Study Desk

They helped David against the band of raiders, for they were all valiant mighty men, and were captains in the army.

For day by day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army like the army of God.

Now these are the numbers of the divisions equipped for war, who came to David at Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the LORD.

The sons of Judah who carried shield and spear numbered 6,800, equipped for war.

From the sons of Benjamin, Saul's kinsmen, three thousand; for until now the majority of them had kept their allegiance to the house of Saul.

From the other side of the Jordan, from the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, there were 120,000 with all kinds of weapons of war for the battle.

They were there with David for three days, eating and drinking, for their kinsmen had prepared for them.

Then all the assembly said that they would do so, for this was right in the eyes of all the people.

And the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house for three months; and the LORD blessed the family of Obed-edom and all that he had.

Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees, masons, and carpenters, to build a house for him.

And David realized that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, and that his kingdom was highly exalted, for the sake of His people Israel.

David inquired of God, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? And will You hand them over to me?" Then the LORD said to him, "Go up, for I will hand them over to you."

"When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the baka-shrubs, then you shall go out to battle, for God will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines."

Now David built houses for himself in the city of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it.

Then David said, "No one is to carry the ark of God except the Levites; for the LORD chose them to carry the ark of the LORD and to serve Him forever."

And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the LORD to its place which he had prepared for it.

Then David called for the priests Zadok and Abiathar, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab;

and he said to them, "You are the heads of the fathers' households of the Levites; consecrate yourselves, you and your relatives, so that you may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel to the place that I have prepared for it.

Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the ark.

Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, blew the trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah also were gatekeepers for the ark.