Bible Strands
1 Chronicles 11:1
Then all Israel came together to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The united tribes of Israel address David at Hebron, declaring their shared lineage to him. This occurs at the moment of national consolidation, transitioning leadership from Saul's dynasty to David's divinely sanctioned rule.
The words — The term הִנֵּ֛ה (hi.Neh) literally means "here!" or "behold!" and serves as a formal declaration of presence and allegiance. It anchors the collective confession "Here we are, your own flesh and blood" in a concrete act of political and familial submission.
The thread — The "flesh and blood" phrasing mirrors Laban's recognition of Jacob in Genesis 29:14 and the Deuteronomic requirement to appoint a king from among the brothers in Deuteronomy 17:15. It also resonates with the tribal leaders' appeal in Judges 9:2, framing kingship as a covenantal duty rooted in kinship.
Why it lands — The text requires acknowledgment of David's legitimate authority as both a kinsman and a God-ordained ruler. It compels the reader to accept that national unity and obedience depend on recognizing divinely appointed leadership within the covenant community.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Then all Israel gathered themselves to David unto Hebron, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.
Cross-references
- Genesis 29:14 Then Laban declared, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” After Jacob had stayed with him a month,
- Deuteronomy 17:15 you are to appoint over yourselves the king whom the LORD your God shall choose. Appoint a king from among your brothers; you are not to set over yourselves a foreigner who is not one of your brothers.
- Judges 9:2 “Please ask all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Is it better for you that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember that I am your own flesh and blood.”
- 2 Samuel 5:1 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood.
- 2 Samuel 15:10 Then Absalom sent spies throughout the tribes of Israel with this message: “When you hear the sound of the horn, you are to say, ‘Absalom reigns in Hebron!’”
- 1 Kings 2:11 The length of David’s reign over Israel was forty years—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.
- 1 Chronicles 12:23 Now these are the numbers of men armed for battle who came to David at Hebron to turn Saul’s kingdom over to him, in accordance with the word of the LORD:
- Numbers 13:22 They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, dwelled. It had been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.
- 2 Samuel 19:12 You are my brothers, my own flesh and blood. So why should you be the last to restore the king?’
- Ephesians 5:30 For we are members of His body.