1 Chronicles 12:40

_MOREOVER THEY THAT WERE NIGH THEM, EVEN UNTO ISSACHAR AND ZEBULUN AND NAPHTALI, BROUGHT BREAD ON ASSES, AND ON CAMELS, AND ON MULES, AND ON OXEN, AND MEAT, MEAL, CAKES OF FIGS, AND BUNCHES OF RAISINS, AND WINE, AND OIL, AND OXEN, AND SHEEP ABUNDANTLY: FOR THERE WAS JOY IN ISRAEL._...

23-40 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, not as here, for a few days, but for the whole life, and for eternity. Happy are those who wisely perceive it to be their duty and interest, to submit to the Saviour Jesus Christ, the Son of David; who renounce for his sake all that is not consistent; whose earnest endeavours to do good are directed by the wisdom that God giveth, through acquaintance with his word, experience, and observation. If any man lack this wisdom, let him ask it of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him....

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

MOREOVER, THEY THAT WERE NIGH,.... To Hebron, or bordered on the tribe of Judah: EVEN UNTO ISSACHAR, AND ZEBULUN, AND NAPHTALI; as far as to those tribes, and including them: BROUGHT BREAD ON ASSES, AND ON CAMELS, AND ON MULES; all which were creatures used to carry burdens: AND ON OXEN; who, though commonly employed in ploughing, yet, on this occasion, might be made use of either in drawing wagons laden with provisions, such as follow, or in carrying loads on their backs; though, as Tully g observes, their backs show they were not formed to receive and carry burdens: AND MEAT, MEAL, CAKES OF FIGS, AND BUNCHES OF RAISINS, AND WINE, AND OIL, AND OXEN, AND SHEEP ABUNDANTLY, that is, food made of flour, pastries, besides bread, before mentioned, with dried figs, pressed and made into cakes, and clusters of grapes dried, and of liquids, wine and oil, which make cheerful, and beef and mut...

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)

AND ON CAMELS. Note the Figure of speech _Polysyndeton_, emphasizing the fact that there were _no horses_....

_they_that were _nigh_ UNTO _them_ The relatives of the assembled warriors cared for their needs. even _unto Issachar_ R.V. EVEN AS FAR AS ISSACHAR. Even those warriors who came from the northern districts were provisioned by their kinsfolk. and _meat, meal_ R.V. VICTUAL OF MEAL. _bunches of raisins_ R.V. CLUSTERS OF RAISINS; as 1 Samuel 25:18; 1 Samuel 30:12; cp. 2 Samuel 16:1....

12:40 food (c-17) Lit. 'bread.'...

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....