1Chronicles 12:2 - Prayer Tents

Warriors Join David’s Army

12The following men joined David at Ziklag while he was hiding from Saul son of Kish. They were among the warriors who fought beside David in battle.H935H1732H6860H6113H6440H7586H1121H7027H1368H5826H44212All of them were expert archers, and they could shoot arrows or sling stones with their left hand as well as their right. They were all relatives of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin.H5401H7198H3231H8041H68H2671H7198H7586H251H11443Their leader was Ahiezer son of Shemaah from Gibeah; his brother Joash was second-in-command. These were the other warriors: Jeziel and Pelet, sons of Azmaveth; Beracah; Jehu from Anathoth;H7218H295H3101H1121H8094H1395H3149H6404H1121H5820H1294H3058H60694Ishmaiah from Gibeon, a famous warrior and leader among the Thirty;

Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Jozabad from Gederah;H3460H1393H1368H7970H7970H3414H3166H3110H3107H14525Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah from Haruph;H498H3406H1183H8114H8203H27416Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, who were Korahites;H511H3449H5832H3134H3434H71457Joelah and Zebadiah, sons of Jeroham from Gedor.H3132H2069H1121H3395H14468Some brave and experienced warriors from the tribe of Gad also defected to David while he was at the stronghold in the wilderness. They were expert with both shield and spear, as fierce as lions and as swift as deer on the mountains.H1425H914H1732H4679H4057H1368H2428H582H6635H4421H6186H6793H7420H6440H6440H738H4116H6643H20229Ezer was their leader. Obadiah was second. Eliab was third.H5829H7218H5662H8145H446H799210Mishmannah was fourth. Jeremiah was fifth.H4925H7243H3414H254911Attai was sixth. Eliel was seventh.H6262H8345H447H763712Johanan was eighth. Elzabad was ninth.H3110H8066H443H867113Jeremiah was tenth. Macbannai was eleventh.H3414H6224H4344H6249H624014These warriors from Gad were army commanders. The weakest among them could take on a hundred regular troops, and the strongest could take on a thousand!H1121H1410H7218H6635H259H6996H3967H1419H50515These were the men who crossed the Jordan River during its seasonal flooding at the beginning of the year and drove out all the people living in the lowlands on both the east and west banks.H5674H3383H7223H2320H4390H1415H1428H1272H6010H4217H462816Others from Benjamin and Judah came to David at the stronghold.H935H1121H1144H3063H4679H173217David went out to meet them and said, "If you have come in peace to help me, we are friends. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when I am innocent, then may the God of our ancestors see it and punish you."H1732H3318H6440H6030H559H935H7965H5826H3824H3162H7411H6862H3808H2555H3709H430H1H7200H319818Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, the leader of the Thirty, and he said, "We are yours, David! We are on your side, son of Jesse. Peace and prosperity be with you, and success to all who help you, for your God is the one who helps you." So David let them join him, and he made them officers over his troops.H7307H3847H6022H7218H7970H7991H1732H1121H3448H7965H7965H7965H5826H430H5826H1732H6901H5414H7218H141619Some men from Manasseh defected from the Israelite army and joined David when he set out with the Philistines to fight against Saul. But as it turned out, the Philistine rulers refused to let David and his men go with them. After much discussion, they sent them back, for they said, "It will cost us our heads if David switches loyalties to Saul and turns against us."H5307H4519H1732H935H6430H7586H4421H5826H5633H6430H6098H7971H559H5307H113H7586H721820Here is a list of the men from Manasseh who defected to David as he was returning to Ziklag: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai. Each commanded 1,000 troops from the tribe of Manasseh.H3212H6860H5307H4519H5734H3107H3043H4317H3107H453H6769H7218H505H451921They helped David chase down bands of raiders, for they were all brave and able warriors who became commanders in his army.H5826H1732H1416H1368H2428H8269H663522Day after day more men joined David until he had a great army, like the army of God.H6256H3117H3117H935H1732H5826H1419H4264H4264H43023These are the numbers of armed warriors who joined David at Hebron. They were all eager to see David become king instead of Saul, just as the LORD had promised.H4557H7218H2502H6635H935H1732H2275H5437H4438H7586H6310H306824From the tribe of Judah, there were 6,800 warriors armed with shields and spears.H1121H3063H5375H6793H7420H8337H505H8083H3967H2502H663525From the tribe of Simeon, there were 7,100 brave warriors.H1121H8095H1368H2428H6635H7651H505H396726From the tribe of Levi, there were 4,600 warriors.H1121H3878H702H505H8337H396727This included Jehoiada, leader of the family of Aaron, who had 3,700 under his command.H3077H5057H175H7969H505H7651H396728This also included Zadok, a brave young warrior, with 22 members of his family who were all officers.H6659H5288H1368H2428H1H1004H6242H8147H826929From the tribe of Benjamin, Saul's relatives, there were 3,000 warriors. Most of the men from Benjamin had remained loyal to Saul until this time.H1121H1144H251H7586H7969H505H4768H8104H4931H1004H758630From the tribe of Ephraim, there were 20,800 brave warriors, each highly respected in his own clan.H1121H669H6242H505H8083H3967H1368H582H2428H8034H1004H131From the half-tribe of Manasseh west of the Jordan, 18,000 men were designated by name to help David become king.H2677H4294H4519H8083H6240H505H5344H8034H935H1732H442732From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take.H1121H3485H998H3045H6256H3045H3478H6213H7218H3967H251H631033From the tribe of Zebulun, there were 50,000 skilled warriors. They were fully armed and prepared for battle and completely loyal to David.H2074H3318H6635H6186H4421H3627H4421H2572H505H5737H3820H382034From the tribe of Naphtali, there were 1,000 officers and 37,000 warriors armed with shields and spears.H5321H505H8269H6793H2595H7970H7651H50535From the tribe of Dan, there were 28,600 warriors, all prepared for battle.H1839H6186H4421H6242H8083H505H8337H396736From the tribe of Asher, there were 40,000 trained warriors, all prepared for battle.H836H3318H6635H6186H4421H705H50537From the east side of the Jordan River—where the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh lived—there were 120,000 troops armed with every kind of weapon.H5676H3383H7206H1425H2677H7626H4519H3627H6635H4421H3967H6242H50538All these men came in battle array to Hebron with the single purpose of making David the king over all Israel. In fact, everyone in Israel agreed that David should be their king.H582H4421H5737H4634H935H8003H3820H2275H1732H4427H3478H7611H3478H259H3824H1732H442739They feasted and drank with David for three days, for preparations had been made by their relatives for their arrival.H1732H7969H3117H398H8354H251H355940And people from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali brought food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen. Vast supplies of flour, fig cakes, clusters of raisins, wine, olive oil, cattle, sheep, and goats were brought to the celebration. There was great joy throughout the land of Israel.H7138H3485H2074H5321H935H3899H2543H1581H6505H1241H3978H7058H1690H6778H3196H8081H1241H6629H7230H8057H3478