1 Chronicles 11

Chapters 1–9 of 1 Chronicles consist of genealogies, and chapter 10 recounts the death of Saul. The account of David's reign begins in chapter 11. The opening section parallels 2 Samuel 5, and the list of mighty men parallels 2 Samuel 23.

Outline

• Verses 1–3 All Israel gathers at Hebron. The elders make a covenant with David before the LORD and anoint him king.
• Verses 4–9 David takes the stronghold of Zion from the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land. Joab, who goes up first, becomes chief. David builds the city around it, starting from the Millo, and Joab repairs the rest of the city. David grows ever stronger.
• Verses 10–14 The list of the chiefs of the mighty men begins. Jashobeam killed three hundred men at one time. Eleazar struck down the Philistines in the barley field at Pasdammim.
• Verses 15–19 Three mighty men break through the Philistine camp and draw water from the well by the gate of Bethlehem. David refuses to drink it and pours it out to the LORD.
• Verses 20–25 Abishai killed three hundred men. Benaiah killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab, a lion, and an Egyptian five cubits tall, and he is set over David's guard.
• Verses 26–47 The names of the valiant men of the armies follow, from Asahel to Jasiel.

Key Verses

• 1 Chronicles 11:3 "they anointed David king over Israel" — This shows that David's kingship rested on the covenant with the people and on the promise given through Samuel.
• 1 Chronicles 11:9 "So David waxed greater and greater: for the LORD of hosts was with him" — The text attributes David's growing strength to God.
• 1 Chronicles 11:19 "shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy?" — This reveals how highly David valued the lives of his men.

People and Places

• Saul: The first king of Israel, mentioned in verse 2.
• Joab: The son of Zeruiah and the commander of David's army.
• Abishai: Joab's brother and chief of the second three.
• Benaiah: The son of Jehoiada and the captain of David's guard.
• Uriah: A Hittite, included in the list of mighty men in verse 41.
• Places: Hebron, Jerusalem (Jebus), Zion, Bethlehem, the cave of Adullam, and the valley of Rephaim. The enemy peoples mentioned are the Philistines and Moab.

Points for Reflection

Second Samuel gives an extended account of the period when David ruled only Judah from Hebron and of his conflict with the house of Saul. First Chronicles omits this material and portrays "all Israel" as making David king from the outset. Likewise, the list of mighty men appears near the end of David's life in 2 Samuel, but here it is placed immediately after his accession.

The two books differ in some names and numbers. In 2 Samuel 23:8 the first mighty man is called Josheb-basshebeth and is said to have killed eight hundred men, whereas here he is called Jashobeam and the number is three hundred. The names from the latter part of verse 41 through verse 47 appear only in 1 Chronicles.

Although Uriah's name appears in the list, Chronicles does not record the Bathsheba incident. The "shepherd" language of verse 2 is connected with the Davidic covenant. The New Testament calls Jesus the Son of David and a shepherd, and Christian tradition reads these titles in light of this language.

In the Korean Church

The story of the water from the well of Bethlehem (verses 15–19), together with 2 Samuel 23, is frequently used as a sermon text on the devotion and loyalty of leaders and their coworkers.