1 Chronicles 11:4

11:1-9 David was brought to possess the throne of Israel after he had reigned seven years in Hebron, over Judah only. God's counsels will be fulfilled at last, whatever difficulties lie in the way. The way to be truly great, is to be really useful, to devote all our talents to the Lord.

And inquired not of the Lord,.... For though he did inquire in some sense in an external, careless, and hypocritical manner, yet not done seriously, sincerely, and heartily, nor with constancy; it was accounted as if he inquired not at all, 1 Samuel 28:6 the Targum adds another reason of his death, because he killed the priests of Nob; but that is not in the text: therefore he slew him; or suffered him to be slain: and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse; translated the kingdom of Israel out of Saul's family, upon his death, into Jesse's, even unto David; for the sake of which observation this short account is given of the last end of Saul.

Verse 4. - Jerusalem, which is Jebus . This ancient name of Jerusalem, of Canaanitish date, is found only once beside, viz. in Judges 19:10, 11 ; the Gentile form of the noun, however, Jebusi, is of more frequent occurrence, and sometimes it is found even as the name of the city ( Joshua 15:8, 63 ; Joshua 18:16, 28 ). The derivation and meaning of the word are unascertained. Gesenius explains it to mean "a place dry or downtrodden like a threshing-floor." 1 Chronicles 11:4

4–9 (= 2 Samuel 5:6-10 ). The “City of David” captured and made a royal residence 4 . David and all Israel ] In Samuel (more accurately) “The king and his men ,” i.e. his household and body-guard; cp. 1 Chronicles 10:6 , note. A picked force, not a large one, was necessary. which is Jebus ] R.V. ( the same is Jebus ). Jerusalem (or Jebus) consisted, it seems (cp. 1 Chronicles 11:8 ; Jdg 1:21 ), of a citadel inhabited by Jebusites and of a lower city inhabited by a mixed population of Jebusites and Benjamites. It was the citadel only which David stormed. where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land ] R.V. and the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, were there . The Jebusites are called “inhabitants of the land,” because they were one of the “seven nations” dispossessed by Israel at the conquest ( Deuteronomy 7:1 ).

(4-9) THE CAPTURE OF ZION BY JOAB’S VALOUR, AND DAVID’S SETTLEMENT THERE. The accession of the new king is followed by a warlike enterprise, according to the precedent of Saul (1 Samuel 11). This agrees with the reason assigned for the election of a king (1Samuel 8:20), as well as with what we know of Assyrian custom, and is a mark of historic truth. (4) And David . . . land.—Samuel is briefer: “And the king and his men went to Jerusalem, to the Jebusite, the inhabitant of the land.” The chronicler adds the explanatory “that is Jebus,” because of the after-mention of the Jebusite. He then further modifies the form of the original statement, continuing “and there (lived) the Jebusite (collect.), the inhabitants,” &c. Jerusalem means city of Salem; Assyrian, Ursalimmê. But in Hebrew the name has been so modified as to suggest “vision of peace.” In Greek the name became Hierosolyma, “Sacred Solyma.” Inhabitants of the land.—A standing name of the native Canaanites, and equivalent to indigenæ, or Ἀυτόχθονες.

This chapter runs parallel with 2 Samuel 5 as far as 1 Chronicles 11:9 , after which it is to be compared with 2 Samuel 23:8-39 as far as 1 Chronicles 11:40 , the remainder 1 Chronicles 11:41-47 being an addition, to which Samuel has nothing corresponding. Compare throughout the notes in Samuel.

39. Naharai—armorbearer to Joab (2Sa 23:37). The non-occurrence of Joab's name in any of the three catalogues is most probably to be accounted for by the circumstance that his office as commander-in-chief raised him to a position superior to all these orders of military knighthood.

The capture of the citadel of Zion, and Jerusalem chosen to be the royal residence under the name of the city of David; cf. 2 Samuel 5:6-10 , and the commentary on this section at that place. - יחיּה, 1 Chronicles 11:8 , to make alive, is used here, as in Nehemiah 4:2 , of the rebuilding of ruins. The general remark, 1 Chronicles 11:9 , "and David increased continually in might," etc., opens the way for the transition to the history of David's reign which follows. As a proof of his increasing greatness, there follows in