1 Chronicles 11

listines came and dwelt in thein. By the valley is meant the towns in the open country, which were not fortified. (Sec 1 Sara. xxxi. 7.) Vcr. 8. And it cameto pass on the mcrroiv, when the Philistines came, to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen in Mount Gilboa. Vcr. 1. THEN.] That is, after the death of Ish-bosheth: for many things passed after the death of Saul which are here omitted. As, the coming of the Amalckite to David with the news of it; his lamentation over Saul* and Jonathan; his anointing at Hebron over the tribe of Judah; the death of Abncr, and then of Ish-bosheth.- After which this author relates the promotion of David to be king of all the tribes of Israel, by the full consent of all the people. All Israel gathered themselves together to David unto Hebron, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.] By all Israel is meant the elders of all their tribes, 2 Sam. v. 1. where this verse is explained. And Joab repaired the rest of the city.] He repaired,’ perhaps, the fortifications, which had been, in the time of the siege, much shattered. And, as Conradus Pellieanus thinks, built some houses, for the quartering of his soldiers.

1 Chronicles 11:2

And moreover, in time past, when Saul teas king, thou wast he that leddest out ancf broughtest in Israel; and the Lord thy God said unto thee, Thou shall feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be ruler over my people Israel.] Sec 2 Sam. v. 2. where there are the very same words… \ i Vcr. 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.] See there, 2 Sam. v. 3. • ■:. - According to the ivord of the Lord by Samuel.] These words are added unto those in the book of Samuel, to shew how the people came to know that God told David (as they sayin the foregoing verse) he should govern Israel. Samuel declared it to him, and published it, no doubt, among the people.

1 Chronicles 11:4

And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus. See concerning this place, Judg. xix. 10. Wliere the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land.] See 2 Sam. v. 6. *

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And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, Thou shalt not come hither. Nevertheless David took the castle ofZi07i 7 which is the city of David. The insolent language of the Jebusites is recorded more largely iu 2 Sam. v. 6. where see what I have noted. Ver. G. And David said, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain. So Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and was chief] It is evident Joab was before this in a great station, commanding all the forces of Judah; as may be gathered from 2 Sam. ii. 13, 14. and iii. 22, 23. But now he was a commander-in-chief <; of all the forces both of Judah and Israel; which made him very powerful: or, perhaps, Abishai being his elder brother, was general of the forces before; and this place gives an account how Joab came to have the pre-eminence, by this great achievement.

1 Chronicles 11:7

And David dwelt in the castle; therefore they called it The city of David. Because here he chose to have his constant residence: in order to which he enlarged and adorned it with many buildings, as it here follows.

1 Chronicles 11:8

And he built the city round about, even from Millo round about. Sec 2 Sam. v. 9.

1 Chronicles 11:9

And when they had stripped him, they took his head. Which they cut off from his body, as we read 1 Sam. xxxi. 9. And his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to carry tidings unto their idols, and to the people.] That public thanksgiving might be given by them to their gods for this victory. Vcr. 10. And they put his armour in the house of their gods.] In the temple of Ashtaroth, as the same book tells us, (1 Sam. xxxi. 10.) And fastened his head in the temple ofDagon:] These two, Dagon and Ashtaroth, were the principal gods of the country of the Philistines; unto whom they sent these trophies of their victory. And the place forcnamed informs us where they fastened his body, after they had separated his head from it, and stripped off the skin and the hair; for the Hebrew word signifies a skulL - Vcr. 11. And when all Jabesh-Gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul.] By Jabesh-Gilead, is meant the people of the city, and of the territory round about it. -r So David ivaxed greater and greater: for the Lord of hosts was with him.’] The “Word of the Lord was his help, as the Targum expresses it. (See 2 Sam. v. 10.)

1 Chronicles 11:10

These also are the.chief of the mighty men whom David had, ivho strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom. Having touched upon David’s promotion to the throne, and his settlement in Zion, he next thought fit to relate who those valiant men were that assisted him in his advancement, and helped to establish him in his authority. They were such, in all likelihood, as had accompanied him during his persecution, when they gave David many proofs of their valour and affection, as they also did afterward. And with all Israel, to make him king.] A great many of the Israelites, as is related in the next chapter, came to David before the death of Saul, believing he was designed by God to be. their king. - r -, .. According to the word ofJhe Lord concerning Israel.] That David should be king over all Israel: which word was delivered by Samuel, and known to all the people, as well as to Saul and Jonathan. - >…. *

1 Chronicles 11:11

And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had; Jashobeam, an Hachmonite, the chief of the captains: he lifted up his spear against three hundred, slain by him at one time. I have explained this upon 2 Sam. xxiii. 8. where I observed, how Kimchi reconciles this place to that, which saith he slew:eight hundred. But I now think it plainer to say, Thathe slew three hundred with his own hand, and thereby routed the enemy, and put them to flight, in which five hundred more were killed in the pursuit. AH which might be said to be slain by him; because the slaughter he made was the cause the rest were slain. Or, as Mayerus(upon Seder Olam) interprets it; After he had slain three hundred, he was so little tired, that he slew as many more as made eight hundred.

1 Chronicles 11:12

TJiey 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 Jabesk, and fasted seven days.] This was a noble instance of their courage, and of their love and gratitude to their prince: who had some excellent qualities in him, and had highly obliged this city in the beginning of his reign: as I have observed on the book of Samuel. If we may believe Josephus, there was a law among the Jews, that they who killed themselves should be denied burial: for this was all the punishment that could be inflicted on them after they were dead, for so great a sin. Yet David highly approved this fact of the men of Jabesh-Gilead, who buried Saul: and therefore the Jews make this exception to the rule, That if they killed themselves merely to avoid that reproach which might be cast upon them if they lived, they might be buried: and they instance in Samson and Saul. Who they fancy repented of his many sins, after Samuel had appeared to him, and told him of his sad fate. But the two following verses seem to contradict this. (See Grotius, in his book de Jure Belli ctPacis, lib. ii. cap. 19. sect. 5.) And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite.] The son of Ahothi, as Kimchi understands it; for this is not the name of a country, but of a family.. Who was one of the three mighties.] See 2 Sam. xxiii. 9.

1 Chronicles 11:13

So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the Lord, even against the ivord of the Lord, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to inquire of it.] His two great transgressions (one against the express order and command of God by Samuel, and the other against a known law of Moses) were his sparing the Amalckites, and his consulting the witch of Endor: which were plain proofs that he did not mind God, as it follows in the next verse. He was with David at Pas-dammim.].The same with Ephes-dammin, 1 Sam. xvii. 1. And there the Philistines were gathered together Jo.battle, where was a pared of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines.,

1 Chronicles 11:14

And inquired not of the Lord. He did not regard him as he ought to have done: for otherwise he did inquire of him, (1 Sam. xxviii. 6.) but not with a religious mind. Therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.] Kingdoms arc never translated from one family to another, but injustice and impiety go before, as Grotius here notes. Which the son of Sirach expresses admirably, Ecclus. x. 8. " Because of unrighteous dealings, injuries, and riches got by deceit, the kingdom is translated from one people to another.” 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^] All this is related, and hath been explained in 2 Sam. xxiii. 9 — 12.

1 Chronicles 11:15

Now three of the thirty captains went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of tlte Philistines encamped in the valley of Rephaim. See there, ver. 33.. Ver. 1G. And David was then in the hold, and the Philistines’ garrison was then at Beth-lehem.] See there, ver. 14.

1 Chronicles 11:17

And David longed, and said, Ofcthat one would give me drink of the water of the well of Beth-lehem, that is at the gate f. See ver. 15. He did not desire any one should venture to fetch him some of this water, but in a very hot day, said, as we sometimes do, AVhat would I not give for a draught of those cool and refreshing waters! which he remembered he had drunk of freely in his youth.

1 Chronicles 11:18

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, ctnd brought it to David: but David would not drink of it, but poured it out to the Lord. < “Ver. 19. And said, My God forbid if 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 mighties.] See all this explained. in that place, ver. 16, 17.

1 Chronicles 11:20

AndAbisIiai the brother f of Joab, he was \ chief of the three: for lifting up his spear against three hundred, he slew them, and had a namelamong the three. See 2 Sam. xxiii. 18. There are but two here mentioned; the third, Abarbinel thinks, was Adina the son of Shiza, mentioned ver. 42. who is said to be a captain of the Reubenites, and.thirty with him., -, *,o: v: ■-'

1 Chronicles 11:21

Of the three he was /more honourable than the two, for he teas their captain. Perhaps he was the first, and led them on, in that bold exploit at Beth-lehem.. Howbeit he attained not unto the first three.] But came short of them in their great achievements.

1 Chronicles 11:22

Benaiah the son ofJehoiada, the son of a valiant man ofKabziel, who had done many acts; he slew tivo lionlike men of Moab: also he went down and slew a lion in a pit in a snowy day. See 2 Sam. xxiii. 20.

1 Chronicles 11:23

And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high, &c. The country of Egypt was famous for men of vast bigness, as we learn from Herodotus, lib. ii; cap. 130. 143. 153. 175, 170. See Huetius, in his Quaes r tiones Alnetanee, lib. ii. p. 180.’ whqre he observes, out of Pliny, that in Ethiopia there was a people that were eight cubits high, (lib. vi. cap. 30. lib. vii. cap. 2.)

1 Chronicles 11:24

Tliese things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada f and had the name among the three mighties. See all this explained in the forenamed book, 2 Sam. xxiii. 21, 22..

1 Chronicles 11:25

Behold, he was honourable among the thirty, but attained not to the first three. He sets a mark of honour upon him as a man of great reputation among the thirty, though he did not rise up to the pitch of the first three, nor of Abishai, though it is likely he excelled the third. (See there, ver. 23.) And David set him over his guard.] The Cherethites and Pelethites. Or, as some take it, he made him president of his council, as the Hebrew word imports (so Kimchi), there being a rare conjunction in him of wisdom with valour..•

1 Chronicles 11:26

Also the valiant men of the awnies were Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem. See there, ver. 24.: These were chief commanders in the army, either colonels, as we speak, or, captains; and they were under the command of the. three foregoing great men, who were over them, as they wereoyer the soldiers. But these great men were below the first three: who are said, in the tenth verse of this chapter, to be mighty men to David (as the. words are in the Hebrew), because they attended upon him continually, as the keepers of his body, and had s no other command.

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Shammoth the JIarorite, Helez the Pelonite. See 2 Sam. xxiii. 25.