Study Desk

The Philistines^(a) fought against Israel, and Israel's men fled from them and were killed on Mount Gilboa.

The Philistines pursued Saul and his sons and killed Saul's sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.

When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers found him and severely wounded him.

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 wouldn't do it because he was terrified. Then Saul took his sword and fell on it.

When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his own sword and died.

So Saul and his three sons died—his whole house died together.

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.

The next day when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons dead on Mount Gilboa.

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 their people.

Then they put his armor in the temple of their gods and hung his skull in the temple of Dagon.^(b)

When all Jabesh-gilead heard of everything the Philistines had done to Saul,

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^[a] in Jabesh^(c) and fasted seven days.

Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the Lord because he did not keep the Lord 's word.^(d) He even consulted a medium for guidance,^(e)

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.^(f)

All Israel^(a) came together to David at Hebron and said, "Here we are, your own flesh and blood.^[a]

Even when Saul was king, you led us out to battle and brought us back. The Lord your God also said to you, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel and be ruler over My people Israel.'"

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.^(b)

David^(c) and all Israel marched to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus^(d)); the Jebusites who inhabited the land were there.

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.

David said, "Whoever is the first to kill a Jebusite will become chief commander." Joab^(e) son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became the chief.

Then David took up residence in the stronghold; therefore, it was called the city of David.

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.

David steadily grew more powerful,^(f) and the Lord of Hosts was with him.

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.^(g)

This^(h) is the list of David's warriors: Jashobeam son of Hachmoni was chief⁽ⁱ⁾ of the Thirty;^[b] he wielded his spear against 300 and killed them at one time.

After him, Eleazar son of Dodo^(j) the Ahohite was one of the three warriors.

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.^(k)

But Eleazar and David^[c] took their stand in the middle of the field and defended it. They killed the Philistines, and the Lord gave them a great victory.

Three of the 30 chief men went down to David, to the rock at the cave of Adullam,^(l) while the Philistine army was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.^(m)

At that time David was in the stronghold,⁽ⁿ⁾ and a Philistine garrison^(o) was at Bethlehem.

David was extremely thirsty^[d] and said, "If only someone would bring me water to drink from the well at the city gate of Bethlehem!"

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 .

David said, "I would never do such a thing in the presence of 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.

Abishai,^(p) Joab's brother, was the leader of the Three.^[e] He raised his spear against 300 men and killed them, gaining a reputation among the Three.

He was more honored than the Three and became their commander even though he did not become one of the Three.

Benaiah son of Jehoiada^(q) was the son of a brave man^[f] from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits. Benaiah killed two sons of Ariel of Moab,^[g] and he went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.

He also killed an Egyptian who was seven and a half feet tall.^[h] Even though the Egyptian had a spear in his hand like a weaver's beam,^(r) 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.

These were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who had a reputation among the three warriors.

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.

The fighting men^(s) were: Joab's brother Asahel,^(t) Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite,

Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite,

Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,

Maharai the Netophathite, Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite,

Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjaminites, Benaiah the Pirathonite,

Hurai from the wadis of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,

Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

the sons of^[i](u) Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan son of Shagee the Hararite,

Ahiam son of Sachar the Hararite, Eliphal son of Ur,

Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,

Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai son of Ezbai,

Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar son of Hagri,

Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer for Joab son of Zeruiah,

Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

Uriah the Hittite, Zabad son of Ahlai,

Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, chief of the Reubenites, and 30 with him,

Hanan son of Maacah, Joshaphat the Mithnite,

Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,

Jediael son of Shimri and his brother Joha the Tizite,

Eliel the Mahavite, Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite,

Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

The following were the men who came to David at Ziklag while he was still banned from the presence of Saul son of Kish.^(a) They were among the warriors who helped him in battle.

They were archers who could use either the right or left hand, both to sling stones and shoot arrows from a bow.^(b) They were Saul's relatives^(c) from Benjamin:

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;

Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a warrior among the Thirty and a leader over the Thirty; ^[a]Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad the Gederathite;

Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite;

Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites;

and Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham from Gedor.

Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the desert. They were fighting men, 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.^(d)

Ezer was the chief, Obadiah second, Eliab third,

Mishmannah fourth, Jeremiah fifth,

Attai sixth, Eliel seventh,

Johanan eighth, Elzabad ninth,

Jeremiah tenth, and Machbannai eleventh.

These Gadites were army commanders; the least of them was a match for a hundred, and the greatest of them for a thousand.^(e)

These are the men who crossed the Jordan in the first month^[b] when it was overflowing all its banks,^(f) and put to flight all those in the valleys to the east and to the west.

Other Benjaminites and men from Judah also went to David at the stronghold.^(g)

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."

Then the Spirit took control of^[c](h) Amasai,⁽ⁱ⁾ 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,^(j) for your God helps you. So David received them and made them leaders of his troops.

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."^(k)

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.

They helped David against the raiders,^(l) for they were all brave warriors and commanders in the army.

At that time, men came day after day to help David until there was a great army, like an army of God.^[d](m)

The numbers of the armed troops who came to David at Hebron to turn Saul's kingdom over to him,⁽ⁿ⁾ according to the Lord 's word,^(o) were as follows:

From the Judahites: 6,800 armed troops bearing shields and spears.

From the Simeonites: 7,100 brave warriors ready for war.

From the Levites: 4,600

²⁷in addition to Jehoiada, leader of the house of Aaron, with 3,700 men;

²⁸and Zadok,^(p) a young brave warrior, with 22 commanders from his own ancestral house.

From the Benjaminites, the relatives of Saul:^(q) 3,000 (up to that time the majority of the Benjaminites maintained their allegiance to the house of Saul).

From the Ephraimites: 20,800 brave warriors who were famous men in their ancestral houses.

From half the tribe of Manasseh: 18,000 designated by name to come and make David king.

From the Issacharites, who understood the times^(r) and knew what Israel should do: 200 chiefs with all their relatives under their command.

From Zebulun: 50,000 who could serve in the army, trained for battle with all kinds of weapons of war, with one purpose^(s) to help David.^[e]

From Naphtali: 1,000 commanders accompanied by 37,000 men with shield and spear.

From the Danites: 28,600 trained for battle.

From Asher: 40,000 who could serve in the army, trained for battle.

From across the Jordan—from the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh: 120,000 men equipped with all the military weapons of war.

All these warriors, lined up in battle formation, came to Hebron fully determined to make David king over all Israel. All the rest of Israel was also of one mind to make David king.^(t)

They spent three days there eating and drinking with David, for their relatives had provided for them.

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, oxen, and sheep.^(u) Indeed, there was joy in Israel.

David consulted with all his leaders, the commanders of hundreds and of thousands.

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,^(a) that they should gather together with us.

Then let us bring back the ark of our God, for we did not inquire of Him^(b) in Saul's days."

Since the proposal seemed right to all the people, the whole assembly agreed to do it.

So David assembled all Israel,^(c) from the Shihor of Egypt to the entrance of Hamath,^[a](d) to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.^(e)

David^(f) and all Israel went to Baalah^(g) (that is, Kiriath-jearim that belongs to Judah) to take the ark of God from there, which is called by the name of the Lord who dwells between the cherubim.^(h)

At Abinadab's house⁽ⁱ⁾ they set the ark of God on a new cart. Uzzah and Ahio^[b] were guiding the cart.

David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before God with songs and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.^(j)

When they came to Chidon's threshing floor,^(k) Uzzah reached out to hold the ark because the oxen had stumbled.

Then the Lord 's anger burned against Uzzah, and He struck him dead because he had reached out to the ark.^(l) So he died there in the presence of God.^(m)

David was angry because of the Lord 's outburst against Uzzah, so he named that place Outburst Against Uzzah,^[c] as it is still named today.

David feared God that day and said, "How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?"

So David did not move the ark of God home^[d] to the city of David; instead, he took it to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.⁽ⁿ⁾

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.

King Hiram of Tyre sent envoys to David,^(a) along with cedar logs, stonemasons, and carpenters to build a palace for him.

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.

David took more wives in Jerusalem, and he became the father of more sons and daughters.

These^(b) are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,

Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet,

Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,

Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.

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.

Now the Philistines had come and raided in the Valley of Rephaim,^(c)

so David inquired of God, "Should I go to war against the Philistines? Will You hand them over to me?" The Lord replied, "Go, and I will hand them over to you."

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.^[a]

The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David ordered that they be burned in the fire.

Once again the Philistines raided in the valley.

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.

When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then march out to battle, for God will have marched out ahead of you to attack the camp of the Philistines."

So David did exactly as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer.

Then David's fame spread throughout the lands, and the Lord caused all the nations to be terrified of him.^(d)