את שאר "vivas conservavit urbis reliquias", Junius & Tremellius; Strigelius in Poli Synops. in loc. those that remained in the city, after he had slain the lame and the blind; though a learnedF4Dr. Kennicot's State of the Hebrew Text, dissert. 1. p. 54. writer conjectures it should be read, "and Joab יהיה was made שר the governor of the city"; and the Targum is,"Joab governed the rest of the city.'And then follows an account of David's mighty men and worthies, 1 Chronicles 11:10 of whom see the notes on 2 Samuel 23:8, 2 Samuel 23:9, 2 Samuel 23:10, 2 Samuel 23:11, 2 Samuel 23:12, 2 Samuel 23:13, 2 Samuel 23:14, 2 Samuel 23:15, 2 Samuel 23:16, 2 Samuel 23:17, 2 Samuel 23:18, 2 Samuel 23:19, 2 Samuel 23:20, 2 Samuel 23:21, 2 Samuel 23:22, 2 Samuel 23:23, 2 Samuel 23:24, 2 Samuel 23:25, 2 Samuel 23:26, 2 Samuel 23:27, 2 Samuel 23:28, 2 Samuel 23:29, 2 Samuel 23:30, 2 Samuel 23:31, 2 Samuel 23:32, 2 Samuel 23:33, 2 Samuel 23:34, 2 Samuel 23:35, 2 Samuel 23:36, 2 Samuel 23:37, 2 Samuel 23:38, 2 Samuel 23:39 and others are added here, 1 Chronicles 11:42 of whom we know no more than their names.