1 Chronicles 11
Expanded Bible
David Becomes King(A)
11 Then the people of Israel ·came to [gathered before; joined] David at the town of Hebron and said, “Look, we are your own ·family [L bone and flesh]. 2 In the past, even when Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel ·in battle [L out and brought it in]. The Lord your God said to you, ‘You will be the shepherd for my people Israel. You will be their leader.’”
3 So all the elders of Israel came to King David at Hebron. He made an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with them in Hebron ·in the presence of [before] the Lord. Then they ·poured oil on [anointed] David to make him king over Israel. ·The Lord had promised through Samuel that this would happen [This was according to the word of the Lord through Samuel].
David Captures Jerusalem(B)
4 David and all the Israelites went to the city of Jerusalem. ·At that time Jerusalem was called [L …that is,] Jebus, and the people living there were named Jebusites. 5 They said to David, “You can’t ·get inside our city [L enter here].” But David ·did take the city of Jerusalem with its strong walls [L captured the stronghold/fortress of Zion], and it became the City of David.
6 David had said, “The person who ·leads the [or is the first to] ·attack against [kill one of] the Jebusites will become ·the commander over all my army [commander-in-chief].” Joab son of Zeruiah ·led the attack [went up first], so he became ·the commander of the army [chief].
7 Then David made his home in the ·strong, walled city [stronghold; fortress], which is why it ·was named [is called] the City of David. 8 David rebuilt the city, beginning ·where the land was filled in [with the terraces; L the Millo] and going to the ·wall that was around the city [surrounding area/walls]. Joab ·repaired [restored; rebuilt] the other parts of the city. 9 David became ·stronger and stronger [L greater and greater], and the Lord ·All-Powerful [of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] was with him.
David’s Mighty Warriors(C)
10 ·This is a list of the leaders [These are the chiefs/heads] over David’s ·warriors [T mighty men] who ·helped make David’s kingdom strong [or strongly supported his kingdom]. All the people of Israel also supported David’s kingdom, ·just as the Lord had promised [L according to the word of the Lord].
11 This is a ·list [record; account; roll] of David’s ·warriors [T mighty men]:
Jashobeam was from the Hacmonite people. He was the head of the ·Three [or Thirty; or officers; C David’s most elite soldiers; 11:26–47; 2 Sam. 23:8–39]. He used his spear to fight three hundred men at one time, and he killed them all.
12 Next was Eleazar, one of the Three. Eleazar was Dodai’s son from the Ahohite people. 13 Eleazar was with David at Pas Dammim when the Philistines came there to fight. There was a field of barley at that place. The Israelites ·ran away [fled] from the Philistines, 14 but they ·stopped [took a stand; held their ground] in the middle of that field and ·fought for [defended] it and killed the Philistines. The Lord ·gave them [rescued/saved them with] a great victory.
15 Once, three of the Thirty, David’s chief soldiers, came down to him at the ·rock [cliff face] by the cave near Adullam. At the same time the Philistine army had camped in the Valley of Rephaim.
16 At that time David was in a stronghold, and ·some of the Philistines [a Philistine detachment/garrison] were in Bethlehem. 17 David had a ·strong desire [craving; longing] for some water. He said, “Oh, I wish someone would get me water from the well near the city gate of Bethlehem!” 18 So the Three broke through the Philistine ·army [camp; lines] and took water from the well near the city gate in Bethlehem. Then they brought it to David, but he refused to drink it. He poured it out ·before [as an offering to] the Lord, 19 saying, “·May God keep me from drinking [God forbid that I drink] this water! ·It would be like drinking [L Should I drink…?] the blood of the men who risked their lives to bring it to me!” So David refused to drink it.
These were the ·brave things [kind of things] that the three warriors did.
20 Abishai brother of Joab was the ·captain [leader; chief] of the Three. Abishai fought three hundred soldiers with his spear and killed them. He ·became as famous as [L had a name as did] the ·Three [or Thirty; or officers; v. 11] 21 and was more honored than the ·Three [or Thirty]. He became their commander even though he was not ·one of [or equal to] them.
22 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a brave fighter from Kabzeel who did mighty things. He killed ·two of the best warriors [or the two sons of Ariel] from Moab. He also went down into a pit and killed a lion on a snowy day. 23 Benaiah killed an Egyptian who was ·about seven and one-half feet [L five cubits] tall and had a spear ·as large as [L like] a weaver’s ·rod [beam]. Benaiah had a ·club [staff], but he ·grabbed [wrenched] the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 24 ·These [Such] were the things Benaiah son of Jehoiada did. He ·was as famous as [L had a name as well as] the Three. 25 He received more honor than the Thirty, but he did not become a member of the Three. David ·made [appointed] him ·leader [captain] of his bodyguards.
The Thirty Chief Soldiers
26 These were also mighty warriors:
Asahel brother of Joab;
Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem;
27 ·Shammoth [or Shammah; 2 Sam. 23:25] the Harorite;
Helez the ·Pelonite [or Paltite; 2 Sam. 23:26];
28 Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa;
Abiezer the Anathothite;
29 ·Sibbecai [or Mebunnai; 2 Sam. 23:27] the Hushathite;
·Ilai [or Zalmon; 2 Sam. 23:28] the Ahohite;
30 Maharai the Netophathite;
Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite;
31 Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin;
Benaiah the Pirathonite;
32 ·Hurai [or Hiddai; 2 Sam. 23:30] from the ·ravines [valleys; or brooks] of Gaash;
·Abiel [or Abi-Albon; 2 Sam. 23:31] the Arbathite;
33 Azmaveth the ·Baharumite [or Barhumite; 2 Sam. 23:31];
Eliahba the Shaalbonite;
34 the sons of ·Hashem [or Jashen; cf. 2 Sam. 23:32] the Gizonite;
Jonathan son of ·Shagee [or Shammah; 2 Sam. 23:33] the Hararite;
35 Ahiam son of ·Sacar [or Sharar; 2 Sam. 23:33] the Hararite;
·Eliphal son of Ur [or Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite; 2 Sam. 23:34];
36 Hepher the Mekerathite;
Ahijah the Pelonite;
37 ·Hezro [or Hezrai; 2 Sam. 23:35] the Carmelite;
Naarai son of Ezbai;
38 Joel brother of ·Nathan [or Igal son of Nathan from Zobah, 2 Sam. 23:36];
Mibhar son of Hagri;
39 Zelek the Ammonite;
Naharai the Berothite, the ·officer who carried the armor [armor bearer] for Joab son of Zeruiah;
40 Ira the Ithrite;
Gareb the Ithrite;
41 Uriah the Hittite;
Zabad son of Ahlai;
42 Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, who was the ·leader [chief] of the Reubenites, and his thirty soldiers;
43 Hanan son of Maacah;
Joshaphat the Mithnite;
44 Uzzia the Ashterathite;
Shama and Jeiel sons of Hotham the Aroerite;
45 Jediael son of Shimri;
Joha, Jediael’s brother, the Tizite;
46 Eliel the Mahavite;
Jeribai and Joshaviah, Elnaam’s sons;
Ithmah the Moabite;
47 Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaites.
1 Chronicles 11
The Message
King David
11 1-3 Then all Israel assembled before David at Hebron. “Look at us,” they said. “We’re your very flesh and blood. In the past, yes, even while Saul was king, you were the real leader of Israel. God told you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel; you are to be the ruler of my people Israel.’” When all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, David made a covenant with them in the presence of God at Hebron. Then they anointed David king over Israel exactly as God had commanded through Samuel.
4-6 David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (it was the old Jebus, where the Jebusites lived). The citizens of Jebus told David, “No trespassing—you can’t come here.” David came on anyway and captured the fortress of Zion, the City of David. David had said, “The first person to kill a Jebusite will be commander-in-chief.” Joab son of Zeruiah was the first; and he became the chief.
7-9 David took up residence in the fortress city; that’s how it got its name, “City of David.” David fortified the city all the way around, both the outer bulwarks (the Millo) and the outside wall. Joab rebuilt the city gates. David’s stride became longer, his embrace larger—yes, God-of-the-Angel-Armies was with him!
David’s Mighty Men
10-11 These are the chiefs of David’s Mighty Men, the ones who linked arms with him as he took up his kingship, with all Israel joining in, helping him become king in just the way God had spoken regarding Israel. The list of David’s Mighty Men:
Jashobeam son of Hacmoni was chief of the Thirty. Singlehandedly he killed three hundred men, killed them all in one skirmish.
12-14 Next was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite, one of the Big Three of the Mighty Men. He was with David at Pas Dammim, where the Philistines had mustered their troops for battle. It was an area where there was a field of barley. The army started to flee from the Philistines and then took its stand right in that field—and turned the tide! They slaughtered the Philistines, God helping them—a huge victory.
15-19 The Big Three from the Thirty made a rocky descent to David at the Cave of Adullam while a company of Philistines was camped in the Valley of Rephaim. David was holed up in the Cave while the Philistines were prepared for battle at Bethlehem. David had a sudden craving: “What I wouldn’t give for a drink of water from the well in Bethlehem, the one at the gate!” The Three penetrated the Philistine camp, drew water from the well at the Bethlehem gate, shouldered it, and brought it to David. And then David wouldn’t drink it! He poured it out as a sacred offering to God, saying, “I’d rather be damned by God than drink this! It would be like drinking the lifeblood of these men—they risked their lives to bring it.” So he refused to drink it. These are the kinds of things that the Big Three of the Mighty Men did.
20-21 Abishai brother of Joab was the chief of the Thirty. Singlehandedly he fought three hundred men, and killed the lot, but he never made it into the circle of the Three. He was highly honored by the Thirty—he was their chief—still, he didn’t measure up to the Three.
22-25 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a Mighty Man from Kabzeel with many exploits to his credit: he killed two famous Moabites; he climbed down into a pit and killed a lion on a snowy day; and he killed an Egyptian, a giant seven and a half feet tall. The Egyptian had a spear like a ship’s boom but Benaiah went at him with a mere club, tore the spear from the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with it. These are some of the things Benaiah son of Jehoiada did. But he was never included with the Three. He was highly honored among the Thirty, but didn’t measure up to the Three. David put him in charge of his personal bodyguard.
26-47 The Mighty Men of the military were Asahel brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem, Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite, Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite, Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjaminite, Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hurai from the ravines of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan son of Shagee the Hararite, Ahiam son of Sacar the Haranite, Eliphal son of Ur, Hepher the Mekerathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai son of Ezbai, Joel brother of Nathan, Mibhar son of Hagri, Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armor bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah, Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, Uriah the Hittite, Zabad son of Ahlai, Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, the Reubenite chief of the Thirty, Hanan son of Maacah, Joshaphat the Mithnite, Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, Jediael son of Shimri, Joha the Tizite his brother, Eliel the Mahavite, Jeribai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite, Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.
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