1 Chronicles 11:1-9

1 Chronicles 11:1-9

[1] Then all Israel  gathered  themselves to David  unto Hebron,  saying,  Behold, we are thy bone  and thy flesh.  [2] And moreover in time  past,  even when Saul  was king,  thou wast he that leddest out  and broughtest in  Israel:  and the LORD  thy God  said  unto thee, Thou shalt feed  my people  Israel,  and thou shalt be ruler  over my people  Israel.  [3] Therefore came  all the elders  of Israel  to the king  to Hebron;  and David  made  a covenant  with them in Hebron  before  the LORD;  and they anointed  David  king  over Israel,  according to the word  of the LORD  by  Samuel.  [4] And David  and all Israel  to Jerusalem,  which is Jebus;  where the Jebusites  were, the inhabitants  of the land.  [5] And the inhabitants  of Jebus  said  to David,  Thou shalt not come  hither. Nevertheless David  took  the castle  of Zion,  which is the city  of David.  [6] And David  said,  Whosoever smiteth  the Jebusites  first  shall be chief  and captain.  So Joab  the son  of Zeruiah  first  up,  and was chief.  [7] And David  dwelt  in the castle;  therefore they called  it the city  of David.  [8] And he built  the city  round about,  even from Millo  round about:  and Joab  repaired  the rest  of the city.  [9] So David  greater  and greater:  for the LORD  of hosts  was with him.

What does 1 Chronicles 11:1-9 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

David is really the hero of both1,2Chronicles. The heart of Chronicles is the rise of David and the establishment of the Davidic kingdom, which begins with chapter11.
"They 1,2Chronicles] look forward with anticipation to the coming King who will bring in God"s final salvation and blessing." [1]
"The principle point we wish to emphasize is that the Chronicler, the composer of the original work, structured his history around the figure of David and his dynasty, focusing attention on the religious activity of the monarch and his successors." [2]
"David"s heroic personality exemplifies the success that God bestows on those who trust in him, whether in the Chronicler"s time or any other." [3]
In1Chronicles the writer documented David"s greatness as God"s faithful vice-regent. In2Chronicles he evaluated all David"s successors in terms of his successes. In the chapters that unfold, the writer wove his hope for Israel"s future together with God"s love, as demonstrated in His past faithfulness, to encourage faith and obedience in his readers.
David"s eventual coronation was inevitable because God had chosen him as king long before Saul died. The Chronicler began his history of David with his coronation over all12tribes. This fact probably reflects the writer"s concern for the unity of God"s chosen people. The people recognized David as the suitable king because he had led Israel. Furthermore, God had anointed him to shepherd the people (his function) and to be prince over them (his office under Yahweh, 1 Chronicles 11:1-2). David"s elevation happened as God had announced through Samuel ( 1 Chronicles 11:3). God was leading the nation. These verses provide solid evidence that David, not Saul, was God"s preference as king of Israel.
David"s capture of Jerusalem was foundational to all the political and religious events that followed. The earliest reference to Jerusalem (Salem) that archaeologists have found so far occurs in the Ebla tablets that date from about2400 B.C. [4] Joab"s deed shows he was a mighty warrior. By fortifying Jerusalem, David established a secure base of operations at a politically neutral site between Israel and Judah. This led to his succeeding, though the real reason for his greatness was that the Lord of Armies was with him. God was with David because David was with God, as well as because God had chosen David as His vice-regent. Payne believed that David established a "constitutional" monarchy, which was unique in the ancient Near East. [2]7