Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
David is anointed king of Israel and expels the Jebusites from the citadel of Zion. Then, from verse 10 to the end, the names and heroic deeds of his mighty men are listed.
Vulgate Text: 1 Paralipomenon 11:1-46
1. Then all Israel gathered to David at Hebron, saying: 'We are your bone and your flesh. 2. In times past, even when Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; for the Lord your God said to you: You shall shepherd My people Israel, and you shall be prince over them.' 3. Therefore all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them before the Lord; and they anointed him king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord spoken through Samuel. 4. Then David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus, where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land. 5. The inhabitants of Jebus said to David: 'You shall not come in here.' But David captured the citadel of Zion, which is the City of David, 6. and said: 'Whoever strikes the Jebusites first shall be chief and commander.' So Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first and became chief. 7. David then dwelt in the citadel; therefore it was called the City of David. 8. He built the city all around, from the Millo to the surrounding area, and Joab repaired the rest of the city. 9. David became greater and greater, for the Lord of hosts was with him. 10. These are the chiefs of David's mighty men, who strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel. 11. This is the list of David's mighty men: Jashobeam the son of a Hachmonite, chief of the thirty; he wielded his spear against three hundred, whom he killed at one time. 12. After him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men. 13. He was with David at Pas-dammim, when the Philistines gathered there for battle; and the field of that region was full of barley, and the people had fled before the Philistines. 14. They stood in the midst of the field and defended it: and when they had struck down the Philistines, the Lord gave a great deliverance to His people. 15. And three of the thirty chiefs went down to the rock where David was, to the cave of Adullam, when the Philistines had encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 16. Now David was in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was in Bethlehem. 17. And David longed, and said: Oh, that someone would give me water from the cistern of Bethlehem, which is by the gate! 18. So these three broke through the midst of the Philistine camp and drew water from the cistern of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and brought it to David to drink: but he would not drink it, but rather poured it out as a libation to the Lord, 19. saying: God forbid that I should do this in the sight of my God, and drink the blood of these men; for at the risk of their lives they brought it to me. And for this reason he would not drink it: these things the three mightiest men did. 20. Abishai also, the brother of Joab, was chief of the three, and he lifted up his spear against three hundred whom he slew, and he was renowned among the three, 21. and among the second three he was illustrious and their leader: but he did not attain to the first three. 22. Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, a very valiant man, who had done many deeds, from Kabzeel; he struck down the two Ariel of Moab; and he went down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow. 23. And he struck down an Egyptian man, whose stature was five cubits, and who had a spear like a weaver's beam: so he went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear from his hand, and killed him with his own spear. 24. These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, who was the most renowned among the three mighty men, 25. first among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three: and David set him over his personal guard. 26. Now the mightiest men in the army were Asahel the brother of Joab, and Elhanan the son of his uncle from Bethlehem. 27. Shammoth the Arorite, Helez the Pelonite. 28. Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite. 29. Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite. 30. Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite. 31. Ithai the son of Ribai from Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite. 32. Hurai from the Brook of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite. 33. The sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite, 34. Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, 35. Eliphal the son of Ur. 36. Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite. 37. Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the son of Ezbai. 38. Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri. 39. Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah. 40. Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite. 41. Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai. 42. Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a chief of the Reubenites, and thirty with him: 43. Hanan the son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite. 44. Uzziah the Ashterathite, Shamma and Jehiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite. 45. Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother the Tizite, 46. Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite, Eliel, and Obed, and Jaasiel of Mezobaite.
The first part we heard in 2 Kings III, 9, and all of chapter V; the latter part in the same book, chapter XXIII, verse 8 and following, where I explained it.
Verse 2: You Shall Shepherd
2. YOU SHALL SHEPHERD — that is, you shall rule. For the king is the shepherd of peoples, as Homer says of Agamemnon.
Verse 22: The Two Heroes of Moab
22. HE (Benaiah) STRUCK DOWN TWO HEROES OF MOAB — that is, two lions of Moab, as is said in 2 Kings XXIII, 20. They are called Ariel, that is 'lions of God,' meaning very great and powerful. The Hebrews, Josephus, Lyranus, the Gloss, and Cajetan think these were two very brave and fierce commanders of the Moabites, like lions. But others simply take them as literal lions, as the words suggest. See what was said at 2 Kings XXIII, 20.
Verse 25: David's Personal Guard
25. DAVID SET HIM OVER HIS BODYGUARD — that is, he made him his secretary and intimate counselor and advisor; who would remind him of things to be done, and suggest everything that needed to be done, just as those do whom in Rome they call Auditors to the Cardinals.