The books of Chronicles

---

Chapter XII.

1–22 (not in Samuel).
David’s Adherents in exile.

This section describes the gathering to David of helpers from Benjamin (verses 1–7), Gad (8–15), Benjamin and Judah (16–18), and Manasseh (19–22)—before the death of Saul. It is entirely natural to suppose that the men who followed David in the days of Saul’s enmity were rewarded when he became king, and their descendants might well be prominent families in the land. Whether any such survived the exilic period and continued in later Jerusalem we cannot say for certain, but it is probable that some names in this list are correct, though it is doubtful whether the Chronicler is drawing on contemporary family tradition or on written sources. The style, however, shows that the composition of the chapter is the Chronicler’s, and the impression made by the whole should be contrasted with the picture of this period of David’s life given in 1 Samuel xxii. 1 ff. In Samuel David is leader of a small band of his own immediate friends, augmented by adventurers and desperate men, and numbering in all some six hundred. In Chronicles one gathers that his followers were the choice spirits of Israel and Judah, who rallied to his support until he had “a great host like the host of God.” Beyond question the picture in Samuel is true to fact, that in Chronicles being part of the idealisation of David as the perfect king, which the Chronicler (doubtless in full accord with the temper of his age) consistently presents. Its worth lies not in its historical accuracy, but in the religious enthusiasm which has produced it.

1–7.
Benjamite Adherents of David.

¹Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag, while¹ he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish: and they were among the mighty men, his helpers in war.

1. to Ziklag] David at Ziklag was a client of Achish, king of Gath (1 Samuel xxvii. 5, 6), so that Benjamites joining him put themselves under their hereditary enemies the Philistines.

while he yet kept himself close] Render, while he was yet shut up. David was shut in, as in a prison, and unable to move freely through the land of Israel.

²They were¹ armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left in slinging stones and in shooting arrows from the bow; they were of Saul’s brethren of Benjamin.

2. both the right hand and the left] In Judges xx. the Benjamites are said to have had seven hundred men lefthanded who could sling stones at a hair and not miss (Judges xx. verse 16). Compare Judges iii. 15.

they were of Saul’s brethren of Benjamin] Brother is used in Hebrew and Arabic for fellow-tribesman; compare 2 Samuel xix. 12. The loyalty of Benjamin to Saul even after his death is attested by 2 Samuel ii. 15, 25, 31. But the importance of Benjamites in the post-exilic period would encourage such a tradition as is here recorded.

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

3. The chief was A., then J.] Read (compare LXX.) A. the chief, J. the son (singular) of Shemaah.

Jehu the Anathothite] i.e. man of Anathoth. See xi. 28, note.

⁴and Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty; and Jeremiah, and Jahaziel, and Johanan, and Jozabad the Gederathite; ⁵Eluzai, and Jerimoth, and Bealiah, and Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite;

4. among the thirty, and over the thirty] Ishmaiah’s name does not occur among the thirty (2 Samuel xxiii. 24–39); the phrase is therefore perhaps only a kind of superlative; Ishmaiah was worthy to be ranked with the thirty or even above them. Probably however the list in chapter xi. and that in chapter xii. belong to different times.

the Gederathite] i.e. the man of Gederah. The only Gederah known was in the Judean Shephelah (Joshua xv. 36), so that it would seem that some men of Judah are reckoned along with the Benjamites in these verses. Similarly in verse 7 men of the Judean town of Gedor (iv. 4; Joshua xv. 58) are mentioned. Perhaps therefore some words introducing the names of Judean heroes have dropped out. But an identification with a Benjamite village Jedireh, North of Jerusalem, is also possible.

⁶Elkanah, and Isshiah, and Azarel, and Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites; ⁷and Joelah, and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.

6. the Korahites] Probably not the Levitic but the Calebite sons of Korah (ii. 43), who belonged to Judah, are meant.

8–15.
Gadite Adherents of David.

⁸And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David to the hold in the wilderness, mighty men of valour, men trained for war, that could handle shield and spear; whose faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as the roes upon the mountains; ⁹Ezer the chief, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third;

8. And of the Gadites] The Gadites had the name of marauders (Genesis xlix. 19), and David’s mode of life would attract them. Chronologically verse 8 should precede verse 1; David was first “in the hold” and afterwards in Ziklag. On the reference to Gad and Manasseh (verse 19) see 2 Chronicles xv. 9.

separated themselves] i.e. left their brethren east of Jordan and came west.

to the hold in the wilderness] It is uncertain whether this hold be or be not the cave of Adullam. On the latter see xi. 15, note.

shield and spear] The reference is to the manner of fighting in David’s day. At the threat of an attack an army was drawn up in close array, shield touching shield and spears carried at the charge. Only in a high state of discipline could men quickly and effectively handle shield and spear thus (1 Samuel xvii. 2, 8, 21). (The Authorized Version, “shield and buckler,” follows a mistake of several early editions of the printed Hebrew text.)

as the roes] In David’s lament (2 Samuel i.) Jonathan is compared to a lion (verse 23) and to a gazelle (verse 19 margin, the same Hebrew word as for roe here).

¹⁰Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth; ¹¹Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh; ¹²Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth; ¹³Jeremiah the tenth, Machbannai the eleventh.

10. Jeremiah, the fifth] Compare verse 13, Jeremiah the tenth. A very slight difference of spelling distinguishes the two words in the Hebrew.

¹⁴These of the sons of Gad were captains of the host: he that was least was equal to¹ an hundred, and the greatest to¹ a thousand.

14. he that was least ... thousand] Compare Leviticus xxvi. 8; Isaiah xxx. 17.

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

15. in the first month] In Nisan (the month of harvest) when the snow was melting and filling all streams; compare Joshua iii. 15.

all them of the valleys] i.e. all inhabitants of the valleys who in the interest of Saul sought to bar their march westward to join David.

16–18.
Amasai and His Companions.

16–18. These interesting and beautiful passages are so different in style and sentiment from what precedes and what follows that they would seem to be drawn from another source. It is quite possible that they were inserted thus between Gad and Manasseh by the Chronicler himself; but that they are a later addition is probable from the fact that the adherents who came from Benjamin and perhaps Judah (verses 5–7, see note on Gederathite) are given above, verses 1–7.

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

16. to the hold] See verse 8, notes.

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 adversaries, seeing there is no wrong¹ in mine hands, the God of our fathers look thereon, and rebuke it.

17. David went out to meet them] Instead of letting himself be surprised he took up a favourable position in advance from which he could hold parley with them. The south of Judah with its ravines and cliffs affords many such positions.

the God of our fathers, etc.] Compare the equally fine assertion of integrity of conduct and of faith in God made by David in 1 Samuel xxiv. 11 ff. If it be felt that in the later idealisation, which must be recognised, we lose our knowledge of the real David, it should be remembered that this very idealisation is in itself proof of the greatness of David in mind and soul. The strong but simple faith and the magnanimous bearing of David, which such a passage as the present portrays, are no doubt true to fact, for they provide precisely that historical basis without which the reverent and loving idealisation of later generations had never come into existence.

¹⁸Then the spirit came¹ upon Amasai, who was chief of the thirty², 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.

18. the spirit came upon A.] Literally a spirit (i.e. from God) clothed itself with (i.e. entered into) Amasai. Compare 2 Chronicles xxiv. 20; Judges vi. 34.

Amasai] Probably to be identified with “Amasa” (2 Samuel xvii. 25, xix. 13).

chief of the thirty] Thus the Kethīb; the Authorized Version], following the Ḳerī, has “chief of the captains”; so also xi. 11, where see note.

Thine are we, David, and on thy side] Literally “For thee, David, and with thee.” This response “Thine are we ... helpeth thee” is a fine fragment of Hebrew poetry, having an early simplicity of style, which it is peculiarly interesting to find in so late a book as Chronicles. It is assuredly not the composition of the Chronicler, but must be derived from some independent source, and is perhaps a really old traditional saying about David. See the Introduction § 5, p. xxxv.

for thy God helpeth thee] David’s frequent escapes from Saul were felt to be due to Divine protection.

19–22.
Manassite Adherents.

¹⁹Of Manasseh also there fell away some 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 away to his master Saul to the jeopardy of our heads.

19. when he came with the Philistines] See 1 Samuel xxviii. 1, 2, xxix. 1–11.

but they helped them not] David’s men did not help the Philistines.

upon advisement] “After consideration”; literally “by counsel.” Compare xxi. 12, “advise thyself.”

to the jeopardy of our heads] Rather, at the price of our heads. David became son-in-law to Saul at the price of the lives of two hundred of the Philistines (1 Samuel xviii. 27); their lords here (in Chronicles) express their dread lest David reconcile himself to Saul by some act of treachery and slaughter done against his present Philistine patrons; compare 1 Samuel xxix. 4 (“with” = “at the price of”).

²⁰As he went to Ziklag, there fell to him of Manasseh, Adnah, and Jozabad, and Jediael, and Michael, and Jozabad, and Elihu, and Zillethai, captains of thousands that were of Manasseh.

20. As he went] i.e. As he returned (1 Samuel xxx. 1).

Jozabad] This name occurs twice; possibly in the original list different patronymics were attached to the two mentions of the name.

captains of thousands] Compare xv. 25; Micah v. 2. Tribes were divided into “thousands” which were subdivided into “hundreds.” These divisions were of civil as well as of military significance.

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

21. the band of rovers] The reference is to the Amalekites who burnt Ziklag (1 Samuel xxx. 1 ff.). The Hebrew word gĕdūd, here translated “band,” is translated “troop” in 1 Samuel xxx. 8, 15.

and were captains] Render, and they became captains.

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

22. the host of God] The phrase comes from Genesis xxxii. 2; compare Psalms lxviii. 15 (Revised Version) “a mountain of God.” The epithet “of God” is used to distinguish a thing as “very great.”

23–40 (compare 2 Samuel v. 1).
The Forces which came to Hebron to make David King.

²³And these are the numbers of the heads of them that were armed for war, which came to David to Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the Lord.

23. And these are, etc.] It may confidently be said that the list as it stands is the composition of the Chronicler himself, for the syntax and vocabulary of the passage are his, and there is no evidence to suggest that its statements are based on those of some ancient document. Its value in the idealistic account of David which the Chronicler furnishes is obvious, implying as it does not only that the northern as well as the southern tribes concurred whole-heartedly in the election of David, but also that the occasion was one of great military display. On the huge numbers alleged to have come from the North (Zebulun, Naphtali, Dan, and Asher being credited with 155,600 warriors) compare the following note, and, in general, on midrashic exaggeration of numbers in Chronicles see the note on 2 Chronicles xvii. 14.

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

24. six thousand and eight hundred] Contrast the numbers assigned to the northern tribes in verses 33 ff. It may be the idea of the Chronicler that the unanimous support of the southern tribes could be assumed, and that only chosen representatives of these tribes attended. But much more probably the multitudes of Zebulun (verse 33), etc. are simply due to his desire to magnify the share taken by the north, whilst the problem of the numerical contrast with Judah, etc. did not present itself to him as it does to us.

²⁵Of the children of Simeon, mighty men of valour for the war, seven thousand and one hundred. ²⁶Of the children of Levi four thousand and six hundred.

25. Simeon] The most southerly of the tribes (iv. 24–31). The tribes are mentioned in order from south to north.

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

27. of the house of Aaron] Jehoiada was not high-priest, but leader of the warriors of the house of Aaron. He may be the same person as the father of Benaiah (xi. 22). Leader (Hebrew nagīd) is the title given to the “Ruler” of the Temple (ix. 11).

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

28. Zadok] In xxvii. 17 he seems to occupy the position assigned to Jehoiada in verse 27. Perhaps he succeeded him.

²⁹And of the children of Benjamin, the brethren of Saul, three thousand: for hitherto the greatest part of them had kept¹ their allegiance to the house of Saul. ³⁰And of the children of Ephraim twenty thousand and eight hundred, mighty men of valour, famous men in their fathers’ houses.

29. hitherto] i.e. up to the time referred to in 2 Samuel v. 1.

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

31. which were expressed by name] Suggesting that a census list was kept, recording however not necessarily individuals but simply households. The phrase does not mean picked representatives. Note how the Chronicler skilfully lightens his statistics by some descriptive phrase: so also in verses 32 ff.

³²And of the children of Issachar, 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.

32. that had understanding of the times] Compare Esther i. 13, “which knew the times.” “Times” are “opportunities,” “vicissitudes” (compare xxix. 30), “experiences,” good or bad (compare Psalms xxxi. 15). The phrase means, therefore, “men of experience, having knowledge of the world.” Some suppose that the phrase refers to astrological skill (knowledge of auspicious “times and seasons”).

³³Of Zebulun, such as were able to go out in the host, that could set the battle in array, with all manner of instruments of war, fifty thousand; and that could order the battle array, and were not of double heart. ³⁴And of Naphtali a thousand captains, and with them with shield and spear thirty and seven thousand. ³⁵And of the Danites that could set the battle in array, twenty and eight thousand and six hundred. ³⁶And of Asher, such as were able to go out in the host, that could set the battle in array, forty thousand.

33. such as were able, etc.] This description is intended to exclude mere lads (such as David appeared to be, 1 Samuel xvii. 33) who might be in attendance on the warriors.

that could order, etc.] i.e. who moved as one man in battle array; compare verse 8, note on shield and spear. For “of double heart” compare 2 Chronicles xxx. 12, “one heart.”

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.

37. an hundred and twenty thousand] Evidently a round number, giving 40,000 to each tribe; compare verse 36.

³⁸All these, being men of war, that could order the battle array, 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.

38. with a perfect heart] i.e. with whole, undivided heart.

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

39. eating and drinking] The feasting probably began with the sacrificial meal by which a covenant was usually ratified; compare Genesis xxxi. 46, 54.

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

40. they that were nigh unto them] The relatives of the assembled warriors cared for their needs.

as far as Issachar] Even those warriors who came from the northern districts were provisioned by their kinsfolk.