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Matthew Henry |
F I R S T C H R O N I C L E S
CHAP. XI.
In this chapter is repeated,
I. The elevation of David to the throne, immediately upon the death of
Saul, by common consent,
II. His gaining the castle of Zion out of the hands of the Jebusites,
III. The catalogue of the worthies and great men of his kingdom,
| David’s Accession to the Throne. | B. C. 1055. |
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1 Then all Israel gathered themselves to David unto Hebron,
saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.
2 And moreover in time past, even when Saul was king, thou
wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the LORD
thy God said unto thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and
thou shalt be ruler over my people Israel.
3 Therefore came all the elders of Israel to the king to
Hebron; and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the
LORD; and they anointed David king over Israel, according to the
word of the LORD by Samuel.
4 And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus;
where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land.
5 And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, Thou shalt not
come hither. Nevertheless David took the castle of Zion, which
is the city of David.
6 And David said, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall
be chief and captain. So Joab the son of Zeruiah went first up,
and was chief.
7 And David dwelt in the castle; therefore they called it the
city of David.
8 And he built the city round about, even from Millo round
about: and Joab repaired the rest of the city.
9 So David waxed greater and greater: for the LORD of hosts
was with him.
David is here brought to the possession.
I. Of the throne of Israel, after he had reigned seven years in Hebron,
over Judah only. In consideration of his relation to them
(v. 1),
his former good services, and especially the divine designation
(v. 2),
they anointed him their king: he covenanted to protect them, and they
to bear faith and true allegiance to him,
v. 3.
Observe,
1. God’s counsels will be fulfilled at last, whatever difficulties lie
in the way. If God had said, David shall rule, it is in vain to
oppose it.
2. Men that have long stood in their own light, when they have long
wearied themselves with their lying vanities, it is to be hoped, will
understand the things that belong to their peace and return to their
own mercies.
3. Between prince and people there is an original contract, which both
ought religiously to observe. If ever any prince might have claimed an
absolute despotic power, David might, and might as safely as any have
been entrusted with it; and yet he made a covenant with the people,
took the coronation-oath, to rule by law.
II. Of the strong-hold of Zion, which was held by the Jebusites till
David’s time. Whether David had a particular eye upon it as a place fit
to make a royal city, or whether he had a promise of it from God, it
seems that one of his first exploits was to make himself master of that
fort; and, when he had it, he called it the city of David,
v. 7.
To this reference is had,
I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. See here what
quickens and engages resolution in great undertakings.
1. Opposition. When the Jebusites set David at defiance, and said,
Thou shalt not come hither. he resolved to force it, whatever it
cost him.
2. Prospect of preferment. When David proposed to give the general’s
place to him that would lead the attack upon the castle of Zion, Joab
was fired with the proposal, and he went up first, and was
chief. It has been said, “Take away honour out of the soldier’s eye
and you cut off the spurs from his heels.”
| David’s Mighty Men. | B. C. 1048. |
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10 These also are the chief of the mighty men whom David had,
who strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom, and with
all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the LORD
concerning Israel.
11 And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had;
Jashobeam, a Hachmonite, the chief of the captains: he lifted up
his spear against three hundred slain by him at one time.
12 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite,
who was one of the three mighties.
13 He was with David at Pas-dammim, and there the Philistines
were gathered together to battle, where was a parcel of ground
full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines.
14 And they set themselves in the midst of that parcel, and
delivered it, and slew the Philistines; and the LORD saved them
by a great deliverance.
15 Now three of the thirty captains went down to the rock to
David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines
encamped in the valley of Rephaim.
16 And David was then in the hold, and the Philistines’
garrison was then at Bethlehem.
17 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink
of the water of the well of Bethlehem, that is at the gate!
18 And the three brake through the host of the Philistines, and
drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate,
and took it, and brought it to David: but David would not
drink of it, but poured it out to the LORD,
19 And said, My God forbid it me, that I should do this thing:
shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in
jeopardy? for with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it.
Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three
mightiest.
20 And Abishai the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three:
for lifting up his spear against three hundred, he slew them,
and had a name among the three.
21 Of the three, he was more honourable than the two; for he
was their captain: howbeit he attained not to the first three.
22 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of
Kabzeel, who had done many acts; he slew two lionlike men of
Moab: also he went down and slew a lion in a pit in a snowy day.
23 And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five
cubits high; and in the Egyptian’s hand was a spear like a
weaver’s beam; and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked
the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and slew him with his own
spear.
24 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the
name among the three mighties.
25 Behold, he was honourable among the thirty, but attained not
to the first three: and David set him over his guard.
26 Also the valiant men of the armies were, Asahel the
brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
27 Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite,
28 Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Antothite,
29 Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,
30 Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baanah the
Netophathite,
31 Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah, that pertained to the
children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite,
32 Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,
33 Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,
34 The sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shage
the Hararite,
35 Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur,
36 Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,
37 Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the son of Ezbai,
38 Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Haggeri,
39 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armourbearer
of Joab the son of Zeruiah,
40 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,
41 Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai,
42 Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a captain of the
Reubenites, and thirty with him,
43 Hanan the son of Maachah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite,
44 Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jehiel the sons of Hothan
the Aroerite,
45 Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite,
46 Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of
Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite,
47 Eliel, and Obed, and Jasiel the Mesobaite.
We have here an account of David’s worthies, the great men of his time
that served him and were preferred by him. The first edition of this
catalogue we had,
&c. This is much the same, only that those named here from
to the end are added. Observe,
I. The connexion of this catalogue with that which is said concerning
David,
v. 9.
1. David waxed greater and greater, and these were his mighty
men. Much of the strength and honour of great men is borrowed from
their servants and depends upon them, which cannot but somewhat
diminish pomp and power in the opinion of those that are wise. David
is great because he has great men about him; take these away, and he is
where he was.
2. The Lord of hosts was with him, and these were the mighty men
which he had. God was with him and wrought for him, but by men and
means and the use of second causes. By this it appeared that God
was with him, that he inclined the hearts of those to come over to him
that were able to serve his interest. As, if God be for us none can be
against us, so, if God be for us, all shall be for us that we have
occasion for. Yet David ascribed his success and increase, not to the
hosts he had, but to the Lord of hosts, not to the mighty men
that were with him, but to the mighty God whose presence with us is all
in all.
II. The title of this catalogue
(v. 10):
These are the men who strengthened themselves with him. In
strengthening him they strengthened themselves and their own interest;
for his advancement was theirs. What we do in our places for the
support of the kingdom of the Son of David we shall be gainers by. In
strengthening it we strengthen ourselves. It may be read, They held
strongly with him and with all Israel. Note, When God has work to
do he will not want fit instruments to do it with. If it be work that
requires mighty men, mighty men shall either be found or made to effect
it, according to the word of the Lord.
III. That which made all these men honourable was the good service that
they did to their king and country; they helped to make David king
(v. 10)–
a good work. They slew the Philistines, and other public enemies, and
were instrumental to save Israel. Note, The way to be great is to do
good. Nor did they gain this honour without labour and the hazard of
their lives. The honours of Christ’s kingdom are prepared for those
that fight the good fight of faith, that labour and suffer, and
are willing to venture all, even life itself, for Christ and a good
conscience. It is by a patient continuance in well-doing that we must
seek for glory, and honour, and immortality; and those that are
faithful to the Son of David shall find their names registered and
enrolled much more to their honour than these are in the records of
fame.
IV. Among all the great exploits of David’s mighty men, here is nothing
great mentioned concerning David himself but his pouring out water
before the Lord which he had longed for,
v. 18, 19.
Four very honourable dispositions of David appeared in that action,
which, for aught I know, made it as great as any of the achievements of
those worthies.
1. Repentance for his own weakness. It is really an honour to a man,
when he is made sensible that he has said or done any thing
unadvisedly, to unsay it and undo it again by repentance, as it is a
shame to a man when he has said or done amiss to stand to it.
2. Denial of his own appetite. He longed for the water of the well of
Bethlehem; but, when he had it, he would not drink it, because he would
not so far humour himself and gratify a foolish fancy. He that has such
a rule as this over his own spirit is better than the mighty. It
is an honour to a man to have the command of himself; but he that will
command himself must sometimes cross himself.
3. Devotion towards God. That water which he thought too good, too
precious, for his own drinking, he poured out to the Lord for a
drink offering. If we have any thing better than another, let
God be honoured with it, who is the best, and should have the best.
4. Tenderness of his servants. It put him into the greatest confusion
imaginable to think that three brave men should hazard their lives to
fetch water for him. In his account it turns the water into blood. It
is the honour of great men not to be prodigal of the blood of those
they employ, but, in all the commands they give them, to put their own
souls into their souls’ stead.
V. In the wonderful achievements of these heroes the power of God must
be acknowledged. How could one slay 300 and another the same number
(v. 11, 20),
another two lion-like men
(v. 22),
and another an Egyptian giant
(v. 23),
if they had not had the extraordinary presence of God with them,
according to that promise,
One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the Lord your God
fighteth for you?
VI. One of these worthies is said to be an Ammonite
(v. 39),
another a Moabite
(v. 46),
and yet the law was that an Ammonite and a Moabite should not
enter into the congregation of the Lord,
Deut. xxiii. 3.
These, it is likely, had approved themselves so hearty for the interest
of Israel that in their case it was thought fit to dispense with that
law, and the rather because it was an indication that the Son of David
would have worthies among the Gentiles: with him there is neither Greek
nor Jew.
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