1 Chronicles 11:3
So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, where David made a covenant with them before the LORD. And they anointed him king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD through Samuel.
So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron,

The tribal elders and leading representatives of Israel gathered at Hebron to acknowledge David as king over the whole nation. Hebron carried deep covenantal significance as Abraham’s dwelling place and the location of the burial cave of Machpelah for Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Leah. David had reigned there over Judah for seven and a half years, while the northern tribes followed Saul’s house. The united gathering ended that division and marked the beginning of David’s reign over all Israel.

2Sa 5:1 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron…
1Ch 12:23-24 Now these are the numbers of men armed for battle…
1Ch 12:38-40 All these men of war, arrayed for battle,…

where David made a covenant with them before the LORD.

David and the elders entered a solemn agreement under God’s authority, binding the king to rule as the LORD’s servant and the people to receive him as God’s appointed ruler. The covenant was not merely a political settlement after the collapse of Saul’s dynasty; it was made before the LORD, who witnessed and governed the commitments of both king and nation. David’s kingship was therefore established within Israel’s covenant relationship with God.

2Sa 3:20-21 When Abner and twenty of his men came to David at Hebron,…
1Sa 23:18 So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD.…
1Sa 18:3 Then Jonathan made a covenant with David…

And they anointed him king over Israel,

The anointing publicly consecrated David for the office to which God had already called him. Samuel had anointed David privately in Bethlehem years earlier, and the men of Judah had later anointed him king over Judah. The elders’ anointing at Hebron recognized David as king over every tribe. David’s anointed reign also points forward to the promised Messiah, the Anointed One, the greater Son of David, whose eternal kingdom would be established by God.

2Sa 5:3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron…
1Sa 16:13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him…
2Sa 2:4 Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and…

according to the word of the LORD through Samuel.

Israel’s united recognition of David fulfilled the LORD’s word given through Samuel when Saul was rejected and David was chosen to reign. God’s purpose advanced despite Saul’s hostility, civil conflict, and the efforts of Saul’s house to retain power. David received the kingdom at the appointed time, demonstrating the faithfulness of God to accomplish what He has spoken.

1Sa 28:17 He has done exactly what He spoke through me: The LORD…
1Sa 15:28 So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom…
1Sa 13:14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought…

Persons / Places / Events
1. David
The central figure in this passage, David is anointed as king over Israel. His kingship is a fulfillment of God's promise and a pivotal moment in Israel's history.

2. Elders of Israel
These are the leaders and representatives of the tribes of Israel who come to Hebron to acknowledge David as their king, signifying unity and acceptance of God's chosen leader.

3. Hebron
A significant city in Judah where David is anointed king. It serves as a place of covenant and divine appointment.

4. The LORD
The covenant and anointing are done before the LORD, emphasizing the divine approval and guidance in David's kingship.

5. Samuel
The prophet through whom God had previously communicated His choice of David as king, highlighting the fulfillment of divine prophecy.
Teaching Points
Divine Timing and Fulfillment
God's promises may take time to manifest, but they are always fulfilled according to His perfect timing. David's anointing as king was a fulfillment of God's word through Samuel, demonstrating the reliability of God's promises.

Unity in Leadership
The gathering of all the elders of Israel to anoint David signifies the importance of unity under godly leadership. In our communities and churches, unity is essential for fulfilling God's purposes.

Covenant Relationship
The covenant made before the LORD highlights the importance of entering into agreements and commitments with a sense of divine accountability. Our relationships and commitments should be made with integrity and in alignment with God's will.

Recognition of God's Chosen
The elders' recognition of David as king reflects the need to discern and support God's chosen leaders. In our lives, we should seek to recognize and support those whom God has appointed for leadership.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the anointing of David as king in Hebron reflect the fulfillment of God's promises in your own life?

2. In what ways can you promote unity within your community or church, following the example of the elders of Israel?

3. What are some covenants or commitments you have made before the LORD, and how can you ensure they align with His will?

4. How can you discern and support the leaders God has placed in your life, similar to how the elders recognized David's kingship?

5. Reflect on a time when you had to wait for God's timing. How did that experience strengthen your faith and trust in His promises?
Connections to Other Scriptures
1 Samuel 16
This chapter details the anointing of David by Samuel, establishing the divine choice of David as king long before he assumes the throne.

2 Samuel 5
This passage parallels 1 Chronicles 11:3, providing additional context and details about David's anointing and the unification of Israel under his rule.

Psalm 89
This psalm reflects on God's covenant with David, emphasizing the enduring nature of God's promises and the establishment of David's lineage.
David's AccessionJ.R. Thomson 1 Chronicles 11:3
God's Providences Fulfil God's PromisesR. Tuck 1 Chronicles 11:1-3
The Promise FulfilledR. Glover 1 Chronicles 11:1-3
David's AnointingF. Whitfield 1 Chronicles 11:1-4
Popular and Royal WisdomW. Clarkson 1 Chronicles 11:1-8
People
Abiel, Abiezer, Abishai, Adina, Ahiam, Ahijah, Ahlai, Anathoth, Ariel, Asahel, Azmaveth, Baanah, Benaiah, Benjamin, Benjaminites, David, Dodai, Dodo, Eleazar, Elhanan, Eliahba, Eliel, Eliphal, Elnaam, Ezbai, Gareb, Hachmoni, Haggeri, Hanan, Hashem, Heled, Helez, Hepher, Hezro, Hotham, Hothan, Hurai, Ikkesh, Ilai, Ira, Israelites, Ithai, Ithmah, Ittai, Jaasiel, Jashobeam, Jasiel, Jebusites, Jediael, Jehiel, Jehoiada, Jeiel, Jeribai, Joab, Joel, Joha, Jonathan, Joshaphat, Joshaviah, Maacah, Maachah, Maharai, Mibhar, Moabites, Naarai, Naharai, Nathan, Obed, Reubenites, Ribai, Sacar, Samuel, Saul, Shage, Shama, Shammoth, Shimri, Shiza, Sibbecai, Sibbechai, Uriah, Uzzia, Zabad, Zelek, Zeruiah
Places
Adullam, Anathoth, Baharum, Beeroth, Bethlehem, Carmel, Gaash, Gibeah, Harod, Hebron, Jebus, Jerusalem, Kabzeel, Millo, Moab, Netophah, Pas-dammim, Pirathon, Tekoa, Valley of Rephaim, Zion
Topics
Agreement, Anoint, Anointed, Compact, Covenant, David, Elders, Hebron, Holy, Maketh, Oil, Promised, Responsible, Samuel
Dictionary of Bible Themes
1 Chronicles 11:3

     1346   covenants, nature of
     2230   Messiah, coming of
     5370   kingship, human

1 Chronicles 11:1-9

     5087   David, reign of
     7236   Israel, united kingdom

Library
The Story of a Cup of Water
BY THEODORE T. MUNGER [From "Lamps and Paths," by courtesy of Houghton, Mifflin & Co.] Be noble! and the nobleness that lies In other men, sleeping, but never dead, Will rise in majesty to meet thine own. --James Russell Lowell: Sonnet IV Restore to God his due in tithe and time: A tithe purloined cankers the whole estate. Sundays observe: think, when the bells do chime, 'Tis angels' music; therefore come not late. God there deals blessings. If a king did so, Who would not haste, nay give, to see
Philip P. Wells—Bible Stories and Religious Classics

Some Buildings in Acra. Bezeiha. Millo.
Mount Sion did not thrust itself so far eastward as mount Acra: and hence it is, that mount Moriah is said, by Josephus, to be "situate over-against Acra," rather than over-against the Upper City: for, describing Acra thus, which we produced before, "There is another hill, called Acra, which bears the Lower City upon it, steep on both sides": in the next words he subjoins this, "Over-against this was a third hill," speaking of Moriah. The same author thus describes the burning of the Lower City:
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

Epistle cxxii. To Rechared, King of the visigoths .
To Rechared, King of the Visigoths [82] . Gregory to Rechared, &c. I cannot express in words, most excellent son, how much I am delighted with thy work and thy life. For on hearing of the power of a new miracle in our days, to wit that the whole nation of the Goths has through thy Excellency been brought over from the error of Arian heresy to the firmness of a right faith, one is disposed to exclaim with the prophet, This is the change wrought by the right hand of the Most High (Ps. lxxvi. 11 [83]
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Epistle Xlv. To Theoctista, Patrician .
To Theoctista, Patrician [153] . Gregory to Theoctista, &c. We ought to give great thanks to Almighty God, that our most pious and most benignant Emperors have near them kinsfolk of their race, whose life and conversation is such as to give us all great joy. Hence too we should continually pray for these our lords, that their life, with that of all who belong to them, may by the protection of heavenly grace be preserved through long and tranquil times. I have to inform you, however, that I have
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Chronicles
The comparative indifference with which Chronicles is regarded in modern times by all but professional scholars seems to have been shared by the ancient Jewish church. Though written by the same hand as wrote Ezra-Nehemiah, and forming, together with these books, a continuous history of Judah, it is placed after them in the Hebrew Bible, of which it forms the concluding book; and this no doubt points to the fact that it attained canonical distinction later than they. Nor is this unnatural. The book
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

Links
1 Chronicles 11:3 NIV
1 Chronicles 11:3 NLT
1 Chronicles 11:3 ESV
1 Chronicles 11:3 NASB
1 Chronicles 11:3 KJV

1 Chronicles 11:3 Commentaries

Bible Hub
1 Chronicles 11:2
Top of Page
Top of Page