The First Book of the Chronicles

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- Chapter 11 -

(2 Samuel 5:1–5)

Then the people of Israel came to David at the city of Hebron and said to him, “Listen, we have the same ancestors that you have.

In the past, when Saul was our king, it was you who led our Israelite soldiers in our battles. You are the one to whom Yahweh our God promised, ‘You will be the leader of my people; you will be their king.’”

So all the Israelite elders came to David at Hebron. There David made a sacred agreement with them while Yahweh was listening. They anointed him with olive oil to set him apart to be the king of the Israelite people. That is what Yahweh had previously told the prophet Samuel would happen.

David Conquers Jerusalem

(2 Samuel 5:6–11)

David and all the Israelite soldiers went to Jerusalem. At that time, Jerusalem was called Jebus, and the people who lived there were the Jebus people group.

They said to David, “Your soldiers will not be able to get inside our city!” But David’s soldiers captured the city, even though it had strong walls around it, and since then it has been called the city of David.

What happened was this: David said to his soldiers, “The one who leads our soldiers to attack the Jebus people group will become the commander of all my army.” Joab son of Zeruiah, led the soldiers, so he became the commander of all the army.

After they captured the city with its strong walls around it, David moved there. That is why they named it the city of David.

David’s workers rebuilt the city, starting where the land was filled in and extending to the wall that was around the city. Joab’s men repaired the other parts of the city.

David became more and more powerful because Yahweh, Commander of the angel armies, was with him.

David’s Mighty Men

(2 Samuel 23:8–39)

Yahweh had promised that David would become the king. And all the Israelite people were happy that David was their king. There were many soldiers who helped David’s kingdom to remain strong.

This is a list of David’s most outstanding warriors: Jashobeam was from the Hachmon clan. He was the leader of the officers. One time he fought against three hundred enemies and killed them all with his spear.

Next was Eleazar son of Dodo, from the clan of Ahoh. He was one of David’s three mighty men.

One day he was with David at Pas Dammim when the soldiers of Philistia gathered there for the battle. There was a field of barley there. At first the Israelite soldiers ran away from the soldiers of Philistia,

but then David and Eleazar stopped in the middle of the field and fought to defend it and killed many of the soldiers of Philistia. Yahweh enabled them to win a great victory on that day.

One time three of David’s thirty greatest warriors came to David when he was camping next to the huge rock outside the cave near Adullam. At that same time, the army of Philistia had camped in the Valley of Rephaim.

David was in a fortress, and some of the soldiers of Philistia were occupying Bethlehem.

One day David very much wanted some water to drink and said, “I wish that someone would bring me some water from the well near the gate at Bethlehem!”

So the three greatest warriors forced through the camp of Philistia soldiers and drew some water from the well, and brought it to David. But he would not drink it. Instead, he poured it out on the ground to be an offering to Yahweh.

He said, “Yahweh, it would certainly not be right for me to drink this water! That would be like drinking the blood of these men who were willing to die for me!” So he refused to drink it. That was one of the things that David’s three greatest warriors did.

Joab’s younger brother Abishai was the leader of the greatest warriors (called “The Three”) and they gave him the great honor. One time Abishai fought three hundred enemy soldiers with his spear, and he killed them all.

So he became as famous as the three greatest warriors (called “The Three”). He became their commander, even though “The Three” did not count him in their number.

Jehoiada’s son Benaiah was a brave soldier from the city of Kabzeel who did great deeds. He killed two of the best warriors from the Moab people group. One day he went down into a pit when snow was falling on the ground and killed a lion there.

He also killed a soldier from Egypt who was two and one-third meters tall. The soldier from Egypt carried a spear that was as long as a weaver’s rod. Benaiah had only a club, but he grabbed the other man’s spear and killed him with it.

Those are some of the things that Benaiah did. So he became as famous as the three greatest warriors.

He was more honored that the other members of the group of thirty great warriors, but he did not become a member of the group of three most outstanding warriors. David appointed him to be the leader of his bodyguards.

These are the names of the great warriors: Asahel, younger brother of Joab; Elhanan son of Dodo, from Bethlehem;

Shammoth, from the Harod; Helez, from the Pelon;

Ira son of Ikkesh, from Tekoa; Abiezer, from Anathoth;

Sibbekai, from Hushah; Ilai from Ahoh;

Maharai, from Netophah; Heled, theson of Baanah, also from Netophah;

Ithai, son of Ribai, from Gibeah in the land that belonged to the tribe of Benjamin; Benaiah, from Pirathon town;

Hurai, from the valleys near Mount Gaash; Abiel from the clan of Arabah;

Azmaveth, from Baharum; Eliahba, from Shaalbon;

The sons of Hashem from Gizon; Jonathan son of Shagee from the Harar;

Ahiam son of Sharar from Harar; Eliphal son of Ur;

Hepher from the Mekerath clan; Ahijah from the Pelon;

Hezro from Carmel; Naarai son of Ezbai;

Joel the younger brother of Nathan; Mibhar son of Hagri;

Zelek from the Ammon people group; Naharai, the man who carried Joab’s weapons, from Beeroth;

Ira and Gareb from Jattir;

Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, from the Heth people group; Zabad son of Ahlai;

Adina son of Shiza, a leader from the tribe of Reuben, who had thirty soldiers with him;

Hanan son of Maacah; Joshaphat from Mithna;

Uzzia from Ashterath; Shama and Jeiel, sons of Hotham, from Aroer.

Jediael son of Shimri and his younger brother Joha, from Tiz town;

Eliel from Mahavah; Jeribai and Joshaviah, sons of Elnaam; Ithmah from the Moab;

Eliel and Obed, and Jaasiel from Zobah.

(2 Samuel 5:1–5)

Then all Israel gathered themselves to David to Hebron, saying, “Behold, we are your bone and your flesh.

In times past, even when Saul was king, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. The LORD your God said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over my people Israel.’”

So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the LORD. They anointed David king over Israel, according to the LORD’s word by Samuel.

David Conquers Jerusalem

(2 Samuel 5:6–11)

David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (also called Jebus); and the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, were there.

The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You will not come in here!” Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion. The same is David’s city.

David had said, “Whoever strikes the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain.” Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and was made chief.

David lived in the stronghold; therefore they called it David’s city.

He built the city all around, from Millo even around; and Joab repaired the rest of the city.

David grew greater and greater, for the LORD of Armies was with him.

David’s Mighty Men

(2 Samuel 23:8–39)

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 LORD’s word concerning Israel.

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 killed them at one time.

After him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men.

He was with David at Pasdammim, and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle, where there was a plot of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines.

They stood in the middle of the plot, defended it, and killed the Philistines; and the LORD saved them by a great victory.

Three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the army of the Philistines were encamped in the valley of Rephaim.

David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was in Bethlehem at that time.

David longed, and said, “Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!”

The three broke through the army of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, took it, and brought it to David; but David would not drink any of it, but poured it out to the LORD,

and said, “My God forbid me, that I should do this! Shall I drink the blood of these men who have put their lives in jeopardy?” For they risked their lives to bring it. Therefore he would not drink it. The three mighty men did these things.

Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the three; for he lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name among the three.

Of the three, he was more honorable than the two, and was made their captain; however he wasn’t included in the three.

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day.

He killed an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits (a) high. In the Egyptian’s hand was a spear like a weaver’s beam; and he went down to him with a staff, plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear.

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did these things and had a name among the three mighty men.

Behold, he was more honorable than the thirty, but he didn’t attain to the three; and David set him over his guard.

The mighty men of the armies also include 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, Abiezer the Anathothite,

Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,

Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite,

Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite,

Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,

Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee 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 Hagri,

Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite (the armor bearer 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 chief of the Reubenites), and thirty with him,

Hanan the son of Maacah, Joshaphat the Mithnite,

Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,

Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite,

Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite,

Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

Footnotes

(a)11:23 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters. Therefore this Egyptian was about 7 feet and 6 inches or 2.28 meters tall.