The Meaning of 1 Chronicles 11:6 Explained

1 Chronicles 11:6

KJV: And David said, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain. So Joab the son of Zeruiah went first up, and was chief.

YLT: And David saith, 'Whoever smiteth the Jebusite first doth become head and prince;' and go up first doth Joab son of Zeruiah and becometh head.

Darby: And David said, Whoever smites the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain. And Joab the son of Zeruiah went first up, and was chief.

ASV: And David said, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain. And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and was made chief.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And David  said,  Whosoever smiteth  the Jebusites  first  shall be chief  and captain.  So Joab  the son  of Zeruiah  went  first  up,  and was chief. 

What does 1 Chronicles 11:6 Mean?

Chapter Summary: 1 Chronicles 11

1  David Becomes King over All Israel
4  Jerusalem
10  David's Mighty Men

What do the individual words in 1 Chronicles 11:6 mean?

And said David Whoever attacks the Jebusite first shall be chief and captain And went up first Joab son of Zeruiah and became chief
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר דָּוִ֔יד כָּל־ מַכֵּ֤ה יְבוּסִי֙ בָּרִ֣אשׁוֹנָ֔ה יִהְיֶ֥ה לְרֹ֖אשׁ וּלְשָׂ֑ר וַיַּ֧עַל בָּרִאשׁוֹנָ֛ה יוֹאָ֥ב בֶּן־ צְרוּיָ֖ה וַיְהִ֥י לְרֹֽאשׁ

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
דָּוִ֔יד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
כָּל־  Whoever 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
מַכֵּ֤ה  attacks 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular construct
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
יְבוּסִי֙  the  Jebusite 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְבוּסִי  
Sense: descendants of the 3rd son of Canaan who lived in or around the site of Jebus, the early name for Jerusalem.
בָּרִ֣אשׁוֹנָ֔ה  first 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רִאשֹׁון  
Sense: first, primary, former.
יִהְיֶ֥ה  shall  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לְרֹ֖אשׁ  chief 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
וּלְשָׂ֑ר  and  captain 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
וַיַּ֧עַל  And  went  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
בָּרִאשׁוֹנָ֛ה  first 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רִאשֹׁון  
Sense: first, primary, former.
יוֹאָ֥ב  Joab 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄואָב  
Sense: son of David’s sister Zeruiah and general of David’s army.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
צְרוּיָ֖ה  of  Zeruiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: צְרוּיָה  
Sense: sister of David and mother of the 3 leading heroes of David’s army—Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.
וַיְהִ֥י  and  became 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לְרֹֽאשׁ  chief 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.