1 Chronicles 11.

Matthew Henry

In this chapter is repeated, I. The elevation of David to the throne, immediately upon the death of Saul, by common consent (Ch1 11:1-3). II. His gaining the castle of Zion out of the hands of the Jebusites (Ch1 11:4-9). III. The catalogue of the worthies and great men of his kingdom (v. 10-47).

1–9. David is here brought to the possession.
I. Of the throne of Israel, after he had reigned seven years in Hebron, over Judah only. In consideration of his relation to them (Ch1 11:1), his former good services, and especially the divine designation (Ch1 11:2), they anointed him their king: he covenanted to protect them, and they to bear faith and true allegiance to him, Ch1 11:3. Observe, 1. God's counsels will be fulfilled at last, whatever difficulties lie in the way. If God had said, David shall rule, it is in vain to oppose it. 2. Men that have long stood in their own light, when they have long wearied themselves with their lying vanities, it is to be hoped, will understand the things that belong to their peace and return to their own mercies. 3. Between prince and people there is an original contract, which both ought religiously to observe. If ever any prince might have claimed an absolute despotic power, David might, and might as safely as any have been entrusted with it; and yet he made a covenant with the people, took the coronation-oath, to rule by law.
II. Of the strong-hold of Zion, which was held by the Jebusites till David's time. Whether David had a particular eye upon it as a place fit to make a royal city, or whether he had a promise of it from God, it seems that one of his first exploits was to make himself master of that fort; and, when he had it, he called it the city of David, Ch1 11:7. To this reference is had, Psa 2:6. I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. See here what quickens and engages resolution in great undertakings. 1. Opposition. When the Jebusites set David at defiance, and said, Thou shalt not come hither. he resolved to force it, whatever it cost him. 2. Prospect of preferment. When David proposed to give the general's place to him that would lead the attack upon the castle of Zion, Joab was fired with the proposal, and he went up first, and was chief. It has been said, "Take away honour out of the soldier's eye and you cut off the spurs from his heels."

10. We have here an account of David's worthies, the great men of his time that served him and were preferred by him. The first edition of this catalogue we had, Sa2 23:8, etc. This is much the same, only that those named here from Ch1 11:41 to the end are added. Observe,
I. The connexion of this catalogue with that which is said concerning David, Ch1 11:9. 1. David waxed greater and greater, and these were his mighty men. Much of the strength and honour of great men is borrowed from their servants and depends upon them, which cannot but somewhat diminish pomp and power in the opinion of those that are wise. David is great because he has great men about him; take these away, and he is where he was. 2. The Lord of hosts was with him, and these were the mighty men which he had. God was with him and wrought for him, but by men and means and the use of second causes. By this it appeared that God was with him, that he inclined the hearts of those to come over to him that were able to serve his interest. As, if God be for us none can be against us, so, if God be for us, all shall be for us that we have occasion for. Yet David ascribed his success and increase, not to the hosts he had, but to the Lord of hosts, not to the mighty men that were with him, but to the mighty God whose presence with us is all in all.
II. The title of this catalogue (Ch1 11:10): These are the men who strengthened themselves with him. In strengthening him they strengthened themselves and their own interest; for his advancement was theirs. What we do in our places for the support of the kingdom of the Son of David we shall be gainers by. In strengthening it we strengthen ourselves. It may be read, They held strongly with him and with all Israel. Note, When God has work to do he will not want fit instruments to do it with. If it be work that requires mighty men, mighty men shall either be found or made to effect it, according to the word of the Lord.
III. That which made all these men honourable was the good service that they did to their king and country; they helped to make David king (Ch1 11:10) - a good work. They slew the Philistines, and other public enemies, and were instrumental to save Israel. Note, The way to be great is to do good. Nor did they gain this honour without labour and the hazard of their lives. The honours of Christ's kingdom are prepared for those that fight the good fight of faith, that labour and suffer, and are willing to venture all, even life itself, for Christ and a good conscience. It is by a patient continuance in well-doing that we must seek for glory, and honour, and immortality; and those that are faithful to the Son of David shall find their names registered and enrolled much more to their honour than these are in the records of fame.
IV. Among all the great exploits of David's mighty men, here is nothing great mentioned concerning David himself but his pouring out water before the Lord which he had longed for, Ch1 11:18, Ch1 11:19. Four very honourable dispositions of David appeared in that action, which, for aught I know, made it as great as any of the achievements of those worthies. 1. Repentance for his own weakness. It is really an honour to a man, when he is made sensible that he has said or done any thing unadvisedly, to unsay it and undo it again by repentance, as it is a shame to a man when he has said or done amiss to stand to it. 2. Denial of his own appetite. He longed for the water of the well of Bethlehem; but, when he had it, he would not drink it, because he would not so far humour himself and gratify a foolish fancy. He that has such a rule as this over his own spirit is better than the mighty. It is an honour to a man to have the command of himself; but he that will command himself must sometimes cross himself. 3. Devotion towards God. That water which he thought too good, too precious, for his own drinking, he poured out to the Lord for a drink offering. If we have any thing better than another, let God be honoured with it, who is the best, and should have the best. 4. Tenderness of his servants. It put him into the greatest confusion imaginable to think that three brave men should hazard their lives to fetch water for him. In his account it turns the water into blood. It is the honour of great men not to be prodigal of the blood of those they employ, but, in all the commands they give them, to put their own souls into their souls' stead.
V. In the wonderful achievements of these heroes the power of God must be acknowledged. How could one slay 300 and another the same number (Ch1 11:11, Ch1 11:20), another two lion-like men (Ch1 11:22), and another an Egyptian giant (Ch1 11:23), if they had not had the extraordinary presence of God with them, according to that promise, Jos 23:10, One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the Lord your God fighteth for you?
VI. One of these worthies is said to be an Ammonite (Ch1 11:39), another a Moabite (Ch1 11:46), and yet the law was that an Ammonite and a Moabite should not enter into the congregation of the Lord, Deu 23:3. These, it is likely, had approved themselves so hearty for the interest of Israel that in their case it was thought fit to dispense with that law, and the rather because it was an indication that the Son of David would have worthies among the Gentiles: with him there is neither Greek nor Jew.

Adam Clarke

David is anointed king in Hebron, Ch1 11:1-3. He wars against the Jebusites, and takes their city, Ch1 11:4-9. An account of David's three mightiest heroes; and particularly of their hazardous exploit in bringing water from the well of Beth-lehem, Ch1 11:10-19. A list of the rest, and an account of their acts, vv. 20-47.

1–10. Then all Israel gathered themselves to David - See Sa2 5:1-10 (note), for the history contained in the first nine verses of this chapter, and the notes there.

11–16. The number of the mighty men - See Sa2 23:8 (note), etc., and the notes there. The Targum has a remarkable addition here.
"These are the numbers of the strong men who were with David; he was the potent chief of the army; he sat upon the throne of judgment, anointed with the holy oil, all the prophets and wise men standing about him. When he went to battle, he was assisted from on high; and when he sat down to teach the law, the true meaning arose up in his mind. He was elect and pleasant, of a beautiful mien and lovely countenance, exercised in wisdom, prudent in counsel, and strong in virtue; the prince of the assembly, of a melodious voice, master in hymns, and chief among the mighty. He was instructed in the use of martial weapons; he carried a spear, to which was appended the ensign of the host of Judah; he went forth according to the voice of the Holy Spirit, was victorious in battle, and overthrew with his spear three hundred men at one time." - T.
On this and some of the following verses there is a judicious note of Dr. Kennicott, which I shall take the liberty to introduce, referring to his first Dissertation on the Hebrew text for farther illustration and proof, p. 128-144.
"Among the parallel places, a comparison of which may be of very considerable service, scarce any passages will appear more effectually to correct each other than the catalogue of David's mighty men of valor, as it now stands in 2 Samuel 23:8-39, and in this chapter. About thirty-four Hebrew words have been lost out of this part of the passage in Chronicles, which are happily preserved in Samuel.
"The chief point of proof is this, that the catalogue divides these thirty-seven warriors into the captain-general, a first three, a second three, and the remaining thirty; and yet that the third captain of the first ternary is now here omitted. The following juxtaposition will show the whole deficiency, and properly supply it. But let it be observed that Jashobeam, the first captain of the first ternary, had been already mentioned, and that the history is here speaking of the second captain, namely, Eleazar.

2 Samuel 1 Chronicles Sa2 23:9 And after him was Eleazar the son Ch1 11:12 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, one of the three mighty of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighties. men with David when they defied Ch1 11:13 He was with David at Pas-dammim, and there the Philistines that were there gathered together to the Philistines were gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away. battle, Sa2 23:10 He arose and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary and his hand clave unto the sword; and the Lord wrought a great victory that day: and the people returned after him only to spoil. Sa2 23:11 And after him was Shammah. The son of Agee, the Hararite: and the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people a parcel of ground full of barley, and the people fled from the Philistines. Sa2 23:12 But he fled from before the Philistines. Ch1 11:14 And they set stood in the midst of the ground and defended themselves, in the midst of that parcel, and delivered it, and slew the Philistines: and the Lord it, and slew the Philistines: and the Lord wrought a great victory. saved them by a great deliverance.

17–21. David longed - See the notes on Sa2 23:15-17 (note).

22. Benaiah - slew two lion-like men of Moab - The Targum says,
"Benaiah was a valiant man, fearing sin, and of a righteous conduct in Kabzeel; he slew two of the nobles of Moab, who were like two strong lions. He was a great and righteous man as any in the second sanctuary. On a certain day, having struck his foot against a dead tortoise, he went down to Shiloh, and having broken pieces of ice, he washed himself with them, and afterward went up, and read the book of the law of the priests, in which much is contained, in a short winter's day, viz., the tenth of the month Tebeth."

23–24. Plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear - See the note on Sa2 23:21.

25. David set him over his guard - "Made him chief ruler over his disciples." - T.
For other particulars, see the notes on the parallel places, where the subject is farther considered.

John Gill

INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 11

This chapter treats of David's being anointed king by all Israel, Ch1 11:1, which agrees with Sa2 5:1 See Gill on Sa2 5:1 See Gill on Sa2 5:2 See Gill on Sa2 5:3 and of his taking Jerusalem from the Jebusites, Ch1 11:4 the account of which we have Sa2 5:6. See Gill on Sa2 5:6 See Gill on Sa2 5:7 See Gill on Sa2 5:8 See Gill on Sa2 5:9 See Gill on Sa2 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, Ch1 11:6 or rather, as others give the sense, he "saved alive" (b) those that remained in the city, after he had slain the lame and the blind; though a learned (d) writer conjectures it should be read, "and Joab was made 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, Ch1 11:10 of whom see the notes on Sa2 23:8, Sa2 23:9, Sa2 23:10, Sa2 23:11, Sa2 23:12, Sa2 23:13, Sa2 23:14, Sa2 23:15, Sa2 23:16, Sa2 23:17, Sa2 23:18, Sa2 23:19, Sa2 23:20, Sa2 23:21, Sa2 23:22, Sa2 23:23, Sa2 23:24, Sa2 23:25, Sa2 23:26, Sa2 23:27, Sa2 23:28, Sa2 23:29, Sa2 23:30, Sa2 23:31, Sa2 23:32, Sa2 23:33, Sa2 23:34, Sa2 23:35, Sa2 23:36, Sa2 23:37, Sa2 23:38, Sa2 23:39 and others are added here, Ch1 11:42 of whom we know no more than their names.

(b) "vivas conservavit urbis reliquias", Junius & Tremellius; Strigelius in Poli Synops. in loc. (d) Dr. Kennicot's State of the Hebrew Text, dissert. 1. p. 54.

Next: 1 Chronicles Chapter 12

JFB

DAVID MADE KING. (Ch1 11:1-3)

Then all Israel gathered themselves to David unto Hebron--This event happened on the death of Ish-bosheth (see on Sa2 5:1). The convention of the estates of the kingdom, the public and solemn homage of the representatives of the people, and the repeated anointing of the new king in their presence and by their direction, seem to have been necessary to the general acknowledgment of the sovereign on the part of the nation (compare Sa1 11:15).

4–7. HE WINS THE CASTLE OF ZION FROM THE JEBUSITES BY JOAB'S VALOR. (Ch1 11:4-9)

David and all Israel went to . . . Jebus--(See on Sa2 5:6).

8–9. Joab repaired the rest of the city--David built a new town to the north of the old one on Mount Zion; but Joab was charged with a commission to restore the part that had been occupied by the ancient Jebus, to repair the breaches made during the siege, to rebuild the houses which had been demolished or burned in the sacking of the town, and to preserve all that had escaped the violence of the soldiery. This work of reconstruction is not noticed elsewhere [CALMET].

10. A CATALOGUE OF HIS WORTHIES. (1Ch. 11:10-47)

These . . . are the chief of the mighty men--(See on Sa2 23:8). They are here described as those who held strongly with him (Margin) to make him king, &c. In these words the sacred historian assigns a reason for introducing the list of their names, immediately after his account of the election of David as king, and the conquest of Jerusalem; namely, that they assisted in making David king. In the original form of the list, and the connection in which it occurs in Samuel, there is no reference to the choice of a king; and even in this passage it is only in the clause introduced into the superscription that such a reference occurs [KEIL].

11. Jashobeam, an Hachmonite--or, "son of Hachmoni." He is called also son of Zabdiel (Ch1 27:2), so that, strictly speaking, he was the grandson of Hachmoni (compare Ch1 27:32).

lifted up his spear against three hundred slain by him at one time--The feat is said (Sa2 23:8) to have been a slaughter of eight hundred in one day. Some endeavor to reconcile the statements in that passage and in this by supposing that he slew eight hundred on one occasion and three hundred on another; while others conjecture that he attacked a body of eight hundred, and, having slain three hundred of them, the rest fled [LIGHTFOOT].

12. the three mighties--Only two are mentioned; namely, Jashobeam and Eleazar--the third, Shammah (Sa2 23:11), is not named in this passage.

13–14. He was with David at Pas-dammim--It was at the time when he was a fugitive in the wilderness, and, parched with thirst under the burning heat of noonday, he wistfully thought of the cool fountain of his native village [Sa2 23:15; Ch1 11:17]. This is a notice of the achievement, to which Eleazar owed his fame, but the details are found only in Sa2 23:9-11, where it is further said that he was aided by the valor of Shammah, a fact corroborated in the passage before us (Ch1 11:14), where it is recorded of the heroes, that "they set themselves in the midst of that parcel." As the singular number is used in speaking of Shammah (Sa2 23:12), the true view seems to be that when Eleazar had given up from exhaustion, Shammah succeeded, and by his fresh and extraordinary prowess preserved the field.

barley--or lentils (Sa2 23:11). Ephes-dammim was situated between Shocoh and Azekah, in the west of the Judahite territory. These feats were performed when David acted as Saul's general against the Philistines.

15–20. David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink . . . of the well of Beth-lehem--(See on Sa2 23:15). This chivalrous act evinces the enthusiastic devotion of David's men, that they were ready to gratify his smallest wish at the risk of their lives. It is probable that, when uttering the wish, David had no recollection of the military posted at Beth-lehem. It is generally taken for granted that those who fought a way to the well of Beth-lehem were the three champions just mentioned [see on Ch1 11:13]. But this is far from being clear. On the contrary, it would seem that three different heroes are referred to, for Abishai (Ch1 11:20) was one of them. The camp of the Philistines was in the valley of Rephaim (Ch1 11:15), which lay on the west of Jerusalem, but an outpost was stationed at Beth-lehem (Ch1 11:16), and through this garrison they had to force a passage.

21. howbeit he attained not to the first three--(See on Sa2 23:19).

22. Benaiah . . . of Kabzeel--a town in the south of Judah (Jos 15:21; Neh 11:25). It is said that "he had done many acts," though three only are mentioned as specimens of his daring energy and fearless courage.

slew two lionlike men of Moab--literally, "lions of God," that is, great lions or champions. This gallant feat was probably achieved in David's hostile invasion of Moab (Sa2 8:2).

also he went down and slew a lion in a pit in a snowy day--probably a cave into which Benaiah had taken refuge from the snowstorm, and in which he encountered a savage lion which had its lair there. In a spacious cave the achievement would be far greater than if the monster had been previously snared or cabined in a pit.

23–24. he went down--the ordinary phraseology for expressing an engagement in battle. The encounter of Benaiah with this gigantic Egyptian reminds us, in some respects, of David's combat with Goliath. At least, the height of this giant, which was about eight feet, and his armor, resembled his of Gath.

with a staff--that is, having no other weapon in his hand than his walking stick.

25. David set him over his guard--the Cherethites and Pelethites that composed the small bodyguard in immediate attendance on the king.

26. Also the valiant men of the armies--This was the third degree of military rank, and Asahel was their chief; the names of few of those mentioned are historically known.

27–29. Shammoth--Between this name and Hebez, that of Elikah has evidently fallen out, as we may see (Sa2 23:25-26) [BERTHEAU].

30–38. Maharai--chief of the detachment of the guards who attended on the king in the tenth month, January (Ch1 27:13; Sa2 23:28).

39–40. Naharai--armorbearer to Joab (Sa2 23:37). The non-occurrence of Joab's name in any of the three catalogues is most probably to be accounted for by the circumstance that his office as commander-in-chief raised him to a position superior to all these orders of military knighthood.

41. Uriah the Hittite--The enrolment of this name in such a list, attesting, as it does, his distinguished merits as a brave and devoted officer, aggravates the criminality of David's outrage on his life and honor. The number of the names at 1Ch. 11:26-41 (exclusive of Asahel and Uriah, who were dead) is thirty, and at Ch1 11:41-47 is sixteen--making together forty-eight (see on 1Ch. 27:1-34). Of those mentioned (1Ch. 11:26-41), the greater part belonged to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin; the sixteen names (Ch1 11:41-47) are all associated with places unknown, or with cities and districts on the east of the Jordan. The northern tribes do not appear to have furnished any leaders [BERTHEAU].

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