All of them men of war, keeping rank in battle array, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king.
1 Chronicles 12 counts the fighting men who came to make David king. This verse measures what no headcount can: why a scattered, war-torn nation moved as one body to crown God's chosen king.
(Older translations say "men of war that could keep rank" and "with a perfect heart". The writers quoted below use that wording.)
One writer reads "with a perfect heart" as a heart with no second motive — shared even by those who had to stay home.
What marked the tribes at this blessed time in their history is that all of them (v. 38) came to Hebron "with a perfect heart" — without deceit, with a single purpose. And all those in Israel whom circumstances kept at home "were of one heart to make David king."
Another writer splits that heart in two, then weighs it against outward discipline:
These soldiers had a perfect heart (no other object) and a united heart (one will and motive) to make David king over all Israel. Outward order and discipline matter a great deal in an army, but its courage and spirit matter just as much. The undivided affections that moved these soldiers for David added to the morale of his army.
The numbers in the earlier verses are uneven. One writer notices which tribe falls short, and reads God's hand in it.
Apart from Benjamin — which was completely exceptional, for the reason given, since most of that tribe held fast to the house of Saul — Judah comes out very short in this whole list. So God would not allow the king of His purpose to owe anything to human strength or to family ties. But whatever the shortcomings here and there, and the differences among them… it was not a divided heart. Their heart was set on God's purpose — and not only the hearts of those who were there, but of those whom circumstances kept away.
"Keeping rank" describes trained troops. But these same men had just been running from the Philistines and leaving their towns empty. So who trained them?
The tribes of Israel send their thousands, "men of war that could keep rank" — or, as we would say, well disciplined. Who had disciplined these men? Only a short time before, they had abandoned their cities and hidden in fear of the Philistines. God's chosen man was there, anointed to be king over Israel, and the kingdom was turned over to him. That is the reason for their sudden courage and strength.
Another writer puts the two in order. The heart comes first; the marching in step follows.
David's servants kept rank because all were of one heart to make David king. Their heart was set on one object, so their feet stayed together. This is the secret of true Christian fellowship.
One writer names what produced this change, and what keeps God's people from splitting apart.
Lovely beginning! Blessed awakening! Having only one person before their eyes — the Lord's anointed — was enough to produce this miracle. In this way all divisions can be prevented among God's people. The sovereign safeguard against division is to have Christ before the eyes of faith.
One writer turns the same lesson into a lament over Christian history, and then into what love for Christ looks like:
If Christ's Headship of the body had been lovingly guarded and obeyed, the terrible divisions and troubles that have afflicted the church would never have happened. To love Christ is to keep His commandments (John 14:15). To love Christ is to care for His flock (John 21:15-17).
One writer begins with the place itself, then looks forward from the feast held there.
Before David reigned at Jerusalem, he was anointed king at Hebron. Now Hebron means alliance, or friendship. Scripture says of those who went to David, "They came with a perfect heart to Hebron," and they were "with David" three days, eating and drinking, and there was joy in Israel. Who can tell of "the exceeding joy" that will fill every heart when we are presented blameless before Him to whom glory, majesty, might and authority belong?
- One object. A perfect heart means no other object. They came with no second motive — "without deceit, with a single purpose."
- One heart. Unequal tribes, uneven numbers, real differences — yet "it was not a divided heart," and even the absent shared it.
- One rank. Men who had been hiding in fear now marched in step. God's anointed king was among them, and that changed them.
- One safeguard. Keep one person before the eyes of faith — Christ — and that guards God's people from division.
- One joy. The feast at Hebron ends the scene, and one writer reads it as a small taste of the joy when we are presented blameless before Christ.
And there they were with David three days, eating and drinking; for their brethren had prepared for them;
Three days of feasting close a long chapter of tribe after tribe coming over to David, the man anointed king while another still sat on the throne. The eating and drinking seals that gathering, and commentators read it both as joy in being with God's rejected King now, and as a taste of greater joy ahead.
The chapter traces a movement: men separate themselves to David, come to him, and now they are with him. One writer draws the line to the present hour, when the world still refuses Christ's rights as King:
David, the attractive young man, the conqueror of Goliath, the victor over the Philistines, was the gathering centre of his army. They separated themselves to him (v. 8), they came to him (v. 16, 22, 23), they were with him (v. 39), and they declared, "We are yours, O David" (v. 18)... Jesus, God's anointed King, is not sitting on His royal throne and ruling over the world... He is the gathering centre for many who love Him. They are ready to uphold His rights in their lives, whatever stands against Him and them.
The feast follows a word about the men's hearts. One commentator points out what the tribal list shows — Judah, David's own tribe, sent few:
Judah's numbers in all this list are very small. So God would not allow the king of His purpose to depend on the strength of man or on family ties... "All these, men of war, arrayed in battle order, came to Hebron with a whole heart to make David king over all Israel. Likewise, all the rest of Israel were of a single mind to make David king." That is, it was not a divided heart. Their heart was set on God's purpose — and not only the hearts of those who were there, but of those whom circumstances kept away... And so we come to the scene of celebration and joy. There was joy in Israel.
Tribes with every reason for rivalry sat at one table. Another writer points to what filled their sight:
Lovely beginning! Blessed awakening! Having only one person before their eyes — the Lord's anointed — was enough to work this miracle. In this way God's people can keep out every division. The sovereign safeguard against division is to have Christ before the eyes of faith.
The men did not feed themselves. Their brothers prepared for them, and others sent food from far off. The same writer sees two loves in that generosity, and joy underneath both:
They spared nothing where their brothers' well-being was at stake, and at the same time they showed their attachment to David. They indeed added love to brotherly love (2 Peter 1:7). Joy held this harmony up, and joy is the true motive for all devotion. "Rejoice in the Lord always," Paul said to the Philippians. He knew what would cure the discord threatening them: joy had to be the main thing in their hearts.
Joy here is not just a mood. One commentator shows what it did to the way the tribes treated each other:
It was a bright and animated moment. David was about to become king, and, as we read, "there was joy in Israel." Judah could not then have provoked Ephraim, nor could Ephraim then have envied Judah. The shared joy had linked all hearts, swept them along, and made them completely its own. One tribe was therefore the ready servant of the joy of another. No one could give way to private feelings or press separate interests. It was one of the days of heaven upon earth.
The place itself carries meaning. One writer takes the three days as a small taste of something far larger:
Hebron means alliance, or friendship. There "David made a covenant" with the elders before the Lord, "and they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord by Samuel."... It says of those who went to David, "They came to Hebron with a whole heart," and they were "with David" three days eating and drinking, and there was joy in Israel. Who can tell the great joy that will fill every heart when He presents us blameless before Himself — the One to whom glory, majesty, might and authority belong.
- Joy's centre. The verse closes a chapter of men coming to David. A person, not a cause, is the gathering point — and Christ is that point for His own while the world refuses His rights.
- Joy's condition. The feast follows a whole, undivided heart. Tribes far away who could not come shared the same purpose.
- Joy's cure. One Person before the eyes of faith healed old tribal rivalry. That is the safeguard against division among God's people.
- Joy's table. Their brothers prepared the food and others sent it from far away. One act showed two loves: love for each other and attachment to David.
- Joy's end. Three days at Hebron, the place of friendship, are a small taste of the great joy of standing blameless before Christ.
and those too that were near them, as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought food on asses, and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen; provisions of meal, fig-cakes and raisin-cakes, and wine and oil, and oxen and sheep, abundantly; for there was joy in Israel.
Israel's soldiers have gathered at Hebron to crown David. The chapter then turns from weapons and troop numbers to donkeys loaded with food. It gives one reason for all this generosity: there was joy in Israel.
The people fed each other and stood by David. One writer traces both acts back to one source.
There is still more: brotherly love finds a rich opportunity to act… They spared nothing where their brothers' well-being was concerned, and at the same time they showed their attachment to David. They truly added love to brotherly love (2 Peter 1:7). Joy held this harmony together, and joy is the true motive for all devotion. "Rejoice in the Lord always," Paul said to the Philippians. He knew that joy had to be the first thing in their hearts if the quarrels threatening them were to be cured.
Joy did not come from nowhere. One writer finds its root in the state of the men's hearts.
Their heart was not divided. It was set on God's purpose — and that was true not only of those who were there, but of those who were absent because of their circumstances… And so the chapter sets a scene of celebration and joy before us. There was joy in Israel.
Joy also changed how the tribes treated each other. One writer names what it left no room for.
It was a bright and lively moment. Israel was about to make David king, and, as we read, "there was joy in Israel." Judah could not then have provoked Ephraim, nor could Ephraim then have envied Judah. The shared joy had linked every heart, carried them all away, and made them its own. So one tribe became the ready servant of another tribe's joy. No one could give way to private feelings or look after separate interests.
The same writer adds that such joy is a power, not just a feeling:
And let me add this: divine joy in the Lord has amazing moral power. As Nehemiah… said to the assembled people of Israel, "This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep… for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
The verse names food coming from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun and Naphtali. One writer sees the circle of service widening beyond the army itself.
The army is with David… They set aside every other ambition as they gather to him, determined to make him supreme in Israel. The people prepared plenty of food for the army. The supplies came from far and near, from those who could not help in the fighting but could feed the soldiers… When the Lord Jesus Christ is the undisputed Centre of His beloved people they will have plenty of suitable spiritual food to keep them strong in their conflict for His interests.
One writer turns the scene into a rule that still holds.
These things were according to the gift of God, and they all came with one heart to make David king. Their brothers had prepared everything in abundance, for there was joy in Israel. It is always so when Christ is truly magnified by upright hearts who seek only His glory.
One writer notes what the name Hebron means, then looks past the feast to a greater joy still ahead.
Hebron means alliance, or friendship. It says of those who went to David that they came to Hebron with an undivided heart, and that they were "with David" three days eating and drinking, and there was joy in Israel. Who shall tell "the exceeding joy" that shall fill every heart when we are presented blameless before Him to whom glory, majesty, might and authority belong.
- Cause — The heart came first. They came to Hebron undivided and set on God's purpose. Even those who stayed away were of one mind about David.
- Gift — That undivided heart produced joy. Joy then became the motive for every act of devotion and generosity here.
- Cure — Shared joy in the king left no room for tribal rivalry. One tribe served another tribe's joy, and no one looked after his own interests.
- Reach — Food came from far and near. Those who could not fight could still feed the army, so devotion had a place for everyone.
- Result — The same pattern follows wherever upright hearts truly magnify Christ. And it points on to a far greater joy — being presented blameless before Him.