1 Chronicles 11:6

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.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(6) Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first.—The account diverges more and more from the parallel passage. 2Samuel 5:8, reads, “And David said in that day, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusite, let him hurl down the waterfall (Psalm 42:7), both the lame and the blind, the hated of David’s soul! Therefore they say, Blind and lame must not enter the house” (i.e., the Temple). Such is the simplest rendering of an obscure, but evidently original record. The chronicler appears to have followed another and clearer account, which made Joab play at the storm of Jebus the part of Othniel at that of Kirjath-sepher (Judges 1:12-13).

Chief and captain.—Literally, shall become a head and a captain.

Joab the son of Zeruiah is not mentioned at all in the parallel passage. Joab already appears as David’s general, while Ishbosheth is yet reigning at Mahanaim (2Samuel 2:13; 2Samuel 3:23). Perhaps the phrase here used means head and governor of Jerusalem. (Comp. 1Chronicles 11:8.)

Went up.—Scaled the rampart, “and became a head.”

Benson Commentary

1 Chronicles 11:6. And was chief — Before this he was one of David’s chief captains; but now he is made captain-general of all the forces of Israel and Judah.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

11:1-9 David was brought to possess the throne of Israel after he had reigned seven years in Hebron, over Judah only. God's counsels will be fulfilled at last, whatever difficulties lie in the way. The way to be truly great, is to be really useful, to devote all our talents to the Lord.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The narrative here given fills out a manifest defect in 2 Samuel 5:8 where something has evidently dropped out of the text.

The prowess of Joab on this occasion, and the part which he took in the building of the city of David 1 Chronicles 11:8, are known to us only from this passage of Chronicles.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

1Ch 11:4-9. He Wins the Castle of Zion from the Jebusites by Joab's Valor.

4. David and all Israel went to … Jebus—(See on [363]2Sa 5:6).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Before this he was one of David’s chief captains, 2 Samuel 3:22,23, and general of the forces of Judah; but now he is made captain-general of all the forces of Israel and Judah.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And inquired not of the Lord,.... For though he did inquire in some sense in an external, careless, and hypocritical manner, yet not done seriously, sincerely, and heartily, nor with constancy; it was accounted as if he inquired not at all, 1 Samuel 28:6 the Targum adds another reason of his death, because he killed the priests of Nob; but that is not in the text:

therefore he slew him; or suffered him to be slain:

and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse; translated the kingdom of Israel out of Saul's family, upon his death, into Jesse's, even unto David; for the sake of which observation this short account is given of the last end of Saul.

Geneva Study Bible

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.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

6. Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain] The Chronicler has simplified the very difficult phrase which occurs in the parallel passage (2 Samuel 5:8).

Joab the son of Zeruiah] Zeruiah was David’s sister (1 Chronicles 2:16). It is not said in Samuel that Joab first became commander-in-chief on this occasion; on the contrary he appears in command (2 Samuel 2:13) during the civil war against the house of Saul. Perhaps he was first formally acknowledged as commander at the capture of Jebus.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 6. - The name and fresh glory of Joab, as given here, are not given in 2 Samuel 5:3-10; and we could suppose that they were purposely withheld there. It is true that Joab already held high office, probably the first place as captain of David's men, but Bertheau's objection to the statements of this verse on such grounds easily yields to the considerations - first, that there can be no doubt Joab had fallen into disfavour with David and others, upon his slaying of Abner (2 Samuel 3:26-29, 36, 37); and further, that this was a great occasion, exceedingly favourable for evoking any very special ability of younger or unknown men, at present lost under the shadow of larger growths. The advantage which Joab gained now was one that confirmed his position and increased largely his influence; and an indication that he was not slow to avail himself of it is probably to be traced in the eighth verse, where it is said while "David built... even from Millo round about,... Joab repaired the rest of the city." 1 Chronicles 11:6

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The capture of the citadel of Zion, and Jerusalem chosen to be the royal residence under the name of the city of David; cf. 2 Samuel 5:6-10, and the commentary on this section at that place. - יחיּה, 1 Chronicles 11:8, to make alive, is used here, as in Nehemiah 4:2, of the rebuilding of ruins. The general remark, 1 Chronicles 11:9, "and David increased continually in might," etc., opens the way for the transition to the history of David's reign which follows. As a proof of his increasing greatness, there follows in