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1 Chronicles 11
New English Translation

David Becomes King

11 All Israel joined David at Hebron and said, “Look, we are your very flesh and blood![a] 2 In the past, even when Saul was king, you were Israel’s commanding general.[b] The Lord your God said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel; you will rule over my people Israel.’” 3 When all the leaders[c] of Israel came to the king at Hebron, David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the Lord. They anointed David king over Israel, in keeping with the Lord’s message that came through Samuel.[d]

David Conquers Jerusalem

4 David and the whole Israelite army[e] advanced to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus).[f] (The Jebusites, the land’s original inhabitants, lived there.)[g] 5 The residents of Jebus said to David, “You cannot invade this place!” But David captured the fortress of Zion (that is, the City of David). 6 [h] David said, “Whoever attacks[i] the Jebusites first will become commanding general!”[j] So Joab son of Zeruiah attacked[k] first and became commander.[l] 7 David lived in the fortress; for this reason it is called the City of David. 8 He built up the city around it, from the terrace to the surrounding walls;[m] Joab restored the rest of the city. 9 David’s power steadily grew, for the Lord of Heaven’s Armies was with him.[n]

David’s Warriors

10 These were the leaders of David’s warriors who, together with all Israel, stood courageously with him in his kingdom by installing him as king, in keeping with the Lord’s message concerning Israel. 11 This is the list of David’s warriors:[o]

Jashobeam, a Hacmonite, was head of the officers.[p] He killed 300 men with his spear in a single battle.[q]

12 Next in command[r] was Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite. He was one of the three elite warriors. 13 He was with David in Pas Dammim[s] when the Philistines assembled there for battle. In an area of the field that was full of barley, the army retreated before the Philistines, 14 but then they made a stand in the middle of that area. They defended it[t] and defeated the Philistines; the Lord gave them a great victory.[u]

15 Three of the thirty leaders went down to David at the rocky cliff at the cave of Adullam, while a Philistine force was camped in the Valley of Rephaim. 16 David was in the stronghold at the time, while a Philistine garrison was in Bethlehem. 17 David was thirsty and said, “How I wish someone would give me some water to drink[v] from the cistern in Bethlehem near the city gate!” 18 So the three elite warriors[w] broke through the Philistine forces and drew some water from the cistern in Bethlehem near the city gate. They carried it back to David, but David refused to drink it. He poured it out as a drink offering to the Lord 19 and said, “God forbid that I should do this![x] Should I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives?”[y] Because they risked their lives to bring it to him, he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three elite warriors.[z]

20 Abishai the brother of Joab was head of the three[aa] elite warriors. He killed 300 men with his spear[ab] and gained fame along with the three elite warriors.[ac] 21 From[ad] the three he was given double honor and he became their officer, even though he was not one of them.[ae]

22 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a brave warrior from Kabzeel who performed great exploits. He struck down the two sons of Ariel of Moab;[af] he also went down and killed a lion inside a cistern on a snowy day. 23 He even killed an Egyptian who was 7½ feet[ag] tall. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand as big as the crossbeam of a weaver’s loom; Benaiah attacked[ah] him with a club. He grabbed the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 24 Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who gained fame along with the three elite warriors. 25 He received honor from[ai] the thirty warriors, though he was not one of the three elite warriors. David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

26 The mighty warriors were:

Asahel the brother of Joab,

Elhanan son of Dodo, from Bethlehem,

27 Shammoth the Harorite,[aj]

Helez the Pelonite,[ak]

28 Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,

Abiezer the Anathothite,

29 Sibbekai[al] the Hushathite,

Ilai[am] the Ahohite,

30 Maharai the Netophathite,

Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite,

31 Ithai[an] son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjaminite territory,

Benaiah the Pirathonite,

32 Hurai[ao] from the valleys of Gaash,

Abiel[ap] the Arbathite,

33 Azmaveth the Baharumite,[aq]

Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

34 the sons of Hashem[ar] the Gizonite,

Jonathan son of Shageh[as] the Hararite,

35 Ahiam son of Sakar[at] the Hararite,

Eliphal son of Ur,[au]

36 Hepher the Mekerathite,

Ahijah the Pelonite,

37 Hezro[av] the Carmelite,

Naarai son of Ezbai,

38 Joel the brother of Nathan,[aw]

Mibhar son of Hagri,

39 Zelek the Ammonite,

Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,

40 Ira the Ithrite,

Gareb the Ithrite,

41 Uriah the Hittite,

Zabad son of Achli,

42 Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, leader of the Reubenites and the thirty warriors with him,

43 Hanan son of Maacah,

Joshaphat the Mithnite,

44 Uzzia the Ashterathite,

Shama and Jeiel, the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,

45 Jediael son of Shimri,

and Joha his brother, the Tizite,

46 Eliel the Mahavite,

and Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam,

and Ithmah the Moabite,

47 Eliel,

and Obed,

and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 11:1 tn Heb “look, your bone and your flesh [are] we.”
  2. 1 Chronicles 11:2 tn Heb “you were the one who led out and the one who brought in Israel.”
  3. 1 Chronicles 11:3 tn Heb “elders.”
  4. 1 Chronicles 11:3 tn Heb “by the hand of Samuel.”
  5. 1 Chronicles 11:4 tn Heb “all Israel.”
  6. 1 Chronicles 11:4 sn Jebus was an older name for the city of Jerusalem (cf. Josh 15:8; Judg 1:21).
  7. 1 Chronicles 11:4 tn Heb “and there [were] the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land.”
  8. 1 Chronicles 11:6 sn Verse 6 inserts into the narrative parenthetical information about Joab’s role in the conquest of the city. Verse 7 then picks up where v. 5 left off.
  9. 1 Chronicles 11:6 tn Or perhaps “strikes down.”
  10. 1 Chronicles 11:6 tn Heb “head and officer.”
  11. 1 Chronicles 11:6 tn Heb “went up.”
  12. 1 Chronicles 11:6 tn Heb “head.”
  13. 1 Chronicles 11:8 tn Heb “to that which surrounds.” On the referent here as “the surrounding walls,” see HALOT 740 s.v. סָבִיב.
  14. 1 Chronicles 11:9 tn Heb “and David went, going and becoming great, and the Lord of Heaven’s Armies [traditionally, Lord of hosts] was with him.”
  15. 1 Chronicles 11:11 tn Heb “and these are the number of the warriors who were David’s.”
  16. 1 Chronicles 11:11 tc The marginal reading (Qere) has “officers;” the consonantal text (Kethib) has “the Thirty” (see v. 15).
  17. 1 Chronicles 11:11 tn Heb “he was wielding his spear against 300, [who were] slain at one time.”
  18. 1 Chronicles 11:12 tn Heb “after him.”
  19. 1 Chronicles 11:13 tc Some read here “Ephes Dammim.” See 1 Sam 17:1.
  20. 1 Chronicles 11:14 tn Heb “delivered it.”
  21. 1 Chronicles 11:14 tn Heb “and the Lord delivered [with] a great deliverance.”
  22. 1 Chronicles 11:17 tn Heb “Who will give me water to drink?” On the rhetorical use of מִי (mi) here, see BDB 566 s.v. f.
  23. 1 Chronicles 11:18 tn Heb “the three,” referring to the three elite warriors mentioned in v. 12.
  24. 1 Chronicles 11:19 tn Heb “Far be it to me from my God from doing this.”
  25. 1 Chronicles 11:19 tn Heb “with their lives.” The same expression occurs later in this verse.
  26. 1 Chronicles 11:19 tn Heb “These things the three warriors did.”
  27. 1 Chronicles 11:20 tc The Syriac reads “thirty” here and at the beginning of v. 21; this reading is followed by some English translations (cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV, NLT).
  28. 1 Chronicles 11:20 tn Heb “he was wielding his spear against three hundred, [who were] slain.”
  29. 1 Chronicles 11:20 tn Heb “and to him [reading with the Qere] there was a name among the three.”
  30. 1 Chronicles 11:21 tn Or “more than.”
  31. 1 Chronicles 11:21 tn Heb “of the three.”
  32. 1 Chronicles 11:22 tc Heb “the two of Ariel, Moab.” The precise meaning of אֲרִיאֵל (ʾariʾel) is uncertain; some read “warrior.” The present translation assumes that the word is a proper name and that בְּנֵי (bene, “sons of”) has accidentally dropped from the text by homoioarcton (note the preceding שְׁנֵי, shene).
  33. 1 Chronicles 11:23 tn Heb “5 cubits.” Assuming a length of 18 inches for the standard cubit, this individual would be 7.5 feet (2.3 m) tall.
  34. 1 Chronicles 11:23 tn Heb “went down to.”
  35. 1 Chronicles 11:25 tn Or “more than.”
  36. 1 Chronicles 11:27 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:25 has the variant spelling of “Shammah.”
  37. 1 Chronicles 11:27 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:26 has the variant spelling of “Paltite.”
  38. 1 Chronicles 11:29 tn In 2 Sam 23:27 this individual’s name is given as “Mebunnai.”
  39. 1 Chronicles 11:29 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:28 has the variant “Zalmon.”
  40. 1 Chronicles 11:31 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:29 has the variant spelling “Ittai.”
  41. 1 Chronicles 11:32 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:28 has the variant spelling “Hiddai.”
  42. 1 Chronicles 11:32 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:31 has the variant spelling “Abi-Albon.”
  43. 1 Chronicles 11:33 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:31 has the variant spelling “Barhumite.”
  44. 1 Chronicles 11:34 tn In 2 Sam 23:32 this individual’s name is given as “Jashen.”
  45. 1 Chronicles 11:34 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:33 has the variant spelling “Shammah.”
  46. 1 Chronicles 11:35 tn In 2 Sam 23:33 this individual’s name is given as “Sharar.”
  47. 1 Chronicles 11:35 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:34 has the variant “Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite.”
  48. 1 Chronicles 11:37 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:35 has the variant spelling “Hezrai.”
  49. 1 Chronicles 11:38 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:36 has the variant “Igal son of Nathan from Zobah.”
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1 Chronicles 11
Contemporary English Version

David Becomes King of Israel

(2 Samuel 5.1-3)

11 Israel's leaders met with David at Hebron and said, “We are your relatives, 2 and we know that you have led our army into battle, even when Saul was still our king. The Lord God has promised that you would rule our country and take care of us like a shepherd. 3 So we have come to crown you king of Israel.”

David made an agreement with the leaders and asked the Lord to be their witness. Then the leaders poured olive oil on David's head to show that he was now king of Israel. This happened just as the Lord's prophet Samuel had said.

David Captures Jerusalem

(2 Samuel 5.6-10)

4 (A) Jerusalem was called Jebus at the time, and David led Israel's army to attack the town. 5 The Jebusites said, “You won't be able to get in here!” But David captured the fortress of Mount Zion, which is now called the City of David.

6 David had told his troops, “The first soldier to kill a Jebusite will become my army commander.” And since Joab son of Zeruiah attacked first, he became commander.

7 Later, David moved to the fortress—that's why it's called the City of David. 8 He had the city rebuilt, starting at the landfill on the east side.[a] Meanwhile, Joab supervised the repairs to the rest of the city.

9 David became a great and strong ruler, because the Lord All-Powerful was on his side.

The Three Warriors

(2 Samuel 23.8-17)

10 The Lord had promised that David would become king, and so everyone in Israel gave David their support. Certain warriors also helped keep his kingdom strong.

11 The first of these warriors was Jashobeam the son of Hachmoni, the leader of the Three Warriors.[b] In one battle he killed 300 men with his spear.

12 Another one of the Three Warriors was Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite. 13 During a battle against the Philistines at Pas-Dammim, all the Israelite soldiers ran away, 14 except Eleazar, who stayed with David. They took their positions in a nearby barley field and defeated the Philistines! The Lord gave Israel a great victory that day.

15 One time the Three Warriors[c] went to meet David among the rocks at Adullam Cave. The Philistine army had set up camp in Rephaim Valley 16 and had taken over Bethlehem. David was in a fortress, 17 and he said, “I'm very thirsty. I wish I had a drink of water from the well by the gate to Bethlehem.”

18 The Three Warriors sneaked through the Philistine camp and got some water from the well near Bethlehem's gate. They took it back to David, but he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured out the water as a sacrifice to the Lord 19 and said, “Drinking this water would be like drinking the blood of these men who risked their lives to get it for me.”

The Three Warriors did these brave deeds.

The Thirty Warriors

(2 Samuel 23.18-39)

20 Joab's brother Abishai was the leader of the Thirty Warriors,[d] and in one battle he killed 300 men with his spear. He was just as famous as the Three Warriors 21 and was more famous than the rest of the Thirty Warriors. He was their commander, but he never became one of the Three Warriors.[e]

22 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a brave man from Kabzeel who did some amazing things. One time he killed two of Moab's best fighters, and one snowy day he went into a pit and killed a lion. 23 Another time he killed an Egyptian who was over two meters tall and was armed with a spear. Benaiah only had a club, so he grabbed the spear from the Egyptian and killed him with it. 24 Benaiah did things like that; he was just as brave as the Three Warriors, 25 even though he never became one of them. And he was certainly as famous as the rest of the Thirty Warriors. So David made him the leader of his own bodyguard.

26-47 Here is a list of the other famous warriors:

Asahel the brother of Joab; Elhanan the son of Dodo from Bethlehem; Shammoth from Haror; Helez from Pelon; Ira the son of Ikkesh from Tekoa; Abiezer from Anathoth; Sibbecai the Hushathite; Ilai[f] the Ahohite; Maharai from Netophah; Heled the son of Baanah from Netophah; Ithai the son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin; Benaiah from Pirathon; Hurai[g] from near the streams on Mount Gaash; Abiel from Arbah; Azmaveth from Baharum; Eliahba from Shaalbon; Hashem[h] the Gizonite; Jonathan the son of Shagee from Harar; Ahiam the son of Sachar the Hararite; Eliphal the son of Ur; Hepher from Mecherah; Ahijah from Pelon; Hezro from Carmel; Naarai the son of Ezbai; Joel the brother of Nathan; Mibhar the son of Hagri; Zelek from Ammon; Naharai from Beeroth who carried Joab's weapons; Ira the Ithrite; Gareb the Ithrite; Uriah the Hittite; Zabad the son of Ahlai; Adina the son of Shiza, a leader in the Reuben tribe, and 30 of his soldiers; Hanan the son of Maacah; Joshaphat from Mithan; Uzzia from Ashterah; Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham from Aroer; Jediael and Joha the sons of Shimri from Tiz; Eliel from Mahavah; Jeribai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam; Ithmah from Moab; Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel from Mezobah.

Footnotes

  1. 11.8 the landfill on the east side: The Hebrew text has “the Millo,” which probably refers to a landfill to strengthen and extend the hill where the city was built.
  2. 11.11 the Three Warriors: One ancient translation and 2 Samuel 23.8; Hebrew “the Thirty Warriors.” The “Three Warriors” was the most honored group of warriors and may have been part of the “Thirty Warriors.” “Three” and “thirty” are spelled almost the same in Hebrew, so there is some confusion in the manuscripts as to which group is being talked about in some places in the following lists.
  3. 11.15 the Three Warriors: Hebrew “three of the thirty most important warriors.”
  4. 11.20 the Thirty Warriors: One ancient translation; Hebrew “the Three Warriors.” The “Thirty Warriors” was the second most honored group of warriors and may have also been officers in the army.
  5. 11.20,21 Warriors: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of these verses.
  6. 11.26-47 Ilai: Or “Zalmon” (see 2 Samuel 23.24-39).
  7. 11.26-47 Hurai: Or “Hiddai” (see 2 Samuel 23.24-39).
  8. 11.26-47 Hashem: One ancient translation; Hebrew “the sons of Hashem.”
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