1 Chronicles 12:17

_AND DAVID WENT OUT TO MEET THEM, AND ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO THEM, IF YE BE COME PEACEABLY UNTO ME TO HELP ME, MINE HEART SHALL BE KNIT UNTO YOU: BUT IF YE BE COME TO BETRAY ME TO MINE ENEMIES, SEEING THERE IS NO WRONG IN MINE HANDS, THE GOD OF OUR FATHERS LOOK THEREON, AND REBUKE IT._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

1-22 Here is an account of those who appeared and acted as David's friends, while he was persecuted. No difficulties or dangers should keep the sinner from coming to the Savior, nor drive the believer from the path of duty. Those who break through, and overcome in these attempts, will find abundant recompence. From the words of Amasai we may learn how to testify our affection and allegiance to the Lord Jesus; his we must be throughly; on his side we must be forward to appear and act. If we are under the influence of the Spirit, we shall desire to have our lot among them, and to declare ourselves on their side; if in faith and love we embrace the cause of Christ, he will receive, employ, and advance us....

EXPOSITION This chapter is retrospective, and the contents of it are not found elsewhere. It is occupied, first (1 Chronicles 12:1), 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 12:23-13), 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 occasion when he was being made king of the whole people. Thus the chapter would divide really into four parts, t

AND DAVID WENT OUT TO MEET THEM,.... Out of the hold where he was; either out of respect and deference to them, some of them being persons of eminence; or it may be out of suspicion, fearing they were not his friends, being, it may be, chiefly of the tribe of Benjamin, and therefore was desirous of sounding them before he admitted them: AND SAID UNTO THEM, IF YE BE COME PEACEABLY UNTO ME TO HELP ME; if they were come with a good will to him, and intention to help him against his enemy, and protect him: MINE HEART SHALL BE KNIT UNTO YOU; they should have such a share in his affections, that their hearts would be as one, as his and Jonathan's were, 1 Samuel 18:1, BUT IF YE BE COME TO BETRAY ME TO MINE ENEMIES; into the hands of Saul, and his courtiers, that sought his life: SEEING THERE IS NO WRONG IN MINE HANDS; n

2. DAVID'S WARRIORS AND FRIENDS CHAPTER 12 _ 1. The Benjamite warriors with David at Ziklag (1 Chronicles 12:1)_ 2. The other warriors (1 Chronicles 12:8) 3. Those who came to make him king (1 Chronicles 12:23) And now those are given by name who stood by David, when he was an outcast, rejected and persecuted by Saul. They were mighty men, his helpers in war. The leading company were of Benjamin, the tribe to which Saul belonged. These joined him when he was at Ziklag. In the wilderness of Judah certain of the Gadites separated themselves unto him, “whose faces were like the faces of lions and they were as swift as the roes upon the mountains.” May

DAVID'S SUPPORTERS. An enumeration of those who rallied round David during his outlaw life in Ziklag (_cf._ 1 Samuel 27:5 f.), and a list of those who were instrumental in setting him upon the throne. 1 Chronicles 12:2. they were of Saul's brethren of Benjamin: _cf._ 1 Chronicles 12:16 ff., 1 Chronicles 12:29; it is difficult to believe that Saul was deserted by his own kinsfolk (see 2 Samuel 2:25; 2 Samuel 2:31)

IF YE BE COME, &C.. second band made David suspicious. KNIT UNTO. one with. WRONGS. act of violence. Hebrew. _hamas,_ not same word as 1 Chronicles 16:21....

Amasai and his Companions 16. _to the hold_ See 1 Chronicles 12:8, notes....

4. DAVID'S MEN IN SAUL'S DAY (1 Chronicles 12:1-22) TEXT 1 Chronicles 12:1. 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. 2. They were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left in slinging stones and in shooting arrows from the bow: they were of Saul's brethren of Benjamin. 3. The chief was Ahiezer; then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite, and Jeziel, and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth, and Beracah, and Jehu the Anathothite, 4. and Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty, and Jeremiah, and Jahaziel, and Johanan, and Jozabad the Gederathite, 5. Eluzai, and Jerimoth, and Bealiah, and Shema

VARIOUS STATISTICS This chapter is entirely supplementary to what is related in 2 S, and gives particulars respecting certain companies that joined David at various times, and the numbers that came to crown David at Hebron....