1 Chronicles 12

This chapter belongs to the opening section of the David narrative in 1 Chronicles. Continuing from David's accession and the list of his mighty men in 1 Chronicles 11, it arranges those who came to David by period and by tribe.

Outline

• Verses 1–7: While David is at Ziklag, having fled from Saul, warriors of the tribe of Benjamin come to him. They can use both the right hand and the left with bow and sling, and their chief is Ahiezer.
• Verses 8–15: Eleven chiefs of the Gadites come to David. In the first month, when the Jordan had overflowed its banks, they crossed the river and put to flight the enemies in the valleys.
• Verses 16–18: When men of Benjamin and Judah arrive, David asks about their intentions. The Spirit comes upon Amasai, who declares their loyalty, and David makes them captains of the band.
• Verses 19–22: The chapter records how the lords of the Philistines sent David away and how seven captains of thousands from Manasseh joined him as he returned to Ziklag. Men came to him day by day, "until it was a great host, like the host of God."
• Verses 23–37: The numbers of soldiers gathered at Hebron are listed by tribe: Judah, 6,800; Simeon, 7,100; Levi, 4,600; those with Jehoiada, 3,700; Zadok with 22 captains of his father's house; Benjamin, 3,000; Ephraim, 20,800; the half-tribe of Manasseh, 18,000; Issachar, 200 chiefs; Zebulun, 50,000; Naphtali, 1,000 captains and 37,000 men; Dan, 28,600; Asher, 40,000; and the tribes beyond the Jordan, 120,000.
• Verses 38–40: All the soldiers, with one heart, make David king, and they spend three days eating, drinking, and rejoicing together.

Key Verses

• 1 Chronicles 12:18: "Thine are we, David, and on thy side" — this declaration of loyalty by those who take David's side is presented as words spoken under the inspiration of the Spirit.
• 1 Chronicles 12:32: "Men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do" — this verse describes the chiefs of Issachar, emphasizing discernment rather than numbers.

People and Places

• David: Having lived as a fugitive from Saul, he is made king at Hebron.
• Saul: The first king of Israel, who pursued David. Many Benjamites still followed his house.
• Jesse: David's father, mentioned in Amasai's declaration as "thou son of Jesse."
• Amasai: Chief of the thirty.
• Jehoiada: Leader of the house of Aaron.
• Zadok: Introduced as a young man mighty of valor.
• Ziklag: The town in Philistine territory where David stayed.
• Hebron: The place where David was made king.
• Jordan River
• Philistines

Points to Consider

• The Ziklag period and the deliberations of the Philistine lords appear in 1 Samuel 27 and 1 Samuel 29, and the coronation at Hebron appears in 2 Samuel 5. The books of Samuel depict a process in which David first becomes king of Judah and only later king over all Israel. Chronicles, by contrast, emphasizes the picture of the various tribes gathering to him with one heart.
• Interpretations differ regarding the large numbers in verses 23–37. Some read the figures as they stand in the text, while some scholars understand the Hebrew word for "thousand" (eleph) as referring to a military unit or clan.
• In verse 18, the expression rendered "moved upon" in the Korean Revised Version is rendered "enveloped" in the New Korean Revised Version (the KJV reads "came upon"). The Hebrew is understood to use a verb meaning "to clothe."

In the Korean Church

The children of Issachar who "had understanding of the times" in verse 32 are frequently cited in sermons and New Year's messages as a picture of believers who discern the times.