Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
Those who followed David when he was fleeing from Saul are listed; and those who were the first to come to him at Hebron to anoint him king.
Vulgate Text: 1 Paralipomenon 12:1-40
1. These also came to David at Ziklag while he was still hiding from Saul the son of Kish; they were among the mighty men, his helpers in war, 2. bending the bow, and hurling stones with slings with either hand, and shooting arrows: from the brethren of Saul, from Benjamin. 3. The chief was Ahiezer, and Joash, sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite, and Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth, and Beracah, and Jehu the Anathothite. 4. And Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, mightiest among the thirty and over the thirty. Jeremiah, and Jahaziel, and Johanan, and Jozabad the Gederathite, 5. And Eluzai and Jerimoth, and Bealiah, and Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite. 6. Elkanah, and Isshiah, and Azarel, and Joezer, and Jashobeam of the Korahites: 7. And Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor. 8. And from the Gadites there went over to David, when he was hiding in the wilderness, very mighty men and the best warriors, bearing shield and spear: their faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles on the mountains: 9. Ezer the chief, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third, 10. Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, 11. Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, 12. Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, 13. Jeremiah the tenth, Machbannai the eleventh. 14. These of the sons of Gad were officers of the army: the least was over a hundred soldiers, and the greatest over a thousand. 15. These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it was overflowing all its banks; and they put to flight all those who were in the valleys, to the east and to the west. 16. And some of the sons of Benjamin and Judah came to the stronghold where David was staying, 17. and David went out to meet them and said: If you have come peacefully to me to help me, my heart shall be joined to you: but if you are plotting against me on behalf of my adversaries, when there is no iniquity in my hands, may the God of our fathers see and judge. 18. Then the Spirit clothed Amasai, chief among the thirty, and he said: We are yours, O David, and with you, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, and peace to your helpers: for your God helps you. So David received them and made them officers of his troops. 19. And some from Manasseh went over to David when he came with the Philistines against Saul to battle: but he did not fight with them; because the princes of the Philistines, after taking counsel, sent him away, saying: At the risk of our heads he will go back to his master Saul. 20. So when he returned to Ziklag, there went over to him from Manasseh: Adnah, and Jozabad, and Jediael, and Michael, and Adnah, and Jozabad, and Elihu, and Zillethai, captains of thousands in Manasseh. 21. They helped David against the bands of raiders: for they were all very mighty men, and they became commanders in the army. 22. And day by day men came to David to help him, until it became a great host, like the army of God. 23. And this also is the number of the chiefs of the army who came to David at Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul over to him, according to the word of the Lord. 24. The sons of Judah bearing shield and spear, six thousand eight hundred armed for battle. 25. Of the sons of Simeon, very mighty men for war, seven thousand one hundred. 26. Of the sons of Levi, four thousand six hundred. 27. And Jehoiada, the leader of the family of Aaron, and with him three thousand seven hundred. 28. And Zadok also, a young man of excellent character, and his father's house, twenty-two princes. 29. And of the sons of Benjamin, the kinsmen of Saul, three thousand: for until then the greater part of them had remained loyal to the house of Saul. 30. And of the sons of Ephraim, twenty thousand eight hundred, mighty men of valor, men famous in their families. 31. And of the half-tribe of Manasseh, eighteen thousand, who were designated by name to come and make David king. 32. And of the sons of Issachar, learned men who understood the times, to know what Israel ought to do, two hundred chiefs: and all the rest of the tribe followed their counsel. 33. And of Zebulun, those who went out to battle, expert in war with all weapons of war, fifty thousand came to help, with singleness of heart. 34. And of Naphtali, a thousand commanders: and with them, equipped with shield and spear, thirty-seven thousand. 35. And of Dan, prepared for battle, twenty-eight thousand six hundred. 36. And of Asher, going out to war and ready for battle, forty thousand. 37. And from beyond the Jordan, of the sons of Reuben, and of Gad, and of the half-tribe of Manasseh, equipped with all weapons of war, a hundred and twenty thousand. 38. All these men of war, ready for battle, came to Hebron with a perfect heart to make David king over all Israel: and all the rest of Israel likewise were of one heart to make David king. 39. And they were there with David three days, eating and drinking; for their brethren had prepared for them. 40. And also those who were near them, as far as Issachar, and Zebulun, and Naphtali, brought bread on donkeys, and camels, and mules, and oxen, food to eat: flour, fig cakes, raisin cakes, wine, oil, oxen, and sheep, in abundance; for there was joy in Israel.
Verse 2: From the Brethren of Saul
2. FROM THE BRETHREN OF SAUL, FROM BENJAMIN — that is, from the kinsmen of Saul and the Benjaminites; for Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin. This was remarkable, and almost miraculous, by which God honored David as an exile and fugitive, that many from the tribe of Benjamin and kinsmen of Saul preferred to follow him rather than Saul the king who was persecuting him: for God was fighting for David against Saul, and David's innocence, modesty, and holiness drew everyone to him, while Saul's pride, insolence, and wickedness drove them away from him. Rightly also three thousand Benjaminites preferred to follow David, because of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, as is said in verse 29.
Verse 6: From the Korahites
6. FROM THE KORAHITES — that is, as the Hebrew and the Septuagint have, from the Korahites, or from the descendants of Korah.
Verse 8: From the Gadites
8. FROM THE GADITES — that is, from the tribe of Gad, or from the Gadites.
Verse 15: Crossing the Jordan
15. THESE ARE THE ONES WHO CROSSED THE JORDAN IN THE FIRST MONTH (Nisan, or the Paschal month, which corresponds partly to our March, partly to April), WHEN IT WAS OVERFLOWING ALL ITS BANKS: AND THEY PUT ALL TO FLIGHT — that is, these are the Gadites, who with heroic courage and valor were the first to dare to enter the Jordan (divided by Joshua), and attacked the Canaanites who were stationed on the opposite bank and trying to prevent the crossing of the Hebrews, and put them to flight.
Verse 22: Like the Army of God
22. LIKE THE ARMY OF GOD — that is, like a very great army; for all things of the most great God are most great.
Verse 28: Zadok
28. AND ZADOK ALSO, A YOUNG MAN OF EXCELLENT CHARACTER. — This appears to be Zadok the High Priest, whom Saul appointed as Pontiff after he killed Ahimelech, who was from the line of Eli and Ithamar. He is called 'a young man' because at that time he was younger; hence he afterward lived through the entire reign of David, and served in the pontificate together with Abiathar. Then when Solomon removed Abiathar, Zadok alone remained as High Priest, authorized by Solomon. For although Jehoiada in the preceding verse is called 'leader,' he was nevertheless not the Pontiff, but a 'leader,' that is, the commander of the military company which he led from the priests and Levites to David.
Verse 32: The Sons of Issachar
32. AND OF THE SONS OF ISSACHAR, LEARNED MEN WHO UNDERSTOOD THE TIMES, TO KNOW WHAT ISRAEL OUGHT TO DO, TWO HUNDRED CHIEFS. — Vatablus says: leaders experienced in seizing opportunities, that is, knowing at what time and what should be done by seizing the right moments, for example, that at this time, when Saul had been slain by the Philistines along with all his army, David should be made king, since he was experienced in war and victorious, and therefore a terror to the Philistines, to restrain their pride and boldness from their recent victory, and that the time had now come for the promise of the kingdom made by God to David to be fulfilled. For there was no other who could come to the aid of Israel's affairs, now so fallen and afflicted, and restore them, except David: therefore these leaders persuaded the people not only of their own tribe, but also of others, to make David king. They were therefore learned in the knowledge or understanding of the times, that is, of opportunities, as the Hebrews have it, which is the practical knowledge most useful for human life, and in which true and perfect prudence consists, both ethical, economic, and political, as Solomon teaches, Ecclesiastes 3:2 ff.: 'All things have their season: A time to be born, and a time to die. A time to kill, and a time to heal. A time to weep, and a time to laugh. A time to keep, and a time to cast away. A time of war, and a time of peace,' etc.
Secondly, 'knowledge of the times' can here be understood as physical and astrological knowledge. For the men of Issachar were farmers, and therefore they observed the changes of the seasons, and the conditions of air and winds, so that they might know when it was time to sow, when to reap, when to plant, when to sail. For this knowledge is necessary for farmers, as Virgil attests in the Georgics. This knowledge of the times the Issacharites had learned partly through continual observation and experience, and partly they had drawn from the neighboring Phoenicians, namely the Tyrians and Sidonians (to whom they brought their crops, wine, and oil). For the Phoenicians, being dwellers by the sea, devoted themselves to navigation and commerce, and therefore observed the changes of the stars and seasons.
Thirdly, St. Jerome takes 'knowledge of the times' as the knowledge of the ecclesiastical calendar, for example, when Passover should be celebrated, Pentecost, and the other feasts, and what should be done and offered on each feast. For the Issacharites, in their quiet agricultural life, were devoted to the study of wisdom and religion. Hence Moses, Deuteronomy 33:18, bestows this blessing on them: 'And Issachar in his tents' — that is, he will quietly devote himself to agriculture and commerce. 'They shall call the peoples to the mountain' — namely to the temple on Mount Zion, that there they may devoutly worship God. 'For they themselves,' says St. Jerome, 'were teachers, calculators, and masters, whether for the festivals or for other matters.' Abulensis objects that farmers are not accustomed to devote themselves to studies, but wrongly: for we often see the contrary happen, and in ancient times it was so. Certainly many farmers have learned sons and teachers among them — I myself am also the son of a farmer.