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1 Chronicles 12:8

in 1 Chronicles 12

Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the desert. They were mighty men of valor, trained for battle, experts with the shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions and who were as swift as gazelles on the mountains:

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David to the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for war, that could handle shield and spear; whose faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as the roes upon the mountains:

KJV

And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David into the hold to the wilderness men of might, and men of war fit for the battle, that could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as the roes upon the mountains;

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This verse in 1 Chronicles 12

Commentary

6 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

And were as swift as the roes - That swiftness was considered to be a grand accomplishment in a warrior, appears from all ancient writings which treat of military affairs.

This site's exposition

whose faces were like the faces of lions

on 1 Chronicles 12:8-9

The Gadites are described rather than merely named: whose faces were like the faces of lions and who were as swift as the roes upon the mountains, the poetic parallelism marking older material folded into the roster. Adam Clarke notes that swiftness ranked among the prized qualities of any ancient warrior, alongside the shield and buckler these men already carried. Spurgeon preached this company as a picture of the volunteers a greater David still gathers, men who join him in his rejection rather than in his glory.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David, into the hold to the wilderness,....

The Nineteenth Century3 voices

DAVID, compelled to flee from his own country, and to hide himself from the malice of Saul, was eminently a type of our Lord Jesus Christ who, in the days when He dwelt here among men, was despised and rejected of men. And at this moment it is well known to the true Church of God and it becomes palpably evident to every earnest Believer in the Gospel that Jesus, the Son of David, is not received, acknowledged, or tolerated in this present evil world. He has gone forth outside the camp.
DAVID, compelled to flee from his own country, and to hide himself from the malice of Saul, was eminently a type of our Lord Jesus Christ who, in the days when He dwelt here among men, was despised and rejected of men. And at this moment it is well known to the true Church of God and it becomes palpably evident to every earnest Believer in the Gospel that Jesus, the Son of David, is not received, acknowledged, or tolerated in this present evil world. He has gone forth outside the camp. All who would repair to Him must go forth likewise, bearing His reproach. These eleven Gadites—all of them remarkable men—espoused the cause of David when he was in his very worst condition—they left the ease and comfort, the honors and elements of their own homes to associate themselves with him when he was regarded as an outlaw under the ban of society. And to this day, every Christian who is faithful to his profession must separate himself from his fellow men to be a follower of the despised Jesus. In that way and with that faith which men still count heresy, must he join himself with that to which is everywhere spoken against, running the gauntlet of the age if he would espouse the cause of the Lord's Anointed! In tracing out the parallel, let me now draw your attention, first, to the leader who commanded the voluntary homage of good and valiant men. And then to the recruits who joined themselves to him, of whom we find a graphic description it our text. I. THE LEADER, whom we regard as a type of our Lord Jesus Christ, was David, the son of Jesse. And in tracing out some points of analogy, we begin by noticing that like David, our Lord was anointed of God to be the Leader of His people. Hence the words of prophecy concerning Him, "I will make an Everlasting Covenant with You, even the sure mercies of David.
Into the hold to the wilderness - Rather, “into the hold toward the wilderness.” Some understand by this Ziklag, some En-gedi 1Sa 24:1-2; but it seems most probable that here and in 1Ch 12:16 the stronghold of Adullam is intended 1Ch 11:15-16.

The words behind it

22 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וּמִן־and some of

    umin-H4480 →1188 times

  • הַגָּדִ֡יthe Gadite[s]

    hagadiH1425 →16 times

  • נִבְדְּל֣וּthey separated themselves

    nivdeluH914 →42 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • דָּוִיד֩David

    davidH1732 →999 times

  • לַמְצַ֨דto the fortress

    lamtzadH4679 →11 times

  • מִדְבָּ֜רָה[the] wilderness towards

    midbarahH4057 →270 times

  • גִּבֹּרֵ֣י[the] mighty [men] of

    giboreiH1368 →158 times

  • הַחַ֗יִל<the> strength

    hachayilH2428 →246 times

  • אַנְשֵׁ֤יmen of

    ʾansheiH582 →566 times

  • צָבָא֙war

    tzava'H6635 →485 times

  • לַמִּלְחָמָ֔הfor <the> battle

    lamilchamahH4421 →320 times

  • עֹרְכֵ֥יpreparing of

    ʾorekheiH6186 →74 times

  • צִנָּ֖הshield

    tzinahH6793 →22 times

  • וָרֹ֑מַחand spear

    varomachH7420 →

  • וּפְנֵ֤יand [were] faces of

    ufeneiH6440 →2123 times

  • אַרְיֵה֙a lion

    ʾaryehH738 →

  • פְּנֵיהֶ֔םfaces their

    peneihemH6440 →2123 times

  • וְכִצְבָאיִ֥םand like gazelles

    vekhitzvayimH6643 →

  • עַל־on

    ʾal-H5921 →5755 times

  • הֶהָרִ֖יםthe mountains

    heharimH2022 →546 times

  • לְמַהֵֽר׃ סto hastening

    lemaherH4116 →

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

18 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

2 Samuel 2:18The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was fleet of foot like a wild gazelle,7 works2 Samuel 23:20And Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a man of valor from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits. He struck down two champions of Moab, and on a snowy day he went down into a pit and killed a lion.5 works2 Samuel 17:10Then even the most valiant soldier with the heart of a lion will melt with fear, because all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man who has valiant men with him.5 worksRevelation 9:17Now the horses and riders in my vision looked like this: The riders had breastplates the colors of fire, sapphire, and sulfur. The heads of the horses were like the heads of lions, and out of their mouths proceeded fire, smoke, and sulfur.5 works1 Samuel 24:22So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.2 worksJeremiah 46:9Advance, O horses! Race furiously, O chariots! Let the warriors come forth—Cush and Put carrying their shields, men of Lydia drawing the bow.2 works
The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾
2 Chronicles 25:5Then Amaziah gathered the people of Judah and assigned them according to their families to commanders of thousands and of hundreds. And he numbered those twenty years of age or older throughout Judah and Benjamin and found 300,000 chosen men able to serve in the army, bearing the spear and shield.2 works1 Chronicles 11:16At that time David was in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was at Bethlehem.2 works1 Chronicles 11:22And Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a man of valor from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits. He struck down two champions of Moab, and on a snowy day he went down into a pit and killed a lion.2 worksSong of Solomon 8:14Come away, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices.2 worksProverbs 6:5Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.2 works2 Samuel 1:23Saul and Jonathan, beloved and delightful in life, were not divided in death. They were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.2 works1 Samuel 23:14And David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God would not deliver David into his hand.2 works1 Chronicles 12:16Other Benjamites and some men from Judah also came to David in his stronghold.2 works1 Samuel 23:29And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En-gedi.2 worksProverbs 28:1The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.2 worksEzekiel 1:10The form of their faces was that of a man, and each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and also the face of an eagle.2 worksEzekiel 38:4I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws, and bring you out with all your army—your horses, your horsemen in full armor, and a great company armed with shields and bucklers, all brandishing their swords.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Jeremiah 46:9

    Advance, O horses! Race furiously, O chariots! Let the warriors come forth—Cush and Put carrying their shields, men of Lydia drawing the bow.

    it leads to

    • Ezekiel 27:10

      Men of Persia, Lydia, and Put served as warriors in your army. They hung their shields and helmets on your walls; they gave you splendor.

    • Isaiah 66:19

      I will establish a sign among them, and I will send survivors from among them to the nations—to Tarshish, Put, and the archers of Lud; to Tubal, Javan, and the islands far away who…

    • Nahum 3:9

      Cush and Egypt were her boundless strength; Put and Libya were her allies.

  • Through

    2 Samuel 2:18

    The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was fleet of foot like a wild gazelle,

    it leads to

    • Habakkuk 3:19

      GOD the Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer; He makes me walk upon the heights! For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments.

  • Through

    1 Samuel 24:22

    So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

    it leads to

    • 1 Samuel 23:29

      And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En-gedi.

  • Through

    2 Samuel 23:20

    And Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a man of valor from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits. He struck down two champions of Moab, and on a snowy day he went down into a…

    it leads to

    • 2 Samuel 20:23

      Now Joab was over the whole army of Israel; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites;

    • 2 Samuel 8:18

      Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were priestly leaders.

    • Joshua 15:21

      These were the southernmost cities of the tribe of Judah in the Negev toward the border of Edom:

About 1 Chronicles

Cedars Are Cut Down for the Jerusalem Temple, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Cedars Are Cut Down for the Jerusalem Temple, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
1 Chronicles: the study guide →Read 1 Chronicles 12 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 3297, "David and His Volunteers"; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 3297: “David and His Volunteers” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).

Read on in 1 Chronicles 12 →