The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Chronicles 11
1 Then all Israel gathered themselves to
David to Hebron, saying, “Behold, we are
your bone and your flesh.
2 In times past, even when Saul was
king, it was you who led out and brought
in Israel. Yahweh your God said to you,
‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel,
and you shall be prince over my people
Israel.’ ”
3 So all the elders of Israel came to
the king to Hebron; and David made a
covenant with them in Hebron before Yahweh. They anointed Davidking over Israel,
according to Yahweh’s word by Samuel.
4 David and all Israel went to Jerusalem
(also called Jebus); and the Jebusites, the
inhabitants of the land, were there.
5 The inhabitants of Jebus said to David,
“You will not come in here!” Nevertheless
David took the stronghold of Zion. The
same is David’s city.
6 David had said, “Whoever strikes the
Jebusites first shall be chief and captain.”
Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and
was made chief.
7 David lived in the stronghold; therefore they called it David’s city.
8 He built the city all around, from Millo
even around; and Joab repaired the rest of
the city.
9 David grew greater and greater, for
Yahweh of Armies was with him.
10 Now these are the chief of the mighty
men whom David had, who showed themselves strong with him in his kingdom,
together with all Israel, to make him king,
according to Yahweh’s word concerning
Israel.
11 This is the number of the mighty men
whom David had: Jashobeam, the son of a Hachmonite, the chief of the thirty; he
lifted up his spear against three hundred
and killed them 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,
and there the Philistines were gathered
together to battle, where there was a plot
of ground full of barley; and the people
fled from before the Philistines.
14 They stood in the middle of the plot,
defended it, and killed the Philistines; and
Yahweh saved them by a great victory.
15 Three of the thirty chief men went
down to the rock to David, into the cave of
Adullam; and the army of the Philistines
were encamped in the valley of Rephaim.
16 David was then in the stronghold, and
the garrison of the Philistines was in Bethlehem at that time.
17 David longed, and said, “Oh, that
someone would give me water to drink
fromthe well ofBethlehem, whichisby the
gate!”
18 The three broke through the army of
the Philistines, and drew water out of the
well of Bethlehem that was by the gate,
took it, and brought it to David; but David
would not drink any of it, but poured it out
to Yahweh,
19 and said, “My God forbid me, that I
should do this! Shall I drink the blood
of these men who have put their lives in
jeopardy?” For they risked their lives to
bring it. Therefore he would not drink it.
The three mighty men did these things.
20 Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief
of the three; for he lifted up his spear
against three hundred and killed them,
and had a name among the three.
21 Of the three, he was more honorable
than the two, and was made their captain;
however he wasn’t included in the three.
22 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son
of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done
mighty deeds, killed the two sons of Ariel
of Moab. He also went down and killed a
lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day.
23 He killed an Egyptian, a man of great
stature, five cubits† high. In the Egyptian’s
hand was a spear like a weaver’s beam;
and he went down to him with a staff,
plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s
hand, and killed him with his own spear.
24 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did these
things and had a name among the three
mighty men.
25 Behold, he was more honorable than
the thirty, but he didn’t attain to the three;
and David set him over his guard.
26 The mighty men of the armies also include 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 Sibbecai 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 children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite,
32 Hurai ofthe brooks of Gaash, Abiel the
Arbathite,
33 Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba
the Shaalbonite,
34 the sons of Hashem the Gizonite,
Jonathan the son of Shagee 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 armor bearer ofJoab 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,