Bible Strands
1 Chronicles 12:31
From the half-tribe of Manasseh: 18,000 designated by name to come and make David king.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The chronicler records a military muster occurring as tribal leaders gather to formally establish David as king. This verse functions as one entry in a sequential list of regional contingents reporting for their new monarch.
The words — The phrase וּמֵחֲצִי מַטֵּה מְנַשֶּׁה (u./me./cha.Tzi ma.Teh me.na.Sheh) literally translates to "and of the half of the tribe of Manasseh." The verb נִקְּבוּ (ni.kku) denotes that these 18,000 men were specifically named or registered for the assignment.
The thread — The territorial division of Manasseh into two portions is first established in Joshua 17:1 regarding the allotment for Machir. This half-tribe's recorded mobilization echoes that earlier division while advancing the narrative of national consolidation under David.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition that David's accession depends on organized, named tribal commitment rather than unilateral seizure of power. It presents authority as legitimate only when validated by the deliberate, documented support of the people.
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
And of the half tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, which were expressed by name, to come and make David king.
Cross-references
- Joshua 17:1 Now this was the allotment for the tribe of Manasseh as Joseph’s firstborn son, namely for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh and father of the Gileadites, who had received Gilead and Bashan because Machir was a man of war.