HEBRON: Sig "community, or alliance" -- very
appropriate in this context.
1Ch 11:2
AND THE LORD YOUR GOD SAID TO YOU, 'YOU WILL SHEPHERD MY
PEOPLE ISRAEL': Even while Saul was nominally the ruler and David was in
exile and hiding, it seems that David had been acting as a "shepherd" over the
people: protecting those in the south from the Philistines, for example, and
providing succour to others who were being oppressed by Saul.
1Ch 11:3
COMPACT: Heb "berith" = covenant.
1Ch 11:4
David did not take Jebus until 7 1/2 years after he had been
king in Hebron (2Sa 2:11). David must have known that God had selected the area
of Jerusalem for the place where His altar and temple would be
situated.
1Ch 11:6
1Ch 11:6.
Joab accomplishes this by leading men up the water shaft: 2Sa
5:8.
1Ch 11:9
AND DAVID BECAME MORE AND MORE POWERFUL, BECAUSE THE LORD
ALMIGHTY WAS WITH HIM: "David's success is attributed directly to God. His
life was in perspective. God was with him as he had not been with Saul. David's
attitude before God was, is seems, almost second to none (apart from Jesus, of
course) and the result was a great deal of blessing. But let us remember the
terrible sufferings he had too. We should not assume that God has deserted us
when we go through the bad times. David is a great example to us: 2Sa 3:1; 5:10"
(PC).
1Ch 11:15
VALLEY OF REPHAIM: Consistently translated in NIV. AV
has "valley of the giants" (Jos 15:18; 18:16; Isa 17:5) or "valley of Rephaim"
(2Sa 5:18,22; 23:13; 1Ch 11:15; 14:9; Isa 17:5).
1Ch 11:19
"There is something peculiarly touching and beautiful in the
above scene, whether we contemplate the act of the three mighty men in procuring
the water for David, or David's act in pouring it out to the Lord. It is evident
that David discerned, in an act of such uncommon devotedness, a sacrifice which
none but the Lord Himself could duly appreciate. The odor of such a sacrifice
was far too fragrant for him to interrupt it in its ascent to the throne of the
God of Israel. Wherefore he, very properly and very graciously, allows it to
pass him by, in order that it might go up to the One who alone was worthy to
receive it, or able to appreciate it. All this reminds us, forcibly, of that
beautiful compendium of Christian devotedness set forth in Phi 2:17,18: 'Yea,
and if I be poured out upon the sacrifice, and service of your faith, I joy and
rejoice with you all; for this cause ye also joy and rejoice with me.' In this
passage, the apostle represents the Philippian saints in their character as
priests, presenting a sacrifice and performing a priestly ministration to God;
and such was the intensity of his self-forgetting devotedness, that he could
rejoice in his being poured out as a drink-offering upon their sacrifice, so
that all might ascend, in fragrant odor to God" (CHM, cited in Pink).
There is, perhaps, a New Testament echo of this incident: the
"three mighty men" of Christ were Peter, James, and John; like David's mighty
men, they desired the kingdom and glory for their master. But the apostles did
not really understand that Jesus must first "pour out" his life (cp Mat
16:21-23; 17:4; 19:27; 20:20-23) before he could drink of the cup of joy in his
Father's kingdom. So Jesus, who turned water into wine (blood) at Cana (John
2:8), did in fact pour out the "water", or blood, of his own body, on the cross
-- like David, he could not drink fully of the joy until he had first
experienced the sorrow (Heb 12:2).
1Ch 11:23
LIKE A WEAVER'S ROD: Not size but appearance and shape.
A spear with a leash or cord, increasing leverage, and thus enabling the soldier
to throw it a greater distance. Refd in 1Sa 17:7; 2Sa 21:19; 1Ch 20:5;
11:23.
1Ch 11:26
Vv 26-47: Cp list, 2Sa 23. The extra names here prob replaced
those slain in battle or retired. This list may be at end of David's reign, in
ct 2Sa 23 at beginning.