Chapter 12 in I Chronicles is a chapter of gathering. It opens with individuals and small groups of warriors who abandoned Shaul and came to David while David was still hunted and hiding in strongholds and in Ziklag, and it concludes with the multitudes of all Israel coming to Chevron with a whole heart to crown David over all of Israel. The chapter thus traces the entire process: from the isolated individuals who risked their lives for David's kingdom while Shaul was still alive, to the immense joy of the entire nation at his coronation.
וְאֵלֶּה הַבָּאִים אֶל־דָּוִיד לְצִיקְלַג עוֹד עָצוּר מִפְּנֵי שָׁאוּל בֶּן־קִישׁ וְהֵמָּה בַּגִּבּוֹרִים עֹזְרֵי הַמִּלְחָמָה׃ - "Now these are they who came to David to Ziklag, while he was still restricted because of Shaul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men, helpers in war."
"Now these are they who came to David to Ziklag" - they came to David while he was in Ziklag, at a time when Shaul was still alive. Later in the chapter we will also see men of Menasheh who came to Ziklag, and it is important to distinguish between these periods. Here Scripture emphasizes: those whom you are about to see came to David while he was still fleeing from Shaul, when he stayed in Ziklag for a year and four months (I Shmuel 27), and was then barred from entering the land of Yehudah. All those who came to him were among David's warriors, those who aided him in his battles.
נֹשְׁקֵי קֶשֶׁת מַיְמִינִים וּמַשְׂמִאלִים בָּאֲבָנִים וּבַחִצִּים בַּקָּשֶׁת מֵאֲחֵי שָׁאוּל מִבִּנְיָמִן׃ - "They were armed with bows, using both the right hand and the left in slinging stones and shooting arrows with the bow; of Shaul's brethren of Binyamin."
"Armed with bows" - their weapon was the bow, and according to the commentary attributed to Rashi this means they were equipped with bow and arrows. "Using both the right hand and the left" - the Malbim explains that most members of the tribe of Binyamin were left-handed, whereas these men were trained to use both hands: not only the left, as was customary in their tribe, but they had the skill to shoot with both the right and the left. "In stones and in arrows with the bow" - they were skilled at shooting both stones and arrows from a bow, like catapult stones, and the commentary attributed to Rashi attests to this: "And I have seen this often" - meaning experts who shoot stones with a bow as well.
"Of Shaul's brethren of Binyamin" - relatives of Shaul. This shows tremendous self-sacrifice: even though Shaul was still alive, and naturally they would be expected to show allegiance to their kinsman who was king, they nevertheless recognized that David was the anointed one, and came to assist him.
הָרֹאשׁ אֲחִיעֶזֶר וְיוֹאָשׁ בְּנֵי הַשְּׁמָעָה הַגִּבְעָתִי וִיזִיאֵל וָפֶלֶט בְּנֵי עַזְמָוֶת וּבְרָכָה וְיֵהוּא הָעַנְּתֹתִי׃ - "The chief was Achiezer, then Yoash, the sons of HaShemaah the Givati; and Yeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmavet; and Berachah, and Yehu the Anatoti;"
וְיִשְׁמַעְיָה הַגִּבְעוֹנִי גִּבּוֹר בַּשְּׁלֹשִׁים וְעַל־הַשְּׁלֹשִׁים׃ - "And Yishmayah the Givoni, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty."
Incidentally, the Keri here is "Yeziel," but the Ketiv is "Yezual" (ויזואל) - a word that sounds strikingly modern, having nothing to do with modern "visuals," but nonetheless written in Tanach, should you ever want to challenge someone with a trivia question.
Metzudat David explains: of all those who came, the leader of all was Achiezer, and with him came his brother Yoash, both of them sons of HaShemaah the Givati. The Malbim explains the tally: twenty-three men came from Binyamin, led by two commanders of tens - Achiezer and Yoash - each commanding ten men. In addition, eleven warriors came from Gad, as we will see in verse 9, and there too one was the head - Yishmayah the Givoni, head of the men of Gad. Thus, in total, excluding the commanders and Yishmayah, there were thirty warriors, and Yishmayah was a hero among the thirty as well as commander over the thirty.
וְיִרְמְיָה וְיַחֲזִיאֵל וְיוֹחָנָן וְיוֹזָבָד הַגְּדֵרָתִי׃ אֶלְעוּזַי וִירִימוֹת וּבְעַלְיָה וּשְׁמַרְיָהוּ וּשְׁפַטְיָהוּ הַחֲרוּפִי׃ אֶלְקָנָה וְיִשִּׁיָּהוּ וַעֲזַרְאֵל וְיוֹעֶזֶר וְיָשָׁבְעָם הַקָּרְחִים׃ וְיוֹעֵאלָה וּזְבַדְיָה בְּנֵי יְרֹחָם מִן־הַגְּדוֹר׃ - And Yirmeyah, and Yachaziel, and Yochanan, and Yozavad the Gederathite; El'uzai, and Yerimot, and Be'alyah, and Shemaryahu, and Shefatyahu the Haruphite; Elkanah, and Yishiyahu, and Azarel, and Yo'ezer, and Yashov'am, the Korahites; and Yo'elah and Zevadyah, the sons of Yerocham of Gedor.
וּמִן־הַגָּדִי נִבְדְּלוּ אֶל־דָּוִיד לַמְצַד מִדְבָּרָה גִּבֹּרֵי הַחַיִל אַנְשֵׁי צָבָא לַמִּלְחָמָה עֹרְכֵי צִנָּה וָרֹמַח וּפְנֵי אַרְיֵה פְּנֵיהֶם וְכִצְבָאיִם עַל־הֶהָרִים לְמַהֵר׃ - And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David into the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for war, that could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as the gazelles upon the mountains.
"Into the stronghold in the wilderness" - the strongholds in the desert where David hid from Shaul, as it is written, "And they arose, and went to Ziph before Shaul, but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah," and likewise, "And David went up from there, and dwelt in the strongholds of Ein Gedi." "Whose faces were like the faces of lions" - their faces struck terror like the face of a lion. "And they were as swift as the gazelles upon the mountains" - they were fleet-footed like gazelles, which, when hunters come to pursue them, flee swiftly across the mountains, and so too the men of Gad were swift in their running.
The Malbim emphasizes that the men of Gad came prior to the men of Binyamin mentioned above, and explains the expression "separated themselves": they were already military men beforehand, and they separated themselves - leaving their army and joining David at the stronghold in the wilderness, at the time when David was dwelling in the fortresses.
עֵזֶר הָרֹאשׁ עֹבַדְיָה הַשֵּׁנִי אֱלִיאָב הַשְּׁלִשִׁי׃ מִשְׁמַנָּה הָרְבִיעִי יִרְמְיָה הַחֲמִשִׁי׃ עַתַּי הַשִּׁשִּׁי אֱלִיאֵל הַשְּׁבִעִי׃ יוֹחָנָן הַשְּׁמִינִי אֶלְזָבָד הַתְּשִׁיעִי׃ יִרְמְיָהוּ הָעֲשִׂירִי מַכְבַּנַּי עַשְׁתֵּי עָשָׂר׃ - Ezer the chief, Ovadiah the second, Eliab the third; Mishmannah the fourth, Yirmeyah the fifth; Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh; Yochanan the eighth, Elzavad the ninth; Yirmeyahu the tenth, Machbannai the eleventh.
אֵלֶּה מִבְּנֵי־גָד רָאשֵׁי הַצָּבָא אֶחָד לְמֵאָה הַקָּטָן וְהַגָּדוֹל לְאָלֶף׃ - These of the sons of Gad were captains of the host; one of the least was equal to a hundred, and the greatest to a thousand.
"One of the least was equal to a hundred" - the least among them, a single man could pursue a hundred, and the greatest among them could pursue a thousand, fulfilling the verse, "Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight." And what does "captains of the host" mean? The Malbim explains: not that they were captains of David's army now, but rather, as previously explained that they were men trained for war, they were army commanders previously under Shaul, and now they defected and went over to David.
אֵלֶּה הֵם אֲשֶׁר עָבְרוּ אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּן בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן וְהוּא מְמַלֵּא עַל־כָּל־גְּדוֹתָיו וַיַּבְרִיחוּ אֶת־כָּל־הָעֲמָקִים לַמִּזְרָח וְלַמַּעֲרָב׃ - These are they that crossed over the Jordan in the first month, when it had overflowed all its banks; and they put to flight all them of the valleys, toward the east and toward the west.
"In the first month" - in Nisan, when the snows have already thawed and the Jordan overflows all its banks (in the text printed under Rashi's name it reads "the snows spread," but simply put, this is a misprint and should read "thawed"). Regarding the meaning of "and they put to flight all them of the valleys" (vayaverichu), there are two interpretations: Some explain that with their shields they cleaved all the depths of the water to the east and to the west and crossed as if on dry land, like a crossbar (bari'ach) passing from end to end. Others explain it as an expression of fleeing - they routed the dwellers of the valleys, fought against them, and put them to flight toward the east and toward the west.
And when did this take place? The Malbim explains: While they were still army commanders during the days of Shaul, the men of Gad fought a war against the Hagrites. They crossed the Jordan at a time when it had overflowed all its banks, "and they put to flight all them of the valleys" - they routed and chased away all the Hagrites who were in the valley, toward the east and toward the west.
וַיָּבֹאוּ מִן־בְּנֵי בִנְיָמִן וִיהוּדָה עַד־לַמְצָד לְדָוִיד׃ - And there came of the children of Binyamin and Yehudah to the stronghold unto David.
When David was in the stronghold, men from Binyamin also came to him, accompanied by men from Yehudah, with Amasai at their head. And why did they bring Amasai along? Because they were concerned that David would suspect them: after all, they were from the tribe of Binyamin, Saul's own kinsmen, and he might think to himself, "This is likely a trap; they have come to bring me down, pretending to make peace, but Saul sent them to capture me." Therefore, they brought a winning card - Amasai, who was from the tribe of Yehudah and a close relative of David. He led them and spoke on their behalf: see, members of your own family certainly would not come to bring about your downfall. Amasai would be the one to speak and tell David: You have nothing to worry about; we have not come to bring you down, but quite the contrary, to unite and join with you.
וַיֵּצֵא דָוִיד לִפְנֵיהֶם וַיַּעַן וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם אִם־לְשָׁלוֹם בָּאתֶם אֵלַי לְעָזְרֵנִי יִהְיֶה־לִּי עֲלֵיכֶם לֵבָב לְיָחַד וְאִם־לְרַמּוֹתַנִי לְצָרַי בְּלֹא חָמָס בְּכַפַּי יֵרֶא אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְיוֹכַח׃ - And David went out to meet them, and answered and said unto them: If ye be come peaceably unto me to help me, my heart shall be knit unto you; but if ye be come to betray me to mine adversaries, seeing there is no wrong in my hands, the God of our fathers look thereon, and decide.
The concern was tangible: the men of Binyamin were Saul's men, and the question was whether they came with a whole heart to make peace with him, or whether this was a fifth column - people who came to give the impression that they were with him, but actually came to spy and deliver him into the hands of Saul's men. David therefore went out before them, and the Malbim explains that he spoke these words as a prayer: not knowing whether they had come for his good or for his harm, he asked Hashem, Who knows all secrets, to clarify the truth for him. If they came in peace and to help him, may Hashem place love for them in his heart and a desire to unite with them. But if they came to betray him - and after all, "there is no wrong in my hands," for he had done nothing to them and yet they came to deceive him - concerning this he requested, "the God of our fathers look thereon, and decide [yochach]." The word yochach is related to dispute and proof, where two sides debate and each proves its claim. Here it means: may Hashem clarify and prove the truth to me, so that He places in my heart the vigilance to guard against them, making the matter completely clear to me so I know to protect myself from them, similar to "and He rebuked [vayochach] last night."
וְרוּחַ לָבְשָׁה אֶת־עֲמָשַׂי רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁלִישִׁים לְךָ דָוִיד וְעִמְּךָ בֶן־יִשַׁי שָׁלוֹם שָׁלוֹם לְךָ וְשָׁלוֹם לְעֹזְרֶךָ כִּי עֲזָרְךָ אֱלֹהֶיךָ וַיְקַבְּלֵם דָּוִיד וַיִּתְּנֵם בְּרָאשֵׁי הַגְּדוּד׃ - Then the spirit clothed Amasai, who was chief of the captains: We are thine, David, and on thy side, thou son of Yishai; peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be unto thy helpers; for thy God helpeth thee. Then David received them, and made them captains of the band.
"Then the spirit clothed" - the Radak explains: a spirit of goodwill. And so he said to David: Behold, I am the chief of the captains, the head of these warriors, and I am yours - your own flesh and blood, as we have seen that he was David's relative. And what does "and on your side, son of Yishai" mean? The Radak and the Malbim explain that Amasai was the son of Abigail, and the Malbim previously explained that Abigail was David's maternal half-sister, not paternal: her mother was first married to Nachash and bore Abigail, and later married Yishai and bore David. Thus, Abigail was David's sister from the same mother but not the same father - she was from Nachash, while David was from Yishai. Amasai himself was not a descendant of Yishai, but his grandmother was Yishai's wife and David's mother, and he grew up in their household. Being aligned with David, who was his maternal uncle, he was considered as though he were a son of Yishai. Amasai was therefore like immediate family to David.
Therefore he says: Since I am of your father's house and your kinsman, peace be to you, do not fear. "Peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be unto thy helpers" - the men who have arrived are wholehearted, both toward you and toward your supporters; their intention is entirely peaceful, and they did not come to spy on you or fight you. And what is the meaning of "for thy God helpeth thee"? The Malbim explains that this refers back to what occurred when David cut off the corner of Saul's robe, at which time they saw that Divine assistance accompanied him. They said to him: Once we saw that your God helped you - that you succeeded in cutting the corner of his robe, emerged safely, and nevertheless spared his life - we understood that Hashem is with you. Therefore we want to draw close to you, and we have all come to make peace with you. In light of this, we can understand "and made them captains of the band" - he trusted them so completely that he appointed them commanders of the regiments fighting on his behalf.
וּמִמְּנַשֶּׁה נָפְלוּ עַל־דָּוִיד בְּבֹאוֹ עִם־פְּלִשְׁתִּים עַל־שָׁאוּל לַמִּלְחָמָה וְלֹא עֲזָרֻם כִּי בְעֵצָה שִׁלְּחֻהוּ סַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים לֵאמֹר בְּרָאשֵׁינוּ יִפּוֹל אֶל־אֲדֹנָיו שָׁאוּל׃ - And of Menasheh there fell away some to David, when he came with the Philistines against Saul to battle, but they helped them not; for the lords of the Philistines upon advisement sent him away, saying: He will fall away to his master Saul to the jeopardy of our heads.
As is known, when David fled from Saul, he fled to the Philistines. They wanted to take him with them to battle against Saul, but the lords of the Philistines objected, saying: "Wherewith should this fellow reconcile himself unto his lord? Should it not be with the heads of these men?" They argued: He is in conflict with his master, so how will he win back his favor? He will join us in battle, kill us during the fighting, and thereby appease his master, and Saul will receive him with royal honor - someone who until now was considered an enemy will be welcomed as an ally. This is one of the complex dilemmas facing anyone who operates informants: a serious hazard with them is that they can turn on you in an instant. If they fear they have been compromised, they might kill their handler and thereby reconcile with Hamas - "Look, I killed that person." One must always proceed with extreme caution in such relationships, step by step, because you never know when things might turn. So too here: the lords of the Philistines feared that David would seek to find favor in the eyes of Saul, who was pursuing him, and would therefore kill them.
בְּלֶכְתּוֹ אֶל־צִיקְלַג נָפְלוּ עָלָיו מִמְּנַשֶּׁה עַדְנַח וְיוֹזָבָד וִידִיעֲאֵל וּמִיכָאֵל וְיוֹזָבָד וֶאֱלִיהוּא וְצִלְּתָי רָאשֵׁי הָאֲלָפִים אֲשֶׁר לִמְנַשֶּׁה׃ - As he went to Ziklag, there defected to him from Menasheh: Adnach, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, chiefs of the thousands who were of Menasheh.
"Defected to David" - joined David. When he went with the Pelishtim as far as Aphek to wage war against Shaul, and then the Pelishtim sent him away and he returned, he encountered members of the tribe of Menasheh who had been going to help Shaul against the Pelishtim, and they joined him. Thus, here too the text refers to a time when Shaul was still alive: as he was going to Ziklag, when the Pelishtim sent him back, all these mentioned figures defected to him - the chiefs of the thousands, meaning the most distinguished men of Menasheh.
וְהֵמָּה עָזְרוּ עִם־דָּוִיד עַל־הַגְּדוּד כִּי־גִבּוֹרֵי חַיִל כֻּלָּם וַיִּהְיוּ שָׂרִים בַּצָּבָא׃ - And they helped David against the raiding band, for they were all mighty men of valor, and they were officers in the army.
At that time, while David had gone to war, the raiding band of Amalek came and took his wives and children captive. Scripture relates that they returned in tears and immense grief, and set out to pursue Amalek to recover their wives and children. "And they helped David against the raiding band" - those warriors, the chiefs of the thousands of Menasheh, were the ones who helped him pursue Amalek. "And they were officers in the army" - afterward, when David returned to the land of Yehudah, he appointed them commanders of the army for the men of Menasheh who later came to him in Chevron.
כִּי לְעֶת־יוֹם בְּיוֹם יָבֹאוּ עַל־דָּוִיד לְעָזְרוֹ עַד־לְמַחֲנֶה גָדוֹל כְּמַחֲנֵה אֱלֹהִים׃ - For from day to day men came to David to help him, until it was a great camp, like the camp of God.
The commentary attributed to Rashi explains: as if to say, why is there any further need to elaborate and detail specifically who came to him - at every moment and every single day, men would come to David to assist him. Scripture is describing here how, step by step, all the House of Israel gathered to accept David's kingdom upon themselves.
"Until it was a great camp, like the camp of God" - because of its immense size, Scripture calls it a camp of God. The Radak explains, as he notes in several places, that it is the way of Scripture that when it wishes to magnify something, it attributes and links it to Hashem, thereby magnifying it: "like the mighty mountains (harrei El)" - massive mountains; "a great city to God" - an exceedingly large city; "a flame of God (shalhevet-yah)" - a powerful flame; "deep darkness (ma'pelyah)." Thus, a "camp of God" means a magnificent, vast, and mighty camp. The commentary attributed to Rashi offers another explanation: all that you see of this vast, mighty camp came from nowhere else but God. David's camp was not so great through human power; rather, from Hashem came this camp to him through divine counsel - just as by Yaakov it says "the camp of God," which signifies the divine aid and support that accompanied him.
The Malbim explains: "For from day to day men came to David to help him" - from the time David returned to the land of Yehudah, when they crowned him king, men from the other tribes also came, constantly assembling and joining his ranks. This corresponds to what is written in Shemuel II: "And David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Shaul grew weaker and weaker" - David's power was growing stronger while the house of Shaul was dwindling away.
וְאֵלֶּה מִסְפְּרֵי רָאשֵׁי הֶחָלוּץ לַצָּבָא בָּאוּ עַל־דָּוִיד חֶבְרוֹנָה לְהָסֵב מַלְכוּת שָׁאוּל אֵלָיו כְּפִי יְהֹוָה׃ - And these are the numbers of the heads of the armed troops for the army who came to David to Chevron, to turn the kingdom of Shaul over to him, according to the word of Hashem.
From here, the Malbim explains, Scripture relates what happened when all of Israel came to crown David. "The numbers of the heads of the vanguard" - the tallies that the leaders of the vanguard presented to him. The vanguard were those who arrived first, and they gave him a count of how many had come with them: "With me came a thousand men," "With me came two thousand men," each one reporting the number that accompanied him. "To turn the kingdom of Shaul over to him" - Shaul was already dead; rather, the intent is to turn the kingdom away from the sons of Shaul, since there were still those who considered crowning Shaul's sons, and now they were transferring the monarchy to David.
בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה נֹשְׂאֵי צִנָּה וָרֹמַח שֵׁשֶׁת אֲלָפִים וּשְׁמוֹנֶה מֵאוֹת חֲלוּצֵי צָבָא׃ - The children of Yehudah who bore shield and spear were six thousand eight hundred, equipped for war.
The commentary attributed to Rashi explains: Do not wonder why fewer men came from the tribe of Yehudah than from any other tribe, for the men of Yehudah did not need to come and make him king - they had already crowned him king in Chevron from the very beginning. The children of Yehudah were his family; from the outset, they were with him, closely attached to him, and accompanying him. The reinforcement and support needed to come from the rest of the tribes who had not been with him until now, those who had sided with Shaul and were now coming to make him king. "Armed for the army" (chalutzei tzava) - the vanguard who go out to battle. The commentary attributed to Rashi notes an explanation that "chalutzim" means swift and agile, as in the phrase "retzei bechalitzenu" meaning "retzei bezirzenu" (may our swiftness find favor).
מִן־בְּנֵי שִׁמְעוֹן גִּבּוֹרֵי חַיִל לַצָּבָא שִׁבְעַת אֲלָפִים וּמֵאָה׃ מִן־בְּנֵי הַלֵּוִי אַרְבַּעַת אֲלָפִים וְשֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת׃ וִיהוֹיָדָע הַנָּגִיד לְאַהֲרֹן וְעִמּוֹ שְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים וּשְׁבַע מֵאוֹת׃ - Of the children of Shimon, mighty men of valor for the army, seven thousand and one hundred. Of the children of Levi, four thousand and six hundred. And Yehoyada was the leader of the house of Aharon, and with him were three thousand and seven hundred.
From the children of Shimon came seven thousand one hundred mighty men of valor for the army, and from the children of Levi, four thousand six hundred. "And Yehoyada was the leader of [the house of] Aharon" - Yehoyada was the father of Benayahu ben Yehoyada, and he was the nagid (leader). The Malbim explains this as an officer and leader, while the Radak explains "leader of Aharon" as referring to the descendants of Aharon, meaning the Kohen Gadol. He was the Kohen Gadol, and he came to David with three thousand seven hundred men, and his son Benayahu was the head of the thirty mighty warriors, as mentioned earlier.
וְצָדוֹק נַעַר גִּבּוֹר חָיִל וּבֵית־אָבִיו שָׂרִים עֶשְׁרִים וּשְׁנָיִם׃ - And Tzadok, a young man mighty of valor, and of his father's house twenty-two captains.
Do not wonder why Tzadok was not the leader, for at that time he was still a youth. "And of his father's house twenty-two captains" - this was a mark of distinction and greatness, that within his father's house were twenty-two officers. For this reason, the High Priesthood was later taken from Evyatar and given to Tzadok the Kohen, who possessed greater stature, since there were twenty-two prominent officers from his father's house.
וּמִן־בְּנֵי בִנְיָמִן אֲחֵי שָׁאוּל שְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים וְעַד־הֵנָּה מַרְבִּיתָם שֹׁמְרִים מִשְׁמֶרֶת בֵּית שָׁאוּל׃ - And of the children of Binyamin, the brethren of Shaul, three thousand; for until then, the greatest part of them kept the charge of the house of Shaul.
These three thousand from the children of Binyamin came to David in Chevron after the deaths of Avner and Ish-Boshet, when all of Israel assembled to David in Chevron. For until then - up to that point - most of them had kept the charge of the house of Shaul. Unlike those from Binyamin who came to David at Tziklag during Shaul's lifetime and deserted Shaul, these men who came now had largely remained loyal to the house of Shaul until this time. According to the Radak, the meaning is that they were preserving the kingship for him, hoping and waiting to see the offspring of Shaul reign, as the word "shomer" denotes waiting - as in "from those who watch (mishomrim) for the morning," waiting for morning, and "his father kept (shamar) the matter in mind," waiting to see how matters would unfold. The Malbim explains differently: they served as the king's bodyguards, the guards of his house, remaining loyal to him.
וּמִן־בְּנֵי אֶפְרַיִם עֶשְׁרִים אֶלֶף וּשְׁמוֹנֶה מֵאוֹת גִּבּוֹרֵי חָיִל אַנְשֵׁי שֵׁמוֹת לְבֵית אֲבוֹתָם׃ - And of the children of Ephraim, twenty thousand and eight hundred, mighty men of valor, famous men throughout the houses of their fathers.
"Men of renown" (anshei shemot) - men who were famous and renowned by name within their ancestral houses; and twenty thousand eight hundred of them came to David.
וּמֵחֲצִי מַטֵּה מְנַשֶּׁה שְׁמוֹנָה עָשָׂר אָלֶף אֲשֶׁר נִקְּבוּ בְּשֵׁמוֹת לָבוֹא לְהַמְלִיךְ אֶת־דָּוִיד׃ - And of the half-tribe of Menasheh, eighteen thousand, who were designated by name to come and make David king.
"Of the half-tribe of Menasheh" - referring to those who inherited within the Land of Israel proper, as distinct from the half-tribe of Menasheh on the eastern side of the Jordan. "Who were designated by name" - it was specified by name who would go; that is, they were explicitly mentioned and recorded by name. The Malbim explains: their leaders arrived and presented their names signed, affirming their consent to his kingship - all of these being signed in support of our master, David.
וּמִבְּנֵי יִשָּׂשכָר יוֹדְעֵי בִינָה לַעִתִּים לָדַעַת מַה־יַּעֲשֶׂה יִשְׂרָאֵל רָאשֵׁיהֶם מָאתַיִם וְכָל־אֲחֵיהֶם עַל־פִּיהֶם׃ - And of the children of Yissachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command.
"Men who had understanding of the times" is an enigmatic phrase, and the commentators seek to understand its meaning. The Radak first cites the explanation of our Sages: they knew how to intercalate leap years and determine the New Moons - they were skilled at discerning the proper moments, knowing when it was appropriate to add an intercalary month and when not to. This is the meaning of "to know what Israel ought to do": they understood the cosmic cycles, knowing how to calculate the astronomical seasons and constellations, and through this, they knew how Israel should conduct themselves in all their affairs. Why is this mentioned here? Because the king needed to consult with them, for intercalating the year and fixing the New Moons were carried out, among others, with the participation of the king - the king was a partner in this process, as we find in the case of King Chizkiyahu. David therefore needed the men of Yissachar to assist him in establishing the years and the festivals.
Rabbeinu Yonah, cited by the Radak, explains that this has nothing to do with months and years at all. Rather, "understanding of the times" means they knew how to analyze judgments and legal proceedings, akin to the phrase "all who knew law and judgment." The Malbim similarly explains that those who know the times are individuals who spend long periods before the king and know his every word and gesture, every movement, hint, and glance. When you approach such a person and say, "Perhaps we should speak to the king about this matter?" he tells you, "Leave it, now is not the time; let us speak to him next week." Later, he calls you: "Come now, this is an opportune moment to speak with him." That is someone who possesses understanding of the times - he knows when it is fitting and proper to address the king, when words will have an effect, and in every matter he knows the appropriate season for action. Likewise, Scripture states, "and a wise heart knows the time of judgment," linking the concept of times to jurisprudence; according to this, the king would consult them on matters of law.
However, the Radak raises a difficulty with this approach: if they were legal experts and judges advising the king, "to know what Israel ought to do" does not fit well; it should rather have said "to know what the king ought to do." According to the Sages' explanation regarding the festivals, on the other hand, the phrasing fits perfectly: to know what Israel ought to do - when Rosh Hashanah occurs, when Pesach falls, when the other festivals occur, and when there is a leap year, so that Israel would know how to act accordingly. The Malbim explains "understanding of the times" to mean that they knew how to offer counsel concerning the actions of the people of Israel according to the needs of the moment - in other words, they were statesmen and advisors. Note his emphasis on "the actions of the people of Israel," with which he resolves the Radak's difficulty: they were not merely the king's private advisors in his personal affairs, but rather knew at any given time the proper course for leading the nation of Israel. The Malbim also cites Chazal's homiletic interpretation that they were experts in calculating astronomical seasons and constellations. "Their heads were two hundred" - among the children of Yissachar were two hundred commanders of thousands, and they now came in the name of the entire tribe to crown David.
מִזְּבֻלוּן יוֹצְאֵי צָבָא עֹרְכֵי מִלְחָמָה בְּכָל־כְּלֵי מִלְחָמָה חֲמִשִּׁים אָלֶף וְלַעֲדֹר בְּלֹא־לֵב וָלֵב׃ - Of Zevulun, such as went out to the army, expert in war, with all instruments of war, fifty thousand, and to set the battle in array without a double heart.
From Zevulun came seasoned soldiers, marshaling for war, to assist David and join his fighting force. "With all instruments of war" - they were skilled and proficient in the use of every weapon: some were expert archers, some specialized in the spear and javelin, and others in the sword for hand-to-hand combat; they were adept in all weapons of war, fully trained in combat, and fifty thousand of them arrived.
"To set the battle in array without a double heart" (vela'ador belo lev valev) is an obscure phrase, and the commentators explore different paths to interpret it. Pseudo-Rashi explains la'ador from the root of a hoe and hoeing (ma'ader and adirah), as in the verse in Yeshayahu, "And all the hills that were digged with the mattock," meaning they were skilled in entrenching and ground-breaking, and from these experts emerged the marshals of battle; yet he does not explain how "without a double heart" connects to this. He also cites another explanation, that la'ador means to array the battle lines, and other commentators agree with this. The Radak similarly explains: vela'ador means to arrange in formation, akin to orerei ma'arachah, those who set the battle array; and adarim la'orot refers to ranks, which is why a flock of sheep is called an eder, a herd arranged together. These men came to wage war against David's enemies "without a double heart" - they did not possess two hearts, but one single, wholehearted devotion to David. Some people go off to war with a divided heart: they would rather be elsewhere, and they arrive conflicted and unsure; these men, however, came without hesitation, of one mind, their hearts completely loyal to David, ready to give their lives to crown him.
The Midrash interprets "without a double heart" to mean that whether intentionally or unintentionally, they were victorious. They triumphed no matter what, in every circumstance: even if an archer shot an arrow aimlessly, it would hit its mark. Just as we find with the archer who shot at the king of Israel and struck him miraculously, except there it was an outright miracle in that single shot, whereas here, as they shot arrows, even what struck unintentionally proved lethal - and every single blow landed upon enemy kings.
The Malbim explains that la'ador refers to a military tactic in which the army deployed in separate divisions (adarim adarim, distinct bands or formations), facing each other. A military tactic is a method and maneuver for waging war, advancing in distinct units and contingents. Now, when an army is divided into separate groups, it often happens that their hearts become divided as well - this unit belongs to one camp, that unit to another, and rivalry arises between them. Regarding this, Scripture tells us: even though they employed a battlefield tactic in which they were divided into separate units, nevertheless it was "without a double heart" - their hearts were united with one another against the enemy, and one need not fear that their division into separate ranks created internal division among them.
וּמִנַּפְתָּלִי שָׂרִים אָלֶף וְעִמָּהֶם בְּצִנָּה וַחֲנִית שְׁלֹשִׁים וְשִׁבְעָה אָלֶף׃ וּמִן־הַדָּנִי עֹרְכֵי מִלְחָמָה עֶשְׂרִים־וּשְׁמוֹנָה אֶלֶף וְשֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת׃ וּמֵאָשֵׁר יוֹצְאֵי צָבָא לַעֲרֹךְ מִלְחָמָה אַרְבָּעִים אָלֶף׃ - And from Naftali a thousand captains, and with them thirty-seven thousand with shield and spear. And from the Danites, experts in warfare, twenty-eight thousand and six hundred. And from Asher, those who go out with the host to set the battle in array, forty thousand.
From Naftali came one thousand captains and men of prominence, and with them thirty-seven thousand "with shield and spear": a tzinah is a large shield, and a chanit is the weapon they used, which may have been a type of spear or javelin. From the Danites, too, came men skilled in warfare, and from Asher, those seasoned for battle.
וּמֵעֵבֶר לַיַּרְדֵּן מִן־הָראוּבֵנִי וְהַגָּדִי וַחֲצִי שֵׁבֶט מְנַשֶּׁה בְּכֹל כְּלֵי צְבָא מִלְחָמָה מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים אָלֶף׃ - And from the other side of the Jordan, of the Reuvenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Menasheh, with all types of weapons for warfare, one hundred and twenty thousand.
Earlier, the text counted the portion of Menasheh living within the Land of Israel, and here it counts those settled across the Jordan - Reuven, Gad, and the other half-tribe of Menasheh - who likewise arrived equipped with all the armaments of war, one hundred and twenty thousand strong, all coming to aid and support David and to crown him as their king.
כָּל־אֵלֶּה אַנְשֵׁי מִלְחָמָה עֹדְרֵי מַעֲרָכָה בְּלֵבָב שָׁלֵם בָּאוּ חֶבְרוֹנָה לְהַמְלִיךְ אֶת־דָּוִיד עַל־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגַם כָּל־שֵׁרִית יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵב אֶחָד לְהַמְלִיךְ אֶת־דָּוִיד׃ - All these men of war, arrayed for battle, came to Chevron with a whole heart to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest of Israel were likewise of one heart to make David king.
"Arrayed for battle" (odrei ma'arakhah) - as we explained regarding the phrase "to array for battle without double-heartedness," meaning setting the ranks in order. "Came to Chevron with a whole heart" - they did not come merely to make an impression on David or to put on a show, but came with complete sincerity to stand with him, to accept his sovereignty, and to crown David over all Israel. And what is meant by "and all the rest (she'erit) of Israel were likewise of one heart"? The commentary attributed to Rashi explains that even those who did not come to Chevron were of one heart with David. Why is the word spelled defectively as sherit (שרית) rather than she'arit (שארית)? To hint that hardly a remainder was left behind - so few stayed behind that virtually the entire nation came to Chevron with great joy, and even the few who remained at home were wholehearted with David. Radak, on the other hand, explains that sherit simply means she'arit with the letter alef dropped, which is not unusual in Tanach; we find a similar construction in Chana's prayer: "May Hashem grant your petition (shelatech)" instead of she'elatech, along with other instances where a word is written without the expected alef.
וַיִּהְיוּ־שָׁם עִם־דָּוִיד יָמִים שְׁלוֹשָׁה אֹכְלִים וְשׁוֹתִים כִּי־הֵכִינוּ לָהֶם אֲחֵיהֶם׃ - And they were there with David for three days, eating and drinking, for their brethren had prepared for them.
The commentary attributed to Rashi notes: Do not wonder how it was possible for them to feast for three days - where could enough food and drink be found to sustain such a massive multitude? After all, hundreds of thousands of people had arrived, and all needed sustenance. To answer this, Scripture states, "for their brethren had prepared for them" - provisions had been prepared in advance, and "their brethren" refers to their fellow Israelites, the residents of Chevron, as Metzudat David explains.
וְגַם הַקְּרוֹבִים־אֲלֵיהֶם עַד יִשָּׂשכָר וּזְבֻלוּן וְנַפְתָּלִי מְבִיאִים לֶחֶם בַּחֲמוֹרִים וּבַגְּמַלִּים וּבַפְּרָדִים וּבַבָּקָר מַאֲכָל קֶמַח דְּבֵלִים וְצִמּוּקִים וְיַיִן־וְשֶׁמֶן וּבָקָר וְצֹאן לָרֹב כִּי שִׂמְחָה בְיִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - Moreover, those who were near to them, as far as Yissachar, Zevulun, and Naftali, brought bread on donkeys, on camels, on mules, and on oxen - food made of flour, cakes of figs, raisins, wine, oil, and cattle and sheep in abundance, for there was joy in Israel.
"Moreover, those who were near to them" - those living close to the people of Chevron: not only did the residents of Chevron provide food, but their neighbors did as well. "As far as Yissachar, Zevulun, and Naftali" - even those living far away, whose tribal inheritances lay at the northern reaches of Eretz Yisrael, made the journey and brought supplies. They loaded bread onto donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen - every pack animal was mobilized to carry food to sustain all who came to celebrate with David for three days. "Food made of flour" - various baked goods prepared from flour; "cakes of figs" (deveilim) - dried figs pressed together into solid rounds; "raisins" - dried grapes; "and wine, oil, and cattle and sheep in abundance." Why all this lavish provision? "For there was joy in Israel" - the entire nation was filled with profound joy at having the merit to crown a wise and successful king, and they spared no effort in bringing all these abundant provisions to make a grand and joyful celebration.
The chapter traces the two ends of a single process. At its beginning, individuals and small groups - men of Binyamin from Shaul's kin, the warriors of Gad whose faces were like lions' faces, Amasai and his companions - risk their lives and leave Shaul's camp to join the hunted David in the strongholds and in Ziklag, to the point that David himself prays for it to become clear whether they have come in peace. By its end, all the tribes come to Chevron in vast numbers, "like the camp of God," each with its own virtue: the sons of Yissachar possessing understanding of the times, the sons of Zevulun "without a double heart," and all the rest of Israel with a single heart. All of them came with a whole heart to make David king, while the people brought bread, food, wine, and oil from across the land - "for there was joy in Israel."