1 Chronicles 12

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Chronicles 12:18

The spirit came upon Amasai - "The spirit of fortitude clothed Amasai, the chief of the mighty men; and he answered, For thy sake, O David, are we come, that we may be with thee, thou son of Jesse. Prosperity be to thee by night and by day; and prosperity be to thy helpers; for the Word of the Lord is thy assistant." - T. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Chronicles 12:22

Like the host of God - "That is, a very numerous army; like the army of the angel of God." - T. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Chronicles 12:23

And came to David to Hebron - That is, after the death of Ish-bosheth, Saul's son. See 2 Samuel 4:5 . read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Chronicles 12:27

Jehoiada was the leader of the Aaronites - Abiathar was then high priest, and Jehoiada captain over the warriors of the house of Aaron. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Chronicles 12:32

Children of Issachar - According to the Targum they were all astronomers and astrologers: "and the sons of Issachar, who had understanding to know the times, and were skilled in fixing the beginnings of years, the commencement of months, and the intercalation of months and years; skillful in the changes of the moon, and in fixing the lunar solemnities to their proper times; skillful also in the doctrine of the solar periods; astrologers in signs and stars, that they might show Israel... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Chronicles 12:39

They were with David three days - These were the deputies of the different people mentioned here: it is not possible that all the thousands mentioned above could have feasted with David for three days; and yet it appears there was even of these a great number, for the men of Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali, who were nearest to this place of rendezvous, had brought all the necessaries for such a feast. From the whole it appears most evident that the great majority of the tribes of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Chronicles 12:1

EXPOSITION This chapter is retrospective, and the contents of it are not found elsewhere. It is occupied, first ( 1 Chronicles 12:1-22 ), with the names and some accounts of those who had come to the help of David in three great crises in time past, to join themselves to him and his cause. And afterwards ( 1 Chronicles 12:23-40 ), with an enumeration of those representatives from the tribes who came ( 1 Chronicles 11:1 , 1 Chronicles 11:3 ) to support the proceedings of the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Chronicles 12:2

Of Saul's brethren of Benjamin . It would be better to read these words as the commencement of the next verse. Prominence is given to the fact that this set of helpers of David, counting in all twenty-three, comprised Benjamites—men of the same tribe with Saul ( 1 Chronicles 12:29 ). They had seen and been impressed by the wrongness and cruelty of Saul, and found themselves unable to keep in sympathy with him. Of such were Eleazar, Ilai, and Ithai, mentioned in the preceding chapter ( 1... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Chronicles 12:3

The sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite . The Peshito-Syriac has בְּנוֹ instead of בֵּנֵי . This has the effect of making Joash the son of Ahiezer, and it makes Shemaah a third name in the list. This name has in the Hebrew the form for the article before it, and should appear in our version either as "Has-Shemaah," or "the Shemaah." The name, together with that of Azmaveth, is found in 1 Chronicles 8:13 , 1 Chronicles 8:36 , as belonging to the Benjamite tribe. The name Jeziel is... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Chronicles 12:4

Among the thirty, and over the thirty . Yet the name of Ismaiah does not appear in the list of the preceding chapter, nor in its parallel; nor is it possible to identify it with any that does appear there. The suggested explanation is that he was in the first edition of that list, and died early. The expression, "among the thirty, and over the thirty," may possibly mean that, from distinction as one of them, he was promoted above them to be leader of them. Josabad the Gederathite . The... read more

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