1 Chronicles 11: 1 – 47
Open up, let me in
11 Then all Israel came together to David at Hebron, saying, “Indeed we are your bone and your flesh. 2 Also, in time past, even when Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the LORD your God said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over My people Israel.’ ” 3 Therefore all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD. And they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD by Samuel. 4 And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus, where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land. 5 But the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You shall not come in here!” Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David). 6 Now David said, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain.” And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first and became chief. 7 Then David dwelt in the stronghold; therefore they called it the City of David. 8 And he built the city around it, from the Millo to the surrounding area. Joab repaired the rest of the city. 9 So David went on and became great, and the LORD of hosts was with him. 10 Now these were the heads of the mighty men whom David had, who strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom, 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 the son of a Hachmonite, chief of the captains; he had lifted up his spear against three hundred, killed by him at one time. 12 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. Now there the Philistines were gathered for battle, and there was a piece of ground full of barley. So the people fled from the Philistines. 14 But they stationed themselves in the middle of that field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So, the LORD brought about a great victory. 15 Now three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the army of the Philistines encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 16 David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 17 And David said with longing, “Oh, that someone would give me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” 18 So the three broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless, David would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD. 19 And he said, “Far be it from me, O my God, that I should do this! Shall I drink the blood of these men who have put their lives in jeopardy? For at the risk of their lives they brought it.” Therefore, he would not drink it. These things were done by the three mighty men. 20 Abishai the brother of Joab was chief of another three. He had lifted up his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name among these three. 21 Of the three he was more honored than the other two men. Therefore, he became their captain. However, he did not attain to the first three. 22 Benaiah was the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man from Kabzeel, who had done many deeds. He had killed two lion-like heroes of Moab. He also had gone down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day. 23 And he killed an Egyptian, a man of great height, five cubits tall. In the Egyptian’s hand there was a spear like a weaver’s beam; and he went down to him with a staff, wrested the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear. 24 These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and won a name among three mighty men. 25 Indeed he was more honored than the thirty, but he did not attain to the first three. And David appointed him over his guard. 26 Also the mighty warriors 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, Abiezer the Anathothite, 29 Sibbechai 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 sons 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 Shageh 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 Maachah, 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, Jeribai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite, 47 Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.
Music is a powerful tool. It can make you go through a whole bunch of emotions. I think it is quite amazing how we can store all the sounds into the computer that our Holy Maker gave us – our brains. I know you have experienced certain triggers which uploads a certain song that was buried way back in your memory. Going over this chapter -wam! – an oldie but goodie came into my thoughts. It was a song made popular by the ‘Sensations’ and is called Let Me In. Here are the lyrics. Let’s see if you get this song stuck in your mind also.
Let me in, whee-ooo.
Whee-ooo, whee-ooo
Hoo-whee-oo.
Whee-ooo, whee-ooo, hoo-ooo-ooo, whee-ooo,
Whee-ooo.
I can see the dancin', (let me in).
The silhouettes on the shade (silhouettes).
I hear the music (music),
All the lovers on parade (oh).
Open up (let me in), I wanna come in again,
I thought you were my friend.
Pitter patter of those fee-ee-ee-ee-eet.
Movin' and a-groovin' with that be-eat.
Jumpin' and stompin' on the flo-o-o-o-oor.
(Lemme in ) Let me in! (Open up.) Open up!
Why won't you open up that door? (Let me in.)
I hear (open up) music let me in (music).
I wanna come in again.
Let me in (let me in), a-well I heard it just then.
I thought you were my friend.
Whee-ooo, whee-ooo
Hoo-whee-oo.
Whee-ooo, whee-ooo, hoo-ooo-ooo, whee-ooo,
Whee-ooo.
[Instrumental break.]
Pitter patter of those fee-ee-ee-ee-eet.
Movin' and a-groovin' with that be-eat.
Jumpin' and stompin' on the flo-o-o-o-oor.
(Lemme in.) Let me in!. (Open up.) Open up!
Why don't you open up that door? (Let me in.)
I-ah-I (open up) hear music, let me in (music).
Oh, I heard it just then. Let me in. (Let me in.)
I wanna come in again.
I thought you were my friend
Whee-ooo, whee-ooo, hoo-whee-oo.
Whee-ooo, whee-ooo, hoo-ooo-ooo, whee-ooo.
Hoo-ooo-ooo, whee-ooo.
[Fade.]
Hoo-ooo-ooo, whee-ooo.
Hoo-ooo-ooo, whee-ooo.
Hoo-ooo-ooo, whee-ooo.
In today’s scripture our precious Holy Spirit highlights the time when David was being formed into God’s future co-shepherd of Israel. To do that he has to be trained to deal with sheep (people) who are not that nice and obedient to you. I know you probably haven’t had to deal with such people but let us see how David dealt with it.
It will be noted that the writer totally ignored the attempt by Esh-baal, at the instigation of Abner, to take over the kingdom. As far as he was concerned the death of Saul and his three sons had ended the dynasty. The activity of Esh-baal was simply to be an intrusion into God’s purposes which could safely be ignored. What mattered was that David finally received the kingdom as God intended.
So, from now on his emphasis will be:
• 1. on the glory and strength of David, which had begun even before the death of Saul.
• 2. on how he established his extensive rule.
• 3. on his activity which would result in the establishing of the true worship of YHWH, and finally in the building of the Temple.
But why should there be such an emphasis on David, if it was not intended that by the Israel of his day to draw conclusions from it? Had he merely wanted to place the emphasis on the Temple and its worship as the central uniting point of the new Israel he could have done so without exalting David in such a way. The only reasonable conclusion is that he wanted Israel to see in David a model of the coming future ‘David’ (The Greater David) who would yet arise to establish His righteous rule. That expectation was deeply imbedded in Israel’s faith and would eventually lead to the coming of the Messiah.
The death of sinful Saul had resulted in the rise of God’s king in glory and strength to rule justly and wisely, and the implication was that the death of the sinful member of the house of David, Zedekiah, as described at the end of the book, would also result in the arising of God’s king in glory and splendor to rule justly and wisely ‘forever’ (17.12). The edict of Cyrus to rebuild the Temple gave impetus to the idea. That the arrival of the coming King was something eagerly anticipated by the returnees, is apparent from Haggai and Zechariah, even though it seemed long in coming.
We will also discover that the Chronicler omits most of the seedy bits of David’s reign, such as his affair with Bathsheba. He is concerned to depict David as God’s ideal king (in terms of those days), and ignores the failures for which he truly repented, seeing them as aberrations. He does, however, recount David’s failure in the numbering of Israel (chapter 21). As we shall see, he sees Solomon in a similar light and omits reference to his late failures as well. He is not giving a picture of ‘warts and all’. He has removed the warts (he knows that the coming king will not have any). But what he does say is accurate, nonetheless.
11 Then all Israel came together to David at Hebron, saying, “Indeed we are your bone and your flesh.
The point being made is that ‘all Israel’ turned to David as YHWH had purposed. The kingdom of God is handed over by God to David. The story of David commences here with his sweeping to power over ‘all Israel’. His being initially appointed as king over Judah, and his subsequent struggle with Abner and Esh-baal (Ishbosheth) are ignored.
2 Also, in time past, even when Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the LORD your God said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over My people Israel.’ ”
Saul is now pictured as a shadow in the past, someone who had hardly been king at all. The people acknowledged that even when Saul was king over Israel it was David who had led them into battle and gained the greatest successes. And it was David to whom YHWH had said, ‘you shall be shepherd to My people Israel, and you shall be a prince over them’.
3 Therefore all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD. And they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD by Samuel.
The points being made are that ‘all Israel’ were now with David, and that it was at this point that Jerusalem itself became the center of the people of God and would indeed soon become seen as the dwelling place of God. For Jerusalem was soon to be the place where the Ark of YHWH was established in its Tent, and finally the place where the Temple was built. It was thus seen as God’s earthly dwelling place. To him Jerusalem was not just a capital city, but the very center of the world because YHWH was there, ruling with David as His regent. And that was why who now dwelt there was of such importance and why this book ends with the promise of the Temple being established there once more. The coming King and the Temple which symbolized the kingdom of peace were the two pillars of Israel.
4 And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus, where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land.
In 1 Samuel it was David and ‘his men’ who took Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5.6). But here it is seen as ‘all Israel’, united behind God’s appointed king, who are involved in the task of ejecting the Jebusites from Jerusalem and making it the holy city. The Jebusites were Canaanites and had hitherto resisted all attempts to remove them. But David wanted Jerusalem as his base because it was on the borders of Judah and Israel, and yet fully belonged to neither. It was to be the city ‘of David’ (verse 5).
5 But the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You shall not come in here!” Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David).
The Jebusites foolishly challenged God’s appointed king and told him that there was no entry. But what followed was inevitable. David swept them aside and took their stronghold and made it his own. So, would it always be with God’s appointed king if he was loyal.
6 Now David said, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain.” And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first and became chief.
David did not do it alone. He was supported by his men. And we now learn how Joab became David’s ‘chief captain’. It was by leading the first assault on Jerusalem which resulted in the taking of the city (in 1 Samuel we are told how he did it).
7 Then David dwelt in the stronghold; therefore, they called it the City of David.
The stronghold was taken, and David dwelt in it, and from then on it was called the city ‘of David’. It was wholly his, and wholly under his control. It did not belong to either Israel or Judah.
8 And he built the city around it, from the Millo to the surrounding area. Joab repaired the rest of the city.
David built up and extended the fortress, while Joab repaired the rest of the city.
9 So David went on and became great, and the LORD of hosts was with him.
From that point on David grew greater and greater and the reason for that was obvious to all. It was because our Great Father God YHWH Was with him. The one who responded to God received continual response on earth from God, and God Was his real stronghold.
The secret of David’s success from an earthly point of view was that he was supported by a group of exceptionally powerful warriors, ‘mighty men’, whom God had appointed for him, together with many who had gathered to him. Details of these mighty men are now given. They parallel to a large extent the names in 2 Samuel 23, but not completely. Some of the differences, where it is not just a name variation, may well be the result of warriors having been killed, and having been sometimes replaced, showing that we have lists from two different times. What is also interesting is that the two men whose names are missing from the first and second ‘threes’ here (if there are two threes) are also missing from chapter 27 where we would expect them to feature if they were still alive. Thus, the absence of their names may be due to their having been killed, rather than being, as is popularly suggested, due to a copyist’s error.
The lack of mention of Joab is not surprising. He was the commander-in-chief, as we have already been informed (verse 6). What we have here are the names of the officers who were responsible to him.
10 Now these were the heads of the mighty men whom David had, who strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom, with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel.
It was these mighty men, the chief of whom are about to be described, who were the earthly driving force behind David’s becoming king, although necessarily supported by ‘all Israel’. But it is again stressed that this all occurred because of ‘the word of YHWH’. He was the real driving force. All happened because ‘the word of YHWH’ was at work. It was He Who raised up these mighty men.
Initially these three presumably commanded three ‘tens’ of chiefs (divisions of ‘the thirty’), with Jashobeam the overall commander. But all would be under the command of Joab, who clearly gave his brother Abishai a special position under himself. The ‘thirty’ chiefs would then probably divide into three ‘tens’, each with his own company in the standing army, and each under one of ‘the three’.
So we may see the standing army at this stage as commanded like this. Under Joab and Abishai, Jashobeam was in overall command, along with his two lieutenants (the first ‘three’). Each of them had charge over ten chiefs, along with their companies (making ‘the thirty’ in all), the standing army being divided into three lots of ten companies, each company being under the command of one of the thirty.
But inevitably men would be slain in battle, which might explain why here in Chronicles one of the first three is missing, (no doubt being replaced by his second in command. If that is so the assumption must be that they had been slain in battle. This finds support in 27.1-15 where their names are missing from the list of David’s commanders where we would otherwise expect to find them. It is true that Abishai’s name is also missing from that list, but as we are informed elsewhere, in his case he was second in command to Joab and seems regularly to have commanded a large section of the army when it had to be divided up (2 Samuel 10.10). Thus, he would not have been a mere commander.
11 And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had: Jashobeam the son of a Hachmonite, chief of the captains; he had lifted up his spear against three hundred, killed by him at one time.
In 27.2 Jashobe-am (‘people will return’) is called the son of Zabdid and is of the sons of Perez (son of Judah). There he oversaw the first course of David’s servants/warriors, who would have been the section of the army on standby for that month, responsible for the safety of the realm.
Jashobeam was chief of ‘the thirty’, but not of Abishai and Benaiah. Abishai, was seemingly deputy commander-in-chief (2 Samuel 10.10; 18.2), and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was set over David’s personal guard (2 Samuel 23.23), the Cherethites and Pelethites of 2 Samuel 8.18. ‘The thirty’ had probably become a standardized name for David’s group of leading army commanders and warrior chiefs, the original appointments having been of thirty chiefs. But chiefs would be killed or would be added so that the number of them would be constantly changing. However, they would still be called ‘the thirty’, the name having stuck. Jashobeam was noted for having slain three hundred of men with his spear at one particular time, no doubt in some pass or at some strongpoint.
12 After him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men.
The second warrior chief was Eleazar the son of Dodo (in 2 Samuel 23.9 ‘Dodai’). He was one of the three leading mighty men. He was an Ahohite. His father was, or had been, in charge of the second course of David’s servants/warriors (27.4). Perhaps by this time things had changed and Eleazar had taken over the position which was seemingly partly hereditary.
13 He was with David at Pasdammim. Now there the Philistines were gathered for battle, and there was a piece of ground full of barley. So, the people fled from the Philistines. 14 But they stationed themselves in the middle of that field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So, the LORD brought about a great victory.
One of Eleazar’s exploits is described. He was part of a small force, who with David (and Shammah the Hararite) had faced up to the Philistines in a barley field when the auxiliaries had panicked and fled. Together they stood their ground and defended the field, slaying many of the Philistines. YHWH had saved them by a great victory.
One of the reasons for a Philistine incursion may well have been to steal the ripe barley, something regularly occurring, so that defending barley fields would have been a way of life for the mighty men.
15 Now three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the army of the Philistines encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 16 David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.
These brave men are unlikely to have been ‘the first three’, otherwise it would have been made plain. Indeed, the first three were not of ‘the thirty’. They were chiefs over them. But these were ‘three’ of the thirty. The early writers liked to introduce a narrative with a summary.
These three had joined David in the cave of Adullam at The Rock, whilst the Philistines had been encamped in the valley of Rephaim, with a garrison in Bethlehem.
17 And David said with longing, “Oh, that someone would give me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!”
Meanwhile David was being nostalgic and thinking of his home town and of how often he had drunk from the sweet waters of the well there by the gate. And he burst out unthinkingly, “Oh that one would give me water to drink of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!”, never dreaming what would happen. It was simply wishful and nostalgic thinking. But these men were of such a caliber that David had only to wish for something, for it to be done.
18 So the three broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless, David would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD.
Thus three of the thirty, who had heard what David was wistfully wishing for, were determined to obtain it for him. They broke through the ranks of the Philistines guarding Bethlehem and approached the well by the gate and obtained the water. Then the three took the water in a vessel and made their way back.Then, once they got safely back to the cave, they triumphantly brought the water to David.
When David realized what a foolhardy risk these men had taken for his sake, he was deeply moved at their love for him. Therefore, he considered the water far too precious for him to drink and so instead offered it as a solemn drink offering to YHWH. A drink offering was a regular form of offering and was usually of wine. All would see by this how highly he valued what these men had done. They would not see it as a waste but as a valuable sacrificial offering.
19 And he said, “Far be it from me, O my God, that I should do this! Shall I drink the blood of these men who have put their lives in jeopardy? For at the risk of their lives they brought it.” Therefore, he would not drink it. These things were done by the three mighty men.
By his words David indicated why he took the action he did. He pointed out that he considered that it would have been sacrilege to drink the water that these men had obtained at such risk to their lives. In his view, only God was worthy of such an offering. And he poured it out to Him, saying, “Shall I drink the blood of these men who have put their lives in jeopardy?”
We are now told of two men who were exceptional, but who did not attain to the first ‘three’ (verse 21). Of these two men ‘worthy of honor’, one was Abishai, the brother of the commander in chief Joab. He is described as ‘over the three’. The other man mentioned was Benaiah, who is stated as being ‘honored by the three’. In 27.6 he is described as ‘the mighty man of the thirty and over the thirty’.
So Abishai and Benaiah do not appear to have been directly under Jashobeam’s command, both having their own positions, in the case of the former as deputy commander-in-chief to his brother, and in the case of the latter as commander of David’s bodyguard. Abishai may, however, have stepped in when Shammah of the first three was killed, taking responsibility for a third of the army.
20 Abishai the brother of Joab was chief of another three. He had lifted up his spear against three hundred men, killed them. 21 Of the three he was more honored than the other two men. Therefore, he became their captain. However, he did not attain to the first three.
Here we learn that Abishai was ‘chief of the three’. On its own this could mean that, under Joab, he had authority over the first ‘three’ as deputy commander. His special claim to fame was that he slew three hundred soldiers who came against him at one time, armed only with a spear. We also know that he came to David’s rescue against Ishbi-benoh, one of the sons of the ‘giant’, a man of huge stature whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of bronze, when Abishai slew him (2 Samuel 21.16-17), saving David’s life.
22 Benaiah was the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man from Kabzeel, who had done many deeds. He had killed two lion-like heroes of Moab. He also had gone down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day.
Named along with Abishai is Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. He was the second man outside the first ‘three’ who was not strictly of the thirty. He was a man who had ‘performed mighty deeds.’ In 27.5 his father Jehoiada is described as ‘the priest’, and was thus of the house of Aaron (see 12.27 for his status). He had been a valiant (or wealthy) man in Kabzeel, one of the most southern cities of Judah towards the border of Edom (Joshua 15.21).
There is a play on words here between these two sentences, the first referring to ‘the lion of God of Moab’ and the second to ‘the lion in the pit’. The fact that the Arabs and Persians later called mighty warriors ‘lions of God’, may illuminate the words here. The two men were ‘of ’Ariel’. Thus, they may have been members of an elite squad called ‘the lion of God’, or they may have been elite warriors under Moab’s champion (‘the lion of God’). That is why AV translates the words in the first sentence as ‘lion-like men’. Thus, we may see it as indicating that Benaiah slew two of Moab’s mightiest elite warriors. And as well as that he slew a lion in a pit in time of snow.
23 And he killed an Egyptian, a man of great height, five cubits tall. In the Egyptian’s hand there was a spear like a weaver’s beam; and he went down to him with a staff, wrested the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear.
He also slew an Egyptian who was seven and a half feet tall who was so strong that he was armed with a spear as thick as a weaver’s beam. Benaiah was only carrying a staff at the time but he bravely went down to the Egyptian, plucked his spear from his hands with his staff, and then slew him with his own spear.
24 These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did and won a name among three mighty men. 25 Indeed he was more honored than the thirty, but he did not attain to the first three. And David appointed him over his guard.
These exploits of Benaiah were such that they gave him a position of respect in the eyes of ‘the three mighty men’.
Benaiah was superior to the ‘thirty’ but was not of enough status to be numbered among the first three. Nevertheless, he was a valiant warrior in his own right, and David recognized his superiority by making him captain of his guard, that is, over the Cherethites and Pelethites (2 Samuel 8.18), the select group who formed the king’s bodyguard.
We are now given the names of that elite band of warriors who made up ‘the thirty’ under the command of the first ‘three’. These were chiefs over companies in the standing army.
26 Also the mighty warriors 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, Abiezer the Anathothite, 29 Sibbechai 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 sons of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite,
The first-named was Asahel, the brother of Joab and Abishai. He was one of the commanders over one of David’s courses (27.7). He was slain by a reluctant Abner during the initial battles between the forces of David and the forces of Saul’s son Ishbosheth, while David was still only king over Judah.
Along with Asahel was Elhanan the son of Dodo, who was possibly related to Eleazar of ‘the three’, and was also possibly the Elhanan, son of Jair of Bethlehem, who slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath (20.5). (Jair could have been his grandfather’s name). His father Dodai was one of David’s commanders over a course (27.4). Another who was famed for his exploits was Sibbecai the Hushathite, who slew Sippai (Saph), one of the sons of the giant of Gath (20.24; 2 Samuel 21.18). He also was a commander over a course (27.11). Other commanders over courses included Ira the Tekoite, Helez the Pelonite, Abiezer the Anathothite, Maharai the Netophathite, Benaiah the Pirathonite, and Heled (Heldai) the Netophathite (27.9-15). These were the mighty men of the armies and commanders over companies.
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 Shageh 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,
In this group Shammah the Hararite (2 Samuel 23.33) appears to have been killed, along with Eliam, son of Ahithophel (2 Samuel 23.34), being replaced by Hepher the Mecherathite and Ahijah the Pelonite.
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,
In this group Igal, the son of Nathan of Zobah, and Bani the Gadite (2 Samuel 23.36) appear to have been slain, being replaced by Joel the brother of Nathan, and Mibhar the son of Hagri. In both lists Uriah the Hittite was still alive revealing them to be of comparatively early date.
42 Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite (a chief of the Reubenites) and thirty with him, 43 Hanan the son of Maachah, 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, Jeribai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite, 47 Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.
The names given above, commencing with Zabad, are unique to 1 Chronicles, and must be additional commanders required by David’s expanding army but they are still seen as part of ‘the thirty’. Unique among the names is that of Shiza who is said to have brought with him 30 extra Reubenite warriors.
The lesson behind these lists is that from the beginning God provided David with commanders from all parts of Israel, and that He continued to preserve the lives of so many of them. God was prospering him in all that he did. The references to Asahel, Joab’s brother, slain early on while David was only king over Judah, and to Uriah the Hittite, indicates that these were his commanders early in his reign, and possibly even before it. God was with him from the beginning.
