Latest Commentaries

1 Chronicles 13:11-12 records David's anger at the LORD's outburst against Uzza, the naming of Perez-uzza, and the fear that displaced his celebration: David was afraid of God that day, saying, "How can I bring the ark of God home to me?"

1 Chronicles 13:9-10 recounts the outburst at the threshing floor of Chidon: the oxen nearly upset the ark, Uzza put out his hand to hold it, and the anger of the LORD burned against him, so He struck him down, and he died there before God.

1 Chronicles 13:7-8 tells how they carried the ark of God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab, with Uzza and Ahio driving the cart, while David and all Israel celebrated before God with all their might, with songs, lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.

1 Chronicles 13:5-6 describes the great assembly—all Israel from the Shihor of Egypt even to the entrance of Hamath—going up to Baalah, that is, Kiriath-jearim, to bring up the ark of God, the LORD who is enthroned above the cherubim, where His name is called.

1 Chronicles 13:3-4 states the heart of David's proposal—let us bring back the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul—and records the assembly's glad agreement, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

1 Chronicles 13:1-2 records David's consultation with the captains of thousands and hundreds and with every leader, and his proposal to all the assembly of Israel to send everywhere for their kinsmen, priests, and Levites, if it seems good to them and if it is from the LORD our God.

1 Chronicles 12:38-40 concludes the muster at Hebron: all the men of war came with a perfect heart to make David king over all Israel, the rest of the nation was of one mind, and the assembly ate and drank for three days on provisions carried from as far as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali, for there was joy indeed in Israel.

1 Chronicles 12:30-37 continues the muster at Hebron through the northern and eastern tribes—Ephraim, the half-tribe of Manasseh, the discerning sons of Issachar, Zebulun with undivided heart, Naphtali, Dan, Asher, and one hundred twenty thousand from beyond the Jordan.

1 Chronicles 12:23-29 opens the muster at Hebron with the numbers of the divisions equipped for war who came to turn the kingdom of Saul to David according to the word of the LORD—Judah, Simeon, and Levi with Jehoiada and young Zadok, and three thousand from Benjamin, most of whom had kept allegiance to the house of Saul.

1 Chronicles 12:19-22 tells how captains of thousands from Manasseh defected to David at Ziklag after the lords of the Philistines sent him away from the battle against Saul, how they helped him against the band of raiders, and how men kept coming day by day until there was a great army like the army of God.

1 Chronicles 12:16-18 records the coming of men from Benjamin and Judah to David's stronghold, David's plainspoken test of their loyalty, and the Spirit's answer through Amasai, chief of the thirty, who pledges peace to David and his helpers because God Himself is David's helper.

1 Chronicles 12:14-15 grades the Gadite captains—the least equal to a hundred and the greatest to a thousand—and records their most famous exploit: crossing the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks and putting to flight all those in the valleys, east and west.

1 Chronicles 12:8-13 describes the Gadites who came over to David at the stronghold in the wilderness—mighty men of valor trained for war, with faces like the faces of lions and speed like the gazelles on the mountains—and names their eleven captains in ranked order, from Ezer the first to Machbannai the eleventh.

1 Chronicles 12:3-7 names the Benjamite company that joined David at Ziklag—Ahiezer and Joash of Gibeah, Saul's own city, with warriors from Anathoth, Gibeon, Gederah, and Gedor, including Ishmaiah, a mighty man over the thirty, and men of the Korahites.

1 Chronicles 12:1-2 introduces the first warriors who came to David at Ziklag while he was still restricted because of Saul the son of Kish—mighty men who helped him in war, ambidextrous archers and slingers from Benjamin, Saul's own kinsmen.

1 Chronicles 13:13-14 closes the chapter at the house of Obed-edom the Gittite, where David took the ark aside instead of bringing it to the city of David, and where it remained three months while the LORD blessed the family of Obed-edom with all that he had.

Ezekiel 39:25-29 shows that the LORD will restore the fortunes of Jacob (the Israelites), by bringing the people of Israel from all nations back into the Promised Land. He will have mercy on them, and pours out His Spirit, ending the hiding of His face. They will be forgiven of their sins and live peacefully in the land of Israel, never to be threatened or attacked again. God's return of Israel to its land will be known to all the peoples of the world. The nations will understand that the LORD is the God of Israel and will not exile them again. He will not turn His favor from them, but will pour out His Spirit upon His people.

Ezekiel 39:21-24 records the LORD's declarations of how the world will see all that He has done when this prophecy is fulfilled. Every country on earth will see how the LORD defeated Israel's enemies. Israel too will understand that the LORD is their God, and that their exile has ended. God will no longer hide His face from Israel or allow their enemies to subjugate them. Their sins and covenant-violations were dealt with through this exile, but it will be over completely after this battle. God's glory will be known worldwide.

Ezekiel 39:17-20 shows that the LORD will summon bird and beasts to His "sacrificial feast" on the mountains of Israel. Animals of all kinds will eat the flesh of the dead men who came to invade Israel. God uses sacrificial language, describing the corpses of the enemy as though they were lambs, goats, and cattle made to be offerings on an altar. The birds and beasts will eat and drink of the dead, to the shame of the defeated, who were once strong princes of the world, and now are food for vultures and wolves.

Ezekiel 39:11-16 describes how Israel buries Gog's army. Such is the size of the defeated enemy, that it takes seven full months to bury their remains. God declares a designated site for the army's burial, a valley, which will be called Hamon-gog (the multitude of Gog). It will become a special job for certain Israelites to gather the dead and make sure every bone is found and buried. This will make the land pure and clean.