I Chronicles 12: 1 - 40
Fugitives on the run
12 Now these were the men who came to David at Ziklag while he was still a fugitive from Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men, helpers in the war, 2 armed with bows, using both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows with the bow. They were of Benjamin, Saul’s brethren.3 The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Berachah, and Jehu the Anathothite; 4 Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Jozabad the Gederathite; 5 Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite; 6 Elkanah, Jisshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites; 7 and Joelah and Zebadiah the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.8 Some Gadites joined David at the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for battle, who could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as gazelles on 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, and Machbanai the eleventh. 14 These were from the sons of Gad, captains of the army; the least was over a hundred, and the greatest was over a thousand. 15 These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it had overflowed all its banks; and they put to flight all those in the valleys, to the east and to the west.16 Then some of the sons of Benjamin and Judah came to David at the stronghold. 17 And David went out to meet them, and answered and said to them, “If you have come peaceably to me to help me, my heart will be united with you; but if to betray me to my enemies, since there is no wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers look and bring judgment.” 18 Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, chief of the captains, and he said: “We are yours, O David; We are on your side, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, And peace to your helpers! For your God helps you.” So David received them, and made them captains of the troop.19 And some from Manasseh defected to David when he was going with the Philistines to battle against Saul; but they did not help them, for the lords of the Philistines sent him away by agreement, saying, “He may defect to his master Saul and endanger our heads.” 20 When he went to Ziklag, those of Manasseh who defected to him were Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, captains of the thousands who were from Manasseh. 21 And they helped David against the bands of raiders, for they were all mighty men of valor, and they were captains in the army. 22 For at that time they came to David day by day to help him, until it was a great army, like the army of God. 23 Now these were the numbers of the divisions that were equipped for war, and came to David at Hebron to turn over the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the LORD: 24 of the sons of Judah bearing shield and spear, six thousand eight hundred armed for war; 25 of the sons of Simeon, mighty men of valor fit for war, seven thousand one hundred; 26 of the sons of Levi four thousand six hundred; 27 Jehoiada, the leader of the Aaronites, and with him three thousand seven hundred; 28 Zadok, a young man, a valiant warrior, and from his father’s house twenty-two captains; 29 of the sons of Benjamin, relatives of Saul, three thousand (until then the greatest part of them had remained loyal to the house of Saul); 30 of the sons of Ephraim twenty thousand eight hundred, mighty men of valor, famous men throughout their father’s house; 31 of the half-tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, who were designated by name to come and make David king; 32 of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command; 33 of Zebulun there were fifty thousand who went out to battle, expert in war with all weapons of war, stouthearted men who could keep ranks; 34 of Naphtali one thousand captains, and with them thirty-seven thousand with shield and spear; 35 of the Danites who could keep battle formation, twenty-eight thousand six hundred; 36 of Asher, those who could go out to war, able to keep battle formation, forty thousand; 37 of the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, from the other side of the Jordan, one hundred and twenty thousand armed for battle with every kind of weapon of war.38 All these men of war, who could keep ranks, came to Hebron with a loyal heart, to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest of Israel were of one mind to make David king. 39 And they were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their brethren had prepared for them. 40 Moreover those who were near to them, from as far away as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, were bringing food on donkeys and camels, on mules and oxen—provisions of flour and cakes of figs and cakes of raisins, wine and oil and oxen and sheep abundantly, for there was joy in Israel.
In today’s world disappearing isn't easy. Your ex is probably still friends with you on Facebook; there's a good chance you've accidentally geotagged all your tweets; and bank statements, GPS entries, browser history, and phone records can leave digital traces of you everywhere. With access to your cyber footprint, someone could basically track your movements by the minute.
However, despite all this, there are still people who manage to slip through the cracks, even while the police are hunting them.
Who are these people who have dedicated their lives to running from the police? People who have made themselves so anonymous that even the people paid to find them can't.
Here are a couple examples of people on the run;
After ditching his phone and his iPad, Shaun left his parents' house wearing his dad's clothes (‘they'd have recognized me in a tracksuit’) and never looked back. Living in an undisclosed location with a friend, he knows his days of relative freedom are numbered but is terrified of going to prison.
‘I know I can't run forever,’ he says, ‘but I can't face going inside. Not now, after all this. I haven't spoken to my parents or anything. I've made it worse for myself.’
Unlike Shaun, 34-year-old Steve decided to take his loved ones along for the ride when he fled the police. He's currently serving a two-year sentence for fraud but spent just as long on the outside trying to avoid it. Steve handed himself in after being given an ultimatum by his wife, who was tired of living like a fugitive.
‘She said to me, Steve, I haven't done anything wrong. I can't live like this any longer,' and I knew it was either hand myself in and face up to it, or lose her and the kids,’ he said over the phone from prison. ‘It wasn't fair for me to put them through all that hardship, but you're not really thinking straight when you know you're going to get locked up.’
Josh, 45, was on the run for two years before he was eventually captured and sentenced to seven years in prison. Freed in 2012 after serving the full sentence, Josh says he had no idea that he was wanted in three countries when he decided to run. He explains that in most cases, like Shaun's, people on the run are waiting for their cases to be heard or for their co-accused to be charged. ‘In my case, I didn't know how serious I was wanted,’ he said. ‘I had an idiot lawyer who told me it wasn't that serious, when it was very, very serious.’
He was asked, ‘If you'd known how serious it was, would you still have run?’
‘I would have run further,’ he replied. ‘I always had a false passport ready for an emergency. In my line of work, it would be irresponsible not to. I got a phone call one night saying that they'd arrested someone who was on his way to meet me. I had warning, so I ran—they slipped up, and they missed me. By the time they got to my house, I was already gone.’
Josh fled the country and made his way from his way to Madrid, where he lived undercover. He did the most cliché thing someone on the run can do—he grew a beard. However, he also adopted the identity in his new passport and cut ties with everyone from his former life.
‘The most important thing is to not have direct contact with family,’ he said. ‘They'll monitor them, knowing that sooner or later you'll get in touch. That's how they catch most people. You have to be disciplined.’
Being disciplined for Josh meant never delving into a bank account, even when his cash was running low. When he originally left, he took all the physical money he could, but he stated, ‘there's only so much you can carry.’
Josh says that keeping his head above water is one of the hardest parts of being on the run. ‘It's expensive running all the time—people rip you off constantly. When you're paying for an apartment or buying a car in cash, it doesn't take a mind reader to work out something's going on. People up-charge you for stuff in exchange for staying quiet.’
‘Eventually you need to replenish your funds,’ he said. ‘The loss of earnings hits you, and that's when things get even more risky, as you have to contact people from your old life, or work with new people. Neither are ideal when you're trying to keep a low profile—frying pan or fire.’
Josh was eventually caught when he tried to collect money he was owed. The debtor panicked and called the police, and when Josh left his apartment the next morning to get breakfast, there were eight armed officers waiting for him.
Now a free man, Josh's habits from his days on the run stay with him. Sitting in the passenger seat of his car, he drives me through busy streets, pointing out exactly where security cameras are, which traffic cameras aren't in use, and which of the hundreds of vehicles passing by are undercover police cars. He gestures toward a plainclothes police officer in a rush-hour crowd at the underground metro station.
It's like he's developed a sixth sense—adapting to his undercover environment after living most of his life on the wrong side of the law.
When Josh was asked what the hardest part about life on the run was, he said it was getting caught. ‘I'd do it all again,’ he said. ‘You never surrender; never, ever give up. You could be diagnosed with cancer and die within two months. I'd rather spend my time on the run than in jail.’
Today’s scripture is going to discuss the most famous ‘Fugitive’. Instead of staying secretly hidden, other fugitives came and joined him. Let’s see what happened.
In this passage it is made clear that David had support from every quarter, from Benjamite warriors who might have been expected to follow Saul, but had become disenchanted with him; from Transjordanian warriors in the east in the form of Gadites; from warriors of Judah and Benjamin in the south, supported by the words of a prophet; and finally from warriors from Manasseh in the north. ‘All Israel’ were gathering to him, and they came at different times, and no doubt for differing reasons. But all had one thing in common. Disillusionment with Saul.
This Chapter is bringing out that even in the most adverse circumstances God had prepared the way for David. We learn that even while he was a Philistine vassal ruling in the small city of Ziklag, God had brought to him those who were to be least expected, a group of Benjamites who chose to follow him rather than Saul, the king of Israel from whom he was a fugitive from. It must have given him immense encouragement and have confirmed that God was with him, and, indeed, had plans for the restoration of Israel.
12 Now these were the men who came to David at Ziklag while he was still a fugitive from Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men, helpers in the war,
While David was hiding from Saul in Ziklag (1 Samuel 27.1-6), there came to him a group of Benjamites who came to express their loyalty to him. They became part of his ‘mighty men’, valiant warriors who were his helpers in war. This was quite remarkable because on the whole Benjamin clung closely to Saul (12.29).
2 armed with bows, using both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows with the bow. They were of Benjamin, Saul’s brethren.
These were no fearful fugitives seeking his protection. They were fully armed with bows and slings, and they knew how to use them. They could sling stones and fire arrows equally well with both hands (a feature of Benjamites, Judges 3.15). And remarkably they were from Saul’s own tribe. David was pleasing YHWH and He was thus making even his ‘enemies’ to be at peace with him.
3 The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Berachah, and Jehu the Anathothite;
This verse gives us the names of some of the Benjamites who came to David, under their chief Ahiezer. Almost all are unknown to us, but the Azmaveth may be the Azmaveth who was one of David’s commanders (11.33). He was a Baharumite, belonging to a town on the Jerusalem-Jericho road. Ishmaiah the Gibeonite was also ‘one of the thirty and over the thirty’, in other words an important commander. Note the mention of important Benjamite towns like Anathoth, Gibeon and Gibeah. All these men were rooted in Benjamin, but all expressed loyalty to David. And that could only be because God was with him. If God Is with us we can be sure that He will provide us with all that we need at the right time.
4 Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Jozabad the Gederathite; 5 Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite; 6 Elkanah, Jisshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites; 7 and Joelah and Zebadiah the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.
Some of these further Benjamites appear to have come from areas not seen specifically as Benjamite, such as Gedera (a town in the Judean lowlands), Haruph (unknown) and Gedor (possibly the one in the hill country of Judah, near Hebron). They may themselves have been fugitives from Saul. There was no law preventing Benjamites from dwelling in Judean cities. We must presume that the Korahites were probably neither connected with the Judean Korah of 2.43, nor with the sons of Korah, who were Levites, for these were Benjamites. The name Korah appears to have been fairly popular, and there are no real grounds for denying that they were Benjamites. Alternately they could be Korahites who as Levites had taken up dwelling in Benjamite cities in order to be near the Tabernacle and had become identified as Benjamites. After the slaughter of the priests at Nob genuine Levites would hardly have been dedicated to Saul. Thus, did God provide him with officers for his army.
So David, once he was established in Philistia, is portrayed as having strong support from Benjamites right from the beginning. His appeal was to ‘all Israel’, to the whole people of God, and Benjamites who discerned the times were not unwelcome. For David was God’s appointed one, a shadow of the Greater One yet to come
Further officers became available to David in the form of Gadites from the east. These Gadites came to David from east of Jordan, from the land of Gilead, joining with David long before the Benjamites above. It indicated that David’s support was widespread. They probably came whilst he was a fugitive hiding in the Judean wilderness, either among the hill tops or in the ‘stronghold of Engedi’ (1 Samuel 23.29). They all appear to have been powerful warriors.
8 Some Gadites joined David at the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for battle, who could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as gazelles on the mountains:
Men came from east of Jordan to David to his stronghold in the wilderness of Engedi in the Judean hills. They probably felt that he was the best hope for Israel. And these were Gadites, mighty warriors, trained in war, brave as lions, swift as the roes on the mountains, and capable of handling shield and spear, the epitome of what a warrior should be.
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, and Machbanai the eleventh.
Their details are given by name and head count. Nothing else is known of them. But there were eleven of them, enough for a ‘small military unit, under Ezer their chief. But an important thing to take away from their names being highlighted, is that our Precious Holy God knew all about them. He knew their name and wanted to let the whole world for perpetuality how much He appreciated them. Thank you Adoni Holy Spirit.
14 These were from the sons of Gad, captains of the army; the least was over a hundred, and the greatest was over a thousand.
These Gadites were not just ordinary warriors. They were military commanders, each of them the equivalent of a small military unit (a ‘hundred’), and the best of them the equivalent of a large military unit (a ‘thousand’).
15 These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it had overflowed all its banks; and they put to flight all those in the valleys, to the east and to the west.
Their prowess was revealed in that they had crossed the Jordan when it was in flood, taken the enemy by surprise, and had put to flight the invaders who had taken possession of the valleys of Israel, both east and west.
16 Then some of the sons of Benjamin and Judah came to David at the stronghold.
When early on in his flight from Saul, men of Benjamin and Judah came to the stronghold to see him David greeted them warily. He was suspicious of their motive. Were they just another of Saul’s attempts to trap him and capture him? But then the Spirit of YHWH came on their leader who prophesied him wellbeing and peace because God was on his side, thus encouraging David to receive them. To him such a prophecy would have been like a refreshing wind during those desert conditions. ‘The stronghold’ may have been either the one in the wilderness of Engedi, or the cave of Adullam.
17 And David went out to meet them, and answered and said to them, “If you have come peaceably to me to help me, my heart will be united with you; but if to betray me to my enemies, since there is no wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers look and bring judgment.”
So, he went out to them to challenge them as to whether they were genuine or not. If they came genuinely as friends in order to assist him, he would welcome them warmly. But if they came with falsity in their hearts and with an intention to betray him, let them know that God knew their hearts, and He would resist and treachery.
18 Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, chief of the captains, and he said: “We are yours, O David; We are on your side, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, And peace to your helpers! For your God helps you.” So, David received them, and made them captains of the troop.
In an amazing statement we see our Precious Holy Spirit taking possession of a person in order to speak or act through him. That Amasai was ‘chief of the thirty’ indicates that he had brought with him a good number of warriors, and that he was their chieftain.
The essence of the prophecy was simple. God had brought these men to support him and be on his side. And they assured him of peace and wellbeing because God was also on his side and would surely help him.
Such prophecy by the Spirit would have been a great encouragement to David, and worth more than a thousand warriors. For these men had not only come to serve under him but were clearly God-sent and would therefore be God used.
So, David received them gladly, and made them captains within his band of warriors. His numbers and his strength were growing.
Benjamites and Judeans from the south (12.1-7), Gadites from over the Jordan to the east (12.8-15), and now Manassites from the north all demonstrated their support for David. His appeal was widespread. This occurred whilst David was in Ziklag as a vassal of Achish, king of Gath. It appears that these Gadites had deliberately chosen to support him against Saul. It suggests that by this time Saul had disaffected a lot of people.
19 And some from Manasseh defected to David when he was going with the Philistines to battle against Saul; but they did not help them, for the lords of the Philistines sent him away by agreement, saying, “He may defect to his master Saul and endanger our heads.”
The Manassites must clearly have been aware of what was going on. They would be aware that war with the Philistines threatened and may have received a call to arms from Saul. But they opted to follow David, even though they knew that he was ready to fight against Saul along with the Philistines. They ‘fell away’ to David. The verb is a clear indication of their deliberate choice to follow David. It suggests that many now saw David as the best option as king of Israel.
But the scripture assures us that they did not actually assist the Philistines because the Philistine lords, apart from Achish, did not trust David and had him sent away lest he turn traitor on them.
20 When he went to Ziklag, those of Manasseh who defected to him were Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, captains of the thousands who were from Manasseh.
So as David was returning to Ziklag he was joined by eight Manassite war leaders who were experienced commanders of large military units.
21 And they helped David against the bands of raiders, for they were all mighty men of valor, and they were captains in the army.
As 1 Samuel informs us, on arrival back at Ziklag David discovered that the Amalekites had sacked Ziklag, kidnapped his wives, and stolen men as slaves as well as large herds and flocks. The Amalekites had assumed that David would be kept busy for quite some time with the war against Israel. Thus, these Manassite warriors, as brave and powerful men, were able to assist David against the band of roving Amalekites, acting as commanders over part of his army. They had arrived at a convenient time. It was a reminder that God is aware of our needs even before we entreat Him.
22 For at that time they came to David day by day to help him, until it was a great army, like the army of God.
These verses depict the flow of men who swarmed to give their loyalty to David. These would form the basis of ‘his men’, David’s private army, who were such a power behind the throne. Right from the beginning of his exile they came from day to day, some out of loyalty to David, having served under his command, others out of resentment for a regime which they felt had let them down, and still others because they were in distress or in debt and had nothing to lose (1 Samuel 22.2). But the final influx, which took place, first when Judah made him king of Judah at Hebron, and then when all Israel gathered to him to make him king of all Israel, added to his private army and made up a great host, ‘like the host of God’, i.e. innumerable. The whole influx from the start at the Cave of Adullam, to the gathering of Israel at Hebron, bore on it the sign of the hand of God. David’s destiny had been determined from the first.
23 Now these were the numbers of the divisions that were equipped for war, and came to David at Hebron to turn over the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the LORD:
The ‘head numbers’ are now given (but in terms of military units) of those who were ‘armed for war’, and they would be needed, for the Philistines would not remain quiet and see a strong Israel established on their borders. Indeed, they looked on Israel west of Jordan as tributary to them, which was why Ishbosheth ruled in Mahanaim, east of Jordan (2 Samuel 2.8). His rule over ‘all Israel’ was nominal. They had been content to see David king of Judah only because he was a vassal of Achish of Gath, but now that he was becoming king of all Israel it was a different matter, and they would soon seek to intervene (2 Samuel 5.17-18).
So all Israel gathered to turn the kingdom of Saul over to David ‘in accordance with the word of YHWH’. In 10.14 it was YHWH Who had turned the kingdom over to David. Thus, the warriors were fulfilling the will of YHWH. Who else could have taken a helpless renegade and made him into a great king? And what was more, have prophesied it beforehand? (1 Samuel 16.1).
24 of the sons of Judah bearing shield and spear, six thousand eight hundred armed for war;
It should be noted that these were the warriors who came to set David on his throne. It is not the sum of the men of Judah. Those who were of the children of Judah, who were fully armed for war, were six ‘thousands’ and eight ‘hundred’. In other words, the numbering was by military units, which would have differed regarding the number of literal warriors in them.
25 of the sons of Simeon, mighty men of valor fit for war, seven thousand one hundred;
In contrast with the men of Judah who ‘bore shield and spear’ and were ‘armed for war, the Simeonites are depicted simply as ‘mighty men of valor’. The same idea was being depicted in two different ways. Of the Simeonite warriors there were seven thousand two hundred military men.
26 of the sons of Levi four thousand six hundred;
Nothing is said about the Levites being armed, thus these may have come simply to support David religiously. You might want to list them as Army Chaplains.
27 Jehoiada, the leader of the Aaronites, and with him three thousand seven hundred;
The priests, who were of the house of Aaron and by this time quite numerous, also came to David’s support. Jehoiada was the ‘appointed prince’ (military leader) of the house of Aaron, and he brought with him three large military units and seven smaller ones. He was not said to be ‘the Priest’, who would probably at this stage have been Zadok.
28 Zadok, a young man, a valiant warrior, and from his father’s house twenty-two captains;
Along with Jehoiada came the young Aaronide warrior Zadok, who brought with him twenty-two captains from his father’s household. It is highly questionable whether this was Zadok the High Priest, for that appointment is spoken of as early as 2 Samuel 8.17, and that particular Zadok was quite possibly High Priest under Saul, which would be why he retained the position along with Abiathar. (High Priesthood was for life).
29 of the sons of Benjamin, relatives of Saul, three thousand (until then the greatest part of them had remained loyal to the house of Saul);
It is made clear that the Benjamites were late-comers in inviting David to be king. For overall they had been faithful to the house of Saul. But now that Saul and his sons were dead three large thousands of them came to support David.
30 of the sons of Ephraim twenty thousand eight hundred, mighty men of valor, famous men throughout their father’s house;
Thus, out of Ephraim came twenty thousand eight hundred military fighters. These consisted of mighty and brave warriors, held in high honor.
31 of the half-tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, who were designated by name to come and make David king;
The half-tribe of Manasseh coming from west of the Jordan numbered eighteen thousand military warriors. And these had specifically been appointed by their brother tribesmen to make David king. There was little reluctance on their part. They had been far enough away from Benjamin not to feel so loyal to Saul. And as we know some Manassites had already joined David earlier (12.20).
32 of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command;
Of the men of Issachar, it is said that they had ‘understanding of the times’ so that they knew what Israel ought to do. They recognized that David’s hour had come. This, indeed, was true of all the tribes, for that was why they were there. Interestingly we are not told of the military fighters that they brought with them, only that their chieftains numbered ‘two hundred’, who came to David with all their brothers who were under their orders.
33 of Zebulun there were fifty thousand who went out to battle, expert in war with all weapons of war, stouthearted men who could keep ranks;
Zebulun is described in full glory. They were fifty thousand warriors strong, able to go out to the host (they were equipped and ready), could set the battle in array (they were fully trained) and had all manner of weaponry.
34 of Naphtali one thousand captains, and with them thirty-seven thousand with shield and spear;
The tribe of Naphtali responded to David with 37,000 fighters and 1,000 captains over them.
35 of the Danites who could keep battle formation, twenty-eight thousand six hundred;
From the tribe of Dan came 28, 600 soldiers who were trained warriors.
36 of Asher, those who could go out to war, able to keep battle formation, forty thousand;
From Asher came 40,000 military men who were equipped for war and fully trained and ready
37 of the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, from the other side of the Jordan, one hundred and twenty thousand armed for battle with every kind of weapon of war.
From the Transjordanian tribes came 120,000 fighters ready for battle.
38 All these men of war, who could keep ranks, came to Hebron with a loyal heart, to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest of Israel were of one mind to make David king.
The whole picture being presented is of a powerful army given by YHWH to David. ‘All Israel’ had come to support him in accordance with the word of YHWH (verse 23).
39 And they were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their brethren had prepared for them.
The gathering of Judah and Israel to make David king resulted in a triumphal feast. It is stressed that ‘all Israel’ were of one heart in the matter. The nation was as one. And they were there for several days.
40 Moreover those who were near to them, from as far away as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, were bringing food on donkeys and camels, on mules and oxen—provisions of flour and cakes of figs and cakes of raisins, wine and oil and oxen and sheep abundantly, for there was joy in Israel.
Moreover, the tribes who were near to them, Benjamin, Ephraim, Reuben, Gad and East and West Manasseh, and even those further away like Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, all brought food on donkeys and camels and oxen so as to ensure that there was a sufficiency for all. Food and drink streamed into Hebron from every quarter, and it consisted among other things of meal (for bread and cakes), fig cakes, raisins, wine, and olive oil, together with cattle and sheep in abundance, which would be slaughtered as thank offerings and peace offerings and be partaken of by all. Never had Israel known such a celebration. It was a taste of the good times coming when the promised king took his throne.
