1CH 12

1 Chronicles 12:33

WEB

Of Zebulun, such as were able to go out in the army, who could set the battle in array with all kinds of instruments of war: fifty thousand who could command and were not of double heart.

BSB

From Zebulun: 50,000 fit for service, trained for battle with all kinds of weapons of war, who with one purpose were devoted to David.

KJV

Of Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, with all instruments of war, fifty thousand, which could keep rank: they were not of double heart.

Matthew Henry

Verses 23–40

1 Chronicles 12:23–40

We have here an account of those who were active in perfecting the settlement of David upon the throne, after the death of Ishbosheth. We read (Ch1 11:1, and before Sa2 5:1) that all the tribes of Israel came, either themselves or by their representatives, to Hebron, to make David king; now here we have an account of the quota which every tribe brought in ready armed to the war, in case there should be any opposition, Ch1 12:23. We may observe here,

I. That those tribes that lived nearest brought the fewest - Judah but 6800 (Ch1 12:24), Simeon but 7100 (Ch1 12:25); whereas Zebulun, that lay remote, brought 50,000, Asher 40,000, and the two tribes and a half on the other side Jordan 120,000. Not as if the next adjacent tribes were cold in the cause; but they showed as much of their prudence in bringing few, since all the rest lay so near within call, as the others did of their zeal in bringing so many. The men of Judah had enough to do to entertain those that came from afar.

II. The Levites themselves, and the priests (called here the Aaronites), appeared very hearty in this cause, and were ready, if there were occasion, to fight for David, as well as pray for him, because they knew he was called of God to the government, Ch1 12:26-28.

III. Even some of the kindred of Saul came over to David (Ch1 12:29), not so many as of the other tribes, because a foolish affection for their own tribe, and a jealousy for the honour of it, kept many of them long in the sinking interest of Saul's family. Kindred should never over-rule conscience. Call no man Father to this extent, but God only.

IV. It is said of most of these that they were mighty men of valour (Ch1 12:25, Ch1 12:28, Ch1 12:30), of others that they were expert in war (Ch1 12:35, Ch1 12:36), and of them all that they could keep rank, Ch1 12:38. They had a great deal of martial fire, and yet were governable and subject to the rules of order - warm hearts but cool heads.

V. Some were so considerate as to bring with them arms, and all instruments for war (Ch1 12:24, Ch1 12:33, Ch1 12:37), for how could they think that David should be able to furnish them?

VI. The men of Issachar were the fewest af all, only 200, and yet as serviceable to David's interest as those that brought in the greatest numbers, these few being in effect the whole tribe. For, 1. They were men of great skill above any of their neighbours, men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do. They understood the natural times, could discern the face of the sky, were weather-wise, could advise their neighbours in the proper times for ploughing, sowing reaping, etc. Or the ceremonial times, the times appointed for the solemn feasts; therefore they are said to call the people to the mountain (Deu 33:19), for almanacs were not then so common as now. Or, rather, the political times; they understood public affairs, the temper of the nation, and the tendencies of the present events. It is the periphrasis of statesmen that they know the times, Esth. 1. 13. Those of that tribe were greatly intent on public affairs, had good intelligence from abroad and made a good use of it. They knew what Israel ought to do: from their observation and experience they learned both their own and others' duty and interest. In this critical juncture they knew Israel ought to make David king. It was not only expedient, but necessary; the present posture of affairs called for it. The men of Issachar dealt mostly in country business, and did not much intermeddle in public affairs, which gave them an opportunity of observing others and conversing with themselves. A stander-by sees sometimes more than a gamester. 2. They were men of great interests; for all their brethren were at their commandment. The commonality of that tribe having bowed their shoulder to bear (Gen 49:15), the great men had them at their beck. Hence we read of the princes of Issachar, Jdg 5:15. They knew how to rule, and the rest knew how to obey. It is happy indeed when those that should lead are intelligent and judicious, and those who are to follow are modest and obsequious.

VII. It is said of them all that they engaged in this enterprise with a perfect heart (Ch1 12:38), and particularly of the men of Zebulun that they were not of double heart, Ch1 12:33. They were, in this matter, Israelites indeed, in whom was no guile. And this was their perfection, that they were of one heart, Ch1 12:38. None had any separate interests, but all for the public good.

VIII. The men of Judah, and others of the adjacent tribes, prepared for the victualling of their respective camps when they came to Hebron, Ch1 12:39, Ch1 12:40. Those that were at the least pains in travelling to this convention, or congress of states, thought themselves obliged to be at so much the more charge in entertaining the rest, that there might be something of an equality. A noble feast was made (was made for laughter, Ecc 10:19) upon this occasion, for there was joy in Israel, Ch1 12:40. And good reason; for when the righteous bear rule the city rejoices. Thus, when the throne of Christ is set up in a soul, there is, or ought to be, great joy in that soul: and provision is made for the feasting of it, not as here for two or three days, but for the whole life, nay, for eternity.

Cross-references: 1Chr 11:1 · 2Sam 5:1 · 1Chr 12:23 · 1Chr 12:24 · 1Chr 12:25 · 1Chr 12:26 · 1Chr 12:29 · 1Chr 12:28 · 1Chr 12:30 · 1Chr 12:35 · 1Chr 12:36 · 1Chr 12:38 · 1Chr 12:33 · 1Chr 12:37 · Deut 33:19 · Gen 49:15 · Judg 5:15 · 1Chr 12:39 · 1Chr 12:40 · Eccl 10:19

Hebrew interlinear

H2074

זְבוּלוּןZᵉbûwlûwn/zeb-oo-loon'/

n-pr-m n-pr-loc — Zebulon

Derivation: or זְבֻלוּן; or זְבוּלֻן; from 2082; habitation;

Zebulon, a son of Jacob; also his territory and tribe

KJV: Zebulun.

זְבוּלֻן

n.pr.m — Zebulun

זְבוּלֻן, זְלֻבוּן n.pr.m. Zebulun

1. sixth son of Jacob and Leah

2. the tribe of Zebulun

3. territory of the tribe

H3318

יָצָאyâtsâʼ/yaw-tsaw'/

v — go, bring, out

Derivation: a primitive root;

to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.

KJV: × after, appear, × assuredly, bear out, × begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail, fall (out), fetch forth (out), get away (forth, hence, out), (able to, cause to, let) go abroad (forth, on, out), going out, grow, have forth (out), issue out, lay (lie) out, lead out, pluck out, proceed, pull out, put away, be risen, × scarce, send with commandment, shoot forth, spread, spring out, stand out, × still, × surely, take forth (out), at any time, × to (and fro), utter.

יָצָא

vb — go out

יָצָא 1068 vb. go or come out

Qal

1. go or come out or forth

a. from (מִן) a place

b. go forth from (the presence of) a person

c. in technical senses

d. of flight, involving escape

e. depart

f. of inanimate things

g. with especial emphasis on idea of origin, source

h. of children as going forth from loins (of father)

2.

a. go forth to a place

b. go forward, proceed to or toward something

c. come or go forth, with esp. ref. to purpose or result

3. of combinations

Hiph.

1. cause to go or come out, bring out, lead out

2. fig. obj. persons, bring out of (מִן) distress, etc.

3. bring out animals

4. inanimate obj.

5. fig. subj. י׳, bring forth from (מִן)

Hoph. be brought forth

H6635

צָבָאtsâbâʼ/tsaw-baw'/

n-m — mass, army, campaign, hardship, worship

Derivation: or (feminine) צְבָאָה; from 6633;

a mass of persons (or figuratively, things), especially reg. organized for war (an army); by implication, a campaign, literally or figuratively (specifically, hardship, worship)

KJV: appointed time, ( ) army, ( ) battle, company, host, service, soldiers, waiting upon, war(-fare).

צָבָא

n.m — army

צָבָא 485 n.m. army, war, warfare

1. army, host

2. war, warfare, service

3. service

4. צְבָאוֹת, in name of י׳ as God of war, prob. first in time of warlike David (some connect with sacred ark, but ark older)

H6186

עָרַךְʻârak/aw-rak'/

v — row, arrange, order

Derivation: a primitive root;

to set in a row, i.e. arrange, put in order (in a very wide variety of applications)

KJV: put (set) (the battle, self) in array, compare, direct, equal, esteem, estimate, expert (in war), furnish, handle, join (battle), ordain, (lay, put, reckon up, set) (in) order, prepare, tax, value.

עָרַךְ

vb — arrange in order

עָרַךְ vb. arrange or set in order

Qal

1.

a. arrange in order, seven altars

b. set or lay in order, as wood

c. in common life, arrange a table

d. arrange a battle, i.e. draw up in battle order

e. arrange weapons of army in order for battle

f. arrange words

g. state in order, set forth a legal case

2.

a. compare (as result of arranging in order)

b. intrans. be comparable

עָרַךְ

vb. denom — value

עָרַךְ vb. denom. Hiph. value (for taxation), tax

H4421

מִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh/mil-khaw-maw'/

n-f — battle, engagement, war, war-fare

Derivation: from 3898 (in the sense of fighting);

a battle (i.e. the engagement); generally, war (i.e. war-fare)

KJV: battle, fight(-ing), war(-rior).

מִלְחָמָה

n.f — battle

מִלְחָמָה 319 n.f. battle, war

H3605

כֹּלkôl/kole/

n-m — whole, all, any, every

Derivation: or (Jeremiah 33:8) כּוֹל; from 3634;

properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)

KJV: (in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).

כֹּל

n.m — the whole

כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all

1. with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

2. Absolutely:

a. without the art., all things, all

b. with the art. הַכֹּל

(a). where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

(b). in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

H3627

כְּלִיkᵉlîy/kel-ee'/

n-m — prepared, apparatus

Derivation: from 3615;

something prepared, i.e. any apparatus (as an implement, utensil, dress, vessel or weapon)

KJV: armour(-bearer), artillery, bag, carriage, furnish, furniture, instrument, jewel, that is made of, × one from another, that which pertaineth, pot, psaltery, sack, stuff, thing, tool, vessel, ware, weapon, whatsoever.

כְּלִי

n.m — article

כְּלִי 324 n.m. article, utensil, vessel

H2572

חֲמִשִּׁיםchămishshîym/kham-ish-sheem'/

n — fifty

Derivation: multiple of 2568;

fifty

KJV: fifty.

חֲמִשִּׁים

n.pl — fifty

חֲמִשִּׁים 164 n.pl. (a) fifty

H505

אֶלֶףʼeleph/eh'-lef/

n-m — thousand

Derivation: prop, the same as 504;

hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousand

KJV: thousand.

אֶ֫לֶף

n.m — thousand

אֶ֫לֶף n.m. thousand

H5737

עֲדַרʻădar/aw-dar'/

v — arrange, hoe, muster, miss, wanting

Derivation: a primitive root;

to arrange, as a battle, a vineyard (to hoe); hence, to muster and so to miss (or find wanting)

KJV: dig, fail, keep (rank), lack.

עָדַר

vb — hoe

[עָדַר] vb. hoe;—Niph. Is 5:6 it (the vineyard) shall not be hoed; 7:25 which used to be hoed with the hoe

עָדַר

vb — be lacking

[עָדַר] vb. Niph. be lacking, fail

Niph. not anything was lacking to them

Pi. they left nothing lacking.

עָדַר

vb — help

[עָדַר] vb. prob. (si vera l.) help

H3808

לֹאlôʼ/lo/

adv — not, no

Derivation: or לוֹא; or לֹה; (Deuteronomy 3:11), a primitive particle;

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles

KJV: × before, or else, ere, except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (× as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, surely, as truly as, of a truth, verily, for want, whether, without.

לֹא

adv — not

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

H3820

לֵבlêb/labe/

n-m — heart, feelings, will, intellect, centre

Derivation: a form of 3824;

the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything

KJV: care for, comfortably, consent, × considered, courag(-eous), friend(-ly), ((broken-), (hard-), (merry-), (stiff-), (stout-), double) heart(-ed), × heed, × I, kindly, midst, mind(-ed), × regard(-ed), × themselves, × unawares, understanding, × well, willingly, wisdom.

לֵב

n.m — inner man

לֵב 599 n.m. (f.) inner man, mind, will, heart

I. seldom of things in the midst of the sea

II. elsewhere of men

1. the inner man in contrast with the outer

2. the inner man, indef., soul, comprehending mind, affections and will

3. specific reference to mind

4. spec. ref. to inclinations, resolutions and determinations of the will

5. spec. ref. to conscience

6. [various]

7. for the man himself

8. as seat of appetites

9. as seat of emotions and passions

10. seat of courage

לֵב קָמָי

Leb Qamay

לֵב קָמָי prob. late Atbash Je 51:1.

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