King David I Chronicles 11

I Chronicles 11:1 "Then all Israel gathered themselves to David unto Hebron saying, Behold we are thy bone and thy flesh."

David started his reign in Hebron and stayed there for seven years or so, then moved to Jerusalem where he finished his long reign of around 40 years. David went to Jerusalem but did not totally take the city at first but dwelt in a portion called Zion.

Zion has great significance both physically and spiritually. It is referred to in songs as a reference to heaven. I think of it as like a lighthouse on a hill. Zion is also called the City of David. See also Mount Hermon. Scripture references include Psalm 2:6, Isaiah 2:3, Isaiah 1:27, 2:3, 4:1-6, Joel 3:16, etc.

v6 "And David said, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain. So Joab the son of Zeruiah went first up and was chief."

The Jebusites were the strong people who lived in Jerusalem. Here Joab became the captain of David's army by his victory over them.

Next the chapter goes into the men who fought with David and made his military so great. When Saul was after David, David was hiding in a cave and all manner of people came to him. At first, he had a few hundred but then the numbers grew in a great number by the time he was made king. The Bible calls them mighty men. Here is an example:

v22 "Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many acts; he slew two lionlike men of Moab; also he went down and slew a lion in a pit in a snowy day."

He also went to fight a large Egyptian who had a spear while he only had a staff. He took the spear and slew the enemy with his own spear.

We will get into those men more in the next chapter. The life of David was studied in more detail in Samuel.

Isaiah 55:1 "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye buy and eat; yea, com, buy wine and milk without money and without price."

Keywords: David, Old Testament, Chronicles, Joab, Bible Study. King David and his mighty men.