1 Chronicles 12:1

THE MESSAGE

These are the men who joined David in Ziklag; it was during the time he was banished by Saul the son of Kish; they were among the Mighty Men, good fighters. They were armed with bows and could sling stones and shoot arrows either right- or left-handed. They hailed from Saul's tribe, Benjamin.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
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.

Hebrew Names Version
Now these are those who came to David to Tziklag, while he yet kept himself close because of Sha'ul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men, his helpers in war.

King James Version
Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag, while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish: and they were among the mighty men, helpers of the war.

English Standard Version
Now these are the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he could not move about freely because of Saul the son of Kish. And they were among the mighty men who helped him in war.

New Century Version
These were the men who came to David at Ziklag when David was hiding from Saul son of Kish. They were among the warriors who helped David in battle.

New English Translation
These were the men who joined David in Ziklag, when he was banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish. (They were among the warriors who assisted him in battle.

Amplified Bible
These are the ones who came to David at Ziklag, while he still concealed himself from Saul the son of Kish; they were among the courageous men who helped him in battle.

New American Standard Bible
Now these are the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was still restricted because of Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men who helped him in war.

World English Bible
Now these are those who came to David to Ziklag, while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men, his helpers in war.

Geneva Bible (1587)
These also are they that came to Dauid to Ziklag, while he was yet kept close, because of Saul the sonne of Kish: and they were among the valiant and helpers of the battel.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now these are the ones who came to David at Ziklag, while he was still restricted because of Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men who helped him in war.

Berean Standard Bible
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 warriors who helped him in battle;

Contemporary English Version
Some time earlier, David had gone to live in the town of Ziklag to escape from King Saul. While David was there, several brave warriors joined him to help fight his battles.

Complete Jewish Bible
Following are the men who joined David at Ziklag while he was still being kept away from Sha'ul the son of Kish; they were among the warriors who helped him fight his battles.

Darby Translation
Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag, while he kept still close because of Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men who helped him in the conflict;

Easy-to-Read Version
This is a list of the men who came to David while he was at Ziklag. This was when David was hiding from Saul son of Kish. These men helped David in battle.

George Lamsa Translation
NOW these are all the mighty men of David, who stood by him in the battle, and they came with David to the city of Zinklag, when he fled from Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men who stood before David. If David had wished, they would have slain Saul the son of Kish, for they were mighty men of war, but David would not permit them to slay Saul.

Good News Translation
David was living in Ziklag, where he had gone to escape from King Saul. There he was joined by many experienced, reliable soldiers,

Lexham English Bible
Now these are the ones who came to David at Ziklag while he was still shut up because of Saul, the son of Kish. And they were the mighty warriors helping with the war.

Literal Translation
And these were those coming to David to Ziklag, while banned from the face of Saul the son of Kish. And they were among the mighty ones, helping the battle;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
These also came to Dauid vnto Siclag whan he was yet kepte a syde because of Saul the sonne of Cis: And they were like wyse amouge the worthies yt helped in the battayll,

American Standard Version
Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag, while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men, his helpers in war.

Bible in Basic English
Now these are the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was still shut up, because of Saul, the son of Kish; they were among the strong men, his helpers in war.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
These are they that came to Dauid to Ziklag while he yet kept himselfe close because of Saul the sonne of Cis: and they were very strong helpers in battaile.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag, while he was yet shut up because of Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men, his helpers in war.

King James Version (1611)
Now these are they that came to Dauid to Ziklag while hee yet kept himselfe close, because of Saul the sonne of Kish: and they were among the mighty men, helpers of the warre.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And these are they that came to Sikelag, when he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kis; and these were among the mighty, aiding him in war,

English Revised Version
Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag, while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish: and they were among the mighty men, his helpers in war.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Also these camen to Dauid in Sichelech, whanne he fledde yit fro Saul, the sone of Cys; whiche weren strongeste men and noble fiyterys,

Update Bible Version
Now these are those that came to David to Ziklag, while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men, his helpers in war.

Webster's Bible Translation
Now these [are] they that came to David to Ziklag, while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish: and they [were] among the mighty men, helpers of the war.

New King James Version
1 Samuel 22:1,2">[xr] Now these were the men who came to David at Ziklag while he was still a fugitive from Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men, helpers in the war,

New Living Translation
The 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.

New Life Bible
These are the men who came to David at Ziklag, while David was still hidden because of Saul the son of Kish. They were among the strong men who helped him in war.

New Revised Standard
The following are those who came to David at Ziklag, while he could not move about freely because of Saul son of Kish; they were among the mighty warriors who helped him in war.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now these, are they who came unto David, to Ziklag, he yet being shut up, because of Saul son of Kish, - and, they, were among the heroes, helpers in the war;

Douay-Rheims Bible
Now these are they that came to David to Siceleg, while he yet fled from Saul the son of Cis, and they were most valiant and excellent warriors,

Revised Standard Version
Now these are the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he could not move about freely because of Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men who helped him in war.

Young's Literal Translation
And these [are] those coming in unto David to Ziklag, while shut up because of Saul son of Kish, and they [are] among the mighty ones, helping the battle,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now these are the ones who came to David at Ziklag, while he was still restricted because of Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men who helped him in war.

Contextual Overview

¹These are the men who joined David in Ziklag; it was during the time he was banished by Saul the son of Kish; they were among the Mighty Men, good fighters. They were armed with bows and could sling stones and shoot arrows either right- or left-handed. They hailed from Saul's tribe, Benjamin. ³The first was Ahiezer; then Joash son of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Beracah; Jehu the Anathothite; Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a Mighty Man among the Thirty, a leader of the Thirty; Jeremiah; Jahaziel; Johanan; Jozabad the Gederathite; Eluzai; Jerimoth; Bealiah; Shemariah; Shephatiah the Haruphite; Elkanah; Isshiah; Azarel; Joezer; Jashobeam; the Korahites; and Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham from Gedor. ⁸There were some Gadites there who had defected to David at his wilderness fortress; they were seasoned and eager fighters who knew how to handle shield and spear. They were wild in appearance, like lions, but as agile as gazelles racing across the hills. Ezer was the first, then Obadiah, Eliab, Mishmannah, Jeremiah, Attai, Eliel, Johanan, Elzabad, Jeremiah, and Macbannai—eleven of them. These Gadites were the cream of the crop—any one of them was worth a hundred lesser men, and the best of them were worth a thousand. They were the ones who crossed the Jordan when it was at flood stage in the first month, and put everyone in the lowlands to flight, both east and west. ¹⁶There were also men from the tribes of Benjamin and Judah who joined David in his wilderness fortress. When David went out to meet them, this is what he said: "If you have come in peace and to help me, you are most welcome to join this company; but if you have come to betray me to my enemies, innocent as I am, the God of our ancestors will see through you and bring judgment on you." ¹⁸ Just then Amasai chief of the Thirty, moved by God's Spirit, said, We're on your side, O David, We're committed, O son of Jesse; All is well, yes, all is well with you, And all's well with whoever helps you. Yes, for your God has helped and does help you. So David took them on and assigned them a place under the chiefs of the raiders. ¹⁹ Some from the tribe of Manasseh also defected to David when he started out with the Philistines to go to war against Saul. In the end, they didn't actually fight because the Philistine leaders, after talking it over, sent them home, saying, "We can't trust them with our lives—they'll betray us to their master Saul." ²⁰The men from Manasseh who defected to David at Ziklag were Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, all leaders among the families of Manasseh. They helped David in his raids against the desert bandits; they were all stalwart fighters and good leaders among his raiders. Hardly a day went by without men showing up to help—it wasn't long before his band seemed as large as God's own army!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

these are: 1 Samuel 27:2, 1 Samuel 27:6, 2 Samuel 1:1, 2 Samuel 4:10

while he yet: etc. Heb. being yet shut up, Sometimes, in the East, when a successful prince endeavoured to extirpate the preceding royal family, some of them escaped the slaughter, and secured themselves in an impregnable fortress, or in a place of great secrecy; while others have been known to seek an asylum in a foreign county, from when they have occasioned, from time to time, great anxiety and great difficulties to the usurper of the crown. The expression shut up, so often applied to the extermination of eastern royal families - Deuteronomy 32:32. 1 Kings 14:10, 1 Kings 21:21. 2 Kings 9:8, 2 Kings 14:26, strictly speaking, refers to the two first of these cases; but the term may be used in a more extensive sense, for those who, by retiring into deserts, or foreign countries, preserve themselves from being slain by the men who usurp the dominions of their ancestors. Thus the term is here applied to David, though he did not shut himself up, strictly speaking, in Ziklag. It is described as a town in the country, and was probably an unwalled town; and it is certain that he did not confine himself to it, but, on the contrary, was continually making excursions from thence.

Saul: 1 Chronicles 8:33, 1 Chronicles 9:39

the mighty: 1 Chronicles 11:10, 1 Chronicles 11:19, 1 Chronicles 11:24, 1 Chronicles 11:25

Reciprocal: Genesis 49:8 - thy hand Joshua 15:31 - Ziklag 1 Samuel 30:26 - to his friends 2 Samuel 2:3 - his men 1 Chronicles 4:30 - Ziklag

Cross-References

Genesis 12:2
I'll make you a great nation and bless you. I'll make you famous; you'll be a blessing. I'll bless those who bless you; those who curse you I'll curse. All the families of the Earth will be blessed through you."

Genesis 12:10
Then a famine came to the land. Abram went down to Egypt to live; it was a hard famine. As he drew near to Egypt, he said to his wife, Sarai, "Look. We both know that you're a beautiful woman. When the Egyptians see you they're going to say, ‘Aha! That's his wife!' and kill me. But they'll let you live. Do me a favor: tell them you're my sister. Because of you, they'll welcome me and let me live."

Genesis 15:7
God continued, "I'm the same God who brought you from Ur of the Chaldees and gave you this land to own."

Nehemiah 9:7
You're the one, God , the God who chose Abram And brought him from Ur of the Chaldees and changed his name to Abraham. You found his heart to be steady and true to you and signed a covenant with him, A covenant to give him the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, and the Amorites, The Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites, —to give it to his descendants. And you kept your word because you are righteous.

Hebrews 11:8
By an act of faith, Abraham said yes to God's call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. When he left he had no idea where he was going. By an act of faith he lived in the country promised him, lived as a stranger camping in tents. Isaac and Jacob did the same, living under the same promise. Abraham did it by keeping his eye on an unseen city with real, eternal foundations—the City designed and built by God.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag,.... Given him by Achish to live in, when he fled from Saul, 1 Samuel 27:6

while he yet kept himself close, because of Saul the son of Kish; when he was an exile from his own country, and obliged to live retired in a foreign one, because of Saul's persecution of him, and seeking to take away his life:

and they were among the mighty men, helpers of the war; not against Saul, with whom David had none, but with the Amalekites, and others, 1 Samuel 27:8.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

This chapter is composed wholly of matter that is new to us, no corresponding accounts occurring in Samuel. It comprises four lists:

(1) One of men, chiefly Benjamites, who joined David at Ziklag 1 Chronicles 12:1-7;

(2) A second of Gadites who united themselves to him when he was in a stronghold near the desert 1 Chronicles 12:8-15;

(3) A third of Manassites who came to him when he was dismissed by the Philistines upon suspicion 1 Chronicles 12:19-22; and

(4) A fourth of the numbers from the different tribes who attended and made him king at Hebron 1 Chronicles 12:23-40.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER XII

The different persons, captains, c., who joined themselves

to David at Ziklag, 1-22.

Those who joined him at Hebron, out of the different tribes

Judah, Simeon, Levi, the house of Aaron, Benjamin, Ephraim,

Manasseh, Issachar, Zebulun, Naphtali, Dan, Asher, Reuben,

&c., to the amount of a hundred and twenty thousand, 23-37.

Their unanimity, and the provisions they brought for his

support, 38-40.

NOTES ON CHAP. XII

Verse 1 Chronicles 12:1. Came to David to Ziklag — Achish, king of Gath, had given Ziklag to David, as a safe retreat from the wrath of Saul.