Study Desk

They served David as officers over his troops, because they were all outstanding soldiers. Later they were officers in the Israelite army.

Almost every day new men joined David's forces, so that his army was soon enormous.

When David was at Hebron, many trained soldiers joined his army to help make him king in place of Saul, as the Lord had promised. Their numbers were as follows: Judah: 6,800 well-equipped men, armed with shields and spears; Simeon: 7,100 well-trained men; Levi: 4,600 men; Followers of Jehoiada, descendant of Aaron: 3,700 men; Relatives of Zadok, an able young fighter: 22 leading men; Benjamin (Saul's own tribe): 3,000 men (most of the people of Benjamin had remained loyal to Saul); Ephraim: 20,800 men famous in their own clans; West Manasseh: 18,000 men chosen to go and make David king; Issachar: 200 leaders, together with the men under their command (these leaders knew what Israel should do and the best time to do it); Zebulun: 50,000 loyal and reliable men ready to fight, trained to use all kinds of weapons; Naphtali: 1,000 leaders, together with 37,000 men armed with shields and spears; Dan: 28,600 trained men; Asher: 40,000 men ready for battle; Tribes east of the Jordan—Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh: 120,000 men trained to use all kinds of weapons.

And so David realized that the Lord had established him as king of Israel and was making his kingdom prosperous for the sake of his people.

For his own use, David built houses in David's City. He also prepared a place for God's Covenant Box and put up a tent for it.

From the Levite clan of Kohath came Uriel, in charge of 120 members of his clan;

From the clans of singers they chose the following men to play the brass cymbals: Heman son of Joel, his relative Asaph son of Berechiah, and Ethan son of Kushaiah, of the clan of Merari. To assist them they chose the following Levites to play the high-pitched harps: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah. To play the low-pitched harps they chose the following Levites: Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Azaziah, and the Temple guards, Obed Edom and Jeiel.

Because of his skill in music Chenaniah was chosen to be in charge of the levitical musicians.

Asaph was appointed leader, with Zechariah as his assistant. Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed Edom, and Jeiel were to play harps. Asaph was to sound the cymbals,

Give thanks to the Lord , proclaim his greatness; tell the nations what he has done.

The Lord is our God; his commands are for all the world.

Proclaim his glory to the nations, his mighty deeds to all peoples.

Glory and majesty surround him, power and joy fill his Temple.

Praise the Lord , all people on earth, praise his glory and might.

Praise the Lord 's glorious name; bring an offering and come into his Temple. Bow down before the Holy One when he appears;

Give thanks to the Lord , because he is good; his love is eternal.

Obed Edom son of Jeduthun and sixty-eight men of his clan were to assist them. Hosah and Obed Edom were in charge of guarding the gates.

Zadok the priest and his fellow priests, however, were in charge of the worship of the Lord at the place of worship in Gibeon.

There with them were Heman and Jeduthun and the others who were specifically chosen to sing praises to the Lord for his eternal love.

Then everyone went home, and David went home to spend some time with his family.