1 Chronicles 12:2

They were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows out of a bow, even of Saul's brethren of Benjamin.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(2) Armed with bows.—Literally, drawers of the bow (2Chronicles 17:17).

And could use.—They were ambidextrous “with stones, and with arrows on the bow.” The left-handed slingers of Benjamin were famous from of old. (Comp. Judges 20:16, and also 1Chronicles 3:15.)

Of Saul’s brethren—i.e., his fellow-tribesmen.

Of Benjamin is added to make it clear that Saul’s immediate kinsmen are not intended. (Comp. 1Chronicles 12:29.)

Benson Commentary

1 Chronicles 12:2. Could use both the right hand and the left — With like nimbleness and certainty: compare Jdg 3:15; and Jdg 20:16. Saul’s brethren of Benjamin — Of Saul’s own tribe: who were moved hereto by God’s Spirit, by the conscience of their duty to David, and by their observation of God’s departure from Saul, and of his special presence with David.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

12:1-22 Here is an account of those who appeared and acted as David's friends, while he was persecuted. No difficulties or dangers should keep the sinner from coming to the Savior, nor drive the believer from the path of duty. Those who break through, and overcome in these attempts, will find abundant recompence. From the words of Amasai we may learn how to testify our affection and allegiance to the Lord Jesus; his we must be throughly; on his side we must be forward to appear and act. If we are under the influence of the Spirit, we shall desire to have our lot among them, and to declare ourselves on their side; if in faith and love we embrace the cause of Christ, he will receive, employ, and advance us.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The skill of the Benjamites as archers is noted in 1 Chronicles 8:40, and 2 Chronicles 14:8. Their proficiency in using the left hand appears in the narrative of Judges (Judges 3:15, and marginal reference) where their special excellency as slingers is also noticed.

Even of Saul's brethren - Compare 1 Chronicles 12:29. Even of Saul's own tribe there were some who separated themselves from his cause, and threw in their lot with David.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2. of Saul's brethren of Benjamin—that is, of the tribe of Benjamin (compare 1Ch 12:29), but some of them might be relatives of the king. This movement to which the parties were led, doubtless by the secret impulse of the Spirit, was of vast importance to the cause of David, as it must have been founded on their observation of the evident withdrawal of God's blessing from Saul, and His favoring presence with David, to whom it was universally known the Divine King of Israel had given the crown in reversion. The accession of the Benjamites who came first and their resolution to share his fortunes must have been particularly grateful to David. It was a public and emphatic testimony by those who had enjoyed the best means of information to the unblemished excellence of his character, as well as a decided protest against the grievous wrong inflicted by causelessly outlawing a man who had rendered such eminent services to his country.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Could use both the right hand and the left, with like nimbleness and certainty. Compare Judges 3:15 20:16.

Of Saul’s brethren of Benjamin, i.e. of Saul’s own tribe; who were moved hereunto by God’s Spirit, and by the conscience of their duty to David, to whom God had given the crown in reversion; and by their observation of God’s departure from Saul, and of his special presence with David, and his gracious providence for him.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

They were armed with bows,.... Much used in war in those times:

and could use both the right hand and the left, in hurling stones, and shooting arrows out of a bow; they were ambidextrous; who could sling stones, or shoot arrows, with either, which was no small advantage to them:

even of Saul's brethren of Benjamin; they were of the tribe of Benjamin, of which Saul was, and so his brethren; and they might be, at least some of them, his relations and kinsmen; who observing the unreasonableness of Saul's enmity to David, and detesting his cruelty, and sensible of the innocence of David, and of the service he had done his country; and perhaps not being ignorant of his divine right and title to the kingdom, went over to him, to comfort, strengthen, and assist him.

Geneva Study Bible

They were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows out of a bow, even of Saul's {b} brethren of Benjamin.

(b) That is, of the tribe of Benjamin, of which Saul was, and in which were excellent throwers with slings, Jud 20:16.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

2. both the right hand and the left] On the occasion described in Judges 20 the Benjamites are said to have had seven hundred men lefthanded who could sling stones at a hair and not miss (ib. Jdg 20:16). Cp. Jdg 3:15.

even of Saul’s brethren of Benjamin] R.V. they were of Saul’s brethren of Benjamin. Brother is used in Heb. and Arabic for fellow-tribesman; cp. 2 Samuel 19:12.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 2. - Of Saul's brethren of Benjamin. It would be better to read these words as the commencement of the next verse. Prominence is given to the fact that this set of helpers of David, counting in all twenty-three, comprised Benjamites - men of the same tribe with Saul (ver. 29). They had seen and been impressed by the wrongness and cruelty of Saul, and found themselves unable to keep in sympathy with him. Of such were Eleazar, Ilai, and Ithai, mentioned in the preceding chapter (1 Chronicles 11:12, 29, 31, respectively). The Benjamites were noted both for their use of the bow, and of their own left hand (Judges 3:15, 21; Judges 20:15, 16; 1 Chronicles 8:39, 40; 2 Chronicles 14:8). 1 Chronicles 12:2

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

קשׁת נשׁקי, "those preparing bows," i.e., those armed with bows, synonymous with קשׁת דּרכי (1 Chronicles 8:40); cf. 2 Chronicles 17:17; Psalm 78:9. "With the right and left hand practised upon stones," i.e., to hurl stones, cf. Judges 20:16; "and in arrows on the bow," i.e., to shoot therewith. שׁאוּל מאחי, of Saul's brethren, i.e., of the men of the tribe, not "of his nearer relatives," and consequently of Benjamin, has been added as an explanation; cf. 1 Chronicles 12:29, where בנימן בּני and שׁאוּל אחי are synonyms. - In 1 Chronicles 12:3. we have the names. הראשׁ, the head, i.e., the leader of this host of warriors; compare 1 Chronicles 5:7, 1 Chronicles 5:12. הגּבעתי, cf. Gibeah of Saul or Benjamin, cf. 1 Chronicles 11:31; and for its situation, see on Joshua 18:28. הענתתי, from the priests' city Anathoth, now Anata; see on Joshua 18:24. In 1 Chronicles 12:4 the Gibeonite Ismaiah is called "hero among the thirty, and over the thirty," - words which can hardly have any other sense than that Ismaiah belonged also to David's corps of thirty heroes (1 Chronicles 11), and was (temporarily) their leader, although his name does not occur in 1 Chronicles 11. It is probable that the reason of the omission was, that at the time when the list was prepared he was no longer alive. הגּדרתי, of Gedera, a city of the tribe of Judah in the Shephelah, which, according to Van de Velde (Reise, ii. S. 166), was probably identical with the village Ghedera, which lies to the left of the road Tel-es-Safieh to Akir, about an hour to the south-west of Jabne. In any case, it corresponds well with the statements of the Onom. As to Gedrus, or Gaedur, see on Joshua 15:36. Immediately afterwards in 1 Chronicles 12:7 Gedor is mentioned, a city in the mountains of Judah, to the westward of the road which leads from Hebron to Jerusalem (see on Joshua 15:58); and from that fact Bertheau imagines we must conclude that the men of Judah are enumerated as well as the Benjamites. But this conclusion is not valid; for from the very beginning, when the domains and cities were assigned to the individual tribes under Joshua, they were not the exclusive possession of the individual tribes, and at a later period they were still less so. In course of time the respective tribal domains underwent (in consequence of wars and other events) many alterations, not only in extent, but also in regard to their inhabitants, so that in Saul's time single Benjamite families may quite well have had their home in the cities of Judah.