1Now these were the ones who came to David at Ziklag while he was still restrained from before Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men, helping in the war, 2armed with bows, using both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows with the bow; Saul's brethren from Benjamin. 3The chief: Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Berachah, and Jehu the Anathothite; 4Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Jozabad the Gederathite; 5Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite; 6Elkanah, Jisshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites; 7and Joelah and Zebadiah the sons of Jeroham of Gedor. 8Some Gadites had separated over to David at the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men of war fit for battle, who could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as gazelles on the mountains: 9Ezer the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third, 10Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, 11Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, 12Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, 13Jeremiah the tenth, and Machbanai the eleventh. 14These were from the sons of Gad, chiefs of the army; the least was over a hundred, and the greatest was over a thousand. 15These are the ones who crossed over the Jordan in the first month, when it was overflowing all its banks; and they put to flight all those in the valleys, to the east and to the west. 16And some of the sons of Benjamin and Judah came to David at the stronghold. 17And David went out to meet them, and answered and said to them, If you have come peaceably to me to help me, my heart will be united with you; but if to betray me to my enemies, since there is no wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers see it and judge. 18And when the Spirit had clothed Amasai, chief of the thirty, he said: We are yours, O David; we are on your side, O son of Jesse. Peace, peace to you, and peace to your helpers. For your God helps you. So David received them, and assigned them to the chiefs among the troops. 19Some from Manasseh had fallen out to David when he was going with the Philistines to battle against Saul; but they did not help them, for the lords of the Philistines sent him away after taking counsel, saying, He may fall out to his master Saul with our heads. 20When he went to Ziklag, those of Manasseh who had fallen out to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai; heads of thousands from Manasseh. 21And they helped David against the bands of raiders, for they were all mighty men of valor, and they were commanders in the army; 22for at that time they came to David day by day to help him, until it was a great camp, like the host of God. 23These were the numbers of the divisions that were equipped for war, who had come to David at Hebron to turn over the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the mouth of Jehovah: 24of the sons of Judah bearing shield and spear, six thousand eight hundred armed for war; 25of the sons of Simeon, mighty men of valor fit for war, seven thousand one hundred; 26of the sons of Levi four thousand six hundred; 27Jehoiada, the leader of the Aaronites, and with him three thousand seven hundred; 28Zadok, a young man mighty in valor, and from his father's house twenty-two commanders; 29of the sons of Benjamin, kindred of Saul, three thousand (for until then the greater number of them were keeping the charge of guarding the house of Saul); 30of the sons of Ephraim twenty thousand eight hundred, mighty men of valor, famous men throughout the house of their fathers; 31of the half-tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, who had been designated by name to come and make David king; 32of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command; 33of Zebulun there were fifty thousand who could go out to war and set the battle in array with all implements of war, to help with undivided heart; 34of Naphtali one thousand commanders, and with them thirty-seven thousand with shield and spear; 35of the Danites who could draw up in battle formation, twenty-eight thousand six hundred; 36of Asher, those who could go out to war and draw up in battle formation, forty thousand; 37of the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, from the other side of the Jordan, one hundred and twenty thousand armed for battle with every kind of implement of war. 38All these men of war, who could keep ranks, came to Hebron with a perfect heart, to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest of Israel were of one heart to make David king. 39And they were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their brethren had prepared for them. 40Moreover those who were near to them, from as far away as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, were bringing food on donkeys and camels, on mules and oxen; provisions of flour and cakes of figs and cakes of raisins, wine and oil and oxen and sheep abundantly, for there was joy in Israel.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 THE COMPANIES THAT CAME TO DAVID AT ZIKLAG. (1Ch. 12:1-22)
Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag--There are three lists given in this chapter, arranged, apparently, according to the order of time when the parties joined the standard of David.
while he yet kept himself close because of Saul--that is, when the king's jealousy had driven him into exile from the court and the country.
Ziklag--(See on
1Sam 27:6). It was during his retirement in that Philistine town that he was joined in rapid succession by the heroes who afterwards contributed so much to the glory of his reign.
2 of Saul's brethren of Benjamin--that is, of the tribe of Benjamin (compare
1Chr 12:29), but some of them might be relatives of the king. This movement to which the parties were led, doubtless by the secret impulse of the Spirit, was of vast importance to the cause of David, as it must have been founded on their observation of the evident withdrawal of God's blessing from Saul, and His favoring presence with David, to whom it was universally known the Divine King of Israel had given the crown in reversion. The accession of the Benjamites who came first and their resolution to share his fortunes must have been particularly grateful to David. It was a public and emphatic testimony by those who had enjoyed the best means of information to the unblemished excellence of his character, as well as a decided protest against the grievous wrong inflicted by causelessly outlawing a man who had rendered such eminent services to his country.
4 Ismaiah the Gibeonite--It appears that not only the Canaanites who were admitted into the congregation (Jos. 9:1-27), but people of the tribe of Benjamin, were among the inhabitants of Gibeon. The mention of "the Gederathite," probably from Gederah (
Josh 15:36), in the lowlands of Judah; of the Korhites (
1Chr 12:6), from Korah (
1Chr 2:43), and of Gedor (
1Chr 12:7), a town in Judah, to the southwest of Beth-lehem (compare
1Chr 4:4), shows that this first list contains men of Judah as well as Benjamin [BERTHEAU].
8 of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David--that is, from the service of Saul and from the rest of the Gadites who remained steadfast adherents of his cause.
into the hold--or fortress, that is, of Ziklag, which was in the wilderness of Judah.
whose faces were like the faces of lions, &c.--A fierce, lion-like countenance (
2Sam 1:23), and great agility in pursuit (
2Sam 2:18), were qualities of the highest estimation in ancient warfare.
14 one of the least was over an hundred, and the greatest over a thousand--David, while at Ziklag, had not so large an amount of forces as to give to each of these the command of so many men. Another meaning, therefore, must obviously be sought, and excluding was, which is a supplement by our translators, the import of the passage is, that one of the least could discomfit a hundred, and the greatest was worth a thousand ordinary men; a strong hyperbole to express their uncommon valor.
15 These are they that went over Jordan in the first month--that is, in spring, when the swollen river generally fills up the banks of its channel (see on
Josh 3:14;
Josh 4:19;
Josh 5:10).
they put to flight all them of the valleys--This was probably done at the time of their separating themselves and their purpose being discovered, they had to cut their passage through the opposing adherents of Saul, both on the eastern and western banks. The impossibility of taking the fords at such a time, and the violent rapidity of the current, make this crossing of the Jordan--in whatever way these Gadites accomplished it--a remarkable feat.
16 the children of Benjamin and Judah--It is probable that the Benjamites invited the Judahites to accompany them, in order to prevent David being suspicious of them. Their anticipations, as the result showed, were well founded. He did suspect them, but the doubts of David as to their object in repairing to him, were promptly dispelled by Amasai or Amasa, who, by the secret impulse of the Spirit, assured him of their strong attachment and their zealous service from a unanimous conviction that his cause was owned and blessed of God (
1Sam 18:12-14).
19 there fell some of Manasseh--The period of their accession is fixed as the time when David came with the Philistines against Saul to battle.
but they helped them not--(See on
1Sam 29:4).
20 As he went to Ziklag--If those Manassites joined him on his return to Ziklag, after his dismissal from the Philistine army, then their arrival took place before the battle of Gilboa could have been fought (compare
1Sam 29:11). Convinced of the desperate state of Saul's affairs, they abandoned him, and resolved to transfer their allegiance to David. But some learned men think that they came as fugitives from that disastrous field [CALMET and EWALD].
captains of the thousands . . . of Manasseh--Those seven were commanders of the large military divisions of their tribe.
21 they helped David against the band--that is, the Amalekites who had pillaged Ziklag in David's absence. This military expedition was made by all his men (
1Sam 30:9), who, as David's early helpers, are specially distinguished from those who are mentioned in the latter portion of the chapter.
22 the host of God--that is, a great and powerful army.
23 THE ARMIES THAT CAME TO HIM AT HEBRON. (1Ch. 12:23-40)
these are the numbers of the bands . . . that came to David to Hebron--after the death of Ish-bosheth (see on
2Sam 5:1).
to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the Lord-- (
1Chr 10:14;
1Chr 11:3,
1Chr 11:10). The account commences with the southern tribes, Levi being associated with Judah and Simeon, as the great majority of the leading men in this tribe resided in Judah; and, after recounting the representatives of the northern tribes, it concludes with those on the east of Jordan.
27 Jehoiada, the leader of the Aaronites--not the high priest, for that was Abiathar (
1Sam 23:9), but the leader of the Aaronite warriors, supposed to be the father of Benaiah (
1Chr 11:22).
29 Benjamin . . . three thousand--This small number shows the unpopularity of the movement in this tribe; and, indeed, it is expressly stated that the mass of the population had, even after Ish-bosheth's death, anxiously endeavored to secure the crown in the family of Saul.
32 children of Issachar, . . . that had understanding of the times, &c.--Jewish writers say that the people of this tribe were eminent for their acquirements in astronomical and physical science; and the object of the remark was probably to show that the intelligent and learned classes were united with the military, and had declared for David.
33 Zebulun . . . could keep rank--that is, were more disciplined soldiers than the rest.
not of double heart--Though their numbers were large, all were in a high degree well affected to David.
38 all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king--that is, entertained a unanimous desire for his elevation.
39 there they were with David three days, eating and drinking--According to the statements made in the preceding verses, the number of armed warriors assembled in Hebron on this occasion amounted to three hundred thousand. Supplies of provisions were abundantly furnished, not only by the people of the neighborhood, but from distant parts of the country, for all wished the festivities to be on a scale of liberality and magnificence suitable to the auspicious occasion.