1 Chronicles11
American Standard Version · Public Domain
1 Then all Israel gathered themselves to David unto Hebron, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.
2 In times past, even when Saul was king, it was thou that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and Jehovah thy God said unto thee, Thou shalt be shepherd of my people Israel, and thou shalt be prince over my people Israel.
3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Jehovah; and they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of Jehovah by Samuel.
4 And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (the same is Jebus); and the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, were there.
5 And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, Thou shalt not come in hither. Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion; the same is the city of David.
6 And David said, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain. And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and was made chief.
7 And David dwelt in the stronghold; therefore they called it the city of David.
8 And he built the city round about, from Millo even round about; and Joab repaired the rest of the city.
9 And David waxed greater and greater; for Jehovah of hosts was with him.
10 Now these are the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who showed themselves strong with him in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of Jehovah concerning Israel.
11 And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had: Jashobeam, the son of a Hachmonite, the chief of the thirty; he lifted up his spear against three hundred and slew them at one time.
12 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men.
13 He was with David at Pasdammim, and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle, where was a plot of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines.
14 And they stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philistines; and Jehovah saved them by a great victory.
15 And three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines were encamped in the valley of Rephaim.
16 And David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth-lehem.
17 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me water to drink of the well of Beth-lehem, which is by the gate!
18 And the three brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but David would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto Jehovah,
19 and said, My God forbid it me, that I should do this: shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy? for with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.
20 And Abishai, the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three; for he lifted up his spear against three hundred and slew them, and had a name among the three.
21 Of the three, he was more honorable than the two, and was made their captain: howbeit he attained not to the first three.
22 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, he slew the two sons of Ariel of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow.
23 And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high; and in the Egyptian’s hand was a spear like a weaver’s beam; and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and slew him with his own spear.
24 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had a name among the three mighty men.
25 Behold, he was more honorable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three: and David set him over his guard.
26 Also the mighty men of the armies: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem,
27 Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite,
28 Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite,
29 Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,
30 Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite,
31 Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite,
32 Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,
33 Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,
34 the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite,
35 Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur,
36 Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,
37 Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the son of Ezbai,
38 Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri,
39 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armorbearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah,
40 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,
41 Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai,
42 Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a chief of the Reubenites, and thirty with him,
43 Hanan the son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite,
44 Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,
45 Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite,
46 Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite,
47 Eliel, and Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.
People in this chapter — 78
All people →- David
- Saul
- Benjamin
- Joab
- Samuel
- Jonathan
- Reuben
- Eleazar
- Heth
- Jehoiada
- Benaiah
- Nathan
- Uriah
- Zeruiah
- Abishai
- Ahijah
- Asahel
- Joel
- Jeiel
- Obed
- Hepher
- Hanan
- Baanah
- Eliel
+54 more
- Israel
- Egypt
- Philistine
- Moab
- Hebron
- Maacah
- Anathoth
- Abiezer
- Shammah
- Ittai
- Zabad
- Ahoah
- Dodo
- Ira
- Azmaveth
- Sibbecai
- Ur
- Hagri
- Jediael
- Elhanan
- Helez
- Shimri
- Jashobeam
- Ikkesh
- Heleb
- Maharai
- Gareb
- Hotham
- Zalmon
- Ribai
- Hiddai
- Eliahba
- Jashen
- Ahiam
- Sharar
- Hezro
- Naharai
- Zelek
- Ahlai
- Joshaphat
- Joha
- Jaasiel
- Eliphal
- Ezbai
- Naarai
- Mibhar
- Adina
- Shiza
- Shama
- Uzzia
- Elnaam
- Ithmah
- Jeribai
- Joshaviah
Study
1 Chronicles 11Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for 1 Chronicles 11. The full AI study guide (summary, themes, context) has its own page.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: David raised to the throne. (1–9). A list of David's mighty men. (10–47).
vv1-9
David was brought to possess the throne of Israel after he had reigned seven years in Hebron, over Judah only. God's counsels will be fulfilled at last, whatever difficulties lie in the way. The way to be truly great, is to be really useful, to devote all our talents to the Lord.
vv10-47
An account is given of David's worthies, the great men who served him. Yet David reckoned his success, not as from the mighty men that were with him, but from the mighty God, whose presence is all in all. In strengthening him, they strengthened themselves and their own interest, for his advancement was theirs. We shall gain by what we do in our places for the support of the kingdom of the Son of David; and those that are faithful to Him, shall find their names registered much more to their honour, than these are in the records of fame.
Key Words
כֹּל: properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
קָבַץ: to grasp, i.e. collect
דָּוִד: David, the youngest son of Jesse
חֶבְרוֹן: Chebron, a place in Palestine, also the name of two Israelites
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
הִנֵּה: lo!
עֶצֶם: a bone (as strong); by extension, the body; figuratively, the substance, i.e. (as pron.) selfsame
בָּשָׂר: flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person; also (by euphemistically) the pudenda of aman
שִׁלְשׁוֹם: trebly, i.e. (in time) day before yesterday
Cross References
1 Chronicles 11Parallel account of all Israel anointing David king at Hebron and conquering Jerusalem.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallel listing of David's mighty men, explaining Jashobeam (Adino) and the slain.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Verbatim parallel: 'thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel.'
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallel describing the elders of Israel covenanting and anointing David king in Hebron.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallel account of David taking Jebus (Jerusalem) from the Jebusites.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Direct parallel for the exploits of the thirty, the Bethlehem well, and listing of heroes.
Supported by JFB
Parallel for David longing for water from the well of Bethlehem.
Supported by JFB
Direct parallel detailing Benaiah's valorous exploits, including slaying the lion in a pit.
Supported by JFB
Sovereign coronation precedent where public covenanting/anointing confirms kingship before the Lord.
Supported by JFB
Parallel showing Eleazar the son of Dodo's heroic stand against the Philistines.
Supported by JFB
Idiomatic expression of close kinship: 'Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.'
Prophetic fulfillment of the Shepherd-Ruler of Israel rising from Bethlehem.
The parallel account of David's challenge to smite the Jebusites.
Historical location context for the cave of Adullam where David took refuge.
Parallel passage describing Benaiah slaying the massive Egyptian with his own spear.