1 Chronicles 12:2
New International Version
they were armed with bows and were able to shoot arrows or to sling stones right-handed or left-handed; they were relatives of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin):

New Living Translation
All of them were expert archers, and they could shoot arrows or sling stones with their left hand as well as their right. They were all relatives of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin.

English Standard Version
They were bowmen and could shoot arrows and sling stones with either the right or the left hand; they were Benjaminites, Saul’s kinsmen.

Berean Standard Bible
they were archers using both the right and left hands to sling stones and shoot arrows; and they were Saul’s kinsmen from Benjamin):

King James 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 brethren of Benjamin.

New King James Version
armed with bows, using both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows with the bow. They were of Benjamin, Saul’s brethren.

New American Standard Bible
They were equipped with bows, using both the right hand and the left to sling stones and shoot arrows with the bow; they were Saul’s kinsmen from Benjamin.

NASB 1995
They were equipped with bows, using both the right hand and the left to sling stones and to shoot arrows from the bow; they were Saul’s kinsmen from Benjamin.

NASB 1977
They were equipped with bows, using both the right hand and the left to sling stones and to shoot arrows from the bow; they were Saul’s kinsmen from Benjamin.

Legacy Standard Bible
They were equipped with bows, using both the right hand and the left to sling stones and to shoot arrows from the bow; they were Saul’s relatives from Benjamin.

Amplified Bible
They were armed with bows, and could use the right hand or the left to sling stones and shoot arrows from the bow; they were Saul’s relatives from [the tribe of] Benjamin.

Christian Standard Bible
They were archers who could use either the right or left hand, both to sling stones and shoot arrows from a bow. They were Saul’s relatives from Benjamin:

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They were archers who could use either the right or left hand, both to sling stones and shoot arrows from a bow. They were Saul’s relatives from Benjamin:

American Standard Version
They were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left in slinging stones and in shooting arrows from the bow: they were of Saul's brethren of Benjamin.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Because they had held bows with their left hands and swords in their right hands, and their bows were filled with arrows, and David chose not to kill Shaul, for he was Chief Prince of the tribe of the house of Benjamin.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
and using the bow with the right hand and with the left, and slingers with stones, and shooters with bows. Of the brethren of Saul of Benjamin,

Contemporary English Version
Several of these warriors were from King Saul's own tribe of Benjamin. They were experts at using a bow and arrows, and they could shoot an arrow or sling a stone with either hand.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Bending the bow, and using either hand in hurling stones with slings, and shooting arrows: of the brethren of Saul of Benjamin.

English Revised Version
They were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left in slinging stones and in shooting arrows from the bow; they were of Saul's brethren of Benjamin.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They were armed with bows and could sling stones or shoot arrows with either their right or their left hands. They were Saul's relatives, [from the tribe of] Benjamin.

Good News Translation
members of the tribe of Benjamin, to which Saul belonged. They could shoot arrows and sling stones either right-handed or left-handed.

International Standard Version
Equipped as archers, they could use both their right and left hands to shoot arrows and hurl stones. As descendants of Benjamin, they were Saul's relatives.

JPS Tanakh 1917
They were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left in slinging stones and in shooting arrows from the bow; they were of Saul's brethren of Benjamin.

Literal Standard Version
armed with bow, right and left handed, with stones, and with arrows, with bows, of the brothers of Saul, of Benjamin.

Majority Standard Bible
they were archers using both the right and left hands to sling stones and shoot arrows; and they were Saul’s kinsmen from Benjamin):

New American Bible
They were archers who could use either the right or the left hand, both in slinging stones and in shooting arrows with the bow. They were some of Saul’s kinsmen, from Benjamin.

NET Bible
They were armed with bows and could shoot arrows or sling stones right or left-handed. They were fellow tribesmen of Saul from Benjamin.) These were:

New Revised Standard Version
They were archers, and could shoot arrows and sling stones with either the right hand or the left; they were Benjaminites, Saul’s kindred.

New Heart English Bible
They were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left in slinging stones and in shooting arrows from the bow: they were of Saul's brothers of Benjamin.

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

World English Bible
They were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left in slinging stones and in shooting arrows from the bow. They were of Saul’s relatives of the tribe of Benjamin.

Young's Literal Translation
armed with bow, right and left handed, with stones, and with arrows, with bows, of the brethren of Saul, of Benjamin.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Mighty Men Join David at Ziklag
1Now these were the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was still banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish (they were among the mighty men who helped him in battle; 2they were archers using both the right and left hands to sling stones and shoot arrows; and they were Saul’s kinsmen from Benjamin): 3Ahiezer their chief and Joash, who were the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; Beracah; Jehu the Anathothite;…

Cross References
Judges 3:15
And again they cried out to the LORD, and He raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed Benjamite, as their deliverer. So they sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab.

Judges 20:16
Among all these soldiers there were 700 select left-handers, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair without missing.

1 Chronicles 12:3
Ahiezer their chief and Joash, who were the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; Beracah; Jehu the Anathothite;

1 Chronicles 12:29
From Benjamin, the kinsmen of Saul: 3,000, most of whom had remained loyal to the house of Saul up to that time.

Psalm 78:9
The archers of Ephraim turned back on the day of battle.


Treasury of Scripture

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 brothers of Benjamin.

could use

Judges 3:15
But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.

Judges 20:16
Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss.

in hurling

1 Samuel 17:49
And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

Jump to Previous
Able Armed Arrows Benjamin Bow Bowmen Bows Either Equipped Hand Hurling Kinsmen Left-Handed Right Saul Saul's Shoot Shooting Sling Slinging Stones Use Using
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Able Armed Arrows Benjamin Bow Bowmen Bows Either Equipped Hand Hurling Kinsmen Left-Handed Right Saul Saul's Shoot Shooting Sling Slinging Stones Use Using
1 Chronicles 12
1. The companies that came to David at Ziklag
23. The armies that came to him at Hebron














(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.) . . .

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).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
they were archers
נֹ֣שְׁקֵי (nō·šə·qê)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct
Strong's 5401: To kiss, to equip with weapons

using both the right
מַיְמִינִ֤ים (may·mî·nîm)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 3231: To go to or choose the right, to use the right hand

and left
וּמַשְׂמִאלִים֙ (ū·maś·mi·lîm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 8041: To use the left hand, pass in that direction)

[to sling] stones
בָּֽאֲבָנִ֔ים (bā·’ă·ḇā·nîm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 68: A stone

and [to shoot] arrows;
וּבַחִצִּ֖ים (ū·ḇa·ḥiṣ·ṣîm)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2671: A piercer, an arrow, a wound, thunderbolt, the shaft of a, spear

[they were] Saul's
שָׁא֖וּל (šā·’ūl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7586: Saul -- first king of Israel, also an Edomite and two Israelites

kinsmen
מֵאֲחֵ֥י (mê·’ă·ḥê)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 251: A brother, )

from Benjamin:
מִבִּנְיָמִֽן׃ (mib·bin·yā·min)
Preposition-m | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1144: Benjamin -- 'son of the right hand', youngest son of Jacob, also the name of two other Israelites


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OT History: 1 Chronicles 12:2 They were armed with bows and could (1 Chron. 1Ch iCh i Ch 1 chr 1chr)
1 Chronicles 12:1
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