וַיִּקָּבְצוּ כָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־דָּוִיד חֶבְרוֹנָה לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה עַצְמְךָ וּבְשָׂרְךָ אֲנָחְנוּ׃   11:1

1Chr. 11:1   And all Israel gathered to David to Hebron saying, “Behold!  We are your bone and your flesh.”

A few of the verses in this chapter are reminiscent of some in 2Samuel Chapter 5.  But there are major departures here as well.

גַּם־תְּמוֹל גַּם־שִׁלְשׁוֹם גַּם בִּהְיוֹת שָׁאוּל מֶלֶךְ אַתָּה הַמּוֹצִיא וְהַמֵּבִיא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה   11:2

 אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְךָ אַתָּה תִרְעֶה אֶת־עַמִּי אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאַתָּה תִּהְיֶה נָגִיד עַל עַמִּי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

1Chr. 11:2   “Even before, even in times past, indeed while Saul was being king, it was you who was leading out and bringing in Israel, and the Lord, your God, said to you, ‘You will shepherd My people, Israel, and you will be a prince over My people, Israel.’”

וַיָּבֹאוּ כָּל־זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ חֶבְרוֹנָה וַיִּכְרֹת לָהֶם דָּוִיד בְּרִית בְּחֶבְרוֹן לִפְנֵי יְהוָה וַיִּמְשְׁחוּ   11:3

 אֶת־דָּוִיד לְמֶלֶךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּדְבַר יְהוָה בְּיַד־שְׁמוּאֵל׃

1Chr. 11:3   And all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant for them in Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David to be king over Israel according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Samuel.

וַיֵּלֶךְ דָּוִיד וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל יְרוּשָׁלִַם הִיא יְבוּס וְשָׁם הַיְבוּסִי יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ׃   11:4

1Chr. 11:4   Then David went with all Israel to Jerusalem -- that was Jebus -- and there were the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land.

Much of the remainder of this chapter is very different from or is not found in 2Samuel.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ יֹשְׁבֵי יְבוּס לְדָוִיד לֹא תָבוֹא הֵנָּה וַיִּלְכֹּד דָּוִיד אֶת־מְצֻדַת צִיּוֹן הִיא עִיר דָּוִיד׃   11:5

1Chr. 11:5   And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You cannot come in here.”  But David seized the stronghold of Zion.  It became the city of David.

וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד כָּל־מַכֵּה יְבוּסִי בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה יִהְיֶה לְרֹאשׁ וּלְשָׂר וַיַּעַל בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה יוֹאָב בֶּן־צְרוּיָה וַיְהִי   11:6

 לְרֹאשׁ׃

1Chr. 11:6   And David said, “Whoever is smiting the Jebusites first shall be for chief and for captain.”  And Joab son of Zeruiah, went up first and he became for chief.

וַיֵּשֶׁב דָּוִיד בַּמְצָד עַל־כֵּן קָרְאוּ־לוֹ עִיר דָּוִיד׃   11:7

1Chr. 11:7   And David dwelled in the stronghold; therefore they called it the city of David.

וַיִּבֶן הָעִיר מִסָּבִיב מִן־הַמִּלּוֹא וְעַד־הַסָּבִיב וְיוֹאָב יְחַיֶּה אֶת־שְׁאָר הָעִיר׃   11:8

1Chr. 11:8   And he rebuilt the city from every side, from the Millo and up to the surround, as Joab would restore the rest of the city.

וַיֵּלֶךְ דָּוִיד הָלוֹךְ וְגָדוֹל וַיהוָה צְבָאוֹת עִמּוֹ׃   11:9

1Chr. 11:9   And David grew greater and greater, as the Lord of hosts was with him.

וְאֵלֶּה רָאשֵׁי הַגִּבּוֹרִים אֲשֶׁר לְדָוִיד הַמִּתְחַזְּקִים עִמּוֹ בְמַלְכוּתוֹ עִם־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהַמְלִיכוֹ כִּדְבַר   11:10

 יְהוָה עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

1Chr. 11:10   Now these who were David's were the best of the mighty men, holding strongly with him during his reign with all of Israel to keep him king, according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel.

וְאֵלֶּה מִסְפַּר הַגִּבֹּרִים אֲשֶׁר לְדָוִיד יָשָׁבְעָם בֶּן־חַכְמֹונִי רֹאשׁ (הַשְּׁלֹושִׁים) [ הַשָּׁלִישִׁים] הוּא־עֹורֵר   11:11

 אֶת־חֲנִיתֹו עַל־שְׁלֹשׁ־מֵאֹות חָלָל בְּפַעַם אֶחָת׃

1Chr. 11:11   And these were a few of the mighty men who were David's:  Jashobeam, the son of a Hachmonite, was foremost of the thirty.  He roused his spear against three hundred he slew at one time.

Jashobeam is not mentioned before this, but the name is found twice more later in the bible, but it’s uncertain as to whether it is the same person each time.  Also of interest is the alleged error in the parentheses.  The word, translated as the thirty, is spelled correctly, and the “correction” in the brackets is both incorrect and unnecessary.  Even more interesting is the fact that the same word for the thirty appears in 2Sam. 23:23 (and numerous other places including v. 15 below!) and it is spelled as here, and is not flagged as an error elsewhere.

וְאַחֲרָיו אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן־דּוֹדוֹ הָאֲחוֹחִי הוּא בִּשְׁלוֹשָׁה הַגִּבֹּרִים׃   11:12

1Chr. 11:12   Then after him Eleazar son of Dodo, the Achochite, was.  He was among the three mightiest men.

הוּא־הָיָה עִם־דָּוִיד בַּפַּס דַּמִּים וְהַפְּלִשְׁתִּים נֶאֱסְפוּ־שָׁם לַמִּלְחָמָה וַתְּהִי חֶלְקַת הַשָּׂדֶה מְלֵאָה   11:13

 שְׂעוֹרִים וְהָעָם נָסוּ מִפְּנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים׃

1Chr. 11:13   He was with David at Pas-dammim when the Philistines had gathered there for battle, and a portion of the field was full of barley, but the people had fled from before the Philistines.

וַיִּתְיַצְּבוּ בְתוֹךְ־הַחֶלְקָה וַיַּצִּילוּהָ וַיַּכּוּ אֶת־פְּלִשְׁתִּים וַיּוֹשַׁע יְהוָה תְּשׁוּעָה גְדוֹלָה׃   11:14

1Chr. 11:14   But they stationed themselves in the midst of the parcel and defended it and smote the Philistines as the Lord wrought a great deliverance.

וַיֵּרְדוּ שְׁלוֹשָׁה מִן־הַשְּׁלוֹשִׁים רֹאשׁ עַל־הַצֻּר אֶל־דָּוִיד אֶל־מְעָרַת עֲדֻלָּם וּמַחֲנֵה פְלִשְׁתִּים חֹנָה   11:15

 בְּעֵמֶק רְפָאִים׃

1Chr. 11:15   And the best three from the thirty came down over the rock to David to the cave of Adullam, and a group of Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim.

Some of this event is described in 2Samuel Chapter 23.  There are both minor and major differences.  Later portions of this chapter are found there as well.  Also notice how the word translated as the thirty, the fourth Hebrew word, is spelled, as compared to that in v. 11 above.

וְדָוִיד אָז בַּמְּצוּדָה וּנְצִיב פְּלִשְׁתִּים אָז בְּבֵית לָחֶם׃   11:16

1Chr. 11:16   And David was then in the stronghold and a garrison of Philistines was then in Beth-lehem.

וַיִּתְאָו) [וַיִּתְאָיו] דָּוִיד וַיֹּאמַר מִי יַשְׁקֵנִי מַיִם מִבֹּור בֵּית־לֶחֶם אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׁעַר׃   11:17

1Chr. 11:17   And David desired, and said, “Who will bring me a drink of water from the well of Beth-lehem that is at the gate?”

The sages must have been extra conscientious in flagging errors in this chapter.  The word before the left parenthesis, translated as and ... desired, is not in error.  In fact, the identical word is found in Psal. 45:12, but is not flagged as an error there.

וַיִּבְקְעוּ הַשְּׁלֹשָׁה בְּמַחֲנֵה פְלִשְׁתִּים וַיִּשְׁאֲבוּ־מַיִם מִבּוֹר בֵּית־לֶחֶם אֲשֶׁר בַּשַּׁעַר וַיִּשְׂאוּ וַיָּבִאוּ   11:18

  אֶל־דָּוִיד וְלֹא־אָבָה דָוִיד לִשְׁתּוֹתָם וַיְנַסֵּךְ אֹתָם לַיהוָה׃

1Chr. 11:18   And the three broke through to the encampment of Philistines and drew water from the well of Beth-lehem that was at the gate and took and brought to David, but David refused to drink it and poured it out to the Lord.

וַיֹּאמֶר חָלִילָה לִּי מֵאֱלֹהַי מֵעֲשׂוֹת זֹאת הֲדַם הָאֲנָשִׁים הָאֵלֶּה אֶשְׁתֶּה בְנַפְשׁוֹתָם כִּי בְנַפְשׁוֹתָם   11:19

 הֱבִיאוּם וְלֹא אָבָה לִשְׁתּוֹתָם אֵלֶּה עָשׂוּ שְׁלֹשֶׁת הַגִּבּוֹרִים׃

1Chr. 11:19   And he said, “It is forbidden to me by my God to do this.  Should I drink of the blood of these men with their souls?  For they brought it by themselves.  So I do not consent to drink it.”  Such things did the three mighty men.

וְאַבְשַׁי אֲחִי־יֹואָב הוּא הָיָה רֹאשׁ הַשְּׁלֹושָׁה וְהוּא עֹורֵר אֶת־חֲנִיתֹו עַל־שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאֹות חָלָל (וְלֹא   11:20

 וְלֹו]־שֵׁם בַּשְּׁלֹושָׁה׃

1Chr. 11:20   And Abishai was a brother of Joab.  He was the best of the three, as he had lifted up his spear against three hundred he had slain, and he had a name among the three.

The word following the right parenthesis at the end of the first Hebrew line, which would be translated as yet ... did not [have a name], is incorrect according to the third-from-last-word in 2Sam. 23:18.  There Abishai was counted among the three.  The correction before the left bracket is translated as and he had.

מִן־הַשְּׁלוֹשָׁה בַשְּׁנַיִם נִכְבָּד וַיְהִי לָהֶם לְשָׂר וְעַד־הַשְּׁלוֹשָׁה לֹא־בָא׃   11:21

1Chr. 11:21   He was more honorable than the three in the second tier and was their captain, but he did not attain up to the three.

The last portion of this verse seems rather strange.  It appears to contradict v. 20, which states that Abishai was the best of the three.

בְּנָיָה בֶן־יְהוֹיָדָע בֶּן־אִישׁ־חַיִל רַב־פְּעָלִים מִן־קַבְצְאֵל הוּא הִכָּה אֵת שְׁנֵי אֲרִיאֵל מוֹאָב וְהוּא יָרַד   11:22

וְהִכָּה אֶת־הָאֲרִי בְּתוֹךְ הַבּוֹר בְּיוֹם הַשָּׁלֶג׃

1Chr. 11:22   Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of great deeds from Kabzeel, he smote the double altar of Moab, and he could go down and slay the lion in the midst of the pit in the time of snow.

וְהוּא־הִכָּה אֶת־הָאִישׁ הַמִּצְרִי אִישׁ מִדָּה חָמֵשׁ בָּאַמָּה וּבְיַד הַמִּצְרִי חֲנִית כִּמְנוֹר אֹרְגִים וַיֵּרֶד אֵלָיו   11:23

 בַּשָּׁבֶט וַיִּגְזֹל אֶת־הַחֲנִית מִיַּד הַמִּצְרִי וַיַּהַרְגֵהוּ בַּחֲנִיתוֹ׃

1Chr. 11:23   And he slew the man, the Egyptian, a man of five cubits stature, and a spear like a weaving beam was in the hand of the Egyptian, and he went down to him with a staff and tore the spear from the hand of the Egyptian and slew him with his own spear.

אֵלֶּה עָשָׂה בְּנָיָהוּ בֶּן־יְהוֹיָדָע וְלוֹ־שֵׁם בִּשְׁלוֹשָׁה הַגִּבֹּרִים׃   11:24

1Chr. 11:24   Benaiah son of Jehoiada, did these things and his name was among the three mighty men.

The name of Benaiah appears in v. 22 above.  Here it is spelled somewhat differently, with an additional vav suffix.  This kind of variation in names is fairly common and is usually not mentioned when it occurs.  The proximity of the two variations here, though, is the cause for my mentioning it.

מִן־הַשְּׁלוֹשִׁים הִנּוֹ נִכְבָּד הוּא וְאֶל־הַשְּׁלוֹשָׁה לֹא־בָא וַיְשִׂימֵהוּ דָוִיד עַל־מִשְׁמַעְתּוֹ׃   11:25

1Chr. 11:25   Though he was more honored than the thirty, yet he did not attain to the three, but David set him over his guard.

וְגִבּוֹרֵי הַחֲיָלִים עֲשָׂה־אֵל אֲחִי יוֹאָב אֶלְחָנָן בֶּן־דּוֹדוֹ מִבֵּית לָחֶם׃   11:26

1Chr. 11:26   And of the mighty men of valor were Asahel, a brother of Joab, Elchanan son of Dodo from Beth-lehem,

The names of the mighty men mentioned here and below are also found in 2Samuel Chapter 23, but some of the names given here are not identical to those in 2Samuel.  In fact, some of them are totally different or are not mentioned there at all, and vice versa.

שַׁמּוֹת הַהֲרוֹרִי חֶלֶץ הַפְּלוֹנִי׃   11:27

1Chr. 11:27   Shammoth, the Harorite, Helez, the Pelonite,

עִירָא בֶן־עִקֵּשׁ הַתְּקוֹעִי אֲבִיעֶזֶר הָעֲנְּתוֹתִי׃   11:28

1Chr. 11:28   Ira son of Ikkesh, the Tekoite, Abiezer, the Anathothite,

סִבְּכַי הַחֻשָׁתִי עִילַי הָאֲחוֹחִי׃   11:29

1Chr. 11:29   Sibbecai, the Hushathite, Ilai, the Ahohite,

מַהְרַי הַנְּטֹפָתִי חֵלֶד בֶּן־בַּעֲנָה הַנְּטוֹפָתִי׃   11:30

1Chr. 11:30   Marai, the Netophathite, Heled son of Baanah, the Netophathite,

אִיתַי בֶּן־רִיבַי מִגִּבְעַת בְּנֵי בִנְיָמִן בְּנָיָה הַפִּרְעָתֹנִי׃   11:31

1Chr. 11:31   Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, Benaiah, the Pirathonite,

חוּרַי מִנַּחֲלֵי גָעַשׁ אֲבִיאֵל הָעַרְבָתִי׃   11:32

1Chr. 11:32   Hurai from Nahale-gaash, Abiel, the Arbathite,

עַזְמָוֶת הַבַּחֲרוּמִי אֶלְיַחְבָּא הַשַּׁעַלְבֹנִי׃   11:33

1Chr. 11:33   Azmaveth, the Baharumite, Eliahba, the Shaalbonite,

בְּנֵי הָשֵׁם הַגִּזוֹנִי יוֹנָתָן בֶּן־שָׁגֵה הַהֲרָרִי׃   11:34

1Chr. 11:34   the sons of Hashem, the Gizonite, Jonathan son of Shageh, the Hararite,

אֲחִיאָם בֶּן־שָׂכָר הַהֲרָרִי אֱלִיפַל בֶּן־אוּר׃   11:35

1Chr. 11:35   Ahiam son of Sacar, the Hararite, Eliphal son of Ur,

חֵפֶר הַמְּכֵרָתִי אֲחִיָּה הַפְּלֹנִי׃   11:36

1Chr. 11:36   Hepher, the Mecherathite, Ahijah, the Pelonite,

חֶצְרֹו הַכַּרְמְלִי נַעֲרַי בֶּן־אֶזְבָּי׃   11:37

1Chr. 11:37   Hezro, the Carmelite, Naarai son of Ezbai,               [Return to 2Sam. 23:35]

יוֹאֵל אֲחִי נָתָן מִבְחָר בֶּן־הַגְרִי׃   11:38

1Chr. 11:38   Joel, the brother of Nathan, Mibhar son of Hagri,

צֶלֶק הָעַמּוֹנִי נַחְרַי הַבֵּרֹתִי נֹשֵׂא כְּלֵי יוֹאָב בֶּן־צְרוּיָה׃   11:39

1Chr. 11:39   Zelek, the Ammonite, Nachrai, the Berothite, the bearer of weapons of Joab son of Zeruiah,

עִירָא הַיִּתְרִי גָּרֵב הַיִּתְרִי׃   11:40

1Chr. 11:40   Ira, the Ithrite, Gereb, the Ithrite,

אוּרִיָּה הַחִתִּי זָבָד בֶּן־אַחְלָי׃   11:41

1Chr. 11:41   Uriah, the Hittite, Zabad son of Achlai,

עֲדִינָא בֶן־שִׁיזָא הָראוּבֵנִי רֹאשׁ לָראוּבֵנִי וְעָלָיו שְׁלוֹשִׁים׃   11:42

1Chr. 11:42   Adina son of Shiza, the Reubenite, a Reubenite chief, with thirty beside him,

חָנָן בֶּן־מַעֲכָה וְיוֹשָׁפָט הַמִּתְנִי׃   11:43

1Chr. 11:43   Hanan son of Maacah, and Joshaphat, the Mithnite,

עֻזִיָּא הָעֲשְׁתְּרָתִי שָׁמָע (וִיעוּאֵל) [וִיעִיאֵל] בְּנֵי חֹותָם הָעֲרֹעֵרִי׃   11:44

1Chr. 11:44   Uzzia, the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel, the sons of Hotham, the Aroerite,

The name of Jeiel in the parentheses is apparently misspelled.  It appears five other times in Chronicles (although each is not always of the same person), and each time it is spelled as in the brackets, with the second yad replacing the second vav.  Yet I believe there is no way to tell if this occurrence is indeed an error.

יְדִיעֲאֵל בֶּן־שִׁמְרִי וְיֹחָא אָחִיו הַתִּיצִי׃   11:45

1Chr. 11:45   Jediael son of Shimri and Joha, his brother, the Tizite,

אֱלִיאֵל הַמַּחֲוִים וִירִיבַי וְיוֹשַׁוְיָה בְּנֵי אֶלְנָעַם וְיִתְמָה הַמּוֹאָבִי׃   11:46

1Chr. 11:46   Eliel of the Mahavites, and Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and ithmah, the Moabite,

אֱלִיאֵל וְעוֹבֵד וְיַעֲשִׂיאֵל הַמְּצֹבָיָה׃   11:47

1Chr. 11:47   Eliel and Obed, and Jaasiel, the Mezabaite.

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