Of the children of Benjamin, Saul’s relatives: three thousand, for until then, the greatest part of them had kept their allegiance to Saul’s house.
Parallel Translations
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Of the children of Benjamin, Saul’s relatives: three thousand, for until then, the greatest part of them had kept their allegiance to Saul’s house.
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And of the children of Benjamin, the kindred of Saul, three thousand: for hitherto the greatest part of them had kept the ward of the house of Saul.
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(12-30) And of the children of Benjamin, the brethren of Saul, three thousand; for hitherto the greatest part of them had kept their allegiance to the house of Saul.
Cross-references (3)
Passages linked to 1 Chronicles 12:29 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- 2 Samuel 2:8-9 Now Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s army, had taken Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim; and he made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
- 1 Chronicles 12:2 They were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left in slinging stones and in shooting arrows from the bow. They were of Saul’s relatives of the tribe of Benjamin.
- Genesis 31:23 He took his relatives with him, and pursued him seven days’ journey. He overtook him in the mountain of Gilead.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (13 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain That is, the greatest number took Saul’s part.
That is, the greatest number took Saul’s part.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 1Ch 12:29 And of the children of Benjamin, the…
1Ch 12:29 And of the children of Benjamin, the kindred of Saul, three thousand: for hitherto the greatest part of them had kept the ward of the house of Saul.
Ver. 29. Had kept the ward of the house of Saul.] Had done their utmost for Saul’s family, and to keep the royal dignity in their tribe, obeying before the commands of king Ishbosheth.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain i.e. Endeavoured to keep the crown in their own…
i.e. Endeavoured to keep the crown in their own tribe, and in Saul’s family.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Kept the ward - endeavoured to keep the crown…
Kept the ward - endeavoured to keep the crown in Saul's family.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain For hitherto ... - Rather, “For still the greatest…
For hitherto ... - Rather, “For still the greatest part of them maintained their allegiance to the house of Saul.” This is given as the reason for so few coming to Hebron. It shows us that, even after the death of Ishbosheth, the Benjamites had hopes of furnishing a third king to the nation.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Followed. Hebrew, "kept guard at the palace." These guards…
Followed. Hebrew, "kept guard at the palace." These guards submitted to David, like the rest, after the death of Isboseth. (Calmet)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain Benjamin . . . three thousand--This small number shows…
Benjamin . . . three thousand--This small number shows the unpopularity of the movement in this tribe; and, indeed, it is expressly stated that the mass of the population had, even after Ish-bosheth's death, anxiously endeavored to secure the crown in the family of Saul.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 29. Benjamin… three thousand — A very great number…
29. Benjamin… three thousand — A very great number could hardly be expected on this occasion from the tribe of Saul. Hence the writer adds, that hitherto, that is, up to that time, the greatest part of them had kept the ward (rather, were keeping charge) of the house of Saul. They still were adhering in sympathy and attachment to the house of their fallen king.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 29. hitherto] i.e. up to the time referred to…
29. hitherto] i.e. up to the time referred to in 2Sa_5:1.
kept the ward of the house of Saul] R.V. kept their allegiance to the house of Saul.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (29) Kindred.—Fellow-tribesmen.
(29) Kindred.—Fellow-tribesmen.
Hitherto.—Up to that time. (Comp., same phrase, 1Ch_9:18.)
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Had kept.—Were still keeping guard over the house of Saul. For the phrase comp. Num_3:38. The Benjamites, as a whole, were still jealously guarding the interests of their own royal house. This remark, as well as the preceding expression, “Saul’s fellow-tribesmen,” is intended to explain the comparative smallness of the contingent from Benjamin. The tribe’s reluctance to recognise David survived the murder of Ish-bosheth.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Had kept the ward; rather, had kept on the…
Had kept the ward; rather, had kept on the side of; the Hebrew, trmvmi Vulgate, adhuc sequebatur. The proposed translation of jnjeydz by "still" ("Speaker"s Commentary," in loc.) is very doubtful. The for hitherto of this verse explains the reason of the comparatively small number Of the Benjamites.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain Until it was a great host.
1Ch_12:29
Until it was a great host.
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The accumulation of power
It seems quite possible in the presence of this incident to find an easy statement of the law of the accumulation of power. The law may be stated thus: Persistent action in one direction brings, after a time, surprisingly added power for further action in that direction. Consider this--
1. In the accumulation of property.
2. As to the formation of habits.
3. As to increase in intellectual force.
4. As to advancing power in the spiritual life.
Lessons:
1. Be careful of the day. Day by day, because he day by day had been the man he was, they gathered to David. Especially towards the accumulation of any sort of power do not lose time in youth.
2. Have courage. Front towards such right accumulation of power, and this great law of its accumulation is steadily working for you.
3. This great law works as steadily the other way; e.g., King Saul, fronting and choosing wrong, was losing righteous power day by day, until at last he came to the sad wreck he made. (Wayland Hoyt, D. D.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 Connecting Statement:
Connecting Statement:
This continues the list of the number of men who joined David from each tribe. (See: Numbers)
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From Benjamin, Saul's tribe
"From Benjamin, the tribe to which Saul belonged"
three thousand ... eighteen thousand
"3,000 ... 18,000" (See: Numbers)
20,800 fighting men
"twenty thousand eight hundred fighting men" (See: Numbers)
From the Ephraimites
"From Ephraim" or "From the tribe of Ephraim"
translationWords
Benjamin
Saul (OT)
tribe
Ephraim
Manasseh
king
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.