1 Chronicles 12

The Hebrew Bible with the Berean Standard Bible. Click any Hebrew word for its meaning, lexicon entry and every place it occurs.

Hebrew: the Leningrad Codex with the Berean Standard Bible

The Mighty Men Join David at Ziklag

1

וְאֵ֗לֶּה הַבָּאִ֤ים אֶל־דָּוִיד֙ לְצִ֣יקְלַ֔ג ע֣וֹד עָצ֔וּר מִפְּנֵ֖י שָׁא֣וּל בֶּן־קִ֑ישׁ וְהֵ֙מָּה֙ בַּגִּבּוֹרִ֔ים עֹזְרֵ֖י הַמִּלְחָמָֽה׃

Now these were the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was still banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish (they were among the mighty men who helped him in battle;

2

נֹ֣שְׁקֵי קֶ֗שֶׁת מַיְמִינִ֤ים וּמַשְׂמִאלִים֙ בָּֽאֲבָנִ֔ים וּבַחִצִּ֖ים בַּקָּ֑שֶׁת מֵאֲחֵ֥י שָׁא֖וּל מִבִּנְיָמִֽן׃

they were archers using both the right and left hands to sling stones and shoot arrows; and they were Saul’s kinsmen from Benjamin):

8

וּמִן־הַגָּדִ֡י נִבְדְּל֣וּ אֶל־דָּוִיד֩ לַמְצַ֨ד מִדְבָּ֜רָה גִּבֹּרֵ֣י הַחַ֗יִל אַנְשֵׁ֤י צָבָא֙ לַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה עֹרְכֵ֥י צִנָּ֖ה וָרֹ֑מַח וּפְנֵ֤י אַרְיֵה֙ פְּנֵיהֶ֔ם וְכִצְבָאיִ֥ם עַל־הֶהָרִ֖ים לְמַהֵֽר׃ ס

Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the wilderness. They were mighty men of valor, trained for battle, experts with the shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions and who were as swift as gazelles on the mountains:

14

אֵ֥לֶּה מִבְּנֵי־גָ֖ד רָאשֵׁ֣י הַצָּבָ֑א אֶחָ֤ד לְמֵאָה֙ הַקָּטָ֔ן וְהַגָּד֖וֹל לְאָֽלֶף׃

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

16

וַיָּבֹ֗אוּ מִן־בְּנֵ֤י בִנְיָמִן֙ וִֽיהוּדָ֔ה עַד־לַמְצָ֖ד לְדָוִֽיד׃

Other Benjamites and some men from Judah also came to David in his stronghold.

17

וַיֵּצֵ֣א דָוִיד֮ לִפְנֵיהֶם֒ וַיַּ֙עַן֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֔ם אִם־לְשָׁל֞וֹם בָּאתֶ֤ם אֵלַי֙ לְעָזְרֵ֔נִי יִֽהְיֶה־לִּ֧י עֲלֵיכֶ֛ם לֵבָ֖ב לְיָ֑חַד וְאִֽם־לְרַמּוֹתַ֣נִי לְצָרַ֗י בְּלֹ֤א חָמָס֙ בְּכַפַּ֔י יֵ֛רֶא אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבוֹתֵ֖ינוּ וְיוֹכַֽח׃ ס

And David went out to meet them, saying, “If you have come to me in peace to help me, my heart will be united with you; but if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free of violence, may the God of our fathers see it and judge you.”

18

וְר֣וּחַ לָבְשָׁ֗ה אֶת־עֲמָשַׂי֮ רֹ֣אשׁ הַשָּׁלִישִׁים֒ לְךָ֤ דָוִיד֙ וְעִמְּךָ֣ בֶן־יִשַׁ֔י שָׁל֨וֹם׀ שָׁל֜וֹם לְךָ֗ וְשָׁלוֹם֙ לְעֹ֣זְרֶ֔ךָ כִּ֥י עֲזָרְךָ֖ אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ וַיְקַבְּלֵ֣ם דָּוִ֔יד וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֖ם בְּרָאשֵׁ֥י הַגְּדֽוּד׃ פ

Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, the chief of the Thirty, and he said: “We are yours, O David! We are with you, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, and peace to your helpers, for your God helps you.” So David received them and made them leaders of his troops.

19

וּמִֽמְּנַשֶּׁ֞ה נָפְל֣וּ עַל־דָּוִ֗יד בְּבֹא֨וֹ עִם־פְּלִשְׁתִּ֧ים עַל־שָׁא֛וּל לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה וְלֹ֣א עֲזָרֻ֑ם כִּ֣י בְעֵצָ֗ה שִׁלְּחֻ֜הוּ סַרְנֵ֤י פְלִשְׁתִּים֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר בְּרָאשֵׁ֕ינוּ יִפּ֖וֹל אֶל־אֲדֹנָ֥יו שָׁאֽוּל׃

Some from Manasseh defected to David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. (They did not help the Philistines because the Philistine rulers consulted and sent David away, saying, “It will cost us our heads if he defects to his master Saul.”)

David’s Army Grows at Hebron

23

וְ֠אֵלֶּה מִסְפְּרֵ֞י רָאשֵׁ֤י הֶֽחָלוּץ֙ לַצָּבָ֔א בָּ֥אוּ עַל־דָּוִ֖יד חֶבְר֑וֹנָה לְהָסֵ֞ב מַלְכ֥וּת שָׁא֛וּל אֵלָ֖יו כְּפִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ ס

Now these are the numbers of men armed for battle who came to David at Hebron to turn Saul’s kingdom over to him, in accordance with the word of the LORD:

39

וַיִּהְיוּ־שָׁ֤ם עִם־דָּוִיד֙ יָמִ֣ים שְׁלוֹשָׁ֔ה אֹכְלִ֖ים וְשׁוֹתִ֑ים כִּֽי־הֵכִ֥ינוּ לָהֶ֖ם אֲחֵיהֶֽם׃

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

Sources: STEPBible TAHOT (Hebrew Bible, Leningrad Codex, CC BY 4.0); the Berean Standard Bible (public domain). Reformatted by Word Study, wording unchanged. All sources and licenses.