CHAPTER 11
1. And all of Israel gathered together to Dawid at Hevron to say, “Look! We are your own bone and flesh!
2. “And yesterday and the day before, even when Sha’ul was king, you were the one who led Israel out and who brought them in, and YHWH your Elohim told you, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be leader over My people Israel.’”
3. Therefore all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hevron and Dawid cut a covenant with them at Hevron in the presence of YHWH, and they anointed Dawid as king over Israel, according to the word of YHWH through Shmu’el.
4. Then Dawid and all Israel went to Yerusahalayim—that is Y’vus, where the Y’vusites were inhabitants of the Land.
5. And the inhabuitants of Y’vus told Dawid, “You won’t come in here!” Yet Dawid captured the stronghold of Tzion (that is, the City of Dawid).
6. And Dawid said, “Whoever is first to attack the Y’vusite will become chief and captain!” So Yo’av, son of Tz’ruyah, went up first, and became the [military] leader.
Tz’ruyah was Dawid’s sister. (2:16)
7. And Dawid settled in the stronghold; that is why they called it the City of Dawid,
8. and he built the city around it, from the Millo to the surrounding area, and Yo’av restored the rest of the city.
9. And Dawid went on to become greater and greater, and YHWH [Master] of Armies was with him.
10. Now these were the heads of the brave men who were for Dawid—who had put forth [all] their tenacious effort with him in his kingship, along with all Israel, to make him king according to the word of YHWH concerning Israel,
11. and these are the accounts of the heroic men who were for Dawid: Yashawv’am son of a Hakhmonite, the head of thirty, who had awakened his spear against 300 [whom he] mortally wounded at one time;
12. and after him, El’azar the son of Dodo the Ahohite; he was one of the three heroes.
13. He was with Dawid at Pas Dammim, when the Filistines had gathered for battle and there was a section of a field full of barley and the people had fled from the presence of the Filistines,
14. but they stood their ground in the middle of that section and saved it, and struck down the Filistines, and thus YHWH brought about a great deliverance.
15. And three of the thirty chief [men] came down onto the Rock—to Dawid in the Cave of Adullam when the army of the Filistines was camped in the Valley of R’fa’im,
16. and at that time Dawid was in the Stronghold while the garrison of the Filistines was in Beyth Lehem,
17. and Dawid had a [nostalgic] longing, and said, “Who could give me a drink of water from the cistern of Beyth Lehem, which is by the gate?”
18. And the three [heroes] broke through the camp of the Filistines and drew [some] water from the cistern of Beyth Lehem which is at the gate, and they carried it out and brought it to Dawid, and he refused to drink it, but poured it out [as a libation offering] to YHWH,
This was how far their loyalty to him extended! He was just voicing a wish he thought could not come true at that time, but they took him seriously, and he recognized the significance of what they had done, possibly better than they did!
19. and said, “My Elohim forbid that I should do this; I would be drinking the blood of these men who [put] their lives [in jeopardy]! Because at [the risk of] their lives they brought it!” And he was not willing to drink it. These are [the kind of things] the three heroes did.
20. And Avishai the brother of Yo’av (who was the chief of the three)—he awakened his spear again 300 men and mortally wounded [them], so he gained a reputation among the three.
21. He was honored by two of the three, so he became their chief, though he did not attain to the [exploits of] the three.
22. Benayah the son of Y’hoyada was the son of a man from Qavtze’el who was capable of many accomplishments: He attacked two of the “Great Lions of Mo’av”, and he went down inside a pit and killed a lion on a snowy day.
23. He also attacked “The man of Egypt”—a man of great stature (five cubits tall!), and in the Egyptian’s hand there was a spear like the beam of a weaver, and he went down to him with a club and forced the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him.
Five cubits is about 7.5 feet. Beam: i.e., on a loom.
24. Benayah the son of Y’hoyada did these things, and gained a reputation among the three heroes.
25. He was indeed honored more than the thirty, but he did not attain to the [exploits of] the three; still, Dawid appointed him [to be] over his bodyguards.
26. Now the heroes of the armies were Asah-El the brother of Yo’av, Elkhanan the son of Dodo from Beyth Lehem,
27. Shamoth the Harorite, Kheletz the Pelonite,
28. ‘Iyra the son of ‘Iqqesh the Theqoite, Aviezer the Anathothite,
29. Sibbekhai the Khushathite, ‘Ilai the Akhokhite,
30. Maharai the Netofathite, Kheled the son of Baanah the N’tofathite,
31. Ithai the son of Rivai from Giv’ah of the Sons of Binyamin, Benayah the Pir’athonite,
32. Khurai of the streambeds of Gaash, Avi’el the ‘Arbathite,
Gaash is where Y’hoshua was buried, and being from there may have influenced Khurai to regard Y’hoshua as a special role model, helping him become an accomplished warrior.
33. ‘Azmaweth theBakharumite, Elyakhba the Shaalbonite,
34. the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Yonathan the son of Shawgeh the Hararite,
35. Akhi’am the son of Sawkhar the Hararite, Elifal the son of Ur,
36. Khefer the Mekherathite, Akiyah the Pelonite,
37. Khetzro the Karmelite, Naarai the son of Ezbai,
38. Yo’el the brother of Nawthawn, Mibkhar the son of Hagri,
39. Tzeleq the Ammonite, Nakharai the Berothite, Yo’av the son of Tzeruyah’s armor-carrier.
40. ‘Iyra the Yithrite, Garebv the Yithrite,
41. Uriyah the Khithite, Zavad the sn of Akhlai,
Uriyah is famous for his bravery and loyalty to Dawid even when Dawid was treacherous toward him. (2 Shmu’el 11)
42. ‘Adina the son of Shiza the Re’uvenite, a chief to the Re’uvenites, and thirty in addition to him,
43. Khawnawn the son of Maakhah, and Y’hoshafat the Mithnite,
44. Uziaw’ the Ashtrathite, Shawmaw’ and Y’iel, the sons of Khothawm the ‘Aroerite,
45. Y’dia’el the son of Shimri, and Yokha’ the Thitzite, his brother,
46. Eli’el the Makhawim, and Y’rivai and Yoshavyah, the sons of Elnaam, and Yithman the Mo’avite,
47. Eli’el and ‘Oved, and Yaasi’el the M’tzovawyah.
CHAPTER 12
1. Now these are [the ones who] came to Dawid at Tziqlag while he was still a fugitive from the presence of Sha’ul the son of Qish, and they were among the heroes who helped with the war.
2. Equipped with bows in the right hand and the left, with both stones and shooting arrows with the bow, [they came] from among the relatives of Sha’ul—from Binyamin.
Interestingly, some of these “sons of the right hand” were left-handed bowmen!
3. The chief was Akhiezer, then Yoash—[both] sons of Shemaah the Giv’athite, then Y’zi’el and Felet, sons of ‘Azmaweth, and B’rakhah and Yehu the ‘Anathothite.
4. And Yishma’yah the Giv’onite, among the 30 and over the 30.
5. Then Yirm’yah and Yakhazi’el and Yokhanan and Yozavad the G’derathite,
6. El’uzai and Y’rimoth and B’alyah and Sh’maryahu and Shafatyahu the Kharufite,
7. Elqanah and Yishiyahu and ‘Azar’el and Yoezer and Yashawv’am the Qorakhite,
8. and Yo’elah and Z’vadyah, sons of Y’rokhawm from the G’dor,
9. and some of the Gadites separated themselves out to Dawid at the stronghold in the wilderness, capable heroes, men of the army [trained] for battle who could handle a shield and spear, whose faces were like lions’ faces yet like ibexes on the mountains for swiftness!
10. Ezer was the head, and Ovadyah the second, Eliav the third,
11. Mishmannah the fourth, Yirm’yah the fifth,
12. Athai the sixth, Eli’el the seventh,
13. Yochanan the eighth, Elzavawd the ninth,
14. Yirm’yahu the tenth, Makhbanai eleventh;
15. these were the captains of the army from [smog] the tribe of Gad.
16. These are the ones who crossed the Yarden in the first month, when it had overflowed all its banks, and put to flight all [who lived] in the valleys toward the sunrise and the sunset.
17. And some from the sons of Binyamin and Yehudah came as far as the stronghold for Dawid,
18. and Dawid went out ahead of them and answered and told them, “If you have come to me peaceably to help me, I will have a united heart in regard to you, but if [you come] to betray me to those who oppress me when there is no violence in my hands, may the Elohim of our ancestors inspect and prove me [to be in the] right!”
19. And a spirit clothed Amawsai, head of the thirty, [and he said], “[We are] for you, Dawid, and with you, son of Yishai! Peace, peace to you, and peace to those who are helping you, because your Elohim helps you!” So Dawid welcomed them and made them heads of the raiding band.
20. And [some] from M’nasheh defected to Dawid when he was going with the Filistines into battle against Sha’ul, but they did not help them, because they were advised by the lords of the Filistines to send them away, saying, “At [the cost of] our heads he may fall to his master Sha’ul!”
More coming soon.
THE FIRST BOOK OF
Chronicles
("Words of the Days")
INTRODUCTION: The Chronicles parallel the books of the Kings, but from the perspective of a different scribe, as different types of details, possibly from a different political viewpoint, are given. The Chronicles are the final book set in the Jewish order of the Hebrew Scriptures.
Chapter 13 Chapter 14
Chapter 15 Chapter 16
Chapter 17 Chapter 18
Chapter 19 Chapter 20
Remains of the City of Dawid
