An ancient tradition ascribes the authorship of Chronicles to Ezra. The author must have lived some time after the return of the Jews to Israel from the Babylonian exile. He also had a strong interest in the reimplementation of the law and the temple, and he must have had access to historical records. All of these criteria suit Ezra, and this identification is corroborated by the fact that the last verses of Chronicles are the first verses of the book of Ezra. However, since the book does not explicitly claim Ezra for its author, in these notes we will refer to him simply as the “Chronicler.”
The books of 1 and 2 Chronicles include extensive genealogies from the time of Adam and take the reader up to the period of the nation’s exile and restoration. First Chronicles gives us the genealogies and focuses on the reign of King David. Second Chronicles focuses on all the kings who followed David up to the exile and restoration. It covers the same time period as 1 and 2 Kings, but 2 Chronicles focuses exclusively on the kings of Judah. The content of the books necessitates that they were written sometime after the return from the exile, perhaps the middle of the fifth century BC.
Chronicles brings together many dimensions of biblical revelation, such as historical events (as recounted in Genesis through Kings), temple ritual (as prescribed in Leviticus), sin and judgment (as preached by the prophets), and even some psalms. Because a recurring theme is that God will always accept people who return to him no matter how wicked they may have been, it has been called, perhaps a little whimsically, “The Gospel According to Ezra.” The books of 1 and 2 Chronicles give us the big picture of OT history, capturing the Davidic covenant in light of Israel’s history back to Adam and pointing to the eternal continuation of that covenant through the reign of the Messiah.
The Hebrew Bible divides its books into three categories: the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings. In this arrangement, the books of Samuel and Kings are counted among the Prophets, whereas Chronicles belongs to the Writings. This classification may be partially due to the fact that Chronicles repeats information, such as the genealogies of Genesis and the histories of the kings of Judah from the books of Samuel and Kings. Still the Chronicler uses this repeated content to support his own point, and he also adds a lot of information that we find in Chronicles alone. He limits his discussion of the various kings almost entirely to those of Judah, the southern kingdom.
David was, for many years, searching for a site for the great temple that he purposed to build for Jehovah, his God. It had been ordained that the sacrifices offered to the one God should be offered by all Israel on one altar, but as yet the ark of the Lord was within curtains, near David’s palace, and the altar of burnt offering was situated at Gibeon. David watched and waited and prayed, and in due time he received the sign. Why was the threshing floor of Ornan to be David’s meeting place with his God and the spot where prayer was to be heard? Certainly it was a simple, unadorned place. It boasted no magnificence of size or beauty of construction. There was just the rock and, I suppose, a composition of hard clay or cement that the feet of the oxen might tread out the corn. Yet when the temple with all its glory crowned the spot, God was never more conspicuously present than on that bare, ungarnished threshing floor.
1Adam, Seth, Enosh,
2 Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared,
3Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech,
4Noah, Noah’s sons: A
Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
5 Japheth’s sons: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
6 Gomer’s sons: Ashkenaz, Riphath, B and Togarmah.
7 Javan’s sons: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim. C
8 Ham’s sons: Cush, Mizraim, D Put, and Canaan.
9 Cush’s sons: Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raama, and Sabteca.
Raama’s sons: Sheba and Dedan.
10 Cush fathered Nimrod, who was the first to become a great warrior on earth.
11 Mizraim fathered the people of Lud, Anam, Lehab, Naphtuh, 12 Pathrus, Casluh (the Philistines came from them), and Caphtor.
13 Canaan fathered Sidon as his firstborn and Heth, 14 as well as the Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, 15 Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, 16 Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites.
17 Shem’s sons: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech.
18 Arpachshad fathered Shelah, and Shelah fathered Eber. 19 Two sons were born to Eber. One of them was named Peleg E because the earth was divided during his lifetime, and the name of his brother was Joktan. 20 Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 21 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 22 Ebal, Abimael, Sheba, 23 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All of these were Joktan’s sons.
24Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah,
25Eber, Peleg, Reu,
26Serug, Nahor, Terah,
27and Abram (that is, Abraham).
28Abraham’s sons: Isaac and Ishmael.
29 These are their family records: Nebaioth, Ishmael’s firstborn, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 30 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, 31 Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.
These were Ishmael’s sons.
32 The sons born to Keturah, Abraham’s concubine: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.
Jokshan’s sons: Sheba and Dedan.
33 Midian’s sons: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah.
All of these were Keturah’s descendants.
34 Abraham fathered Isaac.
Isaac’s sons: Esau and Israel.
35 Esau’s sons: Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.
36 Eliphaz’s sons: Teman, Omar, Zephi, Gatam, and Kenaz; and by Timna, Amalek. F
37 Reuel’s sons: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.
38 Seir’s sons: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan.
39 Lotan’s sons: Hori and Homam. Timna was Lotan’s sister.
40 Shobal’s sons: Alian, Manahath, Ebal, Shephi, and Onam.
Zibeon’s sons: Aiah and Anah.
41 Anah’s son: Dishon.
Dishon’s sons: Hamran, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran.
42 Ezer’s sons: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Jaakan.
Dishan’s sons: Uz and Aran.
43These were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom
before any king reigned over the Israelites:
Bela son of Beor.
Bela’s town was named Dinhabah.
44When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah
reigned in his place.
45When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites reigned in his place.
46When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the territory of Moab, reigned in his place.
Hadad’s town was named Avith.
47When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah reigned in his place.
48When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth on the Euphrates River reigned in his place.
49When Shaul died, Baal-hanan son of Achbor reigned
in his place.
50When Baal-hanan died, Hadad reigned in his place.
Hadad’s city was named Pai, and his wife’s name was Mehetabel
daughter of Matred, daughter of Me-zahab.
51Then Hadad died.
Edom’s chiefs: Timna, Alvah, A Jetheth, 52 Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, 53 Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, 54 Magdiel, and Iram.
These were Edom’s chiefs.
A 1:4 LXX; MT omits Noah’s sons
B 1:6 Some Hb mss, LXX, Vg; other Hb mss read Diphath ; Gn 10:3
C 1:7 Some Hb mss, Syr read Dodanim ; Gn 10:4
2These were Israel’s sons:
Reuben, Simeon, Levi,
Judah, Issachar, Zebulun,
2Dan, Joseph, Benjamin,
Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
3 Judah’s sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by Bath-shua the Canaanite woman. Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the LORD’s sight, so he put him to death. 4 Judah’s daughter-in-law Tamar bore Perez and Zerah to him. Judah had five sons in all.
5 Perez’s sons: Hezron and Hamul.
6 Zerah’s sons: Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Dara B — five in all.
7 Carmi’s son: Achar, C who brought trouble on Israel when he was unfaithful by taking the things set apart for destruction.
8 Ethan’s son: Azariah.
9 Hezron’s sons, who were born to him: Jerahmeel, Ram, and Chelubai. D
10 Ram fathered Amminadab, and Amminadab fathered Nahshon, a leader of Judah’s descendants.
11 Nahshon fathered Salma, and Salma fathered Boaz.
12 Boaz fathered Obed, and Obed fathered Jesse.
13 Jesse fathered Eliab, his firstborn; Abinadab was born second, Shimea third, 14 Nethanel fourth, Raddai fifth, 15 Ozem sixth, and David seventh. 16 Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah’s three sons: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel. 17 Amasa’s mother was Abigail, and his father was Jether the Ishmaelite.
18 Caleb son of Hezron had children by his wife Azubah and by Jerioth. These were Azubah’s sons: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon. 19 When Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrath, and she bore Hur to him. 20 Hur fathered Uri, and Uri fathered Bezalel. 21 After this, Hezron slept with the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead. Hezron had married her when he was sixty years old, and she bore Segub to him. 22 Segub fathered Jair, who possessed twenty-three towns in the land of Gilead. 23 But Geshur and Aram captured A Jair’s Villages B along with Kenath and its surrounding villages — sixty towns. All these were the descendants of Machir father of Gilead. 24 After Hezron’s death in Caleb-ephrathah, his wife Abijah bore C Ashhur to him. He was the father of Tekoa.
25 The sons of Jerahmeel, Hezron’s firstborn: Ram, his firstborn, Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah. 26 Jerahmeel had another wife named Atarah, who was the mother of Onam.
27 The sons of Ram, Jerahmeel’s firstborn: Maaz, Jamin, and Eker.
28 Onam’s sons: Shammai and Jada.
Shammai’s sons: Nadab and Abishur. 29 Abishur’s wife was named Abihail, who bore Ahban and Molid to him.
30 Nadab’s sons: Seled and Appaim. Seled died without children.
31 Appaim’s son: Ishi.
Ishi’s son: Sheshan.
Sheshan’s descendant: Ahlai.
32 The sons of Jada, brother of Shammai: Jether and Jonathan. Jether died without children.
33 Jonathan’s sons: Peleth and Zaza. These were the descendants of Jerahmeel.
34 Sheshan had no sons, only daughters, but he did have an Egyptian servant whose name was Jarha. 35 Sheshan gave his daughter in marriage to his servant Jarha, and she bore Attai to him.
36 Attai fathered Nathan, and Nathan fathered Zabad.
37 Zabad fathered Ephlal, and Ephlal fathered Obed.
38 Obed fathered Jehu, and Jehu fathered Azariah.
39 Azariah fathered Helez, and Helez fathered Elasah.
40 Elasah fathered Sismai, and Sismai fathered Shallum.
41 Shallum fathered Jekamiah, and Jekamiah fathered Elishama.
42 The sons of Caleb brother of Jerahmeel: Mesha, his firstborn, fathered Ziph, and Mareshah, his second son, D fathered Hebron.
43 Hebron’s sons: Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema.
44 Shema fathered Raham, who fathered Jorkeam, and Rekem fathered Shammai.
45 Shammai’s son was Maon, and Maon fathered Beth-zur.
46 Caleb’s concubine Ephah was the mother of Haran, Moza, and Gazez. Haran fathered Gazez.
47 Jahdai’s sons: Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph.
48 Caleb’s concubine Maacah was the mother of Sheber and Tirhanah. 49 She was also the mother of Shaaph, Madmannah’s father, and of Sheva, the father of Machbenah and Gibea. Caleb’s daughter was Achsah.
50 These were Caleb’s descendants.
The sons of Hur, Ephrathah’s firstborn:
Shobal fathered Kiriath-jearim;
51 Salma fathered Bethlehem,
and Hareph fathered Beth-gader.
52 These were the descendants of Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim: Haroeh, half of the Manahathites, E 53 and the families of Kiriath-jearim — the Ithrites, Puthites, Shumathites, and Mishraites. The Zorathites and Eshtaolites descended from these.
54 Salma’s descendants: Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth-beth-joab, and half of the Manahathites, the Zorites, 55 and the families of scribes who lived in Jabez — the Tirathites, Shimeathites, and Sucathites. These are the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of Rechab’s family.
B 2:6 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Tg, Vg read Darda ; 1Kg 4:31
C 2:7 = Trouble; Achan in Jos 7:1,16-26
B 2:23 Or captured Havvoth-jair
C 2:24 LXX, Vg read death, Caleb slept with Ephrath (Hezron’s wife was Abijah) and she bore
3These were David’s sons who were born to him in Hebron:
Amnon was the firstborn, by Ahinoam of Jezreel;
Daniel was born second, by Abigail of Carmel;
2 Absalom son of Maacah, daughter of King Talmai of Geshur, was third;
Adonijah son of Haggith was fourth;
3 Shephatiah, by Abital, was fifth;
and Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah, was sixth.
4 Six sons were born to David in Hebron, where he reigned seven years and six months, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-three years.
5 These sons were born to him in Jerusalem:
Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon. These four were born to him by Bath-shua daughter of Ammiel.
6 David’s other sons: Ibhar, Elishua, A Eliphelet, 7 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 8 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet — nine sons.
9 These were all David’s sons, with their sister Tamar, in addition to the sons by his concubines.
10Solomon’s son was Rehoboam;
his son was Abijah, his son Asa,
his son Jehoshaphat, 11 his son Jehoram, B,C
his son Ahaziah, his son Joash,
12his son Amaziah, his son Azariah,
his son Jotham, 13 his son Ahaz,
his son Hezekiah, his son Manasseh,
14his son Amon, and his son Josiah.
15Josiah’s sons:
Johanan was the firstborn, Jehoiakim second,
Zedekiah third, and Shallum fourth.
16Jehoiakim’s sons:
his sons Jeconiah and Zedekiah.
17 The sons of Jeconiah the captive:
his sons Shealtiel, 18 Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah.
19 Pedaiah’s sons: Zerubbabel and Shimei.
Zerubbabel’s sons: Meshullam and Hananiah, with their sister Shelomith; 20 and five others — Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-hesed.
21 Hananiah’s descendants: Pelatiah, Jeshaiah, and the sons of Rephaiah, Arnan, Obadiah, and Shecaniah. D
22 The son E of Shecaniah: Shemaiah.
Shemaiah’s sons: Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat — six.
23 Neariah’s sons: Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam — three.
24 Elioenai’s sons: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani — seven.
A 3:6 Lit Elishama ; 2Sm 5:15; 1Ch 14:5
D 3:21 LXX reads Jeshaiah, his son Rephaiah, his son Arnan, his son Obadiah, and his son Shecaniah
4Judah’s sons: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.
2 Reaiah son of Shobal fathered Jahath, and Jahath fathered Ahumai and Lahad.
These were the families of the Zorathites.
3 These were Etam’s sons: F Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash, and their sister was named Hazzelelponi.
4 Penuel fathered Gedor, and Ezer fathered Hushah.
These were the sons of Hur, Ephrathah’s firstborn and the father of Bethlehem:
5 Ashhur fathered Tekoa and had two wives, Helah and Naarah.
6 Naarah bore Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari to him. These were Naarah’s sons.
7 Helah’s sons: Zereth, Zohar, A and Ethnan. 8 Koz fathered Anub, Zobebah, B and the families of Aharhel son of Harum.
9 Jabez C was more honored than his brothers. His mother named him Jabez and said, “I gave birth to him in pain.”
10 Jabez called out to the God of Israel: “If only you would bless me, extend my border, let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm, so that I will not experience pain.” D And God granted his request.
QUOTE 4:10
The best honor is that which one gains in communion with the Most High.
11 Chelub brother of Shuhah fathered Mehir, who was the father of Eshton. 12 Eshton fathered Beth-rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Irnahash. These were the men of Recah.
13 Kenaz’s sons: Othniel and Seraiah.
Othniel’s sons: Hathath and Meonothai. E
14 Meonothai fathered Ophrah,
and Seraiah fathered Joab, the ancestor of those in the Craftsmen’s Valley, F for they were craftsmen.
15 The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam.
Elah’s son: Kenaz.
16 Jehallelel’s sons: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.
17 Ezrah’s sons: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. Mered’s wife Bithiah gave birth to Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. 18 These were the sons of Pharaoh’s daughter Bithiah; Mered had married her. His Judean wife gave birth to Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. 19 The sons of Hodiah’s wife, the sister of Naham: the father of Keilah the Garmite and the father of Eshtemoa the Maacathite.
20 Shimon’s sons: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon.
Ishi’s sons: Zoheth and Ben-zoheth.
21 The sons of Shelah son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, the families of the guild A of linen workers at Beth-ashbea, 22 Jokim, the men of Cozeba; and Joash and Saraph, who married Moabites B and returned to Lehem. C These names are from ancient records. 23 They were the potters and residents of Netaim and Gederah. They lived there in the service of the king.
24 Simeon’s sons: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul;
25 Shaul’s sons: his son Shallum, his son Mibsam, and his son Mishma.
26 Mishma’s sons: his son Hammuel, his son Zaccur, and his son Shimei.
27 Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers did not have many children, so their whole family did not become as numerous as the Judeans. 28 They lived in Beer-sheba, Moladah, Hazar-shual, 29 Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, 30 Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, 31 Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth-biri, and Shaaraim. These were their cities until David became king. 32 Their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan — five cities, 33 and all their surrounding villages as far as Baal. These were their settlements, and they kept a genealogical record for themselves.
34 Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah,
35 Joel, Jehu son of Joshibiah, son of Seraiah, son of Asiel,
36 Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, 37 and Ziza son of Shiphi, son of Allon, son of Jedaiah, son of Shimri, son of Shemaiah —
38 these mentioned by name were leaders in their families. Their ancestral houses increased greatly. 39 They went to the entrance of Gedor, to the east side of the valley to seek pasture for their flocks. 40 They found rich, good pasture, and the land was broad, peaceful, and quiet, for some Hamites had lived there previously.
41 These who were recorded by name came in the days of King Hezekiah of Judah, attacked the Hamites’ tents and the Meunites who were found there, and set them apart for destruction, as they are today. Then they settled in their place because there was pasture for their flocks. 42 Now five hundred men from these sons of Simeon went with Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the descendants of Ishi, as their leaders to Mount Seir. 43 They struck down the remnant of the Amalekites who had escaped, and they still live there today.
4:10 “If only you would bless me.” He was called Jabez because his mother bore him with sorrow. It will sometimes happen that where there is the most sorrow in the cause, there will be the most pleasure in the sequel. As the furious storm gives place to the clear sunshine, so the night of weeping precedes the morning of joy. Sorrow the forerunner; gladness the prince it ushers in. Cowper says, “The path of sorrow, and that path alone, leads to the place where sorrow is unknown.” As for this Jabez, whose aim was so well pointed, his fame so far sounded, his name so lastingly embalmed—he was a man of prayer. The honor he enjoyed would not have been worth having if it had not been vigorously contested and equitably won. His devotion was the key to his promotion. Those are the best honors that come from God, the award of grace with the acknowledgment of service. The best honor is that which one gains in communion with the Most High. Jabez, we are told, was more honorable than his brothers, and his prayer is recorded, as if to intimate that he was also more prayerful than his brothers. He prayed for God’s blessing. Perhaps in this place Jabez may have put the blessing of God in contrast with the blessings of people. People will bless us when we do well for ourselves; they will praise the one who is successful in business. Nothing succeeds like success; nothing has so much approval of the general public as one’s prosperity. They do not weigh people’s actions in the balances of the sanctuary but in other scales. We will find those about us who will commend us if we are prosperous or, like Job’s comforters, condemn us if we suffer adversity. Perhaps there may be some feature about their blessings that may please us because we feel we deserve them; they commend us for our patriotism, for our generosity. But after all, what is there in the verdict of people? At a trial the verdict of the policeman who stands in the court or of the spectators who sit in the courthouse amounts to nothing. The only thing that is of importance at all will be the verdict of the jury and the sentence of the judge. So it will little avail us, whatever we may do, how others commend or censure; their blessings are not of any great value, but, “If only you, Lord, would bless me, that you would say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’ Commend the feeble service that through your grace my heart has rendered; that will be to bless me indeed.”
4:23 “They were the potters and residents of Netaim and Gederah. They lived there in the service of the king.” All labor is honorable. No one ever needs to be ashamed of an honest calling. Whether a potter or a gardener, or whatever else one’s occupation may be, the workman need never blush at the craft or toil by which he earns his honest wage. The sluggard may well be ashamed of his sloth but not the diligent person of his industry. The Word of God does not disparage the humblest calling. There is scarcely a trade or occupation that is not mentioned in sacred Scripture. The rough hand and the rugged face of the peasant are to be preferred before the dainty finger and the sleek form of the Pharisee. And the election of grace has comprised people of all sorts—herdsman and fisherman, brick maker and tent maker, those who plowed the soil and those who plowed the sea. From all ranks and classes and conditions of people, God has been pleased to call forth his own. And he has loved them, nonetheless, because they have had to soil their hands with potter’s clay or bend their backs to till the field. Wretched is the clown who sits in the shade while his comrades work in the sun. There is an honor then and a dignity, too, in humble, honest toil. The Bible itself does not disdain to record the humble craftsman’s name. To serve a king always was and still is deemed a thing to be desired. But there is a King it is real honor to serve—an honor angels appreciate—which archangels delight in. That King is the King of kings.
A 4:7 Alt Hb tradition reads Izhar
C 4:9 In Hb, the name Jabez sounds like “he causes pain.”
5These were the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel. He was the firstborn, but his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel, because Reuben defiled his father’s bed. He is not listed in the genealogy according to birthright. 2 Although Judah became strong among his brothers and a ruler came from him, the birthright was given to Joseph.
3The sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn:
Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
4Joel’s sons: his son Shemaiah,
his son Gog, his son Shimei,
5his son Micah, his son Reaiah,
his son Baal, 6 and his son Beerah.
Beerah was a leader of the Reubenites, and King Tiglath-pileser A of Assyria took him into exile. 7 His relatives by their families as they are recorded in their family records:
Jeiel the chief, Zechariah,
8 and Bela son of Azaz,
son of Shema, son of Joel.
They settled in Aroer as far as Nebo and Baal-meon. 9 They also settled in the east as far as the edge of the desert that extends to the Euphrates River, because their herds had increased in the land of Gilead. 10 During Saul’s reign they waged war against the Hagrites, who were defeated by their power. And they lived in their tents throughout the region east of Gilead.
11 The sons of Gad lived next to them in the land of Bashan as far as Salecah:
12 Joel the chief, Shapham the second in command, Janai, and Shaphat in Bashan.
13 Their relatives according to their ancestral houses: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber — seven.
14 These were the sons of Abihail son of Huri,
son of Jaroah, son of Gilead,
son of Michael, son of Jeshishai,
son of Jahdo, son of Buz.
15 Ahi son of Abdiel, son of Guni, was head of their ancestral family. B 16 They lived in Gilead, in Bashan and its surrounding villages, and throughout the pasturelands of Sharon. 17 All of them were registered in the genealogies during the reigns of Judah’s King Jotham and Israel’s King Jeroboam.
18 The descendants of Reuben and Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 warriors who could serve in the army — men who carried shield and sword, drew the bow, and were trained for war. 19 They waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. 20 They received help against these enemies because they cried out to God in battle, and the Hagrites and all their allies were handed over to them. He was receptive to their prayer because they trusted in him. 21 They captured the Hagrites’ livestock — fifty thousand of their camels, two hundred fifty thousand sheep, and two thousand donkeys — as well as one hundred thousand people. 22 Many of the Hagrites were killed because it was God’s battle. And they lived there in the Hagrites’ place until the exile.
23 The descendants of half the tribe of Manasseh settled in the land from Bashan to Baal-hermon (that is, Senir or Mount Hermon); they were numerous. 24 These were the heads of their ancestral families: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. They were valiant warriors, famous men, and heads of their ancestral houses. 25 But they were unfaithful to the God of their ancestors. They prostituted themselves with the gods of the nations A God had destroyed before them. 26 So the God of Israel roused the spirit of King Pul (that is, Tiglath-pileser B) of Assyria, and he took the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh into exile. He took them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and Gozan’s river, where they are until today.
A 5:6 LXX; MT reads Tilgath-pilneser
B 5:15 Lit the house of their fathers, also in v. 24
6Levi’s sons: Gershom, C Kohath, and Merari.
2Kohath’s sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
3Amram’s children: Aaron, Moses, and Miriam.
Aaron’s sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
4Eleazar fathered Phinehas;
Phinehas fathered Abishua;
5Abishua fathered Bukki;
Bukki fathered Uzzi;
6Uzzi fathered Zerahiah;
Zerahiah fathered Meraioth;
7Meraioth fathered Amariah;
Amariah fathered Ahitub;
8Ahitub fathered Zadok;
Zadok fathered Ahimaaz;
9Ahimaaz fathered Azariah;
Azariah fathered Johanan;
10Johanan fathered Azariah, who served as priest in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem;
11Azariah fathered Amariah;
Amariah fathered Ahitub;
12Ahitub fathered Zadok;
Zadok fathered Shallum;
13Shallum fathered Hilkiah;
Hilkiah fathered Azariah;
14Azariah fathered Seraiah;
and Seraiah fathered Jehozadak.
15Jehozadak went into exile when the LORD sent Judah and Jerusalem into exile at the hands
of Nebuchadnezzar.
16Levi’s sons: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.
17These are the names of Gershom’s sons: Libni and Shimei.
18Kohath’s sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.
19Merari’s sons: Mahli and Mushi.
These are the Levites’ families according to their fathers:
20Of Gershom: his son Libni,
his son Jahath, his son Zimmah,
21his son Joah, his son Iddo,
his son Zerah, and his son Jeatherai.
22Kohath’s sons: his son Amminadab,
his son Korah, his son Assir,
23his son Elkanah, his son Ebiasaph,
his son Assir, 24 his son Tahath,
his son Uriel, his son Uzziah,
and his son Shaul.
25Elkanah’s sons: Amasai and Ahimoth,
26his son Elkanah, his son Zophai,
his son Nahath, 27 his son Eliab,
his son Jeroham, and his son Elkanah.
28Samuel’s sons: his firstborn Joel, D
and his second son Abijah.
29Merari’s sons: Mahli, his son Libni,
his son Shimei, his son Uzzah,
30his son Shimea, his son Haggiah,
and his son Asaiah.
31 These are the men David put in charge of the music in the LORD’s temple after the ark came to rest there. 32 They ministered with song in front of the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, until Solomon built the LORD’s temple in Jerusalem, and they performed their task according to the regulations given to them. 33 These are the men who served with their sons.
From the Kohathites: Heman the singer,
son of Joel, son of Samuel,
34son of Elkanah, son of Jeroham,
son of Eliel, son of Toah,
35son of Zuph, son of Elkanah,
son of Mahath, son of Amasai,
36son of Elkanah, son of Joel,
son of Azariah, son of Zephaniah,
37son of Tahath, son of Assir,
son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah,
38son of Izhar, son of Kohath,
son of Levi, son of Israel.
39Heman’s relative was Asaph, who stood at his right hand:
Asaph son of Berechiah, son of Shimea,
40son of Michael, son of Baaseiah,
son of Malchijah, 41 son of Ethni,
son of Zerah, son of Adaiah,
42son of Ethan, son of Zimmah,
son of Shimei, 43 son of Jahath,
son of Gershom, son of Levi.
44On the left, their relatives were Merari’s sons:
Ethan son of Kishi, son of Abdi,
son of Malluch, 45 son of Hashabiah,
son of Amaziah, son of Hilkiah,
46son of Amzi, son of Bani,
son of Shemer, 47 son of Mahli,
son of Mushi, son of Merari,
son of Levi.
48 Their relatives, the Levites, were assigned to all the service of the tabernacle, God’s temple. 49 But Aaron and his sons did all the work of the most holy place. They presented the offerings on the altar of burnt offerings and on the altar of incense to make atonement for Israel according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.
50These are Aaron’s sons: his son Eleazar,
his son Phinehas, his son Abishua,
51his son Bukki, his son Uzzi,
his son Zerahiah, 52 his son Meraioth,
his son Amariah, his son Ahitub,
53his son Zadok, and his son Ahimaaz.
54 These were the places assigned to Aaron’s descendants from the Kohathite family for their settlements in their territory, because the first lot was for them. 55 They were given Hebron in the land of Judah and its surrounding pasturelands, 56 but the fields and settlements around the city were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh. 57 Aaron’s descendants were given:
Hebron (a city of refuge), Libnah and its pasturelands, Jattir, Eshtemoa and its pasturelands, 58 Hilen A and its pasturelands, Debir and its pasturelands, 59 Ashan and its pasturelands, and Beth-shemesh and its pasturelands. 60 From the tribe of Benjamin they were given Geba and its pasturelands, Alemeth and its pasturelands, and Anathoth and its pasturelands. They had thirteen towns in all among their families.
61 To the rest of the Kohathites, ten towns from half the tribe of Manasseh were assigned by lot.
62 The Gershomites were assigned thirteen towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh in Bashan according to their families.
63 The Merarites were assigned by lot twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun according to their families. 64 So the Israelites gave these towns and their pasturelands to the Levites. 65 They assigned by lot the towns named above from the tribes of the descendants of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
66 Some of the families of the Kohathites were given towns from the tribe of Ephraim for their territory:
67 Shechem (a city of refuge) with its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer and its pasturelands, 68 Jokmeam and its pasturelands, Beth-horon and its pasturelands, 69 Aijalon and its pasturelands, and Gath-rimmon and its pasturelands. 70 From half the tribe of Manasseh, Aner and its pasturelands, and Bileam and its pasturelands were given to the rest of the families of the Kohathites.
71 The Gershomites received:
Golan in Bashan and its pasturelands, and Ashtaroth and its pasturelands from the families of half the tribe of Manasseh. 72 From the tribe of Issachar they received Kedesh and its pasturelands, Daberath and its pasturelands, 73 Ramoth and its pasturelands, and Anem and its pasturelands. 74 From the tribe of Asher they received Mashal and its pasturelands, Abdon and its pasturelands, 75 Hukok and its pasturelands, and Rehob and its pasturelands. 76 From the tribe of Naphtali they received Kedesh in Galilee and its pasturelands, Hammon and its pasturelands, and Kiriathaim and its pasturelands.
77 The rest of the Merarites received:
From the tribe of Zebulun they received Rimmono and its pasturelands and Tabor and its pasturelands. 78 From the tribe of Reuben across the Jordan at Jericho, to the east of the Jordan, they received Bezer in the desert and its pasturelands, Jahzah and its pasturelands, 79 Kedemoth and its pasturelands, and Mephaath and its pasturelands. 80 From the tribe of Gad they received Ramoth in Gilead and its pasturelands, Mahanaim and its pasturelands, 81 Heshbon and its pasturelands, and Jazer and its pasturelands.
C 6:1 In Hb Levi’s son’s name is spelled “Gershon” here and many other places
D 6:28 Some LXX mss, Syr, Arabic; other Hb mss omit Joel ; 1Sm 8:2
7Issachar’s sons: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron — four.
2 Tola’s sons: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Shemuel, the heads of their ancestral families. A During David’s reign, 22,600 descendants of Tola were recorded as valiant warriors in their family records.
3 Uzzi’s son: Izrahiah.
Izrahiah’s sons: Michael, Obadiah, Joel, Isshiah. All five of them were chiefs. 4 Along with them, they had 36,000 troops for battle according to the family records of their ancestral families, for they had many wives and children. 5 Their tribesmen who were valiant warriors belonging to all the families of Issachar totaled 87,000 in their genealogies.
6 Three of Benjamin’s sons: Bela, Becher, and Jediael.
7 Bela’s sons: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri — five. They were valiant warriors and heads of their ancestral families; 22,034 were listed in their genealogies.
8 Becher’s sons: Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth; all these were Becher’s sons. 9 Their family records were recorded according to the heads of their ancestral families — 20,200 valiant warriors.
10 Jediael’s son: Bilhan.
Bilhan’s sons: Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar. 11 All these sons of Jediael listed by family heads were valiant warriors; there were 17,200 who could serve in the army. 12 Shuppim and Huppim were sons of Ir, and the Hushim were the sons of Aher.
13 Naphtali’s sons: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum — Bilhah’s sons.
14 Manasseh’s sons through his Aramean concubine: Asriel and Machir the father of Gilead. 15 Machir took wives from Huppim and Shuppim. The name of his sister was Maacah. Another descendant was named Zelophehad, but he had only daughters.
16 Machir’s wife Maacah gave birth to a son, and she named him Peresh. His brother was named Sheresh, and his sons were Ulam and Rekem.
17 Ulam’s son: Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead son of Machir, son of Manasseh. 18 His sister Hammolecheth gave birth to Ishhod, Abiezer, and Mahlah.
19 Shemida’s sons: Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam.
20Ephraim’s sons: Shuthelah, and his son Bered,
his son Tahath, his son Eleadah,
his son Tahath, 21 his son Zabad,
his son Shuthelah, also Ezer, and Elead.
The men of Gath, born in the land, killed them because they went down to raid their cattle. 22 Their father Ephraim mourned a long time, and his relatives A came to comfort him. 23 He slept with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. So he named him Beriah, because there had been misfortune in his home. B 24 His daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower and Upper Beth-horon and Uzzen-sheerah,
25his son Rephah, C his son Resheph,
his son Telah, his son Tahan,
26his son Ladan, his son Ammihud,
his son Elishama, 27 his son Nun,
and his son Joshua.
28 Their holdings and settlements were Bethel and its surrounding villages; Naaran to the east, Gezer and its villages to the west, and Shechem and its villages as far as Ayyah and its villages, 29 and along the borders of the descendants of Manasseh, Beth-shean, Taanach, Megiddo, and Dor with their surrounding villages. The sons of Joseph son of Israel lived in these towns.
30 Asher’s sons: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah, with their sister Serah.
31 Beriah’s sons: Heber, and Malchiel, who fathered Birzaith.
32 Heber fathered Japhlet, Shomer, and Hotham, with their sister Shua.
33 Japhlet’s sons: Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. These were Japhlet’s sons.
34 Shemer’s sons: Ahi, Rohgah, Hubbah, and Aram.
35 His brother Helem’s sons: Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal.
36 Zophah’s sons: Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah, 37 Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Beera.
38 Jether’s sons: Jephunneh, Pispa, and Ara.
39 Ulla’s sons: Arah, Hanniel, and Rizia.
40 All these were Asher’s descendants. They were the heads of their ancestral families, chosen men, valiant warriors, and chiefs among the leaders. The number of men listed in their genealogies for military service was 26,000.
A 7:2 Lit the house of their fathers, also in vv. 4,7,9,40
8Benjamin fathered Bela, his firstborn; Ashbel was born second, Aharah third, 2 Nohah fourth, and Rapha fifth.
3 Bela’s sons: Addar, Gera, Abihud, D 4 Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, 5 Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram.
6 These were Ehud’s sons, who were the heads of the families living in Geba and who were deported to Manahath: 7 Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera. Gera deported them and was the father of Uzza and Ahihud.
8 Shaharaim had sons in the territory of Moab after he had divorced his wives Hushim and Baara. 9 His sons by his wife Hodesh: Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, 10 Jeuz, Sachia, and Mirmah. These were his sons, family heads. 11 He also had sons by Hushim: Abitub and Elpaal.
12 Elpaal’s sons: Eber, Misham, and Shemed who built Ono and Lod and its surrounding villages, 13 Beriah and Shema, who were the family heads of Aijalon’s residents and who drove out the residents of Gath, 14 Ahio, A Shashak, and Jeremoth.
15 Zebadiah, Arad, Eder, 16 Michael, Ishpah, and Joha were Beriah’s sons.
17 Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, 18 Ishmerai, Izliah, and Jobab were Elpaal’s sons.
19 Jakim, Zichri, Zabdi, 20 Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel, 21 Adaiah, Beraiah, and Shimrath were Shimei’s sons.
22 Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, 23 Abdon, Zichri, Hanan, 24 Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah, 25 Iphdeiah, and Penuel were Shashak’s sons.
26 Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, 27 Jaareshiah, Elijah, and Zichri were Jeroham’s sons.
28 These were family heads, chiefs according to their family records; they lived in Jerusalem.
29 Jeiel B fathered Gibeon and lived in Gibeon. His wife’s name was Maacah. 30 Abdon was his firstborn son, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Nadab, 31 Gedor, Ahio, Zecher, 32 and Mikloth who fathered Shimeah. These also lived opposite their relatives in Jerusalem, with their other relatives.
33 Ner fathered Kish, Kish fathered Saul, and Saul fathered Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal. C
34 Jonathan’s son was Merib-baal, D and Merib-baal fathered Micah.
35 Micah’s sons: Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz.
36 Ahaz fathered Jehoaddah, Jehoaddah fathered Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri, and Zimri fathered Moza.
37 Moza fathered Binea. His son was Raphah, his son Elasah, and his son Azel.
38 Azel had six sons, and these were their names: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. All these were Azel’s sons.
39 His brother Eshek’s sons: Ulam was his firstborn, Jeush second, and Eliphelet third.
40 Ulam’s sons were valiant warriors and archers. E They had many sons and grandsons — 150 of them.
All these were among Benjamin’s sons.
D 8:3 Or Gera father of Ehud ; Jdg 3:15
A 8:13-14 LXX reads Gath 14and their brother
9All Israel was registered in the genealogies that are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel. But Judah was exiled to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness. 2 The first to live in their towns on their own property again were Israelites, priests, Levites, and temple servants.
3 These people from the descendants of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh settled in Jerusalem:
4 Uthai son of Ammihud, son of Omri, son of Imri, son of Bani, a descendant F of Perez son of Judah;
5 from the Shilonites:
Asaiah the firstborn and his sons;
6 and from the descendants of Zerah:
Jeuel and their relatives — 690 in all.
7 The Benjaminites: Sallu son of Meshullam, son of Hodaviah, son of Hassenuah;
8 Ibneiah son of Jeroham;
Elah son of Uzzi, son of Michri;
Meshullam son of Shephatiah, son of Reuel, son of Ibnijah;
9 and their relatives according to their family records — 956 in all. All these men were heads of their ancestral families. A
10 The priests: Jedaiah; Jehoiarib; Jachin;
11 Azariah son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, the chief official of God’s temple;
12 Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah;
Maasai son of Adiel, son of Jahzerah, son of Meshullam, son of Meshillemith, son of Immer;
13 and their relatives, the heads of their ancestral families — 1,760 in all. They were capable men employed in the ministry of God’s temple.
14 The Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah of the Merarites;
15 Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, and Mattaniah, son of Mica, son of Zichri, son of Asaph;
16 Obadiah son of Shemaiah, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun;
and Berechiah son of Asa, son of Elkanah who lived in the settlements of the Netophathites.
17 The gatekeepers: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their relatives.
Shallum was their chief; 18 he was previously stationed at the King’s Gate on the east side. These were the gatekeepers from the camp of the Levites.
19 Shallum son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah and his relatives from his father’s family, B the Korahites, were assigned to guard the thresholds of the tent. C Their ancestors had been assigned to the LORD’s camp as guardians of the entrance. 20 In earlier times Phinehas son of Eleazar had been their leader, and the LORD was with him. 21 Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was the gatekeeper at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
22 The total number of those chosen to be gatekeepers at the thresholds was 212. They were registered by genealogy in their settlements. David and the seer Samuel had appointed them to their trusted positions. 23 So they and their sons were assigned as guards to the gates of the LORD’s temple, which had been the tent-temple. 24 The gatekeepers were on the four sides: east, west, north, and south. 25 Their relatives came from their settlements at fixed times to be with them seven days, 26 but the four chief gatekeepers, who were Levites, were entrusted with the rooms and the treasuries of God’s temple. 27 They spent the night in the vicinity of God’s temple, because they had guard duty and were in charge of opening it every morning.
28 Some of them were in charge of the utensils used in worship. They would count them when they brought them in and when they took them out. 29 Others were put in charge of the furnishings and all the utensils of the sanctuary, as well as the fine flour, wine, oil, incense, and spices. 30 Some of the priests’ sons mixed the spices. 31 A Levite called Mattithiah, the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, was entrusted with baking the bread. D 32 Some of the Kohathites’ relatives were responsible for preparing the rows of the Bread of the Presence every Sabbath.
33 The singers, the heads of the Levite families, stayed in the temple chambers and were exempt from other tasks because they were on duty day and night. 34 These were the heads of the Levite families, chiefs according to their family records; they lived in Jerusalem.
35 Jeiel fathered Gibeon and lived in Gibeon. His wife’s name was Maacah. 36 Abdon was his firstborn son, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, 37 Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth. 38 Mikloth fathered Shimeam. These also lived opposite their relatives in Jerusalem with their other relatives.
39 Ner fathered Kish, Kish fathered Saul, and Saul fathered Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal.
40 Jonathan’s son was Merib-baal, and Merib-baal fathered Micah.
41 Micah’s sons: Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz. A
42 Ahaz fathered Jarah;
Jarah fathered Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri;
Zimri fathered Moza.
43 Moza fathered Binea.
His son was Rephaiah, his son Elasah, and his son Azel.
44 Azel had six sons, and these were their names: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. These were Azel’s sons.
A 9:9 Lit the house of their fathers, also in v. 13
B 9:19 Lit the house of his father
D 9:31 Lit with things prepared in pans
A 9:41 LXX, Syr, Tg, Vg, Arabic; MT omits and Ahaz ; 1Ch 8:35
10The Philistines fought against Israel, and Israel’s men fled from them. Many were killed on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines pursued Saul and his sons and killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. 3 When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers spotted him and severely wounded him. 4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through with it, or these uncircumcised men will come and torture me.” But his armor-bearer would not do it because he was terrified. Then Saul took his sword and fell on it. 5 When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his own sword and died. 6 So Saul and his three sons died — his whole house died together.
7 When all the men of Israel in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. So the Philistines came and settled in them.
8 The next day when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons dead on Mount Gilboa. 9 They stripped Saul, cut off his head, took his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to spread the good news to their idols and the people. 10 Then they put his armor in the temple of their gods and hung his skull in the temple of Dagon.
11 When all Jabesh-gilead heard of everything the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all their brave men set out and retrieved the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons and brought them to Jabesh. They buried their bones under the oak B in Jabesh and fasted seven days.
13 Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the LORD because he did not keep the LORD’s word. He even consulted a medium for guidance, 14 but he did not inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.
11All Israel came together to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood. C 2 Even previously when Saul was king, you were leading Israel out to battle and bringing us back. The LORD your God also said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will be ruler over my people Israel.’ ”
3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron. David made a covenant with them at Hebron in the LORD’s presence, and they anointed David king over Israel, in keeping with the LORD’s word through Samuel.
4 David and all Israel marched to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus); the Jebusites who inhabited the land were there. 5 The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You will never get in here.” Yet David did capture the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.
6 David said, “Whoever is the first to kill a Jebusite will become chief commander.” Joab son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became the chief.
7 Then David took up residence in the stronghold; therefore, it was called the city of David. 8 He built up the city all the way around, from the supporting terraces to the surrounding parts, and Joab restored the rest of the city. 9 David steadily grew more powerful, and the LORD of Armies was with him.
10 The following were the chiefs of David’s warriors who, together with all Israel, strongly supported him in his reign to make him king according to the LORD’s word about Israel. 11 This is the list of David’s warriors:
Jashobeam son of Hachmoni was chief of the Thirty; A he wielded his spear against three hundred and killed them at one time.
12 After him, Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite was one of the three warriors. 13 He was with David at Pas-dammim when the Philistines had gathered there for battle. There was a portion of a field full of barley, where the troops had fled from the Philistines. 14 But Eleazar and David B took their stand in the middle of the field and defended it. They killed the Philistines, and the LORD gave them a great victory.
15 Three of the thirty chief men went down to David, to the rock at the cave of Adullam, while the Philistine army was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 16 At that time David was in the stronghold, and a Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. 17 David was extremely thirsty C and said, “If only someone would bring me water to drink from the well at the city gate of Bethlehem! ” 18 So the Three broke through the Philistine camp and drew water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem. They brought it back to David, but he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out to the LORD. 19 David said, “I would never do such a thing in the presence of my God! How can I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives? ” For they brought it at the risk of their lives. So he would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three warriors.
20 Abishai, Joab’s brother, was the leader of the Three. D He raised his spear against three hundred men and killed them, gaining a reputation among the Three. 21 He was more honored than the Three and became their commander even though he did not become one of the Three.
22 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was the son of a brave man E from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits. Benaiah killed two sons of Ariel of Moab, F and he went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. 23 He also killed an Egyptian who was seven and a half feet tall. G Even though the Egyptian had a spear in his hand like a weaver’s beam, Benaiah went down to him with a club, snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and then killed him with his own spear. 24 These were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who had a reputation among the three warriors. 25 He was the most honored of the Thirty, but he did not become one of the Three. David put him in charge of his bodyguard.
26 The best soldiers were
Joab’s brother Asahel,
Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
27Shammoth the Harorite,
Helez the Pelonite,
28Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,
29Sibbecai the Hushathite,
Ilai the Ahohite,
30Maharai the Netophathite,
Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite,
31Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjaminites,
Benaiah the Pirathonite,
32Hurai from the wadis of Gaash,
Abiel the Arbathite,
33Azmaveth the Baharumite,
Eliahba the Shaalbonite,
34the sons of A Hashem the Gizonite,
Jonathan son of Shagee the Hararite,
35Ahiam son of Sachar the Hararite,
Eliphal son of Ur,
36Hepher the Mecherathite,
Ahijah the Pelonite,
37Hezro the Carmelite,
Naarai son of Ezbai,
38Joel the brother of Nathan,
Mibhar son of Hagri,
39Zelek the Ammonite,
Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer for Joab son of Zeruiah,
40Ira the Ithrite,
Gareb the Ithrite,
41Uriah the Hethite,
Zabad son of Ahlai,
42Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, chief of the Reubenites, and thirty with him,
43Hanan son of Maacah,
Joshaphat the Mithnite,
44Uzzia the Ashterathite,
Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,
45Jediael son of Shimri and his brother Joha the Tizite,
46Eliel the Mahavite,
Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam,
Ithmah the Moabite,
47Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.
C 11:1 Lit your bone and your flesh
A 11:11 Alt Hb tradition reads Three
F 11:22 Or He killed two Moabite warriors
12The following were the men who came to David at Ziklag while he was still banned from the presence of Saul son of Kish. They were among the warriors who helped him in battle. 2 They were archers who could use either the right or left hand, both to sling stones and shoot arrows from a bow. They were Saul’s relatives from Benjamin:
3 Their chief was Ahiezer son of Shemaah the Gibeathite.
Then there was his brother Joash;
Jeziel and Pelet sons of Azmaveth;
Beracah, Jehu the Anathothite;
4 Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a warrior among the Thirty and a leader over the Thirty;
Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad the Gederathite;
5 Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite;
6 Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites;
7 and Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham from Gedor.
8 Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the desert. They were valiant warriors, trained for battle, expert with shield and spear. Their faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles on the mountains.
9Ezer was the chief, Obadiah second, Eliab third,
10Mishmannah fourth, Jeremiah fifth,
11Attai sixth, Eliel seventh,
12Johanan eighth, Elzabad ninth,
13Jeremiah tenth, and Machbannai eleventh.
14 These Gadites were army commanders; the least of them was a match for a hundred, and the greatest of them for a thousand. 15 These are the men who crossed the Jordan in the first month A when it was overflowing all its banks, and put to flight all those in the valleys to the east and to the west.
16 Other Benjaminites and men from Judah also went to David at the stronghold. 17 David went out to meet them and said to them, “If you have come in peace to help me, my heart will be united with you, but if you have come to betray me to my enemies even though my hands have done no wrong, may the God of our ancestors look on it and judge.”
18 Then the Spirit enveloped B Amasai, chief of the Thirty, and he said:
We are yours, David,
we are with you, son of Jesse!
Peace, peace to you,
and peace to him who helps you,
for your God helps you.
QUOTE 12:18
In religion, morals, and politics, we are on the side of the despised and rejected Christ to whom we belong.
So David received them and made them leaders of his troops.
19 Some Manassites defected to David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. However, they did not help the Philistines because the Philistine rulers sent David away after a discussion. They said, “It will be our heads if he defects to his master Saul.” 20 When David went to Ziklag, some men from Manasseh defected to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, chiefs of thousands in Manasseh. 21 They helped David against the raiders, for they were all valiant warriors and commanders in the army. 22 At that time, men came day after day to help David until there was a great army, like an army of God. C
23 The numbers of the armed troops who came to David at Hebron to turn Saul’s kingdom over to him, according to the LORD’s word, were as follows:
24From the Judahites: 6,800 armed troops bearing shields and spears.
25From the Simeonites: 7,100 valiant warriors ready for war.
26From the Levites: 4,600 27 in addition to Jehoiada, leader of the house of Aaron, with 3,700 men; 28 and Zadok, a young valiant warrior, with 22 commanders from his father’s family. A
29From the Benjaminites, the relatives of Saul: 3,000 (up to that time the majority of the Benjaminites maintained their allegiance to the house of Saul).
30From the Ephraimites: 20,800 valiant warriors who were famous men in their ancestral families. B
31From half the tribe of Manasseh: 18,000 designated by name to come and make David king.
32From the Issacharites, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do: 200 chiefs with all their relatives under their command.
33From Zebulun: 50,000 who could serve in the army, trained for battle with all kinds of weapons of war, with one purpose to help David. C
34From Naphtali: 1,000 commanders accompanied by 37,000 men with shield and spear.
35From the Danites: 28,600 trained for battle.
36From Asher: 40,000 who could serve in the army, trained for battle.
37From across the Jordan — from the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh: 120,000 men equipped with all the military weapons of war.
38 All these warriors, lined up in battle formation, came to Hebron wholeheartedly determined to make David king over all Israel. All the rest of Israel was also of one mind to make David king. 39 They spent three days there eating and drinking with David, for their relatives had provided for them. 40 In addition, their neighbors from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali came and brought food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen — abundant provisions of flour, fig cakes, raisins, wine and oil, herds, and flocks. Indeed, there was joy in Israel.
12:8 “Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the desert.” David, compelled to flee from his own country and to hide himself from the malice of Saul, was a type of our Lord Jesus Christ who, in the days when he dwelt here on earth, was despised and rejected. And at this moment it is well known that Jesus, the Son of David, is not received, acknowledged, or tolerated in this present evil world. He has gone forth outside the camp. All who would follow him must go likewise, bearing his reproach. These eleven Gadites embraced the cause of David when he was in his worst condition. They left the ease and comfort, the honors and elements of their own homes to associate themselves with him when he was regarded as an outlaw under the ban of society. To this day every true Christian must separate himself from the world to be a follower of the despised Jesus. In that way and with that faith that people still count heresy, must he join himself with what is everywhere spoken against, running the gauntlet of the age if he would support the cause of the Lord’s anointed.
12:18 “We are yours, David, we are with you, son of Jesse!” David was an exile, and not everyone cares to cast in his lot with a banished nobleman. He was outlawed, and his sovereign would have slain him with his own hand if he had found opportunity. Few care to stake their all with someone in such a condition. The many on Saul’s side spoke bitterly of David; and wishing to curry favor with the king, they slandered him to the blackest degree. Few respectable people care to associate themselves with a person who is in ill repute. Many to whom David had done no ill were eager to betray him and sell him into the hand of his enemy, for people sought their own gain and did not care whom they sold so long as they clutched the reward. It was no small thing for a band of men to unite with a man on whose head a price was set. David had to stand his guard, for traitors were all around. The people of Keilah would have delivered him up when he went within their gates. The fortunes of David were at low ebb; therefore, when these men came to David, they did a valorous action—an action that he would be sure to remember in the later days of his triumph. And they testified that they belonged to David and were on his side. Likewise, in religion, morals, and politics, we are on the side of the despised and rejected Christ to whom we belong. Here is the side of the learned; there is the side of the ignorant—we are on neither the one nor the other; we are on Christ’s side. In every political question we desire to be and ought to be on Christ’s side. We are neither of this party nor of that but on the side of justice, peace, righteousness. In every moral question we are bound to be on Christ’s side. In every religious question we are not on the side of predominant thought, nor on the side of fashionable views, nor on the side of dishonorable gain, but on the side of Christ. Make this our counsel: “What would Jesus do?” Go and do that. “How would Jesus think?” Go and think that. “What would Jesus have me to be?” Ask God to make us just that.
B 12:18 Lit clothed ; Jdg 6:34; 2Ch 24:20
C 12:22 Or like the ultimate army
A 12:28 Lit the house of his father
13David consulted with all his leaders, the commanders of hundreds and of thousands. 2 Then he said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if this is from the LORD our God, let us spread out and send the message to the rest of our relatives in all the districts of Israel, including the priests and Levites in their cities with pasturelands, that they should gather together with us. 3 Then let us bring back the ark of our God, for we did not inquire of him D in Saul’s days.” 4 Since the proposal seemed right to all the people, the whole assembly agreed to do it.
5 So David assembled all Israel, from the Shihor of Egypt to the entrance of Hamath, E to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim. 6 David and all Israel went to Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim that belongs to Judah) to take from there the ark of God, which bears the name of the LORD who is enthroned between the cherubim. 7 At Abinadab’s house they set the ark of God on a new cart. Uzzah and Ahio F were guiding the cart.
8 David and all Israel were dancing with all their might before God with songs and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets. 9 When they came to Chidon’s threshing floor, Uzzah reached out to hold the ark because the oxen had stumbled. 10 Then the LORD’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him dead because he had reached out to the ark. So he died there in the presence of God.
11 David was angry because of the LORD’s outburst against Uzzah, so he named that place Outburst Against Uzzah, A as it is still named today. 12 David feared God that day and said, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me? ” 13 So David did not bring the ark of God home B to the city of David; instead, he diverted it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath. 14 The ark of God remained with Obed-edom’s family in his house for three months, and the LORD blessed his family and all that he had.
13:12 “David feared God that day and said, ‘How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?’” David’s intention was right enough, but right things must be done in a right way. We serve a jealous God, who, though he overlooks many faults in his people, will have his Word reverenced and his commands obeyed by those who attempt to approach him. So, though David’s intention was good, he had a great failure, which resulted in great fear. David’s great failure followed almost immediately after “David and all Israel were dancing with all their might before God with songs and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets” (v. 8). This was David’s first attempt to bring up the ark of the covenant into the place appointed for it. Notice that there was no failure through lack of multitudes. It is of little value merely to gather crowds of people together. That alone will not guarantee God’s presence among us. Nor was there any failure so far as pomp and show were concerned. These people paid great honor, in their own way, to the ark—putting it on a new carriage and surrounding it with the princes, captains, and mighty men of the kingdom. The sacred song may be sweet, and the prayer may be most appropriate so far as its language is concerned. Yet it may fail to reach the ear of the Lord God. And though it is right to sing to the Lord with all our might, there may be a certain kind of heartiness which is not acceptable to God because it is natural, not spiritual. There may be a great deal of outward expression yet no inward life. It may be only dead worship, after all, despite the noise that may be made. In this case there was too little thought as to God’s mind on the matter. This great undertaking of bringing up the ark of the Lord seems to have been entered with much heartiness and enthusiasm but not with any preparatory supplication or spiritual consideration. There is not even a mention of humiliation of heart or of solemn awe in the presence of the God whose symbol was the ark. We must take care how we worship God.
14King Hiram of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs, stonemasons, and carpenters to build a palace for him. 2 Then David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and that his kingdom had been exalted for the sake of his people Israel.
3 David took more wives in Jerusalem, and he became the father of more sons and daughters. 4 These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 5 Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, 6 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 7 Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.
8 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they all went in search of David; when David heard of this, he went out to face them. 9 Now the Philistines had come and raided in the Valley of Rephaim, 10 so David inquired of God, “Should I attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me? ”
The LORD replied, “Attack, and I will hand them over to you.”
11 So the Israelites went up to Baal-perazim, and David defeated the Philistines there. Then David said, “Like a bursting flood, God has used me to burst out against my enemies.” Therefore, they named that place The Lord Bursts Out. C 12 The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David ordered that they be burned in the fire.
13 Once again the Philistines raided in the valley. 14 So David again inquired of God, and God answered him, “Do not pursue them directly. Circle around them and attack them opposite the balsam trees. 15 When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out to battle, for God will have gone out ahead of you to strike down the army of the Philistines.” 16 So David did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer. 17 Then David’s fame spread throughout the lands, and the LORD caused all the nations to be terrified of him.
15David built houses for himself in the city of David, and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. 2 Then David said, “No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister before him forever.”
3 David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring the ark of the LORD to the place he had prepared for it. 4 Then he gathered together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:
5 From the Kohathites, Uriel the leader and 120 of his relatives; 6 from the Merarites, Asaiah the leader and 220 of his relatives; 7 from the Gershomites, A Joel the leader and 130 of his relatives; 8 from the Elizaphanites, Shemaiah the leader and 200 of his relatives; 9 from the Hebronites, Eliel the leader and 80 of his relatives; 10 from the Uzzielites, Amminadab the leader and 112 of his relatives.
11 David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. 12 He said to them, “You are the heads of the Levite families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves so that you may bring the ark of the LORD God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it. 13 For the LORD our God burst out in anger against us because you Levites were not with us the first time, for we didn’t inquire of him about the proper procedures.” 14 So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel. 15 Then the Levites carried the ark of God the way Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD: on their shoulders with the poles.
16 Then David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers and to have them raise their voices with joy accompanied by musical instruments — harps, lyres, and cymbals. 17 So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his relatives, Asaph son of Berechiah; and from their relatives the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah. 18 With them were their relatives second in rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, B Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel. 19 The singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals; 20 Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play harps according to Alamoth C 21 and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead the music with lyres according to the Sheminith. 22 Chenaniah, the leader of the Levites in music, was to direct the music because he was skillful. 23 Berechiah and Elkanah were to be gatekeepers for the ark. 24 The priests, Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, were to blow trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah were also to be gatekeepers for the ark.
25 David, the elders of Israel, and the commanders of thousands went with rejoicing to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-edom. 26 Because God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, with God’s help, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.
27 Now David was dressed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, as well as the singers and Chenaniah, the music leader of the singers. David also wore a linen ephod. 28 So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouts, the sound of the ram’s horn, trumpets, and cymbals, and the playing of harps and lyres. 29 As the ark of the covenant of the LORD was entering the city of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked down from the window and saw King David leaping A and dancing, and she despised him in her heart.
15:13 “For the LORD our God burst out in anger against us because you Levites were not with us the first time, for we didn’t inquire of him about the proper procedures.” All changes from the written revelation of God are wrong. Some people think many things taught in the Bible are not essential and we may alter them just a little to suit our convenience. This text should drive that mistake away forever. It seemed to the people of Israel an indifferent matter whether the ark was carried on men’s shoulders or hauled on a cart. “God has told us that it is to be borne by the Levites, but what does that matter as long as it is carried?” Through this alteration they made in God’s law, the ark first began to shake and to totter, and then Uzzah was tempted to put forth his hand to steady it. The death of Uzzah was the punishment on the whole people for having neglected to observe the detailed laws of God in every particular. The New Testament of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is our only rule of practice. And the slightest violation of the divine law will bring judgments on the church, and has brought judgments, and is even at this day withholding God’s hand from blessing us. Within a few years we might see all the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ if we would but carry God’s ark as God would have it carried instead of marring the gospel by human inventions and leaving the simplicity of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Whenever we alter one word of Scripture, we get ourselves into trouble. We may not see it at first, but we surely will find out by-and-by. Alter one word of God, and we have fallen into a snare; we have entered a labyrinth and God help us find our way out again, for we will never be able to get through it alone. Stand by God’s Word and we stand safely. Alter one dot of the i, one cross of the t, and we are nowhere at all; we are in an enemy’s country, and we cannot defend ourselves. When we have Scripture to back us up, we defy the world; but when we have nothing but our own whims or the work of some great preacher, or the decree of a council, or the tradition of the Fathers, we are lost. We are trying to weave a rope of sand; we are building a house of cards that will totter to the ground. The Bible, the whole Bible and nothing but the Bible, is the religion of Christ’s church.
B 15:18 Some Hb mss, LXX; other Hb mss read Zechariah son and Jaaziel
C 15:20 This may refer to a high pitch, perhaps a tune sung by soprano voices; the Hb word means “young women” ; Ps 46 title
16They brought the ark of God and placed it inside the tent David had pitched for it. Then they offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in God’s presence. 2 When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. 3 Then he distributed to each and every Israelite, both men and women, a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake.
4 David appointed some of the Levites to be ministers before the ark of the LORD, to celebrate the LORD God of Israel, and to give thanks and praise to him. 5 Asaph was the chief and Zechariah was second to him. Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel played the harps and lyres, while Asaph sounded the cymbals 6 and the priests Benaiah and Jahaziel blew the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God.
QUOTE 16:4
Everything we have is sweetened with unspeakable mercy. All the good we enjoy comes from God. Remember that!
7 On that day David decreed for the first time that thanks be given to the LORD by Asaph and his relatives:
8Give thanks to the LORD; call on his name;
proclaim his deeds among the peoples.
9Sing to him; sing praise to him;
tell about all his wondrous works!
10Honor his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
11Seek the LORD and his strength;
seek his face always.
12Remember the wondrous works he has done,
his wonders, and the judgments he has pronounced, A
13you offspring of Israel his servant,
Jacob’s descendants — his chosen ones.
14He is the LORD our God;
his judgments govern the whole earth.
15Remember his covenant forever —
the promise he ordained for a thousand generations,
16the covenant he made with Abraham,
swore B to Isaac,
17and confirmed to Jacob as a decree,
and to Israel as a permanent covenant:
18“I will give the land of Canaan to you
as your inherited portion.”
19When they C were few in number,
very few indeed, and resident aliens in Canaan
20wandering from nation to nation
and from one kingdom to another,
21he allowed no one to oppress them;
he rebuked kings on their behalf:
22“Do not touch my anointed ones
or harm my prophets.”
23Let the whole earth sing to the LORD.
Proclaim his salvation from day to day.
24Declare his glory among the nations,
his wondrous works among all peoples.
25For the LORD is great and highly praised;
he is feared above all gods.
26For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.
27Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and joy are in his place.
28Ascribe to the LORD, families of the peoples,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
29Ascribe to the LORD the glory of his name;
bring an offering and come before him.
Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness;
30let the whole earth tremble before him.
The world is firmly established;
it cannot be shaken.
31Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice,
and let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns! ”
32Let the sea and all that fills it resound;
let the fields and everything in them exult.
33Then the trees of the forest will shout for joy before the LORD,
for he is coming to judge the earth.
34Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his faithful love endures forever.
35And say: “Save us, God of our salvation;
gather us and rescue us from the nations
so that we may give thanks to your holy name
and rejoice in your praise.
36Blessed be the LORD God of Israel
from everlasting to everlasting.”
Then all the people said, “Amen” and “Praise the LORD.”
37 So David left Asaph and his relatives there before the ark of the LORD’s covenant to minister regularly before the ark according to the daily requirements. 38 He assigned Obed-edom and his A sixty-eight relatives. Obed-edom son of Jeduthun and Hosah were to be gatekeepers. 39 David left the priest Zadok and his fellow priests before the tabernacle of the LORD at the high place in Gibeon 40 to offer burnt offerings regularly, morning and evening, to the LORD on the altar of burnt offerings and to do everything that was written in the law of the LORD, which he had commanded Israel to keep. 41 With them were Heman, Jeduthun, and the rest who were chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the LORD — for his faithful love endures forever. 42 Heman and Jeduthun had with them trumpets and cymbals to play and musical instruments of God. Jeduthun’s sons were at the city gate.
43 Then all the people went home, and David returned home to bless his household.
16:4 “David appointed some of the Levites to be ministers before the ark of the LORD, to celebrate the LORD God of Israel, and to give thanks and praise to him.” [ED—The word translated “to celebrate” means literally “to cause to remember.” What that involved is unclear (KJV translated “to record”), but it was connected to giving thanks and praise to God, evidently for his past acts on Israel’s behalf.] I do not believe in keeping diaries and putting down every day what we feel or think we feel. I am a little frightened at the artificial style of experience it must lead to. But there are days that ought to have a memorial. Days of severe trouble and of great deliverance, days of sharp temptation and of wonderful help—these need to be chronicled. Remember mercies. Remember there is not one we have deserved. The bread that does not choke the sinner might justly do so, for he is an unworthy recipient of it. The earth that does not open to swallow us up must often wonder why it is not commissioned to do so, for we are so rebellious against God. We do not deserve the air we breathe or the water we drink. Everything we have is sweetened with unspeakable mercy. All the good we enjoy comes from God. Remember that! Most people forget it. Let us remember that every good gift comes to us from the divine hand; and, therefore, the Lord is to be praised.
16:9 “Tell about all his wondrous works!” The religion of Jesus Christ has swept away the distinctions people make as to actions being necessarily religious or irreligious. The Christian religion is not confined to hours, times, and places but is a thing of spirit. It pervades the whole human spirit and makes one turn his entire life into worship. God is worshiped by servants who fulfill the duties of their station, by judges who decree righteousness, by merchants who deal justly, by children who obey their parents, and by parents who train up their children in the fear of the Lord. No line is to be drawn anywhere so that we can say, “Outside of that we go beyond the sanctuary of religion and get into the outer courts frequented by the multitude.” Some Christians have supposed that someone could not be a Christian and a politician, too. Hence much injustice has been done. The fact is, when someone feels, “There is nothing that belongs to me but what may be consecrated to God,” and when he says, “I, being God’s servant, may take all that belongs to me and devote it as holiness unto the Lord,” he reaches the highest order of manhood and illustrates the highest style of Christianity. We cannot fully exhibit the spirit of Jesus Christ till we have learned that we must carry out in every place—and in every sphere—the spirit of his religion. While this text first bids us to sing God’s praise, we are next told to talk about his wondrous works. There is a praising for the assembly; there is a talking for the fireside—and both are to be holy. The praise is to be hearty, sincere, unanimous, full of animation; the talk is to be equally sincere, equally earnest, equally sacred. We are not to say, “I have done with praising God,” when the hymn is over and we begin to open our mouths on ordinary topics. But in our ordinary conversation—in the fields, by the wayside, in the streets, and in our bedrooms—we are still to go on praising God and talking of all his wondrous works.
17When David had settled into his palace, he said to the prophet Nathan, “Look! I am living in a cedar house while the ark of the LORD’s covenant is under tent curtains.”
2 So Nathan told David, “Do all that is on your mind, for God is with you.”
3 But that night the word of God came to Nathan: 4 “Go to David my servant and say, ‘This is what the LORD says: You are not the one to build me a house to dwell in. 5 From the time I brought Israel out of Egypt until today I have not dwelt in a house; instead, I have moved from one tent site to another, and from one tabernacle location to another. B 6 In all my journeys throughout Israel, have I ever spoken a word to even one of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people, asking: Why haven’t you built me a house of cedar? ’
7 “So now this is what you are to say to my servant David: ‘This is what the LORD of Armies says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, to be ruler over my people Israel. 8 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before you. I will make a name for you like that of the greatest on the earth. 9 I will designate a place for my people Israel and plant them, so that they may live there and not be disturbed again. Evildoers will not continue to oppress them as they have done 10 ever since the day I ordered judges to be over my people Israel. I will also subdue all your enemies.
“ ‘Furthermore, I declare to you that the LORD himself will build a house for you. 11 When your time comes to be with your fathers, I will raise up after you your descendant, who is one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. 13 I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will not remove my faithful love from him as I removed it from the one who was before you. 14 I will appoint him over my house and my kingdom forever, and his throne will be established forever.’ ”
15 Nathan reported all these words and this entire vision to David.
16 Then King David went in, sat in the LORD’s presence, and said,
Who am I, LORD God, and what is my house that you have brought me this far? 17 This was a little thing to you, A God, for you have spoken about your servant’s house in the distant future. You regard me as a man of distinction, B LORD God. 18 What more can David say to you for honoring your servant? You know your servant. 19 LORD, you have done this whole great thing, making known all these great promises for the sake of your servant and according to your will. 20 LORD, there is no one like you, and there is no God besides you, as all we have heard confirms. 21 And who is like your people Israel? God, you came to one nation on earth to redeem a people for yourself, to make a name for yourself through great and awesome works by driving out nations before your people you redeemed from Egypt. 22 You made your people Israel your own people forever, and you, LORD, have become their God.
23 Now, LORD, let the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and his house be confirmed forever, and do as you have promised. 24 Let your name be confirmed and magnified forever in the saying, “The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, is God over Israel.” May the house of your servant David be established before you. 25 Since you, my God, have revealed to C your servant that you will build him a house, your servant has found courage to pray in your presence. 26 LORD, you indeed are God, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. 27 So now, you have been pleased to bless your servant’s house that it may continue before you forever. For you, LORD, have blessed it, and it is blessed forever.
18After this, David defeated the Philistines, subdued them, and took Gath and its surrounding villages from Philistine control. 2 He also defeated the Moabites, and they became David’s subjects and brought tribute.
3 David also defeated King Hadadezer of Zobah at Hamath when he went to establish his control at the Euphrates River. 4 David captured one thousand chariots, seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers from him, hamstrung all the horses, and kept a hundred chariots. D
5 When the Arameans of Damascus came to assist King Hadadezer of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand Aramean men. 6 Then he placed garrisons E in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became David’s subjects and brought tribute. The LORD made David victorious wherever he went.
7 David took the gold shields carried by Hadadezer’s officers and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 From Tibhath and Cun, Hadadezer’s cities, David also took huge quantities of bronze, from which Solomon made the bronze basin, F the pillars, and the bronze articles.
9 When King Tou of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of King Hadadezer of Zobah, 10 he sent his son Hadoram to King David to greet him and to congratulate him because David had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, for Tou and Hadadezer had fought many wars. Hadoram brought all kinds of gold, silver, and bronze items. 11 King David also dedicated these to the LORD, along with the silver and gold he had carried off from all the nations — from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and the Amalekites.
12 Abishai son of Zeruiah struck down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Salt Valley. 13 He put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites were subject to David. The LORD made David victorious wherever he went.
14 So David reigned over all Israel, administering justice and righteousness for all his people.
15Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army;
Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was court historian;
16Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech A son of Abiathar were priests;
Shavsha was court secretary;
17Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites;
and David’s sons were the chief officials at the king’s side.
E 18:6 Some Hb mss, LXX, Vg; other Hb mss omit garrisons ; 2Sm 8:6
A 18:16 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Vg; other Hb mss read Abimelech ; 2Sm 8:17
19Some time later, King Nahash of the Ammonites died, and his son became king in his place. 2 Then David said, “I’ll show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.”
So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father. However, when David’s emissaries arrived in the land of the Ammonites to console him, 3 the Ammonite leaders said to Hanun, “Just because David has sent men with condolences for you, do you really believe he’s showing respect for your father? Instead, haven’t his emissaries come in order to scout out, overthrow, and spy on the land? ” 4 So Hanun took David’s emissaries, shaved them, cut their clothes in half at the hips, and sent them away.
5 It was reported to David about his men, so he sent messengers to meet them, since the men were deeply humiliated. The king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back; then return.”
6 When the Ammonites realized they had made themselves repulsive to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent thirty-eight tons B of silver to hire chariots and horsemen from Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah. 7 They hired thirty-two thousand chariots and the king of Maacah with his army, who came and camped near Medeba. The Ammonites also came together from their cities for the battle.
8 David heard about this and sent Joab and all the elite troops. 9 The Ammonites marched out and lined up in battle formation at the entrance of the city while the kings who had come were in the field by themselves. 10 When Joab saw that there was a battle line in front of him and another behind him, he chose some of Israel’s finest young men C and lined up in formation to engage the Arameans. 11 He placed the rest of the forces under the command of his brother Abishai. They lined up in formation to engage the Ammonites.
12 “If the Arameans are too strong for me,” Joab said, “then you’ll be my help. However, if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I’ll help you. 13 Be strong! Let’s prove ourselves strong for our people and for the cities of our God. May the LORD’s will be done.” D
14 Joab and the people with him approached the Arameans for battle, and they fled before him. 15 When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they likewise fled before Joab’s brother Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab went to Jerusalem.
16 When the Arameans realized that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers to summon the Arameans who were beyond the Euphrates River. They were led by Shophach, the commander of Hadadezer’s army.
17 When this was reported to David, he gathered all Israel and crossed the Jordan. He came up to the Arameans and lined up against them. When David lined up to engage them, they fought against him. 18 But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers. He also killed Shophach, commander of the army. 19 When Hadadezer’s subjects saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became his subjects. After this, the Arameans were never willing to help the Ammonites again.
20In the spring A when kings march out to war, Joab led the army and destroyed the Ammonites’ land. He came to Rabbah and besieged it, but David remained in Jerusalem. Joab attacked Rabbah and demolished it. 2 Then David took the crown from the head of their king, B,C and it was placed on David’s head. He found that the crown weighed seventy-five pounds D of gold, and there was a precious stone in it. In addition, David took away a large quantity of plunder from the city. 3 He brought out the people who were in it and put them to work with saws, E iron picks, and axes. F David did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then he and all his troops returned to Jerusalem.
4 After this, a war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai, a descendant of the Rephaim, G and the Philistines were subdued.
5 Once again there was a battle with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath of Gath. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam.
6 There was still another battle at Gath where there was a man of extraordinary stature with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot — twenty-four in all. He, too, was descended from the giant. H 7 When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of David’s brother Shimei killed him.
8 These were the descendants of the giant in Gath killed by David and his soldiers.
A 20:1 Lit At the time of the return of the year
E 20:3 Text emended; MT reads and sawed them with the saw ; 2Sm 12:31
21Satan I rose up against Israel and incited David to count the people of Israel. 2 So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count Israel from Beer-sheba to Dan and bring a report to me so I can know their number.”
3 Joab replied, “May the LORD multiply the number of his people a hundred times over! My lord the king, aren’t they all my lord’s servants? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel? ”
4 Yet the king’s order prevailed over Joab. So Joab left and traveled throughout Israel and then returned to Jerusalem. 5 Joab gave the total troop registration to David. In all Israel there were one million one hundred thousand armed men J and in Judah itself four hundred seventy thousand armed men. 6 But he did not include Levi and Benjamin in the count because the king’s command was detestable to him. 7 This command was also evil in God’s sight, so he afflicted Israel.
8 David said to God, “I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing. Now, please take away your servant’s guilt, for I’ve been very foolish.”
9 Then the LORD instructed Gad, David’s seer, 10 “Go and say to David, ‘This is what the LORD says: I am offering you three choices. Choose one of them for yourself, and I will do it to you.’ ”
11 So Gad went to David and said to him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Take your choice: 12 three years of famine, or three months of devastation by your foes with the sword of your enemy overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the LORD — a plague on the land, the angel of the LORD bringing destruction to the whole territory of Israel.’ Now decide what answer I should take back to the one who sent me.”
13 David answered Gad, “I’m in anguish. Please, let me fall into the LORD’s hands because his mercies are very great, but don’t let me fall into human hands.”
14 So the LORD sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand Israelite men died. 15 Then God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it, but when the angel was about to destroy the city, A the LORD looked, relented concerning the destruction, and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough, withdraw your hand now! ” The angel of the LORD was then standing at the threshing floor of Ornan B the Jebusite.
16 When David looked up and saw the angel of the LORD standing between earth and heaven, with his drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem, David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown. 17 David said to God, “Wasn’t I the one who gave the order to count the people? I am the one who has sinned and acted very wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? LORD my God, please let your hand be against me and against my father’s family, but don’t let the plague be against your people.”
18 So the angel of the LORD ordered Gad to tell David to go and set up an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 19 David went up at Gad’s command spoken in the name of the LORD.
20 Ornan was threshing wheat when he turned and saw the angel. His four sons, who were with him, hid. 21 David came to Ornan, and when Ornan looked and saw David, he left the threshing floor and bowed to David with his face to the ground.
22 Then David said to Ornan, “Give me this threshing-floor plot so that I may build an altar to the LORD on it. Give it to me for the full price, so the plague on the people may be stopped.”
23 Ornan said to David, “Take it! My lord the king may do whatever he wants. C See, I give the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the grain offering — I give it all.”
24 King David answered Ornan, “No, I insist on paying the full price, for I will not take for the LORD what belongs to you or offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”
25 So David gave Ornan fifteen pounds of gold D for the plot. 26 He built an altar to the LORD there and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the LORD, and he answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.
27 Then the LORD spoke to the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath. 28 At that time, David offered sacrifices there when he saw that the LORD answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 29 The tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were at the high place in Gibeon, 30 but David could not go before it to inquire of God, because he was terrified of the sword of the LORD’s angel.
I 21:1 Or An adversary ; Jb 1:6; Zch 3:1-2
J 21:5 Lit men drawing the sword
A 21:15 Lit but as he was destroying
B 21:15-28 = Araunah in 2Sm 24:16-24
22Then David said, “This is the house of the LORD God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel.”
2 So David gave orders to gather the resident aliens that were in the land of Israel, and he appointed stonecutters to cut finished stones for building God’s house. 3 David supplied a great deal of iron to make the nails for the doors of the gates and for the fittings, together with an immeasurable quantity of bronze, 4 and innumerable cedar logs because the Sidonians and Tyrians had brought a large quantity of cedar logs to David. 5 David said, “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the LORD must be exceedingly great and famous and glorious in all the lands. Therefore, I will make provision for it.” So David made lavish preparations for it before his death.
6 Then he summoned his son Solomon and charged him to build a house for the LORD God of Israel. 7 “My son,” David said to Solomon, “It was in my heart to build a house for the name of the LORD my God, 8 but the word of the LORD came to me: ‘You have shed much blood and waged great wars. You are not to build a house for my name because you have shed so much blood on the ground before me. 9 But a son will be born to you; he will be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his surrounding enemies, for his name will be Solomon, A and I will give peace and quiet to Israel during his reign. 10 He is the one who will build a house for my name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’
11 “Now, my son, may the LORD be with you, and may you succeed in building the house of the LORD your God, as he said about you. 12 Above all, may the LORD give you insight and understanding when he puts you in charge of Israel so that you may keep the law of the LORD your God. 13 Then you will succeed if you carefully follow the statutes and ordinances the LORD commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid or discouraged.
14 “Notice I have taken great pains to provide for the house of the LORD — 3,775 tons of gold, 37,750 tons of silver, B and bronze and iron that can’t be weighed because there is so much of it. I have also provided timber and stone, but you will need to add more to them. 15 You also have many workers: stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and people skilled in every kind of work 16 in gold, silver, bronze, and iron — beyond number. Now begin the work, and may the LORD be with you.”
17 Then David ordered all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon: 18 “The LORD your God is with you, isn’t he? And hasn’t he given you rest on every side? For he has handed the land’s inhabitants over to me, and the land has been subdued before the LORD and his people. 19 Now determine in your mind and heart to seek the LORD your God. Get started building the LORD God’s sanctuary so that you may bring the ark of the LORD’s covenant and the holy articles of God to the temple that is to be built for the name of the LORD.”
QUOTE 22:19
In the service of God, nothing is little, and loyalty to the great God comes out in tenderness of conscience concerning little things.
22:1 “This is the house of the LORD God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel.” David was, for many years, searching for a site for the great temple that he purposed to build for Jehovah, his God. It had been ordained that the sacrifices offered to the one God should be offered by all Israel on one altar, but as yet the ark of the Lord was within curtains, near David’s palace, and the altar of burnt offering was situated at Gibeon. David watched and waited and prayed, and in due time he received the sign. Why was the threshing floor of Ornan to be David’s meeting place with his God and the spot where prayer was to be heard? Certainly it was a simple, unadorned place. It boasted no magnificence of size or beauty of construction. There was just the rock and, I suppose, a composition of hard clay or cement that the feet of the oxen might tread out the corn. Yet when the temple with all its glory crowned the spot, God was never more conspicuously present than on that bare, ungarnished threshing floor. “Meet God in a barn?” cries one. Why not? God met Adam in a garden, Abraham under a tree, and Noah in an ark. God has met with people in a dungeon, in a cave, and in a whale’s belly. When we have displayed all our skill in architecture, can we secure any more of the divine presence than the disciples had in the upper room? A tasteful building may be a way of showing our pious regard for the Lord; and, so far, it may be justifiable and acceptable; but we must take care that we do not regard it as essential or even important—or we will make an idol of it. No chisel of mason or hammer of carpenter can build a holy place. Without either of these, a spot may be none other than the house of God and the gate of heaven.
22:14 “Notice I have taken great pains to provide for the house of the LORD—3,775 tons of gold, 37,750 tons of silver, and bronze and iron that can’t be weighed because there is so much of it. I have also provided timber and stone, but you will need to add more to them.” The building of the temple is an admirable type of the building of the church of God. Many helped build the temple—David gathering the materials; Solomon, the master mason, by whose name the temple would afterwards be called; the princes helping him in the great work; strangers, foreigners, and aliens who dwelt throughout Israel and Judah took their share; and even the Tyrians and Sidonians had a part in the work. David did his part, although he might not build the temple. Let every man and every woman among us judge our life not merely from that little narrow piece of it which we ourselves live, for that is but a span, but let us judge it by its connection with other lives that may come after our own. If we cannot do all we wish, let us do all we can in the hope that someone who will succeed us may complete the project that is so dear to our heart. We will soon be gone—our day lasts not very long. Will it be said of us that we wasted our daylight; and then, when the evening shadows came, we were uneasy and unhappy and though saved by divine grace, we died with sad expressions of regret for wasted opportunities?
22:19 “Now determine in your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God.” Seeking the Lord is a description of the whole of the believer’s life. First, seek the Lord by endeavoring to obey him in everything. Let us test everything we do by God’s holy Word. Let us seek to fulfill not only commands that are plain but also those about which there is a question. In the service of God, nothing is little, and loyalty to the great God comes out in tenderness of conscience concerning little things. He who carelessly offends in trifles will fall little by little. The greatest catastrophes in moral life come not usually all of a sudden but by slow degrees. The dry rot enters into the timbers of the house of human character, and the house eventually falls with a shock. Seek the Lord also in the building up of his temple. As David goes on to say, “Get started building the LORD God’s sanctuary” (22:19). It ought to be the main business of the life of every Christian to build up the church. The target toward which our life’s arrow should speed is the glory of the one who made us, who has redeemed us with his precious blood, and has created us a second time that we may be for him, and for him alone. Seeking the Lord also demands that we “determine in our mind and heart.” The genuine believer has looked ahead and sees on what tack he ought to steer. And he will hold the tiller to that point over mountain waves or through the trough of the billows. He has looked to his chart, settled his course, and he is not to be turned aside.
A 22:9 In Hb, the name Solomon sounds like “peace.”
B 22:14 Lit 100,000 talents of gold and 1,000,000 talents of silver
23When David was old and full of days, he installed his son Solomon as king over Israel. 2 Then he gathered all the leaders of Israel, the priests, and the Levites. 3 The Levites thirty years old or more were counted; the total number of men was thirty-eight thousand by headcount. 4 “Of these,” David said, “twenty-four thousand are to be in charge of the work on the LORD’s temple, six thousand are to be officers and judges, 5 four thousand are to be gatekeepers, and four thousand are to praise the LORD with the instruments that I have made for worship.”
6 Then David divided them into divisions according to Levi’s sons: Gershom, A Kohath, and Merari.
7 The Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.
8 Ladan’s sons: Jehiel was the first, then Zetham, and Joel — three.
9 Shimei’s sons: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran — three. Those were the heads of the families of Ladan.
10 Shimei’s sons: Jahath, Zizah, B Jeush, and Beriah. Those were Shimei’s sons — four. 11 Jahath was the first and Zizah was the second; however, Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they became one family C and received a single assignment.
12 Kohath’s sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel — four.
13 Amram’s sons: Aaron and Moses.
Aaron, along with his descendants, was set apart forever to consecrate the most holy things, to burn incense in the presence of the LORD, to minister to him, and to pronounce blessings in his name forever. 14 As for Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi.
15 Moses’s sons: Gershom and Eliezer.
16 Gershom’s sons: Shebuel was first.
17 Eliezer’s sons were Rehabiah, first; Eliezer did not have any other sons, but Rehabiah’s sons were very numerous.
18 Izhar’s sons: Shelomith was first.
19 Hebron’s sons: Jeriah was first, Amariah second, Jahaziel third, and Jekameam fourth.
20 Uzziel’s sons: Micah was first, and Isshiah second.
21 Merari’s sons: Mahli and Mushi.
Mahli’s sons: Eleazar and Kish.
22 Eleazar died having no sons, only daughters. Their cousins, the sons of Kish, married them.
23 Mushi’s sons: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth — three.
24 These were the descendants of Levi by their ancestral families A — the family heads, according to their registration by name in the headcount — twenty years old or more, who worked in the service of the LORD’s temple. 25 For David said, “The LORD God of Israel has given rest to his people, and he has come to stay in Jerusalem forever. 26 Also, the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the equipment for its service” — 27 for according to the last words of David, the Levites twenty years old or more were to be counted — 28 “but their duty will be to assist the descendants of Aaron with the service of the LORD’s temple, being responsible for the courts and the chambers, the purification of all the holy things, and the work of the service of God’s temple — 29 as well as the rows of the Bread of the Presence, the fine flour for the grain offering, the wafers of unleavened bread, the baking, B the mixing, and all measurements of volume and length. 30 They are also to stand every morning to give thanks and praise to the LORD, and likewise in the evening. 31 Whenever burnt offerings are offered to the LORD on the Sabbaths, New Moons, and appointed festivals, they are to offer them regularly in the LORD’s presence according to the number prescribed for them. 32 They are to carry out their responsibilities for the tent of meeting, for the holy place, and for their relatives, the descendants of Aaron, in the service of the LORD’s temple.”
24The divisions of the descendants of Aaron were as follows: Aaron’s sons were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 2 But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and they had no sons, so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests. 3 Together with Zadok from the descendants of Eleazar and Ahimelech from the descendants of Ithamar, David divided them according to the assigned duties of their service. 4 Since more leaders were found among Eleazar’s descendants than Ithamar’s, they were divided accordingly: sixteen heads of ancestral families C were from Eleazar’s descendants, and eight heads of ancestral families were from Ithamar’s. 5 They were assigned by lot, for there were officers of the sanctuary and officers of God among both Eleazar’s and Ithamar’s descendants.
6 The secretary, Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded them in the presence of the king and the officers, the priest Zadok, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the heads of families of the priests and the Levites. One ancestral family D was taken for Eleazar, and then one for Ithamar.
7The first lot fell to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah,
8the third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim,
9the fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin,
10the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah,
11the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah,
12the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim,
13the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,
14the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer,
15the seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Happizzez,
16the nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezkel,
17the twenty-first to Jachin, the twenty-second to Gamul,
18the twenty-third to Delaiah, and the twenty-fourth
to Maaziah.
19 These had their assigned duties for service when they entered the LORD’s temple, according to their regulations, which they received from their ancestor Aaron, as the LORD God of Israel had commanded him.
20 As for the rest of Levi’s sons:
from Amram’s sons: Shubael;
from Shubael’s sons: Jehdeiah.
21 From Rehabiah:
from Rehabiah’s sons: Isshiah was the first.
22 From the Izharites: Shelomoth;
from Shelomoth’s sons: Jahath.
23 Hebron’s A sons:
Jeriah the first, Amariah the second,
Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.
24 From Uzziel’s sons: Micah;
from Micah’s sons: Shamir.
25 Micah’s brother: Isshiah;
from Isshiah’s sons: Zechariah.
26 Merari’s sons: Mahli and Mushi,
and from his sons, Jaaziah his son. B
27 Merari’s sons, by his son Jaaziah: C
Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri.
28 From Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons.
29 From Kish, from Kish’s sons: Jerahmeel.
30 Mushi’s sons: Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.
Those were the descendants of the Levites according to their ancestral families. D 31 They also cast lots the same way as their relatives the descendants of Aaron did in the presence of King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the heads of the families of the priests and Levites — the family heads and their younger brothers alike.
A 24:23 Some Hb mss, some LXX mss; other Hb mss omit Hebron’s ; 1Ch 23:19
B 24:26 Or Mushi; Jaaziah’s sons: Beno.
25David and the officers of the army also set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, who were to prophesy accompanied by lyres, harps, and cymbals. This is the list of the men who performed their service:
2 From Asaph’s sons:
Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah, sons of Asaph, under Asaph’s authority, who prophesied under the authority of the king.
3 From Jeduthun: Jeduthun’s sons:
Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, E Hashabiah, and Mattithiah — six — under the authority of their father Jeduthun, prophesying to the accompaniment of lyres, giving thanks and praise to the LORD.
4 From Heman: Heman’s sons:
Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. 5 All these sons of Heman, the king’s seer, were given by the promises of God to exalt him, A for God had given Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.
6 All these men were under their own fathers’ authority for the music in the LORD’s temple, with cymbals, harps, and lyres for the service of God’s temple. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the king’s authority. 7 They numbered 288 together with their relatives who were all trained and skillful in music for the LORD. 8 They cast lots for their duties, young and old alike, teacher as well as pupil.
9The first lot for Asaph fell to Joseph, his sons, and his relatives —12B
to Gedaliah the second: him, his relatives, and his sons —12
10the third to Zaccur, his sons, and his relatives —12
11the fourth to Izri, C his sons, and his relatives —12
12the fifth to Nethaniah, his sons, and his relatives —12
13the sixth to Bukkiah, his sons, and his relatives —12
14the seventh to Jesarelah, his sons, and his relatives —12
15the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons, and his relatives —12
16the ninth to Mattaniah, his sons, and his relatives —12
17the tenth to Shimei, his sons, and his relatives —12
18the eleventh to Azarel, D his sons, and his relatives —12
19the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons, and his relatives —12
20the thirteenth to Shubael, his sons, and his relatives —12
21the fourteenth to Mattithiah, his sons, and his relatives —12
22the fifteenth to Jeremoth, his sons, and his relatives —12
23the sixteenth to Hananiah, his sons, and his relatives —12
24the seventeenth to Joshbekashah, his sons, and his relatives —12
25the eighteenth to Hanani, his sons, and his relatives —12
26the nineteenth to Mallothi, his sons, and his relatives —12
27the twentieth to Eliathah, his sons, and his relatives —12
28the twenty-first to Hothir, his sons, and his relatives —12
29the twenty-second to Giddalti, his sons, and his relatives —12
30the twenty-third to Mahazioth, his sons, and his relatives —12
31and the twenty-fourth to Romamti-ezer, his sons, and his relatives —12
.
E 25:3 One Hb ms, LXX; other Hb mss omit Shimei
A 25:5 Lit by the words of God to lift a horn
26The following were the divisions of the gatekeepers:
From the Korahites: Meshelemiah son of Kore, one of the sons of Asaph.
2 Meshelemiah had sons:
Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second,
Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth,
3 Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth,
and Eliehoenai the seventh.
4 Obed-edom also had sons:
Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second,
Joah the third, Sachar the fourth,
Nethanel the fifth, 5 Ammiel the sixth,
Issachar the seventh, and Peullethai the eighth,
for God blessed him.
6 Also, to his son Shemaiah were born sons who ruled their ancestral families E because they were strong, capable men.
7 Shemaiah’s sons: Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad; his relatives Elihu and Semachiah were also capable men. 8 All of these were among the sons of Obed-edom with their sons and relatives; they were capable men with strength for the work — sixty-two from Obed-edom.
9 Meshelemiah also had sons and relatives who were capable men — eighteen.
10 Hosah, from the Merarites, also had sons: Shimri the first (although he was not the firstborn, his father had appointed him as the first), 11 Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, and Zechariah the fourth. The sons and relatives of Hosah were thirteen in all.
12 These divisions of the gatekeepers, under their leading men, had duties for ministering in the LORD’s temple, just as their relatives did. 13 They cast lots for each temple gate according to their ancestral families, young and old alike.
14 The lot for the east gate fell to Shelemiah. A They also cast lots for his son Zechariah, an insightful counselor, and his lot came out for the north gate. 15 Obed-edom’s was the south gate, and his sons’ lot was for the storehouses; 16 it was the west gate and the gate of Shallecheth on the ascending highway for Shuppim and Hosah.
There were guards stationed at every watch. 17 There were six Levites each day B on the east, four each day on the north, four each day on the south, and two pair at the storehouses. 18 As for the court on the west, there were four at the highway and two at the court. 19 Those were the divisions of the gatekeepers from the descendants of the Korahites and Merarites.
20 From the Levites, Ahijah was in charge of the treasuries of God’s temple and the treasuries of what had been dedicated. 21 From the sons of Ladan, who were the descendants of the Gershonites through Ladan and were the family heads belonging to Ladan the Gershonite: Jehieli. 22 The sons of Jehieli, Zetham and his brother Joel, were in charge of the treasuries of the LORD’s temple.
23 From the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites: 24 Shebuel, a descendant of Moses’s son Gershom, was the officer in charge of the treasuries. 25 His relatives through Eliezer: his son Rehabiah, his son Jeshaiah, his son Joram, his son Zichri, and his son Shelomith. C 26 This Shelomith and his relatives were in charge of all the treasuries of what had been dedicated by King David, by the family heads who were the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and by the army commanders. 27 They dedicated part of the plunder from their battles for the repair of the LORD’s temple. 28 All that the seer Samuel, Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah had dedicated, along with everything else that had been dedicated, were in the care of Shelomith and his relatives.
29 From the Izrahites: Chenaniah and his sons had duties outside the temple D as officers and judges over Israel. 30 From the Hebronites: Hashabiah and his relatives, 1,700 capable men, had assigned duties in Israel west of the Jordan for all the work of the LORD and for the service of the king. 31 From the Hebronites: Jerijah was the head of the Hebronites, according to the family records of his ancestors. A search was made in the fortieth year of David’s reign and strong, capable men were found among them at Jazer in Gilead. 32 There were among Jerijah’s relatives 2,700 capable men who were family heads. King David appointed them over the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh as overseers in every matter relating to God and the king.
E 26:6 Lit the house of their fathers, also in v. 13
A 26:14 Variant of Meshelemiah
B 26:17 LXX; MT omits each day
27This is the list of the Israelites, the family heads, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, and their officers who served the king in every matter to do with the divisions that were on rotated military duty each month throughout A the year. There were 24,000 in each division:
2 Jashobeam son of Zabdiel was in charge of the first division, for the first month; 24,000 were in his division. 3 He was a descendant of Perez and chief of all the army commanders for the first month.
4 Dodai the Ahohite was in charge of the division for the second month, and Mikloth was the leader; 24,000 were in his division.
5 The third army commander, as chief for the third month, was Benaiah son of the priest Jehoiada; 24,000 were in his division. 6 This Benaiah was a mighty man among the Thirty and over the Thirty, and his son Ammizabad was in charge B of his division.
7 The fourth commander, for the fourth month, was Joab’s brother Asahel, and his son Zebadiah was commander after him; 24,000 were in his division.
8 The fifth, for the fifth month, was the commander Shamhuth the Izrahite; 24,000 were in his division.
9 The sixth, for the sixth month, was Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite; 24,000 were in his division.
10 The seventh, for the seventh month, was Helez the Pelonite from the descendants of Ephraim; 24,000 were in his division.
11 The eighth, for the eighth month, was Sibbecai the Hushathite, a Zerahite; 24,000 were in his division.
12 The ninth, for the ninth month, was Abiezer the Anathothite, a Benjaminite; 24,000 were in his division.
13 The tenth, for the tenth month, was Maharai the Netophathite, a Zerahite; 24,000 were in his division.
14 The eleventh, for the eleventh month, was Benaiah the Pirathonite from the descendants of Ephraim; 24,000 were in his division.
15 The twelfth, for the twelfth month, was Heldai the Netophathite, of Othniel’s family; C 24,000 were in his division.
16 The following were in charge of the tribes of Israel:
For the Reubenites, Eliezer son of Zichri was the chief official;
for the Simeonites, Shephatiah son of Maacah;
17 for the Levites, Hashabiah son of Kemuel; for Aaron, Zadok;
18 for Judah, Elihu, one of David’s brothers; for Issachar, Omri son of Michael;
19 for Zebulun, Ishmaiah son of Obadiah;
for Naphtali, Jerimoth son of Azriel;
20 for the Ephraimites, Hoshea son of Azaziah;
for half the tribe of Manasseh, Joel son of Pedaiah;
21 for half the tribe of Manasseh in Gilead, Iddo son of Zechariah;
for Benjamin, Jaasiel son of Abner;
22 for Dan, Azarel son of Jeroham.
Those were the leaders of the tribes of Israel.
23 David didn’t count the men aged twenty or under, for the LORD had said he would make Israel as numerous as the stars of the sky. 24 Joab son of Zeruiah began to count them, but he didn’t complete it. There was wrath against Israel because of this census, and the number was not entered in the Historical Record D of King David.
25 Azmaveth son of Adiel was in charge of the king’s storehouses.
Jonathan son of Uzziah was in charge of the storehouses in the country, in the cities, in the villages, and in the fortresses.
26 Ezri son of Chelub was in charge of those who worked in the fields tilling the soil.
27 Shimei the Ramathite was in charge of the vineyards.
Zabdi the Shiphmite was in charge of the produce of the vineyards for the wine cellars.
28 Baal-hanan the Gederite was in charge of the olive and sycamore trees in the Judean foothills. A
Joash was in charge of the stores of olive oil.
29 Shitrai the Sharonite was in charge of the herds that grazed in Sharon, while Shaphat son of Adlai was in charge of the herds in the valleys.
30 Obil the Ishmaelite was in charge of the camels.
Jehdeiah the Meronothite was in charge of the donkeys.
31 Jaziz the Hagrite was in charge of the flocks.
All these were officials in charge of King David’s property.
32 David’s uncle Jonathan was a counselor; he was a man of understanding and a scribe. Jehiel son of Hachmoni attended B the king’s sons. 33 Ahithophel was the king’s counselor. Hushai the Archite was the king’s friend. 34 After Ahithophel came Jehoiada son of Benaiah, then Abiathar. Joab was the commander of the king’s army.
A 27:1 Lit that came in and went out month by month for all months of
B 27:6 LXX; MT omits in charge
C 27:15 Lit belonging to Othniel
28David assembled all the leaders of Israel in Jerusalem: the leaders of the tribes, the leaders of the divisions in the king’s service, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of all the property and cattle of the king and his sons, along with the court officials, the fighting men, and all the best soldiers. 2 Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brothers and my people. It was in my heart to build a house as a resting place for the ark of the LORD’s covenant and as a footstool for our God. I had made preparations to build, 3 but God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for my name because you are a man of war and have shed blood.’
4 “Yet the LORD God of Israel chose me out of all my father’s family to be king over Israel forever. For he chose Judah as leader, and from the house of Judah, my father’s family, and from my father’s sons, he was pleased to make me king over all Israel. 5 And out of all my sons — for the LORD has given me many sons — he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the LORD’s kingdom over Israel. 6 He said to me, ‘Your son Solomon is the one who is to build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. 7 I will establish his kingdom forever if he perseveres in keeping my commands and my ordinances as he is doing today.’
8 “So now in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God, observe and follow all the commands of the LORD your God so that you may possess this good land and leave it as an inheritance to your descendants forever.
9 “As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, and serve him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands the intention of every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you abandon him, he will reject you forever. 10 Realize now that the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong, and do it.”
11 Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple and its buildings, treasuries, upstairs rooms, inner rooms, and a room for the mercy seat. 12 The plans contained everything he had in mind A for the courts of the LORD’s house, all the surrounding chambers, the treasuries of God’s house, and the treasuries for what is dedicated. 13 Also included were plans for the divisions of the priests and the Levites; all the work of service in the LORD’s house; all the articles of service of the LORD’s house; 14 the weight of gold for all the articles for every kind of service; the weight of all the silver articles for every kind of service; 15 the weight of the gold lampstands and their gold lamps, including the weight of each lampstand and its lamps; the weight of each silver lampstand and its lamps, according to the service of each lampstand; 16 the weight of gold for each table for the rows of the Bread of the Presence and the silver for the silver tables; 17 the pure gold for the forks, sprinkling basins, and pitchers; the weight of each gold dish; the weight of each silver bowl; 18 the weight of refined gold for the altar of incense; and the plans for the chariot of B the gold cherubim that spread out their wings and cover the ark of the LORD’s covenant.
19 David concluded, “By the LORD’s hand on me, he enabled me to understand everything in writing, all the details of the plan.” C
QUOTE 28:19
No one’s voice is to be sovereign to us except the voice of God, the Holy Spirit, speaking out of this book, which contains all things we need for life and godliness. We are not to obtain our creed by consultation with other people, but go to God himself and to pray he will write it on our hearts with his own hand.
20 Then David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He won’t leave you or abandon you until all the work for the service of the LORD’s house is finished. 21 Here are the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of God’s house. Every willing person of any skill will be at your disposal for the work, and the leaders and all the people are at your every command.”
28:8 “Observe and follow all the commands of the LORD your God.” [ED—“Observe and follow” is literally “keep and seek.”] David says, first of all, “Keep the commandments,” that is to say, such of them as we know, such as are clear from our reading of Scripture, such as have been pressed on our conscience—keep these. Keep them always. Ask for more grace to keep them better. And when we feel that we have not kept them, go with holy repentance to the foot of the cross to get rid of past sin and look up for sanctifying grace that through the Holy Spirit’s power we may keep them better for the future. For “in keeping them there is an abundant reward” (Ps 19:11). The path of obedience is a path of safety and of happiness. But David says more than that. He commands that we also seek our Lord’s commands. There are precepts, the nature of which we have never understood, the obligation of which we have never felt—seek these out. We must try to know all God’s will concerning us, keep what we know but wherein we are at fault through lack of knowledge, not to content ourselves with ignorance any longer but to search out the matter. Read the King’s proclamations. Study the code of the King’s laws. Ask him to teach us and to make us wise in the way of his commandments, that in nothing we may be chargeable with indifference or be guilty of neglecting the ordinances of the Most High.
28:19 “By the LORD’s hand on me, he enabled me to understand everything in writing, all the details of the plan.” The temple was not to be built according to the designs of David or Solomon or anyone else. It was to be built according to a pattern God himself had formed, for it was to be an eminent type of Christ, and also of his church, which is a temple for God’s own indwelling. No one knew what God meant to teach by that temple; and, consequently, if the building had been left to human judgment, it would not have been a true type. God gave the directions to David by impressing them on his mind, on his heart, by his own hand. He did not so much draw a plan, hand it to David, and say to him, “Build the temple according to that design,” but he made him think carefully and prayerfully over the whole matter, perhaps in the visions of the night. And often, as he turned the subject over in his thoughts by day, God’s Spirit came and revealed to David what he needed to know as to how this house was to be built. David did not receive them by consultation with others. David did not send to Hiram, king of Tyre, to ask his judgment. Nor did he call in a Bezaleel, or some other skillful person, to give him advice. Like the apostle Paul, David did not consult with flesh and blood (Gal 1:16). Depend on it, if we learn anything correctly, we will have to learn it from God. Although consultation with others may often be serviceable on some points, and some who are deeply taught in the things of God may at times be helpful to us, we must not defer to what they say so as to miss the instructions the Lord himself gives us. No one’s voice is to be sovereign to us except the voice of God, the Holy Spirit, speaking out of this book, which contains all things we need for life and godliness. We are not to obtain our creed by consultation with other people, but go to God himself and to pray he will write it on our hearts with his own hand.
29Then King David said to all the assembly, “My son Solomon — God has chosen him alone — is young and inexperienced. The task is great because the building will not be built for a human but for the LORD God. 2 So to the best of my ability I’ve made provision for the house of my God: gold for the gold articles, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron, and wood for the wood, as well as onyx, stones for mounting, A antimony, B stones of various colors, all kinds of precious stones, and a great quantity of marble. 3 Moreover, because of my delight in the house of my God, I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the house of my God over and above all that I’ve provided for the holy house: 4 100 tons C of gold (gold of Ophir) and 250 tons D of refined silver for overlaying the walls of the buildings, 5 the gold for the gold work and the silver for the silver, for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now who will volunteer to consecrate himself to the LORD today? ”
6 Then the leaders of the households, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly. 7 For the service of God’s house they gave 185 tons E of gold and 10,000 gold coins, F 375 tons G of silver, 675 tons H of bronze, and 4,000 tons I of iron. 8 Whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the LORD’s house under the care of Jehiel the Gershonite. 9 Then the people rejoiced because of their leaders’ willingness to give, for they had given to the LORD wholeheartedly. King David also rejoiced greatly.
10 Then David blessed the LORD in the sight of all the assembly. David said,
May you be blessed, LORD God of our father Israel, from eternity to eternity. 11 Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in the heavens and on earth belongs to you. Yours, LORD, is the kingdom, and you are exalted as head over all. 12 Riches and honor come from you, and you are the ruler of everything. Power and might are in your hand, and it is in your hand to make great and to give strength to all. 13 Now therefore, our God, we give you thanks and praise your glorious name.
14 But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? For everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your own hand. J 15 For we are aliens and temporary residents in your presence as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. 16 LORD our God, all this wealth that we’ve provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand; everything belongs to you. 17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and that you are pleased with what is right. I have willingly given all these things with an upright heart, and now I have seen your people who are present A here giving joyfully and B willingly to you. 18 LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our ancestors, keep this desire forever in the thoughts of the hearts of your people, and confirm their hearts toward you. 19 Give my son Solomon an undivided heart to keep and to carry out all your commands, your decrees, and your statutes, and to build the building for which I have made provision.
20 Then David said to the whole assembly, “Blessed be the LORD your God.” So the whole assembly praised the LORD God of their ancestors. They knelt low and paid homage to the LORD and the king.
21 The following day they offered sacrifices to the LORD and burnt offerings to the LORD: a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, along with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. 22 They ate and drank with great joy in the LORD’s presence that day.
Then, for a second time, they made David’s son Solomon king; they anointed him C as the LORD’s ruler, and Zadok as the priest. 23 Solomon sat on the LORD’s throne as king in place of his father David. He prospered, and all Israel obeyed him. 24 All the leaders and the mighty men, and all of King David’s sons as well, pledged their allegiance to King Solomon. 25 The LORD highly exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him such royal majesty as had not been bestowed on any king over Israel before him.
26 David son of Jesse was king over all Israel. 27 The length of his reign over Israel was forty years; he reigned in Hebron for seven years and in Jerusalem for thirty-three. 28 He died at a good old age, full of days, riches, and honor, and his son Solomon became king in his place. 29 As for the events of King David’s reign, from beginning to end, note that they are written in the Events of the Seer Samuel, the Events of the Prophet Nathan, and the Events of the Seer Gad, 30 along with all his reign, his might, and the incidents that affected him and Israel and all the kingdoms of the surrounding lands.