May
14th 1 Chronicles 10 B. The end of Saul Saul’s death
1: Now the Philistines fought
against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and
fell down slain in mount Gilboa. 2: And the Philistines followed hard after
Saul, and after his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and
Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. 3: And the battle went sore against Saul, and
the archers hit him, and he was wounded of the archers. 4: Then said Saul to
his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these
uncircumcised come and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was
sore afraid. So Saul took a sword, and fell upon it. 5: And when his
armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise on the sword, and died.
6: So Saul died, and his three sons, and all his house died together. 7: And
when all the men of Israel that were in the valley saw that they fled, and that
Saul and his sons were dead, then they forsook their cities, and fled: and the
Philistines came and dwelt in them. 8: And it came to pass on the morrow, when
the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his sons
fallen in mount Gilboa. 9: And when they had stripped him, they took his head,
and his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to carry
tidings unto their idols, and to the people. 10: And they put his armour in the
house of their gods, and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon. 11: And when
all Jabesh-gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul, 12: They
arose, all the valiant men, and took away the body of Saul, and the bodies of
his sons, and brought them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the oak in
Jabesh, and fasted seven days. 13: So Saul died for his transgression which he
committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept
not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to inquire
of it; 14: And inquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the
kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.
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Chronicles 11 B. The reign of
David David crowned King
1: Then all Israel gathered
themselves to David unto Hebron, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.
2: And moreover in time past, even when Saul was king, thou wast he that
leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the LORD thy God said unto thee, Thou
shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be ruler over my people Israel, and
thou shalt be ruler over my people Israel. 3: Therefore came all the elders of
Israel to the king to Hebron; and David made a covenant with them in Hebron
before the LORD; and they anointed David king over Israel, according to the
word of the LORD by Samuel.
David
captures Zion
4: And David and all Israel went to
Jerusalem, which is Jebus; where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the
land. 5: And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, Thou shalt not come hither.
Nevertheless David took the castle of Zion, which is the city of David. 6: And
David said, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain.
So Joab the son of Zeruiah went first up, and was chief. 7: And David dwelt in
the castle; therefore they called it the city of David. 8: And he built the
city round about, even from Millo round about: and Joab repaired the rest of
the city. 9: So David waxed greater and greater: for the LORD of hosts was with
him.
David’s
mighty men
10: These also are the chief of the
mighty men whom David had, who strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom,
and with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the LORD
concerning Israel. 11: And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had;
Jashobeam, and Hachmonite, the chief of the captains: he lifted up his spear
against three hundred slain by him at one time. 12: And after him was Eleazar
the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighties. 13: He was
with David at Pas-dammim, and there the Philistines were gathered together to
battle, where was a parcel of ground full of barley; and the people fled from
before the Philistines. 14: And they set themselves in the midst of that
parcel, and delivered it, and slew the Philistines; and the LORD saved them by
a great deliverance. 15: Now three of the thirty captains went down to the rock
to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines encamped in
the valley of Rephaim. 16: And David was then in the hold, and the Philistines'
garrison was then at Bethlehem. 17: And David longed, and said, Oh that one
would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, that is at the gate!
18: And the three brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out
of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to
David: but David would not drink of it, but poured it out to the LORD, 19: And
said, My God forbid it me, that I should do this thing: 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
these three mightiest. 20: And Abishai the brother of Joab, he was chief of the
three: for lifting up his spear against three hundred, he slew them, and had a
name among the three. 21: Of the three, he was more honourable than the two;
for he was 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
many acts; he slew two lionlike men of Moab: also he went down and slew a lion
in a pit in a snowy day. 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 the name among the three mighties. 25: Behold, he
was honourable among the thirty, but attained not to the first three: and David
set him over his guard. 26: Also the valiant men of the armies were, Asahel the
brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 27: Shammoth the
Harorite, Helez the Pelonite, 28: Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abi-ezer
the Antothite, 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, that pertained to 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 Shage 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 Haggeri, 39: Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai
the Berothite, the armourbearer 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 captain of the Reubenites, and thirty
with him, 43: Hanan the son of Maachah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite, 44: Uzzia
the Ashterathite, Shama and Jehiel the sons of Hothan 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 Jasiel the Mesobaite.
1
Chronicles 12 David’s personal
army
1: Now these are they that came to
David to Ziklag, while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of
Kish: and they were among the mighty men, helpers of the war. 2: They were
armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left in hurling
stones and shooting arrows out of a bow, even of Saul's brethren of Benjamin.
3: The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; and
Jeziel, and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; and Berachah, and Jehu the Antothite,
4: And Ismaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the
thirty; and Jeremiah, and Jahaziel, and Johanan, and Josabad the Gederathite,
5: Eluzai, and Jerimoth, and Bealiah, and Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite,
6: Elkanah, and Jesiah, and Azareel, and Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korhites,
7: And Joelah, and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor. 8: And of the
Gadites there separated themselves unto David into the hold to the wilderness
men of might, and men of war fit for the battle, that could handle shield and
buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as the
roes upon the mountains; 9: Ezer the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the
third, 10: Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, 11: Attai the sixth,
Eliel the seventh, 12: Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, 13: Jeremiah the
tenth, Machbanai the eleventh. 14: These were of the sons of Gad, captains of
the host: one of the least was over an hundred, and the greatest over a thousand.
15: These are they that went over Jordan in the first month, when it had
overflown all his banks; and they put to flight all them of the valleys, both
toward the east, and toward the west. 16: And there came of the children of
Benjamin and Judah to the hold unto David. 17: And 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
enemies, seeing there is no wrong in mine hands, the God of our fathers look
thereon, and rebuke it. 18: Then the spirit came upon Amasai, who was chief of
the captains, 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. 19:
And there fell some of Manasseh 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 to his master
Saul to the jeopardy of our heads. 20: As he went to Ziklag, there fell to him
of Manasseh, Adnah, and Jozabad, and Jediael, and Michael, and Jozabad, and
Elihu, and Zilthai, captains of the thousands that were of Manasseh. 21: And
they helped David against the band of the rovers: for they were all mighty men
of valour, and were captains in the host. 22: For at that time day by day there
came to David to help him, until it was a great host, like the host of God. 23:
And these are the numbers of the bands that were ready armed to the war, and
came to David to Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the
word of the LORD. 24: The children of Judah that bare shield and spear were six
thousand and eight hundred, ready armed to the war. 25: Of the children of
Simeon, mighty men of valour for the war, seven thousand and one hundred. 26:
Of the children of Levi four thousand and six hundred. 27: And Jehoiada was the
leader of the Aaronites, and with him were three thousand and seven hundred;
28: And Zadok, a young man mighty of valour, and of his father's house twenty
and two captains. 29: And of the children of Benjamin, the kindred of Saul,
three thousand: for hitherto the greatest part of them had kept the ward of the
house of Saul. 30: And of the children of Ephraim twenty thousand and eight
hundred, mighty men of valour, famous throughout the house of their fathers.
31: And of the half tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, which were expressed
by name, to come and make David king. 32: And of the children of Issachar,
which were 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. 33: Of Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, with
all instruments of war, fifty thousand, which could keep rank: they were not of
double heart. 34: And of Naphtali a thousand captains, and with them with
shield and spear thirty and seven thousand. 35: And of the Danites expert in
war twenty and eight thousand and six hundred. 36: And of Asher, such as went
forth to battle, expert in war, forty thousand. 37: And 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. 38: All these men of war, that could keep rank, 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. 39: And there they were with David
three days, eating and drinking: for their brethren had prepared for them. 40:
Moreover they that were nigh them, even unto Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali,
brought bread on asses, and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen, and meat,
meal, cakes of figs, and bunches of raisins, and wine, and oil, and oxen, and
sheep abundantly: for there was joy in Israel.
Now that the genealogies are over
the writer sets out to describe the life of David but first he deals with the
death of the previous king Saul. But once Saul is dead David is crowned king
and he captures the old city of Zion. Then we have described David’s chosen men
and then his vast army. Let’s get back to Saul. Saul was shot in battle by the
Philistine archers. Saul turned to his amour bearer to kill him to prevent him
from being taken by the Philistines but he was afraid to touch him as he was
king. So Saul drew his sword and fell on it. His amour bearer thinking that he
was dead he ran away. (However Saul was not quite dead and a passing enemy
killed him and took his crown and sword back to David.) In the battle Jonathan,
Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul died. Saul’s men fled to the hills
and the Philistines came and lived in their cities. When the Philistines found
Saul they beheaded him and stripped him and took his armour to their temple and
they set up his head in the temple of Dagon. When the men of Jabesh-gilead
heard of what had happened to Saul they broke through and took his body and
that of his sons and buried them under the Oak in Jabesh. And then they fasted
in mourning for seven days. Saul died because he enquired of the witch of
Endor. Then all Israel gathered to David in Hebron and crowned him king. Then
David set out to capture the city of Zion which is Jerusalem. David’s power
increased over the countryside. Then we have the list of David’s mighty men.
Jashobeam the chief of the captains:
he killed 300 with a spear on one day.
Eleazar - one of the three mighties.
He fought with David over a small ground of barley. It was a great fight.
Three of the thirty captains went
down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and they went and broke
through the philistine army just to get a drink of water from the well of
Bethlehem. It was just a dream but they risked their lives to give him his
dream.
Abishai
He was chief of the three – he used
his spear to kill 300.
Benaiah
He killed the two lion like men of
Moab
He killed a lion in a pit in the
snow.
He killed an Egyptian giant 5 cubits
high. He took the spear out of his hand and killed him with it.
Asahel the brother of Joab,
Elhanan the son of Dodo of
Bethlehem,
Shammoth the Harorite,
Helez the Pelonite,
Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,
Abi-ezer the Antothite,
Sibbecai the Hushathite,
Ilai the Ahohite,
Maharai the Netophathite,
Heled the son of Baanah the
Netophathite,
Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah,
that pertained to the children of Benjamin,
Benaiah the Pirathonite,
Hurai of the brooks of Gaash,
Abiel the Arbathite,
Azmaveth the Baharumite,
Eliahba the Shaalbonite,
Jonathan the son of Shage the
Hararite,
Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite,
Eliphal the son of Ur,
Hepher the Mecherathite,
Ahijah the Pelonite,
Hezro the Carmelite,
Naarai the son of Ezbai,
Joel the brother of Nathan,
Mibhar the son of Haggeri,
Zelek the Ammonite,
Naharai the Berothite, the
armourbearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah,
Ira the Ithrite,
Gareb the Ithrite,
Uriah the Hittite,
Zabad the son of Ahlai,
Adina the son of Shiza the
Reubenite, a captain of the Reubenites, and thirty with him,
Hanan the son of Maachah,
Joshaphat the Mithnite,
Uzzia the Ashterathite,
Shama and
Jehiel the sons of Hothan the
Aroerite,
Jediael the son of Shimri, and
Joha his brother, the Tizite,
Eliel the Mahavite,
Jeribai,
Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam,
Ithmah the Moabite,
Eliel,
Obed,
Jasiel the Mesobaite.
Then we have the description of
David’s Army. They were all men of incredible courage. They had bows and could
throw stones both arms left and right. It’s a long list but notice the
descriptions. The had faces like lions (fearless) they used shield and buckler.
They were swift on the mountains like roes. Some of them were empowered by the
Holy Spirit to fight. They could keep rank. In other words they fought as a
united army. Each supporting his neighbour. They were united in purpose and
devoted to David. When we see the exploits of these men then we can only wonder
at the physical prowess and godliness and strength of David. Who commanded such
a formidable force. His secret was his pure heart toward the Lord and his total
devotion to his men.
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