1 And David assembleth all the heads of Israel, heads of the tribes, and heads of the courses who are serving the king, and heads of the thousands, and heads of the hundreds, and heads of all the substance and possessions of the king, and of his sons, with the officers and the mighty ones, even to every mighty one of valour -- unto Jerusalem.
And these `are' heads of the mighty ones whom David hath, who are strengthening themselves with him in his kingdom, with all Israel, to cause him to reign, according to the word of Jehovah, over Israel. And this `is' an account of the mighty ones whom David hath: Jashobeam son of a Hachmonite `is' head of the thirty; he is lifting up his spear against three hundred -- wounded, at one time. And after him `is' Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite, he `is' among the three mighty; he hath been with David in Pas-Dammim, and the Philistines have been gathered there to battle, and a portion of the field is full of barley, and the people have fled from the face of the Philistines, and they station themselves in the midst of the portion, and deliver it, and smite the Philistines, and Jehovah saveth -- a great salvation. And three of the thirty heads go down on the rock unto David, unto the cave of Adullam, and the host of the Philistines is encamping in the valley of Rephaim, and David `is' then in the fortress, and the station of the Philistines `is' then in Beth-Lehem, and David longeth, and saith, `Who doth give me to drink water from the well of Beth-Lehem, that `is' at the gate!' And the three break through the camp of the Philistines, and draw water from the well of Beth-Lehem, that `is' at the gate, and bear and bring in unto David, and David hath not been willing to drink it, and poureth it out to Jehovah, and saith, `Far be it from me, by my God, to do this; the blood of these men do I drink with their lives? for with their lives they have brought it;' and he was not willing to drink it; these `things' did the three mighty ones. And Abishai brother of Joab, he hath been head of the three: and he is lifting up his spear against three hundred -- wounded, and hath a name among three. Of the three by the two he is honoured, and becometh their head; and unto the `first' three he hath not come. Benaiah son of Jehoiada, son of a man of valour, of great deeds, from Kabzeel: he hath smitten the two lion-like Moabites, and he hath gone down and smitten the lion in the midst of the pit, in the day of snow. And he hath smitten the man, the Egyptian -- a man of measure, five by the cubit -- and in the hand of the Egyptian `is' a spear like a beam of weavers, and he goeth down unto him with a rod, and taketh violently away the spear out of the hand of the Egyptian, and slayeth him with his own spear. These `things' hath Benaiah son of Jehoiada done, and hath a name among the three mighty ones. Of the thirty, lo, he `is' honoured, and unto the `first' three he hath not come, and David setteth him over his guard. And the mighty ones of the forces `are' Asahel brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo of Beth-Lehem, Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite, Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abi-Ezer the Annethothite, Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ithai son of Ribai of Gibeah, of the sons of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan son of Shage the Hararite, Ahiam son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal son of Ur, Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, Hezor the Carmelite, Naarai son of Ezbai, Joel brother of Nathan, Mibhar son of Haggeri, Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, bearer of the weapons of Joab son of Zeruiah, Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, Uriah the Hittite, Zabad son of Ahlai, Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, head of the Reubenites, and by him thirty, Hanan son of Maachah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite, Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jehiel sons of Hothan the Aroerite, Jediael son of Shimri, and Joha his brother the Tizite, Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite, Eliel, and Obed, and Jaasiel the Mesobaite.
And the sons of Israel, after their number, heads of the fathers, and princes of the thousands and of the hundreds, and their officers, those serving the king in any matter of the courses, that are coming in and going out month by month, throughout all months of the year -- `are' in each course twenty and four thousand. Over the first course, for the first month, `is' Jashobeam son of Zabdiel, and on his course `are' twenty and four thousand; of the sons of Perez `is' the head of all princes of the hosts for the first month. And over the course of the second month `is' Dodai the Ahohite, and his course, and Mikloth `is' the president, and on his course `are' twenty and four thousand. Head of the third host, for the third month, `is' Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the head priest, and on his course `are' twenty and four thousand. This Benaiah `is' a mighty one of the thirty, and over the thirty, and `in' his course `is' Ammizabad his son. The fourth, for the fourth month, `is' Asahel brother of Joab, and Zebadiah his son after him, and on his course `are' twenty and four thousand. The fifth, for the fifth month, `is' the prince Shamhuth the Izrahite, and on his course `are' twenty and four thousand. The sixth, for the sixth month, `is' Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, and on his course `are' twenty and four thousand. The seventh, for the seventh month, `is' Helez the Pelonite, of the sons of Ephraim, and on his course `are' twenty and four thousand. The eighth, for the eighth month, `is' Sibbecai the Hushathite, of the Zarhite, and on his course `are' twenty and four thousand. The ninth, for the ninth month, `is' Abiezer the Antothite, of the Benjamite, and on his course `are' twenty and four thousand. The tenth, for the tenth month, `is' Maharai the Netophathite, of the Zarhite, and on his course `are' twenty and four thousand. Eleventh, for the eleventh month, `is' Benaiah the Pirathonite, of the sons of Ephraim, and on his course `are' twenty and four thousand. The twelfth, for the twelfth month, `is' Heldai the Netophathite, of Othniel, and on his course `are' twenty and four thousand. And over the tribes of Israel: Of the Reubenite, a leader `is' Eliezer son of Zichri; of the Simeonite, Shephatiah son of Maachah; of the Levite, Hashabiah son of Kemuel; of the Aaronite, Zadok; of Judah, Elihu, of the brethren of David; of Issachar, Omri son of Michael; of Zebulun, Ishmaiah son of Obadiah; of Naphtali, Jerimoth son of Azriel; of the sons of Ephraim, Hoshea son of Azaziah; of the half of the tribe of Manasseh, Joel son of Pedaiah; of the half of Manasseh in Gilead, Iddo son of Zechariah; of Benjamin, Jaasiel son of Abner; of Dan, Azareel son of Jeroham: these `are' heads of the tribes of Israel. And David hath not taken up their number from a son of twenty years and under, for Jehovah said to multiply Israel as the stars of the heavens. Joab son of Zeruiah hath begun to number -- and hath not finished -- and there is for this wrath against Israel, and the number hath not gone up in the account of the Chronicles of king David. And over the treasures of the king `is' Azmaveth son of Adiel; and over the treasures in the field, in the cities, and in the villages, and in the towers, `is' Jehonathan son of Uzziah; and over workmen of the field for the service of the ground `is' Ezri son of Chelub; and over the vineyards `is' Shimei the Ramathite; and over what `is' in the vineyards for the treasures of wine `is' Zabdi the Shiphmite; and over the olives, and the sycamores, that `are' in the low country, `is' Baal-Hanan the Gederite; and over the treasures of oil `is' Joash; and over the herds that are feeding in Sharon `is' Shitrai the Sharonite; and over the herds in the valleys `is' Shaphat son of Adlai; and over the camels `is' Obil the Ishmeelite; and over the asses `is' Jehdeiah the Meronothite; and over the flock `is' Jaziz the Hagerite; all these `are' heads of the substance that king David hath. And Jonathan, uncle of David, `is' counsellor, a man of understanding, he is also a scribe; and Jehiel son of Hachmoni `is' with the sons of the king; and Ahithophel `is' counsellor to the king; and Hushai the Archite `is' the friend of the king; and after Ahithophel `is' Jehoiada son of Benaiah, and Abiathar; and the head of the host of the king `is' Joab.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Chronicles 28
Commentary on 1 Chronicles 28 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 28
The account we have of David's exit, in the beginning of the first book of Kings, does not make his sun nearly so bright as that given in this and the following chapter, where we have his solemn farewell both to his son and his subjects, and must own that he finished well. In this chapter we have,
1Ch 28:1-10
A great deal of service David had done in his day, had served his generation according to the will of God, Acts 13:36. But now the time draws night that he must die, and, as a type of the Son of David, the nearer he comes to his end the more busy he is, and does his work with all his might. He is now a little recovered from the indisposition mentioned 1 Ki. 1:1, when they covered him with clothes, and he got no heat: but what cure is there for old age? He therefore improves his recovery, as giving him an opportunity of doing God and his country a little more service.
1Ch 28:11-21
As for the general charge that David gave his son to seek God and serve him, the book of the law was, in that, his only rule, and there needed no other; but, in building the temple, David was now to give him three things:-