Study Desk

And some from Manasseh defected to David when he was going with the Philistines to battle against Saul; but they did not help them, for the lords of the Philistines sent him away by agreement, saying, "He may defect to his master Saul and endanger our heads."

And they helped David against the bands of raiders, for they were all mighty men of valor, and they were captains in the army.

For at that time they came to David day by day to help him, until it was a great army, like the army of God.

Now these were the numbers of the divisions that were equipped for war, and came to David at Hebron to turn over the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the LORD:

of the sons of Judah bearing shield and spear, six thousand eight hundred armed for war;

of the sons of Simeon, mighty men of valor fit for war, seven thousand one hundred;

of the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, from the other side of the Jordan, one hundred and twenty thousand armed for battle with every kind of weapon of war.

And they were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their brethren had prepared for them.

Moreover those who were near to them, from as far away as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, were bringing food on donkeys and camels, on mules and oxen--provisions of flour and cakes of figs and cakes of raisins, wine and oil and oxen and sheep abundantly, for there was joy in Israel.

and let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we have not inquired at it since the days of Saul."

Then all the assembly said that they would do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

And when they came to Chidon's 2 Samuel 6:6">[fn] threshing floor, Uzza put out his hand to hold the ark, for the oxen stumbled.

So David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, for his kingdom was highly exalted for the sake of His people Israel.

2 Samuel 5:17-25">[xr] Now when the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. And David heard of it and went out against them.

And David inquired of God, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?" The LORD said to him, "Go up, for I will deliver them into your hand."

And it shall be, when you hear a sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall go out to battle, for God has gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines."

2 Samuel 6:12-16">[xr] David 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.

Then David said, "No one may carry the ark of God but the Levites, for the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister before Him forever."

And David gathered all Israel together at Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD to its place, which he had prepared for it.

And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites: for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.