Thematic Bible




1 Chronicles 12:1 (show verse)

The 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.

1 Chronicles 12:2 (show verse)

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:

1 Chronicles 12:3 (show verse)

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;

1 Chronicles 12:4 (show verse)

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

1 Chronicles 12:5 (show verse)

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

1 Chronicles 12:6 (show verse)

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

1 Chronicles 12:7 (show verse)

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

1 Chronicles 12:8 (show verse)

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.

1 Chronicles 12:9 (show verse)

Ezer was the chief, Obadiah second, Eliab third,

1 Chronicles 12:10 (show verse)

Mishmannah fourth, Jeremiah fifth,

1 Chronicles 12:11 (show verse)

Attai sixth, Eliel seventh,

1 Chronicles 12:12 (show verse)

Johanan eighth, Elzabad ninth,

1 Chronicles 12:13 (show verse)

Jeremiah tenth, and Machbannai eleventh.

1 Chronicles 12:14 (show verse)

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

1 Chronicles 12:15 (show verse)

These are the men who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks, and put to flight all those in the valleys to the east and to the west.

1 Chronicles 12:16 (show verse)

Other Benjaminites and men from Judah also went to David at the stronghold.

1 Chronicles 12:17 (show verse)

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.”

1 Chronicles 12:18 (show verse)

Then the Spirit took control of 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.


So David received them and made them leaders of his troops.

1 Chronicles 12:19 (show verse)

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.”

1 Chronicles 12:20 (show verse)

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.

1 Chronicles 12:21 (show verse)

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

1 Chronicles 12:22 (show verse)

At that time, men came day after day to help David until there was a great army, like an army of God.

1 Chronicles 12:23 (show verse)

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:

1 Chronicles 12:24 (show verse)

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

1 Chronicles 12:25 (show verse)

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

1 Chronicles 12:26 (show verse)

From the Levites: 4,600

1 Chronicles 12:27 (show verse)

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

1 Chronicles 12:28 (show verse)

and Zadok, a young brave warrior, with 22 commanders from his own ancestral house.

1 Chronicles 12:29 (show verse)

From 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).

1 Chronicles 12:30 (show verse)

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

1 Chronicles 12:31 (show verse)

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

1 Chronicles 12:32 (show verse)

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

1 Chronicles 12:33 (show verse)

From 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.

1 Chronicles 12:34 (show verse)

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

1 Chronicles 12:35 (show verse)

From the Danites: 28,600 trained for battle.

1 Chronicles 12:36 (show verse)

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

1 Chronicles 12:37 (show verse)

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.

1 Chronicles 12:38 (show verse)

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.

1 Chronicles 12:39 (show verse)

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

1 Chronicles 12:40 (show verse)

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. Indeed, there was joy in Israel.